dining under october skies

I have always enjoyed hosting little get togethers but all too often time gets away, parties don’t get planned and general busyness fills up those calendar boxes.

A girl’s weekend trip to the Belong Tour this summer reminded me that I get to choose how I want to use my time and spending time in community needed to fill a few more of my boxes.

So when I scrolled down my instagram feed and saw this amazing dinner party I was inspired to create a little magic of my own.

I poked around Pinterest to get some inspiration for a fall flavored menu.  I needed the recipes to be fairly simple with a hint of fancy and here’s what I decided on…

I often make salads with candied walnuts and dried fruit but have never tried the combination of dried apricots and pistachios… such a delightful twist.  The salad dressing is what really makes this harvest salad stand out.  I substituted a blood orange olive oil in for additional flavor and it turned out amazing.

Speaking of olive oils… pour a little of this heaven with a sprinkle of truffle salt for a bread dipping experience that is oh so tasty (sorry Whole 30 friends)

I was going to do a roasted root vegetable dish but decided to rely on a classic instead. These parmesan herb roasted redskins go with everything and hold up great for leftovers the next day too.

Another easy-peasy veggie recipe.  There’s hardly any prep involved with roasted asparagus and they only need to be in the oven a short time before your guests arrive.

The main dish is a great way fancy up a baked chicken breast.  I used fresh spinach, feta and cream cheese for the flavorful filling.  I ended up cutting the breasts in half since we had so many other sides to fill up the plate.

And there you have it… a most delicious medley everyone enjoyed.  The best part… it really only took me a couple of hours to make it all.

A couple of our guests brought warm apple crisp and homemade pumpkin cheese cake with a ginger snap crust for dessert… such a sweet way to end a most fantastic fall evening.

While the food was delicious and the atmosphere charming… really the company of people you don’t see often enough is what was most wonderful.  I couldn’t have asked for a more magical fall night under the October stars.
 
I wanted to blog about this because I need to remind myself that nights like this are important to make happen.  Yes, they take time to plan – Yes, it’s hard to find a date where all your friends can attend – Yes, it takes energy to get your nest looking lovely… but YES they always end up being the nights you remember and cherish.
 
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