I love to feed people. Mind, body, and soul. This has a lot to do with my parents, who are the most gracious hosts. Have you eaten yet? Are you thirsty? Even if you’re neither of the two, the chances are that my mom will start nudging food your way and my dad will pour you a mug of tea. It’s a custom I’m accustomed to, so I try to make my home just as inviting by make sure my friends have something delicious to eat and drink.

For my final installment of HomeGoods by Julie’s Kitchen, I’m sharing the dinner party I hosted. You can catch the dinner party setup in the video here, if you missed it. I transform my photography studio into a dinner party setup by cozying-up the table (aka my collaging surface) with a white flour sack table cloth, mats for texture and fun ombre napkins. I also added bright pops of color with yellow pom pom flowers and sprigs of rosemary.

Since the most important element of a dinner party is the food, I set out nibbles, like cheese, bread and olives, so my friends would have something to snack on while I finished cooking dinner. I made an arugula salad, mafalde pasta (found in the gourmet food section at HomeGoods!), and bison ricotta meatballs. Dinner party menus should be filled simple, delicious food made with fresh, local ingredients. That way, you’ll be having quality hang time, instead of slaving away in the kitchen!

Thanks so much for joining me for HomeGoods by Julie’s Kitchen. I’ve had a great time sharing the things that make my home mine. I’d love to hear about how you #MakeHomeYours too, so use the hashtag over on Instagram. I’ll leave you with this recipe for bison ricotta meatballs. It’ll make your house smell amazing. Cheers!

Bison Ricotta Meatballs

Ingredients

1 lb ground bison meat

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 milk

1/4 Parmesan, grated

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 pinch crushed red pepper

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

4 cups marinara sauce

Directions

1. Incorporate the meatball ingredients. Form 1 inch balls.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Brown meatballs on all sides, in batches if necessary.
3. Add browned meatballs to sauce a simmer over low heat until meatballs are cooked through, about 20 minutes.
4. Serve with pasta.