It seems that it has become more and more common over the last few years to host a “Friendsgiving” before the actual holiday, Thanksgiving. If you’re not familiar with Friendsgiving (and if the name itself didn’t give it away…), this is a time to get together with your closest friends to host your own Thanksgiving feast. I am never opposed to a big home cooked meal or drinking wine with my girlfriends so to combine both worlds was a no brainer.
Last weekend Brooke was gracious enough to host us in her beautiful new place where we all brought different dishes and of course, plenty to drink. Her tablescape was so gorgeous and just perfect for our Friendsgiving meal. I swear, I’ve lived in my house for over 4 years now and barely have my dining room set up (I do also use it as my office so that could be the problem…)! In today’s post I’ll be sharing the tablescape details, great ideas for hostess gifts, my sweet potato casserole recipe, and what each of us wore! So basically anything and everything you need in order to host Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving…
Hostess Gifts
Not only on Thanksgiving but any holiday party or dinner you attend it is always nice to bring a little gift for the hostess. I could not get over how great of job Christina did wrapping these presents! Hello Martha Stewart! She really inspired me to step up my gift wrapping game. My go-to hostess gift is a bottle of wine and I am obsessed with these wine tags, especially the one that says, “this wine pairs well with turkey and difficult relatives”. Hilarious if your family has a sense of humor but if you actually don’t get along with your relatives, well then that would just be pretty awkward… click through for more hostess gift ideas!
The Tablescape
I loved the neutral color palette with hints of copper and gold for our Friendsgiving tablescape. Just add some candles and mini white pumpkins with a simple table runner (or line up four place mats like Brooke did!) and you’re all set!
Sweet Potato Casserole
Every year for Thanksgiving I am in charge of green bean casserole, squash casserole, and sweet potato casserole (I know, we consume a lot of casseroles on Thanksgiving in our household). I have been using the same sweet potato casserole recipe for years and it is incredible! It is actually Chelsea Clinton’s recipe (relax, no political statement being made here, just a great recipe!) and I am breaking down the step by step for you below. Be sure to check out the other girls’ posts for their recipes!
Ingredients:
5 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 eggs well beaten
Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups mini marshmallows (I usually do a little more)
5 Tablespoons butter, melted
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease one or more baking dishes (recipe fills to top a deep 9″ x 13″ dish).
2. Mix together mashed sweet potatoes, melted butter, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and eggs in a large bowl. Spread sweet potatoes in greased baking dish.
3. Now for the topping! In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and marshmallows. Sprinkle mixture on top of sweet potatoes. Drizzle melted butter over marshmallow topping.
4. Bake until sweet potatoes are heated through and topping is puffy and browned (roughly 30-35 min
*Pro tip: if you’re transporting the casserole and know you’ll have to reheat, WAIT to put the marshmallows and buttery brown sugar topping on because if not, the top may turn into a soupy mess. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything… okay MAYBE the marshmallows basically melted by the time I got to Brooke’s and the top turned into a thin layer of sugary butter BUT we learn from our mistakes AND it still tasted delicious. 🙂
What to Wear to Thanksgiving
I’m going to be honest. I planned on wearing an oversized olive turtleneck to Friendsgiving but once I caught wind a couple of others were wearing green, I changed into this navy outfit. Navy is one of my favorite colors to wear and this navy and burgundy striped crew neck tee is so comfortable and only $19! It’s lightweight and loose-fitting making it perfect for a casual Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving at my house is very laid back so I usually wear an oversized sweater to conceal my food baby and pants that stretch because well, I have no self-control. Scroll down for a breakdown of each girl’s Thanksgiving look!
Amanda – The Miller Affect
I just love Amanda’s bell sleeved sweater dress and slouchy boot look! She always looks so cute and her dress even matches the wrapping paper from her present perfectly! So adorable.
Brooke – One Small Blonde
How cute is Brooke’s dog? He was defnitely part of our Friendsgiving meal and kept begging me for food (of course I gave him some – dogs deserve to enjoy Friendsgiving, too!). Brooke’s off-the-shoulder sweater and skinny jeans look is perfect for a casual Thanksgiving outfit!
Christina – Fashion & Frills
I love me some monochromatic outfits and Christina’s head to toe burgundy look is just gorgeous! She also made the most amazing mashed cauliflower dish that I will definitely be making soon. It was so good!
Jaime – The Real Fashionista
I love the asymmetrical cut of Jaime’s sweater dress. She looked so chic with her orange sunglasses and lace up pumps! I have the same pair and wear them all the time. Such a great pair of heels you can wear to work or play!
Lynlee – Gal About Town
Lynlee wore a white chiffon bell sleeve dress with a fringe vest over it and matching boots. A cozy vest like this is always a plus on Thanksgiving- extra material to hide any signs of your food baby!
I had such a great time enjoying this Friendsgiving feast with this wonderful group of girls and am so thankful for their friendship! I hope you enjoyed this post and if you found it helpful, please SHARE it! <3
Thank you for reading!
Facebook | Twitter |Instagram | Pinterest
Photos by: Vanessa Christina Photography
