Party Inventor
Gina Deutsch
Northbrook
Age: 39
Why she’s entertaining: The Deutsches’ Christmas party, now in its 11th year, draws together more than 200 of the family’s friends in their two-story home, complete with a heated tent, two bars with four different martini spouts, decorated high-top tables, a gambling table and a hilarious, much-looked-forward-to “Naughty and Nice” gift exchange.
Entertaining partner: Her husband/chef Brad makes the appetizers for the Christmas party – bacon gruyere cups, goat cheese spread and parmesan crisps with blood orange, duck and rooster sauce.
“If I had this love [of entertaining] and he didn’t, it wouldn’t be nearly as fun or as easy,” says the Mount Prospect native and mother of three.
Giving back: Every year, the Deutsches collect Toys for Tots at the Christmas party, which their three young sons, Jake, 10, Lucky, 8, and Caden, 6, love delivering to Children’s Memorial Hospital.
Parties aren’t just for grownups: Six years ago when the family was renovating their house, they threw a “Tearing Down the House” party for her oldest son’s 5th birthday. The kids donned construction hats and Home Depot aprons and got to hammer down the basement walls and throw paintballs at huge bull’s-eyes. The party required a long orientation to the effect of “Don’t try this at your own home.”
More recently, the Deutsches threw an “Ace of Cupcakes” 8th birthday party for their middle son who loves to cook. His 17 friends each decorated a dozen cupcakes.
Her cookie habit: “I can’t go anywhere without my homemade cookies,” she says. She makes her famous chocolate-chip cookies and snickerdoodles in double batches in a 6-quart industrial KitchenAid. The result is 15 dozen cookies at a time.
Next party: Deutsch and her husband both turn 40 next summer, so they’re tossing around the idea of an ’80s party (40 + 40, get it?). “We’re already talking about next summer,” says Deutsch. “That’s how crazy we are.”
— Liz Logan
