An Autumn Affair

This past weekend, we opened our home to friends that feel like family to celebrate the fall season. I had visions of bonfires and mugs of hot, spiked cider, but reality got in my way. It was unseasonably warm and there remains a complete absence of anything resembling a fire pit in my backyard. We need to remedy this. Until life drops a spare weekend in my lap, I guess we'll have to make do.

And make do we did, with a seasonal menu that'll warm and satiate you. Before we dive into the comfort of incredibly good food, let's focus on some details. For this fall themed party, I used small gourds, pine cones, burlap, gold accents, and lace to set a color palette reminiscent of the season. Take a little tour of our decor and soak in the subtleties.

• What People Ate

  Appetizers: Pears with blue cheese & proscuitto Roasted Figs with goat cheese & pistachios The Main Event: Harvest Stew with smoked sausage Pumpkin Soup with sage & bacon Savory Scones with guyere & green onions Harvest Quinoa Salad

• What People Drank

  To Drink: Honeycrisp Apple Sangria Pumpkin Apple Cider Fizz Triple Brew Ginger Beer

• Desserts

  Dessert: Caramel Apple Popcorn Bourbon Sweet Potato Cupcakes