dinner club

Saturday night was our turn to host our neighborhood dinner club. Dinner club is a big group around here, with 12 couples participating. We rotate who hosts as well as who goes each month, so that in reality the most people you could have during any given month is just half the group, 6 couples. This is our second year doing it and it's been a lot of fun. The women around here get together for bunco and also book club, but we don't see the guys on a regular basis. Dinner club has been a great way for them to meet each other.

My husband and I love to entertain, though we don't do it all that often. Our last turn hosting dinner club was last fall, when we had our tailgating party. We ended up inviting a lot of 'extra' people that night who we knew from our area but not necessarily our neighborhood, and ended up with a huge group. It was a lot of fun - a lot of work, but really worth it.

Given that we had such fun last time, it was kind of funny what happened this year when we saw that our month to host was coming up. My husband and I were so ho-hum about it! We dutifully chose a Saturday that would work and talked about what we should cook, but we didn't feel nearly as excited about it as we did last time, even though we love the group. I think there's just been so much going on with us over the last couple of months - talking about setting up our new life elsewhere, planning a move, dealing with the uncertainties of both the near and far future - the last thing we could focus on was on was having a party.

But then something wonderful happened. Of the couples we invited, only 3 (including us) could make it Saturday night. One couple was busy with an event for their church. One couple was having a family birthday party for their 4 year-old twins. One couple had a daughter come down with chicken pox. So what was left was just a party of 6. A small, intimate group that could fit perfectly at my dining table:

I guess a smaller group is what we had secretly been wanting. It was easy to plan something small and sweet, we could deal with that. And with cold/cloudy days lingering, I thought Saturday's menu could naturally focus on comfort food v. food that says wow. I even mentioned that to the group, when in an email last week I said the theme for the night would be "comfort food in a comfortable place". My favorite pasta dish, salad, bread, dessert. Add some wine and a tasty appetizer, and voila! Dinner is served.

It was a lovely evening, if I do say so myself. We sat on our porch for drinks & appetizers, then came in for dinner & dessert. We ended the evening back on the porch, listening to the rain on the roof and our favorite itunes selections. Just what my husband and I wanted, apparently. And maybe what we needed, too?

Today I am feeling quiet, as you do the day after. No matter how small the party, there is something to be said for that work you do...it's always more than you think it's going to be. A little nap, a little chocolate, a little diet coke...I'll be good as new again.