This past weekend my friend Daren successfully threw an Ugly Sweater Party so fantastic that only the mastermind behind Nobu Hollywood could have mustered it up. This was a great way to begin my whirlwind of holiday events.

We arrived early, as usual (sadly for me MSM doesn’t believe in being fashionably late) and Daren was braising his prime rib (yum!). Vampire Weekend played from the speakers. The table was eloquently decorated with unique christmas ornaments and greens. Three different caviar stations were  placed on the table and the champagne was ready to go.

Each guest was expected to bring a dish to ensure a colossal feast. Most of Daren’s friends work in the restaurant industry, so I knew the food would be delicious. We brought Mac and Cheese sired by Venice Beach’s acclaimed Baby Blue BBQ. I also baked some North Pole Butter cake Cheesecakes; recipe from one of my all time favorite recipe bloggers: Sweet Tea Sweetie!

Once everyone arrived, the room filled with festive laughter, warmth, and a bunch of hideous sweaters! With every guest, more food was placed on the table. In addition to the prime rib and our offerings, there was a platter of roasted vegetables, sweet potatoes, gourmet Mediterranean meatballs (my personal favorite of the evening), and a cheese and olive plate. The cheeses were locally made and SO yummy. I especially liked the truffled hard cheese. It was fun sampling the various cheeses with my wine- just like we learned at the Jada Vineyard a few weeks back. I just realized there was a lot of different cheese dishes at this party! No wonder its so hard not to gain weight this time of year!

At the end of the night our host picked the winner of the ugliest sweater award. There were so many great ones from which to choose. Honestly, though, some “ugly sweaters” really aren’t THAT ugly! I mean any of you remember those hideous Bill Cosby sweaters from the late 80s? Now THOSE were UGLY! See below.

 

Bonus of the night? Everyone loved my desert! This means a lot coming from chefs and restauranteurs! Thanks, Kari, for the amazing recipe!  It was easy and fun to bake, too.  I can’t wait to make it again for my work party on Thursday.

What the heck to wear to an Ugly Sweater Party?

An Ugly Sweater! Obviously! 😉

The food was great and the atmosphere was fun. It was really nice to catch up with old friends and make new ones. I’m definitely in the holiday spirit this year! No being a curmudgeon like Scrooge or green with anger like the Grinch! Let the festivities commence!

Whats the worst ugly sweater you’ve seen this season? Share in the comments.

xoxo

QJ