When Life Gives You Lemons, Host
Hi Friends,
I hope the week has been treating you kindly. I hope you have some weekend plans you are excited about. I hope everything is going your way today. And in the case that none of the above is true, then perhaps my email is right on time.
We’ve been dealt a lot of lemons since January 20th. And sadly, we’ve likely not seen the worst of them. In times like these, I find myself questioning my work. It is hard to plan parties when I am…angry. When I am…sad. When I am…worried. But in these times I remind myself that I am not alone in knowing disappointment, heartbreak, or frustration. And I remember that these are the feelings we can find healing for when we make plans to gather together.
So if you’re like me and you’re feeling like you need to rally or like you need a pick-me-up, then call your friends, tell them to come over and let’s redirect your energy with this month’s hosting inspiration: Main Squeeze: a collection of little things you can do with all these lemons we’ve been served.
Use these ideas for brunch, afternoon tea, Easter dinner, or general spring merriment. And if nothing else, I hope this email inspires you to just keep squeezing all the good you can get out of this sometimes messy, but always beautiful life.
Happy Hosting!
On the Mood Board
Inspiration for Festive Fixings
Make your own Dried Citrus Wheels for garnish, garland, and gifting.
HOW TO:
Wash and dry your citrus of choice.
Slice thin and arrange on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Place in the oven on your stove’s lowest setting [170°F-2000°F].
Bake for 4-5 hours (rotating pan every hour and flipping half way through).
Cool completely before use and store in an airtight container.
Musings for Menus
To Start: Shrimp Cocktail with a Generous Squeeze of Lemon
Mains: Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs or Salmon Roasted with Honey, Lemon, & Garlic
Dessert: Key Lime Pie, Pound Cake with Blood Orange Glaze, or Lemon Cake
Drinks: Iced Sweet Tea with Lemon [with or without a little bit of bourbon], a Mimosa, or a Lemoncello Spritz [3 parts Prosecco + 2 parts Lemoncello + 1 part club soda, garnish with lemon wheels]
What You Might Have in Your Pantry Already
Lemons, Limes, Oranges [for garnish or dried citrus wheels]
Tea Bags [to make iced tea]
Ice Molds [to make citrus-y ice cubes; I like mine with lime wedges and fresh basil]
Ingredients For: Cookies, Cake, Frosting, etc.
On Your Bar Cart: Wine, Spirits, Mixers, etc.
Make A Lemon [Tree] Cake
I enjoy baking cakes, but never have I gotten involved with decorating them. But for you, there is a first time for everything! Start with a simple lemon cake from scratch or from the box (whatever suits you). To give this a try you will need decorating icing in black or brown, yellow or green. See images below a visual guide for how I made my lemon tree.
Finally, for Artful Hosting
A Song to Set the Mood: “Tell Me Something Good,” Rufus, Chaka Khan
Table Talk [A Conversation Starter]: How are you staying connected to your peace despite any lemons you’ve been served lately?
waiting for my lemon party invite ;)
Love this. And the encouragement to invite people over even when you can't put on a happy face.