Parties!

Sparklers at our winter fireside gathering!

Oh, how your girl loves a good party. I so missed them during earlier phases of the pandemic. But now that my circle of friends is vaccinated and boosted (and the transmission level of the virus has dropped in my community), parties are back! 

In late January, I had my family over for a celebration of the Chinese New Year. We rang in the Year of the Tiger with Concubine's Chicken, spring rolls, longevity noodles, Asian pear mules, and these delightful little almond cookies (which I served with decaf green tea). 

Concubine's chicken

I found a whole set of paper decorations online and liberally festooned the house with them. I was also able to source a set of Chinese fortune sticks, and they were a hoot! (I first encountered Chinese fortune sticks at the Tin How Temple in San Francisco.) Everyone had fun shaking out their stick and finding out more about their future. We even played some celebratory Chinese music, and I sent everyone home with red paper envelopes full of foil-wrapped chocolate coins. 

A few weeks later, we had hubs' parents over for the Super Bowl. We made guacamole, a big pot of chili, and pulled a homemade pie out of the freezer for dessert. I don't know much about football (or care), but I have fun watching the commercials, and I always love seeing what's in store for the halftime show!

This past week, we celebrated Mardi Gras with Krewe de Cardinal, a fancy party that's also a fundraiser for a local school. I'd first been to this party in 2020 (right before the pandemic shut everything down), and I was so glad to get back to it this year! I rented a sparkly dress from Rent the Runway, invited sweet Anita and her hubby, and we hit the town!

Two goof balls celebrating Mardi Gras!

They had a goofy photo booth, a rockin' band, cocktails featuring Cathead vodka (and little LED cubes that lit your drink up in different colors - a Mississippi product!), tons of great food, and big silent and live auctions. They even had a painter there, and he finished two pieces as the party revolved around him. A fun night!

Lastly, I had one last party to throw myself. At the beginning of the year, I always spend some time in reflection. I think about what kind of year I want to have, what I want to experience (and when) in the coming year. This year, I thought to myself, "I really want to throw a bonfire party." 

However, my backyard isn't particularly conducive to such a thing. There's no room for a large fire, and the inside of my house can be a bit cramped once you start packing people in. So, I went in search of a venue.

The s'mores were a hit!

I found it at McClain Lodge. This place was PERFECT for what I was envisioning. The sweet event staff there helped me come up with a custom menu (hot dogs with all the fixings, tons of chips and hot dips, charcuterie, savory palmiers, and an awesome s'mores bar,  in addition to cocoa, cider and little shots of bourbon, amaretto, and rum chata for those who wanted to liven up their beverage). They also tended the fire, prepped everything, stuck around to help us during the party, and cleaned up afterward.

I invited about 30 friends, encouraged folks to bring their guitars and harmonicas, and flung the doors open. We had a *perfect* night for it - clear, nippy but not too cold. Just fantastic. Everyone trundled in wearing their plaid and their jeans and their boots, and we spent about three hours eating, talking, laughing, tasting marshmallows, and playing music. It. Was. So. FUN!! I could totally see this becoming an annual thing. 

Now that February is over, I'm moving out of party season and into travel season (for me, anyway), but it's been such fun to plan and attend special events the past few couple of months. Hurray for parties! 

McClain Lodge was a dreamy venue!