Winter Gathering with a Chili Buffet

For my husband's birthday, my mother-in law hosted a dinner party.  The evening's theme was a winter gathering with a buffet of 3 chili dishes and hearty sides.  

 Chili was served at a warming station full of three different varieties.  Each chili had a label in a white vase with festive winter flowers.

A spinach salad with bacon and hard boiled egg was served to start our meal.

Stacks of colorful plates, soup bowls, and small bowls were displayed by the chili station.  This was a fun way to serve ourselves.

Chili toppings like chives, cilantro, and sour cream were displayed in decorative Nora Fleming serving trays.  No detail was missed.

For dessert she served a gourmet vanilla cake with white chocolate shavings.

Fresh strawberries and heavy cream were served with roasted coffee after dinner.  Isn't this white serving tray with a heart so adorable?  It is part of the Nora Fleming serving collection, which features hand painted "minis" and white platters.

White Bean Chicken Chili with Celery

Spicy No Bean Chili with Turkey

White Bean Chili with Chicken and Corn

Roasted Vegetable Soup

Spinach Salad with Bacon and Egg

Sauteed Purple Cabbage

This party was a hit thanks to the delicious food, beautiful display, and great company.  The hostess truly thought of every little detail.  You should try hosting a winter gathering for your next dinner party.  But if you're next gathering is more formal, consider an elegant dinner party or a mason jar tablescape.

Thanks for stopping by our blog today!  If this post got you hungry for chili, check out Kaylin's vegetarian chili recipe here.

Cheese and Chalkboard Themed Party

For my 26th birthday, I held a cheese-themed party for my family.  In lieu of gifts, I asked each guest to bring cheese.  We ate the cheese for an appetizer, and I prepared a three course meal featuring cheese in each of the selections.  Because cheese and wine go so well together, I kept the decor casual with chalkboards, mason jars, and vintage accents.

Inspiration

My love of cheese inspired the entire party.  The picture above is an aged gouda, which is my favorite.

DIY "Chalkboard" Place Mats

I wanted to use real chalkboards for place mats, but I was afraid the chalk would be messy at my dining table.  Instead, I found black poster boards and cut them in half.

I used a silver permanent marker and drew stitching along the perimeter.  Then, I hand wrote the name of each guest in the upper left-hand corner for a personal touch.  I love that they look like chalkboards but are disposable.

Appetizer Station

I prepared a station for appetizers on my counter.  A personalized place mat thanked my guests for the cheese and asked them to label it with porcelain labels I got from Crate and Barrel.  

I also made homemade crostini and laid out olives and salami.

Mason Jar and Rose Tablescape

The table was lined with mason jars and roses.  The DIY chalkboard place mats fit perfectly.

I used jars of varying heights to add some interest to the centerpiece.

I kept the place settings very simple with a clean white plate, single fork/knife, and crisp white linen napkins.

These vintage crystal goblets in purple, green, pink and blue added extra color to the table.

Cheese Filled Three Course Menu

I served a garden salad with gouda cheese, scalloped potatoes, broccoli with a Parmesan cream sauce, and chicken stuffed with Borsin cheese.  The guys enjoyed steak.

I really enjoyed the party.  It was simple to put together and very laid back.  Kevin and I learned a lot at our first dinner party, and I didn't make the same mistakes again.  I think the center piece would be perfect for a rustic, vintage, or castle wedding.  What do you think?

Elegant Dinner Party (Think Pink)

For our wedding, Kevin and I were so blessed to receive a beautiful china set and Waterford glasses. To help celebrate his mom's 60th birthday, we hosted our first event using our wedding gifts.

Kevin's mom raised two boys, so she was never surrounded by girly things...that is how I came up with the idea of an intimate pink themed dinner party.

Inspiration

This table setting with silver and pink accents is fancy and grown-up.  I love the pink peonies and colorful china pattern.

My Take

First - a view of the finished product.  The setting was so feminine.

All the Pretty Little Details

I found a gorgeous silver mercury vase at HomeGoods.  This centerpiece inspired the entire decor. 

Kevin and I took out our fine china and crystal stemware.

Those lovely plates are Parchment china by Mikasa.  I love the pearlized pattern and silver trim.

Our Waterford crystal goblets and ice beverage glasses are the Lismore Essence pattern.  The Venetian Lace flatware by Lenox is delicate and coordinates with the swirl design on our china.

The gray placemats are from Target.

Dessert lined our granite counter and was displayed on white serving plates.

I surrounded the floral arrangement with silver mercury tea light candles for a soft glow.

These long-stem blooming roses made the table.  They were so beautiful and smelled lovely.

Tips for Hosting Your First Event

I made a couple of rookie mistakes during the night, but it played out nicely anyway.  

Remove the Floral Arrangement:  I think the biggest mistake was leaving the floral arrangement on the table during dinner.  It was too large and obstructed the conversation.

Pre-Fill Water Glasses:  I forgot to fill the water glasses before dinner.  It left an awkward pause after everyone was seated.  Next time, I will pre-fill them and have a pitcher full of ice ready.

Cautiously Double Recipes:  I doubled the recipe for most of the dishes we served.  Since there were 8 guests, I wanted to ensure there was enough...but I had almost half of everything left.  This was wasteful and took a lot of effort on my part.  I'll save time and resources next time by preparing just enough food.

Serve Salad First:  We served the salad and main course at the same time.  This sounds like an easy going plan in theory, but in real life, space on the table was limited.  Guests had to lean over their main plate to reach their salad.  It was very uncomfortable and I worried the whole time about someone dropping dressing onto my oatmeal colored upholstered chairs.  Thank goodness that didn't happen.  Next time, I will serve the salad first and then the main course.

What have you learned along the way when you have entertained?  Do you have any advice for my next event?