A Very Engaging Party

This past Saturday, my very dear friends (and bridemaids) Sarah and Heather hosted an engagement party for JiT and I. The party was lovely and they even decorated using our wedding colors!

On their own, both Heather and Sarah are fabulous party hosts...for very different reasons.

Sarah, who is an excellent cook (though she claims not to be) can always be counted on for a a few of her tried and true party appetizers (including a yummy veggie pizza and delicous little taco roll ups). Round that out with the perfect condo for a party -- complete with fully-stocked bar, every type of drink and glass imaginable and a gorgeous rooftop deck with a view of the city and she and her husband Jeff are known to host a rockin bash.

Heather, on the other hand, is a true gourmet...known for going all-out with elaborate, complicated dishes (one of her crostini appetizers involved an entire roast pork loin). More than a few times, friends and family have suggested that she and I start our own catering business. Frankly, Heather is probably the better cook between the two of us just because she's riskier. If I'm hosting a major event, I usually keep the menu relatively simple with a handful of favorite dishes, a few make-ahead adventures and maybe one showstopper. Heather on the other hand goes all out -- every dish is a showstopper. A few might not turn out their best, but the majority are incredible. The girl works without a net and usually pulls it off. I'll see if I can convince her to do a guest blog for us to showcase a few of the incredible dishes she served over the weekend (mojito soaked fruit kabobs? bacon mac & cheese bites? crostini with honey, marscapone cheese and pistachios?!).

Finally, I wanted to call out the cake! Sarah is a true cake connoisseur...the first one to discover and sample most of the well-known bakeries and cupcake shops in the city. Sensational Bites is her current bakery of choice, having beat out Sweet Mandy Bs and other former favorites for the covetted spot. And the cake was GOOD...moist, rich and delicious. JT has been working his way through the leftovers (which somehow made their way home with us?) all week. If you're having a party and feel like leaving the cake-baking to the pros I very much recommend this shop!

Btw, sorry for the random photo...this is the only shot of JiT and I from the party -- we're referring to it as our "Dateline NBC" shot, since if one of us goes missing, this will surely be used as evidence. Drop the knife JiT...drop the knife.