The Friendsgiving Lifestyle | Episode 11: The Potluck Basics

And different things that I feel like you'll benefit from on every single episode. If you are taking a seat at the table this week, make sure to leave a comment because I wanna know who is at the table. Leave your name and maybe something that you brought to the table. It could be like, Hey, I'm Kayla from Kentucky, and I brought my favorite side dish.

Anything you wanna leave as far as what the side dish is that you've brought and good vibes, I'm really excited to read. Alright, let's talk about the golden rule of travel. The number one rule of a potluck dish. It has to be road ready. Your action item for today. Avoid anything that requires assembly at the host's house.

Your [00:03:00] host's kitchen is a high-traffic zone. Do not be the person taking up their limited counter space to chop cilantro. Or sea scallops. What's the strategy aim for the room Temperature? Hero dishes like a roasted veggie platter with tahini drizzle or a hearty grain salad actually tastes better after sitting for an hour.

They don't require the oven. They don't require the fridge, and they travel like a pro. Here are the top five savory staples. If you want to be the MVP of the potluck, bring one of these five. The adult mac and cheese. Use smoked guta or truffle oil to level it up. Number two, honey-glazed carrots. They stay hot forever, and everyone loves a root vegetable.

The loaded focaccia, it's a bread, it's a side, it's a centerpiece. Number four meatball sliders. Keep them in a small, slow cooker. They are [00:04:00] the first thing to disappear. And number five, cornbread with hot honey. It's incredibly cheap to make, but it feels intentional.

Alright, I want to get your opinions on everything from tablescapes to how to handle guests who trash-talk other guests after the party concludes. So head on over to my YouTube channel for that and so much more as we lean into The Friendsgiving Lifestyle.

I have daily polls over there and I wanna get your opinions on everything. The top five crowd pleasers for cold and sweet the other half of the table. Here you go.

Number six, the Mediterranean or Orzo salad. It won't get soggy like lettuce. Number seven, capris skewers. No fork is required. Number eight, whipped feta. Dip. Bring a bag of pita chips and you are a hero. Number nine, handheld fruit. Gts. Easier than pie, heartier than cookies. And number 10, the signature [00:05:00] brownie.

Add salt or espresso powder to make people ask for the recipe. Okay, now here's your hosting hack. If you're the host. Assign these categories. Tell your beginner cook friend to bring the bread and your foodie friend to bring the sliders. Balance is the key to a full belly. Over on the Friendsgiving shop, I've introduced a new way to send your besties a note.

We have physical products. Invitations and everything, but we also have e-cards. You can personalize the note that you send with each card as well. And because you're tuning in to the podcast, you are first to know about our latest physical product coming to the shop. It's spring. We talked about the spring equinox.

I'm so excited to show you that we are introducing a way to gift your present to the host. This means you can bring flowers in our brand new flower carrier. Okay? This doesn't do it justice, but [00:06:00] this is our brand new flower carrier. And as you can see, the straps are long. You can hang it on your shoulder, you can carry it on your elbow, and inside there's, there's room for.

There's room for your flower bouquet to give the host as your gift. When you're walking up, you are the toast of the party because it's the cutest gift. And if you want, you can gift it just as it is to the host, but it is so cool if you gift it with a bouquet of flowers. Already inside, you can pull this back, and as you, I hope you can see this inside, you can pull this back, and it actually has a slot for the flowers.

As you can see, I'm demonstrating with my hand, but you can see here that's where the flowers go. It lays flat when I ship it. Um, but this, these handles super cute with the little ties. Oh my gosh. You have to go [00:07:00] over to the website, snag yours today on friendsgivingshop.com. They are not going to last.

It is spring. It is the best time to get that going, even in the fall. And you're bringing a gift to your host. This is so, so. Amazing because you're gonna be the talk of the party. They're gonna ask you where you got it. They're gonna ask you about the bouquet. They're gonna ask you about all the things it entails, and you're gonna be the hit.

Also, your host is going to love you if you're looking for other kinds of invitations. We also have our botanical square invitations on the shop, as well as our forest green invitations that say "save the date," where you can put in your location, the RSVP information, the date, and time. All of it is there for you right there on friendsgiving shop.com.

Alright, here's your label, everything information in 2026. Dietary needs aren't an extra. They are the norm. The pivot is never to bring a dish without an ID card. Your action item: grab a pack of index cards. Write the name of each dish and clearly mark if [00:08:00] it's vegan, gluten-free, or contains nuts. As the guest, put your name on the bottom of your dish with masking tape. As the host, have a dish return station. It prevents the, whose bowl is this text. Three days later, organizational grace is a form of love.

The Side Dish Energy Newsletter is available for you today, and you can subscribe to it on my website, friendsgivingshop.com. Deliver to your inbox. With care, you'll find new product announcements, subscriber-only sales, and fun behind-the-scenes of what is coming soon.

It's called the Side Dish Energy Newsletter because the sides are where it's at. Also, make sure to head over to the Friendsgiving Shop Journal because there are so many blog articles over there that have great content for you to have advice for your party, food inspiration, event planning, ideas, and so much more.

Alright, let's wrap it up. A potluck is a beautiful metaphor for friendship. Everyone brings a little something to the table, and we all leave Fuller than we [00:09:00] arrived. You don't have to be a Michelin-starred chef. You just have to be thoughtful. The Friendsgiving Lifestyle is about the connection, not the caviar.

If you haven't had a chance to subscribe to the podcast, take a moment to subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send the link to a friend for your favorite episode. Because you know that sharing is caring. And don't forget to listen to the Friendsgiving soundtrack for March. It is out on Spotify right now.

If you'd like to sponsor an episode of the Friendsgiving Lifestyle Podcast, or maybe you have a product that you want reviewed or featured in an upcoming episode, send an email to support@friendsgivingshop.com. You can also follow us on Instagram @TheFriendsgivingShop on BlueSky and TikTok @FriendsgivingShop and on YouTube and Pinterest @SandraColtonMediciOfficial.

All right, here's your call to action. I've put my potluck power list [00:10:00] in the show notes next week. We're talking about the plus one protocol, how to navigate those tricky.

Can I bring a friend questions and when it's time to expand your circle. I'm Sandra Colton Medici. Bring the good dip. I'll see you right here at the table next week.