Friendsgiving, Football and Food

Hello friends and happy November! It’s hard to believe that the holiday season is upon us. I don’t know about you but I am definitely itching to get started on holiday decorating. Even the boys seemed to get the memo because they are already asking when Bullseye the Elf will be arriving! (which by the way WILL NOT be happening until December) But before we get to the decorating, lets chat all about how to host Friendsgiving. 

How to Host Friendsgiving

With the craze of the holidays looming, we decided to host a “Friendsgiving” this past weekend with family and friends. Sometimes “Friendsgiving” means a big turkey dinner on Thanksgiving day. But sometimes it can be something much simpler…

College Football Saturday!

We got lucky with perfect fall weather and the kids had a blast. Of course, around here everyone loves an excuse to watch college football so the adults were entertained as well and our games times lined up perfectly to start at lunch. Instead of  preparing a formal Thanksgiving meal, we opted to keep it casual with a build-it-yourself sandwich buffet using our favorite HoneyBaked Ham and HoneyBaked Turkey.  

So let’s take a look at the spread we had and hopefully you find some inspiration too. First up, a little something to snack on and a festive flower arrangement. I snagged this Cranberry Walnut Chutney sauce from HoneyBaked Ham and did what any great hostess does. I smeared it on a block of cream cheese.  Seriously though- is there anything better than a zippy spread mixed with the cooling cream cheese? I could eat the entire block! 

While I wanted to keep the spread light and casual, I still wanted a pretty flower arrangement. Light bulb moment! We never got around to carving our pumpkin (whoops!) and it was still sitting on our porch in perfect condition. So I snagged it, and gave it a quick coat of my favorite Rustoleum Heirloom White spray paint. Then I clipped some of my neighbors limelight hydrangeas that she so graciously offered me. All I had to do was grab a small bouquet of the orange mums from the grocery store.

Pretty Flower Arrangement

Voila! A festive flower arrangement perfect for Friendsgiving! (and only around $5 for the grocery store bouquet)

Fun Food Spread

We were thrilled to be able to get the family together during this season, and a football game was the perfect excuse. But no one was up for a big heavy meal so we opted for a light and easy build your own sandwich line. For the set up, I just used two pieces of plaid fabric and swagged them over the counter and stove top. I created height under the fabric using cake plates. I love an excuse to use all of my pretty platters and serving dishes! 

Of course, the star of the meal was the HoneyBaked Ham and HoneyBaked Turkey. I wasn’t sure how much to order but the store guided me to purchase around 4 pounds for 21 people.

Of course, my Mama taught me right so I went with 6 pounds. 🙂 #becauseleftovers

In addition to the sliced meats, I snagged a couple pounds of their chicken salad. 

And because I simply could not decide on which sauce to buy, I went with three.  I really liked them all, but in my very scientific taste test, I think my favorite is the Hickory Honey Mustard.  

Last but not least, I also grabbed this Cheesecake Sampler. #sadnoleftovers

While the meal was casual, I still loved prepping the dining room so some of the group could sneak away to eat in peace if they wanted. 

 

Football

But the crowd favorite was this spot parked in front of the fire!

So, what are your plans for Thanksgiving? I am so glad we were able to pull off this fun “Friendsgiving” so early in the month because everyone was able to make it. 

 

Happy November! xoxo-

Heather

*This post was created in collaboration with HoneyBaked Ham, but all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Southern State of Mind sponsors!* #honeybakedpartner #ad