Last-Minute Party Ideas

If you’re having a get-together this weekend, celebrity caterer Mary Giuliani (her clients include Bobbi Brown and Fendi) has lots of fun tricks up her sleeve. From an edible garden to an adult lemonade stand and s’mores on a stick, her easy ideas will make you the hostest with mostest (minus hours of slaving in the kitchen).

If You Have… an Hour: Edible Garden Crudite

So smart: Use cooked quinoa as the “soil” base and “plant” fresh veggies from the farmers market! To complete the theme, fill small clay planters with dip for the veggies (cover the bottom first so you don’t end up with a huge mess on your hands).

Everyone loves gooey s’mores, and now there’s a new way to eat them: on skewers with fruit and marshmallows! Add your ingredients to the skewer, roll in brown sugar and torch to caramelize then dip in chocolate or caramel (or both, why not?).

If you have… 10 minutes: Adult Lemonade Stand (Because Why Should Kids Have All the Fun?)

Whether you have a lot of leftover lemonade or tea hanging out in your fridge or you pick up some store-bought stuff, this is a no-brainer. Pour everything into pretty pitchers, place a bottle of vodka on the table with them, throw in some fresh mint and basil, and voila!