Vanessa's Party Menus
and Recipes Blog

Here are some simple rules of thumb to take the guesswork and stress out of planning your party menu.

When my girlfriends come over for book club or a girls’ night out, they never say no to a nice glass of wine. Food and wine pairing can sound a little daunting, but every wine brings out a different flavor component in your food. Our four food and wine pairings will make these delicious and easy to assemble appetizers taste even better.

My family is spread out across the world, from France to California. But once a year everyone travels to my house to celebrate the holidays together... for 10 days. That’s why I learned to depend on delicious holiday recipes that come together in 30 minutes or less. Here are some of my favorite quick and easy holiday party recipes:

I usually like to have something tasty ready for my kids and husband when they get home, and they each have their favorites. The kids like these Sugar Honey Baked Apples and I love the scrumptious and homey smell that fills the house when I take them out of the oven.  And, the smile on my husband's face when he comes home from work and smells these Cinnamon Raisin Stuffed Apples cooking in the oven warms me to the core.

I signed my daughter up for Girl Scouts™ on a whim. I grew up in France, and only discovered Girl Scout™ Cookies as an adult.  She was so excited, but I never imagined that her joining a Girl Scout™ troop would also affect me personally.

Ever since I was a little girl growing up in France, going to the cheese shop with my mother, I have been in a love affair with cheese.  From grilled cheese to cheese fondue, I can't get enough of anything made with cheese.  Whenever I'm entertaining, I love to create pretty cheese platters, and for tailgating I like using Cheez-It crackers.  No matter the weather, these delicious crackers always shine and fulfill my cheese craving.

Saying goodbye to the carefree days of summer and going back to school can be a tough time for kids. During those first few weeks transitioning back to a routine, I try to surprise them with fun snacks to make homework less painful. This homemade banana pudding is one of my favorite snacks to prepare. It's the ideal comfort food.

When I was a kid, I spent my summers shoeless and with little else than a bathing suit and t-shirt, playing at the beach until sunset. I try to make my children's summers be as carefree and unscheduled as I remember mine. We schedule very little once school is out, and live in the moment, drifting between the pool and the playground. More often than not, friends come over, and we end the day with spontaneous cookouts and parties, easy socializing for the whole family.

When I plan what to serve, I choose an assortment of dishes I can prepare ahead of time to minimize my stress on the day of the event, and I top the menu off with an adorable centerpiece. I want to create something to rival in cuteness all those tiny booties and frilly burp cloths.

I’m a busy mom of three, constantly running around from soccer practice to ballet class and then racing home to get homework done and dinner on the table. Every day, around 3 p.m., I hit a wall and my sweet tooth really kicks in. I just have to indulge in a little chocolate and then get back to the evening routine.

When stores begin playing Christmas carols the day after Thanksgiving, I get as worked up as my children. I can’t help myself. I love the holiday season. I love to decorate our tree and fill our house with the smell of Douglas Fir. I love an excuse to gather with friends in festive clothes, drinking eggnog and singing Christmas carols. I even love the frenetic shopping, the angst of finding just the right present for each child. I love everything about the holiday season except the stress of cramming too many activities in such a short time.

Cooking for Hanukkah can be a challenge because the holiday lasts eight nights. Competing against the excitement of Christmas would be tricky enough for one night, but maintaining the excitement for an entire week and a day is something of a miracle. It is a fitting challenge considering that Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, commemorates the miracle of an oil lamp burning in a sacred Jerusalem temple for 8 days with only enough oil for one night.

My favorite part of Thanksgiving weekend is on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Of course I love the big day with its golden roasted turkey, gleaming bowls of ruby red cranberries, and long tables filled with relatives you only see once a year, but I prefer the following day. I love Black Friday because of two reasons: the shopping and the leftovers.

Sunday night is family movie night in our house. This is a tradition that my husband and I established early on in our relationship, long before we became mommy and daddy to our three kids. To keep the weekend going as long as possible, we would go to a 10 P.M. movie every Sunday night, walking home slowly down the quiet New York City streets afterwards, discussing the best movie scenes, and then slipping straight into bed.

When my husband invites friends and family over for the Big Game, I throw myself into the food preparation. I know nothing about football and want to make sure I have plenty to talk about with the ladies. I'd much rather spend my time with my girlfriends in the kitchen, swapping recipes than trying one more time to understand the difference between a first down and a touchdown. I do pop my head out for commercials though, those I understand!

Before I moved to Ohio, I had never been to a tailgate party. I pictured a handful of friends hanging out by portable grills next to their SUVs, enjoying a few hot dogs. I had no idea that tailgating could involve trailers with fancy kitchens, and long tables laden with elaborate buffets with dozens of dishes. I was blown away when I attended my first game last fall in Columbus, but quickly came up to speed, developing my own repertoire of tailgating dishes that I can whip up at a moment's notice.

Chili con Carne is one of my favorite dishes to serve to a crowd during basketball season. This party recipe is a snap to prepare, and on a cold winter evening, a big pot of chili is greeted by shouts of pleasure by guys and gals alike. Once their bellies are full of beans, tomatoes, and ground beef, friends can really settle in for some serious basketball watching and hanging out.

During those long winter months when the wind is howling and the snow is blowing, I have a secret weapon in my fridge at all times to keep my family going. It's nothing covert or high tech. It's actually rather old school. My secret weapon is a big vat of roasted vegetable soup. There's nothing like a warm bowl of soup with nutrients and vitamins on a cold winter day.

I am the queen of finding the fastest and easiest way to put out a delicious and appealing spread. I usually prepare one or two "fancy" recipes and then fill in quick, straightforward dishes that I know taste great but don't require much effort. Here are two favorite recipes of mine that are a nice example of my balance between delicious and easy.

My fondest holiday memories are gatherings at my grandparents’ house to impatiently wait all day for the roasting pig to finish cooking. The smells coming from my grandmother’s kitchen were heavenly: black beans, white rice, boiled yucca, and homemade flan! Yum!! But all those foods took so much time to cook, and even longer to prepare.

My 7-year-old gets off the bus at 3:30 p.m. every day and skips towards me with a big smile, thrilled to be home after a long day navigating the hallways of her elementary school. But as soon as she walks in the door, her smile disappears and she begins to beg to watch TV and eat cookies.

Our family spends its week running from one activity to the next. Because our weeks are so jam-packed, I like to make sure that we have one night a week for us to come together without time pressure or other stresses and just enjoy each other as a family. Over time we've learned that unless we're extremely committed to our family night, it can easily get skipped.

When coordinating a family feast with different schedules, it's important to have plenty of appetizers in case someone should run late. Conversation flows when there is an abundance of tasty treats to nibble. But as Easter Sunday is such a whirlwind of activities, I definitely try to keep my appetizers simple.