Friendsgiving

    It seems fitting that my first blog post happens to be about my favourite season. Even though we are in the midst of winter and a brand new year, I still can't help but think about fall!
Perhaps it's the fall colours changing, the cozy sweaters and scarves that you've been waiting to wear, everything pumpkin spice and all the yummy comfort, good-for-the-soul food!
Oh and the fact that my favourite fall holiday is Thanksgiving!
    Family feasts and get togethers that go into all hours of the night! The dictionary meaning of Thanksgiving is "the expression of gratitude for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year."

    This time of year also makes me want to throw party after party; and one of those parties I have titled Harvest Dinner. The last few years, since children have come into our lives, it has turned into Harvest Lunch, but it is still loads of fun!

    It is a celebration for my girlfriends that has been happening for the past 13 years (maybe more), and to let them know how much I love them and appreciate their friendship. And who am I kidding, it's an excuse to eat a lot of food and have a great day laughing and reminiscing!

    I pull out all the stops; from cooking all the food (except I usually hand dessert over to my sister), to setting a beautiful table, to special little parting gifts for my friends to remember the day. It's all in the details and that's what makes me happy.
    I am usually already thinking and preparing in my head six months before the actual day; which is usually held in October.

   I love sorting through recipes and looking for decor inspiration in books, magazines and Pinterest, and then eventually bringing those ideas to life, while putting my own little spin on it! 
   Here on It's Part Of The Plan, I am going to share this Harvest Lunch with you all, as well as future parties, and I hope you become inspired to set a special day aside for your best friends to say thank you!
   Let's start with the menu! It was a menu filled with comfort food and new recipe ideas and I always start with a little something something to hold us over until dinner is ready. We had cheese and crackers with a red pepper chilli spread, roasted chestnuts, almonds and olives. 
   I always like to serve a signature cocktail as well, and I went with a Pumpkin Apple Cider Sangria. I got the recipe off Pinterest www.pinterest.com and tweaked it a little bit to accommodate what I had on hand, and it was delicious. Nothing says fall more than apples, pumpkins and cider.

    Here is the version I did: 
                              1 cup fresh cranberries
                              1 Granny Smith and 1 Honeycrisp apple, chopped/sliced
                              1 Pear, chopped/sliced
                              1 sprig of rosemary
                              1 cup Pumpkin Apple Cider (found at Walmart) or Apple Cider
                              1 750ml bottle sparkling white wine
                              1 750ml bottle white wine
       *combine all ingredients except sparkling wine in a large pitcher and let sit in refrigerator for a at least 4 hours. Once ready to serve your guests, add the bottle of sparkling wine, stir and enjoy!
       * I added a bit more than 1 cup of cider because I wanted to taste more of it.
    The first course of the meal was a Roasted Cauliflower Soup, which was a very easy and tasty recipe. I will be making it again for sure.

    We then moved onto a family style serving of Mushroom Stuffing, Chicken stuffed with Dates and Blue Cheese, and Roasted Green Beans. All very easy recipes and most could be prepared ahead to help free up the day of the party.
     Like I said before, my sister was in charge of dessert, and she prepared Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Rolls. We have a friend who is gluten intolerant, and I also adapted some of my recipes to include gluten free elements so she could enjoy the same meal as all of us. It always makes it easier for the host to know about guests who have special food requirements. It shows that you care and makes them feel special without being a burden.

    After all, the key to throwing a great party, is to make your guests feel like family and your house to feel like a home. The day turned out to be a lot of fun! With lots of reminiscing, story-telling and making new friendships, our hearts and bellies were full!