When it comes to hosting holiday parties, I always start my menu with a cheese plate. Dinner parties, cocktail parties and open houses – you better believe there will be cheese at all of them! This year for holiday entertaining, I thought it would be fun to take a different approach to the cheese plate and try a brand new way to serve my favorite cheese board components.
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Thanksgiving is three weeks away. I know what you’re thinking: how is that possible? Am I the only one that feels like this year has flown by and the holidays just popped up out of nowhere? The countdown is on for turkey day and some celebrations, like the annual friendsgiving party we attend, are sneaking up even sooner! To help you prepare I’ve been digging for some of the cutest (and affordable) autumn-inspired entertaining pieces to zhush up your home for guests. Shop them all in the gallery below, and tell me what your Thanksgiving plans are in the comments — who is hosting?!
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I am continuing on my mission to create to tasty recipes that are toddler-approved, while still being enjoyable for the adults at the table too. Jane, like most kids (and adults), is a big fan of macaroni and cheese. I recently made my classic homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, and stirred in some leftover butternut squash pieces and a few dashes of cinnamon while the pasta and cheese were still piping hot. The butternut squash melted into the sauce and created a sweet, seasonal spin on my favorite pasta dish. It was such a hit that I made it again for a family party this weekend, and it was a hit with both the kids and the grown-ups at the party.
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Okay friends, it’s Friday! We made it. Pour yourself a glass of wine, make yourself a nice little cheese plate, and put your feet up. I’ve got some recent blog posts and links for you to read as you unwind and get ready to kick off the weekend!
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I just peeked at the calendar and realized we’re coming up on our two-year anniversary of living in our house at the end of this month. It feels crazy that we’ve been here that long, and at the same time it also feels like recently it’s truly started to feel like our home. Part of that feeling comes from completing some big house projects this summer — we finally have a master bedroom! As that project wrapped up, we’ve been putting the finishing touches on a guest bedroom update too. The guest bedroom was our bedroom for the first year and a half we lived here, and now that we have our own space it needed a refresh.
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I’ve been blogging for almost 9 years now and in that near-decade span of time, I’ve never once written a post about Halloween entertaining ideas! Halloween, as a holiday, seems to lose a little bit of luster in those years between college-style costumed celebrations and when you pick it up again as a mom on the trick or treating route. After my post-college hiatus, my interest in this spooky holiday has been reignited as we get ready to celebrate it as parents with Jane.
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If I scan a restaurant menu and see anything, I mean anything, that has a brown butter sauce poured over it then I stop right there and close the menu — I know what I’ll be ordering. What is brown butter? Essentially it’s just butter that is cooked over medium-high heat until browned and foamy, which brings out the sweet and savory flavors and tastes delicious drizzled over pasta and seafood and steak. I decided to take this tasty technique and give it an autumnal spin for an easy weeknight dinner: Brown Butter Pumpkin Ravioli.
Our favorite candy and sweets filled holiday is right around the corner and I’m getting prepared with some Halloween recipe ideas. My friends at Peapod challenged me to come up with a Halloween treat that was both gluten-free and nut-free, and still delicious for all to enjoy. I love challenges like this because I feel like I’m on one of those competitive cooking shows, and nothing gets my creative juices flowing like friendly-competition. We actually have quite a few relatives who are gluten-free for health reasons, so I happened to know that my classic marshmallow crispy treat recipe starts with all gluten-free ingredients: butter, marshmallows, and crispy rice cereal.
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Please note: This post was created in partnership with Marshalls; all opinions are my own.
Something wonderful happened this week. The temperature began drop just a bit and that crisp New England air felt distinctly like the arrival of autumn. I always have a mixed reaction to the changing of the seasons; I get a little sad putting away the beach chairs and watching the ice cream shops close up their doors. There is no better season though, in my opinion, than fall in New England.
Our house, located in a coastal town, tends to skew summery when it comes to décor. In fact, when I recently shared some updates about a big bedroom renovation, I decorated with a summer-escape in mind – I even framed pictures of vintage bathing suits! So with the change of the seasons, it felt like the right time to swap out a few accessories to give our space a cozy, autumnal update. I popped into Marshalls for some inspiration while out running errands, and as always, left with a shopping cart full of surprises.
I found the coziest plaid throw for the reading nook area in our bedroom, and used that as starting point for my autumn-update! I love that it looks like a rich wool throw, but it’s actually way softer (and the price tag was amazing too – under $20!).
I found a few more fun accessories at Marshall’s to finish off the space; a crewel work pillow, some rustic wood accessories, and mixed in my own pieces like a vintage painting, books, and touches of brass. My favorite find of the day? An adorable pot with a sleepy little face on it – a steal at $4.99 – that I promptly filled up with Halloween candy.
Can’t wait to crack into a book with a cup of coffee in this new cozy little nook! Head over to the Marshall’s blog for more details on my finds and this reading-nook updated.
While it may seem like the holiday season is months away, in blogger world we get started on our holiday projects early (in fact, I’m busy testing some thanksgiving recipes this week to prepare!). One thing getting my in that holiday mindset is the fact that a recipe I worked on for Family Circle Magazine, featuring Torani Syrups, Domino and C&H Sugar is out on newsstands today! I’m flipping through the pages and getting inspired for the coming months. Grab a copy and check out my sweet holiday creation inside, a Chestnut Praline Frappe!
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