I bought a dining room table, thinking it’d encourage me to have dinner parties. Make new friends. Reduce my life-loathing canape by canape. So far, fail. The most recent one was an epic fail…but the food was good.

I chopped up some fresh oregano, tarragon and garlic and mixed it with some goat cheese.

Stuffed it into some skrimps:

And, of course, wrapped them in bacon. Leftover goat cheese went into the ol’ dates:

You may remember them (no, you don’t. nobody reads this blog.) from past events.

Chopped fresh basil from the yard et voila:

Since it ended up being only me and one person (out of 20 or so invited, and six-ish confirmations who all bailed post-start time), there was plenty. And it was good. So. Good.

The chocobourbonsicles were also a fail – but since they contain bourbon and chocolate, still a win. Here’s the recipe I used, from Drink of the Week:

Ingredients

1/2 c sugar
3 1/2 oz chocolate chips
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 c or 1 oz bourbon
2 c water
2 Tbs finely chopped mint leaves

Directions:

Combine sugar, chocolate, cocoa powder, salt, and water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring all the while. Transfer the mixture to another container, preferably one that lends itself to easy pouring, and let the mixture cool until it is room temperature, about a half hour. Stir in the bourbon and chopped mint leaves. Pour into molds and freeze for 5-8 hours until firm.

Though followed to  a T, there wasn’t anything to “boil.” The chocolate mixture kept the consistency of the granulated sugar.

So, I turned it into a science experiment.

1 – “runny”

2 – “chunky enough to spoon into thing”

3 – “like 1 + mint”

4 – “dregs of 3 and about 1/2 topped off with bourbon”

5 – “almost pudding, only capful of bourbon, cayenne”

6 – “mostly bourbon”

7 – “leftover chunkiness from 6″‘

I don’t really like bourbon, so they’re still in the freezer awaiting further research. The sangria was good, off course. Chopped up the fruits

(grapes, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, apple)

and froze overnight in Triple Sec and a bit of the sangria wine.

Even without adding the cherry club soda

there was a LOT. I guess nearly six liters? I also roasted chickpeas and pepitas, but didn’t like them at all. The ceviche takes a lot of prep work (chopping ingredients) but is so simple. And insanely delicious.

Last on the list,

homemade tortillas. I used one of my favourite plates to flatten them and it broke, gouging my thumb.

My first (and only) guest arrove (I make up words) to find me sucking my thumb, blood running down my forearm.

Luckily it stayed out of the food.

…this time.