How to Host A Fall Appetizer Party

The secret to a fun and easy party? Host your friends and family for an appetizer and drinks party at home. After our last buying trip of the year, I am excited to spend time with our family and friends! Here in Southern California, the weather at Thanksgiving is often perfect for an outdoor party in the late afternoon - early evening. I'm so sorry this blog post is a bit late, but honestly, all of these yummy things will work not just for Thanksgiving, they're perfect for the holidays, too! I'm so thrilled to be collaborating with my good friend Lisa of Delicious Table for this Thanksgiving entertaining series! Completely smitten with the "small bites" party idea so often celebrated in Europe, we planned an easy party to host, with the most delicious appetizers ever. The secret to making this party easy, beautiful and a huge success is to keep the food fairly simple, but the display exceptional! The front garden is the perfect place to celebrate fall. It overlooks our little street, the gravel is easy to walk on, and there are still plenty of things growing and blooming this month so it's not too bare. It's actually nice to have a party, or part of your party, in an unusual place that you usually don't use for gatherings at your house...keeps it interesting! The light in the late afternoon is beautiful, it gives everything an orange glow most days, and there is the crunch of gravel so reminiscent of French country gardens. For our setting, I layered our old weathered wood table in the front garden with the colors of Provence in the fall, using a selection of antique French tablecloths and towels. Why stop at one cloth when two are better? {I have to admit I'm a more is more kind of table setter.} On top of the tablecloths, I put a few large French cutting boards, as a base for French Country antique pots and bowls to hold the food. These unusual eight sided brown transfer print plates from France were a natural! fit. Antique French Country Bowls and pots to hold crackers and pita chips look right at home too. An antique ironstone platter holds the Salted Caramel Apple Dip - just wait until you try it! So good I wanted to lick the bowl. {I didn't, thanks to my grandmother's lessons on manners, but I really wanted to!} Just near the olive tree, I set up a make-shift bar. The antique French wine crates stack, so they can be anything including a bar. The French bottle holder held Aperol and champagne for the Blood Orange Aperol Spritzers. So delicious! {another antique French Bottle Carrier>} I hope you enjoy the cheeseball shaped like a pumpkin...it's delicious! Absolutely perfect to serve at any Autumn gathering, and especially at Thanksgiving. Here is the Everything Bagel Cheeseball Recipe > I'll be back soon with that recipe for the salted caramel apple dip that is SO good. Do you serve appetizers or go straight to the main meal?

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