A Feast of Friendship: From Friendsgiving to Dinner Club
What started as a friendly Thanksgiving invitation—a practical solution for three families juggling hockey schedules—grew into an annual Friendsgiving tradition, and eventually a monthly supper club too.
I recently sat down with three friends who have been celebrating Friendsgiving together with their families since 2016. Their story may inspire you to create a special way to celebrate the season of thankfulness with your friends.
How Their Friendsgiving Started
Ann Park, Lisa Svobodny, and Michelle Bouchard and their families first celebrated Thanksgiving together when they were all in the same situation—hockey games would take them out of town early Friday morning, so it wasn’t ideal to host overnight guests on Thursday.
Lisa invited Ann and Michelle and their families to her house and for the next couple of years, she hosted the get-together until they started rotating the honor of hosting. And although their kids are grown now, they come back to feast with their friends in the comfort of this tradition.
What Friendsgiving Looks Like for Them
Who’s at the table? There’s an open invitation so there’s always a mix of their families and friends.
- The host makes the main meal, like the turkey, and a few traditional sides.
- The host asks for others to bring dishes so they are sharing in the work.
- Ann is typically on cocktail duty. Last year, she served Apple Pie on the Rocks—using this recipe from Jackie Sobon of Vegan Yack Attack https://veganyackattack.com/2013/12/03/apple-pie-on-the-rocks/
- The meal is served buffet style.
- Tables are set with festive tablescapes and fine china and silver.
- Everyone helps with clean up.
Recipes from Ann, Lisa, and Michelle
Ann, Michelle, and Lisa each shared a recipe on the episode.
Michelle makes pretty and sparkly sugared cranberries that are a must and they quickly disappear. I posted the recipe below.
Ann is in enthusiastically in charge of cocktails—apple pie on the rocks is a sweet and boozy mix of:
- Vanilla vodka
- Fireball Whiskey
- Apple juice
- Cinnamon
- Brown sugar
Lisa makes Butternut Squash with Bacon & Spinach, a side dish with the perfect mix of savory and smoky.
If you want to add a hot cocktail to your menu, here is my favorite hot apple pie drink.
Listen to the Full Podcast Episode
For the full story and inspiration—their traditions, memories and the prank that took Lisa a few days to recover from—listen to Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens, Season 4 Episode 4. Listen in your go-to podcast app or listen in the YouTube or Spotify players below.
If you want more Thanksgiving hosting inspiration, I recommend “Thanksgiving Hosting and Homemade Gravy with Leah Brink.” When you’re in the kitchen doing your Christmas baking, listen to, “Leah Rodriguez’s Magical Oven and Pumpkin Bars.” And for the encouragement you need to set your festive table with the fancy dishes, Liz is your gal in “Buttery Caramels and Fancy Dishes with Liz Murphy of Betty’s Antiques.”
If you’re inspired to start your own Friendsgiving or maybe even a monthly dinner club, I hope this episode gives you that nudge you’ve been needing. It only takes one meal to start your own tradition of feasting with friends.
Sweet wishes,
Sugared Cranberries
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh cranberries, rinsed and thoroughly dried
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- ½ cup water
- 2 Tbsp orange liqueur, optional
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and ¾ cup sugar. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved, then bring just to a simmer (do not boil).
- Remove the syrup from the heat, and if using, stir in the orange liqueur (or orange juice + zest) and vanilla/sea salt.
- Immediately pour the hot syrup over the prepared cranberries in a heat-safe bowl, stirring gently so the berries are all coated. Cover the bowl and let sit for about 1 hour (this allows the syrup to become tacky).
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cranberries (draining off excess syrup) in a single layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or a rack over a tray. Let them dry at room temperature until they are sticky but not wet (about 1 hour).
- Pour additional granulated sugar into a shallow bowl (use as much as you like; I often use ~½ cup). Working in batches, roll the sticky cranberries in the sugar until fully coated. Transfer the sugared berries back onto the parchment-lined sheet and let them dry uncovered until the sugar is set (another hour or longer).
- Store in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3–4 days. If they start to look damp or the sugar coating dulls, toss gently in a little more sugar before serving.Note: You can save the leftover syrup and use it to sweeten drinks
Notes
Nutrition
Go back to the recipe by scanning this QR code:
All text and images © Staci Mergenthal • Random Sweets
