Closer to Final Menu

OK, taking in to account comments from my foodie friends in Denver, I am closer to a finalized menu with this revised version. The appetizers, while I have five listed, are all quick and easy, so I'm not worried about time there. I am thinking that I might buy the Caesar salad and another light salad from Whole Foods - this will reduce stress and making salads is not my favorite thing to do - I'll swing by in the next few days to sample and decide. I feel better about eliminating the third lasagna, not so much due to work as due to oven space.

If I decide to buy the salads, then the only things I need to test out beforehand - I almost always practice a recipe first to avoid stress and disasters - will be the appetizer and the drink. If the cider doesn't work, I can just skip that. It just sounded really good to me.

P.S. In case anyone is wondering why I keep posting menu revisions, it's to keep it straight in my head.

Drinks

• Spiced Apple Pomegranate Cider
• Soda, beer, wine

Appetizers

• Maple-Chili Popcorn
• Jamey Fader (Denver chef) guacamole served with Plain & Spiced Chips
• Crab, Cream Cheese, Fruity Salsa with crackers
• Whipped cream cheese & smoked salmon with crackers
  
• Veggies, chips and dip
  

Salads

• Caesar salad
• Additional, lighter salad TBD
  

Main Courses

• Lasagna (D's recipe)
• Bread Pudding Ratatouille (vegetarian option)

Side

• Garlic bread

Desserts (this is the set part of the menu - all from Piece of Cake)

• Chantilly Cake - Moist chocolate cake iced in cream cheese frosting and topped with a lacy chocolate pattern
• Chocolate Raspberry Buttercream Ganache - Layers of chocolate cake filled with raspberry, iced in buttercream & topped with ganache
• Marionberry Poppyseed - Four layers of moist poppyseed cake filled with marionberry preserves & iced in cream cheese frosting.