Dinner Party

Our Mommy and Me group started a couples' gourmet dinner club. Each month has a host and a co-host. Together, they plan the menu and assign each couple one dish to bring. This month was our month. We co-hosted with Megan & Mike. Since Mike is Italian and Megan knew how to make some incredible Italian dishes, we chose an Italian theme. We also had our friend Ryan Siebert come who does magic on the side so we called our dinner The Magic of Italy. Each person makes their dish following an assigned recipe and then brings their own drinks (usually wine) with them to the party. So, here is the menu & recipes (in case anyone is interested!) This was sent out to everyone a week ahead of time based on who had RSVP'd that they were coming. (be sure to note our creative magical names!!)

The Magic of Italy
Appetizers & Wine Course
Disappearing Bruschetta
Mini Italian Magician's Club Sandwiches
Hocus Pocus Antipasto Platter
David Copper-fried Ravioli

Salad Course
The Rabbit In The Hat's Salad

Entrees
Magic Meatballs and Gravy
Nothing Up My Sleeve Manicotti

Sides & Bread
Pick A Card Parmesan Popovers
Siegfried and Roy-oasted Aspargus
Fettuc-Houdini Alfredo

Desserts
Now You See It, Now You Don't Chocolate & Hazelnut Tart
Abracadabra Tiramisu

Everything was really really good, but I think I might try to make the bruschetta recipe and the chocolate hazelnut tart recipe in the future because they were especially good!

So, have I mentioned yet that there were 13 couples coming? For all of you good mathematicians, that is 26 people! In my house! So, Chris brought home 2 of his conference room tables and we borrowed folding chairs and managed to get 10 people at a table in the living room and the remaining 6 sat at the kitchen table. Here are the tables set up with my dishes, a mixture of mine and my mom's wine glasses, and a mixture of mine and my Grandma's antique sterling silver silverware!


(that's right, the football game was on in the living room AND in the sun room....can't have those men going to a gourmet dinner club with no football!! *Gasp* at the thought!)

The co-host, Megan, and I went to Sam's Club on Friday and got all of the ingredients for the main dishes (which were secret recipes and therefore not included in the list or her inlaws would have had to hunt us down!) Then she spent most of the day Saturday making the meatballs and gravy and the filling for the manicotti. She brought all of it over Sunday afternoon and I filled the manicotti and baked it.

A little after 6:15, we got everyone seated and started the salad and bread and then invited everyone to come in and fill their plates.



After dinner, Ryan did his magic show. He did a lot of card tricks, some sleight of hand tricks, and then his big finale was freeing himself from this straight jacket within 2 minutes. He did a great job and I think everyone enjoyed it!
This was the scene at the end of the night....these were all empty waiting to go out to the recycling bin. Keep in mind there were other bottles too that people took home with them, or that got empty early and had already been thrown out! I, myself, only tried a tiny glass of one of the White Zinfandels that was not quite fruity enough for me. I really prefer sparkling grape juice because it is more grape juice-y! (yeah, I'm so not an alcohol person!)
Anyway, it was a ton of fun and we are already looking forward to next month's dinner which will be a Christmas themed one with appetizers and desserts. We've heard they will have a DJ with karaoke!!!

I might have to become more of an alcohol person if I'm going to participate in that!