The September Dinner Party Menu

Hi everyone! The b is BACCKKKK after a really rough first trimester. For anyone who hasn’t kept up on my page…I’m PREGNANT! Due with our baby boy in January 🙂 I’ve had this idea for so long and it took me months to get back into the kitchen and get this going. So that being said, I’m SO excited to launch my new series, The Art of the Dinner Party, where I not only share my love for feeding my loved ones restaurant quality recipes, but I share 3 original seasonal recipes PLUS how to time them out so you can have a seamless, stress-free time! Something about me is that I’m an avid dinner party thrower. I actually prefer this to going out to dinner nowadays (especially with a baby on the way!) because I enjoy cooking, drinking wine (not pregnant, but something I dearly miss,) and socializing in the comfort of my own home in comfortable clothes. I love knowing I don’t have to uber or drive home and can just chill and enjoy some of my favorite people.

That being said, I used to hate throwing dinner parties. Not because I didn’t like the cooking, but because I was SO OVERWHELMED by timing things out appropriately. When I started hosting people, I spent many dinner parties hovered over the stove and not even enjoying myself. And that’s why I wanted to launch this series. There’s plenty of recipes online, but there are few guides that outline how to put together an entire menu and prepare elements ahead of time so you can have a seamless, stress-free party. Of course, this doesn’t mean your dinner party will be completely free of cooking or being in the kitchen, but it does mean you’ll have a plan outlined and as much preparation done so that you actually know what to expect and how to time things out so you can enjoy yourself.

I hope you’re as excited about this as I am! Each month I will post 3 recipes using seasonal ingredients and compile them in a PDF booklet. You will also get a printable menu for your party if you so wish to have a menu copy for everyone! In addition to that, I will outline what you can make ahead and the best timeline to prepare certain elements ahead of time. I am a very visual learner. I overthink written instructions all the time because I need to see how things are done. So, that’s why with every monthly booklet, you’ll also get a free YouTube episode where I show you how to make all recipes and show you how to time them out! Gosh, I am so pumped about this lol. AND if you don’t feel like making the entire menu and would rather dabble and try one recipe at a time, do not fret! You can still use individual recipes from the booklet and click the appropriate time stamp in the video for the recipe tutorial.

Some logistical notes: when I host dinner parties, it’s usually for anywhere from 4-8 people, so I’ve designed each recipe in this series to serve 6-8 people. You can adjust accordingly if you are serving more people. I always like to have 1-2 extra portions just incase people want leftovers. Each dinner party booklet has an appetizer/side recipe (depends on the menu if its an appetizer or side,) an entrée and a dessert. Another thing I didn’t include in this series is the snack stations that I always have at my dinner parties to kick things off. I usually go with cheese plates and put some notes in my PDF guide so you can make the best one for your party!

YAY!! Ok, now that all being said, I hope you know how much this series and new menu guide project means to me. This does take lots of time and effort on my part and I’m giving all of this for free, so that being said, I’d really really appreciate it if you could subscribe to my YouTube Channel and also share this fun new series with your friends if you find it useful. I hope you find a need for it as much as I have and that it helps you feel less intimidated when hosting parties.

Now here is the booklet that I worked my little tushy off on! It’s most helpful when paired with the video tutorial. I am SO CONFIDENT in you with all these resources that you’ll slaaaaaayyy the day with your dinner party! HAPPY COOKING