Fancy Adult Dinner Parties
We're at that point in our lives when we are organized enough and are friends with a good group of people who know how to hold a wine glass and we should celebrate that.
One of my best friends lives in a fancy downtown loft apartment with a super chic open patio and has wanted to throw a dinner party for over a year. This weekend she finally got that chance and let me tell you, it was amazing.
We started with a cheese and wine appetizer hour, including a homemade festive sangria that was seriously delicious. Since everyone has different taste in alcohol, guests were invited to bring their preferred drink of choice. This was actually really smart for a lot of reasons, my favorite of which is you end up getting to try a ton of different craft beers or cool wines that other people really enjoy. Obviously you should ask first, don't just drink someone else's stuff because you weren't raised in a barn. Another selfish reason I like the BYOB concept is that a lot of times people forget to take their leftover drinks when they go home, leaving you with tons of free alcohol. This also makes you look like a really good person because when your friends come over later you have their favorite drink.
Along with bringing our own beverages, we were each asked to bring a side dish, which is another great idea especially for the host. Since we as guests were in charge of bringing food, all our hostess had to focus on was the main dish, which was a delicious, and super easy, salmon recipe. There were tons of great sides: pasta salad, green beans, white rice, macaroni and cheese, roasted vegetables, and an apple pie for dessert.
Another reason inviting guests to bring sides is to help accommodate for dietary restrictions. When you send out the invitations, make sure to let guests know what the main course will be in case they need ask for an alternative. By asking people to bring sides, they are guaranteed to like at least one thing on the table, and as someone who is a semi-picky eater, it's just very reassuring to know that I have one side I'll like.
It was so refreshing to relax and enjoy quality time with close friends that I don't get to see that often. Sometimes when you're in your twenties you feel like you're in limbo. You're out of college and on your own so you're technically an adult but you don't know how taxes work and you're still on your parents insurance. Going to or hosting a simple dinner with close friends can be just what you need to feel like you're on the path to true adulthood.