SPRING CHICKEN
At the beginning of 2025, I came across a recap reel from an influencer on Instagram who had been sharing her themed dinner parties. From that moment, I knew this was something that spoke to my soul and immediately vowed to host my own themed dinners. Though it took me almost five months, the first dinner - Spring Chicken - was finally brought to fruition in May.
I really didn’t know what to expect, and the level of planning was truly so last minute, with a day-of thrift shopping trip really saving the day. And ultimately, everything came together so beautifully - it was truly blissful. With the joy of the experience and some new-found confidence, I knew this dinner certainly wouldn’t be the last.
THE INSPIRATION
the invite
The invite always sets the tone and comes with an accompanying Dress Code mood board.
the dress code
Everyone nailed the dress code - dressed in the perfect combination of soft blues, yellows, gingham and floral prints.
the table
So much of the Spring Chicken look is owed to my friend Emily. Not only was her backyard the most quaint setting, but she also provided the most darling assortment of chairs, this neutral gingham tablecloth and the eye-catching floral arrangements (amongst other things!).
My last minute - truly hours before dinner - thrift trip proved totally worth it with these whicker plates and a large white serving platter for the main dish. And my personal favourite touch? The feather details added to our coupe glasses. The little touch of whimsy not only incorporated the Spring Chicken theme, but brought a bit of fun to an elegant table.
the menu
SPRING CHICKEN Dinner Menu
APPETIZER - Lemon Goat Cheese Crostini
with lemon thyme honey drizzle
SALAD: Shaved Asparagus Salad
with arugula, avocado, pistachios, parmesan and lemon champagne vinaigrette
MAIN: Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken
SIDES: Parmesan & Pea Risotto
DESSERT: Matcha Pavlova
matcha whipped cream, pistachio, blueberry & lilac blossoms
COCKTAIL: Hugo Spritz
While the menu was actually quite simple in terms of flavour profiles, some of these dishes truly won over my heart.
The Shaved Asparagus Salad was so delicious, I ate it for lunch for two more days. Before this dinner, I don’t think I had tried asparagus raw before - it brought a great crunch and flavour to the salad that complimented the creamy avocado and bright dressing. Find the recipe here.
For the Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken, I adapted one of my favourite recipes from Daphne' Oz’s cookbook, The Happy Cook. Her Truffle Salt Roasted Chicken has never led me astray, so I swapped the truffle salt for citrus salt and stuffed the chicken cavity with lemon as well. Daphne Oz’s recipe here.
The dessert, oh the dessert - this Matcha Pavlova may still be one of my favourite dishes to this day. In the fluster of my first dinner party, I discovered I actually did not have any sugar in my pantry and instead had to adapt to using icing sugar. I think this actually created a beautiful pavlova. I have yet to to replicate this recipe but something tells me that was part of the reason the meringue had such a wonderful chew. And the matcha whipped cream…simply to die for. The little lilac blossoms were a stunning garnish against the green whip, though none of my friends trusted me that they were edible - they are!
