Introducing: The Yellow Table Supper Club (+ a Whole Foods Giveaway!)

[9/11 UPDATE: We have two winners! Scroll down to the bottom to see who won!]

Hi friends! I can't believe a month has passed since my last post...I have so many things to tell you all. Between being pregnant, moving apartments (after five years!), and kicking off my book tour, it's been a time of intense transition. Frankly, I've been a bit overwhelmed by it all, and am just starting to process how I feel. Stay tuned for next week's Monday Musings post. Bring a cup of coffee, and we will have a long chat about life! But in the meantime, I am SO excited to announce a project (in partnership with Whole Foods Market) that is very dear to my heart...

This week marks the fourth anniversary of The Yellow Table blog, and I've been giving a lot of thought to why I started this blog. What's the mission behind the yellow table - both as a physical table, a blog, and a book? At the end of the day - as much as I love food, what really matters most to me is connection. It's gathering the people I love around my table, sharing a meal, and just being present with each other. As I wrote in my first blog post, "I love the idea of making the table the center of the home – as a place to tell stories, exchange ideas, laugh, and build relationships. Food is the connector, but the table is where the magic happens."

So in honor of the Yellow Table's anniversary AND the re-release of The Yellow Table cookbook with Sterling Epicure, I'm launching The Yellow Table Supper Club. I'm inviting all of you to join me over the next 12 months in creating community around your own tables. I'm creating a framework for you all to host your own monthly supper clubs of anywhere between 6-10 people. Rather than inviting different people each month, I'm really encouraging you to have a regular dinner group and really invest in these friendships. You have the rest of the month to hang out with whomever you want, but I love the idea of committing to a year of dinners with the same small group friends to really create community.

Here's how it will work:

-Invite 6-8 friends to join you for monthly supper clubs. You aren't obligated to host every single month – the idea is that you swap homes and share in the cooking/hosting duties.

-Sign up for the monthly Yellow Table Supper Club newsletter! (Just enter in your email address in the box on the right hand side of the blog post.)

-At the beginning of every month, I'll provide the a seasonal menu of recipes from The Yellow Table Cookbook to make for that month's Supper Club, as well as tips for table decor, wine suggestions, fun playlists, and storytelling themes. Ideally each member of your group will have a copy of the cookbook, and rather than one person making all of the recipes for that meal, every person (or couple) can make and bring a dish.

-Every month, Whole Foods is offering a gift cards via a giveaway on my blog to 2 people to help cover the cost of groceries! See below for details on how to enter!

-I'll be featuring a dinner party on my blog each month as inspiration for you in throwing your own!

This week, to kick off the Yellow Table Supper Club, Whole Foods is giving away TWO gift cards for $100 each!! Here's how you enter:

-Sign up for The Yellow Table Supper Club newsletter by by entering in your email address on the right hand side of the blog post.

-Answer the following question in the comments below: What excites you most about starting a supper club? Make sure to tag #WholeFoods at the end!

-Share this post with the friends who you want to join you in your supper club!

I'll announce the two gift card winners on Friday, Sept. 11 - you'll receive your gift cards via email by early next week. So excited to hear stories and photos of your supper clubs in the months to come! Can't wait!

[UPDATE 9/11: Thanks for all the awesome responses!! We have our winners! Traci Johnson and Susan Ryan will each receive a $100 gift certificate to Whole Foods to kick off their Yellow Table Supper Clubs. Hooray!]

xo, Anna

(Opening photo by Signe Birck; 2nd photo by Chinae Alexander; 3rd photo by Brandon Carl)