"Party on!" said the Divas in response to a reader's recent question, "Instead of going out to a restaurant, why don't the Divas share some of their own unique recipes... ?" We thought that sounded like a fun idea, so we honed in on a date and commenced with party planning.
Who to invite? As guests, we decided to invite women who'd joined us for a past review... people like Joan Grillo (Ottawa County's Victim's Rights Coordinator), Char Morse (Chef Char of WZZM TV13 & Taste of Home), Cari Draft (Eco Trek Fitness), Heidi Sunderhaft Christiansen (Principal, North Muskegon Middle & High School), and Suzanne Scholl (Purple Rose Boutique). And we invited everyone to bring a guest. It was our way of reconnecting with old friends (saying "thank you" to them), and meeting some new and interesting women, too.
Kelle created our emailed invitations using Punchbowl. We asked everyone to bring their own unique dish to pass. Although Kelle (in particular) fretted in advance about whether we'd end up with a well-balanced assortment of foods, Nancy kept reassuring her, "Potlucks ALWAYS work out." And, indeed, it did!
We held our party at the Cote la Mer clubhouse, a cozy setting along the shores - and with a gorgeous view - of Spring Lake. And, fortunately, the weather cooperated (no huge snowfall)!
What's a party without shrimp? (And with the SuperBowl looming, we even found shrimp on sale in the grocery stores!) So, the party included everything from our giant bowl of shrimp (with traditional cocktail and Remoulade sauces), to Bari's Crab-Guacamole Dip, to Joan's Italian Beef sandwiches, to Cari's Tuscan Kale Salad (we just knew she'd bring something healthy!), to Kelle's Gluten-Free Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Cinnamon Chips. Among our desserts was JoAnn Chittick's (owner of JoC Boutique in Spring Lake) magical meringue "Cloud" dessert and Wendi Archer of Two Tony's Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cheesecake. Yummy!
By the end of the evening, the biggest and most frequently asked question - obviously the evidence of a great time - was, "So, when's the NEXT party?" We agree... we'll have to do it again when the weather's warmer. So stay tuned for an outdoor summertime barbecue...
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| A few dazzling Diva Dishes! |
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| Dining Diva hosts Nancy Levenburg & Kelle Lynn doing last minute prep! |
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| Joan Grillo is so thoughtful and arrived early to help us get set up for our event. Her slow cooker Italian Beef sandwiches were awesome. So is she! |
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Dining Diva host, Bari Johnson, uses her wine opener to get the party started. Cari Draft pours the first glass of Neal Cabernet Sav.
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The Divas and the guests are most grateful to Scott Pranger (Kelle Lynn's brother) for these gifts from his wine cellar!
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| Holly Johnson with Grand Haven Area Community Foundation brought her incredibly tasty Olive Onion Crostini! Oh my! You can't have just one! |
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| Joann Chittick of JoC Boutique in Spring Lake brought her divine Cloud dessert. Loved every bite! There was one small piece left to take home to her husband. Make it again next time, please! |
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| In our opinion, Sharon Burnside's Quinoa Salad was simply an "award winning" creation. We loved it! Sharon's pretty cool too. Absolutely must have recipe! |
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| Wendi Archer is the pastry chef at Two Tonys Taverna Grille in Spring Lake and made the most amazing Chocolate-Peanut Butter cheesecake. Melts in your mouth delicious! She makes a "to die for" carrot cake too. |
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| Chef Char Morse with WZZM 13 & Taste of Home loves fresh produce and made this scrumptious layered salad. A masterpiece! Chef Char rocks! |
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| This Artichoke Dip by Heidi Sunderhaft Christiansen, Principal of North Muskegon Middle and High School, was truly a delight. Just like Heidi! |
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| Cari Draft of EcoTrek Fitness brought a combination of healthy and yummy in her Tuscan Kale Salad. She will make a kale believer out of you with this recipe! |
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| The lovely Patty Christopher of Patricia's Chocolates graced us with her beautiful display of chocolate! We love chocolate! |
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| Ellen Vonesh, owner of Desserts by Design and Consider it Done, and Holly Johnson. |
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| MaryAnn, Suzanne Scholl, and Joann Chittick |
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| Chef Char brought her "bestie" Dani from Grand Rapids! Bring Dani next time too! |
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| Kelle Lynn, Renee Molyneux, Sharon Burnside, Cari Draft, Heidi Sunderhaft Christiansen. Girls just wanna have fun! |
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Nancy Levenburg, Joan Grillo, Wendi Archer. More fun!
For more photos of our evening and recipes for these and more amazing dishes, be sure to like and follow our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/westmichdiningdivas |
