Fourth Quarter Dining and Such

Everyone agrees that 2016 was a tough year on the grand scale, but on a personal level, for me, it had a lot of high points.

We ate and drank some fantastic things. I tried new places and hung out with food friends as often as possible. We drank tons of Hazanas Rioja. Cooper and I spent an interestingly large chunk of the year inside distilleries, both in the U.S. and in Ireland (one day I'll write about the rest of that trip). Dixon and I started collaborating (those articles are so fun to write). It was a good time.

But now, here it is in 2017 and I haven't written about some of the meals I ate in October. That's embarrassing.

So let's take care of that. Here's a look at some of our end of year highlights:

Towson Tavern

Towson Tavern got a new chef this fall - Josh Vecchiolla, the former sous from Parts & Labor. I've always liked it there, but under Vecchiolla's guidance, the menu has gotten a meaty upgrade that's really strong.

We had dinner there in late October with our friends Will and Karen. The drinks were excellent, as always, but the best parts were the stinging nettle dip and this chicken, which was seasoned perfectly, cooked in a cast iron pan, and just great all around.

Visionary Arts Museum Food Exhibit
The new exhibit at the AVAM is all about food, so we, obviously, had to go. It's pretty cool.

I mean, how could I not love this? A note about celebratory meals, posted right over a book called Muskrat Cookin'. That museum, it is the best.

Henninger's

The last weekend in October, we celebrated Bill's birthday with dinner at Henninger's (always the best - I could go there every night) and after dinner drinks at Cat's Eye Pub.

It was Halloween weekend and the weather was gorgeous, so Fells was wild. We made some friends - including an older guy who was dressed as "half naked" (literally, he was half naked). And I remembered why Cat's Eye is one of the best bars anyplace.

We barely took any pictures, but for whatever reason, I did snap this pre-dinner shot of Cooper and his duck lips. Why? Who knows.

Bar Vasquez
Foreman Wolf's new Argentine spot, Bar Vasquez, opened in the old Pazo space this fall and in early November, I had the chance to try it out with a fun group of food friends. It was so good. So good.

I've been recommending it right and left - it's an absolutely perfect place for a special occasion dinner, or even just to meet up with friends if you're looking for something a little more sophisticated than your average Baltimore evening. It's expensive, but between the food, the space, the drinks and the service, it's well worth it.

These potatoes were spectacular, but then, everything was. The duck I had for dinner might be the best duck I've ever eaten.

Figs
I made fig-rosemary jam! I had to. Our fig crop this year was hilariously large and it hung on until...well, it's January and there are still figs on the tree. I doubt they're good, but they're hanging on.

No Kid Hungry at Food Market
Also in early November, Cooper and I went to a dinner at Food Market, benefiting No Kid Hungry. Charm City Cook Amy organized the event, which involved a bunch of local chefs and raised a boatload of money for the organization.

We were thrilled to be a part of that, but we were also thrilled to be on the receiving end of some incredible food. One thing this city does well is a chef-driven charity dinner. I have heard stories of boring "rubber chicken" fundraiser food. Seems to me, Baltimore has risen above that.

Our table was an absolute blast; whoever did the table assignments was a rock star. And every course was terrific. This, venison lasagna by Bryan Voltaggio, was more like a napolean than like lasagna. Incredible.

Wicked Sisters

Wicked Sisters, the new spot in the old McCabe's space in Hampden, opened earlier this fall. It's the latest effort from Charlie and Lori Gjerde and Carrie Podles, who own several other local spots, including Papi's Tacos.

Cooper and I found ourselves with an unexpected Dixon-free Friday night in mid-November, so we stopped in to see what it was all about. It's casual and fun and we liked the food a lot. We started with Brussels sprouts (solid) and I had an excellent burger.

After dinner, Charlie handed us this glass full of Winecream, and we couldn't say no. I mean, they're a local company. Who doesn't want to support that?

Mock Thanksgiving 

Our annual pre-Thanksgiving party was a small affair this year, with just a few friends and their kids coming over for dinner on the Sunday before the big holiday. I made a mess of the turkey and I might not be ready to talk about that yet (or ever), but the night was an overall success, thanks largely to Piper and Hadley, who came over early and set a mean kids table.

Those two design stars have started their own YouTube channel and Facebook page. If you're a fan of short videos of hilarious girls, I strongly suggest you follow them.

Clavel and WC Harlan
After Thanksgiving, we jumped straight into the busy holiday social season.

The first weekend in December, our friend Stacey came down to visit us from New York. Alicia and Mary and I took her to Clavel and WC Harlan. We knew she'd love them both - who doesn't?

Stacey took this picture!

Carol and Crawl
For the ninth year in a row, we spent the first Saturday of December with our friends, celebrating the holiday season with way, way, way too much booze and a lot of off-key singing. Not caroling - despite the name of the party, there is no caroling. If there's any crawling, it's done after the party has officially ended, when people are trying to make it to their beds. It is a fun party. With lots of mozzarella sticks.

Also, this year, lots of ridiculous outfits:

Buck Buck Moose at Volt
Cooper and I spent one day after the Christmas party licking our wounds, then we got back into it, heading to Frederick for a book signing dinner at Volt. Hank Shaw, the blogger behind Hunter Angler Gardener Cook and the author of several cookbooks that we love, was at the restaurant, and Bryan Voltaggio was in the kitchen, cooking recipes adapted from the book.

It was our first time at Volt and we took Cooper's cousin Sarah, who lives in Frederick, with us. Dinner was great - fun and interesting and delicious - and we were especially happy to have another go at the venison lasagna from the No Kid Hungry dinner was just a warm-up. That stuff is so good.

R. House
This fall also marked the opening of R. House, the food hall in Remington.

I've been twice now - once on opening night with Nikki Marks (of Madame BBQ/Mindgrub fame) and again before seeing the Hampden lights with Mike, Alicia, Maggie and Dixon (Cooper was sick, so he stayed home).

They've done a great job over there. It's casual and easy and the food is good. Technically, it's a food court, but it's such a cool one!

I've tried a bunch of different things so far and have liked all of them. The only thing I've photographed, though, is the shawarma from ARBA. It's great.

Clavel at The Charmery
After R. House but before the lights, Dixon, Mike, Alicia, Maggie and I dropped by The Charmery, where they were in the middle of a busy Clavel pop-up. Mexican cinnamon ice cream, wedding cookies, Mexican hot chocolate, lots of other things that were great - unsurprisingly, this was a collab that worked.

McGarvey's
I turned 41 this year, which means I've been celebrating my birthday at McGarvey's for 20 years straight. TWENTY YEARS.

This year was a fun one, even though bad weather and illness meant a lot of people couldn't make it. But still, a bunch of high school friends joined Cooper and me for oysters, crab dip and Aviators at McGarvey's, oyster shooters at Middleton's (pictured), quite a bit of Irishness at Galway Bay and a mildly sloppy close to the evening, featuring good red wine and French whiskey at Harry Browne's.

We always close out the night at Harry Browne's, which is by far the nicest place we go, and we're always a little unruly when we get there (not too unruly, but still). The bartenders there, though, they are fabulous. The one working during my birthday celebration was a total pro - keeping us engaged and put together and having fun. He was the best.

Matisse/Diebenkorn and Parts & Labor
Earlier this year, when word got out about the Matisse/Diebenkorn exhibit at the BMA, my brother and sister and I hatched a plan to meet there while they were in Maryland for Christmas. And we actually made that happen!

The Friday before Christmas, Dixon and I met Tom and Cail and Erin and Clark at the museum. The first thing we did was head to the exhibit itself; I was completely blown away.

I love both Matisse and Diebenkorn; I wrote college papers about both painters (though not about them together). They're two of my favorites, so purely from an aesthetic sense, I enjoyed the exhibit. It's pretty.

But even if I wasn't a particular fan of either of the artists, I would've been impressed. It is so smart and hangs together so well. It reminded me why art history fascinates me. I'm planning to go back again - this time without a 10 year old boy (who was not quite as enamored as I was). I could spend days just soaking it in.

After the exhibit, we wandered through the Cone Collection and the Contemporary Wing; Tom and Erin hadn't been to the museum since they were kids and Cail and Clark had never been. Dixon had a blast in the contemporary collection, taking pictures of the pieces with his iPod and getting really into it. I'm not sure I realized how interactive it is. It's great for kids and I loved watching him have fun with the art.

After all of that, we headed over to a very busy Parts & Labor, where I got their version of a pit beef sandwich and it was killer. Highly recommended!

New Year's Eve
Christmas Eve, Christmas day and the few days after passed in a bit of a blur. Cooper and I both end up working a lot during the week between Christmas and New Year's, but we also always have friends in town, so we're out a lot. This year, that meant seeing people from Denver and Seattle - and also doing a lot of work.

New Year's Eve, we had friends (with kids) over here for a dinner showcasing various cuts of meat from the Jack Straw Farm cow we split with friends. (Oh yeah, we have a freezer that is jam-packed with beef right now.)

The meat was very good, as was the Barefoot Contessa sauce I made with it and the Barefoot Contessa cake Alicia made for dessert. Ina is everywhere these days.

But the highlight of the night wasn't on our plates - it was the kids. Piper, Hadley and Maggie went live on Facebook a couple times and made tons of videos, including one at midnight, when Cooper sabered a magnum of Champagne.

In retrospect, we probably should've opened that big boy earlier. Everybody went home at like 12:15. Because...kids.

Overall, it was a big quarter. On New Year's Day, all we could pull ourselves together to do was order some Chinese food. We're exhausted.

But we're not slowing down. This weekend, we'll be celebrating Kyle's birthday at Bar Vasquez. And after that...who knows. I'm sure it'll be something good.

Old vs. New in the Cocktail Game

As much as I love cocktails, it's possible that I actually love books about cocktails even more. I can't stop buying them.

Two of my most recent acquisitions are a vintage copy of Playboy's Host and Bar Book by Thomas Mario and a brand new copy of The Architecture of the Shot by Paul Knorr, with illustrations by Melissa Wood.

The Playboy book was first published in 1955; my copy was printed in 1971. The architecture book, on the other hand, was hot off the presses in 2015. Both books about booze...but they couldn't be more different. I love them both.

Though at first glance the shot book seems like it could be gimmicky, really, it's not. The recipes are precise and descriptions are genuinely interesting. The book includes about 70 different shots, both classics and drinks that are new to me. It's a good mix. Plus, the graphics...I love them.

Seventy sounds like a lot of shots, until you open a book like the Playboy tome, which is truly encyclopedic, with some pretty fab pictures of '70s parties and all manner of cocktail information and advice, from glassware to etiquette.

"But while a host should be active and should generously offer his punches, his pitchers or trays of cocktails, he should remember at the height of his wassailing that he's a host and not a hustler," Mario writes in the first chapter, titled "The Code of Conviviality." In addition to Mario's extremely strong, non-holiday season use of the verb "to wassail," he offers some good advice here. And there's a lot more where that came from.

But also...there are drinks. Dozens and dozens and dozens of drinks, from straightforward martinis to so many that require egg whites, I couldn't even count them all. If this book is any indication, mid-century entertainers really got their arm workouts in, what with all the cocktail shaking.

Despite their different angles - one uber-precise and succinct, one lengthy, comprehensive and swinging - both books are pretty incredible. And both promise hours and hours of good times...followed by a hangover or two.

Happy Hour Friday: Buy This Book

Entertaining Is Fun by Dorothy Draper. Originally published in 1941 (rereleased in 2004):

I'm in the middle of it right now and if you like entertaining, or vintage books, or anything vintage, really, you won't regret the purchase. Trust me.

More to follow.

Want: Fancy Fill-in Invitations (and Fancy Dinner Party Plans)

As a society, we've gotten away from formal correspondence - we have so many very convenient communications options that calling cards and expensively produced invitations to dinner don't just seem old-fashioned, they seem ridiculous.

Even though I'm not an evite fan, I mostly get why correspondence has evolved. Really, I do. But in some cases, I think we ought to make the effort to bring some of the old school back. The fancy dinner party, even when it's just with your friends, is one such case.

For instruction on how to invite friends or acquaintances to a dinner party, I turned to one of the grandes dames of etiquette, Emily Post. In her book, Etiquette (published in 1922 and helpfully reproduced on Bartleby.com), Post explains everything anyone would need to know about the wording and structure of formal invitations.

She states that invitations should be engraved and she indicates that, for the most part, flourishes aren't welcome. Straight text, simply stated, is best. For the busy entertainer, she recommends having a set of fill-in cards produced. Something simple and clean, like this Vera Wang card:

This card makes it easy to fill in the name of the people being invited, as well as the location, date and time of the event. Those can all be handwritten.

Is it a little affected, if you're a regular girl (or guy) living in regular America? Sure. And is it expensive? Oh hell yes, especially if you go the proper engraved route. But is it the kind of throwback nicety that would bring a smile to the face of nearly every recipient (especially if that recipient is your grandmother)? It really is.

Trendy Entertaining: Punch (and other drinks)

Punch is everywhere these days - in glasses and on the bookshelf. Earlier this year, I was inspired to buy myself a big, lovely punchbowl (vintage and a little beat up, since the real things are kind of scary expensive) and this week, I've been wishing that we were having a New Year's Eve party, just so I could experiment with a big batch of punch.

Yesterday's G&G newsletter (from which the top image is pulled) featured a bracing combination of tea, rum, brandy, bourbon and champagne called the Chatham Artillery Punch - named after the Georgia military unit that supposedly came up with the concoction (though I'm guessing the after-effects feel like artilerry, too).

Speaking of drinking, Social Primer is writing a social graces "bill of rites" and his most recent installment is called, "Handle Your Liquor." It's funny and useful, though it's admittedly geared towards men. Specifically, I think women everywhere should ignore the advice not to drink champagne cocktails, or cocktails at all, for that matter (SP prefers "drinks" over "cocktails" and while I see his point, "cocktail" is too fun a word to banish from my vocabulary.)

Whatever your libation, have fun celebrating tonight and have a happy New Year!

Just Purchased

From Mrs. Lilien. Because we like a nice cocktail. After all, what's not to like?

Entertaining Friday: It's Halloween!

Sunday is Halloween, which means that around these parts, we're all Indiana Jones, all the time. Dixon has been wearing his costume for over a week now. It's easy when it mostly involves a hat, a whip and a satchel.

Today is his school party and Sunday we go to the Barger's for their annual Halloween shindig involving lots of soup and some Andy Nelson's barbecue.

Sadly, I won't be dressing up this year (except for some orange and black tights I couldn't resist from Target) but I have been doing a little Halloween blogging over at Deep Glamour. And a lot of Halloween candy shopping around here.

So Happy Halloween, everyone! Hope you get lots of good candy!

That Party We Threw: The Details

It's been a couple of weeks, but I'm still decompressing from the big, huge party we threw earlier in the month. It was a great time, but exhausting, both in terms of prep and cleanup. As it turns out, prep didn't have to be so tiring, but I of course overbought on absolutely everything (especially salad). Now I know that's not necessary.

Before I block it all out entirely, I do want to share some the menu and some of the additional plans we put into action.

First, the decor. It's an outdoor party, billed as "Fall-ish fun" and fortunately, the weather cooperated, so we had a ton of people in the yard. We didn't do much to the yard itself, but we did block off the driveway on one end with the RV (aka kids' playhouse) and we lined the driveway on one side with tables to serve as a bar and to hold hors d'oeuvres.

My original plan involved two specialty cocktails, but at go-time, I revised that down to one - a simple combination of cranberry juice and prosecco, served in a punch bowl. It was a warm day, so it worked pretty nicely.

The garage served as our primary indoor space. It was lined with tables on the left and right sides - left for main courses and right for desserts. Plus, in the middle, we stuck a table full of appetizers.

Since it is a working garage, we store a ton of stuff in there - like all of Cooper's tools, a snowblower, lots of ladders - stuff like that. We moved some of the smaller things upstairs into the loft (it's a big garage) but some of it just wasn't going anywhere, so I decided to cover it. I went down to DeBois Textiles and bought a bunch of yards of fabric in two orange and white patterns to hang from the ceiling, covering the busier parts of the space.

In this picture, Dixon (making a weird face and carrying a crossbow) and Cooper's sister Missy are sitting in front of Cooper's dirty toolbench, but you wouldn't even know it:

On the food front, my main goal was not to have to work too hard myself. It worked, except that I forgot that even if I didn't do a lot of cooking, I'd still have to do a lot of plating.

On the appetizer front, we went simple, with cheese and crackers and three types of dips from Samos (eggplant, tzatziki and red pepper dip, though I'd actually ordered hummus instead of red pepper and didn't realize until I got home that I had something different). We had pita bread and pita chips and vegetables for the dips...and more than enough of all three.

The eggplant dip was a surprising hit, actually. I didn't order too much of it because I thought it might freak people out, but it was really well-received: We also ordered tons of salad from Samos - we went through about two big tubs of it (but had six or seven). It is good stuff, but the reality is that people just went straight for the proteins.

And proteins...we had them. I coordinated the menu so that I wouldn't have to work that hard - but that doesn't mean I didn't load Cooper up with responsibilities. The day before the party, he grilled 10 London broils, which we served with his horsey sauce. Then, the morning of, he cooked about seven pork shoulders in the Caja China and made a spicy, vinegary barbecue sauce to accompany them. THEN he fired the Caja China back up to cook about eight chickens.

He hadn't cooked chickens in the box before, but even without practice, they were a huge success. All he did was rub them with Old Bay (can't go wrong) and follow the Caja China directions for timing and charcoal. They took under two hours and came out crispy and juicy:

We served them cut into big pieces - and to huge praise. We'll definitely do that again.

In addition to the salad and meats (and rolls to accompany), we had Mrs. Barger's shrimp and macaroni salad and meatballs by my friend Alison (that were delicious but so spicy that she asked me to write a warning sign). Plus, on Friday, I grilled a bunch of vegetables and just reaheated them in the oven just before serving.

Oh, and there were Chick-fil-A nuggets. "For the kids." I ate about 30 of them.

Then there was dessert. I made a bunch of chocolate chip cookies, but they definitely weren't the main attraction. Everything else was. So many people brought desserts, I couldn't even keep track - but it was great.

Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of most of the desserts - including the cupcakes that Alicia and LP brought. They were kind of hot commodities among both kids and adults (and rightly so). I did manage, however, to get a picture of two of the desserts that sat inside:

I think Missy made the pumpkin bars - they were great - but I have no idea who made the whoopie pies. They were red velvet cake and ridiculous (if they were yours, let me know! You deserve some credit!).

So that was it...the party in a nutshell. On to the planning for next year!

Parties I Want to Throw: Garden & Gun's Harvest Feast

Because this blog is basically a Garden & Gun fan site, I couldn't possibly get away without posting some photos from the magazine's Harvest Feast, a Sunday supper outside Birmingham, Alabama, benefitting the Alabama seafood town of Bayou La Batre.

The dinner was co-hosted by Land Rover, the food was by Chef Chris Hastings and his wife Idie, of the Hot and Hot Fish Club, and there was music by Greta Gaines.

Not being there, I can't report on how anything tasted or sounded, but I certainly can speak highly of how it all looked. Just check it out:

These look simple enough to make at home, even with store-bought salsa - and I love the on-the-chip presentation:

Nothing I love more than a long, long outdoor table:

Hello, pate:

Dinner was served as the sun went down:

Much of the cooking was done on-site, which is entertainment in itself, if you ask me:

Once it got dark out, the cafe lights reflected in the lake. You can't buy this sort of pretty:

And not only was it pretty, but it looks like everybody had a good time, too:

Definitely a party I'd be happy to attend...

Entertaining Friday: Rob & Ashleigh's Wedding

As previously mentioned, we spent last weekend in Charlottesville, at a place called Camp Holiday Trails, celebrating the wedding of my friend Rob (I've known him since first grade) and his fantastic new wife Ashleigh.

The camp, which is actually a summer camp for children with disabilities, isn't typically a wedding venue. Ashleigh worked there for several years, though, and always wanted to have her wedding on the grounds. She worked with the camp to make it happen and it was absolutely perfect. Probably even more so for her, since she has so many memories there.

Some guests stayed in hotels, but we opted for one of the on-site cabins. We shared the left half of this building with Matt and Amy (of wine-tasting fame) and DC Jason and his wife Angie: The cabins were rustic - they're camper cabins, after all - but they have bathrooms and electricity, which was really all I needed.

Dinner took place in the camp dining hall. With tablecloths draped over the long tables and fall-inspired florals, it didn't have any sort of mess hall vibe. The building is a wooden structure with exposed beams in the ceiling and little wheel-shaped chandeliers, so it had good bones. The ultimate result was downright elegant: The tables were set with simple linens and dishes (and a few stinkbugs) and an extra-cool touch: pieces of wood with our names burned in them:

And a few notes about the food: it was definitely not cooked by camp chefs. The caterers, who I think came down from Northern Virginia, served a lovely meal. We started with a vegetarian butternut squash soup, topped with a bit of creme fraiche (always good). Then we had a small fall salad with dried cranberries. The meal itself was a buffet, including tenderloin and - much to everyone's delight and surprise - Brussels sprouts. Everyone was also all over the mac and cheese, which was almost definitely intended for the kids. It's hard to say no to a big dish of mac and cheese, though.

After dinner and speeches, everyone was given an extra-long sparkler and we formed two lines just outside the door of the dining hall. Rob and Ashleigh walked through the sparklers to much cheering and - surprisingly - no errant fires:
Then we headed over to the camp pavilion for drinks and to hear The Black Lillies, a favorite band of Rob and Ashleigh's. Much to everyone's extreme satisfaction (especially mine), Rob took the stage with the band for a couple of songs, including a rousing rendition of his own "Marlboro Lights," which is quite the sing-along song when you've got all of us together:

After a little while, everyone moved to the big fire pit next to the pavilion, where we enjoyed a few more drinks, a lot more sentimental conversation (I am sure I said, "we are the luckiest to have such great friends!" about six hundred times) and some more low-key performing by the band. When Cooper and I finally retired, sometime around 3:30 AM, there were still a bunch of people up. In fact, when DC Jason got up in the morning and went outside at 9:30, the band was still playing and drinking wine. Hardcore.

As a result, this is what a few of us looked like in the morning:

Actually, I'm pretty sure we looked better than we felt. Are we all wearing matching t-shirts, you ask? Why yes, yes we are. They were a part of our welcome bags and were intended to be worn during Sunday's bride vs. groom kickball game. Unfortunately, we had to head back to Maryland before the game got underway (though I can't imagine that I'd have been much help anyway).

All in all, it was a great weekend and, unsurprisingly, I am sorry that it's over. As usual, spending time with my elementary and high school friends did nothing but remind me that they're amazing people - smart and funny and ridiculous - and that I'm pretty lucky that our parents chose to live in the same school district.

(All the pictures were taken by Adrienne - I stole them from her Facebook account. Did I take my camera? Yes. Did I even turn it on? No. I was having too much fun talking about how amazing my friends are.)

Our Big Party: Some Things I Learned

(That is kind of what the party looked like. Though it might not do justice to just how busy it was.)

1. Even if you put a ton of effort into making a seven hour long playlist that includes songs you know are special to particular guests, the music will not be the focus. Nobody cares about your playlist as much as you do.

2. Caja chinas are the best thing ever. Cooper cooked pork shoulders AND chickens in ours - and they were the best food we had.

3. Underbuy on salad. Even when the salad is from Samos. Trust me on this. Underbuy on cider, too, even if it's fall.

4. When it's warm out, people drink beer. Not red wine. Of course you can't predict the weather, so even though I knew this before, I still bought way too much red wine, all of which is still in the wine cellar. And we ran out of beer. Which brings me to...

5. While it always seems like a good idea to get a third keg, in reality, a few 30-packs would make a lot more sense.

6. If you need a bunch of cheap tablecloths that can be ruined, WalMart is your store.

7. You can never have too many plain white platters. As a corrollary: try to live near an IKEA.

8. People bring desserts. Which is nice.

9. When you make your day-of timeline (what, don't you make a timeline?) leave tons of time for putting food out. Otherwise, you will spend the first hour of the party with your mom, ferrying food and in and out of the house.

10. RV = playhouse. This family had the right idea. Just be sure that none of the kids have the keys (we learned the hard way on that one). And another good tip: before you let kids inside, disconnect the battery so they can't blow the horn. You'll thank me on that one.

This Is What My Brain Looks Like Right Now

We are having a party tomorrow - a big one - so right now I'm living in the land of spreadsheets and scrawly diagrams, like a crazy person. Which explains why, instead of writing a "going on around town" post like I'd planned, I'm posting a photo of a schematic of my garage.

I Need a Punch Bowl

Because tonight we will be drinking this:

Out of a bowl from Crate & Barrel that I think was designed for pasta salad.

"This," by the way, is peach sangria made from a recipe Garden & Gun dug up from the Charleston restaurant Slightly North of Broad. I made it last night, as it needs 24 hours to sit, but even then it tasted good.

And, in case you're wondering, yes, I did take a picture of it while it was already in the fridge. Not in the photo: the plastic wrap I pulled back from the bowl and the 15 Capri Sun apple juices right next to it.

Entertaining Friday: Oh, It's Entertaining, Alright

I am about to get in this:

To go here:

The bottom picture, in case you can't tell, is Mike and Alicia's family's house on Keuka Lake. We've been there a few times and it is one of my very favorite places to visit.

And the picture up top, in case you're not familiar with the genre, is an RV. That's right - a recreational vehicle. Not just any RV, either. This one happens to be the Pollard family RV, purchased specifically for this trip to Keuka Lake. It's a real cherry, too - a 1987 Toyota Escaper. That's right, kids, I said eighty-seven. As in, only three years younger than my sister. Who's not all that young anymore.

The RV purchase came about sort of casually. A month or so ago, Alicia's mom and dad were here visiting and suggested that we (Cooper and Dixon and I, plus Kyle and Mary and Bill) rent an RV to come up to the lake for the fourth. They've got a full house with family, but an enormous driveway. We thought it sounded like a pretty good idea and Cooper started looking into RV rental.

As it turns out, it's expensive to rent a new RV. So expensive, actually, that it's just smart(ish) financial planning to go ahead and buy an old one (especially if you, like us, have somebody well-versed in engine-fixing on board). So a few ebay hours later, we became the proud owners of twenty ridiculous feet of machinery.

So far, Cooper has resisted Alicia's and my suggestions that we paint it hot pink and reupholster the insides in Lilly fabrics, but I'm sure he can't hold out for too much longer.

There's one more thing that makes the entire RV purchase extra ridiculous. When I was 13, my family went on a three-week trip to the Great American West in a 30 foot RV. It might have been the worst three weeks of my life. Yes, it is pretty out there. But have you ever been in a small space with a 13 year old girl? I wouldn't recommend it - and I was that girl. I hated the West, hated the activities, and especially hated my family. I'm sure the feeling was mutual. You know what else I hated? All of the photographic evidence. Like this little gem:

Pretty scenery, right? And awesomely 1989 shirt on me? I believe it's Outback Red.

That picture hangs in the playroom at my parents' house. IN POSTER FORM. I think it's my parents' revenge for my three weeks of bad attitude.

Anyway, dark memories and awkward family photos aside, I am really looking forward to this weekend - even the drive.

And I hope everyone out there has a safe and happy fourth!

Entertaining Friday: Sprinkling Karen

I started this blog almost five years ago. My first post was one of those general, introductory things, but my second post was about a cake I made and decorated for my friends Karen and Will's baby shower. Karen was pregnant with twin girls - Maya and Leah - and in need of a whole lot of stuff.

That shower feels like a long, long, long time ago now. The girls will be five in September (they're a year and a week older than Dixon) and are hilarious and grown up. And Karen is about to have another baby - this time, a boy. And just one, much to her relief.

Last weekend, I went to a little party for Karen - not a shower, but a "sprinkle." It was a small group of close friends and family and everyone gave Karen boy stuff, so her poor son doesn't have to wear princess tutus for his first six months (he's already going to be a live-action babydoll, I'm sure).

The party was at Karen's sister, Cindy's, house and in keeping with the mini "sprinkle" theme, Cindy and their mom created an entire menu of tiny foods. I, of course, loved it, since little foods and hors d'oeuvres are my favorite.

This particular menu was pretty extensive, too, with tiny grilled cheese (made with bread rounds - so easy, so good), empanadas, little crab cakes, shot glasses of gazpacho (adorable), fruit skewers, tomato/basil/mozzarella skewers, and little pork barbecue sandwiches (yes please!). And for dessert, mini cupcakes and melon-baller-scooped ice cream in little tiny cones!

I forgot my camera, but Karen and Cindy took a few pictures...

The flowers were gorgeous - and a lucky break. The night before, Cindy was at a work event and the organizers sent the flowers home with her:

Little cupcakes are so tempting:

And the tiny ice cream cones were completely precious. They're a great idea for a summertime shower (one that's indoors, anyway):

It was really a lovely afternoon - and full of great ideas for parties. Especially the shot glass gazpacho - I see all kinds of potential for those.

Entertaining Friday: Pretty Party Tables

I'll be back with the rest of the Great Grapes recipes next week (there are still two left, including the bacon jam!) but in the meantime, here's some fancy(ish) party eye candy:

OK, so maybe a table that long on the beach isn't practical (is there a mobile kitchen hidden someplace? And a fleet of waiters?). But...pretty and so simple.

These tables are also simple, but maybe more practical: The above is from the Garden & Gun Lowcountry Field Feast. Everybody at the party was wearing jeans and boots and it really was all about the food...which makes those tables even more perfect.

This event might be the opposite: It's the Swan Ball in Nashville. Fabulous and over the top, right? I'm nearly always a fan of glittery things that hang from the ceiling. And I love how the tables kind of shimmer and glow: Of course, it doesn't hurt that the table's surrounded by all kinds of blooming plants.

I really like that when it comes down to it, the Lowcountry Field Feast and Swan Ball tables aren't that different - the centerpieces are low and unobtrusive, the tables are long, the linens are tailored. But the vibe of each is so different, thanks to details in color and shape.

[Lowcountry Feast and Swan Ball photos from Garden & Gun.]