HOSTING FRIENDSGIVING
Hosting Friendsgiving is so much fun!! What a great excuse to celebrate the best holiday twice with your best friends. I personally love hosting and Friendsgiving is a great excuse to have all of your friends over, cook a great meal and enjoy each other's company. Below, I highlighted some tips on what to cook, what to wear and how to decorate!!
W H A T T O C O O K
With Thanksgiving comes A LOT of food so try to simplify your options when planning. Create a list of absolute must haves that you can divide and conquer with the group.
For appetizers, a cheese board is always a fan favorite. Getting a variety of cheeses, nuts, fruits, and some meats makes the perfect cheese board. Wegmans and Di Bruno Brothers also have pre-made boards which is perfect if you’re looking for a quick app!
Next, pick a salad that everyone will enjoy. For the season, I would probably go with some kind of apple, walnut, and maple vinaigrette salad.
For the main dish obviously turkey is the way to go. Some places actually have cooked turkey which is definitely easier than trying to cook one on your own. I would go that route to save time and avoid some kind of disaster in the kitchen (lol!). Trader Joe’s has a half turkey fully cooked and gravy as well. All you have to do is heat everything up!!
Next, the best part of the whole meal, the sides!! Let's be real… Mac and cheese, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and dinner rolls are probably the main ones I would focus on. Making mac and cheese and mashed potatoes in the crock pot is definitely an easy way to make in bulk. For the friends that do not cook, cranberry sauce and dinner rolls are the easiest thing to grab and go.
Last but not least, we cannot forget about dessert!! If you want to keep it simple, buy premade pies such as pumpkin pie or apple pie. I always love to support a local bakery for a yummy pie. For those that like to bake, an easy one to make is banana bread and you can make it festive with chocolate chips or add pumpkin puree to the mix.
W H A T T O W E A R
Depending on the type of Friendsgiving you are hosting can determine the attire. You can either go the cute and cozy route or dress up! We have a TON of options in store and online at Stile. For the cozy girls, I’d go with a cute sweat set. For the always-overdressed girls, opt for some leather pants or a fun sweater. Here are some options and variety for whatever you want!!
H O W T O D E C O R A T E
Decorating can seem like a difficult task for some but I think this is another thing that can be kept simple so you do not feel overwhelmed hosting a party. Most importantly, you want to make sure you have a table big enough for everyone to fit. Cover it with a nice tablecloth - this will make it look more appealing and put together. After placing the tablecloth down, adding candlesticks, little mini pumpkins and some kind of flowers in the middle of the table is simple and chic.
Trader Joe’s has a gorgeous and inexpensive flower selection - you can buy small vases and put together your own flower arrangements! If you want to go all out you can do name cards or place settings. If possible, set up a station for all of the food away from the table. I also love getting cute napkins to have with the cheese board and apps.
Lastly, have your friends BYOB, get a beverage tub and fill it with ice for all the wine and drink selections. You can buy drink dispensers and tubs at Target for a very reasonable price.
