IT'S PARTY TIME...better get planning.

December just seems to be the time for parties. Everyone around wants to have a party, get together with friends, celebrate the season and enjoy the flavors that define this wonderful time of year. Every season has its own flavor. Have you noticed that?

Think about it, Halloween is all about apples, candy, sweet treats and popcorn. Thanksgiving is has the wonderful flavors of pumpkin, turkey, sweet potatoes and cranberries. Christmas is no different. I know for my family the flavors we think of most are usually combinations of flavors. Cranberry and orange just go perfectly together. Chocolate and peppermint is another favorite.

Whatever the flavor is that makes it feel like it is really the holidays, parties seem to be the next logical step to take with the flavors. We all want to share our favorite flavors, family dishes and even show off a new favorite we have discovered. Food is always better when it is shared and what better way to share than to have a party!

This party is not going to throw itself, however. It does require a helping hand and some planning to be a successful gathering. What kind of party are you going to host? A dinner party? Perhaps you want a cookie exchange party or an open house with all of the favorite finger foods you can create? How about a pot luck holiday party with a white elephant gift exchange? The options are endless, limited only by your imagination and guest list.

Usually, the guest list is the easy part. The hard part is figuring out what to serve your guests. Are there gluten intolerant people coming or are you the only one? Do you want to have it be a totally gluten-free affair? Are there other food issues to consider? For me, this is always the hardest part of the planning.

I am the kind of hostess that wants everyone to feel totally comfortable, be able to enjoy a large variety of foods and not feel like they are missing out on a dish that contains something they have to avoid. In my house, for my family or guests that come to visit, I only cook gluten free. Generally, anyone that comes to my house knows that the food will be safe if they are avoiding gluten. I also want to make sure that my gluten-eating guests enjoy the food as well.

Early on, in this gluten-free journey, this was a huge challenge to me. Thankfully, it is not as hard as it once was. The options available to me for gluten-free cooking and good food are limitless. You have a huge advantage here, there are almost too many good choices to choose from here on Gling!

Once you have decided on the kind of party, the guest list and the food issues to consider, the menu should be your next hurdle. The only hard part here is narrowing down your choices and not trying to do too much. My husband will tell you that I have yet to find the balance between too much and not enough. There is never any fear here of not having enough food, I tend to go way overboard in my menu planning. Not always a bad thing, but it can cause undue stress on the hostess. Trust me..."Been there, done that!"

If you are planning to serve only finger foods, keep it simple. Plan on making a few really good recipes and not a whole table full of different dishes. Have both hot and cold dips and appetizers. The classic veggie tray with a couple of really good dips to go along with it is always a winner.

Try making several kinds of dips that will go with either chips or veggies. A spicy bean dip will go well with either, as will most cheese balls or logs.

Meat balls or gluten-free smoked sausages are also a wonderful option and can be made up ahead of time for easy presentation at the time of your party. Another sure hit are stuffed mushrooms and shrimp cocktail with a yummy cocktail sauce.

The key to throwing a successful party is to make sure that you have all of your food items ready when you guests arrive. I love to try to use a variety of dishes that can be made up ahead of time. That way I am not stuck in the kitchen cooking when my guests are arriving. Careful planning and list making is key!

Sit down, make a list of all the foods you want to serve. Make sure that you are giving yourself enough time to prepare ahead of time and not waiting until the day of the party to start cooking. So many things can be made the day before, or even a couple of days before. Another huge help is to use your crock pot for things like meatballs and sausages, or even hot dips like artichoke dip.

Serving dishes are also another item to consider when you are doing your menu planning. Make a note of what dishes you will use to serve your food. Do you have a special platter that works perfectly with your layered taco dip? Write that down on your menu plan and make sure that you have that platter ready to use when you assemble your dip. There is nothing more frustrating that to go to prepare a certain dish only to find that you are short one bowl or platter to serve it on.

Are you only serving savory dishes or do you need a few sweet treats as well? For my family, the sweet is as important as the savory at a holiday party. We just love dessert! So many choices and so little time. Do you want a fruity dessert or chocolate? Candy or bite sized pies? How about cupcakes? Like I said before, "So many choices and so little time."

Maybe you want to do just a dessert table and skip the savory all together! Go for it. The sky is the limit here. There are a ton of really good recipes to choose from. Need some ideas? Visit our Holiday Page for a host of options for your party!

Whatever you decide on, it is not hard to throw a wonderful holiday party. It is also not hard to throw an outstanding gluten-free party and invite your gluten-eating friends and family. No one will leave the party feeling deprived, with the choices you have to choose from here on Gling, your guests will leave feeling completely satisfied and well fed!

Holiday parties, gluten-free do not have to be a huge stress for you. So relax, enjoy your party and the wonderful food you will serve to your friends and family. The hardest part of your party will be trying to decide what to serve. The rest is easy with a bit of planning before the big event. One step at a time!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!!