The Making of a Dinner Party

Last night, Karen and I held a joint holiday dinner for our colleagues and their loved ones. My staff includes Emily and Chloe, and Karen's consists of Tony and Cydney. Since I love a good dinner party and obviously enjoy cooking very much, we thought it would be the perfect way to honor our colleagues and show them how much we appreciate them and their work.

Several weeks ago, we started party preparations and sent out hand-made invites a and decided on a menu of spinach artichoke dip, lasagna, salad, bread, and a few varieties of holiday cookies. Karen began setting the table earlier in the week with her grandma's china and silver (agonizing over fork placement and centerpiece selection) and I started cooking up a storm in the kitchen, baking three varieties of holiday cookie recipes from the latest issue of Rachel Ray and simmering homemade sauce for lasagna.

Things came together perfectly for the party. With lasagna cooking in the oven, mounds of snow covering the yard, Christmas tunes on the radio, a beautiful Christmas tree decorated with lights and colorful ornaments, garland on the mantel, and a fire burning, the house felt so cozy, warm, and welcoming. Everyone had a great time, the food was delicious, and I felt so lucky to work with such wonderful people. The dinner party was definitely a great success.