how to throw a dinner party...

i know they are over, but i love the holidays.  i love the food, the friends, the family, the booze, the lights, everything.  walker and i had a small dinner party.  it was as my mother would say, a sussess.  no pictures of food.  really need to get better at this part!

hosts- i did most of the work.

step 1: menu - plan it out, a week in advance, if you are trying something new, study the recipe like your SAT's.  remember timing is everything.  at first i went with beef tenderloin.  went to the store to get it and had a panic attack.  this thing was two feet long. if i F this up, dinner is ruined, people would talk about this for months.  let alone it cost what some peoples rent in Alabama is for a month.
final menu:
bacon wrapped filet mignon
potato leek gratin - recipe here
brussel sprouts cooked in bacon grease
apple walnut salad
bread pudding - family recipe

ps - invite friends who can cook.  joshy = helper

step 2:  invite your friends.  tell them what to bring.  this is a hard one for me.  I opted for - "don't worry about we have the food taken care of approach..."  after my 8th trip to the store, the realization that i can't cook three things in the oven at once, and after my bank account was drained....  I began to resent my friends I invited and really wanted to call in sick.  my fault. lesson learned.  of course, in the end it all works out and is well worth the stress.  this group is great.

step 3: invite your brother.  he is always down for a free meal.  and brings the entertainment up a notch.

step 4: eat. drink. eat.  laugh.  sussess. guest showed up at 6:30 and left at 12:30.  Taboo was played.

working on flash - taking a class on this camera