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In an interview with Veranda, Martha Stewart described five things she likes to do before or during holiday gatherings: clean and polish her home, prepare fireplace wood, make eggnog, add houseplants, and offer guests homemade food to take home. The report also details her eggnog ingredients and her advice to limit servings because the recipe can include three kinds of liquor.
Martha Stewart has shared five holiday-hosting habits she says she returns to for her own parties, in an interview with Veranda: cleaning and polishing her home, preparing fireplace wood, making eggnog, bringing in houseplants and sending guests home with a homemade treat. The advice offers a practical look at how the lifestyle entrepreneur prepares for seasonal gatherings beyond planning a menu or decorating.
Stewart told Veranda that she starts by getting her home ready for company. “There’s a lot going on, so I just make sure that my house is in very nice shape and sparkling clean,” she said. Her preparation includes polishing silver and brass, as well as cleaning the spaces guests will use. For homes with fireplaces, she also recommends keeping a supply of fresh, dry wood ready so a fire can be lit when visitors arrive.
Food and greenery make up two more parts of her approach. Stewart said she makes eggnog for Christmas parties, describing it as a batch drink that serves a crowd. Veranda says her recipe uses a dozen eggs, baking spices and fresh whipped cream, with bourbon, dark rum and cognac as optional additions. Stewart recommended limiting guests to one glass, or using less alcohol if they want more. She also stressed using farm-fresh eggs.
Stewart’s final two recommendations are to bring plants indoors and prepare something guests can take home. She said houseplants, from small plants to large ficus trees, help make a home feel welcoming. Seasonal examples in the report include paperwhites, amaryllis and poinsettias. For a favor, she said she likes to offer a homemade cookie, candy or cake, such as a small loaf cake or a slice of something sweet.
The list frames holiday hosting as a combination of preparation, atmosphere and hospitality, rather than a checklist of recipes or decorations. Cleaning and having firewood ready are practical steps that can make it easier to welcome guests, while plants and take-home sweets add personal touches. For readers planning a gathering, Stewart’s examples are specific but adaptable: a homemade favor need not be elaborate, and greenery can range from a small houseplant to larger seasonal displays.
The eggnog advice also carries a straightforward safety point. The recipe can include three types of liquor, according to Veranda, and Stewart advises limiting servings or reducing the alcohol. The report does not provide a broader alcohol-service plan, so hosts will need to make their own arrangements for guests and transportation.
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Stewart’s Seasonal Hosting Advice
The Veranda article presents Stewart’s recommendations as part of a broader conversation about holiday entertaining. It says the interview covered rituals she repeats, recipes and ways to help guests feel welcome, whether the gathering is a small dinner or a larger party. The five habits are described as her own practices, not as formal rules for hosts.
The interview also notes that Stewart had recently partnered with Miracle-Gro as its chief gardening officer. That connection is relevant to the article’s emphasis on houseplants, but the supplied report does not establish that the plant suggestions are required for entertaining or that the advice is a gardening study. The seasonal flowers named are examples of ways to add greenery and color indoors.
““There’s a lot going on, so I just make sure that my house is in very nice shape and sparkling clean.””
— Martha Stewart, speaking to Veranda
Recipe and Party Details Not Included
The supplied report summarizes the eggnog recipe but does not provide its full instructions, preparation time, storage guidance or serving yield. It names the main ingredients and optional liquors, but readers should consult the complete recipe before making it, particularly for details on handling eggs and serving a batch safely. The source also does not say how large a serving Stewart considers one glass.
Stewart’s recommendations are personal hosting preferences. The article does not report survey findings, tested outcomes or evidence that these five steps are necessary for a successful party. It also does not specify when the interview was conducted or give a precise publication date in the material provided.
From Advice to Party Planning
No follow-up announcement or event is described in the source. Readers can use the list as a starting point for their own plans: prepare the rooms and any fireplace in advance, decide whether to make the eggnog and how to serve it responsibly, choose indoor plants or seasonal flowers, and make or select a take-home treat. The source does not indicate that Stewart has announced another set of holiday recommendations.
Key Questions
What are Martha Stewart’s five holiday-party nonnegotiables?
In her Veranda interview, Stewart named cleaning her home, preparing dry fireplace wood, making eggnog, bringing in houseplants and offering homemade food favors as practices she likes for holiday gatherings.
What is in Stewart’s holiday eggnog?
Veranda describes a big-batch recipe with a dozen eggs, baking spices and fresh whipped cream. It can also include bourbon, dark rum and cognac. The supplied report does not include the full recipe instructions.
What did Stewart say about serving the eggnog?
Because the recipe can be quite alcoholic, Stewart recommended limiting guests to one glass or cutting the liquor in half if guests want more. The report does not give a standard serving size.
What kinds of plants did the article suggest for holiday decorating?
The Veranda report gives examples including paperwhites, red amaryllis and poinsettias. Stewart also recommends houseplants more generally, from small plants to larger ficus trees.
Source: veranda.com
