A Christmas made of Awesome
I had to work on Christmas Eve, and since I'd already made the quick turnaround trek home for Thanksgiving, I just wanted to spend this Christmas NOT traveling. Instead, I hosted a dinner party.
The dinner party was made possible by the dining room table I acquired via craigslist this summer, as well as the service-for-8 plain white china set a friend gifted to me earlier this year (she had extras, and insisted I needed a set to go with my new [to me] table. I prepared a menu. I invited friends, three siblings whose folks moved to Hawaii several months ago. Greg stayed, as his health issues have made air travel untenable. I made:
Crostini with Blue cheese, hazelnuts and honey
Tuscan White Bean Soup with Rainbow Chard and Orzo
Red Wine Pot Roast with Tomatoes and Porcini Mushrooms
Lemon Roasted Root Vegetables with Garlic
and
PECAN PIE with Bourbon (whipped) cream
The cream didn't exactly whip (I think I put in a little too much bourbon), the crostini were a little over-toasty, and the pot roast was overdone, but everything was totally edible and the roast had a wonderful flavor, even if the texture was a bit tough. We drank bubbly and toasted to friendship and generally had a very pleasant, relaxed dinner party. Instead of day-after-Christmas letdown, I felt a positive glow all day long-- I was pleased with myself for hosting an excellent, if small, dinner party. A success!
My kitchen is still thrashed, and tomorrow Greg's brother is flying in for new year's. I'm thinking I'll get to housecleaning after work and start prepping for a New Year's shindig (provided I can get anyone to come).
Do you want to come to my New Year's Party? I haven't planned a menu, but there will certainly be snacks and drinks. And it's not like I ever do these things halfway.
The dinner party was made possible by the dining room table I acquired via craigslist this summer, as well as the service-for-8 plain white china set a friend gifted to me earlier this year (she had extras, and insisted I needed a set to go with my new [to me] table. I prepared a menu. I invited friends, three siblings whose folks moved to Hawaii several months ago. Greg stayed, as his health issues have made air travel untenable. I made:
Crostini with Blue cheese, hazelnuts and honey
Tuscan White Bean Soup with Rainbow Chard and Orzo
Red Wine Pot Roast with Tomatoes and Porcini Mushrooms
Lemon Roasted Root Vegetables with Garlic
and
PECAN PIE with Bourbon (whipped) cream
The cream didn't exactly whip (I think I put in a little too much bourbon), the crostini were a little over-toasty, and the pot roast was overdone, but everything was totally edible and the roast had a wonderful flavor, even if the texture was a bit tough. We drank bubbly and toasted to friendship and generally had a very pleasant, relaxed dinner party. Instead of day-after-Christmas letdown, I felt a positive glow all day long-- I was pleased with myself for hosting an excellent, if small, dinner party. A success!
My kitchen is still thrashed, and tomorrow Greg's brother is flying in for new year's. I'm thinking I'll get to housecleaning after work and start prepping for a New Year's shindig (provided I can get anyone to come).
Do you want to come to my New Year's Party? I haven't planned a menu, but there will certainly be snacks and drinks. And it's not like I ever do these things halfway.