Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Planning a big dinner party

I won't go into detail again about how these new storm windows don't allow an air conditioner to fit. Instead, I will just announce that I went to Sears yesterday and bought an AC unit on wheels that sits right on the floor and blasts me with cold air. I can think clearly again!

And with that clarity, I turn my attention to my big dinner party Thursday night. Just finished planning the menu and making the shopping list.

Menu:
Matunuck oysters
stuffed quahogs
gazpacho
paella
pie (baked by my guest of honor! note to self: always invite a guest who bakes pies)

Plan:
Today I bought pint Mason jars to serve the gazpacho
Tomorrow I will make that gazpacho, using the Pioneer Woman's recipe, and keep it chilled
Shop for the paella and put out all my tableware (husband is conveniently out of town but did retrieve the long folding table from the basement and put it in the yard before he left)
Buy lots of rioja
Day of party, pick up oysters (already shucked!) and stuffies (autocorrect wants these to be stuffs, but here in RI they are stuffies)
Make paella that afternoon; bake the stuffies
Set beautiful table outdoors (maybe do dance to keep rain away?)
That's it!

I am trying to figure out where I can get cute little forks for those stuffies...and maybe some twinkly lights...and I think I'm going to set Pandora with The Girl From Ipanema--I know it's not Spanish! But I was at a brunch in Beautiful Portland, OR and that's what the brilliant host had on and it was just perfect music.

Sigh. I love dinner parties...

Too hot to knit. But I will take my new Wave blanket along to Bread Loaf next week, where hopefully there will be some knitting weather.

If you are in Newport on Saturday, come to the Breakers on Bellevue Avenue and see me between 1 and 4!