Double The Fun This Year By
Hosting a Friendsgiving
With the holiday season approaching, we all are eagerly awaiting the long four-day weekend to visit our families and enjoy a deliciously cooked appetizing turkey along with a table lined with a variety of scrumptious Thanksgiving recipes. Sounds mouthwatering, right? It sure does to us.
But who said you couldn’t double up and enjoy the day twice? The only thing better than a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner is an early Friendsgiving dinner with friends. We dare say that 2020 could be the perfect year for you to start a tradition with your closest friends. With the ongoing pandemic and the hustle and bustle of life, we could all use a little safe distraction. Why not host an intimate Friendsgiving! Whether you prepare a turkey, a roast or prefer a vegan meal, planning a Friendsgiving this year before the actual Thanksgiving dinner is a great way to kick off the holiday season. Who would say no to a delicious home-cooked meal? Especially if it’s with your besties. Wondering how you can add another get-together without too much-added stress? Here are a few tips and Friendsgiving ideas that will help you out.
NEVER DO IT ALONE
The first tip to a stress-free Friendsgiving is to not do it alone! Preparing a party centered around food and drink is not a small task. Just because you are hosting the party doesn’t mean you must do all the work. You need to enjoy the party too. Your friends would be more than happy to pitch in. Tap into what each of your guests is strong at. One may be a good decorator. Let him/her plan the perfect table decor. Another may have a fantastic recipe for pecan or apple pie. Let him/her be in charge of bringing dessert. Another friend may be an amateur sommelier or bartender. Let that person be in charge of serving and explaining the wine and making other cocktails. Instead of asking everyone to bring a dish, let each friend bring a little of themself to make a team effort. They will feel invested and proud to be part of this new tradition. IT’S A SPECIAL FRAMILY DAY and everyone can offer something!
PLAN EVERYTHING AHEAD
The secret to enjoying your own party is to plan, plan, plan ahead. You don’t want to leave all the cooking and preparing for when your guests arrive. You want your Friendsgiving to go as smoothly as possible so you can enjoy it as much as everyone else. The best way to do that is to plan everything ahead.
Make a list of what needs to be done. Check things off as they are done. It always feels better.
Shop early or at off hours. Lines at the grocery store get crazy during the holidays. Check your grocery list off as early as possible.
Assign certain duties to certain friends. From sending out invites to bringing disposable containers, assign everything to be sure things turn out great on the actual day.
Take out all your serving dishes, trays, silverware and glasses out the day before. This will help you plan what dish goes where and you are not frantically searching for a gravy boat from last Thanksgiving.
Prepare any dishes that can be made in advance in the morning or the day before. Most side dishes can be ready or almost ready and then just heated when your guests arrive.
Make sure you plan what gets heated and/or cooked when. If you have a lot of side dishes that all need the oven or stove at the same time you will surely have an issue. Have a logical plan of what can be finished and when. Finish a couple of dishes at a time so it doesn’t get overwhelming. Place them on the table with a covering as they are ready.
Ask whoever is bringing food to prepare as much as possible at home so everyone doesn’t need to be cooking their dish when they get there.
SET THE SCENE
Now it is time to set the scene. You want to create a mood so everyone fits and enjoys the environment. A mingling environment is great, especially if you have a larger group of friends. Set up a table in the corner with snacks and chips or appetizers that they can munch on while socializing with one another.
Avoid seating charts. Let your friends mingle here and there and interact openly without any restrictions. Light some candles. Add some flowers and branches from your backyard. If you have Halloween décor still lying around, add it as well. What are your friends going to say? Spooky Friendsgiving – we like the sound of that as well!
BOOZE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND-GIVING
Ahh! Of course, the booze! What is a friend’s gathering without booze? Your personalized Thanksgiving menu, the new Friendsgiving menu, won’t be complete without a selection of different drink options. From tequila and vodka to wine and beer, stock up on everything!
Check out our Framily Night Pinot Noir for your special day as well. Every element, from the aroma to the crispy and refreshing taste, is remarkable. It will definitely keep you and your friends talking all night long.
FUN GAMES
No friends gathering is complete without fun games. Sometimes the night can get quiet or stale especially after a big meal. Have backups in place. Play cards or fun games of charades, Cards Against Humanity or any other game appropriate to your crowd – anything that would keep the mood going and get people to interact and laugh.
GIVE YOUR FRIENDS LEFTOVERS
There is no need to stock up your fridge with a ton of leftovers. The best technique is to let your friends make their own doggy bags for the night and deal with the leftover. Some inexpensive to-go boxes are a perfect way to let everyone know it’s ok to help themselves. Inspire them to make their own “food favor”.
FRIENDS BECOME FAMILY!
If we’re lucky, with years of friendship, friends become family. We all have that certain group of friends that we consider FRAMILY because they are nothing less than that. So why not celebrate the fun of delicious meals, childhood stories and some wine for the holiday season. Let us turn up the celebration this year because we all deserve it. Take out your notepads and start planning today.
