Hosting a Festive Friendsgiving

Thanksgiving is by far one of our favorite holidays here at Two Funny Girls. There’s truly nothing better than having good friends, family and food all in one place. And of course, a lineup of custom cups, napkins and more! We’re sure you’ve seen the recent trend of hosting Friendsgiving, a smaller Thanksgiving celebration that’s for friends that are basically family! We love the idea of taking a holiday that can become easily overwhelming and making it a more simple and casual event. This year, we’re rounding up some of our favorite Friendsgiving recipes, hosting tips and party products to help you become the host with the most!

Let’s Get Party Planning!

Once you’ve decided to host Friendsgiving, the first step is getting the word out there! We’re loving these printable invitations and menus (for FREE) from Oriental Trading. We suggest planning your Friendsgiving to be potluck style, so decorate your menu with general terms like “small plates, sides, main course and dessert”. Your friends will love being able to show off their cooking skills and sharing recipes they love, just make sure you don’t have 6 casseroles showing up to the party!

As the host, you’ll want to provide your guests with a cocktail upon arrival that’s both on-theme and totally Instagram worthy. Whip up a few pitchers of this cranberry sangria and keep them on-hand in the fridge to keep the party going all night long! Stock up on our Friendsgiving foam cups to serve in style. We suggest the ready to order foam cups for party use, as they ship quickly and also allow for easy clean up.

Sip on Sangria:

2 cups Fresh or Frozen Cranberries

1 Bottle of Fruity Red Wine

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Brandy

1 Cup Water

Fresh Cranberries, Orange, Lemon and Lime Slices for Garnish

1 Cup Fresh Orange Juice

Party-Prep:

Bring the cranberries, sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer five minutes or so – until the cranberries pop!

Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, using the back of a spoon to squeeze out juice. Discard any solids.

Transfer the cranberry mixture to a large pitcher

Stir in the wine, brandy and orange juice

Chill for two hours and serve over ice!

Set out garnishes for guests to add fresh and Friendsgiving cocktail stir sticks to keep their drink festive and fresh.

Half the fun of planning Friendsgiving comes from getting to decorate a cute fall table. Hit your local HomeGoods for a festive table runner and your local florist for a centerpiece that’s sure to wow! Direct your guests where to sit with these DIY place-cards from Michelle’s Party Planit.

DIY Place Cards:

Small Wooden Blocks

Canvas Panel

Rotary Cutter

Alphabet Stamps

Ink or Permanent Marker

Wood Stain or Wood Marker

Glue Gun

Get Crafty!

Use the rotary cutter to cut a 1.75h x 2.75w rectangle from the canvas panel.

Construct a small frame by gluing together the wooden blocks.

Stamp guests’ names on the canvas panel – you can either use the alphabet stamps and ink or a permanent marker!

Stain the frame to add some texture and glue the frame onto the canvas.

Friendsgiving Foodies

Now, the main event and reason we all love this holiday! The FOOD! Set up a charcuterie board for guests to nibble on as they arrive (check out Everyday Tables’ Instagram if you need inspiration). As the host, we suggest having a few staples out for snacks and mingling as everyone arrives – then let your guests supplement with their dishes! Our go-to festive fall appetizer is this Smoky Pumpkin Hummus. It’s easy to make and serve, and easy for guests to stand and snack since it doesn’t require a full plate. Instead, lay out some personalized Friendsgiving napkins alongside the hummus and you’re good to go!

Smoky Pumpkin Hummus:

1 Can of Chickpeas, Drained and Rinsed

2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped

1 Can of Unsweetened Pumpkin Purée

1/4 Cup Tahini (Sesame Paste)

2 Tablespoons Adobo Sauce (From Chipotle Chiles Canned in Adobo)

1/4 Cup Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt

Hot Chili Oil

1/2 Cup Hulled and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1/4 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese

Pita Bread, Cut Into Triangles and Toasted

Persian Cucumbers, Quartered Lengthwise

YUM.

In a food processor, whirl the chickpeas, pumpkin, garlic, tahini, adobo sauce, lemon juice, olive oil and salt until smooth. Add more lemon juice and salt as needed.

Transfer hummus to a wide, shallow bowl. Drizzle with the chili oil and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and feta cheese.

Serve with the pita chips and cucumbers!

Gobble ’til You Wobble

You’ll want plates for the main meal so everyone can load up on the Friendsgiving spread. To save yourself time on cleanup and the hassle of having to purchase more plates, we suggest supplying your guests with our custom and cute Thanksgiving plates. TFG tip: get a TON of these! Since you’ll already have Friendsgiving-theme napkins and cups, you can stick with a traditional Thanksgiving plate that can be used on the actual day as well!

If you’re simply attending a Friendsgiving dinner, you don’t want to show up empty handed. Come prepared with this Skillet Green Bean Casserole. The best part is you can bring it straight from the oven and leave it in the skillet for serving or a quick re-heat once you arrive!

While the food, fun drinks and reunion of old friends and new will keep everyone busy, Meaghan of Everyday Tables (the ultimate party host!) suggests having a fun game or something to watch on TV as added entertainment. This could mean planning your event around a football game that’ll be on, or stocking up on fun and easy games like Cards Against Humanity.

When the festivities come to an end, send guests home with a sweet treat like pre-made cookies or holiday candy. You can also purchase sleeves of our ready to ship custom Friendsgiving cups that are shatterproof and reusable. They come in a sleeve of 10, so your friends will love sharing them at their own gathering this year or the next!