Share the Love with a Chic Valentine’s Day Dinner Party

Celebrate the people you love this February by hosting a chic Valentine’s Day dinner party for a close group of friends. Set the mood days in advance with stylish invitations that will have them anticipating an evening of good food, good drinks, and good company.

First, you’ll want to decide on the theme and décor. Think about the type of mood you want to set. Do you want the look and feel to be romantic and whimsical or casual and playful? Here are a few great examples of chic invitations for Valentine’s Day dinner parties.

Photo via Tiny Prints

Photo via Etsy

Photo via Bugaboo Announcements

Next, find a few clever ways to put love in the air. We love the idea of decor that spells “love” with string lights or even with four simple clipboards. This type of décor is easy but still has a wonderful effect.

Blissful B Blog

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Once you have decided on your invitations and décor, you can move on to your Valentine’s Day menu. To keep things simple yet sophisticated, you can always go with a spread of gourmet nuts and gourmet meat and cheese.

If you really want to cut the preparation time, you can simply choose one or two Hickory Farms gourmet food baskets with a selection of gourmet nuts, meats, cheeses, or fruits. Some of our food gift baskets even come with Mini Melt Away Mints that would be perfect for throwing in a candy dish for dinner party guests.

By using our carefully curated food gift baskets, you’ll save some time and be able to get a little more creative with your presentation. Here’s a fun idea for displaying fruits for a Valentine’s Day dinner party.

Photo via Mint in the Middle

Let your invitations and décor inspire a pretty table setting. Dress up your tablescape with a few subtle hearts or X’s and O’s. You can do this with place cards, napkin rings, or other small decorations. Don’t forget some fresh flowers, too.

Photo via A Delightful Blog

Share your chic Valentine’s Day invitation, décor, and menu ideas in a comment below or by heading over to the Hickory Farms Facebook page.

Beat the Cold Weather Blues with Gift Basket Ideas

In the summer, nice weather is the only excuse we need to grill out or gather with friends. Winter parties don’t require much more planning, yet they can do wonders to keep spirits high. What better way exists to pass a cold night than gathering in a cozy house to enjoy some hot food with friends or family after a long week. Plus, plenty of activities, indoors and out, can keep a crowd of family and friends moving and keep the fun going even when winter feels as if it’s never-ending. Below are some of our favorite ideas for winter parties.

Host a Comfort Foods Potluck – Nothing is more comforting and satisfying than hot home-cooked food on a cold day. Extend an invite to your family, friends or neighbors and ask them each to bring a favorite dish. Encourage everyone to bring their favorite comfort food, such as macaroni and cheese, tomato soup or chili. Suggest that guests bring copies of their recipes so everyone can swap secrets and get inspiration for gift basket ideas!

Gourmet sausage from Hickory Farms (Photo via Blissfully Delicious)

Plan a Winter Sports Event – If you live in an area with plenty of snow, invite friends for some outdoor fun in the snow. Kids and adults can enjoy some friendly competition with sled races, snowmen competitions, and snowball-throwing contests. You can even organize your own snow-lympics!

Winter activities from Hickory Farms (Photo via Spoonful)

Invite Friends to Watch Special Events – The Super Bowl isn’t the only event to watch during the winter. Events like the Oscars and the Grammys are always fun to watch with friends. Create your own red-carpet event by asking guests to dress up and serve cocktails and tasty hors d’oeuvres, such as gourmet nuts or gourmet sausage and cheeses.

Winter entertaining ideas from Hickory Farms (Photo via Catch My Party)

Have an Indoor Luau – If you’d rather turn your attention away from the cold, you can have a tropical luau indoors. Decorate with bright colors, flowers, and give guests leis as they arrive. Set up a Tiki Bar and serve up tropical cocktails, fruit juices, and smoothies. Set the mood with a tropical playlist and plan for activities like a hula dance-off.

Winter party ideas from Hickory Farms (Photo via Catch My Party)

How do you and your family beat the winter blues? Share with us in the comments section below or on the Hickory Farms Facebook page.

Healthy Eating for the New Year

If losing weight and getting in shape are on your to-do list for the new year, you’re not alone. Last year, losing weight was the top resolution among Americans, with staying fit and healthy as the fifth most popular resolution.

Adjusting your overall lifestyle and committing to the goal of becoming a healthier person are critical steps you’ll have to take to achieve your goal. In addition to getting regular exercise and breaking unhealthy habits, you must also develop healthier eating habits to lose weight and be fit.

Make healthy snacks with Hickory Farms fresh fruit baskets and gourmet nut gift baskets. (Photo via Lunch Box Bunch)

Counting calories is important, but you should change the type of carbohydrates you consume, opt for adding healthy fats to your diet, and incorporate the right protein sources as a part of healthier eating habits. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of carbohydrates that also provide you with vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients needed to maintain your health, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.

Our Dried Fruit Collection includes delicious healthy fruits such as apricots, peaches, pears and other fruits, as well as crunchy almonds to provide a tasty contrast to the fruit. If you are looking for post-holiday food gift ideas, this collection is an excellent idea.

The Hickory Farms Fresh Fruit Trio includes Crown Comice Pears, Fuji Apples and Mandarin Oranges; our fresh fruit baskets create a combination that offers variety and flavor.

Health fats come in two forms: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. These types of fat are helpful in improving blood cholesterol levels and benefit insulin and blood sugar levels, according to the Mayo Clinic. Nuts are a fabulous source of healthy fat and make for healthier snack options than potato chips and sweets. Hickory Farms offers a variety of gourmet nut gift baskets.

Protein is an essential element of a healthy diet, as it helps repair and build muscles that are being exercised. Other benefits of adding protein to your diet include helping you feel fuller longer and preventing issues like heart disease and diabetes. Nuts are a great source of protein, and, according to LiveStrong, cashews contain 4 grams of protein per ounce, while pecans contain 2 grams per ounce and walnuts contain 7 grams per ounce.

We have several gourmet nuts, too. One of our best sellers is the Colossal Cashews Tin. Fresh, large cashews with a hint of salt make for a great snack to munch on throughout the day or a healthy party snack.

Our Finest Mixed Nuts Gift includes almonds, cashews and pecans, roasted and sprinkled with sea salt to snacking perfection.

Have you resolved to eat better and become healthier in 2013? If so, how do you plan to accomplish that goal? Share your healthy eating plans for 2013 with us by leaving a comment below.