Entertaining

I've been running around like a crazy person getting ready to host my book club at my house tomorrow. Also like a crazy person, I decided to go with a theme based on the book which is NOT required by the club at all. (The hostess usually provides a place to meet and a nice lunch, no themes.) That means instead of using what I have, I went out and bought things to go with the theme. OK, I did have a few things already, and the main color I'm using is one of the colors I already decorate with so I wasn't starting from scratch, but I did want to flesh it out somewhat. I hit all the big box stores in the area and a few specialty stores. I'm having fun pulling everything together but I wish it was easier physically to shop and prepare. This is when the fibro is really a bummer, but I'll get through and have a good time tomorrow, then I'll let everything go for a few days to rest and recover.

I'm off to cook! I'll post the menu and recipes tomorrow after the fact, and I'll try to remember to take some pictures.

Hello again from 2012!

It's been over a year and a half since my "Hunger Games" themed book club lunch and I'm finally posting the pictures. Why, you might ask? Because I FINALLY joined Pinterest (I know, it's about time, right!?) and I found a listing that led to a web page that led to another web page with a "Hunger Games" themed party. Well, I did some HG entertaining, and I knew I had pictures, and I thought they were on the blog, but when I went back to look them up all I found was the PROMISE of putting up the pictures. Sheese. I have some "get around to it" issues when it comes to blogging.

So, anyway, I'm posting the party report and pictures now. The menu was mostly pulled from "Party Vegan" by Robin Robertson since there are vegans in our book club. (I'm vegetarian myself.) I made the chili, rice, (OK, DH made the chili and probably the rice), tampenade, and muffins from the Halloween menu. I also made a salad, candied pecans, and palmiers with whipped cream (white for smoke??) just because I like them. Halloween colors were used to represent the "girl on fire" and her coal mining district- black for the coal, red, yellow, and orange for the fire. It was perfect since the luncheon was held close to Halloween- it made it so easy to find all of the decorations! I love the centerpiece with the black candle and red, yellow, and orange crystals scattered all around it with a few coal-like stones thrown in for effect. The leaf shaped plate and pecans are very forest-y; forests were big in the first book.

Everyone raved over the chili- all the book clubbers wanted the recipe. It's a vegan recipe but with the hearty beans and squash you don't miss the meat at all. After the book club meeting this became a "go to" recipe for casual company. (Thank you Robin Robertson!!) So, here at last, are the pics: