As we prepare to head to a wedding of a dear friend this weekend, all I can think about is that it’s almost here…  what’s almost here?  The time to party!  Earlier in the week, at a dinner with my girlfriends, we had a discussion about our monthly dessert club…  whose turn it was, and when it would be.  Why not this weekend, right?  Start the weekend with a party, and end with a different kind of party.

One of the last times I hosted dessert club, I built a menu around Italian Wedding cake.  I made a cinnamon cake with cannoli filling (which is one of my favorite things in the whole world).

To make it pretty, I covered the mini-cakes with fondant, another favorite.

The mini-cakes made my thoughts turn to mini-everything, so we had a mini-Italian feast.  I made a huge caprese salad with fresh tomato, basil, mozarella and olive oil.  To complement, I added some small turkey meatballs.  Lastly, I made some mini pizzas.  I made the dough, sauteed some onion and tomato, and added the toppings to the dough with some cheese.

Finally, I set the table.  I spent so much time on the food that I ran out of time for the table.  But, even some easy flowers and colored napkins can transform a table.

Dessert Club is a rare treat for me to host.  There are few things I love more than planning a party, cooking for it, and decorating a table (or two).  I can’t wait until it’s my turn next…  until then, I’ll happy attend when my friends host, and enjoy every second of it!  What’s not to like about good food and good friends?