Entertaining – Page 3

Dessert and Drinks

January 19, 2014

one of my goals for 2014 is to have friends over more.
and to make gatherings simple, enjoyable and affordable.

yesterday i woke up and said “i’m going to invite a few people over”. it was last minute and i had a workshop to attend that would take half of my day so i decided on desserts and drinks.

i made a huge batch of chocolate covered strawberries and a chocolate almond torte from 3191Q issue 9 that i had been itching to try. there was some cheese and bread, wine and brew and a bouquet of yellow tulips.

we sat around the fire nibbling on sweets until midnight.

recipe for a simple, stress free, last minute dessert party.
:: don’t hesitate to bake something new when having guests over. but choose something with a few simple steps and ingredients to keep the stress level down.
:: serve something a little savory like cheese or spicy nuts to go along with the sweets.
:: serve some fruit like strawberries and clementines. easy, peasy and who doesn’t like fruit?
:: fancy up fruit by dipping in chocolate or break out the fondue pot and make it a fondue party!
:: if you aren’t a baker or have run out of time don’t cancel the party! buy a batch of cookies or cake at your local bakery. i don’t know what i would do without the selection of yummy sweets at trader joes.
:: keep a set of decorative paper napkins and tea lights tucked away to be ready for last minute gatherings.
:: say yes to guests who offer to bring something. a extra bottle of wine or snack can help with your budget and time.
:: offer a fun cocktail, punch or wine that pairs well with dessert. i like to serve drinks that align with the seasons. warm up your guests in the winter months with irish coffee, a hot toddy or mulled wine.
:: a bouquet of flowers and candles is all you need to spruce things up.

Turning 8 and a Sleepover

November 25, 2013

While talking to my mom the other day she told me she had been a bit disappointed with second and edgemont as of late.
thanks for the nudge mom, you’re right, i’ve been a bit absent.
she even reminded me i hadn’t posted about norah’s birthday yet!

our little norie turned 8 this november.
her birthday wish was to get her ears pierced and have a sleepover party.
both went quite successfully.

i hardly snapped a photo (hence the blurry not so great photos above) of the celebration since i was busy with a party of 12 girls. yes you read right, 12!
it was our first experience hosting a sleepover party and it actually ran quite smoothly especially for such a large gaggle of girls ranging from 7-12 years old.

there was pizza making, chocolate cupcakes with butter cream icing, rainbow looming, and a movie .
oh and there was lots of chattering, laughing, squealing and screaming in between.

chris and i were quite surprised when we found them all asleep by 11pm.

i heard the first few up whispering at 6am which soon turned into giggling and then loud thumping.
a game of “slide down the staircase in your sleeping bag” had begun.

our cue to get up and start making pancakes.

A fourth of july tradition

July 6, 2013

i know i’ve told you before but i just love my neighborhood.
many traditions have been formed here over the years that we hold near and dear to our hearts.
i love thinking of my girls carrying them all with them wherever they may go.

one of our favorites is our neighborhood fourth of july party.
our neighbor travels to new hampshire to buy an amazing selection of fireworks each year.
we host a big potluck and then at dark the show begins.
people from all over town come out to see the festivities.

good hometown fun.

A progressive dinner

April 2, 2013

i live in such a fun neighborhood.
we are always throwing a party!
i feel so lucky to have such a close knit community within my neighborhood and that we all love tradition.
we get together regularly for all different occasions and we always have so much fun!

this past saturday was our annual progressive dinner. it’s usually held late winter, early spring and i was delighted that it fell on a beautiful warm and sunny evening. for those of you who are wondering what a progressive dinner is, it is basically a party where each successive course is prepared and eaten at the home of a different host.

i hosted hors d’oeuvres this year. i wanted to focus on the arrival of warmer and longer days and chose spring inspired fare.
the menu included horseradishy deviled eggs and salmon with brown bread and condiments such as capers onions, mini gherkin pickles and different types of sweet and spicy mustards. there was white bean dip with sugar snap peas, carrots, asparagus and baby broccoli and several different cheeses served on a long cheese board that i had made just the day before. because it was such a warm day i was able to open up the front porch to serve drinks. i used spring flowers such as hyacinth, ranunculus and tulips to make an arrangement for the table. i unearthed my antique china adorned with polka dots and green trees and it was time to celebrate!

i highly recommend this type of party. they really are so much fun (i had so much fun that i didn’t even pick up my camera to photograph any of the guests!) and the list of possibilities are endless.
i thought it might be fun to offer a little how-to guide on organizing one.
here are a few suggestions….

hosting a progressive dinner

::progressive dinners are not just meant to be hosted within a neighborhood. plan one with friends, co-workers or family. but be sure to keep in mind the travel time between each course to make the night more enjoyable. being able to walk from course to course is the most convenient!

::progressive dinners can be simple or as elaborate as you wish. our neighborhood one involves just appetizers, a main course and dessert. but you could involve more homes with more courses such as soup and salad, or after dinner drinks and dancing. we keep the menus and decor simple but my mother’s neighborhood hosts progressive dinners with themes that involve culturally inspired foods, decorations and sometimes even costume!!

::make sure to involve the whole gang. ask others to contribute to the different courses. you can even be particular and let them know exactly what you need. for example, bread, a green salad, a grain dish etc.

:: make it BYOB! it will help with the budget of those who are hosting the different courses who always seem to take on the brunt of the bill.

:: progressive dinners can happen at any time of the year. we like to pick a time when not much is going on in the neighborhood and when the winter months have kept us all inside from seeing one another. but a summertime one would be fun to host outdoors too!

::progressive dinners are a fun way to meet new people. invite a neighbor who has just moved in or a co-worker who you just haven’t had the time to get to know.

:: don’t stress! there are no particular rules to this. make it your own and have fun!

A Game Party

February 12, 2013

on sunday hannah celebrated her 11th birthday with friends for a game party.

we had 3 stations set up with different board games and card games.
there was jenga, skip bo, milles bournes, boggle, mastermind, battleship, sorry, scribblish, wildcraft and blink among others.
there were peanuts and pretzels on each table for snacking and for lunch hannah chose BLTs, potato chips and chocolate milk.
instead of cake (or pie in hannah’s case) she wanted fruit dipped in chocolate fondue which is always a big hit.

i like to stick to a budget with parties so we use what is on hand for decorations. we had a deck of cards that was short a few so we used them to adorn the goodie bags and hang from a paper chain made by hannah.

a few years back i had sewn a paper banner spelling out the girl’s names to hang in honor of their birthdays. i pull it out each year along with simple little paper “happy birthday” flags that i made to make things a bit more festive. i have quite a collection of favorite seasonal cards that i have saved over the years. they make great little pieces of artwork to slip into chris’s card/photo holders for different holidays and celebrations.
the only other thing needed is a bouquet or two and it feels like a party!

the goodie bags included a pad of paper for score keeping, a deck of cards, a pair of dice and some chocolates all of which cost about 2 dollars per bag.

we have on occasion held parties at the bowling alley and roller rink. but most years we celebrate with good old fashioned house parties.
sometimes i worry that attendees might get a bit bored.

but as i was walking in with a BLT and chips to be served i heard someone exclaim “hannah you always have the best parties!”

and really all we did was open up the game cabinet.

A Nature Party

February 13, 2011

hannah had a party with her friends today to celebrate her 9th birthday. she chose a nature theme which involved terrarium making, pin the bee on the hive, animal games, a fruit tart and fruit dipped in chocolate fondue. i am not sure who had more fun, me or the girls. i really enjoy preparing and decorating for parties.

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