A good party planning tip

I was just over at the Coffee Mate brew crew website.  I'm a member over there because I'm a Huge coffee and creamer fan.  I was reading an article that had party planning tips.  One tip was such a good idea- it said to do a test run first.  Try to cook the recipe ahead of time or use recipes that you know are successful.

I thought that was a really great idea.  Planning a party can be stressful enough and when you plan meals that you've never cooked before it makes it even more stressful.  I remember one time I wanted to have a special party for my daughter's birthday at home.  I wanted to make unique dishes and made many recipes that I never cooked before.  I was so nervous because I didn't know if they would turn out as good as they sounded and looked in the cookbook.  Most of them came out great, but a couple dishes I wasn't so crazy about.

It's a great idea to cook items that you know you are good at making.  I have a box with some of my favorite recipes and I often use these when I'm cooking for a party or work potluck.

Did you ever try a new recipe for a party and it wasn't as good as you thought it would be?