Important Dates 2010

Friday Jan 1                New Year's Day
Sunday Feb 14            Valentine's Day
Monday Feb 15           Family Day
Sunday Mar 14            Daylight Savings Time Begins (Clocks ahead 1 hour)
Friday Apr 2                Good Friday
Monday Apr 5             Easter Monday
Sunday May 9              Mother's Day
Monday May 24          Victoria Day
Sunday Jun 20              Father's Day
Thursday Jul 1              Canada Day
Monday Aug 2             Civic Holiday
Monday Sep 6              Labour Day
Monday Oct 11            Thanksgiving Day
Sunday Oct 31             Halloween  
Sunday Nov 7              Daylight Savings Time Ends (Clocks go back 1 hour)
Thursday Nov 11         Remembrance Day
Sat Dec 25                  Christmas Day
Fri Dec 31                   New year's Eve

ASAP Tent & Party Rentals Hours

Elegant Napkin Folds from Cdn Living

Elegant napkin folds for special occasion dinners

Set a gracious table with cleverly folded cloth napkins. For best results, start with crisply starched white damask or plain-weave linen or cotton, 20 to 30 inches (52.5 to 76 cm) square and lightly press finished folds, if desired.

By the Editors of Canadian Living Magazine

Looking for something elegant to do with cloth napkins at your table? We've collected 5 ways to fold napkins so you can choose what works best with your entertaining theme. Click here to browse through our slideshow, complete with enlarged folding instructions you can print and follow easily.

Linen napkins can be ordered from ASAP Tent & Party Rentals from the online store.

Related articles by Zemanta

• How To Fold Napkins the French Way (howcast.com)

ASAP Tent and Party Rentals New Years Holiday Hours

ASAP Tent and Party Rentals Holiday hours

Wednesday December 30, 2009 - 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Thursday December 31, 2009 - 9:00 AM to 12::00 PM
Friday January 1, 2010  - closed  Happy New Year
Saturday January 2, 2010 - closed
Sunday January 3, 2010 - closed

Preference will be given to orders placed on line in the web store.

Prices and other information can be found on line.

Have a happy holiday from the staff at ASAP Tent and Party Rentals.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Biggest Online Shopping Day Ever! (domainmacher.com)

China and Cutlery Patterns New for 2010

Image by ASAP Tent and Party Rentals via Flickr

Today ASAP Tent and Party Rentals has added two of the most requested patterns of china to Flickr and our blog.

The number two request is for fine china with a gold or platinum band. We have in our inventory over 200 place settings of "Snowdrop" with a gold band. This is a fine china bohemian porcelain. It is shown here with one of our newest cutlery patterns, Bellini.


The number one request we get these days is for square china. Shown at the top right is our newest china pattern, Highborough Classic square fine china. Again this is Bohemian porcelain.

Both of these patterns can be rented at ASAP Tent and Party Rentals. Tableware rentals also make excellent holiday season gifts. Order online for those big upcoming family dinners and return them to us for washing.

Setting The Scene

Setting the Scene

A perfect holiday table starts with a properly set table.

Plates Begin setting the table by placing the dinner plates one in front of each seat. Plates can be placed on a charger (a larger decorative plate), a placemat, or directly on a tablecloth. Napkins Folded napkins can be placed on the left of the forks, or on the center of the dinner plate, if the first course will be served after everyone is seated. Forks Forks go on the left of the dinner plate. Arrange in the "order of use" or how you eat each course, beginning on the outside and working in. For example, the salad or first-course fork should be outside the dinner fork. The dessert fork can be placed just above the dinner plate with the handle facing left. Knives The knife goes to the right of the dinner plate with the cutting edge toward the dinner plate. Spoons Spoons are placed on the right side of the plate, on the outside of the knives. The dessert spoon goes directly above the dinner plate with the handle facing right (the dessert fork is placed directly above that). Bread or Salad Plates Place this on the left hand side of the place setting, above the forks, and level with the glasses on the right. If being used as a bread plate, a butter knife can be set on top of the plate with the handle facing right. Glasses Set glasses to the right, above the knife, beginning with a water goblet or glass, then a white-wine glass, and a red-wine glass (if two wines are being served) to the left of the water glass. Cups and Saucers Place a cup in its saucer to the right of the knife and spoon. Other Additional items like candles, favors, or place cards, can be placed around the place setting. Supply Everything required to set the most elegant table may be rented at ASAP Tent and Party Rentals. You do not even need to wash the dishes before returning them. Gift Idea Give the gift of party rentals for this holiday season. It is so simple. Order at the world's first online party rental store. This website started renting party rentals online in 1995. Place an online order, have your holiday meal and let ASAP Tent and Party Rentals do the clean-up.

Image via Wikipedia

ASAP Tent and Party Rentals Goes Green

ASAP Tent and Party Rentals combines recycling, reducing and reusing efforts to benefit the earth.
Toronto  -- ASAP Tent and Party  Rentals, a King City (York Region north of Toronto) based party and tent rental company announced they have moved into a culture of thinking green. The twenty year old company is a local leader in the party rental business offering high quality tent rentals, party rentals, linen rentals, tableware rentals, chair cover rentals, along with other accessories for weddings and corporate events.
In an effort to help the planet and the environment, the company has adopted a number of changes, which began several years ago. These changes include recycling all of their cardboard boxes, cutting down on waste and recycling and reusing paper to save trees.
The company has replaced all of their detergent and cleaning products with organic, natural cleaning products that are biodegradable and much safer for the environment. Gasoline burning trucks were replaced with newer, more fuel efficient diesel trucks. Schedule changes were introduced to further enhance fuel savings and reduce carbon emissions.

Indoor heating was changed from oil to propane and natural gas."Every company can do their part, and all it takes is small changes," says, Dale Middleton , company spokesman. "By adopting these small changes, we are actually making a bold statement by going green, and when it comes to the health of our planet, every small effort really adds up, added Dale.
Another change that ASAP Tent and Party Rentals has made is the decision to use reusable plastic hangers in place of the one-time use wire hangers that the company previously used. This is a large, important recycling move considering how often the company uses hangers. These changes are all in addition to the biggest recycling effort of all: Using recyclable china and tableware table linen rentals, wedding linen rentals and chair cover rentals over and over again rather than creating waste by simply using disposable products.
To some, these changes may seem small, and even a touch insignificant. However, when it comes to wedding linen rentals companies that do many weddings per year, even these small changes can have a very large, positive effect on the planet. If every company were to adopt simple, easy to implement "green" practices the way ASAP Tent and Party Rentals has, the world that we live in would be much different today. ASAP Tent and Party Rentals is setting a real example, and hopes that more companies will take their example and "Go Green."
ASAP Tent and Party Rentals is taking a stand on the concept of helping the environment, showing that they are passionate about the earth by adopting easy to implement but extremely effective green methods for recycling, reducing and reusing. "Every company can do their part, and all it takes is small changes," says, Dale.
ASAP Tent and Pary Rentals is a Toronto Ontario area based company offering high quality rental products including party rentals, event rentals, tent rentals, chair cover rentals, wedding linen rentals and table linen rentals that make a bold statement for any special occasion. For more information about ASAP Tent and Party Rentals, visit http://asaprental.com

Tips for Planning Portion Sizes

Tips for Planning Portion Sizes When You as the Party Host Must be Your Own Caterer and Chef


Whether hosting a small cocktail party for eight or an elaborate feast for 50, the host or hostess who cannot afford the luxury of hiring a professional caterer is immediately faced with three key questions: What should I serve? How much do I need to prepare? And how do I figure portion sizes? There are methods to calculate portion sizes, but before picking up that recipe book and planning a menu, there are several considerations that one must address.

Whether hosting a small cocktail party for eight or an elaborate feast for 50, the host or hostess who cannot afford the luxury of hiring a professional caterer is immediately faced with three key questions: What should I serve? How much do I need to prepare? And how do I figure portion sizes?

If you try to calculate food portions based on what you might receive at a restaurant, in particular when we live in an era of 'super size' meals, you may be inclined to purchase and prepare more food than you need. This contributes to a waste of time management, food and financial resources. If you purchase and prepare too little food, obviously you're going to run out, leaving you and your guests with a terrible experience.

"One thing that immediately comes to mind is an episode on the hit television program, 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' where Mary throws a small dinner party and her boss Lou Grant, played by Ed Asner, takes two portions and is forced to put one back because Mary will run out of food," said Greg Jenkins, partner of Bravo Productions, an award-winning, full-service event planning and production company specializing in staging corporate functions nationwide. "Mary is obviously embarrassed by the incident. And while this makes for great comedy, I still cringe when I think this scenario actually happens in real life."

Many food recipes will provide you with servings, however, prior to planning your menu and determining how much food you will need to purchase and prepare, there are several considerations that you should address says Jenkins.

First, always create an informal profile of your guests. For example, are there a bunch of young, hearty eaters attending your functions, or a lady's social club? Younger adults, teenagers and men tend to eat more than seniors and women. "And if you have hearty eaters, you may have to allocate an additional 1.5 times the amount in portions for each guest," said Jenkins. The demographic profile should also take into consideration the type of meal preferences of your guests. Is it more of a beef eating or crudite crowd? "If given a choice between fresh jumbo shrimp or a vegetable platter as appetizers, you can imagine the shrimp will go fast," said Jenkins. The key is to know your audience. Secondly, the time of day will play a factor in determining portion sizes. Guests are inclined to be hungry around traditional meal times such as noon and 5:00 p.m. So if you're hosting a dinner at 6:00 p.m., you can imagine most of your guests will arrive with hearty appetites. Thirdly, the type of occasion will have an impact on the amount of food you will need to provide. Guests tend to eat more at weddings where there is a relaxed atmosphere with heavier drinking than at social luncheons where lemonade and iced tea is served. In addition, at functions where guests are continuously involved in physical activity, food consumption will be much higher and constant. Fourthly, the duration of time your function will take place is a component in determining how much food you will need to make available. The all-day picnic buffet where food platters are set on a table for self-service by your guests entices people to eat more in comparison to the 2-hour hors d'oeuvres only cocktail party, where appetizers might be tray-passed. Guests' eyes are typically bigger than their stomachs at buffet-style meals. In that, it's quite common for guests to take larger portions than they can actually consume. And lastly, be honest in evaluating your culinary capabilities and skills. More specifically, if you prepare a dish or two that you are not proficient in making -- even some might find less than tasty -- your guests will be inclined to eat more of one particular item, which again may result in you running out of food quickly.

The following tips are guidelines to help you determine food portion sizes and make your occasion as carefree as possible:

Hors d'oeuvres Only Cocktail Party -- 12 Pieces per person for the first hour (8 hot; 4 cold) and 6 pieces per person every hour past the first hour.

(Example: 30 guests x 12 pieces = 360 hors d'oeuvres for the first hour needed.)

Hors d'oeuvres Before Dinner -- 6 to 8 hors d'oeuvres per person for 1-hour to 1.5 hours of service. When shrimp is served, plan on 4 pieces per person for the first hour.

(Example: 30 guests x 6 pieces = 180 hors d'oeuvres for 1-hour.)

Salads and Side Dishes -- 5 ounces per person if serving multiple salads and/or side dishes. If only a tossed salad or one side dish, calculate half a pound (.50) per person.

(Example: 30 guests x .30 (multiple side dishes) = 9 pounds needed.)
(Example: 30 guests x .50 (single salad/side dish) = 15 pounds needed.)

Entrees -- 6 ounces per person if one entree and 4 ounces per person if two entrees, including salmon, beef and poultry.

(Example: 30 guests x .50 (one entree) = 15 pounds needed.)
(Example: 30 guests x .25 (two entrees) = 7.5 pounds needed.)

Desserts -- The rule of thumb is typically 5 bites each per person. Dessert selections can vary. To simplify this calculation, round cakes usually serve 12 people and pies serve 8.

(Example: 30 guests divided by 12 servings = 2.5 or 3 cakes needed.)
(Example: 30 guests dividied by 8 servings = 3.7 or 4 pies needed.)

Tips By: Bravo Productions. Founded in 1987, Bravo Productions is headquartered in Southern California and has regional offices in Las Vegas, Washington state and Colorado.