My Inner Shakti

finding strength in everyday things

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Restaurants
  • Recipes
  • Par’s Picks
  • Privacy Policy

Friendsgiving 2013 + A Blue Nile Winner

written by Parita 16 Comments

IMG_3602

Nothing says Friendsgiving like a cornucopia!  Thanks to Vishnu we were able to enjoy a very festive background image while we ate!

As for dinner…

IMG_3579
Robin, Andy, Vishnu, and I enjoyed a delicious and VERY filling meal!  Seriously you guys.  I haven’t felt this full in a long time!  After dinner I changed out of my jeans and put on my stretchy pants.  I was THAT full.

Robin and I split up the menu and tackled it separately during the day on Saturday.  Our kitchens are super tiny so this was the best approach.  Plus I know absolutely nothing about cooking a turkey!

Robin and Andy prepared the turkey, veggie stuffing, and the best sangria in the world.  I’m not kidding about the sangria – it was delicious (and potent!).  I’ll get the recipe from Robin and share it here soon.

IMG_2226

Vishnu (my taste tester) and I made:

  • whipped sweet potatoes (I used half and half instead of heavy cream and cinnamon instead of nutmeg)
  • quinoa salad with pears, baby spinach and chickpeas in a maple vinaigrette (I used toasted almonds instead of pecans)
  • macaroni and cheese (will share the recipe soon!)
  • a chocolate-pumpkin pikoozie for dessert (served with vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream)

EVERYTHING was amazing, evident by the number of times each of us refilled our plates!

IMG_2228
My plate – round 1

IMG_2230

A chocolate lover’s dream!

After saying thanks, eating until we almost burst, and cleaning up, we settled in for a night of YouTube videos.  I’m not kidding.  For two hours we sat and watched our favorite videos, which ended up being the perfect plan because the last thing any of us wanted to do after our huge meal was be active.  Talk about a food coma!

Miscellaneous pictures from Friendsgiving 2013…

IMG_3573

IMG_3582

IMG_3599

IMG_3596

I wonder if Friendsgiving 2014 will be able to top this.  I mean, we set the bar pretty high!  Until next year…

* * * * *

Annnnnd the Blue Nile necklace winner is…

image

Congratulations, Chayal!  Please email me at parita84@gmail.com so that I can send you your necklace ASAP!!

Thanks to everyone who entered!  If you’re interested in buying some pieces for yourself and/or as gifts this holiday season, be sure to enter the following coupon code for 10% off (good until Jan 1st) – BNHH10.

Happy Monday!

Related Posts

  • Weekend Recap – An Early Thanksgiving FeastWeekend Recap – An Early Thanksgiving Feast
  • 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival
  • Sharing Means Caring + A GiveawaySharing Means Caring + A Giveaway
  • Mila’s Birth StoryMila’s Birth Story
  • Diary of a Working Mom – Q&A with Chitra PatelDiary of a Working Mom – Q&A with Chitra Patel

Written on November 18, 2013 Related:Food, Friends, Life, Recipe

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. IHeartVegetables says

    November 18, 2013 at 6:53 am

    Oh how fun!!! I love dinner with friends and your Friendsgiving sounds perfect! Mmm sangria is one of my favorite drinks! I’d love to see the recipe!

    Reply
    • Parita says

      November 18, 2013 at 10:00 am

      It was perfect! And I’ll try to get that recipe up on the blog soon!

      Reply
  2. Davida @The Healthy Maven says

    November 18, 2013 at 7:27 am

    After I saw the sangria on IG I was like “does Parita not know how much I love sangria?” I figured you must not have otherwise I would have gotten and invite…right? 😉

    Reply
    • Parita says

      November 18, 2013 at 10:00 am

      Next year for sure 😉

      Reply
  3. Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says

    November 18, 2013 at 8:49 am

    i need that recipe for my party too please 🙂

    Reply
    • Parita says

      November 18, 2013 at 10:00 am

      Will try to get it ASAP!! I think it’d be the perfect party drink 🙂

      Reply
  4. Caitlin says

    November 18, 2013 at 9:59 am

    Food looks so yummy! Also, what a beautiful background in your pictures? May I ask where you live? (I am new to your blog)

    Reply
    • Parita says

      November 18, 2013 at 10:00 am

      Thanks, Caitlin! We live in Miami 🙂

      Reply
  5. Amanda @ .running with spoons. says

    November 18, 2013 at 10:27 am

    Stretchy pants are a -must- on Thanksgiving. I always work my outfit around them after making the mistake of wearing jeans one year 😆 But it’s hard to say no to food that good — Thanksgiving dinner is probably my favourite meal of the entire year.

    Reply
    • Parita says

      November 20, 2013 at 1:52 pm

      All I could think about towards the end of our meal was when I would be able to get out of my jeans! Haha!

      Reply
  6. shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com says

    November 18, 2013 at 2:45 pm

    Chocolate pumpkin Pizookie sounds fab! Those whipped sweet potatoes – yum! And quinoa salad gaawsh! After reading your menu I feel I need stretchy pants!
    So – I am just thinking my invite got lost in the mail right?!?!

    Reply
    • Parita says

      November 20, 2013 at 1:53 pm

      You would love the pikoozie! It was delish and healthy (but not in the way where you could tell)!

      Reply
  7. Honey What's Cooking says

    November 18, 2013 at 4:26 pm

    Such a fun Friendsgiving.. I’m sick of hosting, I want someone to invite me over for a change. 🙂 it’s a good thing my family always hosts.. can’t wait for next week. Those sweet potatoes look so good!

    Reply
    • Parita says

      November 20, 2013 at 1:54 pm

      LOL! You crack me up! I’m actually trying to learn how to be a better hostess, so this was perfect for me! It’s a little hard in a tiny apt but kinda fun nonetheless!

      Reply
  8. Arman @ thebigmansworld says

    November 19, 2013 at 4:12 am

    That looks like such a fun night- I was totally there too (on instagram lol)

    Thank you for teaching me what a cornucopia is. I always thought it was some term used in the Hunger Games or something.

    Reply
    • Parita says

      November 20, 2013 at 1:55 pm

      HAHAHA! When Vishnu put that up, the first thing I said was that the entire image reminded me of elementary school. Every year around this time we would learn about the history behind Thanksgiving and then we would color cornucopias! LOL!

      Reply
Welcome to My Inner Shakti! This is my little corner of the internet where I explore and share more about the things that give me my inner strength. I hope you stick around! Read More Here...

MIS gives back!

All advertising proceeds from this blog will be donated to a different charity every month!

Subscribe to MIS

Sign up now to receive all the latest from My Inner Shakti straight to your inbox!

Follow me on Feedly!

follow us in feedly

LOVE my blog!

Follow on Bloglovin

Web Hosting

categories

Archives

Top Posts!

  • My Experience with Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Marriage Advice for My Little Sister
  • How to Crisp Up a Tortilla
  • Acne Update: Jojoba Oil + Tea Tree Oil
  • An Honest Review of “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”
  • Currently - June 2022
  • Diary of a Working Mom – Q&A with Pinkey Patel
  • DIY Diaper Pail
  • Coaching vs. Talking to Your Best Friend
  • Hawaii 2016 - Maui

Follow me on Instagram!

Copyright ©2022, My Inner Shakti. All Rights Reserved. Custom design by Pixel Me Designs