Winter Dinner Party: “snowed in”

See how easy it is to host a winter dinner party even when you’re snowed in!

Last week we had the biggest snow storm I’ve seen since I was a kid. It was beautiful and forced us to stay home for days as it came down for about 36 hours straight. Of course we stocked up on plenty of groceries to see us through, and we ended up getting together with neighbors to do a little socializing. It all got me thinking about how people come together when wild weather hits and they can’t get out and about. I decided a last minute snowed-in party would be the perfect inspiration for entertaining at home.

By the fourth day temperatures were rising and the sun was shining so I brought everything out to the patio to capture a lovely backdrop of snow for this dinner party idea. I had made a big crock pot of my Brunswick stew recipe, which would feed a small crowd of snowed-in friends. Plenty of wine and hot cocoa are always on hand here, and I set the table with items I pulled from around the house.

I found that with almost no planning at all, a fun last minute snowed-in party could easily be achieved.

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Winter Dinner Party inspiration

• Use a plaid flannel throw as a table cloth. It adds instant charm.
• I love using miss-matched vintage dinnerware on a table setting. I’ve collected this casual grouping over the years and it’s just what this table needed. Bowls of hot soup, chili, or stew can be placed right on top as needed.
• Everyone stocks up at the grocery store when there’s snow in the forecast around here. We bought the makings for Brunswick stew which makes about 14 servings, so there’s plenty to offer the neighbors. Frozen rolls can be popped into the oven, and bowls of chips can work as casual appetizers {dress up some Kettle chips with balsamic glaze & blue cheese}.
• Since this is a last minute type of party, no flowers for a centerpiece were on hand. Instead, I pulled candles and lanterns from around the house, and placed a couple of small vases filled with dry billy balls.
• To bring a little bit of “life” to the table I snipped off pieces of evergreen and used decorative tape to attach them to card stock. These are strictly decorative, but you could also write names on the cards for place holders.
• For dessert, homemade hot chocolate and store-bought baklava do the trick. No need to spend time baking!
• Let the wine flow {no one’s driving in the snow} and enjoy your snowed-in winter dinner party with your neighbors! Everyone can pitch in drinks and snacks too, for a real community feel.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think. How do you spend time when you’re snowed in?

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