Wine and roses
I hosted a dinner and wine-tasting at my house tonight, and it was DIVINE. It was for 6 people, and one of my friends even brought her sweet little baby for Clay to play with! (Clay was remarkably good, too. He wanted me close by, especially at first, but as the night wore on, he got more comfortable with all of the people.)
The Menu
Appetizers - cheese plate featuring sharp artisan cheddar, havarti, feta, and brie; sliced pears; green grapes; smoked almonds, natural almonds, and macadamia nuts; olive artichoke tapenade with french bread toasts.
Entree - rustic mashed potates with beef bourguignon (from this amazing recipe)
Dessert - chocolate amaretto fondue with strawberries, bananas, and pound cake
Ok, so this menu definitely blew my diet. BUT tomorrow it is right back on the straight and narrow. (A girl must celebrate once in a while, and it's not as if I host elaborate dinner parties on a regular basis. And I freezed all the leftover beef bourguignon for a later date. Someone watching their calories can only eat that once in a GREAT while.)
The Wines
To go with the meal, I (and the nice guy at Silver Leaf) selected four wines:
1.) Sterling Vineyards Merlot - This is one of my favorite Merlots, and I've been drinking it for years. The reserve label is good, too, when you can find it.
2.) Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon - I've drunk several wines from this vineyard, and I have liked most of them.
3.) Graham's Six Grapes Reserve Port - I'd never had this port before, and I really enjoyed it. It paired wonderfully with the dark chocolate of the fondue. This wine has a very fruity, spicy quality that I loved.
4.) Saintsbury Garnet Pinot Noir - This was a brand new wine for us. YUM.
I chose the wines based on their versatility with the menu I was serving. For example, the port was delicious with the chocolate dessert, but it could have just as easily been drunk with the cheddar in the appetizer course. What was especially great about all these bottles - they each cost $20 or less. And with the discount that Silver Leaf gave me (they are running some kind of promotion - GET OVER THERE and buy some wine), they averaged about $17 each.
It was a fun evening of food, friends, and flowers. (Greenbrook must also be publicly commended for their $12 for a dozen roses deal. I chose white and yellow blooms for the kitchen and red ones for the living room. I felt like a movie star.) The event began at 6 p.m., and we lingered, talking, until about 9 p.m. By 9:30 p.m., I had the kitchen cleaned and the leftovers stowed, with my sweet baby peacefully sleeping in his crib. (You cannot imagine how happy that makes a little OCD person like myself.)
Another milestone - my first real post-baby dinner party. Here's to more of them!
P.S. If anyone is looking for something to do on Wednesday, I have plenty of leftover fondue and wine!! Don't make me drink alone!
The Menu
Appetizers - cheese plate featuring sharp artisan cheddar, havarti, feta, and brie; sliced pears; green grapes; smoked almonds, natural almonds, and macadamia nuts; olive artichoke tapenade with french bread toasts.
Entree - rustic mashed potates with beef bourguignon (from this amazing recipe)
Dessert - chocolate amaretto fondue with strawberries, bananas, and pound cake
Ok, so this menu definitely blew my diet. BUT tomorrow it is right back on the straight and narrow. (A girl must celebrate once in a while, and it's not as if I host elaborate dinner parties on a regular basis. And I freezed all the leftover beef bourguignon for a later date. Someone watching their calories can only eat that once in a GREAT while.)
The Wines
To go with the meal, I (and the nice guy at Silver Leaf) selected four wines:
1.) Sterling Vineyards Merlot - This is one of my favorite Merlots, and I've been drinking it for years. The reserve label is good, too, when you can find it.
2.) Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon - I've drunk several wines from this vineyard, and I have liked most of them.
3.) Graham's Six Grapes Reserve Port - I'd never had this port before, and I really enjoyed it. It paired wonderfully with the dark chocolate of the fondue. This wine has a very fruity, spicy quality that I loved.
4.) Saintsbury Garnet Pinot Noir - This was a brand new wine for us. YUM.
I chose the wines based on their versatility with the menu I was serving. For example, the port was delicious with the chocolate dessert, but it could have just as easily been drunk with the cheddar in the appetizer course. What was especially great about all these bottles - they each cost $20 or less. And with the discount that Silver Leaf gave me (they are running some kind of promotion - GET OVER THERE and buy some wine), they averaged about $17 each.
It was a fun evening of food, friends, and flowers. (Greenbrook must also be publicly commended for their $12 for a dozen roses deal. I chose white and yellow blooms for the kitchen and red ones for the living room. I felt like a movie star.) The event began at 6 p.m., and we lingered, talking, until about 9 p.m. By 9:30 p.m., I had the kitchen cleaned and the leftovers stowed, with my sweet baby peacefully sleeping in his crib. (You cannot imagine how happy that makes a little OCD person like myself.)
Another milestone - my first real post-baby dinner party. Here's to more of them!
P.S. If anyone is looking for something to do on Wednesday, I have plenty of leftover fondue and wine!! Don't make me drink alone!
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