{appetizer essentials}

No dinner party is complete without a great spread of appetizers to get everything going (and cocktails- let's never forget those.)  While I love to try out interesting dishes and greet guests with something truly special (like this or this), many times I would rather spend the time focusing on helping Chris cook or getting our place "party-ready".  In those cases I rely on a tried and true spread of appetizers including a mixture of unique flavored nuts (Trader Joe's has an extensive selection), gourmet olives, a few different cheeses and crackers or bread.  I also love to add a few interesting spreads like the seasonal fig butter from Trader Joe's and artisanal honey alongside the cheese to give guests the option of getting creative with their cheese assembly!  If we are having a bigger group of guests or I anticipate the meal needing more prep time after guests arrive I will add in a tray of charcuterie to make the spread a little more full/filling.

As I have mentioned before, I try to only buy white dinnerware and clear glassware, but with serving pieces I'm willing to branch out a little bit.  One of my favorite materials for appetizer pieces is acacia wood- it has a deep rich color to it and based on my experience it holds up really well to heavy use as well as a variety of foods.  I already have a couple acacia pieces like the paddle ones pictured above from our wedding registry and this vintage one from a recent Palm Springs trip.

Target just released a line up of acacia and other wood serving pieces right in time for the holiday season so I scooped up this olive tray and this bread bowl.  Both pieces are pretty singular in their uses.  Chris would call them "uni-taskers" and he usually won't allow them in our house- I have been unsuccessfully trying to bring this avocado slicer into our lives for years among other silly kitchen gadgets.  Regardless of their singular nature, theese new acacia pieces are something we have desperately needed for our entertaining line-up- especially the bread tray because up until now I have been using random salad bowls to serve sliced bread in!

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of  the opinions or positions of Target.