Tapas and a Girls Night Out.

Who knew planning a first grade Valentine’s party could be so much fun??  Last night I went out with Sue, Heather and Rebecca, the three other room mothers from my daughter’s first grade class, to plan the Valentine’s party.  We started this tradition when planning the Christmas party and we decided it was well worth the time and effort, so we did it again.  This time, we chose a quaint little place on Main Street in downtown Bethlehem called Tapas on Main, an authentic Spanish style tapas restaurant. 

The place was very dark, so my photos are not that great.  Thank you to Heather and Sue for taking some photos with their iPhones since my Blackberry just wasn’t cutting it.  Note to self: I need an iPhone one day.

We started with a pitcher of pomegranate sangria.  If you are ever in the Bethlehem area, stop by this place for at least a glass of their sangria…it’s amazing!

Next we moved on to the tapas.  We ordered a plethora of items and shared them between the four of us.  Here are some of the items we sampled...

Rocal sheep’s milk cheese was made in the Navarra region in Basque, Spain.  This hard cheese was both buttery and nutty, and was served with two types of bread.  

Croquetas de Cangrejo Azul were fried deliciousness!  I am not a seafood fan, but they were fried to a golden brown, and served with a whole grain mustard aioli.  Aren’t they gorgeous?

Next up was hummus with braised garlic topped with roasted peppers.  The hummus was served with warm flatbread.   We added spicy chorizo sausage to give this dish an extra kick.  Note: The picture doesn't do this food any justice!

The Coco de Camarones is a Spanish flatbread topped with baby shrimp, spinach, aged Manchego cheese, garlic and olive oil.  Very flavorful and savory!

Room for dessert?  Of course!  We decided on the traditional churros, a Spanish fried donut that was served with dark chocolate and vanilla crème anglaise.  The two elegant dipping sauces were a nice touch and it was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.  

Overall, I would say it was a successful night.  We planned a fun and engaging party for the kids, and we had a great meal with lots of laughter on the side.  Thanks for a great night, girls!