This post has been sponsored by Philips Hue . I received product and compensation, but all opinions are my own.
This year I am hosting Thanksgiving for our family (20+ people) in our newly remodeled kitchen! It’s so exciting to be able to entertain in a space that we designed from our hearts, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it! We are JUST about done, and I’m too excited to wait for Thanksgiving so we thought it might be fun to celebrate a little early with a Friendsgiving. I invited some of my best friends over for an intimate gathering to show them the new kitchen and put it through a test drive before the big event on the 22nd.
One addition we made that I am SO excited about is adding under cabinet lighting with Philips Hue Lightstrips. Under cabinet lights were something I said no to initially because I didn’t think it fit in our budget, and it may seem like a small thing, but it has such a HUGE impact in terms of ambiance. I was so happy when I saw that Philip’s Hue had a solution. The installation was SO easy. It really helps give the space a more inviting feel. And I can control everything directly from the Hue app on my phone or through our Amazon Alexa device. With Hue, there are 16 million (yes, you read that right) colors to choose from that can help you set the right feel and mood while hosting family and friends. For our Friendsgiving party, I chose a pre-set called “Relax” which gives a warm, cozy white light, perfect for entertaining. You can read more about how I use our Philip’s Hue lighting to support our daily routines here.
Also, to make things a little more festive, I served a signature Friendsgiving cocktail. It was the perfect cozy, warm cocktail that was so simple to make. It’s so delicious you can even have it as a non-alcoholic beverage that the kids or those who don’t want alcohol can enjoy.
Ginger Rum Apple Cider
What You Will Need
- A slow cooker / crock pot
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon quality apple cider
- 2 inches fresh ginger, sliced thin
- 3 apples, sliced thin
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 orange, thinly sliced crosswise (optional)
- Spiced Rum
Steps
- Combine apple cider, sliced ginger, apple slices, orange slices (if you are using them) and cinnamon sticks in a slow-cooker.
- Cook on High for an hour. You can also heat the mixture on low in a pot until it’s steaming, then transfer it to a slow cooker to keep it warm while your guests arrive.
- For each drink, use the ladle to add warm apple cider into a glass and top with 1 1/2 to 2 oz spiced rum.
- Serve and enjoy while warm!
We also served lots of appetizers instead of a sit-down Friendsgiving (we don’t have a table yet, so it worked out great!). I made a big cheese platter and everyone else contributed.
Love Friendsgiving and can’t wait to make it a new tradition in our home! Do you have Friendsgiving? What types of traditions do you and your friends have during the holidays?
