apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

There I am prepping the Bloody Mary Shrimp Shots, using frozen shrimp from Trader Joe's along with vodka, thin sliced celery, chives, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, horseradish, and the secret ingredient ketchup.

These appetizer spoons and the wooden serving tray are from CB2.

The Three Cheese Mini Macaroni and Cheese appetizers from Food and Wine magazine were a huge hit. I found I had to let these get a bit dark to stick together. The non-stick mini-muffin pan was a big plus here.

We turned my desk into a bar and were sure to have everything ready before the party started so guests could serve themselves. I warmed everyone up with a Ginger Cosmo punch and some mulled cider.

My kitchen is small, but that keeps everything in reach.

Can you believe the brussels sprouts were the hit of the party? I made Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts from Gourmet. I was nervous about serving six pounds of an unpopular vegetable, but people asked for seconds and thirds!

Here's the Christmas Estouffade of Beef. I braised the meat a few days the party, sliced it cold and then warmed it up just before dinner. I served the meat with mashed potatoes and a green salad, but didn't have time to make the Celery Root Remoulade.

There was and chocolate bread pudding from the Joy of Cooking recipe for dessert, along with chocolate coins.

My cat and the guests loved the flowers from Root Stock and Quade in Park Slope. I was worried that the hyacinths might be too strong smelling for a party in a small space, but it was fine.

Happy Holidays! Take notes on what you're cooking and shoot plenty of food pictures. We want to hear all about it.

Holiday Host's Diary #2
Holiday Host's Diary #1