You may have heard, I love to throw a party. Big or small, formal or casual, well planned out to each and every detail or an impromptu last minute thing (my controlling nature prefers the former, of course).

sunday night dinner

In college with my own place, the hostess in me blossomed. My housemate and I would host Sunday Night Dinners each week, where a large group of friends would each contribute and we would have a great feast. A great way to both end the weekend and welcome the new week, our friends would linger into the late hours, not wanting the night to end. It was at these dinners where I also started to get creative in the kitchen, often planning my part of the menu early in the week before.

Although they were planned events, the Sunday Night Dinners were more casual get togethers with no real structure – just friends sharing a meal and socializing.

pageant nights

Later in college, I would host girls nights in a much different way – pageant nights. Each and every pageant that was televised, from Miss USA to Miss America to Miss Universe, I hosted viewing parties that began with a cocktail hour and ended with a dinner and of course, the crowning of a new pageant winner. Using a time saving hostess trick of making a signature cocktail for the evening, I would greet each guest at the door with said cocktail and choice of tiara to wear…  from my collection. Dinner would be served shortly after the pageant began – I would always plan an appetizer, salad, main entree and dessert courses. Elaborately fun evenings – I sometimes think I should start them up again!

Pageant nights revolved around the televised event and girls being girls – aside from my menu planning, the night flowed along the schedule of the pageant. Easy planning there.