Girls & Grapes is one of the many events hosted by my sorority's local alumnae chapter. It was created because, well, I love wine and suggested that we have a monthly wine tasting! This monthly event continues to flourish every month (since February 09) as we try new wines and visit different homes for the month. It is the perfect opportunity for our alumnae membership to try new wines, unwind with great conversation, and indulge in small nibbles provided by the hostess of the month. It is a pretty casual event - we all bring a bottle that fits with that month's theme, which can be a label color, a region, a certain varietal, or even "bring a bottle with an animal on it!" Price isn't an issue, as many of us know that we all have our own taste buds to please.
This month, we transformed our G&G to become Girls & Pearls. My dear friend, ML, is a consultant for Stella & Dot jewelry, brought over a great collection for the women to peruse as they sipped sparkling wines (of course, to match the theme of the jewelry!) A little love for ML - she is absolutely fantastic at what she does. Completely honest about what works and what doesn't when it comes to the jewelry that you wear, and I recommend you look at her products!
While we tried on the jewelry and sipped the wine, as hostess, I was able to provide the nibbles for the event. My dear friend, Fun & Fearless in Beantown, had recently gave me the InStyle Parties entertaining book for my birthday (thank you again!) when I had visited the Boston area. I was excited to try some of the inspirations with my own spin. I decided to take concepts and twist into my own (and very simple) for party nibbles. Here's a look with some details:
So easy - grab a tortilla and spread some goat cheese (I used Chavrie's herbed...oh so good.) Throw some roasted tomatoes on (cut up some tomatoes, toss with some olive oil & generously salt onto a baking sheet, then bake for about 30 minutes or so in 450 degrees) and chicken (I used grilled with some seasoning, use whatever you like!) onto your cheese covered tortilla, and just like that, chicken roll ups.
Pears. I'm not a fan of pears, but alas, I gobbled this right up. Simply put a dab of goat cheese (yes, again Chavrie, I just can't get enough of it lately...) on the pear and wrap prosciutto around. Simple, and oh so good.
Finally, I quickly whipped up a guacamole dip. Simply put, took one avocado and mashed it together with some sour cream, added a dab of salt & pepper with parsley (if I had cilantro, I would have substituted) and served with a rainbow of veggies. Nom.
Maybe 15 minutes total, three simple appetizers to satisfy the girls as we sipped sparkling wine and tried on some jewelry. And I of course was happy to share and entertain!