This post is sponsored by ALDI, all opinions are my own. Click here to find an ALDI near you!

A part of my life that doesn’t translate onto the blog or social media is my love for hosting! Anything from a casual cook out with friends, to a nicer dinner with a more detailed menu is fun for me. I love thinking through the prep work, paying attention to details that guests may notice, and generally enjoy cooking and baking. The clean-up often doesn’t bother me either, as I usually use that time to wind down after a fun evening with friends!
I hosted an outdoor “girl’s night” dinner party with a few friends recently and it was so much fun. The weather was perfect, it was about 70 degrees with a very soft breeze. A few days prior the temperatures were still sitting at 80 by 7:00pm, so I was thrilled to see we had a slightly cooler day on tap.
My husband strung cafe lights over our deck table, and I accessoried with plants and candles on top of a pretty printed table cloth. The vibe I was going for was a bit rustic but mostly really natural and simple. I wanted to hang some greenery from the lights but since that was our only light source I didn’t want to risk blocking too much light with it, so I left the greenery to the tabletop!
Once I knew I had 8 guests attending, I started thinking through the menu. I wanted something that wouldn’t require me to be in the kitchen the whole evening, and something a little light in case it was a bi...