resurrecting the cocktail party- i’ll drink to that
Great news- move is done and my daughter and I are in the Cleveland carriage house apartment for a couple days while I wrap up the house sale. Tonight our besties are coming by to see the new digs and have a quick glass of wine before we head over to fire for dinner. How great that my best bud is the mom of my daughter’s!
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what's for dinner- cooking for the fam
My oldest is flying home today, which is officially now Dayton.A weegie board would have come in handy in booking everyone’s return flights. With home a moving target for the last few months I did my best to guestimate where to pick up my travelers. But with plummeting stocks and falling house values what’s a couple airline tickets.
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food detective
Nothing grounds me like my old stomping grounds. Knowing these next few weeks are going to be crazed with house moves and moving children it was a real treat to be able to get away to New York City for two days. An added bonus was seeing my oldest daughter who is wrapping up her summer internship there. A regular chip off the old block
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Drinks were a hit. Almost like train schedules of yore- right on track. Guests arrived at 6:05 and the tracks were clear by 7:09. My new friends and folks loved meeting one another, and the short time frame left everyone wanting more (always a plus). While I knew I didn’t have to worry about this capable group of meeters and greeters
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resurrecting the cocktail party- i’ll drink to that
My parents are arriving this afternoon and would love to meet some of our new Dayton friends. But with the long drive and excessive heat in the forecast something tells me short and sweet would be best. Time to resurrect the cocktail hour. At some point “cocktail hour” meant exactly that an hour in which to imbibe prior to sitting down to dinner.
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Here’s a secret. If you find yourself having back-to-back parties consider doing the same dinner twice. Tonight we are having a couple over for dinner… and another couple Saturday night. One way to cut the stress in half is to duplicate the menu. Believe it or not most of the work in entertaining comes from planning and prep.
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Many dinner guests ask if they can bring something. Don’t be shy- take them up on their kind offer. Consider your weak suit (or as I say to my consulting clients your “growth edge”). Personally I love when a guest brings dessert or an appetizer. With those bookends out of the way
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Tomorrow night is essentially a soup and salad supper with a few embellishments. One of the best things about serving gazpacho is that it really should be made in advance. It needs about a day in the frig for all the flavors to properly meld. Thank goodness for Trader Joe’s. They have so many components that allow you to compose a beautiful dish
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Sometimes it’s easier to plan a spur of the moment party than trying to get one on the books weeks or months in advance. More often than not the busiest of folks can find a last minute opening in an otherwise over-scheduled calendar. Happily one of these synergetic moments is happening for us this Sunday night.
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resurrecting the cocktail party- i’ll drink to that
Remember that old camp song- “make new friends but ke-ee-ep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold”? One of the perks of moving to a new town is that it forces you to make new friends. Thankfully I’ve found some real gems. An added bonus is that one of my favs loves champagne. My cute husband doesn’t care for it- which has left things
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Wherever I find myself, I’m happiest with a full dining room table. As a former professional chef and caterer I want to share what I’ve learned over the past three decades of entertaining. On this site you’ll find tricks of the trade to help even the most harried of you pull off a seemingly seamless fête. Come join the conversation!