“There are friends, there is family, and then there are friends that become family.” Being sisters, we value the importance of family, and as we’ve grown older, we have come to realize family is much more than those we’re simply related to. Consider that friend who shows up unannounced, the neighbors you share a meal with weekly and those who live in the mundane, everyday life, as your biggest cheerleader. At some point, they transitioned from a friend and then they truly became your family. There is no better time to celebrate those special friends than this holiday season. In fact, today we’re sharing how you can honor those friendships with ease by hosting a Halfway Homemade Friendsgiving at Home.
This post is sponsored by Regency Centers, but the content and opinions expressed here are our own.
Invite Them In
“My house is a wreck,” “I don’t know how to host,” “I’m so busy,” “We’re working on a thousand projects,” “I’m not good at planning,” – all too often, we hear from so many of you doubting your capability to host and entertain in your home. From house projects to self-doubt, we’ve realized the idea of perfection is keeping so many of you from opening your door.
We are here to encourage you to invite them in. Don’t wait! Don’t wait to make memories. What turns a house into a home is how you choose to spend your time within the four walls, and we can assure you, welcoming others in it is the main step in being a purposeful host vs. a perfect one.
Halfway Homemade
Over the years, we’ve asked so many of you what your biggest struggles are when it comes to hosting and entertaining in your home. “Being in the kitchen all day,” tops the charts as the biggest struggle, and we’re here to remind you there is a simple hack to spending less time in the kitchen: Go Halfway Homemade.
#HostfulHack: Go halfway homemade. No one ever said you have to make it from scratch to be a thoughtful hostess. However, if you wish to make something homemade, choose one signature recipe. For the others, select ready-made options you simply have to heat up and/or plate.
This Friendsgiving, we partnered with Regency Centers again to create a simple Halfway Homemade Friendsgiving at Home Menu that presents bold flavors, easy ingredients and can be found at any of your local Regency Centers grocer.
No one said you have to make a recipe from scratch to be a thoughtful hostess. Being a thoughtful host means being intentional in the planning stages to ensure your time is spent with your loved ones rather than running around. The truth is, your friend RSVP’d ‘yes’ to connect with you, and connection happens when we let go of perfection in order to be present with intention. This Friendsgiving, consider selecting ready-made recipes, replating them on decorative serveware, and serving with ease!
Your Halfway Homemade Friendsgiving at Home Menu
Halfway Homemade Friendsgiving Menu
Seasonally Prepared Entrée and Sides
Bakery Cornbread or Cornbread Mix
Fresh Fruit
Cheese Ball or Cheese Spread with Crackers
Hearts of Romaine Harvest Salad
Seasoned Sweet Potato Fries
Seasonal Boxed or Baked In-Store Donuts
Seasonal Canned or Bottled Beverages
Seasonally Prepared Entrée and Sides
Bakery Cornbread or Cornbread Mix
Fresh Fruit
Cheese Ball or Cheese Spread with Crackers
Hearts of Romaine Harvest Salad
Seasoned Sweet Potato Fries
Seasonal Boxed or Baked In-Store Donuts
Seasonal Canned or Bottled Beverage
How to Set a Friendsgiving at Home Tablescape
Now that we’ve simplified our menu, it’s time to set the table. While there is no right or wrong way to set the table for Friendsgiving at home, we always want to encourage you to think outside the box, consider the scenery, and aim to elevate your guests’ experience. With that, we’ve broken down our Friendsgiving how-to into 3 main sections: Outdoor Entertaining, Deconstruct the Look and Incorporate Main Dishes.
Outdoor Entertaining:
Fall is the perfect time of year to set the table outdoors! When hosting seasonal events, such as Friendsgiving at home, we love staging a dining room outdoors to enjoy the cool breeze, warm firepit, and color-changing leaves. Outdoor entertaining may feel overwhelming but we can assure you there are ways to simplify the process. For example, use a tray to transport plates of food, drinkware, extra flatware, or whatever else you may need to entertain outdoors. This will save you many trips back and forth from the indoors out.
#HostfulHack: Use a tray to transport plates of food, drinkware, extra flatware, or whatever else you may need to entertain outdoors. This will save you many trips going back and forth from the indoors out.
When designing an outdoor dining space, the goal is to bring the indoors out in order to elevate the guest experience. If you’re hosting dinner under a covered patio, layer an outdoor rug under the dining table as an extension of the inside of your home. Finally, layering decorative pillows and/or setting the table with a large knit throw blanket really softens the space and adds to the overall cozy ambiance.
Deconstruct the Look:
Friendsgiving is a celebration of the friends who have become family, and while we love a sophisticated and polished tablescape, Friendsgiving at home is the perfect time to deconstruct the table décor for an interactive tablescape. An interactive tablescape will allow your guests to interact with the dinnerware, serveware, and enjoy the main dishes family-style. Also, we are believers in using every inch of a dining room table to it’s fullest. This can be achieved by placing stacked dinnerware and serveware in the corners of the table while spreading the main course throughout the center. Guests will enjoy walking around, passing serveware, and indulging in meaningful conversation.
Incorporate Main Dishes:
Have you ever considered incorporating your main dishes as part of your table design? The ambiance is an important element to consider when setting the table and food elevates the sense of smell and sight. Look how beautifully a prepared dish comes together! Strategically prepare your dishes to become a part of your tablescape by using seasonal garnishes, pops of color, and neutral serveware.
For example, we layered fresh pomegranate as a festive seasonal detail on top of the Hearts of Romaine Harvest Salad to bring in a pop of color and transform the recipe.
Also, we strategically placed the sliced Chicken, found at our local Regency Centers grocer, on top of a bed of seasonal vegetables. The colors and details of this dish are truly stunning!
Finally, once prepared, place each dish intentionally as part of your table décor.
Friendsgiving at Home
There are many ways to celebrate Friendsgiving at home, and this year, we want to encourage you to invest your time with the ones who invest in you. Use these tips to simplify your dinner party with halfway homemade recipes from your local Regency Centers grocer, enjoy the great outdoors, and most importantly, show a friend how much they truly matter to you.
Want to recreate our Friendsgiving Tablescape?
Click here to get the look!
Leave a Reply