I absolutely love entertaining, having and attending parties, and making appetizers. Eating the appetizers tops the list as well, of course!

I always go for cocktail parties because I love the idea of mingling and little bites of food. (I’m going to pretend that if we had a dining table that could fit a meal for four people I would still feel the same way). But whether you are serving a multi-course meal or wine with some simple snacks, here are small ways to make any get-together a little better.

 beverages

• champagne (makes everything more festive)
• signature cocktail (great signature cocktail ideas from Martha)
• a variety of wine and craft beers
• flavored water like cucumber slices or strawberry and orange slices (recently had this at a hotel and it was wonderful)
• something non-alcoholic (iced tea, juice spritzer, sparkling water, etc.)

I can’t give up avocados.

Not just yet. Last week my life changed with a simple little sandwich of whole grain bread + avocado + parmesan – broiled and topped with a fried egg. Thanks to reader Kelli for the suggestion – it is a combination worth trying!

But as much as I loved that sandwich, I needed something new and I had been wanting to combine basil + avocados for quite some time now. Originally I set out to make a avocado inspired pesto, but the feta cheese in the refrigerator caught my eye and I decided that it would be the perfect addition to the spread.

It turned out to be a very tasty addition.

The spread is delicious and so very versatile – it was delicious eaten with crackers and veggies and was just as scrumptious on a burger, I imagine the same would be the case on a sandwich.