Friendsgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
In my opinion, It’s a really good day not to be a turkey.
When I was growing up, we always went to my cousin's house for Thanksgiving. These gatherings would include 50-60 relatives we saw twice a year, food for an army, and outdoor activities for all the guys. It was always perfect, my mom always did the most and got everyone along. But, since my dad passed away, and since moving to Florida things have changed for my mom and I. We might do things a little different now, but it's still perfect and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Today I’ll be spending time with my boyfriend, Levi, and my mom, Dorothy. Every year my mom comes down to Florida for the winter months. A snowbird one might say. She makes the turkey and brings homemade noodles from scratch that I die for! We always do veggies, pumpkin pie dip, real pumpkin pie, champagne, etc. We usually eat around 12 or 1 pm and then watch a movie while enjoying dessert. It might not seem like a whole lot, but it’s something I look forward to every year. I love that even though we live so far apart during the other 6 months of the year, we’re always together for the holidays. Something I hope to continue even when I don’t live in Fort Myers anymore. And yes that was a hint if I’ve ever seen one.
Moving on to the point of this blog.
Over the past weekend, I hosted my first Friendsgiving with a few of the greatest people I know. Aka my frands. We prepped, we photographed, we photographed again, and then we ate! It was awesome, and they totally understand me. It was like 100% less pressure having all my friends here all day than it is having my mom for 3 hours. Although it wasn’t above and beyond by any means, it was special being with my friends celebrating a year's worth of friendship, growth, and for some of us, GRADUATION! Because my Friendsgiving was filled with 2 awesome collaborations, I wanted to share it with you, recap my pics, and even let you in on my pumpkin pie dip that is to die for. Just sayin’.
A big thanks to the two FEMALE owned companies that worked with me on this Friendsgiving day feast!
Grazing Haus @grazinghaus
SWFL 1st cheese and charcuterie business ran by my friend Ali who specializes in these beautiful platters. Ali provides boxes, platters (pictured here), & grazing tables, and she even delivers!
Add a charcuterie board to your next get together to add ‘wows’ and ‘ahhh’ to the mix
Contact ali at grazinghaus@gmail.com to secure one of these gorgeous plates for your next event
Two funny girls @_twofunnygirls_
HEADQUARTERED in dallas, texas, these gals know how to brand. Two funny girls specializes in monogramming + personalizing party goods such as cups, napkins, coasters, etc.
Adding a touch of personalization to your next party or event is a fun way to make it memorable and your own.
contact Two Funny Girls at info@twofunnygirls.com to elevate your next soiree.
Pumpkin Pie Dip
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 can pumpkin pie filling
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Mix cream cheese and confectioners sugar until smooth
Mix in pumpkin pie filling and spices until blended
Serve with gingersnaps, gram crackers, apple slices, etc
Enjoy
refrigerate leftovers
I hope you enjoyed my post! If you'd like to reach out please do not hesitate. For personal & business inquiries you can reach me on my email, restandriesling@gmail.com, you can leave a comment through my contact page, or you can find me on Instagram @restandriesling.
Check back to my website, new posts usually come weekly. So stick around, your support means more than you know.
For now, I've got to go get some R e s t & R i e s l i n g.