Hassle-free holiday entertaining tips

Many seasoned entertainers approach the holidays as though “stress” stands for Stop Throwing Ridiculously Excessive Seasonal Soirees.

Reluctant hosts and hostesses, pay attention – entertaining can be relaxing rather than taxing.

• Get everyone to pitch in
Have your guests bring a dish or pick one up. Most people have a signature dish they like to show off anyhow.

• Buy dinner
If the thought of having your guests bring a dish bothers you, let neighborhood chefs do all the work. Pick up your favorite appetizers, entrees and deserts for hassle-free dining.

• Use convenience foods
If you’re a stickler for cooking all of the party food yourself…cheat! Who has time to make anything from scratch nowadays? Don’t fear the frozen foods section of your grocery store. Popping frozen biscuits into the oven rather than making them from scratch will save you loads of time and hassle.

Don’t forget to ask your guests ahead of time if they have special dietary requirements or preferences (allergies, vegetarian, etc.).

• Set a beautiful table
Less is more when it comes to holiday décor. Fresh flowers and candles will go a long way for your serving or dining table.

• Simplify
Unless you’re hosting a smaller, more intimate get-together you’ll want to bypass the fine china and silverware and hit up your local party store for pretty paper or plastic dishware and utensils. This will significantly lesson the burden the next morning when it’s time to clean.

• Theme ideas
If you’re looking for something other than a traditional holiday party, try a theme:

-A wine tasting can be casual or formal and educational for novices or sophisticates. That’s the pitch of “The Wine Tasting Party Kit” (Chronicle; $24.95). Guests can conduct blind tastings with notepads, “cheat sheets” of testing terms and glass markers. Also included are six reusable cloth bottle covers and a book on wine.

-Ask friends to make a favorite dish and bring the recipe to share. You’ll have dinner taken care of and plenty of new entries for your cookbook.

-Wrap your party around one food, such as homemade chili or a taco bar.

-Need more ideas? Check out Partypop.com for varying themes and decoration inspiration.

• Consider your neighbors
Consult with neighbors before the party about parking arrangements and any additional party noise.

• Expect the unexpected
Bad weather, food and drink spills; it’s probably going to happen…be prepared. An emergency stain kit is a good idea when throwing a party: white vinegar; baking soda; white paper towels; clear dishwashing detergent; laundry presoak solution; powdered carpet cleaner; a dry, non-caustic cleaning solvent and non-bleaching clothing spot remover.

*For chocolate or berry stains: Scrape or blot up excess. Mix a half teaspoon of clear dishwashing detergent in a cup of warm water and dab on the spot with a damp towel. Continue to blot. Dab on undiluted white vinegar and blot again. Rinse by dabbing with a damp sponge. Apply a weighted pad of white paper towels overnight.

*For drinks: Blot up the excess and apply detergent solution with a damp towel. For coffee, mixed drink and red wine stains, leave on three to five minutes. Blot, don't rub. Then, for all drink types, apply undiluted white vinegar with a damp towel. For everything but red wine, apply water with a damp sponge. For all drinks, blot- finish with weighted towels.