The holidays are over, but hear me out—I don’t want the party to end! 

As a serial hostess, I’m always looking for an excuse to entertain my friends and loved ones, which is why I’ve decided that this winter I will be planning at least one small, cozy dinner party. I envision the setup to be moody and earthy. The table will be filled with my favorite vintage brass candlesticks and my favorite tapers from Creative Candles, and it will be set with brown transferware, brown glasses, and a large piece of brown gingham that I will use as a tablecloth. I love the idea of using vintage and thrifted finds to execute my vision; they create a warmth to the table for my friends to gather.

The beauty about this party is that it’s all about make-ahead recipes. I’ve learned the hard way that when you don’t do enough prep ahead of time, you’re spending too much time in the kitchen and not enough time socializing with your guests (as was the case with me over the holidays!). 

Before dinner, we will gather in our living room for cocktails and appetizers.  To make things easy, I will be batching cocktails with my favorite freezer door old fashioned and red wine sangria recipes. Our appetizers will include a must-have crowd favorite, figgie piggies (because what’s a party without some pigs in a blanket?!), mixed nuts that will feature my spiced pecans, and a creamy pistachio herb dip with veggies.

For dinner, the menu will include beef bourguignon served with buttermilk biscuits as well as a steaming pot of Italian wedding soup and a crisp green salad. These are all easy recipes to make-ahead earlier in the week and are perfectly hearty for this time of year. 

We will end the evening with a movie and dessert. My plan is that we’ll watch Julie and Julia, the feel good film that weaves together two true stories about food ambition and finding purpose. It is entertaining and inspiring, and the new year is the perfect time to watch it again. My sweet treat of choice for the evening? My favorite pineapple upside down cake garnished with Boozy Cherries, of course!