Sounds fantastic. I like gatherings with a diverse tasting menu this time of year. It is a meal having a bit of this and that. Pick and choose. Even those that plan ahead have a difficult time pulling together such goodies. It is a rich selection.

Missing for me would be slices of fresh fruit like apples, pears, maybe grapes. I have a larder full of various big radishes, giant purple carrots, golden beets. All leftover from Thanksgiving. Last for weeks. This Fall i've added mandolined fresh veggies as 'chips' instead of/or along with crackers and the usual tortilla chips. Big hit.

You are such a good hostess and obviously a wonderful cook being able to pull all that together so quickly and things you made ahead...

Pic of my veggies from the farmers market. I grow all these varieties but mine are tiny...my carrots are baby 4inches. lol.

Another fun last minute dessert (sort of) is a chocolate tasting. I have a stash of a half dozen good quality chocolate bars. Seems the past few years the grocery has so many and new ones all the time if you have visited a WholeFoods lately. Probably 50 now? ! (what?!) yup, i see new ones all the time. I put the wrappers under a beveled glass shelf or maybe it was from an old door. (yard sale 50 cents) ...used it one Holiday with fall leaves under it as a centerpiece, lol. Didn't have flowers, just a dozen mixed candlesticks. Any who, i broke up the chocolate bars into random small pieces, then into small glass cups on top of the glass topped row of wrappers. Another big hit with a crowd tasting small bits..."try this one!'.

If you are good at hosting and enjoy it like i do, adding a few new ideas keeps it interesting.