Easy Peasy Dinner Party Menus

I'm planning a dinner party for one of my dearest friends, as a birthday celebration. I've been thinking of this for quite some time, and have finally started the ball rolling by picking a day and sending invites. 

Now it's time to plan the menu!

Easy Peasy Entertaining - Dinner Party

I love to cook, no secret there. And I really love to share my meals with friends and family. 

But I work full time, and we seem to have a very busy social life. 

It can be hard to find the time to host a dinner party with everything else that is going on in life. 

I actually prefer to host midweek, after work. I have to cook dinner anyway so why not have a few friends over to share? Plus I don't get myself all crazy cleaning unnecessary things in the house like I would on the weekend. It is what it is.....and another bonus? I'm already showered, dressed, and have makeup on! When I host on the weekend the last thing I take care of is me....the house looks perfect but I'm answering the door with wet hair and no makeup on. 

So....what are my secrets for hosting a midweek dinner party?

K.I.S.S. 

Keep It Simple, Stupid!

That's what I tell myself. 

And sometimes I even listen to my own advice!!

Tonight I am hosting dinner for 6. The menu? 

Simple. 

Cheese Board and Cocktails to start. Easy. 

Salad with mixed greens, cranberries, sliced apple, red onion, goat cheese, and pistachios - dressed very simply with olive oil, blackberry ginger balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. 

The Very Best Veggie Lasagna Ever. Remember when I told you about that? And I made a few for the freezer? Yup, that was for dinner parties. I pulled a large one out of the freezer on Sunday and put it in the fridge to thaw. I'll cover it with foil and pop it into the oven when I get home from work. 

And some lovely soft squishy Snowflake Rolls I picked up at the market last night. Yummmmmm!!

Dessert? Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream with Sliced Strawberries. 

Easy peasy, right?

To make things even easier on myself when I get home tonight I did the prep work before I left for work. 

The cheese board is out on the counter with the knives and crackers I need....the grapes are washed and ready....I left out the mixed nuts along with a bowl....and covered the whole thing with a tea towel. 

The big wooden salad bowl and salad servers are out on the prep island along with the dried cranberries, an apple, the pistachio nuts, the olive oil, and the blackberry-ginger balsamic. I forgot the red onion...drat. I hope I don't forget to add the onion to the salad!

The bread basket has a clean napkin liner ready to go, the rolls are left out where I won't forget them, and the foil is right next to them so I remember to wrap them and pop them into the oven when I take out the lasagna. 

I even lined the baking pan in foil already - the lasagna will be put on top of here and popped into the oven - the foil makes cleanup of any bubbling over super simple. 

I trimmed the wicks of all the candles and refilled the dining room table candles that had burnt out. I even left out the candle lighter. 

I took the clean plates and silverware right from the dishwasher this morning and set the table first thing. Kill two birds and all that!

When I get home from work, I will do the following:

1. Cover the lasagna with foil and pop it into a 350 degree oven

2. Run around with the vacuum quickly

3. Put on a good Pandora station that suits my dinner guests tonight 

4. Light the candles 

5. Make sure the lighting is just right for entertaining - not too bright, not too dim

6. Wrap the rolls in foil and leave out some butter to soften

7. Make the salad - I won't dress it until the last minute before serving, however 

8. Make myself a cocktail 

9. Freshen my makeup and hair

10. Play hostess

Done. 

Easy Peasy Entertaining. 

What are your tricks for K.I.S.S. Entertaining?

Lasagna Bolognese

It's a glorious morning in the mountains and I'm so excited to share one of my favorite recipes with you. 

Summer Cocktail Party Menu

I haven't hosted a dinner party in a while, so I started planning a date for a get-together. 

As things do, it snowballed into a gathering of about 20. 

The Most Incredible Winter Salad

I'm popping in with a quick post today, to share the most incredible winter salad I made on Sunday. 

Seriously, this salad is the bomb dot com. No joke. 

A Fabulous St. Patrick's Day Menu

Did you know I was supposed to be born on St. Patrick's Day?

Surprisingly, I was two days late.

Which is weird, because I am NEVER late.

Sweetie, stop laughing. I can see you. 

Awesome Summer Reads

Believe it or not, during my busiest season at work, every year we take some time to go up to the lake to our favorite resort and relax for a few days. 

It's never long enough, and it seems that just as I'm getting into the hang of just doing nothing, it's time to pack up and come home. 

Of course, when I get back to work I pay for it dearly...but it sure is wonderful at the time and I look forward to it every year.

Mountain Mama Is Nominated For An Award

I can't believe it, but for the THIRD year in a row this humble little blog of mine is nominated for the Amara Interior Blog Awards.

Whaattt???

How I Cut My Grocery Budget To $200 Per Month

There was a time I would shop pretty much every week, and could easily spend $200 or more per trip.

We live on a mountain top, and our local grocery store is small and definitely more expensive than the big stores down the mountain.

Stretching the Dining Room

When I first toured my new house I fell in love. 

Instantly and completely. 

But I had a problem. And I almost didn't buy the house because of it. 

Despite the fact that I was in love. 

What was my problem?

The dining room would not seat my whole clan for Christmas dinner. 

I told you about it here - I didn't sleep for a few nights, tossing and turning and worrying about this. 

Yes, I know. I'm nuts.

Finally I just gave myself a good hard kick in the butt and said, "Who cares? It's one day a year!"

And I made an offer. 

And the rest was history. 

But now it's nearly time for Christmas dinner. 

And I'm starting to fret again. 

So what's a girl to do? 

Get creative, that's what!  

And I did. 

With help from my sweetie. 

I had this idea to take a piece of plywood, saw it in half, hinge it (for ease of storage), and place it over the table top. 

For once, Sweetie didn't tell me I was out of my mind. 

He saw the possibilities....and made it happen. 

Sanded and smooth, corners rounded, piano hinge down the middle. 

With the table stretched open as far as it can go - and a gap in the  middle to accommodate the hinge - we're giving it a test run tonight. 

With a dinner party for 12  nope, now we're at 13. 

Sweetie helped me carry the makeshift tabletop in last night and get it in place. 

It was a little warped, as plywood tends to be. So he clamped it and I weighed it down with all the fall squashes I have yet to cook. 

And I went on a hunt for the giant ivory colored tablecloth I have had for eons. 

And I hunted. And hunted. And turned every linen storage area in my house upside down. 

And no giant ivory colored tablecloth can be found anywhere. 

It walked away. As things do. 

So I improvised. 

With two brown tablecloths I've had for centuries and that lovely red velvet jingle bell runner I told you about here. 

And I worried the colors would clash. 

But you know what? I'm not hating it!!

My plates have a brown band as well as blue and dark red, so they work to pull the colors together. 

Add red napkins and crystal glasses and there's not a thing wrong with it!

The dishes help to weigh down the table so it's not quite as warped. It's still a little wobbly but hopefully will be alright, once the bowls of heavy food are put in the center. 

I'm really quite pleased with the end result. I set the table for 12 this morning.....I'll have to find room for one more when I get home from work - we'll squeeze. No worries. 

When the lights are dimmed and the candles lit and the music is playing and the wine is flowing nobody will worry one bit about being a little tight around the table. 

And we'll do it again next Friday. 

Happy Holidays, Friends!!

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Sharing at 

Cozy Little House - Tweak It Tuesday 

It's All Worth It At The End of The Day

Dinner parties are wonderful. 

The candles are lit....the music is playing in the background....and the stage is set for another wonderful evening filled with loved ones, laughter, and a fabulous feast.

Deconstructed Lasagna

So....do you remember when I shared the recipe for my easy peasy tomato sauce with you? 

What? You don't? 

Ok, well I'm giving you another chance. 

I told you about this amazing recipe back in the beginning of October - well, since I'm still using up my billions of tomatoes I decided to make a batch of Deconstructed Lasagna last night. 

It was rainy and cold and a dreary night all around. What's better than a cheesy gooey pasta dish and a good glass of red wine on a night like that?

There's only one rule here. I'm going to have to insist that you refrain from licking your computer screen. 

(Remember what I said....no licking.)

First assemble your ingredients. You will need tomatoes, 2 onions, ricotta cheese, a pound of Italian sweet sausage, a 28oz can of crushed tomatoes, a stick of salted butter, and grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. And pasta, of course. 

Note: If you aren't using any fresh tomatoes, use 2 cans of whole peeled tomatoes instead of the fresh tomatoes + crushed tomatoes. Crush them up with your hands as you add them to the pot. Do this in the sink as they will squirt!!

I know you can't see the butter in the photos - that's because it's hiding under the tea towel. 

Ok, I lied. I totally forgot to put it in the photo. Hey, I'm new at this blogging stuff!

For pasta, I used this gorgeous large artisan Pappardelle but you don't have to - I have used a standard Pappardelle or rigatoni in the past, either works well. 

Start by pre-heating your pot on low- med heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil. While it's heating up, get your tomatoes ready. I used a whole bunch of grape tomatoes plus a few larger tomatoes and even a few cherry tomatoes. Anything that was ripe and ready. 

I cut the grape tomatoes in half, the larger ones in chunks, and threw the cherry tomatoes in whole. Let them cook down for a while while you get your other ingredients ready. 

Cut the sausage out of the casing and break it up into chunks with a wooden spoon in a medium pan. Cook the sausage chunks on low-med until browned all over. 

When it's nicely browned, I like to put the sausage chunks into a colander in the sink - I rinse the sausage in hot water to remove all the excess fat. Every little bit helps, am I right? Put the sausage in a bowl with a lid and set it aside until you are ready for it. 

By now your tomatoes should be starting to break down - they start creating a beautiful rustic sauce - isn't this just gorgeous?

Throw in the can of crushed tomatoes, the stick of butter, and the two onions - I used a larger onion and a small one. I cut the larger one in half but left the small one whole. Give it a stir, turn the heat to low, and just let it do it's thing. 

After a while (40 minutes, perhaps?) you will have this gorgeous tomato sauce. The smell in the house will drive you mad while it's cooking - it's such a simple, basic sauce but oh soooo tasty!

Continue to simmer on low while you boil a large pot of water. I don't use salted water for this recipe - I try to keep the sodium low in our foods and I think between the salted butter, the sausage, the pasta, and the Romano or Parmesan the dish has enough salt already. And more than enough flavor!

I used to throw the onions out after the sauce was done but the last time I made it my sweetie suggested I save them in the freezer to throw into a stew or something....and it was almost like a light bulb went off over my head. Duh, why didn't I think of that? 

So...I use a pair of tongs and remove the large chunks of onion from the sauce and set apart to cool. Then they go into a labeled Ziploc bag in the freezer. 

When the pasta is cooked according to package directions, drain it and return to the pot - I like to throw in a little butter or olive oil and pepper and toss it up to keep the pasta from sticking. 

Time to assemble your dish!!

Pasta on the plate....top with a little sausage, then sauce, then a couple of spoonfuls of ricotta cheese, and finally some grated Parmesan or Romano. 

And then you have this. Remember....no lickie poo. 

It's the most beautiful melding of flavors - the spice and texture from the sausage with the silky oniony sauce and the creamy cool ricotta and the sharp grated cheese - all over a buttery noodle. 

Heaven. Right there on a plate. 

Serve it with a good red wine - my preference for this meal would be a Barbera. However, since I had a Spanish Red open that's what won out. It worked beautifully!!

I have served this meal at more than a few dinner parties and it is always a huge hit. You can cook the sausage and the sauce in advance and just heat it up for the dinner, throw it over some cooked pasta with the ricotta and grated cheese and serve with some crusty bread and red wine. Maybe a salad to start. Easy Peasy Dinner Party!!!

Mangia!!

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The full recipe for this dish can be found on this post.

Sharing at Rattlebridge Farm - Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Sharing at Sunny Simple Life - Simple Saturdays Blog Hop

Sharing at Dwellings - Amaze Me Monday

Welcome To My World

So, it's not even Halloween yet and we are having our SECOND snowstorm of the season on the mountain top!

Yup, welcome to my world. 

The Thanksgiving Table

We have a long standing tradition in my family that my sister hosts Thanksgiving and I host Christmas. It's been this way for 25 years now!

Which means I don't have a lot of Thanksgiving decor around my house. I decorate for fall/harvest rather than specifically Halloween or Thanksgiving. 

The nice thing about that is the decorations go up in September and just stay up until my daughter comes home for Thanksgiving.

Then it's time for Christmas decorating! We always do it the weekend she's home for Thanksgiving because she's not back again until Christmas. 

Anyway, I digress. 

Even though I don't host Thanksgiving dinner I absolutely love some of the beautiful table settings I find out there online. I have always been drawn to warm colors in my home which lends itself well to fall decorating....there's just something about fall, am I right? 

Here are some of my favorites from around the globe:

Via

Via

Via

Via

Via

Via

Via

Via

Via

As usual my tastes are all over the place! The nice thing is that any of these could be used for any fall dinner party, not just Thanksgiving. 

Which one is your favorite?

Happy Weekend, Friends!!

The Ultimate Creamy Garlic Chicken

This recipe has been in my repertoire for a long, long time, since neighbors of mine in NYC made it for a dinner party many years ago. 

I loved the creamy garlic taste of this dish, but knew I could find a way to make it healthier for my family. 

Random Things That Make Me Smile

It's a glorious day in the mountains and I hope you are all having a great week so far!

Today I thought I'd share some random things in my life recently that made me smile.

I hope your day also started with a smile - enjoy!!

Water droplets on the morning glory

The sun shining through

Black Eyed Susans in the Hydrangea

After the rain

The very first thing I see in the mornings when I come out for coffee - sunshine through the lace curtains

That morning sun again - love love love

My beautiful fireplace - huge selling point for me with this home

The colors in this Delphinium - they almost look fake!

Just a portion of yesterday's tomato harvest

The rest of the tomatoes went in last night's dinner....mmmmmm

The morning sun on the freshly polished dining room table

Getting a head start on setting the table for a dinner party with good friends

And this. My love.