Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

More farm birthday fun

Here are a few more fun details from Little Miss' "Down on the Farm" birthday party!

For an activity, the kids planted their very own heirloom variety vegetables.  I had ordered seeds from the Seed Savers Exchange, and the little party animals (see what I did there?!) planted their choice of Paris Market Carrot, King of the North Pepper, Blondkopfchen Tomato and De Cicco Broccoli.  Fun!


Even with our ridiculously mild winter, it was still too cold in February to make the kids go outside to handle the dirt. Instead, we did this activity inside.  I put on my brave face, covered the kitchen table with a plastic tablecloth, and set out the potting soil, plastic cups and measuring cups.  And hoped for the best.


And I shouldn't have worried. Aside from a few small spills, the kids did a fine job of filling their cups and planting the seeds.  It helped that all the adults were willing to assist the little ones, and a few adults even planted their own vegetables.  The mess was rolled up into the tablecloth and taken away so that folks could eat there when dinner was ready. 


A big trend with parties (see anything featured on Amy Atlas) are individual labels naming each drink, appetizer, dessert, etc. I like the look but I simply don't have the kind of time or patience necessary to pull it off.  Instead, I made general menus for the appetizers, meal and desserts using clip art I found on Microsoft Publisher.  I printed the menus on white card stock and displayed them in clear acrylic photo frames. Easy!




I didn't take any pictures of the main courses--at that point, the kitchen was too active and getting photos of the food would have been impossible--but here is what I served:


Tomorrow, I'll share the dessert table with you. Y'all come back, hear? 

LOL. I just love imaginary farm-speak.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Resolute

So far, I'm sticking to my New Year's Resolution of trying new recipes...

...well, sort of.  We had lasagna on Wednesday. I've made lasagna before, but since it's not in my regular rotation (I make it once or twice a year, if even that) I'm counting it as a new recipe. It was delicious, easier to make than I remembered, and a nice change of pace for dinner.


But, I do need to branch out to truly new recipes, and I've been pouring over my cookbooks.  This is the stack on the family room end table that I peruse whenever I have a spare moment.  The tabs sticking out are marking the recipes I want to try:


And here's another shelf of cookbooks in the office:


This shelf is baking cookbooks only:


Of course, I have more cooking/baking books that don't fit on those shelves just laying around the house.  I want to go through all of them, try the recipes that sound good, and get rid of any that don't have something I can use. 

In addition to the usual cookbooks, I have years of back issues of magazines with valuable recipes.  Below are my office shelves dedicated to Martha Stewart publications (plus the Complete Chicken Cookbook which won't fit on the other cookbook shelf).  Some of the Martha Stewart books deal with crafts, organization and business, but I own a few cookbooks from her and I've kept every issue of Martha Stewart Living from 2005 on.  I've also kept every issue I've ever received of Everyday Food, which now amounts to a sizable collection of those. I need to go through each of these again and find recipes and meals that will work for my family. 


As if this weren't enough cookbooks and magazines, I also have 10+ years worth of Taste of Home back issues, as well as 10+ special Taste of Home publications (hardback books, recipe collections, etc.).  There's also two years of back issues of Better Homes and Gardens, and several binders worth of recipes, tips and ideas I've clipped from magazines over the last 14+ years. 

With all material for new dinner and meal ideas, I might need to change my resolution from trying two new dinner recipes a month to trying a new recipe twice a day.  And working out more. That, or investing in several new pairs of sweat pants. 

I'm leaning towards new sweat pants.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Food presentation

Many, many moons ago, I wrote about a great dinner we had with friends Amy and Patrick.  They had us over again for Memorial Day, and per their usual, everything was fantastic.  They always go all out for dinner guests, and that includes amazing food presentation. 

Take a look:



Even the way they set the table is impressive! At the TMI household, you're lucky if you get real plates and matching silverware.  At Amy and Patrick's, you get a seperate fruit bowl, cloth placemats, a ramekin for dipping sauce and fancy plates!

They even take care to set the Little Guy's place with something special. For this dinner, he got a fish plate for his fruit and a Sesame Street sippy cup.  Amy and Patrick think of everything!  Isn't that sweet?

Food is king when it comes to preparing dinner for guests, but Amy and Patrick remind me that presentation is queen, and just as important as the great meal they always serve. 

Thanks for dinner, Amy and Patrick! It looked, and tasted, absolutely great! :)

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Dinner with friends

This weekend we had dinner with good friends Amy and Patrick. I love going to eat at Chez A&P's: the food is delicious, plentiful, and served on fun plates. Plus, they always include Barley in the invitation.

Chef Amy was kind enough to let me take pictures of the pineapple cutting process. She asked how I cut my pineapples.



"Oh," I told her, "I just open a can."
Yes, it's true. Any pineapple served at my house has come out a can. There, I said it.
That appalled look you have on your face? That's the exact same one Amy had on hers when I dropped that bomb. It's times like these when I remember two things: 1. it will take me one million years to become a domestic diva at this rate, and 2. when people think I have the "Martha" thing down, I should really just keep my big mouth shut and not ruin the illusion.

Chef Amy serves her fruit course in fancy dishes shaped like fruit. Isn't that awesome? Amy has the domestic diva thing down--she can plan an event like no one's business.



The meal included grilled peaches. Yum!


And grilled veggies.


Chez A&P's is awesome. Thank for a great evening, Amy and Patrick!
Oh, and that thing about not knowing how to cut a pineapple? I was totally kidding about that. Like Martha, I am an authority on cutting exotic fruits. Really. Really!!!! I swear!!!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Fast and Easy Dinner: Tex-Mex Chicken Casserole

I am always on the lookout for quick and easy dinners. This is one I've developed over the years and it is a nice treat on a wintry day.



Easy Tex-Mex Chicken Casserole


2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

2 cups cooked rice

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can Campbell's Cheddar Cheese condensed soup

1 packet taco or fajita seasoning (or less--use your best judgement on this)


Note: all measurements are approximate--I usually end up eyeballing the amounts and throwing in whatever looks good.





Throw everything together (including most of the juice from the tomatoes). Put it in a greased 9x9 baking dish, and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. For more deliciousness, add salsa and cheddar cheese to the top during the last 5-7 minutes of baking.




This is a very bland version of the meal (DH is averse to flavor). For the more adventurous, add salsa to the mix (in which case you need to drain the tomatoes before adding them), black beans, corn and chili peppers (adding extra ingredients will mean you need a bigger baking dish). For those of you short on time during the week, double the recipe initially and freeze one casserole for an easy dinner later. Enjoy!