Our First Dinner Guests!

We couldn't come to England and not entertain, now could we? Just a few days after we settled in, we invited our friends Chris and Jen over with their son Luke for a true German dinner. Here was our menu:

• Aunt Karin's Reuben Dip
• German potato salad
• Simmered red cabbage and apples
• Sauerbraten
• Bockwurst and Bratwurst
• Spaetzle with brown butter
  
• German breads
• Custard and fresh fruit

It was delicious!

A New Year's Welcome

We were lucky enough to celebrate the new year with good friends Jen and Chris and meet some new ones. Our family was invited to attend a lovely party in Suzanne and Phillip's home. The food was fabulous and the company even better. What a fantastic way to welcome us to England!

The children staged a great performance for the adults, and dramatics were in high gear as they sang and danced until it was time to count down to 2010.

We said "cheerio" to 2009 and greeted the new year with snow, ice and a cozy taxi ride back to Jen and Chris' house!

Birthday party time!

Tonight we celebrated Ed's birthday with a cocktail party. Of course I forgot to take pictures of the big event. Chris and Jen, Carla, Mike and the kids were all here for dinner, drinks and desserts.

Let's talk a bit about entertaining with an impossibly small kitchen. It's a challenge, even for a seasoned hostess like me! The flat came furnished, but with only the essentials in cookware. One bowl, no serving platters, etc.

So, before the party, I hit up the "charity" shops in town and bought up all of the crystal glasses, bowls, and plates I could find - for pennies! I've been amazed to see how lovely the items are, even in shops filled with castoffs and donations.