Nesting With Grace

by Brooke Christen

Octoberfest- Fall Dinner Family Tradition

October 15, 2024

My parents host Octoberfest, basically a fall family dinner every year, and this year they hosted it at our home. The main activities are good food and all the kids leave with a pumpkin! It’s a fun time of year because there are so many yummy fall foods! I’ll share our usual menu and favorites.

This year, there were 24 of us. We rearranged some tables and side tables for more seating. I wanted everyone to be in the same space eating together. We made it work with what we had and everyone was comfortable!

I even use ceramic stools, that are normally side tables by our outdoor furniture as a place to sit!

We even put place settings at the outdoor island. New green counter stools to match our table chairs!

Fall punch is a family favorite! I have these pumpkin dispensers. One is filled with water and the other with fall punch. Here is the recipe with a printable.
Fall Punch
•2 liters Ginger Ale
•1 gallon Apple Cider
•2 cups Orange Juice
•1 can Frozen Lemonade Concentrate
•Add sliced apples and enjoy!

For outside, I like using these wicker plate chargers with paper plates. They are sturdy but make clean up easy and nice for outdoor entertaining.

Not everything was “matchy matchy”. I basically gathered my fall looking cups, cloth napkins and tablecloths! I had candles that are older (I don’t mind burning candles outside if the wind cooperates) and spread them throughout.

We did a similar more formal table setting inside with the same tablecloth, which is actually a shower curtain!

For the tablecloth I used two Shower Curtains! My table is long so I knew I would need two, even when we hosted for Thanksgiving or really any family party, we would pull out the longer tables. So I put two together, you can sew, or I just used this fabric tape and fold under (or trim) the side that had slots for curtain hooks then overlapped to secure fabric tape together.

Tablecloth Options-

Tablecloths linked HERE

Everyone pitches in with the food. My mom sends out a list- usually just knowing what she likes us each to make. My parents alway bring the meat. We’ve aways had bratwursts and another main dish, this year was teriyaki chicken. My dad also grilled hot dogs for the kids.

Kevin with a full plate! Here are some of our menu items….

Honestly from our meals has been things from our garden! My mom made homemade salsa and I made our favorite stuffed sweet peppers. My brother has made yummy jalapeño poppers with jalapeños from his garden. Grilled veggies and potatoes always make the menu too. My aunt made a yummy fall apple salad this year that look at pretty as it tasted good!

Stuffed Pepper Recipe, guaranteed a hit! Love to serve and cook on this roasting pan!

My sister always makes homemade rolls and this year brought a cinnamon honey butter that was a hit! The cinnamon definitely made it taste like fall.
The Cinnamon Honey Butter Recipe is so easy:
1/2 stick butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Mix together, and enjoy! (We double this recipe)

The dessert is always a highlight of our night too, can you think of a favorite fall dessert? Mine is apple crips and that’s what my niece made. It was so yummy! She made this recipe, served with ice cream on these spider web plates, it was the perfect way to end our meal. We’ve had our Pumpkin cupcakes, Peach or Berry Crisp, and our favorite Pumpkin Crunch Cake at past Octoberfest’s.

This fall trail mix has been on a steady refill! Fun little snack to have out and super easy to make. Honey roasted peanuts, candy corn and assorted M&M’s. Spider bowl and other Halloween finds here.

In the past, my parents have grown pumpkins, some years these pumpkins grew huge! We would weight them after they were cut off the vine! Now, there are just so many cute grandkids that my mom buys all different kind of pumpkins and spreads them around the yard. We let them choose a pumpkin one at a time. They love it!

This is your sign to host a get together, small or big. Use what you have, mix and match colors. Ask others to help with food and have a good time!

PS- get all the details on our home and sources HERE.

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