Hi Robin,
Entertaining can be simple if you make your soup ahead of time and buy everything else prepared. I know a lot of people on this board have wonderful and simple recipes but I recommend you make it easy for yourself.
1. Along with your delicious soup I would recommend that you buy some french bread.
2. Get some herbed cheese spread (like Boursin or Rondele brands) or some sliced cheeses that they have in so many grocery store deli departments.
3. Buy prepared veggies and get some sort of dressing or dip to go with them.
4. Buy or bake a batch of cookies, brownies or bars.
5. Add some nuts and a bowl of apples (the apples will add nice color to your table) and call it a party.

It takes a lot of stress out of entertaining if you can set things up the night before. I would set everything out for a buffet. Put down a couple of place mats or a table runner for color. consider putting out a crockpot if you have one to keep your soup warm. Set out the dishes you plan to serve in. Then add your bowls, spoons and napkins and you should be good to go.

If everything is ready ahead of time you can enjoy yourself too. Good luck. I hope you'll post again and let us know how it went.

Simple mixed green salad with pears and dried cranberries. If you want a bit more, you could add cheese and/or nuts, but that leads to more choices -- I'd keep it simple. If you have a trader Joe's, their Orange Muscat Champagne vinegar makes a great salad dressing -- even plain (but use it lightly), or mix it with a little pear or apple cider.

Bread -- a whole grain would be nice with the salad and your soup, but you can always have some white and some wheat. Or croissants if you want to dress it up a little.

For dessert, I'd do a simple apple cake or pumpkin something. That would give you a very nice, seasonal menu.

There is a pumpkin dip recipe out on the internet that is pretty fail proof -- softened cream cheese, pumpkin, spices and a little maple syrup IIRC. You could put a dollop on a plate or in a small bowl and serve with some very thin gingersnaps (the kind that come in those long square boxes or the tins at World Market) for dipping or spreading. Add some slices of red and/or green apple and those who want to do gluten free can eat the fruit and dip.

Libby's had a pumpkin crunch cake recipe on their website that I used to make. I'm not sure if they still do since the cake mix sizes have changed, but you added the canned pumpkin pie mix to a yellow cake mix and made a struesel topping with some reserved cake mix. I made it and would serve it with a dollop of whipped cream with just a touch of brown sugar and cinnamon added -- but you could buy and apple cake or tart and be just fine.

Cheesecake is very easy, but people get very impressed with it. Another nice thing about it is that it needs to be made ahead and chilled (overnight in your case), so if it did bomb, you would have time to run out and get something. A gingersnap crust would be great this time of year.

If you decide on something you want to try, let us know. I'll help look for recipes.

Your soup is a great start. I like the suggestion of a green salad with pears and cranberries. I don't think you have to do anything fancy with bread, just buy the best bread you can find, heat it and slice to go with the soup and salad. Don't microwave the bread, but heat in the oven. If you have a bakery that makes good rolls, I might even prefer those, since there is no slicing involved!

I'd skip any more pumpkin items since the soup is basically pumpkin, so I might serve a purchased hummus for an appetizer, with some carrots, red peppers and pita chips or crackers. I really dislike prepared veggie trays, so I just prepare local carrots and a sweet pepper and slice into chunks for dipping. I slice the peeled carrots diagonally to make the rounds big enough for dipping and it's easier than sticks.

An apple dessert would go perfectly. If you have a good bakery, I'd buy an apple dessert. But if you want to make an easy dessert, apple cobbler or crisp is a snap and always a hit.
For something different, this is a really easy and delicious baked apple dessert...serve with good vanilla ice cream. Select small apples because it is rich.

Almond Baked Apples

1-7 oz box Odense Almond Paste, grated
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) soft butter
1/4 cup flour, plus flour for dusting
2 tablespoons sliced almonds (chopped if you don't use food processor to mix the ingredients)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons raisins
1 teaspoon apple pie spice (I just use cinnamon)
4-5 (6 oz) apples*
*Braeburn, Rome or Cortland apples hold their shape best for baking. Choose apples of same weight (for even cooking) with flat bottoms, so they will sit without rolling.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with foil or use a size appropriate baking dish.
2. Using a food processor or mixer beat Almond Paste, butter, 1/4 cup flour and almonds until well combined. (this goes on the outsides)
3. In a small bowl mix brown sugar, raisins and spice. Set aside. (this goes on the insides)
4. Core, and peel apples. Completely dust outside of apples with flour. Evenly press almond mixture onto apples, making sure bottom hole is firmly covered with mixture. When apple is covered, roll between palms to smooth out any seams.
5. Fill each apple cavity with sugar mixture and place in baking dish.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until apples are soft but not mushy. If apples are browning too quickly lay a piece of aluminum foil across top. Do not fold foil around apples, or they will steam and not bake.
7. Serve warm by themselves or top with ice cream.

Edited to add: I forgot to mention wine. I see Chardonnay and Viognier mentioned as a good pairing with butternut squash soup. Viognier is probably my favorite white wine, if it's not too sweet. An affordable brand I especially like is Yalumba - from Australia. Not sure where you live or what wines are available. I don't really like Chardonnay, but if you have an independent wine store in town, I'd give them your menu and ask for recommendations. You might choose a red also, for those who prefer it. A pinot noir is light and would pair well with your soup.

And remember, people gather for the company of others. The food is a bonus and NO one will be critical about what or how you serve, so try to relax and enjoy the experience. I'm sure your guests will. And the next time you do this, it will feel much easier!

Here is a link that might be useful: source of recipe

This post was edited by olychick on Tue, Nov 4, 14 at 15:43

I agree that prepared foods can be your friend.

Can't get any easier than an antipasto platter and you can put anything you want on it and it always looks great. Do a google search on antipasto under images and you'll get some great serving ideas.

You can do some prepared veggies like celery and carrot sticks, a small bowl with creamy dressing of some sort, a bowl of mixed nuts, have the store slice salami (I like latin salami but genoa is good too) about 3/8" thick and bring it home and cut it into wedges. Also slice up a pepperoni. Buy a cucumber...seedless so you don't need to peel it...and put some slices on the platter. Buy a jar of pitted kalamata olives, buy a jar of giardiniera...which is spicy pickled vegetables and put them out. A beer stein with bread sticks, some crackers or pita bites. Buy a couple of kinds of cheese and cube them and use toothpicks for serving...maybe a smoked mozzarella and a jarlsburg or I love steakhouse onion cheese. You could also do a soft cheese like a goat cheese. The best part is it all can be put out on a plate before they come, serve at room temp.

A favorite easy to do appetizer for me is buy dried apricots and put a small bit of mascarpone cheese (like a cream cheese) in the center and top with a walnut or pecan piece. It looks fancy but is so easy.

You can buy cut up fruit ahead of time in the grocery store, then just make the best and easiest fruit dip in the world...1 8 oz container of plain yogurt, stir in 1 tsp cinnamon and 2 Tbls of brown sugar. Adjust the flavors as you wish. Sprinkle the top with more cinnamon before serving to make it pretty. Again, use toothpicks for serving. Just put a small bowl full of dip in the center of a dinner plate and pile the cut up fruit around it and it'll look great.

And the best place I've found to get lots of cocktail napkins for cheap is the dollar stores. I just bought a bunch with fall designs on them for $0.69 a pack.

If you want something hot to serve, if you have a trader joe's in the area, buy their frozen wild mushroom and truffle flatbread...just bake it and cut it up...it is so delish and looks very fancy and smells great while baking, but it's truly no fuss, no muss. If not, check out your local grocery store to see what other "pizza" type item might be available for bake and slice serving.

Be sure to serve the soup with some nice crusty bread. TJ's also has a bread that is almost fully baked but not quite. You bring it home, brown it in the oven and it smells heavenly. Pop it out and slice it and they'll think you baked it yourself!

Ooooohhhh ! I could dive into that antipasto platter face first and Coke in hand !

Thank you all so much. I have to read your notes some more times before I figure out what to do. I'm tempted to forget the soup and go all buy-at-the-store, but we don't really have any good stores out here; I live in a rural area and the nearest town doesn't have anything fancier than a Sam's Club that I know about anyway. I think the good cooks in this group drive 150 miles round trip to go to the store. The apple dessert looks delicious but I'm afraid to try it. I don't have time to do a trial run beforehand. And the flatbread from Trader Joe's - wow. Anyway, I'm going to look at everything you've all written and see what I can manage. Thank you again very very much.

I think I have to forget the soup; maybe next time I host the group I'll do soup. It's now going to be 10 people and I don't even have a table that will seat that many without a lot of crowding. I also don't have 10 bowls that look harmonious together.

Everybody will have their books with them so we'll need room to talk and look at the books; there won't be room for soup and the accoutrements. I do have an island I can put everything on so people can just bring their plates to the table. I guess I'll serve on a bare table; I won't be able to fit 10 placemats on it, and a tablecloth is too formal I think.

I have a lot of business things going on so I shouldn't even be thinking about this for a few days. I think I'll put something together from your great suggestions above -- maybe even drive the 150 miles to TJ's -- and try to stop worrying.

I'd skip the placemats and definitely do a table cloth to help protect the table top. It need not be formal at all.

But please don't worry. It will be fine. If you're under a time crunch then don't go to TJs. You can do very well at a regular grocery store. All the stuff I mentioned for the antipasto platter is available in a grocery store. If you've got a good pizza parlor around, see if they have a broccoli bread or calzone or stromboli or other such thing that can be served hot...all you have to do is slice.

You can still do the squash soup if it's a smooth soup (nothing too drippy off the spoon like spinach or noodles) and serve it in mugs. If it's too much trouble then buy soup already prepared at a local diner or deli, throw it in the crockpot to keep warm. Look for the already cut up squash in the grocery...it will save you peel and chop time.

For dessert, check out the attached recipe for a fruit cobbler...you can buy frozen berries and use them. Get some good vanilla ice cream like Haagen Dazs to serve with the cobbler.

And if you lack serving dishes, the antipasto platter can be served on a wood board...or hit your local goodwill or salvation army store...you'd be amazed at what you can find for a song, and even simple food served on a great dish will taste that much better.

I'd wish you good luck, but you won't need it. You'll do fine!

Here is a link that might be useful: Easy fruit cobbler

Why is the butternut squash soup so much work? I love butternut squash and often peel it and make all kinds of things, but when it comes to soup, I just buy a big slab of frozen pureed butternut squash. Wouldn't that make it easy for you? Not sure, I guess depends on the recipe.

There are gads of ways to spice up a boxed cake mix. I often do that when I am stressed about entertaining. I never hear complaints. Can't go wrong with brownies for dessert either! Easy peasy. Depending on the event though, I might do apple crisp with ice cream. Again, easy and I never hear any complaints about that!! But don't do that if you're nervous about it. It's just one of those things that's hard to screw up. Basically hack up a bunch of apples, mix with some cinnamon, butter and sugar, top with some more butter, sugar and oatmeal and bake. Can assemble in advance and bake while you're eating lunch or just before you start, so it's warm coming out of the oven. Impressive without being labor intensive. Unless you don't like peeling apples, which would be possible. If so, go with a dolled up box cake or brownies. Make the cake as cupcakes, use paper liners. Then you have all your servings already ready to go, no assembly or cutting. And you can buy frosting or just dust with powdered sugar. You need a strainer to dust with powdered sugar though, so don't do that if you're nervous. If it's chocolate, you can sprinkle on some chocolate sprinkles or if it is vanilla some colored ones and call it a day, don't even need to frost if you don't want to.

Salad isn't hard to make and easy to assemble in advance. I love salad with pears, blue cheese (or goat feta in my case, due to mold sensitivities) and walnuts. Splurge on some frisee lettuce, it is the whispy kind. Just buy the bagged salad and sort through it for any ugly bits and throw those out. The only downside to that is you have to add the pears at the last minute or they can turn brown. Can splash them with lemon juice in advance to prevent this. I do the same salad except I use pickled beets instead of the pears, which means you don't have to worry about doing anything if you can find a jar of pickled beets at the store. Or marinate a can of beets in some of that store bought salad dressing. But if you don't like beets, forget it. Any old salad will do. You can just buy some grapes and toss those in instead, that would be OK too. Or just some dried fruit like cranberries and raisins. Just a little gourmet touch.

Corn chips and dip (pre bought, I love Newman's own black bean and other salsa but whatever floats your boat, just splurge for some of the better brands) would be great with this and then just do mulled cider which I do all the time and it's a big hit. Mix cider with maybe something like raspberry cranberry juice and throw in some sliced oranges and some cinnamon sticks and maybe stick a clover or two in one of the orange slices. I add candied ginger to mine because we love it but not necessary. Put it in the crockpot if you have one, or just heat it on the stove in a pot and you can serve it in a coffee or tea pot if you have one. Or skip the whole mess and just serve a jug of cider or iced tea. Not one will care, it's all good!

This is short to read. Time is short. Keep the soup, if you can make it ahead, even a few days.

Make a simple green salad. A lettuce, romaine preferable, a good bottled ceasar dressing, packaged croutons, think garlic and or cheese croutons, and optional, some rinsed grape tomatoes, and optional, shelled, salted sunflower seeds.

To the green salad , and this is only an option based on budget and time, go to the deli counter of local grocer and buy the least expensive low salt protein, such as turkey, ham (ham only if it's not a jewish neighborhood), Swiss cheese, or other cheap good protein, to add the cubes to the salad.

Wonderful soup, great salad, bread, and done. Lovely. I totally agree and understand that work demands come first.

Get paper plates. Go to the dollar store for hard plastic or clear plastic plates. No plastic flowers. Plastic plates are ok.

Enjoy your lovely party.

For the soup, can you get some cheap, disposable glasses - what we call verrines? That way, people can take a small cup and drink it rather than spoon it. I would also go with the anti-pasti and the frozen bread above.

Most of us who love cooking also realise that it's not everyone's cup of tea and only food snobs will turn their noses up at your efforts. Don't worry!!!

One thing I like about an antipasto platter is, regardless of diet, there's always something someone can find to eat on it...be they vegetarian or lactose intolerant or gluten free or whatever.

And below is a nice 101 on how to build a cheese platter for some more ideas.

Also don't be afraid to ask at the grocery store...the people at the meat counter will be able to make suggestions for how to build a platter. Our grocery also has a "condiment bar" where you can buy small portions of things like olives, marinated mushrooms, pickles, stuffed peppers or whatever they have which can be added to the platter.

Here is a link that might be useful: cheese plate

This post was edited by AnnieDeighnaugh on Thu, Nov 6, 14 at 8:22

Please don't feel overwhelmed. Just keep it simple!

I love Annie's antipasto suggestion. It is much easier than worrying about the soup, it's an attractive display and offers plenty of choices for your guests. Any grocery store will have those items.

I'm a visual learner so I always like to look at pictures like Annie posted so that I can try to imitate how to put things together attractively.

You can do it. We've all been in your shoes at one time or another. Get your serving stuff set up the day before and do any slicing or dicing ahead of time and it will all turn out fine. Really.

I used to do picnics and dinners for my students all the time with paper plates and paper bowl and paper cups. Even the grocery stores have nice ones. Or go to the dollar store, they seem to specialize in that kind of thing.

My students always loved a cold cut and cheese platter with soup and salad, and you can get the ingredients of that kind of luncheon pre-made almost everywhere. Doll it up with your own little special touches like "herb mayo" which is just mayo mixed with any type of herb mix you want, like Mrs. Dash or whatever. Or you can even buy that kind of thing in some grocery stores now. I just saw how Hellmans has all kinds of gourmet-ish mayos on the shelves now.

And even at my rural grocery they sell all kinds of things for antipasta in the "international" aisle with the Italian stuff. Another easy peasy salad I make is the bagged shredded cabbage with bottled poppyseed dressing for a take on coleslaw that everyone likes and takes me one minute to throw together.

It's totally not worth stressing about a luncheon. Just focus on simple good food you know you can fix and you know you like. If you're happy and in a good mood, that will mean more to the average guest than any fancy spread. Now is not the time to pull out some new cooking technique or new recipe.

I'm always short on seating space too, I do buffets, works fine. Cups for soup will really help out with that. Or skip the soup and do a baked penne, which is a box of penne pasta cooked, some diced up pre-cooked italian sausage, a package of pre-shredded Italian style cheese, and your favorite jar or can marinara (spaghetti) sauce. Mix together top with a dusting of parmesean on top, and bake at 375 for a half hour. Go hog wild and throw in a package of frozen chopped spinach to the mix! (or not, lol!) Baked pasta always goes over well with guests. BTW, you can make practically "instant" minestrone if you take the above ingredients except for the shredded cheese and use tiny pasta, thin the marinara sauce until it resembles soup with boxed chicken or beef bouillon, and add a can of garbanzo beans. Serve with grated parmesean on top. Instant gourmet soup!! Throw in some frozen italian vegetables if you're really ambitious, they sell it in bags in the frozen food section. I posted a link to a similar recipe. You don't have to saute a carrot and onion for this soup if you choose a marinara sauce with vegetables in it. Or not, it is all good. All this stuff is foolproof.

And get a mixed cookie platter or box from the store too. Very typical "Italian" and very easy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup

This post was edited by lpinkmountain on Thu, Nov 6, 14 at 12:14

You guys are all so kind! Thank you so much. I surely have enough ideas from you now on all fronts that I can pull it together. One good thing is I've spent so much mental energy on this that I haven't had time to worry about whether anyone will like the book I recommended we read! After it's over I'll post again to let you know what I decided on and how it went. I can't really tell you how much I appreciate your help. I do have to do something about this-- I really shouldn't be paralyzed from just thinking about hostessing an evening. I hope other fearful hostesses will read your posts and be able to calm down!

Robin ..keep it really , really simple.

Make your soup...it is you and being you is so important.

Go to the Dollar Store and buy 10 large coffee mugs. Serve the soup in the mugs and enjoy the soup whilst you discuss the book...just like you would coffee or tea.

To "fancy"it up ....have small bowls of sour cream, chopped chives, gold fish crackers, and grated cheese that people can sprinkle on their soup.

That and some well placed dishes of finger foods like cheese cubes, crackers, olives ..the antipasta platter works.

Buy dessert..........

Robin,

A yummy and fun topping for butternut soup is popcorn! Pop the corn just before eating and the smell alone makes everybody hungry. Then put the popcorn in a bowl and everybody grabs a few pieces at a time to sprinkle on top of their soup as they eat. :)

You can butter the popcorn, or not, your choice. Either way it's a great topping similar to croutons.

/tricia

Well, it's going to be the soup (in small mugs; I don't have any soup mugs). Also hot rolls, the dried apricot/mascarpone/walnut appetizer, and blackberry cobbler from the bakery for dessert. Maybe ice cream with the cobbler, or else just leftover cream from my soup recipe. Makes for an awful lot of cream in this menu, but I guess it will be okay. I'll put out green onion tops to sprinkle on the soup. There is no store even 35 miles away that carries chives.

I posted a question about the soup recipe because although I've made it many times it's never seemed to me like the amount of squash called for is right.

Thanks so much to all of you for your help.

I'm glad you decided to stay with your soup and keep it simple. I think it sounds great.

This is advice for the future. To conquer hostessing jitters, like any other endeavor: practice, practice, practice. Start small and simple by inviting another couple for a soup and salad dinner. Then next time either increase the complexity of the menu or the number of guests. Set a goal for yourself to have people over once a week, once a month, or whatever works for you. Soon you will be sailing through entertaining without giving it a second thought!

I hope so! Thanks.

Guess what! We called off the meeting because the weather here in the mountains is so snowy and dangerous now. DH and I will have a lot of squash soup and blackberry cobbler to get through!

Thanks again, everyone. I'm all set for next time now, and I think I won't be so nervous.

Can you freeze the soup in portions appropriate for your family? I doubt the blackberry cobbler will freeze well. You'll just have to make the sacrifice and eat it ALL right now. :-)

Sorry you don't get the opportunity to practice your hostessing skills, but I know it is a load off your mind.

Sorry you went through all that just to have it called off. Hope you can freeze some of the extra. This weather is crazy -- even down here without snow, and I bet the soup is perfect.

Really! I'll try to soldier through it. Blackberry cobbler for 12 -- mmmm. I bought extra just in case.

I'm freezing the soup; should do well, I think. I hadn't added the cream yet.

Again, you all have been so helpful. I anticipate coming back here once I begin really trying to learn to cook. I'd much rather be reading, and I'm busy at work,is my problem.

Blackberry cobbler is a big favorite of mine, along with squash soup. So I guess all in all not the worst of outcomes! Someday you may have unexpected guests to impress by pulling the soup and dessert out of the freezer. I love it when I can do that!

I think I'll take it to my brother's for Thanksgiving and make it again for the book club later on this winter.