Entertaining: Housewarming Party

(our bar, sans Tucker, the bartender)

Well, I do believe the party was a hit. Our wee 800 sq foot apartment held almost 30 people and a bartender. That's right, we hired a bartender. I was a bit hesitant at first, and I couldn't decide if it was ridiculous or just plain clever. It turned out to be the latter. He was a budding graduate and new to the city with empty pockets so slipping him a few dollar bills didn't feel so bad, and well, it was nice to not spend the entire evening mixing drinks.

I am not a baker, but luckily some of my girlfriends are expert bakers so they happily supplied the party with sweet treats. I focused on the salty and savory . . .

*Prosciutto Wrapped Pears. A delicious combination of flavors, and by far, my favorite. So easy too!

*Veggie Sticks with Avocado Lime Dip. I coupled this with celery and green beans, and I loved that it wasn't the average carrot sticks and brocoli combo. Go heavy on the salt and garlic as the yogurt and avocado seem to drown the taste. I realized this as my guests were arriving, and I was frantically stirring in garlic salt (!).

*Herbed Cheese Log. A nice substitute to my usual plate of bruschetta.

*And of course, the ever faithful cheese platter.

(source)