the dinners

A couple of weeks ago, we hosted two parties back to back for a new church campaign that we're doing. 

We were expecting about 30 to 35 people a night for hors'deuvres and dessert. My crazy hospitality self went nuts in preparing both hot and cold appetizers and 4 different desserts.

We had a great team of people helping us to pull it off since cleaning and decorating my house was also to be done. It felt like we were preparing for a long time. I was making lists and purchasing ingredients for at least a couple of weeks before the parties.

I found this fall fruit platter in a magazine and thought I would give it a try. I have never done anything like it. I was happy with how it turned out.

In order to give it height, I used 4 varying sizes of foam circles and then used floral greening pins to keep everything in place.

We made a ginger/citrus dip. Grapes aren't typically used with a fruit dip, but it worked. 

My newlywed friend, Melanie, and her husband, Chris, partnered with us to make it all happen. Without them, it would have been a bust.

My friend, Tracey, who is equally crazy in the hospitality department was with me every step of the way, too, but for some reason I have no photos of her.
I'm sorry, Trace. 

This was the table after we had it set. I have no photos of our kitchen island either that boasted the fruit platter and lots of other goodies. 

What can I say? In all of the busyness, I'm lucky I got the few pictures that I did get.

My brother, who is a chef in N.J., gave me a couple of recipes to try: 

Crab cakes with a remoulade sauce

Chicken Satay with a peanut sauce.

Guess which appetizers were THE most popular?

His... :) Thanks, Jim.

Well, I'm glad the dinners are behind us, but we sure had fun in the process.