Showing posts with label menu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label menu. Show all posts

Monday, April 2, 2012

Martha Monday--Easter time!

Easter is quickly approaching.  On Saturday I took the kids to an Easter egg hunt, and this Saturday we'll have breakfast with the Bunny.  Fun!


I'm not hosting Easter this year.  Instead, we'll do an egg hunt at home with the kids, and then it's off to the grandparents' houses for dinner and family fun.  What are you doing for Easter?

If you are in need of inspiration, be sure to check out Martha's Easter menus, decorations, and crafts.



If I were hosting Easter dinner, then I might have tried my hand at this table-scape: 



Maybe if I get it started now, I can have it ready in time for next year's Easter celebration. 

Happy Monday!

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.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Martha Monday--Turkey time!

There are only 18 days until Thanksgiving, and my mouth is already watering for delicious turkey and cranberry sauce. Thanksgiving may not have all the fun of Halloween or the glitz associated with Christmas, but when it comes to meals, it definitely has the best one. 


If you are hosting Thanksgiving, check out Martha's Everything Thanksgiving holiday section. She features instructions and recipes for turkey, side dishes, appetizers and pies galore. She even has great ideas for Thanksgiving decor and what do to with all those leftovers.  Sign up for the Everything Thanksgiving enewsletter to have menus, recipes, tips and more delivered right to your inbox.


A lot of my Thanksgiving meal preparation comes from Martha: my turkey is adapted from her Roast Turkey with Herb Butter recipe (see picture above).  And I brine my turkey each year per Martha's instructions--I'll have a tutorial for you next week.  Of course, my apple pie recipe is from Martha as well.


If you are looking to change up your normal Thanksgiving day menu, take a look at Martha's 19 different options, complete with recipes. Or mix and match if you prefer.  There's plenty of inspiration and ideas to make your Thanksgiving memorable, whether you are hosting or bringing a dish to someone else's house. 

Finally, if you are tired of the standard mashed potatoes and gravy, I recommend baking this Potato Gratin.  I made this a few weeks ago as a side dish, and it was delicious!  I am always amazed when just a few simple ingredients come together to make something so perfect. 


If you must have mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, then give this recipe a try for a weeknight side dish. Everyone is going to love it.

Happy Thanksgiving season!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Martha Monday--Martha's St. Patrick's Day menu

St. Patrick's Day is Wednesday, so for those of you looking to do something special, there's still plenty of time.  Martha shares her St. Patrick's Day menu and recipes here


I don't know if I'll get to the entire meal, but the Little Guy and I might take a stab at the soda bread. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!