My Way (i.e. I reserve the right to make the rules)

#1 I'm not cooking the recipes in order. Though BCP (Barefoot Contessa Parties!) is set up as a series of "menus" for entertaining, I am going to take some liberties to play around. Let's take caviar for example. There are two recipes (in different sections) calling for caviar. Instead of buying two containers of caviar at different times, I'll probably make these recipes within a couple days of each other. Really a money-saving technique.

#2 I reserve the right to adjust serving sizes. I'll probably make 1/3 to 1/2 of certain recipes. Most of BCP's recipes are meant for gatherings of 8-10 people. My family of four doesn't need a chicken soup calling for three 5-pound chickens. I can easily scale the recipes down so we aren't saddled with a month of leftovers.

#3 I'm going to shoot for making at least three recipes each week. Some weeks I may be able to knock out a few extras.