Food Parties

There are a lot of things that I am passionate about... if you haven't noticed.

One of these things is cooking/baking.

Ever since I was 18, I would host these parties at my place - be it a basement suite in my parent's former home, an apartment in a new city, our first single-family-home, and even in other people's homes on occasion.
They began as passion parties when I was young, then they would turn into birthdays or backyard bbq's, then Valentine's Day shindigs for all my single girlfriends (where everything was pink or red), and then holiday parties.

I usually prepare my menu at least a month or two beforehand, I plan it out meticulously, and then I always make 10x more than I need to.
I cook and bake for a portion of the day usually for 3-4 days straight, I have signature dishes and punches that are almost always served, there is always at least one new recipe, and the night is spent with friends. We socialize, play board games and video games and charades.
The entire thing.
I look forward to every Food Party as much as I look forward to Christmas or my birthday.

I have always wanted to host a Hallowe'en Food Party, but this is the first year that we are doing this. Costumes, themed food, the whole experience.

Of course, after these food parties, my body usually requires a good two weeks or more to recover.
It is a lot of stress on my body. Which is why it now only happens once a year.
Last year was particularly busy (you know, getting married and all), so I opted for a potluck food party. It was a different experience but SO AMAZING.

This year I am going all out.
I have over 20 dishes and 2 punches I am hoping to make, and a friend is bringing his city-wide famous chili. (It may be more famous than that).
I will have lots of gluten-free options, vegetarian options, even a couple of vegan options. I am busy downloading music to play, we are getting our games sorted out for people to choose from, and we are planning the decorations already.
It's a big deal.

This is one of the only nights during the year when I power through every inch of pain. This is the one night I pretend to be a 100% normal hostess. Behind the scenes, I always need a lot of extra help and I usually require quite a bit more medication to get through it, but it is one of my all-time favourite nights. Well, the whole week, really, when you consider getting the groceries, cooking, baking, packaging, assembling, displaying, etc....
It's a week about nothing but food and games.
And it is glorious.

I cannot do this kind of thing often. To be able to throw myself into an event is rare. The recuperation time alone is staggering. It takes a huge toll on my body and there have even been instances where I have ended up in the ER with a throat swell or to my GI's office because of an insane flare-up. It is absolutely a once-a-year event that takes so much out of me I could not physically do it more often.
However, it is worth every single second.

Passions and hobbies like these ones are part of the reason I can stay so happy. Always looking forward to something, feeling accomplished and proud of what I create, and being able to see friends I don't get to see as often. This is what it means to "do something for myself".

These interests and hobbies are good for the soul.... and when illness invades every second of your life, soul food becomes a necessity.

After the party I will share pictures and recipes for anyone who is interested. For now, here are some photos of dishes from previous parties, and some of my favourite new recipes that I have tried: 

Red Velvet Cookies with Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling

Pumpkin Spice Trifle

Food Party Menu 2018

Individual Apple Crisps

Mango Curry Skewers

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Garlic Biscuits

Peppermint Meringue Kisses

Strawberry Lemonade French Macarons

Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Roulade

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Potato Skins

Strawberry Lemonade Rice Krispies Squares

These are just a few examples.

I love love LOVE when we get to host parties like these.