Our Valentine's Banquet

   Each winter our church hosts a special dinner for the local couples and this year Mom and a friend, Cheryl Burkholder, were on the planning committee. They spent hours discussing plans and deciding on decor and menu. We youth girls helped them with whatever we could!

               We even enlisted the aid of the boys to wood-burn the couple's initials onto wood slices.

                    Ethan's buddy, Kit, wasn't too thrilled about me taking pictures of them. =)

                                               Cheryl penciling on the initials for the boys.

The special evening was planned for Saturday night, so that afternoon Cheryl, Mom and all of us youth girls assembled at the hall we had rented, to set up, decorate and prepare the food. We split up into two teams- one for decorating and one for food prep. I was on the cooking team but it was fun to slip my head in the door every now and then check up on the progress of the decorating. I think everyone did a fantastic job and the decor was beautiful!!! #KariYoder #CandaceMorley #Mom

 In the kitchen, the food prep team cut huge blocks of cheese into tiny hearts to layer with the heart shaped crackers on the appetizer table.

 

                         Charity washed several pounds of grapes to put with the other fruit.

  I had softened butter earlier that morning and cut it into little heart shapes to eat with the rolls and here my cousin, Bethany, and I are spooning jelly into containers.

              Three cousins are busily assembling the chocolate pudding/oreo/coffee desserts in little cups.

                 

  A kind lady from our church brought these darling heart shaped cookies to grace our appetizer table!

                                                                   The appetizers!

                                                          Raspberry punch!!! Delicious!!

       The next few pictures are of some of the decor we used. They had a Woodland theme with rustic logs, birch trees, candles, birds and little deer to create a "woodsy" feel!

                                              My fellow photographer! #tasha #camerafun

 I had never attempted to make a "real" cheesecake before, but I was asked to bring raspberry cheesecakes to the dinner so I decided to take the plunge!! I'm  glad I did!! To make sure I didn't make any "bloopers", I baked a trial cake a couple days ahead which my family devoured and proclaimed "delicious"!

The finished product complete with Oreo crust and raspberry topping!

(Photo credit #PearlMorley)

                         We girls gathered in the kitchen while the adults ate, to eat our own dinner!

 After the meal was over, a few of us girls provided some special music. Andrea, Charity and I played a string trio arrangement of "Be Thou My Vision" with Natasha on the piano.

 After that piece, six of us sang a ladies trio "Beautiful Savior" with Pearl accompanying on the piano.

                                                  And to end the post.....my amazing parents!!