Guess Who Came to Dinner?

 

 

heather and place cards waiting...

We've had our first in-home event; (well, at this point, we've actually had TWO of them....but the first dinner party was the big one, the intimidating one....)  This is the reason it's been well over two weeks since I've even LOOKED in here at the blog. 

The dinner parties,  and of course this other reason:

so small, so powerful....

 

He really is into EVERYTHING.  


But, back to dinner --

Hostess gifts: scarf, silk scroll in fabric pouch and four tins of tea.

 

 

We jumped right into the deep end of the pool with not only China, but also a fairly large group.  There was some brief hysteria anxiety on my part when I realized it was going to rain pretty much the whole evening....

In the living room, toward the nook  (which is coming along)

train table & dollhouse moved there temporarily.

....bringing us all indoors.  But, that was quickly solved by pulling in tables from the patio and just making do.

Appetizers on the narrow table behind the love seat;

Eliza as a splash of bright color in the landscape of neutrals.

 

 With 14 people, the group was *just* a little too large for the 12-seat table in the dining room.  So, the two tables were spread out a little from one another.  Seven people in the dining room and seven people in the living room. 

Patio table in front of the bookshelves;  second patio table along wall for buffet

in what is normally the "children's corner" with train table and dollhouse..... 

 

 

It's not what I had pictured in my mind, but it turned out to be very hyggelig (cozy) with candles inside and grey weather out.  That woman on the left, walking into the kitchen, is an ANGEL from HEAVEN.  She showed up an hour before the party to help me with the finishing and the plating ...and later the clearing and the rinsing. 

 

We designated the dining room table as the one with Alistair and all the high-ranking individuals, using the nicer accessories and flatware.  This turned out really well -- even if the photo looks a little anemic without candlelight, food, people. 

Dessert:  lemon cream, cinnamon cookie and brownie, plated by IAN (!!) and my friend  while we ate dinner.  It's the only photo I have of the food.   They used whipped cream, raspberries and rose geranium blossoms on the brownies.  I think they did a beautiful job on these!

 

I'd had great plans about photographing the food, telling the menu story, angling in for glorious still lifes.  HA HA.  Time turns into an ice-slide once the doorbell rings -- minutes take on a whole new meaning, and time runs things along according to her own regular rhythm.  

I *remembered* my camera the next day. 

morning after...remnants of wine, coffee, tea and cognac

 

I fall for the fantasy that I can somehow document the story of dinner.  Every time.  

But, I have photos walking the road toward dinner:

The flurry of citrus and oregano - becoming  lemonade and marinade.

 

My stove and I are becoming friends....I know the pepsi seems odd.  

 

Look at this: 

 

 

Pepsi is a secret ingredient!

From Chevy's Rio Bravo - Fresh Mex  cookbook. 

 

We ate these carnitas in large chunks and with a knife and fork. 

It wasn't really an "eat with your hands" occasion. ;-)

 

 

Cornbread and mini bell peppers became Cornbread Salad with Chipotle Dressing. 

 

In addition, we had Ancho Roasted Potatoes, Citrus Cabbage Slaw,

Cheddar Potato Empanadas and a platter of red grapes.

 

The ever-present 7 Layer Dip, under construction.  We can hardly have a party without it. ;-)

This was on the appetizer table, along with black bean & corn salsa and a bowl of tortilla chips.

 

 

Red Pepper & Jalapeno Jelly...also from the Chevy's cookbook.  We had this as an accompaniment to the pork, and I sent each family home with a jar at the end of the evening.  I see now I've made a spelling mistake on the tag...but, at the time, it felt right.  It is what it is.   :-)

 

 

Wine.  You know, on this I just let the man a local wine shop advise me.  I told him my menu and he led me to a woodsy red, with a slight hint of berry sweet to match the sweet notes of the carnitas' marinade and sauce.  This wine shop has been good to Americans over the last several years -- and the wine was really lovely....plus, it was on a special price that week.    I'm loyal.  :-)

Handmade carafe tags from my sweet friends the Paddens....these worked out SO WELL!! 

 

THANK YOU for sharing these with me!!!  Each table had a water bottle, and the other tags made the drinks station on the credenza self-service (which was 1.5 gallons of lemonade, a bucket of ice and one pitcher of mojitos....the lemonade was the big seller of the night ;-) so it's a good thing there was not only a large amount, but also a clear label.  No photo, I'm sorry to say.  It was really pretty.)

 

I can honestly say that things came together unbelievably well during the process.  I am grateful, grateful for all the small - and strategic - blessings along the way.  I am grateful that I felt God's hand of protection over the whole week. 

I have an example.  The following week my kitchen faucet broke completely, spraying water everywhere.  The dryer also broke, completely.    Plus,  Eliza's class had an outbreak of lice over multiple children.   Kitchen sink story with photos to follow -- lice story? probably not.  (Although, I can now say after a week of combing, searching, treating, oiling and more combing, Eliza appears to have been one of the lucky ones in the class.  She's going to wear braids for the next month, though.) 

Can you even imagine how incredibly grateful I am that these all happened *this* week, and not last?!?  So grateful.

I guess I'm also pretty thankful that it's all begun, and the first two dinners are done.  Here comes September, though -- a whole new month with a whole new quota.  But, making a start is always the most important part -- the journey of 1,000 miles beginning with a single step.

Or, something like that. ;-)