It's My Party...

…and I’ll bake if I want to!

I’m throwing a party tonight. I’ve been preparing for days, making lists, checking them twice, thrice, four times. Counting RSVPs, counting again, looking around my house and wondering how best to accommodate the group. Surfer Guy, still recovering from his recent surgery, is doing what he can, but no heavy lifting and he needs to be flat on his back a lot of the time. Still, he’s able to wonder aloud do we actually need this much food?

What’s a hostess to do? I’m only comfortable if I have plenty. So I made two ziti casseroles, two macaroni-and-cheese casseroles (it’s a comfort food Christmas party, obviously), two huge salads (one spinach, one regular), garlic bread, and…

…three cakes. Carrot cake, sherry cake, and an old-fashioned cake with white layers and chocolate frosting. Is it too much?

Maybe, but I used my secret weapon, the Cake Mix Doctor’s cookbook. All the recipes start with a store-bought cake mix and go from there. They turn out wonderful and don’t look or taste like a cake mix cake once you’re done. Even the carrot cake is easy, which is saying a lot. (I’ve made it from scratch before and had that horrible moment when the layers fall apart as you try to remove them from the pan.)

I’ve still got cleaning to do and salad dressings to mix up, but the cooking and baking are done. It’s going to be a great party and it’s for a special group of people. The women are from my “moms” group. We all met when our kids were in kindergarten. We used to have coffee together once a month, then it was lunch, now it’s happy hour and the occasional party that includes the husbands. It was these women who were with me last Christmas on Coronado Island the night I started researching for my book that just came out, Must Love Mistletoe. We had a few cocktails, a few appetizers, and then took a walk to admire the tree at the Hotel Del Coronado. Tonight I’ll be handing out the book that came from that excursion as a party favor.

And Cady, you get a book too! Remember, I said I’d give away one of my books to a commenter from this week. It’s you! Go to my website and click on the e-mail link and send me your snail mail addy and I’ll get the book right out to you.

So tonight I’ll be partying with my friends and my cakes. Do you guys have any special party tips you can share? Recipes for cakes or cocktails? Tips on getting someone else to clean up tomorrow?