Tis the season for commitments. Though prepared to host 28 people for an open house happy hour; work, illness, exams and serious gift-wrapping schedules claimed 10 guests at the last minute. Problem? Not at all; it’s Christmas! The format merely changed from happy hour to cocktail party with a meal of appetizers. In life and parties you always roll with the punches.
Highlights from the evening included one guest bringing a case of wine rather than the standard bottle, (10% discount was too much to pass up) Olan Mills performing an impromptu photo shoot around 11:00, and a late night tough-love therapy session. All in a day.
After the last guest bid goodbye and the last of the dishes were set to wash I retired to bed feeling both exhausted and grateful. On a Tuesday night, amidst all the holiday madness I had a house full of people willing to share time, laughter, and wine; that’s one hell of a Christmas gift.
Cooking Notes:
Soup: I loved beginning the night with a shot of soup, however as my guests showed up at different times this was a harder component to execute with regards to temperature. As I prepare to offer a similar course on Christmas Eve, the Crock Pot has made its way to the counter.
Budino: this was extremely rich and a bit unnecessary with the cookies and cream cheesecake. Should I ever serve this again, I would do small portions or serve it alone
The Party in Numbers:
Parties Completed: 16
Weeks before deadline: 37
Bottles of Wine Consumed: 6 and one batch of White Christmas
Justified Purchases: 25 wonton spoons and tasting cups.
lolo: you are making me tired! are you the energizer bunny in reincarnation?
ReplyDelete