I am so excited to be a guest blogger on the fabulous new blog, DC Ladies, which covers wedding trends to restaurant reviews to interior design all from DC bloggers. My first guest post on the site deals with the top five trends in entertaining for 2010. I’ve posted it here also. Be sure to visit DC Ladies often!

Casual entertaining takes center stage in 2010.

This year I’ve heard from many people that their New Year’s resolution is to entertain more.  Opening up one’s home is not only a gesture of hospitality and graciousness, but it also provokes an intimacy that can’t be had at a noisy, crowded bar or restaurant. Around the table, we have real conversations and authentic community –- things that everyone seems to be craving right about now.

At-home entertaining doesn’t need to be daunting or overwhelming. Simple food and casual presentations are all it takes to create a comfortable, chic atmosphere.  As we look at entertaining in 2010, one of the most commonly cited and important trends is locally-sourced and sustainable foods. Here are five more trends I’m seeing for the year ahead:

1.) Micro courses.

Outlandish portions are out the window. Smaller, more manageable plates allow guests to savor the ingredients and enjoy the taste and flavor of each dish. Courses need not be complicated (think mac-n-cheese served in a demitasse cup); a series of several simple offerings creates variety and livens the mood. Finish the meal with a sampling of bite-sized desserts.

2.) More sweet treats.

Dare I say it? Cupcakes are so 2009. Move on to the new trends in satisfying sweets: whoopie pies (gooey marshmallow sandwiched between chocolate cakelike cookies) and homemade marshmallows in every possible flavor.

3.) Potluck dinners.

They’re certainly economical, but potluck dinners can also be stylish, sophisticated, and fun.  Ask each guest to prepare a dish featuring the same ingredient a la Iron Chef.  Or have everyone cook a dish from the same cookbook (Thomas Keller’s new Ad Hoc at Home cookbook would be perfect) and compare notes on the preparation.

4.) Culinary cocktails featuring fresh ingredients.

We’re done with crazy, over-the-top cocktail concoctions.  And energy drinks?  Those should not come within fifty feet of a highball glass. A well-stocked bar in 2010 will include classic spirits and fresh, natural ingredients — things like organic agave nectar, freshly-squeezed Meyer lemon juice, or homemade grenadine (recipe via cocktail expert Jeffrey Morgenthaler.). Cheers!

5.) Casual chic wins over stuffy and formal.

Put away your Haviland china. Formal entertaining is out in 2010. Instead, think no-iron organic cotton napkins and bright white dinner plates.  Casual is in.

All these trends speak to an appetite for simplicity and community in 2010 and a desire to shift our investments toward things that last -– like spending time at home with friends and family.

Wishing you a year full of fabulous parties!