The occasion: My birthday, and that of a friend.
The event: A dinner party in our honor, with four other friends as guests, and our two husbands as chefs/hosts.
The menu:
- Cold hors d’oeuvres — goat cheese balls with roasted walnuts, crostini with olive tapenade or artichokes and parmesan, fresh gazpacho
- Hot hors d’oeuvres — scallops with paprika, grilled shrimp, tortilla espanola, chorizo
- Roast turkey breast with truffle oil
- Grilled vegetables prepared in a citrus bath
- Green beans with orange zest and sesame
- Saffron rice
- Dessert — raspberry sorbet, mint ice cream, and ginger ice cream with berries and cookies
- Beverages — red sangria, white sangria, berry bellinis, fruit-infused water (strawberry/rhubarb and lemon/blueberry)
My friend K. and I hatched this plan a few weeks ago and boy did it ever succeed. We were talking about how all she wanted for her birthday was a really nice meal that she didn’t have to prepare herself. We moved into talking about how I would love to entertain more, but my husband gets super-anxious about having things just so when people come over. Somehow these two came together into an idea to have the two guys work together on a dinner party for us. I pretended I knew nothing about this while E. (K.’s husband) emailed my husband to propose such an event. And then it all came together in my backyard last night. I sat on a chair for about five straight hours eating and drinking and chatting and can you think of a better birthday present?!
Cherry on top: The kids stayed at E.’s house with K.’s parents and when I picked them up, K.’s mom said “These two children have some of the best manners I have ever seen!” I’m sure she was just being nice but I will take that compliment ANY TIME.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh man, that does sound great!
Oh yummy!! What a fun night. I really, really love nights like that in the summer when you just hang with friends in the backyard eating and drinking and laughing the night away.
It sounds delicious. Glad you had such a great time!
Wow! Definitely a keeper.
That sounds like a beautiful evening. It’s tough to beat great food prepared by someone you love, plus reports of exquisitely mannered children.
Sounds like the perfect way to ring in 39. Maybe it will bring it, afterall!
And also, could they show up with this menu for my birthday? Please?
That does sound wonderful! I can’t believe the menu. YUM!
That looks amazing!!
Share your recipes??
Ooooooh. A well-planned, well-deserved, altogether well-done partay. A celebration this chic and appreciated should guarantee many happy returns!
I’m drooling. Great idea, though. Sometimes ya gotta drop a big hint.
Sounds fabulous. I’m drooling, too.