I have not had a formal dinner party in years and years - the last one I had was on New Years Eve in 1991. I served homemade lobster bisque which was to die for ( it was made in my kitchen but by by one of my dinner guests - who was also my matron of honor and is the person who introduced me to Vixdad, so I can't take any credit) shrimp cocktail, a standing rib roast, oven roasted new potatoes, fingerling carrots in butter sauce, peas with pearl onions and mushrooms and a sherry trifle for dessert
Since we moved to this house we have no room for dinner parties - we had more room in our apartment! ( a fact I should have taken more notice of when I was house hunting)
Nowadays I do buffets - usually a baked ham, cold shrimp with cocktail sauce, swedish meatballs or rosy meatballs with egg noodles (the sauce is a combination of cranberry sauce and tomato sauce),and ziti
or else we barbeque!