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Community Corner

Dinner In With Friends

Skip eating out and have a meal at home with friends.

Eating out doesn’t have to be the same old, same old. With a little inspiration, you can satisfy your palate, have a great time and spend less money.

How about a dinner in with friends?

By opening your home to friends, everyone can enjoy great food, laughter, and memories, all while not breaking the bank.    

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May I suggest planning a monthly menu in advance exploring a cultural diversity of foods. One month choose Thai, the next month Southern, then South American, Caribbean, Moroccan and so on.

To keep it fun, rotate homes on a monthly basis. Whoever is hosting decides on the theme for the menu and executes the meal related to the theme. By taking turns every month, each couple gets a cooking break and everyone gets to broaden their palates and dining horizons. 

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Another way to enjoy dinner with friends is to decide on a host home and dine potluck style. Everybody brings a dish. This works well if your host prepares the entrée and everyone coordinates accompaniments around the chosen theme.

The host should assign someone to prepare an appetizer, another couple contributes a side dish and another couple could bring dessert. Everyone should just bring their own beverages to keep it simple for the host.

My husband and I recently attended a couples Valentine's party where the themed food was fajitas. The hosts provided the meat and  wraps, while each couple was asked to bring a contribution. My assignment was sour cream and shredded cheese.

Our host said the goal was for each of the guests to spend no more than $5. It worked for me. Everyone brought their own drinks. Once resources were pooled, there was a great selection of food to go around.

All of the couples gathered in the kitchen to prepare and assemble. As we did, we got to know each other while talking over our recipes and preparing our fajitas.

During dinner, all of the couples were asked in turn to share how they met. The men were to describe their first meeting (without their spouses interjecting), and the wives were asked to share their first date.

We all enjoyed hearing about the other couples' experiences. And, since the answers weren’t planned, it was entertaining and spontaneous.

The whole evening culminated in a fireside chat with dessert contributed by various members of the group and coffee provided by the hostess. Everyone enjoyed themselves, ate well, met some new friends and didn’t have to spend much money.

If you don’t want to commit to a full-blown supper club, start with a dessert club. A great idea for this theme would be an ice cream sundae bar. Provide the ice cream, scoop and bowls while your guests each bring a topping.

Another sweet dessert idea, and my personal favorite, is the Death by Chocolate theme.

If everyone in the group happens to be watching their waistline, consider a fat-free/sugar-free theme. The possibilities are endless.

Another great way to plan an evening with friends is dinner and a movie.

Some fun movie themes to explore are Julie and Julia with French cuisine. Or how about a Moonstruck night with Italian?

What about having a wine tasting get together and watching the movie Sideways? 

If you are just going to stick exclusively with desserts, may I suggest the movie Chocolat?   

You can follow through with the same dinner and movie theme and plan it around the kids. Serve spaghetti and watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

How about tempting them with some French cuisine while viewing Ratatouille? 

Whatever food and theme you choose, you are sure to have fun and eat well, all in the company of good friends. Bon Appetite. 

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