We had so much fun at last week's annual BLT party! For my international readers, a BLT is a classic American sandwich made with bacon, lettuce, and tomato (usually with mayonnaise on toasted bread). It is one of those simple, beloved summer meals that many Americans grew up eating—especially when garden tomatoes are at their peak. My grandfather was a commercial tomato farmer, so BLTs were a summer tradition in our family. We could never get enough of them!

The party was one of those evenings where everything came together just the way I'd hoped, and I even managed to take pictures! By planning an easy menu, doing as much as possible ahead of time, and accepting help from friends, I was able to relax and enjoy the party right along with everyone else.

I had mixed feelings about the yogurt bark dessert. Everyone seemed to love it—and I think many were surprised by how much they enjoyed it—but I found it a bit awkward to serve. Since it has to be eaten with your hands, it begins to melt pretty quickly. It was delicious, but for that reason, I don't think I'll be serving it at another party.

If you haven't discovered yogurt bark yet, it makes a wonderful, healthier snack to keep in the freezer for whenever you're craving something sweet.

Simply mix plain yogurt with enough honey or maple syrup to sweeten it to your taste, then stir in a splash of vanilla. Spread the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add your favorite toppings and freeze. For mine, I swirled in melted Hershey's chocolate, then sprinkled on blueberries and broken cookies. Gently press the berries and cookies into the yogurt before freezing. Once it's frozen solid (I recommend making it early in the morning or, better yet, the day before), simply break it into pieces and enjoy.

As we nibbled on dessert, we played a game similar to trivia. I had three tables, and each table received three different questions (see the photos below). They had five minutes to work together and come up with their best answers before I would give them the answer pages.

I may have promised there would be big cash prizes...but that turned out not to be true. 😉 Before long, one table was insisting they had been given the hardest questions, another was convinced I'd favored a different table, and the good-natured complaining was almost as much fun as the game itself. It got everyone laughing, which was exactly the point.

A few days later, I heard that one couple met their grandkids for dinner and asked them the very same questions. The grandkids did much better than the adults! I guess we now know who to invite if we ever have a trivia rematch.

This party was a good reminder that entertaining doesn't have to mean spending days in the kitchen. A little planning, a little help, and a willingness to keep things simple allowed me to be part of the fun instead of just making it happen. And that, to me, is the secret to a successful gathering.

If we were to have this party again—and I'm sure we will—I would hire a helper for the evening. We were 18 people, and even though I try to keep dishes to a minimum, 18 of anything is a lot! A helper could take care of things and clean up as needed, leaving less for us to do at the end of the evening.

There seems to be some secret code that everyone I know understands: we bus our own tables at home parties. Maybe it's common practice everywhere, but I've never been to a private home gathering where guests don't carry a handful of dishes into the kitchen before heading out the door. This helps immensely.

After everyone left, we finished bringing everything inside, put away leftovers, started a dishwasher load, and tossed the tablecloths into the washing machine. The next morning brought another dishwasher load, another washing machine load, a few larger pieces to hand wash, and everything to put away.

We. Were. Pooped. I was so wishing I had hired a helper the night before.

But it was the good kind of tired—the kind that comes after an evening filled with friends, laughter, and memories. And that is exactly why we'll probably do it all again...

But next year!

As for what's coming up, I'm working on a Fall Best-of-Ravelry post for the beginning of September, and I have a knitting post planned for next week. But since we are still in party mode, I hope to have another fun gathering to share as well. We have been invited to a Coney Island party!

Our hostess is a clever gal, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with for her California-meets-New York celebration. I'm praying there will be Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs involved. If I can get some good pictures, I'll share them here. Until then, xoxo Kristen

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