Read this, loved it and then zoomed in on the spreadsheet because I love seeing people’s menus and was so touched to see that your husband prepared so many of my recipes (and love many of the others mentioned!!). Thanks for making my day!!
I am *definitely* not capable of hosting people every week, but reading Katherine’s post convinced me to get over my anxiety and reach out to friends that I’ve been meaning to have over for more than a year. They’re coming over in two weeks! Thanks to both of you for the nudge.
I read your original post, and it hung out in my head for a few weeks before I understood that I was being inspired. So I copied you! We modified to every other Saturday, and serve spaghetti every time (to keep cooking simple, and because it’s easy to accommodate dietary preferences). Spaghetti Saturday! We’ve been going strong since April, and it’s just the best. Some of our friend’s kids now call us “the spaghetti house”. We’re slowly adding more acquaintances to the invite list. Thank you for the idea and the inspiration. And if you’re ever in Sacramento on the second or fourth Saturday of the month c’mon over!
I really love this idea! I’m retired now and I find it harder and harder to stay in touch with friends, mainly because everyone’s kids are grown and gone and a lot of them have decided to pick up and move elsewhere. This is a great solution to build back relationships or just to deepen relationships with the neighbors. So smart. Even if you hosted potlucks if you don’t want to do all the cooking yourself, that works just as well.
I couldn’t love this more! This shouldn’t be the last one and this isn’t stupid! It’s inspiring and I saved the spreadsheet for inspiration. Thanks for including it. Wondering if most of those dishes were new or if your husband had made them before or regularly? Keep going! (We’re free most Saturdays…)
I like that your husband cooks from the same hits that I imagine a lot of us do- modern canon! (Julia, Deb, Alison, Carla, and Caro). I also love that every meal includes dessert- hell yeah!
Thanks for this! I read it, showed it to my husband, and we decided to invite friends over for dinner our next free Saturday. We used to have people over for dinner before having our now 20 month old. This was a good nudge to try hosting with a toddler.
Love this tradition. I've done a much smaller-scaled version of this resolution myself, and I've found that the routine and predictability of it is what moves you toward developing a true community.
My partner and I once hosted a weekly potluck at our house for 3.5 years. People felt it was such a blessing. And it only worked because we gave ourselves a conplete pass on presentability or high brow cooking standards. Others provided. I completely resonate with the ending sentiment of pre-event what-were-we-thinking to post-event so-very-glad.
I really liked what you wrote about the weekly dinners with friends. I think this approach could really help us when we retire because my husband in particular has no social life outside work. But I love trying out recipes on a group of friends! I can’t stop thinking about it!
amanda!! such an inspiration. you’re certainly making magic in your own neighbourhood. while there are people who are naturally inviters and invitees, I’d like to make the transition from one to another, especially as I start having my own place (or renting rather, i’m not at homeownership age lol). i loosely recap reading your first piece when i started on substack so it’s wonderful to see a positive update on it :))
If you ever get to western WY, we MUST get together!! Kindred spirits, for sure! We had 17 people and 13 dogs here for 4th of July. Hoped to eat outside (three picnic tables lined up together, covered in special fabric, on freshly cut grass), but Mother Nature turned our party to the inside (rain, hail, wind lightning!; it was a wild storm!) and everyone had a GREAT time. We will always remember the night!! THANK YOU for the spread sheet and links. This is the kindest coolest thing ever!! We are so lucky to be able to cook for our friends!!
Read this, loved it and then zoomed in on the spreadsheet because I love seeing people’s menus and was so touched to see that your husband prepared so many of my recipes (and love many of the others mentioned!!). Thanks for making my day!!
thanks for mentioning my work, i am of course fully obsessed with this update.
💕💕
I am *definitely* not capable of hosting people every week, but reading Katherine’s post convinced me to get over my anxiety and reach out to friends that I’ve been meaning to have over for more than a year. They’re coming over in two weeks! Thanks to both of you for the nudge.
I read your original post, and it hung out in my head for a few weeks before I understood that I was being inspired. So I copied you! We modified to every other Saturday, and serve spaghetti every time (to keep cooking simple, and because it’s easy to accommodate dietary preferences). Spaghetti Saturday! We’ve been going strong since April, and it’s just the best. Some of our friend’s kids now call us “the spaghetti house”. We’re slowly adding more acquaintances to the invite list. Thank you for the idea and the inspiration. And if you’re ever in Sacramento on the second or fourth Saturday of the month c’mon over!
Omg I love this - Spaghetti Saturday is so fun!! Thanks for sharing.
I really love this idea! I’m retired now and I find it harder and harder to stay in touch with friends, mainly because everyone’s kids are grown and gone and a lot of them have decided to pick up and move elsewhere. This is a great solution to build back relationships or just to deepen relationships with the neighbors. So smart. Even if you hosted potlucks if you don’t want to do all the cooking yourself, that works just as well.
Girl I'm outside ur door rn gimme some of that cauliflower shwarma
It’s SO good.
lol the ending is so real
I couldn’t love this more! This shouldn’t be the last one and this isn’t stupid! It’s inspiring and I saved the spreadsheet for inspiration. Thanks for including it. Wondering if most of those dishes were new or if your husband had made them before or regularly? Keep going! (We’re free most Saturdays…)
Mostly new with a dash of old standbys. But all cookbooks he regularly references.
I like that your husband cooks from the same hits that I imagine a lot of us do- modern canon! (Julia, Deb, Alison, Carla, and Caro). I also love that every meal includes dessert- hell yeah!
He’s just started trying to bake thru all of Dessert Person. I’m thrilled.
Thanks for this! I read it, showed it to my husband, and we decided to invite friends over for dinner our next free Saturday. We used to have people over for dinner before having our now 20 month old. This was a good nudge to try hosting with a toddler.
It’s great! Just hide the toys you know your kid will have a hard time sharing.
Love this tradition. I've done a much smaller-scaled version of this resolution myself, and I've found that the routine and predictability of it is what moves you toward developing a true community.
My partner and I once hosted a weekly potluck at our house for 3.5 years. People felt it was such a blessing. And it only worked because we gave ourselves a conplete pass on presentability or high brow cooking standards. Others provided. I completely resonate with the ending sentiment of pre-event what-were-we-thinking to post-event so-very-glad.
I really liked what you wrote about the weekly dinners with friends. I think this approach could really help us when we retire because my husband in particular has no social life outside work. But I love trying out recipes on a group of friends! I can’t stop thinking about it!
amanda!! such an inspiration. you’re certainly making magic in your own neighbourhood. while there are people who are naturally inviters and invitees, I’d like to make the transition from one to another, especially as I start having my own place (or renting rather, i’m not at homeownership age lol). i loosely recap reading your first piece when i started on substack so it’s wonderful to see a positive update on it :))
Every week! I am so impressed and love this practice. Thanks for sharing the spreadsheet, too!
If you ever get to western WY, we MUST get together!! Kindred spirits, for sure! We had 17 people and 13 dogs here for 4th of July. Hoped to eat outside (three picnic tables lined up together, covered in special fabric, on freshly cut grass), but Mother Nature turned our party to the inside (rain, hail, wind lightning!; it was a wild storm!) and everyone had a GREAT time. We will always remember the night!! THANK YOU for the spread sheet and links. This is the kindest coolest thing ever!! We are so lucky to be able to cook for our friends!!
❤️