Although the holiday season often enables us to reconnect with friends and loved ones in person, maintaining that spirit of tangible togetherness all year can often be a struggle. Sure, social media is fine for “likes,” but nothing beats sitting down with people whose company you enjoy. If you’re looking for a new way to stay connected with family members, friends from college, old work colleagues, or anyone else within a reasonable travel distance, starting a dinner club may be perfect! TIPS FOR LAUNCHING YOUR OWN DINNER CLUB Gather, Savor, Repeat
interest you also love (classic movies, model airplanes, etc.), or you have a group of old friends you’d love to catch up with over a great meal. The trick is to be mindful of your club’s membership size. Ideally, it should be large enough for guests to connect with several friends or new people but small enough to ensure intimacy. Choosing Your Dinner Destination Determining the best settings for your dinner club gatherings is key to their success. For example, hosting them at members’ homes on a revolving basis (with the host or other members doing the cooking) would help the invitees avoid cramming into a noisy restaurant and having to shout at each other while seated at a long table. Matching Mood and Menu Coming up with interesting themes for each meal adds a thrill to the festivities. Maybe one of your members would like to give cooking a vegan meal a try. Perhaps another member would love to share an amazing recipe they picked up while vacationing in Mexico. The possibilities are endless! No matter how you structure your dinner club, the goal is to have fun and spend time with wonderful people. Bon appétit!
Conceptualizing Your Club There are no hard-and-fast rules to creating and
maintaining a dinner club. You could start by giving your club a fancy name and deciding how often it should meet. From there, think about the people you want to invite. For example, maybe you know people who share a particular
Spinach, Lentil, and Roasted Beet Salad
DIRECTIONS
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1. Preheat oven to 400 F and grease a rimmed baking sheet. 2. To a small saucepan over medium- high heat, add lentils and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20–30 minutes uncovered until all liquid is absorbed. Set aside. 3. Add leeks and beets to the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake 15–20 minutes. For crispier beets, bake for an additional 10–15 minutes. Set aside. 4. In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients until combined. 5. In a larger serving bowl, combine
outdoors, or at the gym, and it is adaptable, so it can meet your strength and fitness level. Pickleball Pickleball is a low-impact sport that is exceedingly popular among older adults. It is similar to tennis but with a lighter ball and racket. Like chess, it is easy to learn but difficult to master. It can be played in singles or doubles, so you can exercise with a partner! The best thing about pickleball is that its difficulty is based on your opponent, and it’s a great way to make friends.
INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup green lentils, rinsed • 1 cup vegetable stock or water • 3 medium leeks, chopped • 1 medium beet, quartered • 1–2 tbsp olive oil • 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper • 4 big handfuls of spinach Dressing • 1/4 cup tahini • 1/2 medium lemon, juiced • 2 tbsp maple syrup • 3–4 tbsp olive oil • 1 pinch each salt and pepper
spinach, beets, leeks, and lentils. Add dressing and toss to coat.
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