Welcome back to another episode of Dinner Stories: The Triumphs and Travails of Hosting! For January, join me for a cozy, heart-healthy dinner party that’s for the heart, from the heart! I’m striking a balance between nourishing, plant-forward dishes that are both healthy and elegant.
Hello again, and happy 2026! Welcome back to Dinner Stories: The Triumphs and Travails of Hosting! For January, I hosted a dinner party that was themed “For the Heart, From the Heart”. Previously, in 2025, we’ve had the following themes:
- March – Pistachio
- April – French Bistro
- May – My Blog’s 10 Year Anniversary
- June – Little Soirée on the Prairie
- July – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- August – Seaside Garden
- October – All Hallow’s Evening
Without further ado, let’s get into this month’s party!
THE THEME
This month’s theme was inspired by Le Creuset’s hearts collection, which I used to create some content for them (however, this post is not sponsored!). Obviously, with a collection of heart-shaped cookware, Valentine’s Day is the first theme anyone would think of. But I wanted to do something more unique, especially in a way that could tie in to my existing outlook on food. So I thought to myself, “Okay, hearts. Like literally hearts.” Meaning the organ that keeps pumping away, day after day, keeping us moving around and living life!
I worked as an EMT from 2021-2024, so I’ve had my fair share of exposure to all things cardiac / circulatory system. Our hearts are something a lot of us take for granted until the moment it stops working, or something goes wrong. So I hope this post will inspire whoever’s reading it to take a moment to be grateful for their heart, and to find ways to eat heart-healthy!
THE TABLESCAPE
Not to be macabre, but I wanted the tablescape to read “the literal heart organ” in a way that was on point but not off-putting. I thought the rusty-red tablecloth was a perfect nod to the circulatory system, and I was also able to repurpose a bunch of my decor from the All Hallow’s Evening dinner party. Because as much as I would love to shop for a whole new set of housewares for every dinner party, that’s not financially or environmentally sustainable. So here’s what I reused from the previous dinner party:
- Dark Red Candle tapers – Amazon
- Stick-um (for the candles) – Amazon
- Napkins – Amazon
- Flower Vase – Goodwill
And here’s where I got everything else:
THE FOOD
So, how to create a menu that’s:
- Plant-forward
- Elevated
- But also heart healthy?
I think I did pretty well with this one. When in doubt, I always go for Mediterranean flavors (think garlic, lemons, and herbs). So I made an herby green goddess dip with beet greens for an appetizer, and served it with lentil chips. The other appetizer was roasted fresh chickpeas – so fun to eat like edamame!
For the side, I used more beet greens to make a zippy salad dressed simply with good olive oil, fresh-squeezed lemon, maldon salt, and a bit of Sichuan pepper for spice. The main was a beet risotto made with purple rice (more on that later). Then, for dessert, my friends Kevin and Scott made heart spritz cookies with cinnamon red-hots in the center. Usually I try to make everything myself to live up to my *~food influencer~* title, but January was a hard month so the help was super welcome! And the cookies came out amazing too.
THE DRINKS
I was doing dry January, so I did not serve any wine at this dinner party! Instead, I made a lovely homemade citrus cold-brew tea that was honestly the sleeper hit of the party. I infused orange slices, dried chamomile, and dried rose petals in water in a large mason jar, and left it in the fridge overnight. Right before serving, I squeezed in fresh orange and lemon juices and added a little maple syrup. It was SO tasty and refreshing, I definitely need to post the recipe!
THE PREPARATION
I wish I didn’t have to talk about it, but you all deserve to know about the purple rice risotto debacle. Yes, that’s right. I actually love making risotto and I consider it to be a “cheat” recipe for me. (Meaning that it’s super easy and I can usually make it with anything I have on hand.) However. Risotto is usually made with arborio rice. Purple rice is decidedly not the same thing as arborio rice. Why? Because purple rice is a whole grain with the bran still attached. This makes purple, black, and brown rice take longer to cook.
I thought I had left enough time to have it done by 30 minutes past the party start time, but I was sadly mistaken. It ended up taking AN HOUR AND A HALF FOR THAT STUPID RICE TO COOK. If you track down any of my friends present at that party, they can tell you I was slightly crashing out over the risotto. So if you take anything away from this post, it’s that you should never make purple rice risotto for a dinner party!!!
And no, I do not have a photo of the purple rice risotto. By the time it was finally done I was not in the mood to photograph it!! Oh well, you win some, you lose some! :)
P.S.
For more plant-forward recipes, dinner parties, and New England lifestyle inspiration, be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok! If you make a recipe, please tag me in the photo and use the hashtag #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your creations!
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