My miniature dachshund George (girl George) is the light of my life. What is a better way to celebrate her and her German heritage than with an Oktoberfest party? A drunken weekend at the real deal in Munich inspired my classic menu: sausages, sauerkraut, soft pretzels and plenty of mustards. And the farmers market inspired my asian pear applesauce which begged to be paired with potato pancakes, creme fraiche & chives. My husband Greg (aka George’s dad) mixed fall cocktails (crowd favorite: ‘the lederhosen’ with muddled cranberry, apple cider, ginger beer, lemon & gin) and of course we also had a hefty selection of Oktoberfest beers. Amy set a beautiful table, shying away from a kitschy interpretation of the theme, instead focusing on all things October: white pumpkins, fall foliage, and greenery. Always the theme-a-holic, I managed to slip in a detail of kitsch with pretzel shortbread, tied up with red, black and yellow, for favors. You have one more week: celebrate Oktoberfest!