4th Annual Girls' Holiday Dinner (part 1 of 2)

In a little over two hours, some of (the others missing in the USA) The Girls are coming over for my Annual Holiday Dinner. Technically, this evening is for 2007, as I didn't have the chance to celebrate the presence of their friendship within the confines of that calendar year.

The table is set with six candles, sparkling pomegranate & apple " faux champagne", and oriental white & red lilies (my favorite):









The seven-course menu is:

Asiago Cheese Puff appetizer & Stuffed Red Potato Shrimp appetizer (look: here is 'The Making Of' of the latter caught on camera)






Curried Sweet Potato Soup (with a dollop of sour cream and a dash of paprika)
Arugula, Pear & Asiago Cheese Salad
Angel Hair Pasta & Shrimp Nests
Stuffed (with Boursin cheese & spinach) Chicken Breasts (but first & critical, is that the chicken is marinated in brine over-night, as this photo explains)


Lemon Sorbet
Vanilla Pound Cake (with ice cream and fresh berries)

The dress-code: Evening wear. I've chosen to wear mama's 1960s hippie-chick floor-length gauze stunner:



I'm currently pulling together the song playlist and I have to make pretty relatively soon; my home smells like vanilla and sugar and I'm quite certain things couldn't be any better than right at this very moment...