#entertaining

An Easy Valentine’s or Galentine’s Dinner Party

February 1, 2023 By kimwheeler 16 Comments

Today, join some talented friends and I as we share fun inspiration for your Valentine’s Day. My idea is a simple dinner party you can recreate for your sweetheart, family, or even a Galentine’s get-together with pals.

I did a little dry run of a get-together I am having next Thursday to celebrate two dear friend’s birthdays. It’s just a gathering of four, so I made this super simple and the Galentine’s theme works perfectly for this time of year.

I was excited to use my Liberty of London tablecloth I’ve been saving since I bought it last year. I wish they still had it, but I shared a few other fun ones below…Shopping this week I found these organic cotton napkins at Pottery Barn that coordinate and are thick and lovely and only $5 each.( They also come in many other pretty colors.) I used my scalloped placemats (similar here) with this mix to keep it feminine and then a small pink vase of tulips. I found a cute wool heart garland and wrapped it on my chandelier.

My pink coupe glasses that I love worked so well with this and so did my white Glenna plates.

Liberty pink floral tablecloth and setting

On the Galentine’s menu is pasta salad done the night before, a green salad and a charcuterie board. Recipe for the pasta salad here on Half Baked Harvest. I did not add feta to this photo as this practice dinner was for Max and he isn’t a fan. Next week I will add crumbled feta, and this recipe is an easy one to adapt to whatever you like..

Since it’s Valentine’s I plan to have a Rosé on hand. I think this light dinner for the girls is about right. My experience is women tend to love appetizers and salads..and small bites. For just Max and I, I served the pasta, green salad and salmon instead of the charcuterie board. You could also do a chicken scallopini and a green salad and bread for a family.

For dessert, I made box Ghiaradelli brownies and cut them into squares and added pink and red M&Ms. You can make any cookie recipe Valentine themed with a heart cookie cutter, or just a sprinkling of pink and red M&Ms added at the last minutes in the oven. I have a tiny heart cookie cutter and did a few like that. Just this small addition of the candies makes it festive!

I later added to the table these little primroses in glass pots found for $7 at my local Ace hardware. They make the table springlike and are a favor for each guest to take home where they can replant them in the ground for spring or enjoy the in their kitchen. It was easy to repot them in the vases with a bit of moss in the bottom and on the edges and they look cute on the table..

I hope you find inspiration from this easy Valentine’s Dinner. It could also be a lunch! The important thing is to gather with your people.

Nothing need be perfect. You can be experimental and use a pretty sheet for a tablecloth or a fabric remnant. Mix your plates and napkins, and even find flowers outside and forage. The best part is having fun and creative and make the food easy so you can enjoy yourself too. That’s what I tried to do here!

A few things used here..and others that are similar..

I think you will love what my friends have for you..

Please pop over to their beautiful blogs…

MOST LOVELY THINGS

CLASSIC CASUAL HOME

CINDY HATTERSLEY DESIGN

SHERI SILVER

MAKE MINE A SPRITZER

Thanks for being here..See you Saturday for the weekend post!

Kim

If you’d like to get an email when I publish, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month and every Saturday for Weekend Meanderings.

Some links will generate a small commission here, which helps make this blog possible. Thanks so much for your support.

Like this post? Save the graphic below to Pinterest…

Lillet Spritz – A Light Summer Cocktail

August 10, 2022 By kimwheeler 21 Comments

Today I am joining a few others to share summer drinks. If you haven’t had a little gathering, this is your chance to have a summer happy hour before September hits! We all have a few fun ideas for you..

My cocktail is a Lillet Spritz. I love this drink because it’s light and fruity. I’m not a big drinker and I like something with less alcohol, especially in the heat of summer. This drink is simple and you can make a batch before your guests arrive. Gather some pretty garnishes and lovely glasses and you’re all set.

What is Lillet?

Lillet is a French aperitif that is traditionally served over ice with a lemon twist. I remember my first time having it, a Croatian boyfriend ordered me one, when I was 23 and I was instantly in love with its honey, orange and floral notes. I still think about that cocktail and feeling so grown up having one with its pretty lemon twist.

My friend Elaine, recently had us for a summer dinner party. I brought the makings for the drink of the night. E had found the recipe and had these lovely dried oranges from California that she wanted to use in the drink.

Lillet Blanc Spritzer — Don’t you love her pretty daisies in a glass that make her outdoor bar pretty?

You can also use fresh oranges slices or lemons as we did and a sprig of mint.

There is also a new version of Lillet, called Lillet Rose which has hints of strawberry and you could swap Lillet Blanc for that and float a few strawberries in it.

I brought this cute pitcher bought at my favorite local home store, Home by Ling Interiors in Los Gatos -and you can also buy it here online. It’s called a Cannes Rattan Pitcher and I have the medium.

Elaine has serious bar style and the perfect outdoor entertaining set up which I plan to share on a future post. Don’t you love the tray and her cute straws and napkins?

Her enamel tray she found at CB2 and is part of their bar collection. I love the Tiffany blue color and it’s so cute on her bar. They also have a white version that’s slightly different. I love the idea of propping it up against the back of the bar or having it with fun napkins and straws in a glass as Elaine styled it.

This recipe could not be simpler.. It’s two bottles, one of Lillet and one of prosecco. Surprisingly both fit in this medium pitcher. I try and choose a decent prosecco or Cava. If anyone has a favorite, please comment below. If you’re unfamiliar with Lillet, it can be found here at Total Wine.

Lillet Spritzer

Kim Wheeler, Northern California Style

An easy and light summer batch cocktail

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings 8

Ingredients

1 bottle Lillet Blanc
1 bottle Prosecco, Cava or other sparkling wine

Instructions

Mix bottles in a pitcher. Add slices of oranges and fresh mint sprigs and stir. Add 3-4 ice cubes in a glass, pour over spritzer and garnish with more mint sprigs and orange slices.

To make it for one..

I experimented and made myself a single version of this, but lightened it up a bit more. For a single serving, just combine equal parts of Prosecco and Lillet over ice with slices of citrus and mint sprigs. To make a light version, I just do one jigger of Lillet with fizzy water, or for a tall glass one jigger of Lillet, one of prosecco and fill the rest of the glass with bubbly water, depending on how light you like it. You can also substitute ginger ale for the Prosecco.

An easy appetizer to pair with your cocktail..

One easy appetizer I love to make late summer is figs with goat cheese and walnuts drizzled with honey. These couldn’t be easier and are so delicious.

Make sure you get figs that are firm, but have some give, slice them in half and place a small spoonful of goat cheese on each side. I like Laura Chenel Thyme & Rosemary, a local cheese, but any chèvre will do.

Place a dollop on each half, top with a walnut and drizzle the plate with a thin stream of honey and a tiny pinch of sea salt.

You’ll find these go perfect with the Lillet Spritzers, or any frizzy drinks!

A few things you may need…

Save this post by pinning it..

Now please check out these other great blogs for more summer drink ideas…

MOST LOVELY THINGS

CINDY HATTERSLEY DESIGN

You can pin this graphic to Pinterest to save all our drink ideas…

If you missed our last fun food collaboration, Appetizers Inspired by Travel, I shared caprese bites and the others had delicious ideas as well.

Thanks for stopping by! So happy to have you visit my California blog.

Kim

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month and every Saturday for Weekend Meanderings.

Some links will generate a small commission here, which helps make this blog possible. Thanks so much for your support!

Drink Station Ideas for the Holidays

December 16, 2021 By kimwheeler 8 Comments

Today I am excited to join the most fun group to share our own ideas for holiday drink stations.

Some of us are back to entertaining in a small way and some of us are just doing close family with us. Either way, having a drink station is such a smart idea.

Reasons to love drinks stations:

They take the pressure off you to serve others.
They add a festive atmosphere and fun.
They let guests create drinks their way.
It lets you move people out of the kitchen and to other spots in the home.

I personally get excited when someone has a drinks bar, as I usually am picky about what I drink, and I like making things my own way. I also think it puts guests at ease right away and lets them move about the home when many times gatherings tend to congregate toward the kitchen or another spot. Having a drinks bar on another wall, or in another room, is a great way to get more flow going at your gatherings.

Obviously thanks to Covid, we aren’t having any Christmas party. Our last big party we had was Christmas 2019, our first back in this home. We set up our bar with a special drink and instructions so people could serve themselves. We had other options waters, wines, etc, to the side, but having a drink and the fixings for it, seemed to be a real hit. People like to try a new drink and a holiday cocktail feels festive!

This year, I had the opportunity to try out a Winter Spritz Bar when we hosted a small dinner party for two couples we do dinners with occasionally at each other’s homes. I feel like I have to mention that we are all vaxxed and boosted and are all very careful, so it felt safe to do this indoors

I am a huge fan of Aperol Spritz’s and have been since I first had one in Venice many years before they became popular here. I used to try very hard to find it in shops and now it seems to be THE drink. The Spritz has a bitter orange flavor about it which grows on you. The Winter Spritz is slightly sweeter with the addition of Vermouth which gives it an almost Manhattan taste, but a little brighter. This drink is a little ode to my mom who loved a good Manhattan and I so wish she was still here and could have one of these with me.

The fun part is having a different choice of an herbal Italian liqueur, called amaros, which to change them up. Amaro means bitter in Italian and these are light in alcohol and are considered digestives, which are good before or after dinner. Averna has a chocolate licorice and orange taste and the addition of sweet vermouth changes the Spritz drink to something more deep and wintery. Add a Luxardo Cherry and it’s the perfect winter sip. More about the interesting history of amaro or amaris and what they are here.

Creating a Winter Spritz Bar

You’ll need:

Italian herbal amaros like Apero, Averna, Campari, Bruto Americano or others like St Germain

Sweet Vermouth. We like this one.

Prosecco (it’s nice to stay with the Italian theme, but any decent champagne or sparkling wine can work.)

For garnish:

Luxardo Cherries

Sliced oranges or clementines

Tools:

Ice Bucket

Champagne coupes (similar to mine here) or low cocktail glasses

A slate board like mine for instructions and chalk pen.

It helps to have the instructions written on a slate near the glasses and ingrediants in their order of adding, think assembly line if you have the room.

To Make a Winter Spritz

1 Jigger Amaro (herbal liqueur)

1 Jigger Sweet Vermouth

add ice

top the glass off with a generous amount of prosecco

add garnish of your choice -Luxardo cherries and/or orange slices

Make it Festive

I like to make a drinks bar festive with holiday music, and some decor. I used battery operated strands of fairy lights, a vintage jewelry Christmas tree from my grandmother and a nutcracker and a few Christmas ornaments here and there. Keep the lighting pretty and low and sparkle factor high. If you have any vintage silver or crystal pieces, this is the time to trot them out! Have a tray of pretty glasses ready and the ice bucket full. It’s nice to have cocktail napkins near and a towel in case someone spills a little. I like toothpicks or wooden forks for the garnish and straws for mixing.

A few photos from our drinks bar at the dinner party..My cute friends Bari and E. The husbands got no photos!

A few things you might need for the bar..

Waterfall Coupes, Slate Chalkboard Sign, Lustered Coupes, Rattan Ice Bucket, Graham Bar Tools, Red Zebras Cocktail Napkins , Battery Operated Fairy Lights, I Believe in Cocktails Napkins,

Please visit these brilliant blogs for more drink station ideas..

Cindy Hattersley Design
Classic Casual Home
Most Lovely Things
Make Mine a Spritzer

You can pin this graphic below to save it to Pinterest

Thanks for being here!

Kim

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month! Thank you so much, as Bloglovin seems to have stopped working and I no longer post as much on Facebook and plan to do less there.

Some links will generate a small commission. Thank you for supporting the blog!

Some Fall Inspiration and Thoughts

October 30, 2021 By kimwheeler 19 Comments

Hi friends. Just a quick little post to share a few good things. How are things in your neck of the woods? We have had the gambit here with the strongest storm we have had in years last weekend and now to warm and sunny again for Halloween. Guess this is fall in California!

It is persimmon season so don’t miss out on those. Just got this bunch from my sweet neighbor…

Last October, I did a fall table post and used the persimmons for the table. I tried to replicate something like it for Thanksgiving…

Anyway, I had a crazy few weeks, and went to see the son on a short jaunt to Salt Lake City. He goes to the University of Utah and it was nice to see his place and get to experience more of the city and also see cute Park City. More photos of it are on my Instagram under my Utah Story Bubble, under my bio. Utah is insanely beautiful and Salt Lake City is surrounded by snow-capped mountains right now. The town was a lot of fun and charming.

It was fun to travel for a weekend and I mainly wore white jeans, sweaters and these Paul Green boots all three days- which a few of you asked about on my Instagram. They were bought a while back, right before the pandemic and I am finally putting them to more use.

They have the nearly same ones still at Nordstrom. This is my first pair of Paul Green shoes and I know people rave about them- the quality and the comfort. I wore these in the snow in Park City and through the airport and all around town and my feet felt great! They were rained on and no marks left. It is definitely worth paying for better shoes that are going to be a go-to and workhorse in your wardrobe. I am wondering about a black pair too. All the gals in Utah wore combat boots with their pants and dresses and it looks current. Sometimes all you need is a great shoe to update everything. The coat is a classic I wear all the time from Emerson Fry.

Right before I left, I hosted a Bunco group. It was the first gathering we have had indoors since the pandemic. We don’t play anymore, just socialize. To make sure we all had space, Max and I spread the sectional and chairs far apart, and took up the whole main space in the house. Everyone was vaccinated and I made individual appetizer platters for each person.

I was hoping to find individual wooden charcuterie boards, from Target, but not having any luck, instead used these slightly larger trays.

What is fun on these individual boards:

Consider the season and add a whimsical touch I added a little pumpkin shortbread cookie for an October vibe.
Seasonal fruits – I went with grapes and clementines, but sliced persimmons, pears or apples could be good for fall.
A triangle of brie, and some chèvre drizzled with honey, walnuts and pomegranate seeds.
A variety of crackers (I like Raincoast Crisps, Italian breadsticks, and rosemary crackers.) Ask your friends who is gluten-free. I had a basket of two kinds of gluten-free crackers. I think it’s nice to have extra baskets of the other crackers nearby also as you never have enough with boards.
A sweet side where I broke up bars of Ghirardelli Salted Dark Chocolate, chocolate powdered almonds and date bite cookies.
A savory side which I added ribboned uncured Italian salami, English Cheddar slices, olives and almonds.

The pros about these size boards versus a smaller ones is you have a bit more room for balancing them on the lap. Cons are- they are bigger, so you need more food. I might have done too much, especially with women. My husband took a tray to his office to eat during the gathering and thought it was the right amount. Consider who you are entertaining! Using them next time, I would do less food and perhaps take up part of the tray with a cute napkin and individual knife rolled up and tied.

These trays are melamine, so they stack well for storage. I bought these with the dark green stripe to use at Christmas and in the summer outdoors, as they can take on a camping look. They also have this cute plaid! Think of the holiday possibilities!

Evening photos aren’t so great, but I had almost no time to photograph them after pulling these together!

One day before the Bunco gathering, I had the nicest lunch ever at Cindy Hattersley’s beautiful new home in Salinas. Cindy downsized from her huge home in the country that you may recall I featured here on Californians at Home.

Her new home was previously a rental for them. They moved to the most charming neighborhood and in swift time, turned this lovely Spanish style home into a sanctuary with the most inviting garden where she hosted six of us for a birthday lunch for Mary Ann and I.

You may have seen on my Instagram, some of the gorgeous pics and a fun Reel I made. It was the loveliest day and Heidi, Elizabeth, Juliet and Annie (all the way from Connecticut) were part of it too. Annie did a great post on the whole day with a lot of photos of Cindy’s gorgeous home and yard- and the pretty table- and fantastic food! See it all here on Annie’s blog. I felt so lucky to be with all these sweet ladies!

Cindy’s home was so inspiring and her fall decor especially, I wanted you to see… How beautiful is this?

Cindy blogs about all of it and has shown the progression of her new place on her blog, Cindy Hattersley Design.

These girls are so kind and generous and I got three books I am LOVING. They are all so enjoyable and true treasures for your library..and yes great gifts if you need some. Julia Reed’s South is wonderful if you are into cooking and entertaining with great stories and recipes. Athena Calderone’s Live Beautifully has some of the freshest and modern, but pretty homes and kitchens to inspire you. Romantics and Classics invites you into some of the beautiful historic homes never seen in the English countryside!

I also got the coolest wooden carved salad servers from Mary Ann. They would make a lovely gift for a hostess or friend with a block-print towel like this one.

I couldn’t wait to put them with my wooden spoon collection..

Also Cindy gave me the sweetest olive wood bowls from one of my favorite shops in Carmel, Tancredi & Morgan. I’m in love with them!

I’ve got the holiday season on the brain and have been trying to find small treasures like these before the holidays hit! Anthro has a nice collection of block-printed kitchen towels ..

Pairing a towel with a small thing like a candle- like the one below, or a small bowl- (like this one -also from Anthro), or candle holders or these little vases are all good and not too pricey gifts for girlfriends or hostesses.

I try and buy several and then keep them on hand for upcoming gatherings during the season.

Also, on my radar, if you are a tennis player as I am, and love design, you may have noticed the Marimekko tennis collaboration with Adidas..My friend Jeanne had one of the looks on the other day and it was SO cute! I want the skirt and there is also jackets, dresses and a shrug to protect the arms, as well as tennis shoes, swimsuits, sweats and more. The whole collaboration can be seen here, but has already sold out on some pieces, so don’t wait if you like it! Also more of it at Nordstrom too.

Lastly, I ended this crazy week with my first colonoscopy. I waited longer than most people because of surgery for a fibroid, and then the pandemic. I knew I wanted to get this done, as my dear friend Wendy passed away at age 45. I hate stuff like this, but I can say it wasn’t bad and the actual procedure felt like a small nap. The prep was the hardest part, drinking 64 ounces of Gatorade with Miralax in two separate sequences. I honestly couldn’t get it all down, but the procedure went fine, and not really any after issues

either. Colon cancer is one of the most treatable cancers if caught early, that’s why everyone needs a screening as early as possible.

Please friends, do not put this off. I now am good for ten years!

I hope you have a great Halloween weekend and some fun. We are making our usual chili and quesadillas and hoping we get a few little goblins after really missing them last year.

Thanks for stopping by!

Kim

If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here. That is only a post in your inbox a few times a month! Thank you so much as Bloglovin seems to have stopped working and I no longer post as much on Facebook and plan to do less there if I can

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A Girlfriend’s Lunch-The Bloggers are Coming!

November 19, 2019 By kimwheeler 14 Comments

Last week I hosted my first real party or meal here since moving back. I don’t know why it took me so long. I had that, ‘I still haven’t gotten to..’ feeling about just about everything here, but heck it was time, especially since I’ve been the guest of these sweet friends and it was my turn.

I told my friends and family last week I was busy getting ready as, ‘The bloggers are coming for lunch,’ and everyone was, oh totally get it, and good luck. LOL! They knew that my blog buddies would probably take pics and share and there was a little bit more expectation than usual.

Mary Ann, who writes Classic Casual Home on the left, came from San Francisco, where I wrote about lunch at her gorgeous apartment, Cindy, who writes Rough Luxe Lifestyle center, came from Carmel Valley, and Elizabeth, who pens The Vintage Contessa (also goes by Contessa), came from Orinda, all long drives of over and hour! I called this photo The Three Graces, as they are all the most lovely, kind and sweet friends.

I spent the early part of last week, freaking out, tidying, and probably unnecessary things like sweeping the porch and cleaning out the toaster (oh brother), and fretting over what to serve for lunch. I finally settled on a favorite recipe from my friend E, who entertains easily and often (something I aspire to), and a fall salad I make all the time. Those two dishes plus a cheese, fruit and cracker board, and cookies from a French bakery in town, made it simple.

I was overthinking it way too much, focusing on what everyone else does, and trying to reinvent the wheel of lunches. GAH! Maybe the best thing is fall back on what you can already do well, and for me that is salads and appetizer boards. Not stellar, but this really works, especially with a group of women!

When hosting a gathering, it’s easy to get hung up on the details. I come from a mom, bless her heart, who was a perfectionist and had very high standards, so much so that she rarely, if ever entertained because she wanted things, ‘just so’. That mindset gets you nowhere because it prevents you from having a lot of fun. It gets you focusing on the floor that needs refinishing, your salad forks that are worn out and whether your glasses match, and other dumb stuff.

You can see here I didn’t have matching glasses- had to use purple and blue. I used some tortoise looking tumblers for flowers. I am not a good floral person, but bought these mums at Bunches, and added olive tree clippings from the yard. Trader Joes has these great autumn colored mums also.

The runner from Crate & Barrel was something I added to brighten up my black steel table. That is also where I bought my gold flatware, pretty inexpensive, which I thought would be useful for Thanksgiving too. The black plates are on sale right now at Pier 1, and the little tree tags are from Crate & Barrel also -on sale now for $2! I love the cork with sparkle on the edges. This would be cute for a Christmas lunch. I was kind of mixing my seasons here.

If you can think about enjoying your friends and making yummy food, you have all the elements you need. I really tried to do that and remember that even if I didn’t have any pictures on my walls, a mirror in the bath, matching wine glasses, all my friends would think of is how nice it was to be at someone else’s home and love catching up. Try and think about that instead of making things perfect.

Most people who like to entertain have list of dishes that work they can rely on without stress. With that in mind, here are the simple things I served that you might try or some variation of them and plan a gathering. The best way also seems to be if you designate a particular day- say like every other Friday to host people, and do it. The more you entertain, the more you’ll be at ease and enjoy it.

Harvest Salad

1 large box of pre-washed mixed greens

1 persimmon

1/2 red onion cut in half rings

1-2 red and green pears cut in long slivers

1 Honeycrisp Apple cut in small cubes

1 bag of Trader Joes’ Candied Pecans

1/2 package of herbed goat cheese

Toss ingredients with dressing and then add small dabs of the goat cheese and lightly toss again.

For dressing combine 2 parts olive oil, 1 part apple cider vinegar, add about a tablespoon of maple syrup and a tablespoon of dijon mustard, plus flaky Maldon sea salt. Whisk together and adjust to your taste. Sometimes I’ll add a squeeze of lime or clementine to this dressing. This is a basic and you can add or change the fruit according to season. It’s also great with pomegranate seeds and plain walnuts toasted.

Next to the salad I added a bowl of two shredded rotisserie chickens, so people can add some protein to their meal if they wish, or not. Elizabeth is gluten free so I knew she couldn’t eat my other dish, the orzo, so I was hoping adding the protein would make it more of a meal for her.

Orzo With Roast Vegetables

This recipe from my friend E is adapted from the Barefoot Contessa recipe. I changed it up a bit and added asparagus, and squash, olives and toasted almonds and removed the eggplant, and pine nuts.

1 lb box of Orzo

1 red onion cut into 1 inch diced

2-3 garlic cloves diced

1 asparagus bunch cut into 2 inch pieces

1-2 orange, yellow or red bell peppers cut into 1 inch diced

1 yellow squash cut into 2 inch chunks

1/3 cup olive oil

juice of 2 lemons

3/4 lb feta , 1/2 inch diced

toasted sliced almonds

1 cup pitted Kalamata and Castelvetrano olives mixed

Toss the veggies with 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1 t. of salt, 1/2 t of pepper and spread on baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes at 425, turning once at about half way through.

Meanwhile boil the orzo, drain and set aside. When done add the roasted veg and all the pan juices and browned bits to the orzo. Add lemon juice and olive oil, salt and paper to taste, toss and let sit until room temp. Before serving add feta and olives, and almonds. This tastes even better if made the day prior.

Below, my tray of veggies before roasting..

The cheese and fruit board was a made of brie, goat and manchego cheeses with pears, figs, apples, an assortment of crackers, including some gluten free ones, dark chocolate, and walnuts and pecans. I love my new cheese board, which I also got at Crate & Barrel that is part marble and wood. I needed something larger and it’s the perfect size.

I had bottle of still and sparkling water, and wine on hand. Cindy brought a lovely Rose we enjoyed.

I also made something I call Audrey Palmer. I named this after my friend Audrey who always loves them. This is a house specialty and like an Arnold Palmer is half tea, half lemonade, but you use sparkling lemonade, so it makes it a bit more fun and festive. That day I used the San Pelligrino Lemon Mint and Tejava. Pour it all into a pitcher and add lots of ice.

I had the front patio door open. It was a beautiful fall day!

We loved Elizabeth’s bag and especially her pom poms!

I hated to see them leave. Like any fun time, the afternoon went by in a flash and everyone had to get on the road before traffic…

I hope this gives you a little motivation to have friends over. I’m no great cook or entertainer, but now that I’ve done this, each time is easier and I can use the same menu with some variations and changes.

Thank you Cindy, Elizabeth and Mary Ann for letting me share this and your photos too. I feel so lucky to call you ladies my friends!

What’s your tried and true recipes for entertaining? Do you have a strategy for entertaining without fuss? Love to hear any tips you can pass on!

Kim

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