I noticed your recent posts about the upcoming holidays and thought the following information might be interesting to you and your readers – especially with money being tight this year – on how to host a holiday party for 20 guests for under $100.

I work with BJ’s Wholesale Club and they offer a variety of ways to fit holiday entertaining into a limited budget without sacrificing quality. In fact, members can save money – more than 30 percent over supermarket prices – on food and save even more using manufacturer’s coupons…and BJ’s is the only warehouse club to accept manufacturer’s coupons. For a free shopping pass, you can go to http://www.bjs.com/join/one_day_pass.shtml

With so many people on limited budgets, now is the time to think informal with gourmet appetizers that are short on prep time and long on taste. For a holiday party for 20 people, 10-12 pieces per guest will be plenty to keep them and your pockets filled. This menu is so simple and inexpensive that even inexperienced cooks can pull it off. All the host has to do is bake the pre-made appetizers in the oven and transfer these easy-to-prepare foods onto holiday serving dishes and voila – guests will think the entire day was spent in the kitchen preparing.

The holiday party menu for 20 guests for $97.11 includes:

Hearty Hors d’Oeuvres

The Perfect Kitchen Co. Kiss Combination which includes 12 Roasted Vegetable and Cheese Tartlets and Feta Cheese and Caramelized Onion Puff Pastry Kisses ($11.99 each)
Black Tie Chicken Peanut Satay (25 count) which includes skewers of white-meat chicken marinated with fresh peanuts and Thai spices ($13.99)
Smithfield Signature Party Tray by Paula Deen (serves 12-15) which includes Smoked Sausage in Sweet and Mild Sauce, Chicken Wings in Caribbean-Style Sauce and Meatballs in Barbecue Sauce ($15.99)

Decadent Dips

Legal Sea Foods® Crab and Lobster Dip ($7.99)
TGI Fridays Spinach Artichoke Dip ($11.99)
One box of Keebler Club Crackers ($5.19)

Irresistible Endings

Fruit Tray which includes Pineapple, Cantaloupe, Honey Dew, Grapes and Watermelon ($10.99)
The Cheesecake Factory Original Cheesecake ($11.99)
Wellsley Farms Baking™ 9” Sweet Potato Pie ($6.99)