how you market
It is as possible and more necessary for you to do a big marketing once a week as it is for someone who works at keeping house all the time. With no one at home during the day, however, to accept and store the food, you will probably have to do some shopping on the way home from work almost every day. When you're planning a party you make up two separate marketing lists: supplies to be bought the night before and those to be bought the day of the party. If it's possible, give the order for your second list when you stop to buy the first. Ask that the second order be ready at a specific hour on the night of the party, so that it is all ready to pick up and take home.

setting the scene
If you have a bedroom in addition to a living room, you can get most of the party preparations set up the night before. Here are things which can be done beforehand:
1.Set the table.
2.Get out all needed glass, china, and silver.
3.Fill cigarette boxes.
4.Have needed cooking utensils and all ingredients which don't need refrigeration ready to use.
5.Have bar equipment arranged; soda in refrigerator.
6.Fix flowers, or have vases ready if you're going to bring them home on the night of the party.

your table
If you live in small quarters, you probably serve dinner on a card table or some table which has other uses most of the time. Whatever you use, it must be set before the guests arrive, but it should be as much out of the way as possible, so people needn't feel they're having cocktails at the dinner table. Just before dinner, the table can be moved to whatever place you have chosen for serving.

minimum facilities
Many people might think it impossible to entertain at dinner in an apartment I once had. It consisted of one room, a bath-which provided the only running water-and a closet-kitchenette. This cubby-hole was equipped with a refrigerator which opened at the top like a cola drink dispenser. When it was closed, the top was the working space. There was a two-burner electric plate with a little drawer in it, which served as an oven. Under those conditions I learned to turn out good dinners for four. Organization of materials and time were the most important. When it came to cooking, one burner would be occupied by a sautdeing chicken; the other, by rice, which I drained and put in a colander over hot water. Ten minutes before dinner, I would put the pan of rice be tween the burners with a lid over it-which kept it warm enough-and set the water boiling for some quick-frozen peas.