Cheese, Fruit and Baubles

I hosted a fun jewelry party last night.  I was so busy getting prepared, that I didn't take one photo.  I'll tell you about it anyway and borrow a photo from here or there.  I decided to make a cheese and fruit platter and a little dessert platter.  I made some delicious flavored water from a recipe that Mary from Home is Where The Boat Is posted recently. If you've never been to her blog, check it out.  She does an amazing job with table decorations and recipes.  

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I used Ina Garten's advice on building a cheese platter. (Here's a fun video of how she makes an Antipasto platter). Although I didn't use the same cheese, I did get recommendations from my local cheese shop. I added green grapes, strawberries, salami, Proscuitto, crackers and baguette slices. I even bought lemon leaves to set the cheese on.  You CAN buy them from your florist.  Mine were $1 a stem. which had several leaves on it. I also added bunches of sage and thyme. The two cheeses I bought were Idiazabal a smoked sheep cheese from Spain that was a favorite. The softer cheese was Fromage D'Affinois, made in France from double cream cow's milk. Delicious!

I bought some chocolate chip cookies and made Tastefully Simple's Almond Pound Cake mix.  I embellished it with a drizzle frosting and sliced almonds on the top.  It was also a hit.  I have a similar recipe, but who wants to cook when there's an amazing mix available?  It was inhaled.  

The jewelry we played with is from Stella & Dot.  Have you been to a party yet?  They have really beautiful jewelry to fit every taste and budget.  It's a really low key, relaxed and fun atmosphere.  All in all, it was a lovely evening.  

Wish you could've been there!