dinner is served.

I seriously love entertaining. I love having all my friends around. I love sipping {a little too much} wine. I love laughing over good stories and memories. I love cooking {lots of} yummy food. I would do it once a week if I could {and I try to as much as possible}. It's absolutely one of my favorite ways to spend an evening. 

Menu planning is such a fun part of the process. I peruse new recipes, pick a general theme, and put all the pieces of the evening {decor, food, drink, dessert, presentation} together like a little puzzle. While entertaining can be made into a bit of a process, a simple menu and a little planning can make it easy peasy! Here's how I did it this past weekend:

I threw some burlap table runners {leftovers from a wedding = awesome work perks} on the table, topped it with a fall scented candle, a pumpkin tree from Trader Joe's and served dinner on simple white dishes. I promised my friends that at some point I will have a dining room table with proper seating, but for now we're stuck eating around the coffee table... oh well! 

Do you have a favorite go-to dinner menu or do you like to switch it up every time?

Tonight I'm hosting book club and tackling lots of "homemade" chinese food takeout :) 

recipes: Roast Chicken and Creamy White Beans, Green Beans with Gorgonzola and Basil Vinaigrette,  Honey Whiskey Carrots, Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting