My friend told me about the most brilliant idea for easy summer entertaining in your neighborhood, and I’m sharing it with you today in partnership with Blue Diamond Almonds and their new Crafted Gourmet line…
A Neighborhood Entertaining Trick
Since moving from San Francisco to a quiet street in the Oakland Hills, we’ve found ourselves surrounded by the most friendly neighbors. We’d love to host events for our little street, but it always feels overwhelming to entertain for a large group of people, not to mention the cleaning, the coordination, and the cost involved.
The other day my friend was telling me about this brilliant idea they do on their street and I totally want to copy it! Every Friday during the summer (when they’re not on vacation), they host a really casual happy hour open house with their neighbors. Just a kind of stop by for a little snack and a glass of wine kind of thing. Here’s what makes it amazing:
It’s super casual. They email something out once at the beginning of the summer and explain how it works (a little note on front doors work as well). Every Friday when they’re in town, they hang a little ribbon or something on the fence which signals to the neighbors that happy hour is ON that evening after work and before dinner time (like between 5 and 7). If people are around, great! If not, it’s no big deal.
Food is simple but still feels special. A cheese plate is the easiest way to do this! The best part about cheese plates is there’s no right or wrong. I’m a huge fan of cheese so I almost always have a block or two of something good in the fridge. Then I add a little fruit and crackers (again, I always have something around!).
Last but not least, Blue Diamond Almonds. These are such a crowd-pleasing snack for everyone that pairs so well with cheese and fruit. This time we used the new Garlic, Herb and Olive Oil from their new Crafted Gourmet line which added such great flavor. There are so many great options in this new Crafted Gourmet line like Rosemary and Sea Salt and Black Truffle.
The kids pretty much put it together. When it’s an assembly dish, it’s so easy to get the kids involved in helping (and snacking of course).
There’s no cleaning up for it. The gathering is just on the front porch so there’s no need to scurry around the house cleaning up frantically before (you know, like this). If you’re in an apartment, you could also host it on the stoop or another common area outside or in the backyard of the building.
Neighbors bring the drinks. When the neighbors stop over they bring a bottle of wine or other drink to share. You can also grab a bottle as well if you’ve got anything on hand in your cupboard. Again, the emphasis is on easy and very little prep and stress!
That’s it! My friend says sometimes it ends up becoming a big gathering, and sometimes it’s just her and her kids eating the cheese plate but either way it’s easy, and a great way to get to know her neighbors and create a good vibe on your street.
Do you think you’d ever try this in your neighborhood?
Thanks to Blue Diamond Almonds for sponsoring this post. Check out their new Crafted Gourmet line right here.