My First Dinner Party

I love cooking.  Since I've moved into my house I've been itching to have a dinner party.  When I was in Florida at the beginning of October I picked-up some adorable orange napkins with the words "Happy Fall Y'All!"  I knew I had to finally have the dinner party I'd been dying to have, just so I could use these napkins!

I was very blessed to have had so much help from my friend Dennis.  He is a true "gourmand."  He taught me how to make homemade mozzarella!  It was delicious!  We also made gnocchi together and Dennis dressed it with homemade pesto.  He also whipped up homemade Italian bread.  Yum!

I made a crab and gouda cheese dip.  The recipe was from a class at Le Chat Gourmet.  My Mom's famous bacon bites were also a hit at the party!  We also "recycled" the balsamic caramelized onion and goat cheese bruschetta that Le Chat Gourmet gave me after the March of Dimes auction!  Crunchy meatballs with a pineapple sauce were also on the menu which comes from the kitchen of my good friend Traci.  Dennis also made a salmon dip.  It was extra tasty since the salmon came from his friend in Alaska!  How lucky were we?

For dessert I made a pear tart with vanilla pastry cream and mocha espresso mousse, another recipe from Le Chat Gourmet.

We cannot forget the tasty caramel apple martini's that Brittany and Patrick made for us!  Yum!  Or the sweet frosted chocolate chip cookie from Brynn!

With my good friends Brittany, Ashley and Brynn in the kitchen.

Farkas trying to steal a bit of homemade mozzarella.  I think he knows the difference.  :-)