One thing that moving away from our hometown has (luckily) brought us is a constant influx of visitors. We love to entertain (hello did you see the entire last third of Housewarming: A Guide to Creating a Home You Adore ???) so having house guests multiple times a month has been an absolute pleasure. Given that we live 20 minutes from the nearest decent grocery store and have very few restaurants around, it also means we’ve gotten creative with the dinners we’re having when we have company.

Back in New Orleans, we wouldn’t think twice about making braised red wine short ribs or my world famous meatballs, but with guests every other weekend and a long drive to procure ingredients… complex meals have become a rarity. And I kinda love how it’s made us adapt our definition of entertaining to make room for what I’ll call thoughtful casual gatherings. Sure, we’ll keep it simple with hot dogs and a quick slaw, but we’re also going to light some candles and arrange some wildflowers from around the property for the table centerpiece.

And pizza parties? A crowd pleaser. Store-bought dough and sauce with a buffet of toppings, served alongside some of our favorite red wines and enjoyed under a canopy of soft string lights.

And you know what? Our dinners with friends have never been better. Simple foods, some that require our guests to make themselves, alongside simple but thoughtfully decorated tables, warm lighting, good music–it’s all we need for a special time with our favorite people.

I’m curious to see how we carry this new approach to entertaining during the colder months. Am I about to put together a butternut squash soup bar? We’ll see.

More from a recent night in with a couple friends below :)