Make it a Moment: Dinner with Girlfriends
I had the best time catching up with a dear friend of mine last night. She’s been so supportive since I started Something to Host and I wanted to say thank you the best way I know how, hosting of course!
When I have friends over for dinner, I love leaning into seasonal recipes that are easy and don’t require a lot of fuss. I start by planning the main dish and then determine the appetizers and dessert from there.
A good salad is one of my go-tos and the Defined Dish’s harvest salad is a must try, especially if you’re a Sweet Green lover like me. Grab the Comfortable Kitchen cookbook for the recipe. To make it even easier, I bought dressing instead of making it (local MKE gals, go to Sendik’s and get Drench’s citrus honey vinaigrette, its light and pairs perfectly with the harvest salad flavors). The salad includes lacinato kale (make sure you remove the stem and massage with EVOO, don’t skip this step), roasted sweet potato, honey crisp apple, pistachios and goat cheese. I put my own little spin on it by adding dried cranberries for a little extra sweetness. I also skip the rice.
Nothing pairs better with a nice fall salad than a loaf of good bread with EVOO and flaky sea salt. Well except maybe fries, but I didn’t have time for that haha so I got a loaf from a local bakery.
For the appetizer, I wanted something light and took inspiration from what they serve with cocktails in Italy- potato chips, olives, and nuts. Castelvetrano olives are the best, but any olive will do. For the chips, I grabbed fresh homemade chips from our local grocery store. While any nut works, I typically like marcona almonds. I didn’t see any of these at the store so I grabbed cashews instead.
Sticking with the European inspiration, I wanted something light for dessert and thought macaroons were perfect as a little treat.
Serve with your drink of choice and your good to go! My hosting essentials made it easy for me to pull this together quickly. Looking for go-to pieces to help you host with ease? I’ve curated my favorite pieces to take the guesswork out of hosting. Shop my hosting essentials here.
As a little thank you, I made a goodie bag with some of my friend’s favorite things- a crisp sauvy b and diet coke. I added eye masks, gummy bears, and dark chocolate as little extras with a handwritten note as a personal touch. If you’re interested in custom goodie bags, please contact me, I’d love to help! Goodie bags are a great way to make your friends, family, and guests feel special and the options are endless.
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