The Birthday Party

This weekend we hosted a party for Wright's birthday at his apartment. Wright, his roommates, and I were all very excited about the party, but with holiday parties, business trips, concerts and the like all week, it ended up being a little bit more last minute than we'd (okay, I'd) expected.

The email I sent out was purposefully casual, as I knew Wright would be quick to call me out on turning a small party into an intense affair. I even decided not to ask for RSVP's (yes, that took a lot of restraint, but when it's a boy's party at a boy's apartment, they just don't do RSVP's apparently). I said we'd have drinks and some snacks, but left it purposefully vague. It was to start at 9pm, which I figured would encourage people to go out to dinner beforehand and not expect a full meal, though the party would go late enough that people would end up wanting some snacks or dessert throughout. If I do say so myself, that assessment was right on the money.

Figuring out what to serve was a little bit difficult. Though I'd left myself the day to prepare, it wasn't until 3pm that I got motivated to even make a list, let alone go to the grocery store. (These holiday parties, I tell you, they are exhausting!) Wright came down with a bout of food poisoning that morning from a bad egg sandwich, so he was similarly couch-laden and unable to think about food for the party. After a fair amount of discussion, we decided on the following, for the following reasons:

1. Hummus and pita: I was initially nervous it would be too girly, but Wright loves hummus and I had all the ingredients at my apartment already. Done and done.

2. Brie drizzled with honey and cracked pepper: A full cheese plate, though delicious, would get expensive and extensive. This is an easy way to dress up an everyday cheese that everyone loves.

3. Cheese straws/twists: I decided I had to really make something, so this was it. It became more complicated than I was expecting, so I ended up only making about 25 and cutting them into bites to put in a bowl by the bar. They were received well, but I don't think I'll be making them again until I find a better recipe/ingredients.

4. Spiced nuts: these were unbelievably wonderful and easy to make - my major moment of pride! They were perfect for a party to put around in small bowls for people to nibble on. Instant classic, if I do say so myself, so be prepared to see them at every party I host from now on.

5. Chocolate chip cookies: though others had offered to bring dessert (and boy did they bring delicious desserts!), I made a quick batch to keep in the kitchen for late night snacking. Not a bad idea, but not completely necessary.

As you can see, the party didn't have any specific theme, there were no specialized decorations or drinks, just a small get together with somewhat typical snacks. I may have imagine something more extravagant or better planned, but to be honest, I'm really glad we held back and kept it casual. Despite lack of RSVPs, people did actually show up and we had an absolute blast - so much fun, in fact, that we forgot to document any of the fun, hence the complete lack of photos in this post... oh well!