VVDDP – 2016 – Dinner Party!

Every year my husband and I host a dinner party around Valentine’s day for some of our “couple friends”.   We have been doing this for a few years now and it’s a fun tradition that we have come to cherish!

Since you might be new to this event for us, you can check out past years by clicking the years below!

2013

2014

2015

I decided that in 2016 I wanted to do less shopping for our dinner party.  We had been given Home Chef meals for Christmas from my friend and loved them.   Although we loved them, we didn’t sign up for them right away.  We decided that using them for this event would be a great way for us to save time and we also saved money, due to the sign-on incentive offered.

Below is the menu and if the recipes are available please feel free to click on the recipe title to find your way to the original recipe provider!

Appetizer

Baked Fontina – THIS IS SO GOOD! Seriously, go buy the ingredients and make it!

Cheese and grape tray and veggie tray was served as well!

Entrees

Rosemary-Cider Chicken with Roasted Apples and Butternut Squash

and

Classic Chicken Piccata with Angel Hair Pasta and Lemon-Caper Butter Sauce (MY FAVORITE!)

Garlic Parmesan Knots – these were so simple and absolutely delish! Go, get the recipe now!  Make some for dinner tonight! Picture the recipe.com made it so simple!  I did use melted butter, not Pam.

Desserts

Mini Cakes   I won’t lie, these took a long time to create.  I am lucky because my husband is patient and is sometimes better at things like this than I.  He put the white “frosting” on and I decorated. By the time we got to the 7th or 8th cake they looked kinda good!  I think the chocolate words were a big hit and so easy to make!  Try it!

 

 

Mini  (sugar-free) Cheesecake pies  These were yummy!  The recipe is for a full size pan but I love all things mini!

Every year I try to change it up in the area of table decorations.  Although I always use my white plates, there is usually a shade of red or pink in the mix!  Simplicity is what I went with this year.  The flower candle arrangements were super inexpensive and easy.

The evening would not be complete without our annual fun games!  Each year the couple that wins the year before has to plan and bring the game and prize the next year!  This year our friends L & M provided fun games and prizes.  We laughed pretty hard.  They used questions and their version of “Lip Flip” from Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show.  The hilarious part was we each had to use our spouse’s “face”!

We look forward to seeing what S & G bring for the fun games and prizes next year!  They won with a total of 11 points!  That was like 4 points ahead of everyone! 🙂

The party favors we sent them home with kept with the simplicity theme.   I hand embroidered a tea towel that states the truth when it comes to this event in our lives.  Good friends and Good food!  A couple of beers for relaxing and who can give a gift without chocolate! 🙂

Even though we may not get together much during the course of the year, this annual event is always on the calendar for us to reconnect.  Once again friendship has brought joy to my heart and a smile to my face! Thank you to each and everyone of you that make it a point to come each year!

Grace is a gift,

Julie

 

Photos from our night of fun!