Bon Appetit

There is nothing better than opening a bottle of wine with your girlfriends! I recently had a few girls over to do just that with appetizers, dinner and drinks to catch up with each other, gossip, talk celebrities, and just VEG THE HECK OUT.

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Here are a few of the dishes we shared...

Even though Fall is in full swing here in the South, you can still find nice, ultra-ripe tomatoes, which make them perfect for the Caprese Salad. This appetizer is a spin on the traditional salad, but still super easy. To make the bite-size portions, cup a cherry tomato and a small ball of mozzarella (Whole Foods sells these in a container) and cup with the basil leaf. secure everything together with a toothpick and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Wallah!

The rest of my dinner consisted of (clockwise from top) salmon, delicious salad courtesy of my dear friend, roasted brussel sprounts, and risotto. Recipes here:

Giada's Salmon Baked in Foil

Giada's foil and oven method is fool-proof for almost any fish.

Ina Garten's Roasted Brussel Sprouts

My oven must have been really hot, because I didn't cook these for nearly as long as she said to. You can do this with almost any vegetable, just keep a close eye on them to avoid burning. If you don't have one, you need to get a Barefoot Contessa cookbook- it's a great go-to resource!

Giada's (love her) Risotto

Some people are intimidated by risotto, but it couldn't be more easy.  The catch, it just takes TIME and PATIENCE. I left out the peas and mushrooms, but you can add almost anything to risotto.  Great way to sneak in veggies!