[Life+Style Forum] Entertaining, Home Ec, and GNO

 Hi there!

This photo from Real Simple, reminded me about my love for entertaining, so I pinned it on Pinterest

Before I pinned this photo (see more of the photos from this article below), I wrote in the comment section, "Want to start doing this again."...

A welcome glass of wine or sparkling cider while you and your guests prepare dinner.

A fresh, simple salad is always a healthy way to start a meal.  The secret to a great salad is drying the lettuce thoroughly.  I use a salad spinner the eldest gave me for Mother's Day a few years ago.

Friends and Food...what a perfect pairing!

Leftovers are the best for lunch the next day!

When I have time, money, and energy, I love to entertain.  I received the Bank of America award for Home Economics at my high school graduation (I know it's not as lofty as a math or even an English award, but it was an award nevertheless...), so I guess I must have impressed someone with my domestic skills!

One of our high school electives was an international food class that was held after school.  The teacher put us in groups, and we were supposed to plan, prepare, and serve the meal.  We picked a country to build our meal around and would delegate a dish to each student.  We were able to invite a guest to the meal, and it was a full spread, table setting, decorations and all.  It was such a fun class!

Seeing my sister and being in So Cal again with friends and family reminded me of when we would all gather at my house for GNO, Girls Night Out, back in the early to mid 90's.  I claim that we "coined" that term, because I see it being used everywhere now!  Ours was a pretty tame affair since I had young children at the time, with each person bringing over a dish to the house.  It was a nice way of getting together, and usually we would let the guys join us for the meals!

I have wanted to recreate a GNO/International Food type of meal up here in Nor Cal.  A few months ago, we hosted a surprise birthday party for our pastor that turned into a game night.  Everyone had a blast and I told myself that I would try to make it a regular thing, but that really hasn't happened.  Now with this blog holding me accountable, I am going to try and revive this passion of mine! 

When it comes to entertaining, do you prefer, 1) being the hostess, 2) helping with the preparations, or 3) showing up and socializing?  Let me know because when it comes to get-togethers, it takes all three kinds to make a party!  Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl