SPECIAL OCCASIONS IN DAISY COTTAGE

CELEBRATIONS IN DAISY COTTAGE

Celebrate in Daisy Cottage!

I love throwing dinner parties and have been doing so for years now.  I enjoy the menu planning, deciding on table settings, and the cooking.  My husband is a bit of wine buff so he choses the wines that will best compliment what I will cook ~ I just enjoy the drinking of it later when all the work is done!

But throwing a dinner party is hard work and particularly if you are as fussy as me.  I plan everything from start to finish from deciding on the menu, preparing the foods for cooking, cooking it properly ~ even how I will arrange the food on the plate.  I plan how I will lay the table to best suit the dishes to be served.  I make sure I am aware of guests' allergies and/or food dislikes and favourites.  I make sure the candle holders are polished, fresh candles are available, our white napkins and table cloths are starched, all the glasses to be used are polished and laid out in the order they will be required.  I gather all the cutlery needed and sit in boiling water and then polish it with a dry cloth to make sure it is all sparkling (I've even gone so far as to wear white cotton gloves to make sure the cutlery had no finger marks on the handles!!!).  I make sure my dinner plates are heated because I hate being served hot food on cold plates.

There are so many other things to arrange prior to entertaining: a choice of soft drinks, still and sparkling water, a good range of spirits, beers and wines, plenty of ice, what music best suits the company and the cds gathered and lined up, lots of clean hand towels in the bathroom, and so on.

Soft candle light and champagne ... in Daisy Cottage

It occured to me that perhaps some guests might be celebrating a special occasion while staying in Daisy Cottage and would like to throw a dinner party (or even buffet) but don't want all the work entailed when they are on holiday.  And so I have decided to add this extra service to guests who desire it.  I am only working on what would be involved but basically it would include some or all (depending on what the guest wants) of the following:

DISHES, GLASSES, CUTLERY
Daisy Cottage is very well stocked with a large range of dishes, cutlery and glasses but out of necessity, they are more robust than the finer china and glassware one would use for very special occasions.  So in this regard we can hire these if required together with Villeroy & Boch cutlery.

TABLE DRESSING
We will also be able to supply freshly laundered and starched napkins and tablecloths together with crystal candleholders. 

FOOD
We will be able to offer a choice of buffet food or a sit down meal.  Obviously we will consult with the guest over the choice of menu and offer sample menus too.  Then we can either cook the meal and deliver ready to be reheated before serving or alternatively cook in Daisy Cottage and leave it ready to serve.

WINE AND DRINKS
Advice can be given on choices of wines and drinks and even supplied by us if so desired.

SERVICE
We also intend to offer and extra option ~ service.  We would serve drinks before the meal, serve the meal, pour the wine, and serve after dinner drinks if wanted.

MUSIC
As we have an extensive collection of cds of music of all types, our guests will be able to cherry pick the music they would like to play during their party.

AND LATER ...
As an added service we can serve the food and clean up afterwards, leaving our guests fully relaxed and able to enjoy the entire night without the bother of a big clean up in the morning.

~~~~~~~~~~

FOOTNOTE
Just as I finished this blog post, my husband arrived home to collect some files and told me our youngest son and his fiance are going to marry here in Ireland rather than in her home country, America.  And further, it will be very soon, more or less straight after their baby is born.  Just as we were discussing this, my son and daughter-in-law to be arrived in.  After the hugs and congratulations had taken place and my husband had returned to his office, the three of us sat down and planned the entire wedding from start to finish in just four hours.  She has even picked the wedding dress from an on line bridal store.

And what has all this, lovely though it be, to do with this blog post you might be wondering? 

Well, they are just having a small wedding with about 30 or 40 guests and just guess where the wedding party will take place?  Yes, Daisy Cottage!  So I am going to get a practice run for the catering plans written in this blog rather sooner than expected!  Now to plan the menu for that very special first party buffet in Daisy Cottage!

NB ~ And just off the 'phone to the Parish Priest in the church near Daisy Cottage and he has agreed to do the wedding in his chapel (which is what we had hoped).

Love and strawberry kisses!