First I love your site. Is there anyway that I can spur you to write an entire set of books based off of your website?

I am hosting a wine tasting event for my birthday with 20 people showing up. From experience, these 20 will eat bare your 25 people's worth of food when alcohol isn't served. I suspect that they will be here for 5 hours. It will be starting at 5pm. I will have 1 vegetarian, 1 vegan, 2 non-red meat eaters. If the weather holds, this will be outside on the deck.

This is my menu. Please let me know if I have a good combination for the amount of alcohol that will be consumed (I will be breaking up to 15 bottles out of storage...starting with 6 bottles).

Menu:

1 - 12in tray with cut veggies w/ cashew dip
1 - 12 in tray of crackers, dairy cheese, vegan cream cheese dip
1 small plate (holds about 1 1/2 cups) of pickles, olives, beets
2 cups of 7 layer dip (vegan) w/ chips/crackers

Appetizer trays (assuming 15 total per person for the night):

Heavy items: Dumplings (pork), crab cakes, Mini wellingtons (vegan), phyllo (vegan and chicken ones), empanadas (vegan), bean and rice wraps (vegetarian)

Light items: Spring rolls (vegetarian), sushi (vegan and smoked salmon ones), stuffed mushrooms (seafood), sandwiches (assortment)

Breads: bread basket of small shapes (horns, knots, etc) - 30 pieces

Punch and pop

Dessert: cake, assortment of cookies

(I have arranged a way home for everyone and sleeping arrangements for those out of town, so no one will be drinking drunk!)

1 - 12in tray with cut veggies w/ cashew dip
-consider a second tray or a platter of marinated vegetables or a big bowl of my artichoke olive condite.
1 - 12 in tray of crackers, dairy cheese, vegan cream cheese dip
-make a couple of regular cream cheese logs ahead and freeze, have an extra 1-2 pounds of good crackers held back.
1 12" Nibble platter: Homemade bites and bites, spicy nuts, butter pecans
2 pounds nuts is kind of a minimum here.
1 small plate (holds about 1 1/2 cups) of pickles, olives, beets
--double or triple this. 1 1/2 cups is less than 1 tablespoon per person!
2 cups of 7 layer dip (vegan) w/ chips/crackers
-usual portion is 1/4 cup PER PERSON
Appetizer trays (assuming 15 total per person for the night):
You need 12 "bites/items" for the first hour, 6 each additional hour. 1/4 cup dip, 2 ounces veggies, 1 ounce cheese, etc. counts as 1 item.

Heavy items: Dumplings (pork), crab cakes, Mini wellingtons (vegan), phyllo (vegan and chicken ones), empanadas (vegan), bean and rice wraps (vegetarian)

Light items: Spring rolls (vegetarian), sushi (vegan and smoked salmon ones), stuffed mushrooms (seafood), sandwiches (assortment)

Breads: bread basket of small shapes (horns, knots, etc) - 30 pieces
-I would have at least 60 pieces and add a quart of mixed spreads, whipped honey butter, etc.

Punch and pop

Dessert: cake, assortment of cookies

Thanks for your help. Glad you think that it's a nice selection, even if they will starve to death :)

I typoed the appies - I have 25 (not 15) x 20 servings in the freezer, but I can run another batch easily enough to get to your numbers. I can up the "munchies" too...that's pretty easy to do.

I was hoping not to dip into my cellar more then 15 bottles, so I will pick up a couple at the store that are inexpensive but drinkable.

As for the CD, I am dating a software engineer.... /wink