Category — Entertaining

Many of the guests at Tram’s Baby Shower had expressed interest in the recipes for the brunch food I served.  In fact, Tram commented that yesterday’s post was a “Cliffhanger” since so many of her friends were hoping for the recipes and I said that the recipes would be coming tomorrow.

That actually made me laugh. A Cliffhanger? Me?

No, I just have so much to share about the shower that I have to break it up into a week’s worth of posts. So, today I shall give you all the recipes!

It sounds more daunting than it actually is because all but one of the recipes have already been posted here on the blog. See, no Cliffhanger to be had. Most of them, I made exactly as previously written and a couple of the others – have a few tweaks. Let’s get to it!

First up, The Granola Bar.

I made a double batch of my Glinda’s Wickedly Delicious Granola. It is my take on a recipe from my friend and colleague, Gwen Ashley Walters.

To accompany the granola, there were bowls of fresh blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries, plus lemon curd, low-fat vanilla yogurt, and, my favorite store-bought yogurt of all time, Greek Gods brand Honey yogurt.

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… after nearly a week off, I’m back to share all the glorious details of Tram’s babies (twins) shower with you. In all honesty, I don’t know where to begin.

I don’t know if I should start by thanking Tram for being the most appreciative and gracious guest-of-honor, EVER! (I love this photo of Tram with her friend and colleague, Lin Sue. It so beautifully shows off her ever-growing baby bump on her tiny frame!)

Or by thanking Peggy for being the best friend and assistant party setter-upper and co-hostess that a girl could ever deserve, hope, wish, or dream of having!

Or maybe I, tell you all about the theme and show you a bunch of photos from the perfectly perfect day.

Let’s start there – at the beginning. This is how it went down.

Tram and Steve came over to our house before going out to dinner with the supposed reason of seeing our new back patio. The true purpose was to tell us that they were expecting… TWINS! How exciting is that?!

The very second after Tram told me she was expecting twins, I said, “I have to throw you a baby shower!”

I first went to Pinterest and started a new board for the shower. The theme was solidified in October when I found this vintage Fisher-Price toddler desk at Sweet Salvage.

Theme:

• School
• Books
• Vintage Toys, flashcards, and blocks
• ABC
• 123
• Chalkboards
• Pink & Blue
• Globes, Rulers, & Crayons
• …and the Number 2

One of four centerpieces … at a table for 10.

Table for eight.

Table for six.

An intimate table for four.

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The pretty Christmas beverage dispenser below was given to me several years ago, as a gift, from Peggy. Everyone at the Christmas Craft Party loved it, as do I!

I had two cocktails available for guests at the party.

Photo

A Pear-Thyme Mimosa (pear juice,  fresh thyme sprigs, and champagne) and an autumn apple punch.

The punch was the most popular, by far!

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I am currently in the frantic throes of planning for/working on 6 upcoming events/classes which are occurring between tomorrow and a week from Saturday. And that doesn’t even take into consideration Christmas decorating, which I have not even began to think of tackling.

That is so far off my radar that it might as well be September at my house. But I do see a little light at the end of the tunnel.

One of the things on my “Must Do” list was to get the handmade invites out for Tram’s baby shower. The shower isn’t until mid-January, but I felt that with all the Christmas cards and catalogs clogging up people’s mailboxes, it would be best to get them out now, as in today!

I’ll be dropping them off at the post office in the next hour when I go out to do the grocery shopping for my cooking class at Les Gourmettes, which is tomorrow night. So that will be 2 of the 6 items done or nearly completed by the end of today!

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Tips for Entertaining

or How to be the Hostess with the Mostess

Theme: The jumping-off point for all my entertaining begins with choosing a theme. Some are built-in; holidays, birthdays, and seasonal gatherings. Even then, selecting a color palette helps the event have a cohesive feel and flow and makes planning so much easier. Make a list of what you already own that works with the theme or palette, and then buy or borrow pieces that you want to incorporate.

Make a list of everything you need to get done and set deadlines. Put big, time-consuming projects, such as cleaning the house or tracking down tables and chairs, at the top of your list.

Build menus around dishes you already know how to make and are comfortable with, and then add one or two new recipes.

Prepare as much as possible ahead of time, so you’re able to relax and enjoy your party! Many recipes have “do ahead” notes. But even if the recipe you’re using doesn’t, get into the habit of thinking about what can be prepared ahead. If you’re not sure, search online for a similar recipe and see if it has “do ahead” notes.

If you’re still at a loss, drop me a line and I’ll help you figure it out.

Do not be afraid to take short-cuts with store-bought items.

I do it. All. The. Time.

I am not a baker, so I’ll buy dessert from a bakery or I’ll just pick up a variety of little sweets from Trader Joe’s. Trust me, your guests will remember how much fun they had, not if you made your own pie crust or used a store-bought crust.

Have a Signature Cocktail. It sets the tone for the evening. It lets your guests know you went to a bit of extra effort. Even if it’s just a glass of champagne with a splash of juice and a berry added, it makes a statement. Have the drinks set on a tray at the entry? Add a little sign, such as: “Welcome, please enjoy our Signature Cocktail – Rojo Sangria”

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Throwing a party is very intimidating for some. For others, it seems to come naturally.

I remember the first “adult” party I planned and held. It was a baby shower for a work friend. I was a 17-year-old junior in high school at the time and living at home with my parents. The mother-to-be was about five years older than me and we were close work friends. She had no family in town, so of course, I insisted I throw the shower for her!

The guest of honor was decorating her nursery with Winnie the Pooh, so that was the party theme. Winnie the Pooh invites, napkins, paper plates, and decor. I cringe now to think how tacky it was, at least by the party standards I have today. But at the time, at least as I recall, it was a fabulous, highly praised, fun, and very chic affair! Maybe that is where and how I was first instilled with the “entertaining confidence” I have always had. Thanks, Pooh Bear!

I mention my party standards because those have changed considerably in the many decades since that first baby shower. I rarely use paper plates, unless it’s a picnic or pool party. But, when I’m invited to a party with paper plates, I honestly do not even notice. It’s just one of the standards I set for myself. Plus, I have the storage space needed for all sorts of party supplies, and I know that is a true luxury.

And when I say, I know, I really do know!

Our first home was a townhouse with less than 900 square feet. We lived there for seven years and threw more parties than I can count. Wedding and baby showers for friends. New Year’s Eve dinners, Marissa’s baptism, and her first birthday party. Every holiday from Easter and 4th of July to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Plus dozens of dinner parties and even a Murder Mystery Costume Party.

We were living paycheck to paycheck for the better part of those years. Actually living on credit cards and using one credit card to pay off another – during some particularly difficult times. This was before grocery stores even began accepting credit cards. Do you remember back that far?

But entertaining and being with family and friends was, and always has been a priority for us, so we made it work.

My point is that life, and things in general, don’t have to be picture-perfect to entertain.

Yes, I live in a large lovely home now and I am blessed in many ways. Still, I don’t stress about making things perfect. Point in case – three years ago I fired my “every other week” cleaning person. Why? Because I honestly could not stand to have even one more thing in my house broken, chipped, or cracked by someone who was careless or feeling rushed.

The trade-off … my house isn’t as clean as it used to be. I keep the kitchen spotless… because it’s my work space, my office, my sanctuary.

But the rest of the house… it’s much dustier and a little more cluttered than it used to be. The one time that it’s guaranteed to be dusted and “picked up” is when I’m having people over.

So, yes, entertaining helps me keep my house clean too.

So… do not let excuses like, “I don’t have enough room, or enough stuff, or enough money” (there’s always pot-luck and BYOB!) or enough “whatever” prevent you from entertaining your loved ones.

Just do it!

Here is my “One Month Before” Party Timeline. It is for very special occasions – the big party. This can be scaled down to a “one day before” timeline for when, on a Thursday afternoon, you invited your best friends over for cocktails and appetizers on Friday night.

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The post entitled, “help me, help you,” received not only many thoughtful and inquisitive comments, which I was blatantly soliciting but also several personal emails.

There was a common theme that ran through them.

“What are your ‘must have’ items for a well-stocked Holiday/Entertaining pantry?”

“I need helpful Entertaining Tips.”

“Do you have tips for last-minute holiday entertaining?”

“I love your Thanksgiving Timeline, it has helped me year after year to stay on track. I know you host many parties, how about a Party Timeline?”

OK, you asked for it, you got it. Since Christmas is exactly one month from today (do not panic!) … I shall take on each of those topics/questions, over the next several days.

Today we shall tackle…

The Well-Stocked “Entertaining” Pantry, Refrigerator & Freezer

Freezer

My #1 must-have is Frozen Pizza Dough. Obviously, you can make mini-pizzas or foccacia, but an even easier option is to roll out, cut into thin strips, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan then bake. You now have warm delicious homemade bread sticks.

Next time you buy a Baguette, buy an extra one. Slice, place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and toast in the oven. Cool and then throw into a freezer zip-lock bag. They are perfect for last-minute appetizers; crostini, bruschetta, added to a cheese plate or topped with a savory purchased spread.

Puff Pastry. My freezer is never without this most versatile workhorse. It is like magic. To make sweet or savory tarts, all you have to do is roll it out, spread something on it, bake, and then slice. Puff Pastry is an appetizer base miracle worker that can be topped with virtually anything — any cooked chopped protein, cheese, vegetables, tapenade, or pesto – you name it.

Frozen Berries. At the ready for refreshing blended drinks or quick dessert with that puff pastry.

Nuts of all types. Storing nuts in the freezer is better than storing them in your pantry. The freezer prevents the natural nut oils from becoming rancid. They thaw in minutes. Healthy and convenient.

Shredded Cheese. When you have bits and pieces of cheddar, mozzarella, or jack cheese left; shred them and freeze. Now you’ll have it at the ready when you want to throw together that quick crostini or bruschetta with your frozen baguette slices.

Frozen Juice Cubes. Make juice cubes from leftover cranberry, orange, or apple juice, and lemonade for that matter; then drop a couple into champagne for an always festive and instant cocktail.

Selection of Frozen Hors d’oeuvres (you know I get mine at Trader Joe’s)

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Hey, today is 11/12/13 – that’s all.
I just think it’s Cool!

Have you ever read a recipe that you wanted to make and noticed some ingredient or instruction that didn’t seem quite right?

You have a few options here:

You either decide to make the change or adjustments that you think will make it better.

Or you skip the recipe altogether.

Or… option 3 … you go against your better judgment and move forward with the original instructions.

That is the mistake I made when I found the main course recipe I wanted to make for the European Dinner Party. It was a Tyler Florence recipe I’d found on FoodNetwork.com.

I love Tyler’s food and have never found a recipe of his that didn’t turn out exactly as expected – so I went against my first instinct and made the recipe as directed.

That was a mistake.

No, I wasn’t making Cookie Monster cupcakes as my main course, and it wasn’t as epic fail as that was!  It was a delicious-sounding recipe for lamb shanks with a potato topping.

The problem was in the potato topping. The recipe read,

“Peel the potatoes and cut in half lengthwise.

After the shanks have been cooking for two hours, remove from the oven and arrange the potatoes on top to completely cover the shanks – you may have to cut some of the potato pieces smaller to fit…”

This didn’t make sense to me when I read it. Large potato halves on top of the shanks – just didn’t seem right. But I did it that way.

I was not at all happy with how it turned out. Slicing the potatoes thinly and then placing them on top of the shanks was my first instinct and would have made the difference in the dish. The potatoes would have cooked more evenly and the presentation would have been extremely pleasing!

The photos, of course, reflect how I made the recipe, but the way I’ve rewritten the recipe is how I think it should be made and how I’ll be making it the next time I serve it.

And there will be the next time.

It still is a delicious main course!

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That is French and translates word for word into Salad. Green. Bitter.

It sounds poetic in French but it certainly does not sound as lovely or appetizing in English. So we shall give it a nicer English name … Bitter Greens Salad with Pomegranates & Parmesan.

So much better. This, of course, was the salad from the European Dinner Party.

I put out store-bought cookies and candies at the end of the meal, so there will not be a dessert recipe. The main course is all I have left to post. Expect that recipe tomorrow.

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Our soup at the European Dinner Party uses one of my favorite vegetables – the artichoke.

Fresh artichokes are not the easiest vegetable to work with, but when you use canned (or frozen) artichoke hearts, they are a snap to use.

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