S and I threw a party last night. Not a wild rager (as if), but a genteel affair, with a small crowd, lots of lively chatter, and a healthy amount of fawning over my pup. We called it a Harvest Party, and as such, our menu of nibbles was inspired by the season. Behold!

The spread.

S and I spent a good while creating our menu and preparing the food, and we put together a respectable spread. We had:

• Spinach-artichoke dip (from a recipe S found online) with cracker-chips and French bread
• Stuffed mushrooms (from Urban Vegan)
• Candied mixed nuts (from Vegan Food Gifts)
• Pumpkin-cream cheese dip (based on this recipe, although I made a very similar one two years ago) with graham crackers and apple slices
• Mini pumpkin-chocolate chip cupcakes (from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)
• Peanut butter-filled pretzels (…from Costco)
• Tapenade (from a recipe S found online) with French bread

We also offered seasonal drinks (pumpkin ale! mulled cider with optional boozy add-ins!) to round out our guests’ dining experiences. Everyone raved about the food – the dips and stuffed mushrooms received the most compliments – and nobody even commented on its veganness. Delicious vegan food win! But really, how could you go wrong with hearty foods like these:

Savories.

…and sweet delights like these?

Sweets!

Our decor certainly helped set the scene as well. Can you see that autumnal table runner in the corner? My mama made it for me last year, and I love it! I contributed my own handiwork by setting out our glassware on some linen/cotton napkins I sewed and embroidered last year, and of course I made the little labels for the food. We completed the mise-en-scene with a playlist carefully crafted by S, my man of many musics. The party was a delightful way to spend a Friday night, even if we didn’t get to bed until – gasp – nearly 1:00 AM… hence my late-morning post. ;)

How do you feel about themed parties? Totally fun to plan, or not worth the effort?