Hosting history

Kyle and I threw a holiday party on Friday night…which proved to be a reminder of both how much we have and have not changed since college. 

Nowadays, I approach these kind of events with a plan.  In college, I was too busy sleeping through my 2 pm classes…to-do lists weren’t even on my radar yet.

Sweeping, mopping, dusting, and scrubbing were my forms of exercise yesterday.  My 20 year old self, on the other hand, was fairly gym diligent. 

Making sure we are ready for out of towners drunken shackers hasn’t seemed to change…except now we have a guest bedroom as opposed to a hand-me-down couch from the 70’s.

I still shove everything I can’t find a place for in the closet.  Only now I have a walk-in closet.  🙂

And of course, I still clear space for a dance party…should such a thing arise. 

Boots wit tha furrr never go out of style. 

To neutralize Kyle’s dinner smells create a cozy holiday atmosphere, I simmered apple tea with cinnamon sticks and nutmeg.  Everyone kept commenting on how yummy the apartment smelled.  I guarantee my 20 year old self didn’t give a crap about atmosphere. 

In college, beer and jell-o shots were often on the menu.  I guess some things never change…

But yesterday we classed it up a bit with wine and POM-tinis.

 

Hippie POM-tinis

• 2 parts POM
• 2 parts orange seltzer water
• 1 part vodka
• a splash of lemon juice to taste (optional)

Hey bartender.

Shots, shots, shots shots shots, shots, shots shots shots.

Stealing sips is okay when you’re a “grown up,” but for all the college kids, avoid sharing…unless roofies and herpes are your thing.  Consider that my PSA for the post. 

YUM!

These were such a hit!

In college, party crashers disguised as guests were pretty much a given, whereas now, all our friends confirm both if they are coming and if they are bringing their sig-o.  [Matching attire optional]

Also, not a single friend arrived empty handed last night. 

Pork lumpia from Ethel

North End Caffe sammie platter from Joe

I don’t think a party is complete without desserts, and that’s an opinion that has definitely never changed. 

Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Bites

• 1 package dark chocolate chips
• 1 package white chocolate chips
• 3 candy canes, crushed

I may have opted for something more complex in my earlier years, but given the time constraints (I made this at 7:45 pm while doing my make-up), I went with the stress free route. 

This has 3 ingredients and takes 10 minutes to make. 

And it’s delicious.

 

Line pan with parchment paper and add in dark chocolate chips followed by white chocolate chips.

Smash candy canes.  The finer the better because it’s hard to eat when there are big chunks of peppermint. 

Sprinkle candy cane mist on top.

Bake in the oven for 7 minutes on 350.

Remove from oven and smash down melty chocolate to form a more uniform top layer.

Let chill (you can put it in the freezer to speed up the cooling process).

Jackhammer the pieces apart.

Depending on how long you left it in the freezer, you may or may not need a chisel.

Plate.

And serve.

In college, I may have sampled some and just paid the lactose-y consequences the next day…but I’m definitely over that phase of my life.

Also similar to life in school, our initial plans were to go to bars after the booze ran out.  But midnight came and went and the party was still raging on…

By the time the wine, beer, and vodka were done, our neighbors’ apartment party was just gearing up.  Uhhh…awesome!  Who knew we were having a block party?!?  Kinda hard to turn down a commute like that.  I definitely had flashbacks to dorm life.  Apparently we are still in college. 

And yet, the biggest sign of maturity is in the above photo.  What could have been a disastrous morning after was such a breeze thanks to my brilliant husband.  Kyle started the first load of glasses in the dishwasher while the rest soaked overnight.  I don’t know how we managed to use 40+ pieces of stemware, but I guess that what happens when you’re a grown up.  Adios red cups!  Hello wedding registry glasses!

Massive mug of coffee the next morning?  That’s a tradition that will never ever change.