6 Ways to Make your Friends Love You Forever

We tend to agree with Jules. Today, we’re talking food— what to eat when entertaining friends or packing lunch. Food that’s trending and food for planting. Bon Appetit!

• The way to the heart is through the stomach — food-themed ideas for friends

• Girl Dinners blowing up TikTok

• Aren’t Artifical Foods enough? Now we’re using their recipes. Uh-oh.

• How does your August garden grow?

• Shhh… Grandma’s secret recipe might be plagiarized

ENTERTAINING: No, you don’t really need a reason to get together, but it’s fun to make it memorable. Mr6am is a hosting fool, and, looking back on our last ten years, his “themed” parties stand out the most. No need to decorate or dress up. All you need is good food. Here’s some Mr6am inspo.

First, try ending the summer with a lobster roll night or crab boil. All the cracking of shells makes for a slow meal—perfect for conversation. If you’re not a seafood person, what’s better than lobster? Fondue, of course. Because we all know cheese and chocolate make everything better. Or how about a pretty packaged picnic at a creek? When it starts to get cold, enter your bonfire era with gourmet s’mores. But sometimes, you need to celebrate. Like, six-course celebrate. 🍾

Choose one, set a date on the calendar, and invite some friends or friends-to-be over. Because you don’t win friends with salad.

TOP 2023 HOSPITALITY TIPS 🦞

GARDENING: May is planting crazy season. The end of school season is like wild locusts- it takes over and leaves nothing behind. But, there’s hope! If you think it’s too late for a garden, think again. Transition to cool crops. There’s still time to ensure a colorful and abundant harvest this fall. Check out your zone, and get growing. Support a small family business while you get some dirt under your fingernails. And, if kale and radishes aren’t your thing, remember three words: Just add Gruyere. 🥬

TIKTOK TREND: Are the Girl-Dinner girls okay? “Girl-Dinner” is the new tiktok trend— basically a glorified snack plate, ranging from gourmet to pathetic. It’s a meal that consists of snack foods laid out on a cutting board or paper plate. And Tiktok loves it. Some find it disturbing by promoting a restrictive diet culture. Some are relieved that the instargram-worthy meals are no longer expected. Some are celebrating the fact that women don’t have to provide a meal for their family. Listen, everybody has “girl dinners” up their sleeves… Maybe the drama will make us less social media eaters and more social eaters? 🤷

THE SCIENCE TAKES THE CAKE. 👯

AI FOOD: Looking to get creative with your leftovers? Beware New Zealand’s new meal plan app- with AI generated recipes. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not try some mosquito-repellant potatoes? Or the “aromatic water mix” (with the secret ingredient of chlorine gas)? But really, the bleach-infused rice surprise sounds unbeatable. Bon Appetit— or more like Memento Mori. ☠

• Your mortage making you melancholy? Go micro. 😍

• Heck of a Viral Voice — “Living in New World with an Old Soul” — and worth a listen [Controversial and some swearing]

• It’s that time of yeaer - Lunch Meal prep for the kiddos and yourself.

• Fashion Trends to slip into this fall. 🍂

• The Dirty Secret of ‘Secret Family Recipes’

Hey, all! Big favor to ask: Can forward this to a friend-OR- hit reply with any suggestions? We love hearing from you. And we love your friends. ;)

We’ll be back on Saturday with some culture, reader marriage advice, and fall trends. Until then,