_This tip has nothing to do with poultry, but it's
worked so well for me I'll share it anyway. When the
occasion is special enough so that you're using a florist,
(a wedding? an anniversary?) your flower budget will go
further if you'll call the florist a week ahead and tell
him or her your color scheme and what you're willing to
spend. The florist will know which flowers are in over
supply and therefore a bargain, and given a week, he or she
will have the time to place an order with the wholesaler
for the ones which are a good buy. You won't necessarily
spend less, but you're likely to get considerably more for
your money.
_Keep food safety in mind as you work. Keep
perishable food, such as chicken, in the refrigerator
except when you're working with it. Prepare food in
batches and have out only what you're using. When
refrigerating foods, have them in small enough batches so
that they'll cool quickly.
_If you're serving wine, make it white wine rather
than red wine. I say that not because white wine is
supposed to go with chicken (some of the more robust
recipes for chicken go beautifully with red wine), but
because white wine is less of a menace to your carpets.
_If it's a buffet and people will be balancing plates
on their laps, serve foods that are already bite-sized and
that don't require cutting with a knife and fork.
_Just because you're not having it catered doesn't
mean you have to do it all yourself. If you're near a
college campus, see if the food service people at the
student cafeteria would be willing to make the vegetables