the non-supper club

it was our turn to host dinner last night for our non-supper club. the idea for this popped up on a friday evening in november when one of the couples hosted a "fall dinner for friends" at their home. when we received the invite, pb and i had no idea who would be joining us and what the "fall dinner" would entail. we had looked forward to it and ended up having the most delightful evening. the food was different from anything we had ever cooked, the conversation ran the gamut of topics, and their home provided an atmosphere that seemed other than that of rome, ga. we left their home that night saying how it had been one of our best friday nights and looking forward to the next get together. we all decided that night that we needed to take turns hosting dinner every month or so. a supper club, but not a supper club. just four couples and we have no set time or month.

the next dinner was in february. we had champagne and shrimp by the fireplace before dinner. when dinner was served, pb was ecstatic. we had cotillion the night before so it had been a bit of a late night. he was craving something hearty and i knew he was thinking that a little grease would be nice too. when the platter of sliders and onion rings was presented at the table, he could not have been happier. there was a caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, basil and roasted tomatoes. yummm. again, the conversation was not lacking in variety or laughter. when the plates were cleared, red wine was poured and a chocolate brownie pudding with ice cream was served. another smile from pb. the table was lit with the glow of candles and we all enjoyed the company of friends.

so this month was our turn. as soon as we set the date, i started feeling the pressure of "how do i follow those two dinners???". I know that is ridiculous but what were we going to serve? could we fit 8 people around our table? and why am I worrying about this?? we love to cook and we love having people in our home. soooo...we did our grocery shopping on friday and picked up a few things on saturday morning. we washed the pollen off the patio, set the table, pb smoked the pork tenderloins and for the most part, had a rather relaxing day. by the time everyone arrived, all was done that needed to be done and we had a wonderful evening. all that sweating it for nothing. as usual. when will i learn? anyway, we served homemade guacamole and some delicious cranberry, oj drinks before dinner. the guacamole was devoured. it was a muggy night but everyone wanted to sit on our patio so we stayed outside for awhile. at about 9:00 we came inside to eat. dinner was the tenderloin, mango salsa, a big salad and roasted potatoes with rosemary. not an original menu for us but everyone loved it. for dessert i made a chocolate cake and served it with ice cream, fresh blackberries and strawberries. again, to complement the dinner was entertaining conversation. everything from religion, work ethics, our kids and how to raise kids that don't expect everything but appreciate anything. the latter of those conversations being the most mind boggling. it was nice to hear my friends having the same conversations that we are having on any given night of the week. the ones about being a good parent and being confident that you are doing what is right for your kids.

lesson learned: things are never as big of a deal as i make them. everyone was so gracious and a good time was had by all.