So it was my month to host book club...and for some reason...everyone seemed to expect an over the top event...
I didn't want anyone to be disappointed...but I also warned them all that this would not be repeated every time I host
I hand painted invitations in the style of the paintings in the book...
Originally, I thought I could just copy them and only actually paint one...but the detail didn't turn out very nice...so I hand painted 13...then I was thirsty and got out a brand new pitcher of RED Crystal light...you can see where this is going to end badly right?!?!?!?
Yup...the lid came off, the entire contents of the pitcher poured all over my counter and my freshly painted invites... curse words may or may not have flown in a thick torrent around my kitchen....
Thank heavens there was still one sitting in the copy machine upstairs!
I ended up just taking a picture of it, attaching it to an email and sending it out that way...lame, I know...but it was that or cry...and I decided book club wasn't really worth crying over ;)
Dinner was...(of course I forgot to take picture of the real food...only remembered the desserts)
~Mixed greens salad with feta and pomegranate seeds with homemade croutons and German beer reduction vinaigrette
~Potato Cheese Soup
~Fall Vegetable Soup (pumpkin, squash, turnips, and rutabagas)
...I know to stay true to the book, I would have served split pea soup...but...ummm...it's just not attractive....
~the sweetest little Sausage and Apple hand pies...wish I'd taken a picture of these...they turned out super cute and I'm assured they were tasty
~ One of my talented guest brought an appetizer...it was a hallowed out and carved orange pepper with Guacamole spewing out of it's open mouth...it was HyStERiCaL!!!!...but perhaps not the most appetizing appetizer! ;)
For Decorations...
I made a banner using different book covers for the book from around the world alternating with little book print bunting pieces with dominoes glued on...took 10 minutes and turned out super cute!
Here's a picture of the dessert bar...I made the bunting out of book print and cricut letters...super fast.
I draped cheesy, sheer, super cheap fabric behind the lettering to try to blunt the view from the kitchen...it looked kind of cool in person...and cost all of $3 ;)
This is the only picture where you can see the plates of truffles...up there between the black candelabra and the jars of spooky stuff and chocolate chip cookie dough truffles and brownie truffles.
On the dessert table were some adorable coffin containers I picked up at Cost Plus...I filled them with coffin shaped brownies and added royal icing skeletons.
Next to those are little Black Forest Cake shooters...layered chocolate cake, whipped cream, and cherries.
Then there were the cutest German Halloween chocolates, pumpkin macarones, and German Kipferl cookies...which are the cookies that the Mayor's wife leaves for Liesel.
On the tiered tray are some of the Halloween cookies I made just because they were pretty and German Chocolate Cupcake minis.
Then there was a plate with delicious Amaretto cake (imported from Germany)...the box the cake comes in warns that it may NOT be sold to anyone under 21 :)
...and more of the same...kipferl, chocolates, shooters, coffin boxes to balance the table.
All the ladies got to take home plates of goodies for their families and I was cleaned up and in bed by 10:30.
It was a fun night.
I host again next month...since for some reason, no one wanted to go after me...
We are reading The Art of Racing in the Rain...
I'm doing Italian food...since the book ends in Italy and I just don't think serving kibble and milk bones would work out well. :)
I'll definitely be using some of the skills I learned in the pasta making class I just took...homemade noodles for my lasagna and I'm thinking I may try ravioli...if I'm feeling brave...otherwise just fresh pasta with pesto and another with a lemon cream sauce we learned to make that was AmAZinG!!
Thanks for LoOking!
Have a great week!
jen
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