A Friendsgiving Celebration

I’m so excited to be celebrating FriendsGiving with six of my favourite Canadian bloggers with a virtual feast to give you lots of ideas for your upcoming holiday.  We’ve got everything from appetizer to dessert recipes and the best thing about FriendsGiving?   It’s a pot luck kind of affair so you can have whatever you want – and lots of it!

FriendsGiving is a recent holiday created so that people can spend time with their close friends as well as family.  Little did I know that I have been doing this for years!  There are times when my friends have found themselves alone because their partner is travelling for work, they’re single or recently divorced.  I’ve always made a point of inviting them for dinner because I didn’t want them being on their own.

These make for the most interesting dinners because many people are meeting for the first time and given that everyone is in the holiday mood, we’ve all had a great time and made new friends.  What better way to celebrate life’s riches than to bring new people together?

Appetizers

Butternut Squash and White Bean Dip  |  Sweet and Savoury Pursuits  

Savoury, creamy and addictive, this fall themed dip makes the perfect appetizer.

Mediterranean Style Roast Pumpkin Salad with Spicy Harissa Vinaigrette | Two Purple Figs

Zest things up with this sweet and spicy salad.  This will add a load of kick and flavour to any main dish.

Roasted Fennel Soup with Herbed Crostini  |  Simply Fresh Dinners

Roasted fennel added to a soup is reminiscent of licorice candy.  Light, creamy and a perfect starter.

Main

Brown Butter Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sage  |  The Girl on Bloor

The perfect taste of fall.  Tossed with mushrooms, kale and brown butter sauce it’s sure to become a favourite at Friendsgiving celebrations.

Vegan Mushroom Gravy  |  The Endless Meal

Loved by meat eaters and veggies alike, this gravy is rich, creamy and ultimately delicious.  Perfect for your Friendsgiving dinner or a weekend roast.

Desserts

No Churn Cranberry Ice Cream  |  The Messy Baker

What’s a feast without dessert?  Rich and tangy it’s perfect alone or as a tart a la mode option for apple pie.

Pumpkin Madeleines with Spiced Maple Glaze  |  Food Nouveau

These elegant pumpkin madeleines combine comforting fall flavours sweetened by an irresistible maple glaze.   They’re the perfect treat to share with loved ones!

We’re also celebrating with a Giveaway so you can make all this deliciousness for your friends and family! I know you will all be excited about a Vitamix because they are like that coveted blender we all dream about.  Thank you, Vitamix for providing this valuable prize for our readers!  Good luck, everyone!

To enter the giveaway, login using either your email or Facebook. Once you login, you’ll be given 15 chances to enter the contest by liking or following each bloggers’ Facebook and Instagram accounts.

To get your Facebook entry, click the button for the Facebook page you want to like, like the Facebook page, then click “I visited.” Easy!

To get your Instagram entry, click the Instagram account you want to follow, follow the account, then type the name of the account into the box and click “Enter. ”

The Giveaway consists of one prize – A Vitamix Blender – The Total Nutrition Centre valued at $577.00. The Giveaway is open to residents of all provinces, territories of Canada only.  You must be 18 years of age and older to participate.  The winner must answer this skill testing question.  162 plus 42 divided by 2.  The contest closes at midnight, October 7th.  The winner will be contacted October 8th.  Relatives of participating bloggers are ineligible to participate.  All seven bloggers participating in this Giveaway have received a Vitamix blender as compensation.

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PIN These Recipes for Your Holiday Dinner!