Inviting family and friends over for iftar is one of the social highlights of the holy month, but the amount of work that goes into preparing the feast - especially while you're fasting - can make any hostess dread these gatherings. Here are a few tips to managing your time and energy while preparing a delicious spread for your loved ones. The first step to any successful dinner party is planning. Get a paper and pen and start making lists: the guest list, the menu, a shopping list, the house cleaning list and a list of those final touches that make everything come together. To make sure your iftar party will be a lively one, make sure your guests are compatible with each other. Since Ramadan is only 30 days - and you don't exactly want to host an iftar at your house everyday - invite as many people as you know that also know each other in one get together. But don't let it get out of hand because that will only mean more work for you. Limiting the guest list makes the average dinner party more of a success. As soon as you have your list, tell people right away because there's a good chance they could be invited elsewhere. Now for the menu. Because it is Ramadan, you know that your guests will be famished and looking forward to a satisfying meal. Still, our eyes are always bigger than our stomachs and people tend to eat less than anticipated, so don't go overboard with the menu. The basic menu should consist of soup, salad, appetizers (or finger foods), meat/chicken, vegetables, rice/pasta, desserts and drinks. One item of each category, except the dessert and drinks, is more than enough. Once you choose the plate for each category, list the ingredients to make your shopping list and head to the supermarket a couple of days before the party. The day before the iftar should be dedicated to cleaning the house, focusing on the dining room, reception area and guest bathroom. You should also spend some time organizing the kitchen. A clean, orderly kitchen makes it easier to prepare the iftar. The night before, set the dinner table, the tea and drinks table and put out the small plates of dates and nuts. You can also prepare the soup and put it in the refrigerator ready for heating the next day, then prepare the desserts and make sure you have all your juice and soda in the refrigerator. You should have your meat or chicken marinated the day before and placed in the fridge. Make sure as much of your menu as possible is ready for heating or cooking the next day. If you have everything prepared, the next morning after a good night's sleep, you can wake up and cut your vegetables for the salad and prepare it early on. Then leave the kitchen and go about your normal daily activities. Get back into the kitchen after the call to asr prayer, which is around three hours before iftar time, to start heating up and preparing the platters for the guests. Make sure you leave a half hour to get dressed and put incense around the house to cover the smell of different foods wafting from the kitchen. Remember to check off things on your list as you go along and give each item its due time. Make sure you don't leave the small things until the end because they take the longest time to do.
