Happy Birthday Grandma Nancy!

Nancy turned 70 this year so we decided to throw her a surprise birthday party.  She and Bill spent 10 days in Boston in early July, so it was easy to keep it a secret.  

I love to throw parties and I was looking forward to entertaining adults instead of families this time.  I spent a lot of time on Pinterest gathering ideas (both new recipes and new ways to present favorite recipes).  

I don't like to use disposable anything, so I shopped at a variety of thrift stores to find enough glasses, plates and platters to serve everyone.   It really didn't cost much (I already had a lot from previous parties) and we had less than one kitchen bag of trash when it was over (mostly corn cobs that I didn't have the energy to separate into our compost bin). 

I didn't get any pictures of setting up the party besides this one: Ryan's honus are all ready to eat. 

I thought this was a really cute alternative to a veggies-with-dip-tray - and the guests agreed!  Who knew plain shot glasses could garner so much attention?

My favorite summer dessert is a mixed berry terrine recipe from Martha Stewart.  It requires a plate and a fork and I was trying to serve all finger food, so I made the recipe using a 9x13 cake pan and then cut it into little squares.  It was a little slippery and sticky to eat - perhaps next time I'll make it in the shot glasses and serve with little spoons.

This was an avocado-yogurt dip recipe I found on Pinterest - I think people were confused and thought it would be guacamole - we had a lot left over.

Nancy's favorite party food is cocktail shrimp, so I nested a little metal sauce cup onto a bed of ice in these enormous fish bowls wine glasses we got as a wedding present and hooked the shrimpies around the edge.  So easy and cute (but when the ice melted the sauce sank!).

This is one of my favorite appetizers - a grape tomato, mozzarella, and basil leaves, threaded on a toothpick and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  Thank you to my dear husband for doing all the prep work!

I combined two ideas I found on Pinterest to make three hanging lanterns surrounded by dried lavender.

Sam and Sarah reloading the shrimp

Jack makes a new friend

Old friends and a new friend

Marcy and Carol McGovern (and in the background, watermelon agua fresca in Jillian Bethune McGovern's beverage dispenser, resting on the new tile countertop Sam installed just days before)

Then it was time to serve dinner.  One of Nancy's favorite foods is ribs, so I dug out (yet another) Martha Stewart recipe for Chipotle-Honey Ribs.  We paired it with corn on the cob steamed in the crockpot, and Honey-Drenched Quinoa Salad with Cashews and Cherries.  I don't think anyone left hungry!

You can't have  birthday party without cake, of course!  Nancy doesn't care for many sweets, but who can resist angel food cake with fresh berries and real whipped cream?

Finally, I sent the ladies home with lavender sachets - Sam helped harvest the lavender from our front garden and Ryan helped spoon it into the little bags.  I was on my own making the tags from card stock, ribbon and inspirational quote stickers (thank you Hobby Lobby!)...