(ARA) - Among all the things that can cause the pre-wedding jitters, wedding showers seem to top the list. Just the thought of managing all those boxes, making the food and handling the organization is enough to send even the seasoned entertainer running for the hills.

But it doesn't have to be that way, according to Linda West-Eckhardt, a food educator who has written more than 17 cookbooks and won Julia Child & James Beard Awards for her books on easy entertaining. With the choice of the right wine and some showy-but-easy recipes, Eckhardt says having a shower at home is a lot easier than you might think.

"The most important thing to remember about wedding showers is that most people there want light, feminine food," Eckhardt says. "You really don't need a big spread -- just some fun food that people can easily balance on a plate in their laps. The main challenge is pacing and organizing the event."

Eckhardt recommends the following timesaving strategies:

#1 -- Involve the bride in the invitation list, and choose the guests carefully.

Think hard about the number of guests you can comfortably seat together in one main area of your house, either on the floor, in extra chairs or around tables. If you are hosting the event outside, do you have enough space to accommodate guests in the event of rain? Is the bride having any other showers, and are there people who might be invited to two different events? Asking these hard questions will help you "right size" your guest list.

#2 -- Make sure there's enough wine to go around.

"Gone are the days when every wedding shower features sherbet-y punches. Today's shower goers expect something more sophisticated, and a nice German Riesling like Relax brand Riesling, at around $8 a bottle, really fits the bill. German Rieslings are brighter and more crisp than Rieslings grown elsewhere, because of the rocky, loamy growing conditions in Germany. It pairs well with just about anything; and its fresh taste is very accessible, even for people who are not regular wine drinkers," Eckhardt says.

She recommends a twist most people haven't tried -- mixing 3/4 pitcher Relax brand Riesling wine with 1/4 pitcher peach flavored schnapps. "It makes a very delicious, girly cocktail. It's considered a classic in Europe, especially in Germany, where Riesling wines are as revered as German beer," she says. "Of course, you'll want to make sure you have non-alcoholic beverages, too. But for the wine, I generally buy a bottle for every two people attending, assuming that they will each drink two glasses a person."

#3 -- Make what you love and buy the rest.

You can still give the impression of having a homemade buffet if you just make one or two showy items, like a cupcake tree or tea sandwiches, then buy the rest of the items at the grocery deli. Eckhardt recommends buying relish trays of pre-cut vegetables and fruits; deli-case sides like deviled eggs, pasta or rice salads; and finishing the buffet with colorful candies like candied almonds or pastel colored M&Ms. Set up a bar to the side where the wine can be poured, or allow guests to serve themselves from a fancy pitcher filled with your pre-mixed wine cocktail.

#4 -- Decorations need not be expensive.

"You don't need to buy fancy arrangements from the florist," Eckhardt says. "Just decorate like the professionals do." She recommends putting down short boxes and thick hardbound books on the table to create staggered display heights, then covering them up with a tablecloth that's draped to create little valleys in between. A few carefully placed flowers and petals around and between the displays completes the look. "And bring out the real china plates and nice silverware, even if you have to borrow or rent them, to add an element of grace to the event. Many rental services will even let you return the dishes and wine glasses unwashed," she says.

#5 -- Plan ample space and time for displaying, opening and cataloging the gifts.

Make sure you have a gift table that is centrally located; with enough space so all your guests can watch the gifts being opened if they so choose. Depending on the size of the shower, the gift opening could take as much as an hour, so plan to have your guests go through the buffet line first, and nibble on food while the gifts are opened.

To help the bride, print out all the guest's addresses on labels, and buy thank you notes. As each gift is being opened, have a designated "gift recorder" peel off each gift giver's address label, put it on an envelope, and slip a piece of paper inside noting the gift that was given.

After the gifts are open, allow guests around an hour for socializing. You might even want to put out a guest book that each guest can sign with wedding wishes and messages for the bride and groom to-be. Instead of silly shower games, let the guests peruse photo albums of the bride and groom when they were children, or offer up their fondest memories of the couple on videotape.

"Having a shower is really all about expressing love and support for the couple as they start a new life together. In the long run, what matters is that people had the chance to relax, raise a glass for a toast, and enjoy their time together," Eckhardt says.

Wedding Bellini

Fill the pitcher of your choice 3/4 full with Relax brand Riesling. Top the remaining fourth off with peach-flavored schnapps, and stir. Serve chilled.

Serve in a tall tumbler, and your guests will have a silky sweet cocktail that will be truly memorable. If your guests would like a little fizz, have them fill their glasses 1/3 full with club soda, then fill the glass to the top with the Riesling/schnapps mixture. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry.

Simple Party Sandwiches

Nothing could be simpler than whizzing up three different sandwich fillings in the food processor the night before the party, then refrigerating, covered until party time. Serve in three bowls with mini-croissants or Pullman bread for your guests to make their own sandwiches. Or, prepare the sandwiches in advance and cut them in festive shapes with cookie cutters. Here are some recipes you may want to try:

* Black Forest Ham and Pineapple Sandwich Filling
Makes about 5 cups (enough for 30 to 40 small sandwiches)
1/2 pound black forest ham or good quality deli ham
1 small, sweet onion such as Vidalia, quartered
1 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup celery, broken into 3 or 4 pieces
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions: Combine all ingredients in the food processor bowl and pulse to mix thoroughly. Pack into a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight until the party time.

* Cucumber Onion Sandwich Filling
Makes about 2-1/2 cups (enough for 15 to 20 small sandwiches)
Choose European cucumbers if possible. To prepare the cuke, cut it lengthwise, and scoop out and discard seedbed using a teaspoon.
1 small, sweet onion quartered
 English cucumber, ends cut off, seeded and cut into chunks
1 8-ounce package cream cheese (or Neufchatel)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions: Combine all ingredients in the food processor bowl and pulse to mix thoroughly. Pack into a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight until party time.

* Pecan Olive Sandwich Filling
Makes about 3-1/2 cups (enough for 25 to 30 small sandwiches)
8-ounce cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup drained salad olives with pimento (a 5 oz. Jar)
2 tablespoons olive juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions: Combine all ingredients into the food processor bowl and pulse to mix thoroughly. Pack into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until party time.

* Lemon Glazed Vanilla Pansy Cupcakes

Adapted from Cakes from Scratch in Half The Time, by Linda West Eckhardt, Chronicle Publishing, September 2005

Makes 18 standard sized cupcakes
Directions: Look for pesticide-free edible flowers in your natural food store like roses, nasturtiums or pansies; or, use sugared flowers from the cake-decorating store. The citrus glaze can be made with any juice you choose, such as orange, blood orange, lemon, tangerine, or lime juice. For extra panache, consider buying a cupcake tree to display them, such as the Wilton brand one, shown pictured.

4 large eggs
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Lemon glaze
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1-1/2 cups sugar
18 edible flowers

Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a muffin tin with paper or silicone liners. Spritz papers with Baker's Joy or other baking non-stick spray. Place unbroken eggs in a bowl of hot tap water to warm up.

Cream the butter and sugar in the stand mixer about two minutes, then break eggs in, one at a time. Now add milk and vanilla. Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt together and spoon into the mixture. Mix just until well blended.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups (about 1/3 cup batter in each cup) and bake on the middle rack of the hot oven until a wooden pick comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, adding glaze and flowers, then remove to a rack to cool thoroughly.

Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining lemon juice, zest and sugar in a small heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until transparent, about 10 minutes. Test to see if glaze makes a "string" when dropped from a spoon. When it does, take it off the heat. Spoon hot glaze over the cupcakes just as soon as they come out of the oven. Top with a flower and cool. The glaze acts as a glue to hold the flowers in place. Courtesy of ARA Content