Dinner Party Series: Glow Sticks and Tacos

Pineapple and mango chow

Cheese taco shells

Guacamole and turkey and lamb filling

Apple pie crumble with salty caramel ice cream

As per our new year's resolution, we had our very first dinner party of the year. It was lovely catching up with old friends as well as the new.

Decor
I originally wanted to put glow sticks in balloons but 12 balloons in, I realize it wasn't giving me the effect I was hoping for. The room would have to be pitch black in order for the balloons to glow which would have meant eating in the dark. Instead, I lined half  the glow sticks up down the middle the table as a centrepiece. I put the other half along the window ledge, I was thrilled with the ambiance it gave the room. It also helps that we have LED lights that I can change the colour of the room to purple. I also strung a simple bunting banner I picked up at the Tiger store in Portugal. I was surprised that something so simple made the room so festive instantaneously. 

Menu
Pineapple and mango chow: I recently had this at a Trini wedding and it was so delicious! It's a simple recipe, chop up pineapples and mangos and toss it with cilantro and red chili peppers. This was the crowd favourite of the night.
Guacamole: our secret ingredient is adding a diced up boiled egg.
Cheesy tacos with turkey and lamb: we saw this Tasty video and knew we had to make these cheesy taco shells. We made two different shells, one with old cheddar and one with mozzarella and green onion. For the filling, Nick mixed minced turkey and lamp as well as a bag of sour cream and onion chips.
Apple pie crumble with salted caramel ice cream: I never try to make pie crust and store bought crust taste so good anyways. I use one shell for the actual pie and the other shell to make the lattice on top. Along with apples, I mixed in golden raisins, shredded coconut and chopped up brazil nuts. We had a mishap when Nick pulled the pie out of the oven and hastily tried to remove it from it's tray. He saved it nicely by making a crumble out of it and scooping the ice cream on top. 

We spent the night playing Telestration (have you played it? It makes you laugh so hard your belly hurts), Anomia, Salad Bowl and twirling glow sticks. We're looking forward to our next month's dinner party already.