Carefree Gourmet Presents

About the Book

Parties.  Most of us love parties.  We have fun attending them.  We would even like to entertain on occasion.  But the thought of entertaining may be so daunting that perhaps you haven’t entertained in years, or at all.  Whether you work and can’t squeeze in the time it takes to plan a party or you are shy about your talents and abilities, The Carefree Gourmet, the complete party planner, is for you.  It includes everything from how to address the invitation to a schedule to keep you on track; the menu, recipes, even some relaxing ideas to help you enjoy your party too!   You can take it with you to the market, the bakery, the cleaners, anywhere you need to go so you don’t forget something or have to rewrite lists.

This edition of The Carefree Gourmet Presents Dazzeling Desserts, Bountiful Brunch, Tea Anytime, Brazillian Bar-B-Que, Casual Cajun and the Classy Cocktail, is centered around six entertaining events that lend themselves to relaxing, splurging on yourself, focusing on the simple pleasures in life - delectable, mouth-watering temptations and the company of family and good friends.  These parties can be held in the late morning, mid-afternoon, or evening.  You can have an open house, entertain on a sunny porch, in the spring, outside with lots of flowers and family, or you can create an elegant evening by the fireplace, with champagne to sip as you nibble fresh strawberries dipped in whipped cream or warm melted dark chocolate.

These buffets are wonderful, in that many of the dishes can be prepared either weeks or days ahead of time, then frozen/defrosted or stored in airtight containers.  Most items can be purchased from the neighborhood store.  Set up and clean up are a breeze and these menu items make a wonderful presentation by themselves, so table decoration is a snap.

Buffets lend themselves to inviting more people than you could invite to a sit down party.  It allows you to circulate amongst your guests freely and not spend so much time in the kitchen.  So open this book and start on your next party, no special occasion required; just having delightful friends is enough to celebrate!

About the Author

Mrs. Olguin holds a Bachelors degree in Graphic Design and a Master’s degree in Business Administration.  She studied food preparation through UCLA’s extension program and catered for a small catering company and Bristol Farms.  She continues to host parties for her own family and friends while juggling a career, volunteer commitments, family, friends and pets.  She began the concept for this book in 1996 after friends and family regularly tapped into her catering experience and requested easy and fun entertaining ideas.  Mrs. Olguin resides in Southern California with her husband Rod and Siberian huskies Neeko and Sedona.  She can be reached at aolguin@carefreegourmet.com .