Since this is the first in the series, I wanted to keep the menu easy, accessible, and fun. The idea here is to take a familiar comfort meal and elevate it into a simple dinner party. Nothing too fussy—unless you want to add extra touches—but flexible enough to work two ways:
- A beginner-friendly menu that won’t overwhelm a first-time host.
- A springboard for more advanced or creative embellishments.
Here’s how I built the menu:
🧀 Appetizer — The Cheese Board
A cheese board is the easiest way to start a gathering: customizable, crowd-pleasing, and fun to put together. Choose a mix of cheeses you love, add grapes or fruit, crackers, and a drizzle of honey or jam.
For a cosmic touch, cut cheese into star shapes or tuck in fruit that feels a little “galactic.”
🍅 Main — Tomato Basil Soup in Mugs
The heart of this menu is a house favorite: my Creamy Tomato Soup. I created this recipe back in college, inspired by a little restaurant near my academic hall that served the best tomato soup I had ever tasted. When it closed, I made it my mission to recreate (and perfect) my own version every fall.
It’s creamy, warm, and comforting—the kind of soup that makes a starry night even cozier. Serving it in mugs makes it easy to enjoy outdoors, or curled up on blankets inside.
🥪 Sides — Whimsical Star Shapes
Add a celestial twist to your sides:
- Mini Grilled Cheeses → Use a cookie cutter to make star-shaped sandwiches. Use leftover scraps as soup croutons. (Bonus: try the same trick with patty melts!)
- Star Croutons → Cut bread into stars, toast or pan-fry, and float them on top of the soup for a fun garnish.
🍫 Dessert — A Sweet Night Sky
End the night with something decadent:
- Chocolate lava cakes or brownies
- Topped with whipped cream, a sprinkle of edible gold stars, or powdered sugar constellations.
🍷 Drinks — Cozy & Refreshing
- Warm mulled cider with cinnamon sticks.
- Sparkling apple cider with thinly sliced, star-shaped apples floating on top.
✨ Bringing It Together
See? Not so bad. I designed this menu to be a starter guide—something familiar you can come back to again and again, without too much effort. It’s approachable enough for first-timers and flexible enough to layer on more creative details when you’re ready.
I hope you’ll give this a try. Below, I’ve included the recipe for my Creamy Tomato Soup along with a grocery list to help plan your own starry gathering.
Happy gathering,
✨
🍅 Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 10–12 roma tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup cream
- Olive oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Score the tops of the tomatoes with a cross, then boil until skins begin to loosen. Drain, cool, and peel.
- Chop onions and carrots. In a large pot, sauté with olive oil until onions are translucent.
- Add butter and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in tomato paste until incorporated.
- Add peeled tomatoes, deglazing the bottom of the pot as they cook down.
- Pour in chicken broth and cream. Bring to a boil, then simmer until vegetables are soft.
Blend until smooth. Return to the pot, season with salt, and serve warm.
light & gather 
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