Hosting Lunch Dates

Lunch dates are some of my favorite plans to have. I’ve got some girlfriends out there where it turns more into a day date because we could sit and chat for hours (and many times we do)! But if you’re anything like me, snacking is you’re favorite, so sometimes the thought of going out and eating a big meal isn’t always appealing, and you might feel like you’re annoying the waiter if you’re taking up a table for five hours.

If you have a plan, hosting can be much easier and more fun (maybe cheaper?)! You don’t feel the pressure of having to rush because people are waiting for tables or not to cry – because, let’s be honest, if you’re chatting with your girlfriends about the deep stuff in life, there might be some tears. So here is my go-to lunch when hosting!

I love doing these little snack trays – or if you want the fancy name for it, it’s called a Charcuterie Plate/Board. They are so easy because you can grab whatever is in season or on sale, and everyone can pick and choose! A lot of times, you might already have most of this in your fridge.

I’m looking forward to summer when we have farmer’s markets all over town, and I can choose from many fresh, local options. Here are a few ideas if you need some inspiration:

  • Cheese (a must!) – I usually like to have three very different options. An easy place to go for this is those under $5 baskets at King Soopers.
  • Crackers or bread
  • Meat – salami, sausage, pepperoni, prosciutto, ham, turkey
  • Veggies – stick a bowl of hummus out and chop whatever you’ve got in the fridge!
  • Olives/Pickles (gotta have something salty!)
  • Fruit – grapes and berries are great (anything easy to eat with your fingers)

For the presentation, I just laid it all out on a wooden cutting board. For some decor, you can throw in some greenery (here, I used the ends of the organic carrots that were getting thrown out anyway) and a few flowers from whatever you’ve got in the vase or outside. So easy!