At Home With Em & Megs : A Celebration of Fall

BY EMILY TELVIK AND MEGAN VANSTONE

PHOTOS BY LAURA CANE

Living in the Inland Northwest is to experience a life full of gifts. Here, we get four gorgeous seasons, an ever-evolving scenery that delights us with its recurrent offerings...think of the first green leaves turning golden, that first snowfall, the snowdrops and crocuses pushing through still frozen ground, and that first really hot day with all the promise of summer to come. In our lives, each season brings the opportunity to celebrate the traditions our families hold dear, and fresh inspiration to create some new ones. In my opinion, fall is the most beautiful time of the year. I love that long golden hour we seem to get from September through November, before the true cold, damp, and darker days set in. I want to soak up all the beauty and warmth we’re given with our High Summers and, Megan and I not being ones to let an opportunity pass us by, think it’s the perfect time to throw a dinner party.

Fall provides us the perfect palette to get creative and think outside the box when it comes to entertaining. There are so many gorgeous places to set up a table, so much unbelievable scenery to enjoy, ambiance galore, right at our fingertips, and with some advanced planning and a little extra effort, you can gift your guests with a truly memorable experience that goes far beyond the food served.

For this dinner party, Megan and I chose to utilize the fireplace at lower Manito Park by the duck pond, the inspiration for our tablescape and menu from that setting. Because it’s still early fall, we wanted to keep things neutral, and for it all to have a more organic feel. We layered different colors and textures, from wheat-colored placemats to rustic tobacco-colored chargers with pottery plates and wooden napkin rings, and we also used Meg's collection of antique silverware. For the centerpieces, Megan hollowed out some cream-colored craft store pumpkins, added small glass vases, and filled them with white flowers and greenery. She wove some rustic garland through the vases, added a few small whitewashed pumpkins and some crystal candlesticks, and filled in any empty spaces with dried grasses. We brought a combination of our own dining room chairs to add beauty and comfort, and Megan tied some small wreaths of dried leaves onto the backs of the chairs. In the end, our efforts created a space that felt unique and special.

Early Fall Dinner Menu

Megs Little Pumpkin Baked Brie

At Home’s Early Autumn Salad

Squash and Crab Bisque

Rustic bread

Emily’s Boozy Apple Cake

Our area is full of opportunities like this one. Most likely many of us have walked by that fireplace many times and never thought about utilizing it. Yet with a bit of effort, a beautiful and memorable evening was created. An evening that felt like a gift, something ordinary elevated to that bit extraordinary, and aren’t those the times we really treasure?

As you lean into the changing of the seasons, think outside the box and surprise your kids, your loved ones, your family, and friends with a uniquely curated experience. Use the beauty of the season as inspiration, and let the joy of creating an unexpectedly special moment shine through in your intention and attention to the details.

Some Ideas To Inspire You:

• Set up a romantic table for two on High Drive, and enjoy dinner with a view. (We know someone who did this and surprised her husband with a special anniversary dinner.)

• Create a gourmet s’mores basket, pack some blankets and firewood, find one of the many outdoor fireplaces around Spokane, and enjoy a common and beloved dessert with the twist of experiencing it someplace new.

• Create an Oktoberfest dinner in an apple orchard served with local beers and hard ciders

• Set up an outdoor movie screen in your front yard, put out baskets of blankets and outdoor pillows, make a double batch of Meg’s White Bean Chicken Chili, stream the football game and surprise your neighbors with a fun afternoon.

• Have kids in fall sports? Set up a carb-laden dinner on the field at the end of their practice, before a big game or meet. If you have cross-country runners, arrange with the coach to have them run to a specific place and have dinner waiting for them there. Get the other parents involved and build some community while you're at it. 

• Take an evening canoe to a secluded spot, where a lovely picnic has been previously set up.

• Go on a leaf walk with your children, collect some outdoor treasures and come home and create something with them. Surprise your kids with a hot apple cider bar to enjoy while they craft.

Recipes