Entertaining Friends by your Chicken Coop

Do you love hosting dinner parties? Do you love to dine el fresco? Do you love your outdoor space? If you said yes to any of these questions, then I have the recipe for a memorable night for you!!

When the landscaping around my coop was finally finished my first goal was to host an event for my closest friends so I could share in the joy I felt from my coop!! As I brainstormed multiple ideas, I finally concluded that a girls’ night was the best way to introduce my renewed commitment to the lifestyle of backyard chicken ownership. After much deliberation, I decided to call the dinner party the “Chicks that I Dig!” dinner. Once I convinced myself of the theme the rest came easy…..the invites were cute, the food was obvious and the décor was rustic but girlie! The planning might have been as fun as the night itself but let’s keep that detail between us!

Starting with the invites….I went on various electronic invitation websites and searched for designs with chickens and was pleasantly surprised with the amount of options I found! Some were a bit more farm-like than I wanted but most were right on point! I settled with an invite from www.evite.com and sent my invite to an eclectic group of ladies that I admire from various walks of life. My guests included a software executive, a former partner in a large investment bank in NYC, a sales executive from San Francisco, a copyrighter/blogger, a stay-at-home-mom and yes, a chicken farmer! I have to admit that the group of ladies made the night so much more special than I ever imagined but the theme itself set the tone! On the evite I specified that boots were a must so it was fun to witness the boot selections as the ladies arrived! It was a tremendous way to start the night and a phenomenal common factor amongst the guests.

As for the décor, the coop itself was illuminated, music-filled and welcoming! I placed a beautiful rustic wood table near the coop with delicate white chairs. The tablescape was deliberately simple but had nods to the theme of the night including a laser-cut sign that read “Chicks that I dig” and wooden nameplates of various breeds represented in my flock ordered from another female entrepreneur on www.etsy.com. The chicken etched wine glasses also set the mood (also from www.etsy.com) as did the candles. The setting was simple but thoughtful and ultimately well received!

As with most dinner parties I prefer to focus on one special ingredient….needless to say, we decided to highlight the egg on this special occasion. Upon arrival (like, practically at the car door!) our signature cocktail was served, it was of course shaken with farm fresh eggs from my very own hens! The drinks were delivered on a silver tray and set the expectation of the detail that was about to follow. Once all the guests arrived the nest-shaped appetizers (filled with crème fresh, salmon and topped with egg shavings) were brought out! This was the first of three egg courses to be served!

Once we were all seated, the incredible frisee salad was to follow. Each helping was served with a poached egg on top along with bacon lardons and a light homemade vinaigrette. It was a nod to the French and the perfect start to our dinner. Upon completion of the beautiful first course our guests enjoyed a pasta dish topped with duck eggs followed by none other than a crème brulee! Oh, and silly me, I almost forgot to mention that each course had its own wine pairing and the wine labels may have had a chicken of two on them!

I think it is fair to say that our guests loved every bite and were reminded of why eggs are such an important part of our diet. All of the Chicks that I Dig left with a greater appreciation for backyard chicken ownership and our friendship! Couldn’t have been a better outcome…