festive.catch-up

since you're not going anyway during the festive period, you decided to host a festive gathering with your close friends.  some of them you only see once a year, so with this gathering, you're able to catch up with many of them living in the northern part of the country.

the prettiest pink cocktail that you've ever blend.  pomegranate juice with bubbles and ginger root beer

 afternoon tea with mostly your haul from parma or milan and curry puffs made by your friend.

 it's good to catch up over small bites and drink, with giggles and chatters...

 another batch of red velvet cupcakes you baked, trying to use up the cream cheese. you make sure the batter is only 3/4 of the cup case and result in a more even looking cupcakes...

 another haul from parma, it's leg of italian cooked ham. so easy to compose with root vegetables from friend's garden, a spring of rosemary and off to the oven 180c for 30 minutes and it's done.

 the dinner spread with some dishes made by you and other dishes bring along by friends....

it's merry and happy meal, the spread on the table is meant for the dutch other half who cannot take spicy food that you prepared for your friends.

 the highlight is really the sarawak or kuching laksa that most of your friends have asked for second helping

and dessert is the sexy dates pudding by your sexy talented artist friend. it's a tad too buttery to your liking but everyone else loved it.
it's a great day, you enjoyed yourself thoroughly even though you're hosting, with some preparation and clinical executing you still have the time to really mingle with your friends and everyone else.