Years ago, when we still had our friends, we decided we could put on a great dinner with just us and have a wonderful time. The rule was we had to dress up. The fellas rented Tuxedos, and the two ladies wore long gowns. Sounds silly? Not a chance.

We wanted that “special celebration feeling” and by gum we achieved it.  The dinner was hours long and so much fun. I might add, it was so much work as well, I won’t kid you.

Here you need to sit down with a cup of coffee and read it through. It can be so worth it, I promise.

 

Hors d’Oeuvres

• Mushroom Palmiers, Mini Chicken drumsticks
• Wine: White Zinfandel

First Course

• Steamed Clams in Wine
• Wine: Bris de Mer

Second Course

Festive Millenium Salad, crackers

Third Course

Caviar Parfait * Don made this and liked it. Did I mention that one of the rules we had was you had to at least try the dish. You don’t have to like it, but try it.

Fourth Course

• Beef Wellington with roasted potatoes, buttered carrots, partial stems still attached.
• Wine: Merlot

Fifth Course

• Swans swimming in chocolate sauce, topped with sparklers. (Don made these…it was fabulous!)
• Wine: Sparkling

Sixth Course (yes, we were gasping at this point)

• Coffee/tea

This dinner took 6 hours to go through. We had about 45 minutes before midnight and we played bridge, toasted in the New Year and took our exhausted bodies to bed. Tomorrow was another day.

This dinner is, obviously, for adults only. Get a sitter, feed the kids early and take them to Grandmas House or whatever. Do try it, even if not the same dishes but go the ‘take 5’ attitude and you will surprise yourself. Maybe this was where the “damn I can do this” concept was born.