A great dinner party

Last Saturday, I was supposed to have all my local work colleagues for dinner. In anticipation and preparation, I assembled a big lasagna and eggplant parmigiana during the week. All the other foods were purchases (antipasto, salad, etc) and I was ready to go!

Then came the snow -- people couldn't get out or get to our neighborhood. Rather than miss a beat, we invited some neighborhood families to dinner and two of them accepted. It was a fabulous evening!

Lit a fire in the fireplace; had copious red wine and food; casual clothes; and 5 kids occupying each other so that parents could (mostly) relax and take it easy.

Much as I missed having my work friends over, we had such a great time -- it reminded me of the neighborhood where I grew up where everyone came together during blackouts in the summer, blizzards in the winter, and any other natural phenomenon to enjoy the time together.

Had we not had all the food ready, I still would have invited folks over for pot luck . . . so the next time you're snowed in, think about having a dinner party -- trust me, everyone will be happy to participate!