Anniversary Party

Last weekend we invited friends over to celebrate one  year of marriage with us! Our anniversary was just an excuse to have our closest friends over for eating and drinking. I spent the day the before our party setting up our tables, chairs, plateware, and prepping the food. I cooked as much as I could the day before, leaving the day of to only warm the appetizers in the oven and slice the fruits and veggies for the others. 

Two days before our party, we celebrated quietly together, enjoying a dinner of just cheese and crackers. Not just any cheese, but Langa La Tur, a soft cow, sheep, and goat cheese that is probably the only cheese I spend that much money on. To drink, we opened our last bottle of wine from South America, a sparkling wine made in the champenoise style from the winery we stayed at in Brazil. 

I think it was a perfect dinner. Simple, delicious, and celebratory. 

As friends began arriving mid-day, we ate a local favorite for lunch, and I began my chopping, slicing, and assembling. I chose appetizers that were easy to assemble and quick to bake including tons of crostini and tarts. And of course, crackers, cheez-its, and nuts to accompany them. 

I fried carrot fritters with a chipotle cream to top them, I baked cous cous cakes that were soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, I baked an apple and caramelized onion tart, as well as pear, goat cheese, and balsamic tarts for dessert. For the crostini, there was caprese crostini, cucumber hummus crostini, and olive tapenade hummus crostini. 

Not only that, but there were punches and classic champagne coups to drink the punch out of! 

I bought flowers from a wholesale florist that we work with including ranunculus, snap dragons, amaranth, and hydrangeas. There is also a balloon vendor that we work with at the museum and we ordered 50 black helium balloons with long gold ribbon! It was S's idea and it made for a full and fun living room. It was definitely a statement piece as guests entered our home. 

I made two punches. One was a gin, lemonade, and cucumber juice punch with a cucumber and lemon ice block! I was very proud of my homemade cucumber juice and my first successful ice block. That punch was definitely the more manly (read: stronger!) of the two punches. 

The other punch was vodka based, with grapefruit juice and topped with champagne. It was pink and girly and refreshing. I froze some green grapes to keep the punch cool without diluting the flavor. 

We always have deer antlers around our apartment as decor, but we added EXTRA antlers around our home, telling our guests to take them as they please! We used them in our wedding decor and after having 25 pounds of antlers in the closet, I was happy to give them away. They were like our party favors!

Lastly, here is my brother and I. I didn't snag a photo of me and S, but that's okay. We have plenty of time all these anniversaries ahead of us, right? Cheers to the first!