New Post: Ask Ali: Entertaining

Check out the new recipes and articles from Gimme Some Oven! [View this email in your browser]( [Gimme Some Oven]( [Pin]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( Ask Ali: Entertaining [Ask Ali Q&A: Entertaining] Hey guys! I’m back with this month’s Q&A, and I’ve totally been looking forward to it because today we are chatting about one of favorite things on earth… …entertaining. ♡ Now of course, I am by noooo means any kind of entertaining expert. Martha Stewart would most certainly flip if she saw our pile of wrinkly cloth napkins all shoved in a drawer, or learned of our deep affection for stackable wine glasses, or discovered just how often we serve people what’s essentially [grown-up mac and cheese]( But that’s just the thing — I think that Barclay and I have come to love entertaining so much because it’s never been about perfectionism or performance or people-pleasing for us. We love entertaining because we get to do it our way. I actually started this blog because I’m such a deep believer in the magic that takes place when people gather together around a table to share a meal. And as the host, I think there’s also something extra beautiful and mysterious and profound about having the opportunity to quite literally feed those you love. But while I can happily nerd out all day about how to fill a table with everything from cheeseboards to chips and salsa, sizzling stir-frys to creamy linguines, fancy-pants filets to gussied-up frozen pizzas, ice-cold bottles of beer to craft cocktails — in the end, the food is always secondary. Entertaining is all about people.  It’s all about you — being fully yourself in your own home, creating an experience that feels natural and authentic to you. It’s all about your guests — giving them a chance to hit the “pause” button on their busy schedules and just rest and enjoy being hosted for awhile. And more than anything, it’s simply about togetherness — being as fully present as possible with one another, and enjoying time together face to face. Those moments spent lingering around a table together feel so sacred nowadays, especially amidst the swirl of our busy lives. And when you get to be the one hosting them in your very own home, I’m convinced it’s one of the most special things in the world. That said, though, I also know that entertaining can also feel like the most intimidating and stressful things in the world, especially up against the pressures of our Pinterest-perfect screens. So today, let’s talk all about it! You all sent in hundreds of great questions. And I have done my best to answer as many as I can here below, plus I will also pop over to answer a few more live on [Instagram stories]( this afternoon. Hopefully there’s a nugget here that will be helpful for you. But as always, if you have more ideas or suggestions or questions to add, please chime in the comments below. Alright, let’s do some Q&A! [(more…)]( [Click here to view the full post on Gimme Some Oven]( Recent Posts: [New Post: The Best Healthy Chocolate Granola!]( [New Post: The BEST Healthy Granola!]( [New Post: 5-Ingredient Spicy Mango Green Smoothie]( [New Post: Hummus Toast]( Stay Connected! [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( [Pinterest]( [Blog]( [Blog]( Copyright © 2019 Gimme Some Oven, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at Gimme Some Oven. Our mailing address is: Gimme Some Oven PO Box 32712Kansas City, MO 64171 [Add us to your address book]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( [Mailchimp Email Marketing](