Over the Pond and Through the Woods (Sort Of)

 

Rather than stick with our usual wine and appetizer pairing for December, we decided to shake things up with a progressive dinner. I’ve always wanted to host one, so when everyone agreed, it felt like a dream come true.

To keep things simple, we had three hosts all within a few blocks of each other, so logistics were a breeze. So no, it wasn’t exactly over the river and through the woods. There were some woods, and there was water, but let’s be honest, it was a pond doing its very best impression of a river. Still, we did manage a tiny bit of adventuring between stops.

We kicked things off at the first house with appetizers and a holiday cocktail. We attempted to minimize the alcohol, given that we had two more stops ahead of us, but you know how good intentions behave around festive beverages. The spread was delightful: a charcuterie board, a wreath made of pigs in a blanket, and a shrimp ring. Light in spirit, though not exactly light in… any other sense.

The second stop was the main course, where we settled in like we owned the place. Wait, right, I do own the place. We lingered over chicken parm, eggplant medallions, salad, and garlic bread, comfort food doing exactly what comfort food does. Nearly two hours of conversation slipped by before we finally convinced ourselves to move on.

The final house was all about dessert. We indulged in decadent chocolate martinis, a cranberry prosecco martini, chocolate trifle, thumbprint cookies, and, of course, all‑important Santa Jello shots. It was the perfect way to celebrate the season together full of laughter, good food, and shared memories that will carry us into the new year. So, to all my friends who participated and to those who do not.  A happy holiday season, but more importantly to a healthy New Year!