The Catered Dinner I Won from Real Simple Magazine

This past summer I won a great sweepstakes sponsered by Real Simple Magazine and Buitoni.  The prize consisted of a chef coming to your home for a catered dinner for ten people, the decorations for the party, and a $250 gift card for drinks.  I had a year to choose the dates, and decided on November when my husband would be working a little less and would be able to come.  It finally took place this past Tuesday night. The dinner was an amazing experience and I wanted to share it.  First off, here are some photos of the decorations, most of which were bought by two nice girls from Real Simple Magazine who came to the house and then picked things they thought would go along with the decor that was already there. They also provided small party favor boxes with chocolates.

Chef Cheryl from The Dinner Angel was hired to be our personal chef for the evening. She came around 3:30 to start preparations along with her neice who did the serving. I'll tell you, its a unique experience to get waited on inside your own home (well, my mom's home, but same difference).  Here is Chef Cheryl hard at work in the kitchen:

The menu was amazing and consisted of the following:

Antipasto: Wild Mushroom Bruschetta
Primo: Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
Secondo: Pesto-Marinated Roast Lamb with Sauteed Baby Spinach and Baby Carrots
Dolce: Napoleon Cannoli Stacks

Yes, it did all taste just as wonderful as it looked, and several of my guests asked Chef Cheryl for her card to use her catering services again.  Everyone had a great time. A big thank you to Real Simple Magazine and Buitoni for making this evening possible!