Dinner Party

We had a small dinner party the other night and, after seeing a similar "display" in a magazine, I was inspired to create this fun set up for our appetizers. I started out with my antique dough bowl, a granite slab left over from the building of one of our previous homes, some inexpensive glasses from Ikea, some more inexpensive glasses from the dollar store, a garage sale basket, a small crystal bowl "inherited" from my grandmother and some footed plates. Then I stocked up on fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, gourmet cheeses and salami, artisans breads and crackers, smoked almonds, hummus, and black olive tapenade.

Then came the fun part--putting it all together! I filled the dough bowl with the clear glasses in varying heights then added in some breadsticks, endive leaves, grape tomatoes, sesame crisps, steamed asparagus, sliced carrots, celery sticks (leave the leaves on--they look so pretty!). Next, I filled in the rest of the bowl with baquette crisps, green and purple grapes, strawberries, and radishes. I then lined a garage sale basket with an brightly colored clothe napkin (another garage sale find!) and layered in some gourmet crackers. On top of the granite cutting board, I placed two footed plates and topped them with the cheeses and salami, some gluten-free crisps for a guest with special dietary needs, and the tapenade and then I garnished both plates with fresh rosemary. I also put some sliced red pepper and the smoked almonds in clear glasses and the hummus in a crystal bowl. I finished out the display with some clear cocktail sized plates and fun paper napkins to encourage our guests to pile their plates high and stuff themselves silly! A vase with some forsythia from the yard accented with a bird's nest completed the vignette.

Here are some close-up pictures:

This display was so easy yet it looks like you slaved away for hours to create it. And it doesn't have to cost a fortune either. Use serving pieces you already have on hand. If you do not have a dough bowl you can also do the same sort of display with a long basket. Garage sales and thrift stores are great places to find interesting baskets. Don't have any footed stands? Read tomorrow's post where I show you how to make your own footed plates for less than $3 each! Remember, it is all about the presentation. You do not have to spend much on the actual food. Look for the fruits, vegetables, and herbs on sale. Or, better yet, grow them in your yard! Pick one of two interesting cheeses for the "Wow" factor then look for store brands for the rest. Lots of stores have their own "gourmet" brand of nuts, spreads and crackers that cost much less than those you get at speciality markets. Pick flowers from your yard. And use the leftovers (if there are any!) as convenient and healthy snack food for your family!