Ideas for a Grown-up Bonfire Night Dinner Party

Remember, remember the 5th of November… Tonight is bonfire night and it’s as the celebration is occurring mid-week this year, it seems like the fireworks have been going off all week long! There were displays last weekend and there are definitely more happening this weekend too, with the occasional home celebration in between. Although I love fireworks, it’s been more of a pain than a delight for me to have fireworks going off all week long, as my cats get stressed out and the prolonged celebration means that they have been less-than happy this week. Even so I will be celebrating tonight with a grown-up dinner party and I’d like to share some ideas with you in case you were thinking of doing the same, either tonight or at the weekend!

Firstly, make your dinner table look extra-special: simply adding napkins and wine glasses (even if you’re only serving soft drinks!) can make all the difference to your table. Pick out your best crockery or if you’re thinking of investing in new dishes for Christmas, do it now and get double-use out of them – try John Lewis for a great selection of festive and classic crockery. Just adding a few candles in jars will add to the festive atmosphere of bonfire night and will keep the table well-lit on a dark evening.

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Next, decide on a suitably bonfire-themed menu. This doesn’t have to be sausages in buns because tonight we won’t be standing in a field but will be seated in the comfort of our own home, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t go all-out with a fireworks feast! There’s nothing better than holding a steaming cup of soup with gloved hands when you’re cold on bonfire night so I would recommend bringing this tradition indoors and serving a warming spiced butternut squash soup with chunky bread and crumbled blue stilton – check out my recipe on the blog.

For the main course, go for a traditional bonfire night meal such as spicy chilli or pulled pork with jacket potatoes and rice. I’ve already prepared my chilli in advance and will definitely be eating this autumnal meal this evening. Here’s my favorite recipe for a 5 bean chilli - just change the quorn for mince if you’re a meat-eater!I’ve decided that a few sparklers at home are enough fireworks for me so I’ll be ending the evening with a swish of sparkle outside in the garden – here are the shapes we made last year, and we even got out the torches to create some long-exposure movement photos.

Let me know what you think of my plans and whether you’re planning something similar too? I’d love to hear from you, so please leave me a comment below