the hostess with the mostest

i love to entertain!  Any chance I get to host friends over or throw a small dinner party I start the planning immediately.  For Halloween I love the idea of throwing a small dinner party with lots of festive goodies--which would probably include the infamous pumpkin spice cupcakes as one of the desserts.  To me, it beats dressing up and beating the crowds around town.

My mom and I threw a bridal shower for our friend Whitney.  The menu included heavy hors d'oeurve of cheese plates, chips + dips, & fruits.  A light lunch of two different salads: a chinese chicken salad & a home made salad that i like to call my specialty.  For drinks we offered: home made Red Sangria, Lemonade, and spa water.  I made red velvet cupcakes for dessert.  We also found out the Brides favorite candies were Mike & Ike so we made hand made goodie bags with thank you notes and some candy.  

 I helped my friend Amber throw a intimate personal shower for our friend Jill.  It was somewhat of a last minute plan but it turned out great.  We opted for heavy hors d'oeurve only.  A house made salad with a mustard balsamic vinaigrette, lots of different cheeses with italian meats, assorted nuts and fruits, bruschetta, and an eggplant hot dish (my favorite).  We served a plethora of red wines and red sangria along with sparkling juices from Trader Joes.  Dessert was a home made penis cake filled with banana chocolate and vanilla flavors.  The party guests were sent home with bags filled with mini bottles of champagne or red wine & chocolates.  We also had condoms for the girls to take on their way out! 

Jeff and I hosted his mom + god mother for a nice little winter wine night.  It was so cold I thought keeping the apps in our living room where all of us could be comfy and cozy on the couch was the perfect idea.  We lit lots of festive candles, put on some Ray Lamontagne pandora, & drank Chianti (both Jeff's mom + god mothers fav).  We bought Sushi at costco and did lots of meats and cheese and some Harry and David goodies.  We exchanged late holiday gifts that night also and Jeff's Auntie Debbie got me a great slow cooker cook book; "CrockPot Ultimate Recipe Collection"
that served great purpose during winter!

I made these mini caprese for a dinner party at Jeff's fathers home.  They were a major hit.  I bought all the ingredients the day of the party so they would taste fresh!  Jeff and I found a great olive oil store right near our old apartment in Boston.  We bought a basil olive oil and an aged balsamic to accompany the caprese.  I also brought a bread bowl full of a home made spicy artichoke dip.  

I feel like when you aren't hosting and you are a guest it's always important to show up with something. *we always bring a bottle of nice wine for the hostess and offer to bring an appetizer, salad, or dessert.