Molly Pollet
Entertaining

Thanksgiving Table + Recipe Roundup

Thanksgiving is almost here! I’ll be honest, I’m not normally into Thanksgiving all that much– I prefer to skip straight to Christmas– but this year I’m embracing it. I am excited to set my Thanksgiving table and am working on our recipe lineup now. I thought I’d share my finds for both of those things here, in hopes that it makes your Thanksgiving prep a little easier and more fun.

First, the table!
1. I really love all La Rochere glassware. They have beautiful options for both water and wine. I also love these tumblers. These Edward glasses are also a beautiful option.

2. Cabbageware is a classic for me. I have a ton of these pieces from Bordallo Pinheiro in both white and green and I love the mix. Plus, they work really well on a Thanksgiving table. I love these plates, this platter, and this large serving bowl.

3. I ordered these napkins for our table this year and I’m very pleased. I was looking for a specific color and these made the cut. They’re 100% cotton and a great inexpensive option. I also thought these ones were pretty for fall.

4. Already discussed above, but thought they deserved a spot! Love these plates so much.

5. I love adding hurricanes to the table, and these ones are dreamy. I had to list them even though they’re on order (like everything else right now). I also love these taper hurricanes, which are available in the stores! This style is also great for fall– I have them and love them!

6. Bamboo flatware is so popular right now, but I do really love it on a Thanksgiving table. It’s still classic enough, but adds a fun natural touch.

7. This little pumpkin!! No explanation needed.

8. These are such a great dupe to the classic La Rochere. The price point can’t be beat!

9. Lastly, pie dishes! Necessary for the occasion. Love the classic ruffle from Emile Henry. These handmade ones from this Etsy shop are so fun and I love this beautiful option from Vietri.

Now for the recipes…

To Start:
whipped goat cheese with warm candied bacon and dates
cheese and charcuterie board
bacon wrapped dates
candied spiced nuts

Sides:
herb roasted acorn squash with parmesan
roasted bacon brussels sprouts
fall harvest salad
wild mushroom stuffing or maybe this classic sourdough bread stuffing
charred carrots with herbs
crispy roasted sweet potatoes with maple butter

Dessert:
double dark chocolate muddy buddies
yogurt and honey olive oil cake
classic apple crisp or maybe this healthified version
pumpkin layer bars

To toast:
maple bourbon smash
cinnamon maple whiskey sour
classic paper plane (thanks to a friend for recently introducing me to this one!)

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!


Entertaining

Get Set for Summer

The sun is shining, air feels warm, and we just had a couple more of my favorite Adirondack chairs delivered. It’s almost summer! I’m now in full outdoor mode getting ready for pool parties and dinners outside, so I thought I would round up a few favorites and some new fun finds for the season:

1. We have and love these striped Turkish cotton beach towels. I have them in blue, but also love this natural stripe.
2. These are my go-to Adirondack chairs. I’m normally all about real wood, but these are VERY low maintenance, look great year after year, and are smooth and so comfortable to sit in. They say 10-12 weeks for shipping, but mine took about half that time.
3. Love this pretty natural fiber outdoor pillow and…
4. Can’t go wrong with a blue striped pillow!
5. We have this teak outdoor umbrella and it’s an outdoor staple for us. It has held up great– we’re about to order two more!
6. I love these teak sling chairs for additional outdoor seating. They’re light, so easy to move around and come in such fun patterns.
7. A fun new outdoor bar. This would be cute to set up near your dining table for outdoor dinner parties.
8. Love a big basket! I’m planning on setting this one outside to fill with beach towels. (Also would be a great indoor toy basket!)
9. We received this bag toss game as a gift and love to bring it out when we host. I also think this lawn bowling set and this bocce set are so fun for summer!
10. Simple cotton napkins are essential for outdoor entertaining and this set from Amazon is so affordable. This is another great option with a price you can’t beat!
11. I love this pattern on these melamine dinner plates.
12. Adding this darling rattan ice chest to cart! This is such a cute way to keep drinks cold while in the hot sun outside.

Entertaining

Easter Recipe Roundup

It finally feels like spring! We had friends over in the backyard for dinner last night and it put me in the best mood– I love entertaining this time of year! With Easter coming up, I’ve been on the hunt for some new springtime recipes and thought I’d round some up here. Also adding a shopping list of some of my favorite entertaining pieces for spring. I made the cheese board above last year and am definitely doing a similar one again. I loved the addition of crudités on this one!

Leek and Potato Galette with Pistachio Crust
Spring Pea Salad with Radishes and Goat Cheese
Asparagus, Pea and Mint Salad
Buttermilk Popovers with Chives
Greek Lamb Souvlaki Plates with Avocado Tzatziki
Crispy Oregano Smashed Potatoes with Feta and Lemon
Sheet Pan Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes with Feta Goddess Sauce
Heirloom Tomato Galette with Ricotta and Parmesan
“The Greatest” Deviled Eggs
Ricotta Tart with Strawberries
The Absolute Best Carrot Cake
Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Custard Cake
Raspberry Lemon Ricotta Dutch Baby

Entertaining

Fun finds for the Fourth

It’s almost July! July is one of my favorite months for many reasons, and it’s no surprise that the Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays (hard to beat Christmas, but they do compete in my mind). I am a big fan of Americana design year round, but especially for the month of July. I found a few fun picks that are great for celebrating all summer long… hope you enjoy!

A perfect packable straw hat with options for ribbon (of course, I choose stripes)
Americana floral smocked one piece for your little girl. Pair with these patriotic boardies for your little guy!
Treat yourself to a really fun pair of earrings– darling with a simple white dress for summer.
I love these farmhouse striped napkins for summer entertaining.
Don’t forget the party garland!
My favorite teak slingback chair is super easy to move around the yard when you have guests and looks darling, too!
A classic RL flag sweater is a must have for baby, kids and mom!
A cozy linen throw to cuddle up with outside on cool summer nights.

Happy Summer!

Entertaining

Summer Recipe Roundup

We have been grilling and eating outside every night for the past week– it officially feels like summer! For dinner last night, I roasted up a ton of vegetables and plated with burrata and a leftover spinach basil pesto I had in the fridge. It was delicious! I have a bunch of recipes saved for the next few months and thought I’d pen some of them here for you to enjoy as well. I’m also stocking up on melamine plates and other outdoor dining essentials– some fun ideas linked below for dining alfresco. Bon appetit!

Grilled corn and zucchini salad
Grilled watermelon and feta stacked salads
Charred peppers with lemon ricotta and cucumbers
Potato salad with mustard sauce
Grilled vegetables
Watermelon salad with cucumber and feta
Skirt steak with avocado and tomatoes
Summer stone fruit salad
Cucumber and peach salad with herbs
Spaghettini with roasted tomatoes
Loaded grilled steak salad
Southwest BBQ pork sliders
Blackened salmon burgers
Everything but the kitchen sink pasta salad
Blackberry peach crisp
Browned butter grilled peaches with ice cream
Strawberry yogurt popsicles
Strawberry thyme lillet spritzer
Cucumber mint gimlets
Grapefruit ginger bourbon sour
Kentucky lemonade

Entertaining

Grazing Boards

My favorite way to eat! Who is with me? You probably know what a big fan of cheese and charcuterie boards I am, so I thought I’d mix it up and create more of a “grazing” board this time using my absolute favorite reclaimed wood board. You can read my tips for the perfect cheese board in this post. We will use some of those tips for this board as well! Here are some things to keep in mind:

Buy soft AND hard cheeses
Make sure to get a selection of soft and hard cheeses so that the board has variation. Some of my favorites include: Saint Andre, Toscana Black Pepper, Mt Tam, Aged Gouda, Port Salut, Goat Cheese with Honey, and Humbolt Fog. This is more important when it’s mostly just a cheese board, but I like to offer a soft and hard cheese on this as well.

Dips!
For a summer grazing board, I like to add a flavored hummus or other light dip for all of the veggies and crackers. Here I used a cilantro avocado hummus, but anything goes.

Cut as much as you can
One of the great things about a cheese board is that it’s easy to grab a bite size piece quickly. Try to cut the cheeses into pieces as much as possible so that this is doable. You will need to keep some of the soft cheeses as is (a log of goat cheese, for example). Same thing goes for fruits and vegetables– try to use bite size or cut into pieces.

Color, color, color!
This is essential when it comes to a beautiful cheese board. Depending on the time of year, fresh fruits and vegetables will help add to great variety of color. I love to keep the green tops on vegetables which helps add beautiful color. I also added some additional greens in this board since I wanted it looking fresh for spring.

Mix-ins are a Must
This one goes without saying! It’s necessary to mix in delicious fruits, nuts, olives, or pickles to both pair with your meats and cheeses, or to eat on their own. I often will slice up a pear or a green apple, or cut figs in half so that guests can create their own bites with different cheeses. Don’t forget to have small piles or containers of nuts (I love marcona almonds), olives, or cornichon pickles. Grapes are always a go-to, too!

Add some toppings
This one isn’t a necessity, but it’s nice to have some small containers of a relish, jam, or honey to spread onto your bite of choice.

Keep crackers and bread on the side
You’ll see in my photo that I don’t have a ton of crackers shown. This is because it would have taken too much room on the board! Just don’t forget to not skimp on various crackers and sliced bread so that there are a lot of options for your guests. I like to use a smaller basket, tray or platter to hold everything.

Variety is Key
Remember that anything goes! The most important thing here is to have variety: cheeses, dips, meats, fruits (dried or fresh), vegetables, olives, pickles, nuts… the list goes on and honestly anything works!

Cheers!

Entertaining

Avocado Deviled Eggs

Happy Spring! Happy Easter! This is one of my favorite springtime appetizers. It is so perfect to make on Easter, but really it’s delicious and absolutely acceptable to have anytime. Plus, it’s extremely healthy! The ingredients are very flexible, but the below is my favorite combination. Hope you enjoy!

6 eggs
1 avocado
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or more, to taste)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
lemon zest
2 tablespoons green onion or chives
salt & pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Lower in 6 eggs, carefully with a spoon. Boil for 30 seconds. Cover, reduce to very low and simmer for 10-11 minutes. Remove from heat and drop the eggs into an ice bath for 15 minutes. The eggs should be perfectly hard boiled and very easy to peel!

Mash together all ingredients– egg yolks, avocado, lemon juice, a little lemon zest, green onions, mustard, salt and pepper. With a piping bag and tip, or just a snipped plastic bag, pipe the filling into the eggs. I like to finish them with a sprinkling of more lemon zest and sea salt. Enjoy!

Entertaining

Merry Christmas

Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday! A large cheese and charcuterie platter is one of my favorite appetizers for a crowd. You can chuck it full of cheese, nuts, fruit, meats, olives… the list goes on. I wrote a blog post a while back that outlines what I like to add to mine and how I get variation. Hope it helps you create your own! The board I have shown here is a favorite reclaimed bread board from McGee & Co. – I have the XL size and it’s the perfect board for a crowd!

Entertaining

Spring Entertaining

Spring is officially here and I could not be more excited! I love hosting this time of year– in addition to the abundance of beautiful blossoms, there are so many fun entertaining pieces to use for a fresh spring table. I also love that recipes are light, fresh and colorful. Below are some of my favorite tableware pieces for spring as well as some delicious seasonal recipes. Happy brunching!

spring frittata
classic french toast with fresh berries
pickled deviled eggs
spring orzo salad
beet hummus with crudités
farmers market salad
avocado toast
spring pea farro salad
lemon curd
strawberry shortcakes

tray
folding chair
beverage dispenser
seagrass charger
cheese knives
tray
folding chair
beverage dispenser
seagrass charger
cheese knives



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