2 Ways to Host a Holiday Gathering

What I love about the holidays is that we don’t always have to have a big party. Small, intimate gatherings are really special, and quite honestly, they can be quite simple!

Recently we hosted 2 kinds of gatherings in our home:

1. Appetizers. You can ask your friends over for a platter of delicious appetizers and serve a variety of wine. And then head out to your favorite restaurant for the main course!

2. Desserts. Make one yummy, festive dessert that feeds 6-8, and you’re golden! Bring your guests back to your house after eating out for the final touch of the evening! Or, invite friends over for a dessert evening, after everyone’s eaten dinner in their own homes.

For the appetizers, I sort of cheated. Have you ever received a gift basket during the holidays and you rip it open, eating only a few of your favorite items, and the others get pushed off to the side? What I’ve recently learned about appetizer baskets is the companies who send them actually go to a lot of work in pairing the foods together. So what I did was take a Harry & David Northwest Gift Basket that I received, and I used all the products in the basket for this delicious assortment of appetizers.

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2 Ways to Host a Holiday Gathering

I didn’t even have to think about what to buy – my appetizer party was complete!

Head over to Harry & David’s brand NEW blog to read more about how I made this elegant appetizer platter.

For the dessert party, I went with a creative festive dessert that would serve a lot of guests. I didn’t know exactly which of our friends would be coming back to our house for dessert, so whether 6 came (a nice big piece), or 10 (a sliver is all you need), this dessert was moist and perfect for the holidays.

2 Ways to Host a Holiday Gathering

Head on over to KitchenAid’s NEW BLOG to grab my delicious Pear Cranberry Upside Down Cake recipe, and to read more inspiration on hosting a dessert party!

Keeping things simple during the holidays can be a gift in itself. One I’m always ready to receive.

What is your favorite way to entertain during the holidays?