Score one for the French!

That's right - the second round of "International Dinner War" is over - and I have pulled ahead!  As you may or may not have read in a previous blog - my dear friend had set the bar quite high with her "Russian" theme a few weeks ago.  I spent the next 2 weeks preparing for my "French" theme, determined to blow this war into a whole new dimension, and succeeded with flying colors...if I do say so myself.  Here is the background...

Recently, my good friend and I came up with a plan to get us through the rest of the winter. We chose 8 different countries, put them in a hat and selected our picks. It was then formally agreed upon that we would take turns hosting an internationally themed dinner party based on our selected nation.

French "bistro" was the atmosphere I was attempting to create for our tribute to France - complete with 100 classic French songs downloaded from iTunes, crooning out the haunting voice of the famous Edith Piaf.

The music got me in the mood for the grueling afternoon of food prep.  My two young daughters sat mesmerized, watching me singing horribly out of tune songs that I didn't even know the words to, donning a pair of swim goggles while chopping up four large onions for the...you guessed it..."French Onion Soup".  On the menu for the evening - canapes, french onion soup, duck a la'orange with baby potatoes and...you guessed it..."french green beans", salad, traditional cheese platter, 4 bottles of French wine - paired perfectly to complement each course - and the "surprise" dessert required by my friend to bring.  Once the prep was finished - I set out to create the "decor".

Ahhh - the French wine!

I can honestly say - I have never received more "strange" looks than when I went to the check out at the local thrift store with a shopping cart full of tacky fake plants.  At 1.99 each - these "bouquets" of foliage were the perfect addition to my outdoor bistro effect.  I then set out to chip away at 6 months worth of ice and snow covering the front door of my outdoor shed.  Once inside, I grabbed our outdoor umbrella, shook off the spiderwebs, and set it up in my living room - adorned with twinkling lights.

The transformation into "bistro" is complete...

I bought out the bakery filling my basket with "french" loaves and breadsticks - and let's just say my trip to the French section at the wine store was...epic!  My two daughters were excited to be a part of the event - and dressed in their favorite outfits.  I had arranged a picnic basket and blanket for them to dine "Al fresco" under the umbrella on the floor.

Tres Francais

Racing upstairs to don my blue and white striped sailor shirt and red scarf - I greeted my guests at the door...and waited...for the reaction.  Their eyes said it all - after we finally stopped laughing at how ridiculous we all looked.  The evening was a great success - the food and company were terrific - and the wine - well - Vive la France!

Next up - Greek night.  Which causes me a great deal of stress - as I still do not have my recipe for Baklava perfected - and my toga costume is lost in transit somewhere in the UPS warehouse in Syracuse, NY.