That engagement party I posted about a while back? The one I needed recipes for? It has turned into a monster.

The girl conjured-up a ridiculously complicated food-list that includes homemade sushi. And homemade ravioli. I dissuaded her from the sushi thing (she did not let it go easily!), but there's so much more! Tonight, I'll be spend the evening with her (making 45-90 lanterns, she says). She and her fiancé came to my house at 1:30 a.m. last night (like, out of the blue--I was in bed) to discuss the party.

It's like they're planning a wedding. And I'm the only person helping them. I just finished school for the semester and I'm prepping myself to work in Egypt for a month (I leave the country five days after this party). When I agreed to help and let them have it at my house, I envisioned a normal party. Not this "semi-formal evening held in a beautiful starlit garden scene" as the invitation says. I've expressed my limitations, stressed that I have other things I need to do, tried to get them to make it more manageable but I have zero control.

@syneblue: Beautiful! Thank you!

@1girl is Captain Buzzkill: YES! I devoured this in two days. So. Freaking. Good. Elizabeth Moss was unbelievably amazing.

@Waxy Luster: No, those are great ideas! Thanks for the link! Fajitas is always my go-to with this type of party, but the bride is a bit more fancy-pants, though I will suggest it as well as the noodle bar.

@belladella: I'm thinking apps. But like, the kind of apps you could eat and then afterwards be all like, "You know what, I'm not even hungry for dinner now." If that makes any sense...

Hello again yipland! I need help! I agreed to help my friend (who is a perfectionist) by hosting her elaborate engagement party at my house. So far, she and her fiance have spent the last few weekends re-sodding my backyard, trimming trees, and even painted the ceiling in my bathroom (to cover an unseemly water spot). Which is awesome, of course, because my house looks great, but it is a bit more than I was expecting, to say the least!

Anywho, I am tasked with planning the menu. This is where I need some help-recipes! About 30 people will be attending. Don't have a huge budget to work with, and it'd be best if the dishes could be prepared beforehand, but I don't mind more complicated recipes. We're not doing a sit-down dinner or anything but want to have a good spread. So, favorite party dishes?

@RedTide: LINEN PANTS! YES! I'm gonna buy, like three pairs of those. I'll be in Cairo most of the time so there should be the opportunity for tunic shopping. And my dear Moroccan friend gifted me one of my favorite tops. A long, green silk tunic with light blue embroidery. I can see that going nicely with a pair of light-colored linen pants.

I'm both incredibly excited and a bit nervous. I previously studied abroad in Cairo (pre-revolution), but experienced a lot more harassment (and groping) when I was there this past January. I'll be researching NGOs that have emerged since the revolution to deal with the increasing amount of violence against women.

@SevenSixOne: Oooh I like the idea of making skirts! That way I can pick the fabric. I'm not much of a seamstress but this seems like an easy enough template. It'll give me a project after classes end before I have to leave, too.

And ha on the sand boogers. In Cairo, my snot is all black because of the pollution. It's disgusting.

@what name: There should be some hippy stores around (this is Austin after all!) I shall look into that. Thanks for the idea!

@KudzuInTheFeedBin: Thanks! I've been scouring Goodwill (there's one within walking distance of my house!) and I have bought skirts there before. Love all the mid-90s flowery ones. My mom used to have all these long dresses from that time period but of course she got rid of them all! This is why I hoard clothing. Styles always come back around!