8 days of lights...

This year we have the blessing of celebrating Chanukah in our new home with friends and family. We're hosting our very first family gathering next Saturday with a pretty large group of people, so in preparation, we asked a few friends to come over last night to "test drive" some of the recipes we're going to cook next weekend. We had a really wonderful time with great conversation and some delicious wine and food.
I've been a bit obsessed with finding decorations that are both Chanukah and Christmas friendly for a more generic holiday spirit. And you can't say no to sparkly centerpieces with pretty lights...
or to cute snowmen...
We started with some appetizers and a Chanukah candle lighting. The funny part was that we had Christmas carols playing in the background with a few Chanukah songs peppered in (ie Adam Sandler's Chanukah Song). The juxtaposition was pretty funny and we had a good laugh.
I've never been focused on decorations before for other dinner parties. For some reason it just feels different in our new place. And after everything I was really happy with the final table spread and loved how the colors worked together.
The really fun part for me (besides the great company at dinner) was spending the afternoon cooking the dinner with Ryan. We work really together in the kitchen and were responsible for our respective projects and the food came out better than I expected.
Our asparagus appetizer was a huge hit.
Ryan was in charge of carving the chicken. We use a delicious recipe from our favorite cookbook: The New Best Recipe Cookbook. Everything we've ever tried from them turns out super yummy. If you're ever looking for a great Bridal Shower gift, this is one I would definitely recommend.
And I was in charge of the potato latkes. I was most nervous for this part of the night because I've only ever watched my Mom make them and have never made them on my own before. We took her recipe and decided to just go for it. I called her in a bit of a panic right before I started, but after that it was smooth sailing. I was splattered with oil a bit, but what's Chaunkah without a few latkes burn marks? :)
Overall I would say the night was a huge success and I feel a lot better about our party next Saturday for our families. I love hosting and can't wait for more dinner parties in our future.