So much to catch up on after the holiday week!

I've been wanting to write a post focused on hosting for a while. Bringing people together for meals is one of my greatest joys, and I've learned some important lessons and tips over years of hosting gatherings. :)

1. Get yourself ready first - Prioritize taking care of yourself before guests arrive. Enjoy a cup of coffee, get dressed in a comfortable outfit, and have a big glass of water nearby at all times during prep. 

2. Delight is more memorable than perfection - Guests will remember what brought them joy, not what was perfect. Some examples of moments of delight: making someone's favorite dish, a cute cheese knife for the charcuterie board, a great playlist, surprise candles and cake on someone's birthday.

3. Cook what you know - The menu should be mostly well-tested and familiar recipes to avoid stress and last minute emergencies. I will only test out a new recipe when hosting if I'm also making something I've practiced many times. 

4. Always have a backup - I love having frozen foods on hand just in case of a cooking mishap. A frozen pizza and some appetizers that can be quickly heated up are a great solution for any cooking issues that might arise!

5. Pre-made prep - I always keep frozen chocolate croissants in the freezer. When guests are on their way, I pop them into the oven. That way, there's always something freshly baked when they arrive and the house smells like a cozy cafe :)

Friendsgiving

Since 2018 I have been hosting a holiday gathering at my house for friends, usually on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It's always the highlight of my year. I think that as we get older, maintaining the habit of coming together as a group at least once per year is a really special thing. The first day of Friendsgiving is all about dinner, and then over the weekend we either hang around the house or go on a day trip.

This year I purchased an Instax camera on sale for Black Friday. I set up a large cork board in the dining room so that guests could take photos and pin them on the board in real time. By the end of the weekend, the whole board was full of wonderful candid memories. I'm definitely going to do this again next year. :)

I spend all year brainstorming the menu and decor for Friendsgiving. I usually start baking a couple days before the weekend festivities begin.

Morning coffee and cookie prep. I freeze my shortbread cookies in a tray before baking so the design doesn't disappear while they bake.

My fruit and cheese spread this year was inspired by an episode of Dinner with Friends I watched recently on YouTube.

Spanakopitakia <3 You can view my Galazio Kitchen episode on how I make them here: https://warpcast.com/galazio/0x24b886f5

The dinner menu: spanakopitakia, mashed potatoes, caramelized sweet potatoes with raisins, brown rice stuffing (veg and non-veg), spicy garlicky sauteed green beans, cranberry sauce, whole roasted chicken and roasted chicken thighs

I keep dessert relatively simple so we can all relax after dinner. I served two of my favorite pies from Whole Foods: pumpkin pie and mixed berry pie. My friends also brought donuts! I added the remaining sugared cranberries, olives, and cheese to the coffee table as well.

After dinner we all went into the living room to have dessert and watch the finale of the Great British Baking Show. Part way through the episode, the first snow of winter started! We all went outside to run around in the snowflakes. It was definitely one of my favorite memories with my friends ever. <3

Saturday Morning

I woke up early on Saturday and made a pot of coffee and prepped some cinnamon rolls so they'd be ready when my friends woke up. 🙂 If you've read any of my other posts, you know I love sitting on the porch while sipping my coffee. The forest was lightly dusted with sparkling snow.

I used canned cinnamon rolls to keep things extra simple. My tip: Unroll them, cut them in half, and then re-roll them to yield twice as many mini rolls.

Kittery, Maine

On the Saturday afternoon we went on a day trip to Kittery, Maine. We first stopped by one of my favorite restaurants in Kittery: Bob's Clam Hut.

My favorite order is a lobster roll with butter and fries. I love that they include pickles as a side. In the summer, their chocolate whoopie pie is also a favorite of mine!

After we ate, we went to the beach at Fort Foster to watch the sunset. There is something about a beach in winter that I really love. The freezing balmy air smells of salt. The landscape is gray meanwhile the ocean reflects the neon colors of the sky.

Before heading home, we did some window shopping at the Kittery outlets. I spent so long looking at these Le Creuset braisers. The colors are gorgeous! I'd like to save up for one someday :)

Thank you for reading and Happy New Year! I appreciate you taking the time to read my posts and I'm excited to continue sharing here in 2025. I wish you all the best for the year ahead <3