My Forest Walk Dinner Party
Every beautiful evening begins in my mind long before it ever arrives — the table set just so, the right playlist playing in the background, beautiful flowers, greeting friends at the door in a dress that makes me feel beautiful, the laughter before we ever sit down. I love the anticipation of creating something special almost as much as the evening itself.
Fine athletes see themselves crossing the finish line before the starting gun fires. I do the same before a dinner party. The table, the food, the timing — I see it all first, and that vision makes the real thing flow easily once it begins.
There’s something about fall that makes everything feel like a hug before the evening even begins. The light softens, the air cools, and the house feels ready again for company. Momentum is on your side — this is the season that makes hosting easy.
Forest Walk is my choice for this time of year — its colors, patterns, and warmth feel like autumn itself — but whatever you set your table with will be beautiful. What matters is that you open your door, invite your friends, and share a meal together.
I’m here to give you the courage to do it. Your house is good enough — it really is. The chairs don’t have to match, the napkins don’t have to be ironed, and no one will ever remember if your silver needed polishing. What they’ll remember is how it felt to be invited.
Pull out the plates that make you happy, light a few candles, and let dinner be simple. Don’t wait for the perfect time — the house will never be fully ready, and life won’t slow down long enough to hand you a quiet weekend. Make the time anyway.
Because life is short, and hosting isn’t about showing off — it’s about showing up.
Open your door, gather the people you love, and give them the gift of your table. You’ll never look back and wish you hadn’t.
The Forest Walk Table with Duck Animal Bowl, amber and tortoise shell glasses, acorn napkin ring, and leaf accent plates.
Listen While You Cook and Serve
Forest Walk Dinner Playlist on Spotify
Music sets the pace for a dinner — it’s the undercurrent that keeps everything moving without anyone even realizing it. I think about it the same way I think about setting a table: you want layers, warmth, and just enough surprise to make people stay a little longer.
For this playlist, I picked songs that sound the way fall feels — a little jazz, a few instrumentals, and those easy, familiar voices that drift right into conversation. Nothing that takes over, just the kind of background that makes the room feel cozy and alive.
And honestly, if I had to choose, the way a space feels — the light, the music, the mood — matters more to me than what’s on the plate. The food is important, of course, but it’s the atmosphere that people remember. They might forget the menu, but they’ll remember how it felt to be there — the laughter, the glow of the candles, the sense that the night didn’t need to end just yet.
It’s music for when you want time to slow down a little — the kind that quietly holds everything together.
A Note on the Table
This is my second season with Forest Walk, but this year I added their new pieces — the animal bowls. They practically create a menu item all by themselves. They want to be seen, served, and uncovered — to find something inside that’s as delicious to the taste as it is to the eye.
It’s the kind of detail that makes guests lean in and notice. That’s the secret to a memorable table — a little surprise that feels intentional.
The Menu
The Recipes
Spiced Pear Bourbon Spritz
Serves 6
1 cup pear nectar
¾ cup bourbon
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Sparkling water or club soda
Cinnamon sticks and pear slices for garnish
Shake pear nectar, bourbon, lemon juice, and maple syrup with ice. Pour over fresh ice and top with sparkling water. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a slice of pear.
Sweet Potato Soup with Crème Fraîche and Fried Sage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Crème fraîche for garnish
8 fresh sage leaves
Sauté onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and cook briefly. Add sweet potatoes and stock; simmer 20–25 minutes until tender. Purée until smooth, stir in cream, and season with salt and pepper. Fry sage leaves in olive oil until crisp. Garnish soup with a swirl of crème fraîche and a fried sage leaf.
Fall Salad with Apples and Apple-Cider Vinaigrette
Salad
6 cups arugula or mixed greens
2 Honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced
½ cup candied pecans
¼ cup dried cranberries
Shaved Parmesan
Vinaigrette
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper
Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together. Toss salad just before serving.
Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Maple-Thyme Glaze
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb each)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon butter
Season pork and seal in a sous-vide bag. Cook at 140°F for 1½ hours. Mix maple syrup, Dijon, and thyme. Remove pork, pat dry, and sear in olive oil. Brush with glaze, finish with butter, and rest five minutes before slicing.
Roasted Delicata Squash with Brown Butter and Crispy Shallots
2 delicata squash, halved and sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Roast squash at 425°F until golden, about 25 minutes. In a skillet, brown butter; add maple syrup, thyme, and shallots. Drizzle over roasted squash before serving.
Vanilla Bean Affogato with Salted Caramel Drizzle
Vanilla bean gelato
Freshly brewed espresso
Salted caramel sauce
Flaky sea salt (optional)
Scoop gelato into cups, pour over espresso, and finish with a splash of Buffalo Trace Bourbon Creme Liqueur.
The Plan
Make-Ahead and Day-Of
Two days before:
Make vinaigrette and refrigerate.
Prepare sweet potato soup; reheat before serving.
Toast pecans and fry sage leaves.
One day before:
Slice delicata squash; store in a zip bag.
Vacuum-seal pork tenderloin.
Chill wine and sparkling water.
Set the table completely.
Day of:
Roast squash and sear pork.
Shake cocktails before guests arrive.
Scoop ice cream for affogato and freeze until dessert.
Hosting Timeline
Morning: set the terrace and start sous-vide pork.
2 PM: roast squash, then refrigerate.
4 PM: reheat soup, mix cocktails, light candles.
5 PM: guests arrive — serve cocktails.
5:30 PM: serve soup and salad.
6 PM: plate pork and sides.
7 PM: espresso and affogato to close the night.
Grocery Shopping List
Cocktails: pear nectar, bourbon, lemons, maple syrup, sparkling water, pears, cinnamon sticks.
Soup: sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, stock, cream, olive oil, sage, crème fraîche.
Salad: arugula, apples, pecans, cranberries, Parmesan, olive oil, cider vinegar, mustard, honey.
Entrée: pork tenderloins, thyme, Dijon, maple syrup, olive oil, butter.
Side: delicata squash, shallots, butter, olive oil, thyme.
Dessert: gelato, espresso, caramel sauce, sea salt.
Shop the Looks
Shop the Table – Juliska Forest Walk Collection →
Shop the Hostess Gown →
Forest Walk Supper Playlist on Spotify →
Important Thoughts in Closing
Hosting doesn’t have to be complicated — it just has to be thoughtful. When a table looks beautiful, people slow down. They notice, they stay, and that’s when real connection happens.
This fall, light the candles, set the table, and let the night unfold.
#TruittHouseLiving #Juliska #ForestWalk #FallTablescape #HostAndHostOften #DinnerOnTheTerrace #TheDetailsMakeItHome #AtHomeWithKristy #FallDinnerParty #EasyEntertaining #FallMenu #AutumnEntertaining #SouthernHostess
Thank you to a great team of artists who helped to put this photoshoot together:
Floral, Tina Dolan, Virginia Floral Designs
China, Juliska
Photography and Videography, Angela Elise Photography
Location: The Truitt House, Truitt House Living
Hostess Dress: Emily McCarthy
