Who doesn’t LOVE hostessing a dinner party!? Between planning the perfect menu, dreaming up the table settings, extending the invitations, and then actually cooking the meal, I am a happy queen bee. I love the domesticity of it all. I must say I’m happiest when I’m creating something lovely within the walls of my own home. And for me, a dinner party is quintessential of all things home and lovely.

Kaycie came up to the homestead last night with 5 friends and appetites to boot in tow. The occasion–her birthday. And as such she got to choose the menu. We had Caesar Salad with homemade croutons and freshly grated Parmesan, Kaycie’s favorite creamy spinach pasta, and a 4-layer chocolate cake with chocolate butter cream/dulce de leche filling, and cream cheese frosting. Oye!

I set up our 6′ portable banquet table and covered it with a white tablecloth and then placed a brightly patterned runner down the middle. (Truth be told, it was actually a couple curtains I found for $6 that I crafted into a runner.) I also found these amazing chartreuse linen napkins at the local thrift store (8 for $4) so I placed those on top of every other plate. Then on the alternating plates in between, I placed fuchsia napkins that I cut out of another curtain set I found for $5. Just call me Fraulein Maria. (Speaking of–I’ve got to remember to hem those this weekend.) In any case, color was the key! Kaycie loves all things bright and colorful.

For the centerpieces, I bought a couple of flower bouquets and split the blooms between 4 small vases, staggering them evenly from tip to toe of the table. Then I scavenged the cupboards for any small glasses, jam jars, vases, condiment holders, etc. and placed tea-lights inside each glass and covered the table with them. This created lighting divine. Oh! And on each of the water glasses I placed an orange slice and a lemon slice. The effect was as such:

It was quite the party if I do say so. Delicious in every way! The recipes, invented by yours truly, are easy and perfect for feeding lots of people. So Enjoy! And have a dinner party this weekend! You’ll not regret it!

Homemade Croutons for Caesar Salad
(can be made a day ahead and kept in a large zip-lock bag)
preheat oven to 200 degrees

1. Slice a loaf of French bread into 1″ cubed pieces and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet (or 2 sheets if it’s a large loaf). I swear your local Wal-Mart Super Center has the best French bread this side of France. Just trust me on that one.
   
2. Heat 1/2 c olive oil in a skillet and drizzle over bread
3. Toss to coat with hands and sprinkle with salt and pepper
   
4. Place in pre-heated oven and bake for 1 hour (shake the cookie sheet every 20 minutes or so to loosen the bread from the bottom of the pan)
5. After 1 hour, increase the heat to 400 degrees and watch the croutons closely. that’s a hot oven and you can burn your croutons to a crisp if you’re not careful! you just want to lightly toast the outside of the bread … give it a little color. once it’s to your liking, take the croutons out.
6. Let cool before serving. Oooo, you’ll never buy croutons in a box again!
   

Creamy Spinach Pasta
(serves 10-12)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 sm. block of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained of all juices)
1 box of pasta (you can use bowtie, penne, fusilli, etc. Any will do!)
1 sm pre-cooked ham about the size of 2 fists
1 jar of alfredo sauce (or you can make your own)
shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook pasta and drain.
2. Cut the ham into bitesize pieces (or buy it pre-cubed to save time)
   
3. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients. There’s no rhyme or reason to the amounts. Just toss in what looks right. Do less or more of anything based on what you like/don’t like.
4. Spoon into 13″x9″ baking sheet and sprinkle with shredded mozarella.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
   

Chocolate Layer Cake
(with chocolate butter cream/dulce de leche filling, and cream cheese frosting)
serves a lot

1 chocolate cake mix, baked in 2 8.5″ rounds, and cooled (I used a Betty Crocker Devil’s Food mix)
1 can of dulce de leche
to make dulce de leche, take one 12 oz can of sweetened condensed milk and peel paper label off. place can in large pot and fill with water so that the water is just barely covering the can. boil for 3 hours. the can will rattle around but it never boils over. after 3 hours, carefully remove can from water and open slowly. it will “spit” a little from the pressure inside. stir vigorously until the consistency resembles a spreadable caramel.
1 recipe of chocolate buttercream (see below)
1 recipe of cream cheese frosting (see below)

1. Slice rounded tops off each cake round.
2. Now slice each round in half (you will now have 4 cake layers).
3. Place one layer on a plate or pedestal (I highly recommend pedestals)
4. Spoon 1/2 the dulce de leche on to cake layer and spread to edge
5. Top with another layer of cake
6. Spoon chocolate buttercream on top of 2nd layer and spread to edge (don’t use all the butter cream, just enough to have a thin layer … use the leftovers on graham crackers or your fingers)
7. Top with another layer of cake
8. Spoon rest of dulce de leche on top of cake layer
9. Top with last layer of cake
10. Frost with cream cheese frosting
11. Die from delight…

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 box (1 lb) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbsp milk

1. Cream the butter and cream cheese with a mixer.
2. Add the cocoa and vanilla.
3. Add powdered sugar in small batches and blend on low until combined.
4. Scrape sides often.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until you get the consistency you want.

Cream Cheese Frosting
6 oz cc
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 sticks butter
3 1/2 c powdered sugar

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Blend until combined and creamy.