My friends Dan and Sarah and I are very serious about our food. We went on a whirlwind adventure in Spain in 2013 that was filled with the best Spanish eats. We love discovering new restaurants in Austin. We all have some cooking and baking talents. When Dan got a sous vide earlier this year, it kicked off an unofficial potluck dinner party series between us and our significant others. We’re taking turns hosting and providing the main dish. First, Dan made some delicious sous vide steaks and then, Sarah made an incredible Mediterranean spread. Boyfriend and I got to thinking about what we would do and a seafood boil was the indisputable winner.
Thankfully, cooler weather made this dinner party perfect for the backyard, especially since the boiling part could get messy. We kept the event set-up simple since we wanted to focus our efforts on the star of the show: the food! We lit citronella candles to keep insects away and strung some outdoor lights and a homemade pennant banner.
We used a folding table, created nautical doodles on butcher paper, and covered it with a plastic tablecloth. This table covering simplified the clean-up at the end of the dinner because all we needed to do was roll it up and toss it out. We had cracking utensils, paper towels, wet wipes, shell bowls and trash cans ready.
Ah yes, the food! The spicy boil included seven clusters of crab, two pounds of shrimp and sides of potatoes, sausage, and mushrooms. We grubbed down family style around the table. The drink cooler was full of white wine and beer. For dessert, Sarah made refreshing pink lemonade bars. I ordered these cute crab bibs because no one wants crab and shrimp guts on them!
Simple evenings like this, focused on great friends and food and less about how picture-perfect everything looks, are my favorite. I love themed events with beautiful decor, but at the end of the night, when we’re sitting together, full from fantastic food and laughing from the stories we’re telling, it’s the people and the memories we are creating that truly matters. I hope your adventurous living involves nights like these!
One of my goals this year is to throw 12 celebrations. This is #12 of 12, but I’m not finished yet! These are big and small parties for any occasion with the goal of planning and executing something fun. See all the celebrations here.
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