The table, ready for dinner…
Wow…if you were wondering, the Dinner Party I had on Saturday was a great time! I am so glad I did it. I plan to do a follow-up post on just the food as I think my menu worked out perfectly and so I will share it in case anyone wants to replicate parts or all of it.
(View my post on planning the party and download a free printable HERE and view more on my tablescape HERE)
We all had a great time, and it was a ton of fun. I think we finally got up from the table at midnight! So obviously we can claim we “sat around for hours and talked and laughed over our wineglasses” (Just like those “Thirty-Somethings”!). The best part was that we all agreed to make it a regular thing–and have already picked our hosts for next month. We may have to come in from our new home in another city but that would be worth it.
Anyway, it’s easy to get stressed out when entertaining, even good friends, so I did a few things that made my night so much easier and more fun for me. I had all my ingredients for dinner out and ready to go.
Getting Ready for Barefoot Contessa’s Shrimp Scampi
The recipe at hand
Before cooking everything was close at hand
We set up a self-service Bar, though my husband took care of most of the custom drink mixing (its kind of his “thing”).
A bar was available (with a picture of some of the guests above) and a drink menu on the side
And, most importantly! (ha ha) …I was able to relax for a few minutes before the guests arrived and have a taste of the special raspberry martinis my husband concocted for the evening. They were delicious! (and I promise I will post the recipe with the food recipes)
Don’t I look relaxed?
It did get a tiny bit hectic cooking–which took all of about 5 minutes–and only because I had to figure out how to serve everyone enough and not run out and get the food on the table while it was still hot. Luckily for me Terry’s husband took some food shots for me just as it hit the table. (Wasn’t that nice of him?)
Shrimp Scampi
Raspberry Martini
Guests Laughing and Talking over Wine Glasses
All in all, it was a very fun night. In retrospect, I did the party (with guests contributing salad and a vegetable side and some wine) for less $ then a night at a fancy restaurant (with a babysitter) would have cost my husband and I. And, I enjoyed getting ready and definitely had a great time the night of. The only drawback of the evening…
Waking up to the Dishes
Thanks for stopping by!
Okay so I see you already had the party. I’ll just wait for my invite to the next one then. 😉 Looks like it was a beautiful evening held by an even more beautiful hostess! Can’t wait to see your menu details!
Heather
I certainly would have been there had my invitation not gotten lost, lol. That food looks and sounds wonderful. And yes, you do looked relaxed. So glad you enjoyed the party. Can’t wait for some recipes.
Amy, you really outdid yourself!!! What a wonderful night. Amazing food, yummy cocktails and wonderfully fun company. Not to mention it wasn’t at my house so I didn’t have to worry about that clean up the next morning… Feeling a bit guilty for not even offering to help clean up the next morning:)