It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with Christmas around here. I mean, I don’t have difficulty finding an excuse to celebrate on a good day, but Christmas is the be all and end all for me. So you can imagine my disappointment come January each year when all of the hooplah is over. It’s usually a bit of a rough month around here. But no longer! Because I had a plan: a simple post-holiday dinner party to celebrate my nearest and dearest for no reason at all, other than the fact that it’s a great way to get through the post-holiday blues. I recently teamed up with the amazing Kendall-Jackson to put together this light and bright event, and I of course asked my sweet Heidi Lau to capture it all.
The concept was simple: an easy (emphasis on easy) dinner party for just a handful of my favourite people. Wine was of course abundant (the secret to any successful dinner party), but when it came to the menu I wanted to focus on comfort food. The stick to your ribs type goodness that’s totally and completely acceptable to indulge in during the wintry months. I mean, insulation and all, am I right?
The menu focused on classic-with-a-twist items:
:: Pear, honey and thyme crostinis, paired with a crisp Chardonnay
:: Red wine and sausage bolognese, paired with a bold Cabernet
:: A simple garden salad to finish the meal
:: And dark chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips, and a shot of milk for dessert (because who doesn’t love milk and cookies?)
The best part was that most everything could be made the day before. Which meant that day-of I was able to sit back, relax, and actually enjoy my company in lieu of fussing around in the kitchen.
Apart from wine being a major player when it comes to any dinner party, I wanted to add a few thoughtful layers that wouldn’t break the bank, and go easy on my stress levels. I created simple rosemary sea salt party favours, that pulled double duty as place cards. And sent my guests home with boxes filled with leftovers at the end of the evening.
All in all, it was a slam dunk of an evening, and I’m legitimately thinking this may need to become a yearly tradition. Good wine, great company, and a big ol’ bowl full of pasta. What could be better? And stay tuned in the coming weeks, because I’ll be sharing all of my recipes, DIY’s, printables and the like!
This post is in partnership with Kendall-Jackson
Photography: Heidi Lau | Design & Styling: Lark & Linen
Flowers: Sweet Woodruff | Pink Glasses: West Elm | Wine Glasses: Spiegelau | Runner: Zara Home | Salt Cellar: The Drake General Store | Gilded Tray: Zara Home | Plates: Ikea | Textured Bowls: Zara Home | Napkins: Zara Home | Gold Cutlery: Zara Home
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