Thanksgiving is a great time to gather with friends and loved ones.  Since I stopped eating meat this year, I was faced with the challenge of creating a vegetarian menu that would still make you hate yourself the next day.  I invited some friends over for a fanciful feast, and they quickly discovered, like most events I throw, it was all for the blog. The Menu:

Appetizers:

Cheese, crackers and veggies, hummus and dip

Main:

Quinoa stuffed acorn squash rings, recipe here.

Green bean casserole
Sweet potato casserole
Roasted brussel sprouts
Mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy
Sauteed green beans (made by Aimee)
Oyster stuffing (made by Gaelen)
Butternut squash, gluten free mac and cheese (made by Jolie, of course)
Cranberry sauce

Dessert:

Cider donuts
Pumpkin pie
Cookies and Cream Pie (made by Charlene)
Chocolate covered pretzels

Beverages:

Cider mimosas with sugared cranberries
White and red wine
Sparkling cider

To Go Station:

I made plenty of food with the intention of sending everyone home with massive piles of leftovers.  I made the bags using my Cricut and filled them with takeout containers that I got at a party supply store.  Oh, and in the morning I made stuffing waffles with cranberry syrup.

Afterwards, we watched Thanksgiving Unwrapped on the Food Network.  I didn’t take a picture of what everyone looked like on the couch, but it was kind of like this…

Tips for hosting a Friendsgiving dinner:

• Make everything the night before, so all you need to do the day of is throw it in the oven to heat up.
• Set the table!  It feels really nice to sit around a big table and talk, rather than lounge in front of the TV.
  
• To-go stations: It helped me make more room in my fridge by sending everyone home with a plate, and using to go containers eliminates the need to send your guests home with your tupperware.
• Decor: I lit a bunch of candles, and had some Thanksgiving themed decorations throughout the house to give it a homey feel.
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• Obviously you shouldn’t always expect your guests to bring a dish when you’re hosting, but they can help out by bringing a nice bottle of wine, some rolls or a dessert.  If you politely ask, your guests will be more than happy to oblige.Signing off,
  The Hostess with the Mostest