With the upcoming holiday season how can I host a killer cocktail party if I don't have a lot of cash?  I love my peeps and love to see them having fun, but I'm basically a broke girl.  So what to do?  I need food, drink, music and fun.  You too? Well here's my road map.  First I call it hosting a Happy Hour.  This way people know its cocktails and snacks (i.e they'll eat dinner before arriving at my place).

 I figure I'll need chicken appetizer, meatballs or cocktail wieners as the anchors of the buffet.  I'll add veggies, cheeseballs, chips/breads and everyone love deviled eggs.  For the dessert tray, I'll have fruit and cheese, and dessert hors deourves tray so folks can try every dessert.   Key West Lime Chicken worked very well for me in the past.  I mix chicken thighs and breasts to stretch it. It' absolutely delicious.  Then I serve those chunks of yumminess on cute toothpicks instead of skewers. This recipe is from Grocery Budget 101 one of my favorites sites:

                     http://www.grocerybudget101.com/content.php/322-Key-West-Grilled-Chicken


  Mini meatball round out the mainstays.  There are so many recipes out there for Asian, Italian, Swedish, Mediterrenean styles.  One of my favorites is Saucy Asian Meatballs from Gimme Some Oven

                                http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/saucy-asian-meatballs/#more-8296

Chips dips, spreads and cheeseballs really fill the buffet out nicely.   I made a red velvet cheeseball for my niece's baby shower and it was a HUGE success. I served it with vanilla wafers

                                       http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/red-velvet-cheese-ball/


Or for a savort sheeseball try spinach dip, onion dip or any of many you can buy premade or make yourself for cheap.

 

http://www.marthastewart.com/329037/spinach-bacon-and-onion-dip?center=0&gallery=274851&slide=286254

Then I throw in some deviled eggs, chips and veggies and its on to desserts.

For the dessert table, I have a nice cheese and fruit number, a box of chocolates and dessrts on a stick like 

Cheesecake Pops

                                       http://www.meanderingeats.com/2008/04/daring-bakers-cheesecake-pops.html

I always make punch as my signature cocktail and serve a non-alcohol beverage and beer.  You can find tons of punch ideas on my Pinterest board called Punches and Pitchers.  Just go ahead and follow me on Pinterest and share stuff with me

For entertainment, I'll create a playlist on the computer that has music that's conducive to socializing and maybe head bobbing. Right now my favorite social musicians are Esperanza Spalding and Robert Glasper.  Throw in some classic jazz, R&B, hip-hop, pop, whatever your peeps like.  You can play it straight from the computer or burn your own CDs.  Be your own DJ.  Here's some Esperanza to get this party started.  It's on!

I'm trying to select a nice dish to make for a family member whose recuperating.  I learned to do that from my mother, who was an incredible cook.  She used to take nourishment to friends, family and neighbors when "situations" came up where she'd have an opportunity to be supportive and show love.  This is how a sense of community is developed and we all need that.  I've done this for years and it's always made me feel good.  Sometimes it's a thankless job, but I don't do it for thanks that I may receive. I do it to strengthen my soul.  Giving is so good for the soul. Sometimes that's hard for people to understand that, because they don't understand the nature of true giving.  True giving happens when you get nothing in return.  I try not to judge people because that's not my job.  My job, as I see it, is to show  love, then turn it over to God.  Even when (especially when)  I'm hurt or disrespected by people for whom I've put myself on the line.  This has allowed me to enjoy a joyful life that is not dependEnt on the actions of others.  Modern life presents many challenges.  Whether we like it or not, we're all in this together.  Take dinner to someone who can't do it for themselves.  If you can't cook it yourself, order something you can bring to them.  With my mother's loving heart and culinary teachings, I'm going to make smothered chicken, fried corn and a sweet potato pie.  I'll have a beer when I get home from making my delivery and sleep ever so peacefully.  Here's what's up for the weekend.

Smothered chicken  http://cookingwithoutborders.wordpress.com/

fried corn http://www.myrecipes.com/

Pie via http://flatbreadco.wordpress.com/

Than a cold one, some music and nighty night

Lovely day Jill Scott

COOK, LISTEN AND BE MERRY

Astral Traveling

I am revisiting the work of those poets and writers who have influenced me.  These were voices of those who dared to speak when they were told to be silent and dared to question the unquestionable.  First and foremost, there was Nikki Giovanni.  I grew up on her work.  Her voice was mine speaking to the world while she spoke to me.Then Sonia Sanchez, Ntozake Shange, Audre Lorde.  Amiri Baraka segued into Gil Scott Heron and Marvin Gaye et al.  I still find these influences in the Roots, Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli and others.

So what munchies will enhance this experience?  What libations can sooth me on my travels there? Which musical inspiration do I need? .  Here's my day.  Come with me.

Try this libation.  If you like red velvet cake and martinis, why not a red velvet martini? 

This is Friday night relaxation with a lil' decadence added in to take that edge off the work week.  Go here for the details   http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/red-velvet-cake-martini/16d93190-e7d0-4d0e-bad0-254e8594be03?WT.dcsvid=MzA5MjM0ODk2MgS2&rvrin=EC707864-2322-43E2-9560-EE71C0E76BE9&WT.mc_id=Newsletter_BC_02_09_2012&nicreatID2=Newsletter_BC_02_09_2012
The weekend approaches and this'll make a nice reward to give myself this evening.  Pull out that Maysa CD.

Saturday  I'll make some chicken lo mein.  My own special way.  If I just had some Tsing Tao around.  When my granddaughters were about 5 and 6 years old, I took them downtown to Philly's Chinatown.  Fabulous!  Bought them tea sets, shoes and beautifully painted sticks to put in their hair.  Got a tea set and a sake set for myself.  They begged me to get them each a koi of their very own.   We stoppped for lo mein instead.  They were so into adventures in Chinatown. So I may venture out to visit Chinatown tomorrow.  This time I'm looking for a bento box for carrying lunch to the office.  Don't know what a bento box is?  Google it.

Maysa What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life

As NFL football winds up the season, I'm faced with the decision to watch or not watch the Pro Bowl.  My answer to the NFL is below.  I'm gonna go ahead and make a peach cobbler instead.  Here's my favorite recipe from Southern Food.  http://southernfood.about.com/od/peachcobblers/r/bl61022a.htm.  Add a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.  It beats watching a meaningless game designed to give pro athletes a free vacation.  Peach cobbler is my vacation today.

Eagles Football 2011-2012