Some info about our Gourmet Group:  We are 4 couples who enjoy cooking, entertaining, and most of all, each other’s company. 

We take turns hosting in our homes.  The hosts decide on the menu (theme) from appetizers to dessert for the evening.  The hosts cook most of the meal, but give at least one course (along with all the recipes) to the other couples to prepare.  We love trying new recipes and ideas.  So most of the time the recipes are ones we haven’t cooked before, but they don’t have to be.

The Saturday after Labor Day this year, our Gourmet Group savored the last days of summer with a final summer-like menu.  Here’s a peek back at our evening.

SETTING THE TABLE

I loved this idea!

Just because we were dining in the dining room for dinner, it didn’t stop our hostess from bringing out her picnic basket and using it as the table’s centerpiece.

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Add a classic red and white check tablecloth & some red & white candles…

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PLACE SETTINGS

Fun, colorful sunglasses at each place setting

Most of us are die-hard Chicago Cubs fans, so World Series Champions plastic glasses were a perfect choice for our water glasses and name place cards

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THE MENU

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COCKTAILS & APPETIZERS

Boozy Watermelon Punch

Fun Idea:

Serve the punch in a hollowed-out watermelon and turn it into a cocktail keg

Mint added a refreshing element to this boozy punch.

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Asiago Cheese Puffs

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Cheese and Fruit Platters & Other Classics

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SALAD

Fresh Green Bean Salad with Balsamic Dressing

The combination of ingredients including feta cheese and bacon, along with green beans that weren’t overly firm, made this salad particularly flavorful

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MAIN ENTRÉE

Grilled Salmon–

Creamed Spinach

Rice Medley

If you haven’t grilled salmon with the skin on, you need to try it – the skin is so crispy and tasty…

This salmon was scrumptious marinated with soy sauce and brown sugar

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DESSERT

Best Summer Berry Trifle

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