Cookie Swap 2010

For the second year, I hosted a cookie swap on the first Tuesday of my Christmas Vacation. I hope this will become a steady tradition for my coworkers and other friends who are out on break. It is a lovely way to celebrate the Christmas Season and stock up on some treats before other dinners begin closer to Christmas Eve.

Prior to the swap, we noshed on delights including chicken salad tassies with ruby red craisins and almonds, phyllo cups with piped cream cheese topped with green pepper jelly, pineapple cheese ball, spinach dip, chocolate dipped pretzel rods, meringue cookies dipped in chocolate and crushed peppermint, and a hot chocolate bar.

The company is always delightful and everyone is in such a celebratory mood. The cookies were delicious and it started my two weeks of vacation off very well!

More Ghoulish Fun

Witches Fingers- Cheese Straws with Almonds sitting in alfalfa sprouts.

Mousse with crushed oreos on top and tombstone cookies.

Meringue Bones

Broomstick bags filled with a fun mix of candy corn, peanut M&Ms, witches fingers(bugles), and peanuts.

Ghouls and Glee

I could not resist the chance to host a gathering to serve Halloween inspired foods. I am lucky to be friends with a group of girls that love to have a good time, love the TV show Glee, and appreciate good food. The evite was sent and plans were made for a Tuesday night cocktail party. Each person was asked to bring a festive food item. We watched the Rocky Horror Picture Show Glee style and enjoyed good company and food.

Mom's 60th Birthday Lunch

In August, I was excited to surprise my sweet Mom with a small lunch with some of her closest friends. We certainly missed a few special ladies that could not be there as well. Luckily, the surprise was perfect and we had a delightful time. At the beginning we ate Mushroom and Shallot Goat Cheese Flat bread with a balsamic drizzle and sipped on Grandmother's recipe of Peach Punch.
For Lunch we started with a Strawberry Spinach Salad with roasted Walnuts and Poppy Seed Dressing. The main course followed with Rosemary and Mustard tenderloin Medallions, Israeli Cous Cous,Roasted Asparagus, and Dad's fresh rolls. Instead of one dessert, we had the option to eat some or all of several mini bites: Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Mousse, Madelines dipped in Chocolate, Tiramsu, and Cupcakes filled with Lemon Curd and topped with Chocolate or Butter Cream Icings.

During a computer conversion meeting at work, I found this site

http://www.katiegracedesign.com/2010/07/60th-birthday-ladies-luncheon.html and it became my inspritation for the party. I was delighted to use a colleciton of gold china. The bread plates had butter molded into shell shapes. I found coral colored paper to coordinate with the taupe damask pattern and used shells at each place setting to add to the coral and white flowers.

Mexican Inspired Birthday Dinner

My friend Brigitte celebrated her birthday and we were happy to be able to share some time with her and her husband as well as another couple. Brigitte likes Mexican food, so I tried to carry out the theme in the menu.

For cocktail hour I served Sangria and my friend Kristen's version of Guacamole along side of Jay's salsa with tortilla and blue corn chips for dipping.

Dinner was comprised of a garden salad with a lime cilantro vinaigrette (from Trader Joe's), Spanish Rice, and Chicken Enchilada Lasagna.

Dessert was a Key Lime Pie served in a tart shell instead of a traditional pie crust. I used Paula Deen's recipe that I have used several times and it usually gets a good response.http://http//www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paulas-home-cooking/key-lime-pie-with-meringue-topping-recipe/index.html

Button Mum Presents

My sweet friend Jenna got married this summer and I had the wonderful pleasure of assisting her with a few things. She had the idea to make two gifts (made of button mums and oasis) to place in the area where guests could recognize as the place for wedding gifts. I tied the bows with raffia style ribbon and we were set.

These pics were from the Woodland Baby Shower for Baby Fife.
My inspiration was taken mostly from ideas from my favorite site:http://celebrationsathome.blogspot.com/ and also

from http://thecitycradle.com/baby-shower-sly-fox.