The Dogstacle

Today's post comes to you via our friend and fellow food lover, Dena. This isn't the first time that Dena has graced our blog - remember the biscotti? We're still dreaming of it.

I love food. But, more than anything, you know what I love about entertaining - the decorating. I guess it’s probably no surprise to anyone who knows me – I redecorate my house, at least, once a month – the average person would be afraid to step foot in my attic, which is nothing short of a junk-scavengers dream.

So, I love planning for dinner guests and parties, however I always have one a dilemma (we’re all faced with dilemmas, right?): MY DOG. She likes food almost as much as I do. Well, maybe more. She’ll steal anything from the table – really – for some reason, she LOVES bagels (note to self: do not have brunch guests while Maybel is around). She stole three in one day (actually, in one hour – I think poppyseed is the leading scorer).

Dilemma: here we are, Friday night 7pm, guests are coming over for dinner: I don’t want to be stuck with a. no food to serve and b. a SICK dog. Solution: Get creative. I am forced to find innovative ways to display food. That’s what makes it fun, right?

What does this mean? Well, for me, it means that I have to keep food elevated, away from my little canine garbage disposal. And for those of you without ravenous dogs, keep these ideas in mind when looking for extra space for some tasty apps (or more, I suppose).

The mantle – it’s eye level and great for easy-to-grab finger foods.

Shelves – whether built-in or not, parties gather in the living room or dining room, so why not supply them with some easy to access treats.

Hutch – with multiple shelving units, you can display food, dinnerware, silverware, etc.

So, with or without said ‘ravenous dog’, hopefully these ideas will be helpful during your Spring entertaining season!