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These are all awesome tips! I'm hoping to do a similar set of tips on my blog soon, but aside from the above my #1 tip is WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN. I've been known to partially or completely prepare dishes and then forget to serve them. Keep a list on the counter as you cook. Scheduling is also really important but the number one thing is writing everything down, because you can't keep track if you don't remember what you're trying to keep track of.

Something I read in one of Ina Garten's cookbooks a few years ago really resonated with me: basically, she says not to invite people with whom you DON'T want to spend time over for dinner parties, because it creates the uncomfortable back-and-forth invitation cycle that we all dread. That was a such a freeing thing to read, and I think it's really important to keep in mind amid all the excitement of, say, being a 20-something and finally having a place where you can have friends over for dinners. Life is too short!

If you want everyone to think you're a kitchen genius, serve everything at once. The way to do this is really simple: make things you can leave warming on the stove or oven. My book club thinks I'm amazing at timing everything because of this.

Totally agree with Ina and sfumato on entertaining people you love spending time with. It's not always possible, but it totally helps take the pressure off being the "perfect" host.

My main rule is to keep things simple. Do ONE cocktail, not five. Serve ONE really good appetizer, not six. People don't need a ton of options, they just need one really good thing. And, while it can be hard to not be in total control, sometimes I also let friends bring things, if they offer. It's nice to let other people take some of the cooking load (and expense) off my shoulders and some of my friends really do enjoy cooking too.

I throw A LOT of dinner parties and I've found that it's really just a matter of practice. The more you entertain, the easier it becomes.

http://adinnerparty.net

Oh yes, the more you have, the better you are at throwing dinner parties.

The most important thing for me is to not stress. Remember that it's your friends you're having over, people who love you and your company; you don't need to become an acrobat trying to impress anyone.

Find a simple recipe, or something that you know how to make really well. Remember, it may be simple home cooking to you, but it might be new and charming to someone else. Buy some good bread. Ask your guests to bring wine. Light some candles, and put on some background music. Linger over the empty plates with conversation.

People might not remember what you served, or the napkins, or whether your house was a mess; but they will remember the lovely time they shared with you.

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I recommend using the grill as much as possible. For me, first off, it means my husband will share in the labor because he's the grill guy. It's also good because it frees up kitchen real estate, and you don't have to clean a pot or pan.

Spread out the house cleaning and kitchen prep the week before the event. If you vaccuum or dust or decorate a few days ahead, the house will still look fine on the day of the event (usually even if you have kids and pets).

I recently threw a dinner party and for the first time I wasn't stressed a bit because I planned ahead and made a list of to-dos for the days leading up. I even made the mashed potatoes the day before and then put them in the slow cooker a few hours beforehand. I was drinking a margarita and reading a magazine while waiting for the guests to get there.

I am all for buying most if not all of the components for an appetizer. I like to do italian Antipasti and I always just make a trip over to the Italian deli to pick up a couple different things. The only work I have to really DO is put them on a platter!!

I am also all over serving one main dish and maybe a simple green salad. Lasagna is perfect for this. Hot cheesy pasta packed full of meat and veggies, and a nice cool crisp salad on the side.
Essentially, I'm not out to impress anyone. If they enjoy the food then I'm happy. I don't need decorations or proper table settings. Sometimes it's just nice to have friends over and if we spill into the living room and eat around the coffee table, that's cool with me!

You bring the wine, and I'll give you supper. MMmm MMm!

I actually have a new book (coming soon)dedicated to this subject: Friends at the table: The Ultimate Supper Club Cookbook. -Filled with plan ahead tips, shopping lists, and complete menus for all seasons. Visit my website: www.debishawcross.com for dinner music playlists you can download from i-tunes, wine pairing guidelines, recipes, and tablescape designs!

My mother-in-law is an excellent hostess and the biggest thing I've learned from her is do as much in advance as you can. I even plan out what serving pieces I'll be using for what foods so I'm not scrambling at the last minute to find the right size bowl, that spoon I need, etc. (And if the party has enough dishes, I even take little scraps of paper and mark each dish, setting it out on the counter with the serving utensil, so I can remember what goes where and so other guests can help me dish stuff up.) I set the table in advance, make sure I run and empty the dish washer well before guests arrive, open the bottles of wine, set out non-perishable appetizers like nuts (sometimes even the day before), etc. I am also a big proponent of letting people bring something when they offer. To that end, I try to work up a rough menu before I invite anyone, and that way when people say "Can I bring anything?" I can confidently say "Some kind of salad would be great" or "A red wine would go nicely."

Some of these things are really small, but I find that if I get them out of the way in advance I feel much less stressed when guests arrive.

I can't emphasize enough having the cleaning and table setting by the day before. IT's great not to be running around scrubbing a toilet as the doorbell rings with the first guest.

Related to this, put out all your serving dishes and utensils. Even put little paper slips on them with the dish they "belong" to. That way you won't be rummaging in some high shelf for the platter you need for the veggies.

Here's my best tip - cook everything in advance. I once had a party where eveyrhting was cooked at the last minute and I spent more time with my pots and pans than my guests.

Which, considering how much I like to cook, is not necessarily a bad thing.

Cheers!