Rachael's party favorites

Start off small

I like having a nice little spread of nibbly bits for when people come in, and then I like hot food to keep coming out throughout the evening. It keeps things fresh and the food at its best. If I'm having a lot of people over, I'll put out a slider bar of three or four different tiny tuna and beef burgers or other slider-sized bites - such as fried chicken on biscuits. I'll have one or two choices out for when people arrive, and then I keep cooking and plating them up throughout the party.

Embrace the impromptu

You always can whip up a cheese board or set out assorted store-bought dips, salamis and spreads to create an appetizer bar in mere minutes. Put them in your own little dishes, arrange them in a pretty fashion on a big cutting board or even on a mirror taken from the wall, and boom! - you have an antipasto bar. Then you can go into the kitchen and make one of your regular, go-to meals that you're totally comfortable cooking.

Serve food that's fun for kids

Brunch is a terrific meal to have for your friends with children. It's early in the day so the kids aren't cranky yet, and they don't have to sit down and eat a fancy meal. Let the kids decorate their own flatbread pizzas, or make some sliders and let them choose their toppings. Don't dumb down the food by just giving them chicken nuggets. Give the same attention to the dishes that you would for grown-ups. Lots of times when parents say, 'My kids won't eat that,' it's only because they never give them a chance to try new things! Maybe make a mild chicken chili for the kids and a super-spicy chipotle beef chili with bacon and five kinds of peppers for the adults.

End with something sweet

When guests ask what they can bring, I say, 'Bring something sweet, because I don't like to bake!' But I like to provide fun desserts, regardless. For adults, I love to dress up sorbets in a fancy glass with a drizzle of liquor and some berries. I love fake-out desserts: Buy a poundcake or some ladyfingers, put a little booze or macerated berries over it, scoop some ice cream on top, and you're good to go.

Get guests involved

Have everybody bring a version of the same food. For example, you could make a meat-and-potatoes salad and a portobello salad - so you'll definitely have one meat and one vegetarian dish - and ask everybody who comes to the party to bring a different salad. Potluck is a great way to entertain, and it gets everyone involved. When people ask, 'What can I bring?' give them a specific answer. Drinks are always the most expensive part of any party, so if somebody asks what they can bring, say, 'Hey, bring a bottle of wine or pick up a six-pack on your way over.' By contributing, they'll feel more a part of the festivities.

Stick with simple libations

Offering a signature punch or cocktail is a great way to save when it comes to entertaining. Don't try to set up a full bar like those at wedding receptions. It's too expensive, and you get stuck with liquor you'll never use. My husband loves to go through his cocktail books, and he'll make a fabulous cocktail for that occasion, and that's all we offer. That, and wine. Or, if it's Mexican night, we'll serve one of his margaritas or maybe a few different ice-cold Mexican beers. Give people a choice or two, but not 10. With cocktails, there's a mixer involved, so you'll stretch a buck. Whether you choose a sangria or a mixed drink, generally all you're buying is vodka or tequila. With sangria, you just need wine.

Go with your go-tos

John and I have an enormous repertoire of go-to meals. For spring, I can make lamb a bunch of different ways: chops, a boneless roast or little burgers. I can always slap my mom's mint sauce on it. Consider starting a dish with pastas such as orzo: You can take it in any flavorful direction you'd like, and you can serve the dish at room temperature or cold or hot. In fact, a room-temperature menu is a great idea for parties. That way, you can serve cutlets of swordfish, chicken and eggplant without worrying about the temperature.

Focus on food, not decor

I like to get creative with the arrangement of the food instead of the room's decor. For example, I'll put out all the dishes buffet-style at different heights to add visual interest. Use a water glass or a pitcher to hold a lot of thin bread sticks poking up out of it, or even some celery sticks, to add height to the display. Make piles of nuts, olives and other snacks to showcase different textures and colors, and you can even make a beautiful landscape of all of your appetizers. That's what acts as party decorations.

Get wild with flowers

I'm kind of a cheap date: I'm not big on precious things, so I would never put out a bundle of perfect roses. I'm all about the wildflowers. I'm not averse to grocery-store bouquets; you actually can get a lot of bang for your buck using them to create your own arrangements. Buy three or four bundles, take them home, supplement with some herbs, and put it all into a pretty vase, bowl or other container. Heck, even old tin cans can look really cute and charming.

Music makes a fab fiesta

The iPod has made entertaining so much easier because you can make a specific playlist for any kind of party. Whether we're planning a Spanish-themed get-together or a big Italian feast, my husband will put together a mix that's appropriate for the food, the group of people or the reason for the gathering. My husband and I both are huge Beatles fans - pretty much everyone likes their music. We play a lot of contemporary jazz, too. If we're going Tex-Mex, we'll put together songs from some of our favorite artists from Austin, plus Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. We love hard rock, too, but we wouldn't play that kind of music for a relaxing dinner party. You need to play music that people can have a conversation over.