Sounds like a great party! But I do not envy you working a 12 hour shift the day before! LOL This dip recipe was originally posted by CraftyRN, and I make it often. I like that it can be made a couple of days ahead and the veggies can be prepped ahead also! Caesar Dip with Parmesan and Anchovies Source: Cooks Illustrated Makes 1 1/2 cups 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 ounce grated Parmesan cheese , (1/2 cup) 1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 lemon 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves 2 medium cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 teaspoons) 2 anchovy fillets , minced to paste (about 1 teaspoon) 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper Combine all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Transfer dip to serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until flavors are blended, at least 1 hour; serve cold with crudités. (Can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 days.) This corn salad can be made the day before and it would go well with your main dishes. you can sub regular yellow corn if you prefer. White Corn Salad 2c frozen shoepeg white corn 3/4c chopped roma tomato 1/2 c chopped cucumber 2T chopped green bell pepper 3T white wine vinegar 1\-1/2 tsp olive oil 1 tsp Dijon mustard ¼ tsp salt 1/8 tsp ground black pepper 1 clove garlic, minced Combine vegetables in bowl, toss. Combine remaining ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously. Pour over corn mixture and toss well. Serves 4 From Cooking Light magazine, date unknown Good luck on a successful gathering! Linda

Something that always seems to be in short supply at potlucks are good vegetables. Oh, there are usually some salads, and sometimes a corn or green bean casserole, or a tray of raw veggies. I like to bring vegetable dishes to potlucks, and people always seem to enjoy them. One is a veggie casserole that is quite popular...I don't have an actual recipe, but I typed out instructions for a friend: RachelÂs Veggie Casserole I make this two different ways, depending on my mood. I either precook the veggies quickly on a very hot grill so as to get grill marks but leave them only barely cooked, or I use raw vegetables without the grilling step. It's very simple, and you need a fairly deep casserole dish. Slice a variety of vegetables in a 1/4 inch slice. I like eggplant, zucchini, crookneck squash, mushrooms, asparagus (unsliced!). A layer of yam, sweet potato or regular potatoes is nice as well, generally I precook these a wee bit. Sometimes I get a little jazzy and add a layer of other items, like artichoke hearts (from a jar) or if I am grilling, baby artichokes. Roasted red bell pepper, kale or other greens (especially if I have some left over that I cooked with bacon & red pepper flakes). Frozen peas or corn add some variety if I'm lacking that quality-this is a dish I usually make on the spur of the moment with whatever I have on hand. I only add onions if I'm grilling, as I don't care for the flavor they add without the char for some reason. If I want to up the protein ratio, I'll add a layer of garbanzo (or other) beans. If I've got fresh basil in the garden, a layer of leaves or two is very nice. If IÂve some leftover lentils or Indian dal, IÂll add a layer of that. Anyway, you get the idea...it's veggie madness. Alternating between layers of vegetables and cheese (mozz, Parm, pepperjack, or even blue), are layers of whatever tomato sauce I have on hand, whether it be home made or Classico from a jar. Then I bake it until the cheese layer on top is hot and bubbling and a skewer pushed through the layers proves the veggies to be tender. If I grilled the veggies, I use a hotter oven, as I want the cheese to melt without the vegetables turning to mush, I'll also tend to put more of the cheese on the top layers for the same reason. Anyway, it is a very pretty dish, with all the different vegetables, and very tasty too. It doesn't have to be served piping hot, though that's my favorite way, but it should at least be warm so the cheese won't harden up.

There's tons of margarita mixes out there some OK some bad some so sweet it's like Kool aid. If you have a Whole Foods near by they have a real juice mix in the refrigerator section called Ripe pure squeezed agave maragarita mixer. I would definitely add some more fresh squeezed lime juice and sliced up limes.

I think I am just going to use two 9 inch round pans with a single recipe and instead of stacking them, I'm going to frost two short round cakes. Then I can get smaller servings and serve 20, which is what most people usually say anyway when I am serving a tier cake, "I just want a small slice." And I love ya Pllog for that cake slicing link, but I had to laugh since I just do not have that level of dexterity to cut a cake. I know it seems easy to most people but I am a serious klutz. Another option would be to do a bundt cake which I might be able to slice thinner. Hummingbird cake is so moist it really doesn't need a thick level of frosting. I may do another dessert like cookies or brownies in case I run out of cake.