The way to romance

Tomorrow is Valentine's. And it's impossible to miss... even when it bears absolutely no relevance to me. No flowers for me this year, no surprise packages, and no romantic dinners. Instead I am hosting a small gathering - a completely un-romantic get-together of 3 women and 6 children!

Between my 2 dearest friends and myself we have one husband on contract in Iraq, one husband working in Hong Kong, and one no-longer-a-husband. And 6 children.

But if I was planning a romantic dinner then I would focus on the key elements:

• ambience - soft light, candles and music
• dressing up - you just feel more romantic when you get out of the daggy tracky pants
• easy menu - so you stay at the table with your partner, and not sweating in the kitchen
• bubbles - because... they're perfect

These images were part of a photo shoot I did last year. This is not me. But it is my dress. It doesn't look this good on me.

Oh my aching sweet tooth !

I am on an eternal quest for the perfect Horizontal Hostess arrangement - that utopia of entertaining with: evocative ambiance; attractive, delicious, abundant food; conversation and laughs bubbling amongst fabulous people; and the hostess (me) in the midst of the proceedings with nothing more to do than pour the bubbles from time to time.

I have come to recognise that the buffet set-up is a very good option when trying to attain this ideal. And here is one gorgeous buffet (courtesy of Amy Atlas Events).

So, ok, this was put together for a kids party (can you just imagine the sugar rush), and doesn't cover many food groups. But it is just sooo enticing. And I don't even have a sweet tooth... give me salty chips, crunchy crackers, dips, pate and cheese any day. Still, there is something about this buffet that makes me feel like a kid again, and makes me want to dive in and grab a handful.

Goes to show that some flair in presentation goes a long way in creating interest, theme, and mood.

Here are some other divine dessert buffets from Amy Atlas... this time for grown-ups.




I adore this last one... it would be hard to feel 'piggy' when the goodies are presented so beautifully. Who knew cupcakes and chocolate could be so sophisticated.

I think I may have to plan a dessert buffet for one of my own gatherings.

Pigs Trough

This is the most brilliant idea for a kid's party... because anyone with children knows that the time, effort and stress that goes into entertaining little people, is equal (probably greater) than throwing together a 'do' for grown-ups.



My fabulous off-sider, Debbie, also happens to be married to my brother, and it was the 5th birthday of their eldest daughter. With twenty children attending, this Pig's Trough was the ideal dessert, and a fun way to keep them occupied for fifteen minutes.

Take one length of guttering (clean and unused is better), line it with aluminimum foil, and fill with ice-cream, jelly, marshmallows and anything else that takes your sweet tooth fancy. Place between two saw-horses, and there you have one mighty impressive ice-cream sundae.


Line the children up on each side, hand out spoons... and enjoy the sudden peace and quiet!