Made with Love
Dinner Party Series: February Edition
Saying a loud ‘Hello!’, with a passionate smooch on your cheek. It’s been a while since I’ve last spoken to you, but my love for you dear readers hasn’t dissipated! I have been busy this month with planning and hosting my first monthly dinner party of the year, as promised. If you recall from a previous post of mine I declared that once a month I would host a themed dinner party. This past month, February, holds one of my favorite holidays and I make it a point to celebrate it all month long. Valentines has always been special to me, i’m a romantic to my very core and I love that I am able to freely express and show this love to all. To share the love this month I focused my dinner party around the phrase “Made with Love”.
The idea was to share a full-course meal with friends (Galentines) as well as provide entertainment that was centered around “Made with Love”. I want to dive into the full-course menu only because I selfishly enjoyed this part the most. To me, nothing compares to setting my wine-n–dine playlist to volume 30, throwing open a window, pouring myself a small glass of wine, and pouring my heart into some food! On the menu were bruschetta’s either topped with a goat cheese-strawberry preserve-pomegranate balsamic, or they were topped with a boursin-roasted cherry tomatoes-chili flakes situation. What a perfect pairing. I also set aside a platter of red fruits that were left to marinate in agave a few hours prior. The selected fruits were strawberries, raspberries, and cherries. Because you can’t escape the plethora of fun valentines themed candies (i’m most definitely not complaining) two bowls of ‘candy salads’ were prepped, one with candy and the other chocolates.
I also show my love through a good ‘ol cocktail. If I am being completely transparent though, this one was not one of my best and I have learned to now recipe test before sharing with guests. I went for a Clover Club due to its pink coloration that just screamed, with so much love, “Happy Galentines!” A Clover Club is a gin based cocktail with grenadine, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg whites. Upon my first little sippy sip I discovered how gross it was, and with my friends walking through the door at a moments notice I decided to run to my nearest CVS to pick up a black-cherry seltzer water and an emergency bottle of Rose. Let me tell you… the seltzer water made a world of a difference and is now one of my favorite drinks.
With the drinks and appetizers properly prepared and ready for my gals to eat I could shift my hands to working on the rest of the menu. It wasn’t a lot but for the five of us ladies it worked out very well. For the night I prepared a Sweet Kale salad topped with jammy cherries, pumpkin seeds and dressed in a home-made poppyseed dressing. The main course was Wishbone Kitchens Pink Pasta topped with honey roasted pistachios, and I opted for a rigatoni since it is by far my top 3 noodle shape.
Now that we have been thoroughly acquainted with the menu, I should also introduce the decor/tablescape. With a limited budget and an overwhelming amount of ideas saved on Pinterest I was able to do the best with what I had. I really took inspo from a chocolate covered strawberry, and how romantic those sweet treats can be. The main colors used throughout the party were brown, cherry red, and cream. They were incorporated from the table covers, to the doilies draped around my home. Food was served on silver platters, red heart bowls, and white serving dishes with red lacey napkins for guests to elegantly draped across their laps.
Besides the cooking, decor, and vibes - I also like incorporate some activity. This month, to go alongside the “Made with Love” theme, I decided that each guest should make and bring home a bouquet of flowers. The day of, I ran to trader joes and grabbed a bunch of flowers for the girls to choose from, and I had glass vases and ribbons for them to decorate with. As a girl who has never received a bouquet of flowers from a man, this meant the world to me that my favorite ladies would go home with some.
We had a separate activity, created by my friend Dani who pulled from Tik Tok, the idea to also have a “Jellycat and Thong” exchange. SO FUN! We were each given a name and would purchase a corresponding jellycat and thong for selected girl. I am so obsessed with the Stegosaurus Jellycat and red lacey panties I was gifted. For my girl Mollie (who I was lucky enough to draw) she was given a Cauliflower Jellycat and a green “garden-theme” thong to go with. I was super proud of the Jellycat I got for her because she is also in her cooking era, and to go with the stuffed animal I created a pinterest titled “Flora the Cauliflower” with multiple recipes for her to try out (find that here).
It was truly a wonderful night, and I am continually amazed by my friends. I am so lucky to be able to love and cherish them!
Until next month!
XOXO Lulu