Over the Thanksgiving weekend, we’re hosting a whole bunch of friends for a whole bunch of meals, which takes a little forethought. I don’t want to be standing in front of a stove making heavy meal after heavy meal, so what I decided to do for tonight’s dinner was pull a little inspiration from the warmer months. You know how during the summer it’s so easy to feed guests, because you can just whip up a bunch of salads, throw them in bowls on a buffet table, and call it a day? I did sort of a wintry twist on that idea, with heartier versions of the pasta salads and potato salads I like to make when it’s hot out.
For décor, I think a retro vibe is always fun when you’re hosting friends – and is a nice alternative to the fussier setups we so often see during the holiday season. I’ve always been a big antique/flea market/thrift shop comber, and one of the things I always keep my eye out for are serving bowls from the ‘50s. My grandmother had a bunch of the Pyrex ones – I’m sure yours did, too – and I love them; the retro flowers, the faded pastel colors, the mod stripes and spots, all of it. I have this picture in my head of my kids, years from now, “borrowing” (a.k.a. “taking and never returning”) my serving bowls to use in their own homes because they remind them of their childhood.
Here’s a little surprise, though: the bowls you see here aren’t actually antiques at all; they’re brand-new pieces created by Vintage Charm™ Inspired by Pyrex® to evoke the old Pyrex opal glass bowls from the ‘50s and ‘60s. I seriously cannot believe the degree to which they got the look of these things right, down to the colors and patterns and even the weight. (And FYI, if you’re looking for a fun gift, the sets of three also come in the cutest little hatbox-inspired containers.)
{ Giveaway! }
And and and! Because everyone could use some more serving bowls during the holidays, I’m giving away a set to one of you, hooray! Just go to VintageEntertaining.com, take a look at the patterns, then comment below telling me which one is your favorite. (My personal favorite sets are Rise ‘N Shine and Golden Days, but it’s honestly a tough call – I adore them all.) I’ll be notifying the winner on November 30 via email, so make sure to use your real email address if you comment as a guest; it won’t be used for anything else, promise. (U.S. winners only)
The Food:
– Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce, Bacon and Peas (a.k.a. Crack Pasta, which was the first reader recipe I ever made on Ramshackle Glam, and which has been a wintertime staple in our house for five years now)
– Not Your Average Potato Salad (a recipe that I started making in college, because it was cheap and fast and required exactly one pot, and that I still make today because it’s my ultimate comfort food)
For snacks, I just scattered around little bowls filled with some hi-low action: roasted hazelnuts, kettle corn, mini rainbow tomatoes with sea salt, mandarin oranges…and Cheetos. Because everybody likes Cheetos. (Except these are organic Cheetos from Trader Joe’s, so there you go: #fancy).
The Drinks:
Pinot Grigio and Palomas, please.
The Décor:
For serving, I liked the contrast between the simple, all-white dishes and crystal glasses and the colorful Vintage Charm prep and serve bowls (pictured here: Rise ‘N Shine, Birds of a Feather, Golden Days, Memory Lane, and Tickled Pink). For a centerpiece I filled white Mason jars with white hydrangeas, and put pink daisies and tiny yellow blooms into vintage milk glass bottles, then placed a couple of the vases on a white cake plate so the flowers would sit at different heights.
Best part? Cleanup consists of transferring the bowls (which come with plastic storage lids) filled with leftovers directly into the refrigerator.
Pretty, easy, done.
This is a sponsored post and was created in collaboration with Vintage Charm. Photos by Sue Hudelson.
