Who needs a reason to party?

Last year I threw tons of parties. There was my housewarming party a few months too late (I had to paint the place, ya know?), then the "let's finish off the beer from the HWP" a few weeks later. Then a party for the heck of it a couple of months later, then another one to again reclaim my fridge space. During the summer I had yet another one to cheer me up after Brazil got killed by France at the World Cup again, then at last a party for my birthday. And that was a freaking year ago. All of them I had about 30 or so people out in my place.

This year there were no parties. Sure I planned a big NYE shindig at my friend's humongous place and we got over a hundred people out. But it wasn't a party at my place, even though I was the one in charge of most of the planning & logistics, buying the snacks and party favors and knew most of the people there.

I kept planning on throwing another party, but didn't have the money (it costs a fortune!), then life got in the way and I didn't have the time.

Now tomorrow I'm fixing that! I'm throwing a party at my place in honor of my older age -- last I checked 37 people were coming, and another 20 were unsure. Sure, it freaks me out a bit that I might end up with over 50 people in my apartment, but after a good cleaning and vacuuming, I'll be busy moving furniture around, working on more counter space for my kitchen, stocking up the fridge and coolers with cold ones. Still strapped for cash, but it's my birthday after all, might as well splurge and throw a party for my friends...

A friend of mine went to Brazil with me this year and loved the food -- so she suggested doing it a Brazilian themed party -- not on the drinks, mind you, though of course there'll be caipirinha and I might make some sort of mango or passion fruit drink, I am very proud of my liqour selection (a bit of everything) and mixers (tons), but I'll have a Brazilian theme for the food.

So I'm serving nothing but Brazilian food and snacks. What the hell that is, you say? Well desserts like...

brigadeiro (basically cooked cocoa powder, butter and condensed milk)

beijinho (similar to brigadeiro, but with coconut instead of cocoa)

Pudim (flan made of condensed milk)

Brazilian carrot cake (tastes totally different than the American version)

And snacks like...

coxinha (with chicken)

pão de queijo (cheese bread)

kibe (which is not really Brazilian, but we adopted as our own...)

beef risole

Plus flank steak sandwiches (my mom swears by the flank steak recipe), pot pie with "calabresa" sausage (another recipe from mom) and other munchies...

Can you tell typing this is making me hungry?

Hope everyone has a great weekend! And while you're out and about tonight -- remember my sorry ass cooking up a storm!