Fall Dinner for a Blog Friend

I’ve read about it plenty—bloggers who become virtual friends and eventually meet—and I thought that such meetings must be so fun! Well, Maria, of Dreams and Epiphanies, met in person last weekend! She and her husband, Lee, had a standing invitation for anytime they came to Ohio to visit their son in college, and she emailed me to say they would be in Ohio and would October 18 work? Of course! We’d make it work! We invited them to our home for lunch if they were up to it, because yes, we’re in Ohio, but not en route to Miami University, and the answer was “yes, we’ll come visit!” Yea, Lee, for being a good sport!!

My husband Terry and I decided a traditional Cuban meal was in order, and he chose the menu, based on his favorite meal: Roast pork chunks with Cuban seasonings, rice and black beans, and guacamole—Cuban guacamole…you’ll see that treat in a minute! We also had corn soufflé (recipe here), rolls and butter, and a good pinot noir selected by our son, the chef.

There was no lapse in conversation from the minute they arrived! I’d asked that they arrive hungry, and they said they had heeded my request, so first we had some appetizers ~

I love to serve palitroques—bread sticks—especially with appetizers, because they were somewhat of a staple with my family, so I always think of them as a Cuban item, though I don’t know if other Cuban families enjoy them as much as we do. I forgot to ask Maria—we’ll need to get together again to talk some more. :)

Our table (as well as the meal, really) was simple and fall-ish: Burlap runner, woven “straw” placemats and twig chargers, with simple white dishes and aubergine napkins held by twig napkin rings.

The pork and the rice…and back to the tablescape~ funny how a table decor unfolds. All I had in mind was the burlap and twig things, and simple white dishes. As I was looking for these items I ran across this purchase from last year:

Metallic gold leaves that I bought for a whopping $.97 on clearance last December. I actually thought they were golds and bronzes, but no, all gold. So there went the table—gold leaves on the burlap runner for contrast, and gold accents, including my “gold” flatware that my dear, sweet grandmother, who obliged me in every way she could, bought for me just because I wanted them, to go with the Lenox Holiday dishes she had also given me. She was such a sweet, dear, giving person, never, ever expecting anything in return.

Originally I intended to use this Tea Leaf tureen—it was perfect—until I took the lid off and saw the crazing and damage to the porcelain. Not safe. I’d gotten it at an auction, and at the time I wasn’t concerned about the damage, since my intention was to use it for display purposes, but I’d forgotten about it. So off the table and back to just looking lovely, as she always does.

  And about that Cuban guacamole…ours consists of chunks of avocado and of fresh pineapple, with a bit of salt (some like to add extra virgin olive oil and a splash of vinegar and thin onion slices, but mine was sans, as I prefer it). As soon as Maria saw it she referred to it as guacamole. That was fun. And since pineapple is not exactly a fall dish, I compensated with the corn soufflé, served in a hollowed pumpkin.

And now for the BEST part~

Two new friends—in person! Well, actually FOUR new friends…our husbands did join us at the table, but I have to admit, they were super nice, and super patient with these two ladies, talking incessantly about tables, and bloggers, and dishes, and….  It was a fun, fun day!

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Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!

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Sunday at It’s Overflowing at http://www.itsoverflowing.com/

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Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

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Wednesday Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Friday at Redoux Interiors at http://www.redouxinteriors.com/

Fridays at Imparting Grace at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Throwback Thursdays at http://www.glitterglueandpaint.com/throwback-thursday-2/

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

Be Inspired Friday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

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Fresh-Cut Fridays at http://rosevignettes.blogspot.com

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Spotlight Saturdays at http://www.classyclutter.net/

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From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Easy Way to Serve Family Style

Here’s our PRETEND Thanksgiving table~

“PRETEND TABLE???” you ask.

Yes…

THIS is our REAL table; our FAMILY table.

If you look carefully you can see that the babies’ place settings are on the far right and far left (on either side of me, :), and where the table legs accommodate them best).

Can you find the differences between the two tables?

Whenever our immediate family gathers—six adults and three children, ages 19 months to 6 years—I always, always, always serve our meal family style. It’s just such a natural way for me, grounded in my Cuban upbringing, where abundance, good food, and lively conversation are all part of a meal. That’s how our meals were served when I was growing up, and my husband and I continued to do it that way when our boys were growing up.

So as much as I love to set a table with a beautiful centerpiece and overflowing with interesting touches, I don’t envision such tables as being for our family—those tables are my PRETEND tables. For our family meals I set the place settings correctly, but the “centerpiece” is the bounty we will share!

Family-style serving speaks of family and abundance. I love the sharing that goes around the table, “Todd, I’m running low on dressing,” or “Could you pass the pickled eggs, please?” or my favorite, “Having this platter of roast beef right in front of me is dangerous” (as he takes a few more nibbles). All this just does a mother’s heart good.

If you elect to go this route, I assure you that a table overflowing with food, dishes and goblets or glasses, and baskets of bread will surely bring into focus the abundance of blessings that surround you.

 

Easy Way to Serve Family Style

I know a lot of cooks don’t want extra people in the kitchen when they’re cooking—they want people out of the way, but these “people” are MY people, and I love it when they come in and go straight to the kitchen to say hi to mom “check out” the progress, do a little taste testing, and really, to help with whatever is left to be done. Some of you who have followed me for any time know that one of our sons is a professional chef, and the other has been managing restaurants for many years, so they know their way around a kitchen, and in fact know a lot more than I do (“Really, BJ, I need some knife skills, PRONTO!”), so they really do help!

All the help extends to getting the food to the table, and that’s where my Serving Family Style ORGANIZING STRATEGIES come in handy.

Serving Family Style ORGANIZING STRATEGY #1:

  Label all the serving dishes.

I started labeling the serving pieces years ago, as an organizing strategy for myself after one time too many of grabbing one of the dishes I’d set out to serve the corn soufflé (recipe here) and then finding that I needed just that dish for another side dish…. So it was a sanity-preservation move to avoid the last-minute Musical Serving Pieces game.

Now, Strategy #1is a huge help with so many cooks and helpers in the kitchen. Whoever is helping to serve can look right at the labels and find the piece that is assigned to the food. Easy way to “manage your help.”

 

Serving Family Style ORGANIZING STRATEGY #2*:

Set the corresponding serving utensil next to the serving dish.

As you can see in the picture above, every dish has the corresponding serving utensil next to it, except the on-the-rocks glass that is intended for finger food (one of my husband’s childhood favorites~~green onions). This will help your family to not use the fork intended for the turkey to serve the potatoes, leaving only a slotted spoon for the turkey, and requiring that you get {back} up to locate another serving fork.

 

Serving Family Style ORGANIZING STRATEGY #3:

Use lidded serving pieces to keep the food warm.

Okay, I admit it (as I’ve done over and over in this blog): I love silver and crystal and china, and…beautiful things. But I have three covered silver casseroles (think chafing dishes without the stand/warmer) that I press into service over and over again BECAUSE THEY ARE SO PRACTICAL.

Here’s the practical beauty to these casseroles: The Pyrex liner allows you to bake in them, and when you’re ready to serve you can add extra-hot water in the casserole bottom, so the hot water, combined with the fact that it has a lid, keeps your food WARM. And yes, they look pretty on the table without being too formal.

(To polish/not polish??  Completely up to you. I can live with the tarnished/shabby look, then turn around and completely enjoy the beauty of freshly polished silver.) 

 

Serving Family Style ORGANIZING STRATEGY #4:

Save your linens…USE UNDERPLATES.

TWO good reasons to use underplates:

1. To catch drips/save your linens;
2. To make it easier to handle hot dishes.

Oh, and did you notice the asterisk on Strategy # 2?

* Well, this technically isn’t a strategy…it’s a proper-setting tip: The serving piece never goes into the food until the first person is going to use it. The inclination is to place the utensil in the food, but nope! On the table it stays until it’s really going to be used to serve the food. How often do you see beautiful magazine sets where the serving piece is in the food, and it’s obvious none has been served from it yet? Do you study magazine pictures like I do? They’re such a source of inspiration and entertainment to me!

I hope these tips are helpful to you. I wish you many meals at a table laden with the bounties of our land and the love of your family around it.

Next I’m going to do an easy dessert bar and other switcheroos that will simplify holiday meals, so before I do that post, what other tips would you have me add to serving family style? What has worked well for you that needs to be shared?

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Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!

NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are in my Etsy shop, but many are not, simply because I haven’t updated my shop. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available for sale, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesday’s Treasures http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Cuisine Kathleen at http://www.cuisinekathleen.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

DIY by Design Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

What's It Wednesday at http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Open House Party Thursday at http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

Thursdays at http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com

Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Home Sweet Home Fridays at http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Sunday Showcase at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

Sunday Creative Home and Garden Hop at http://creativehomeexpressions.blogspot.com/

Sundays at The Tablescaper: http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at  http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Rave Reviews Corn Soufflé

I'm running pretty behind this holilday season--lots of wrapping to do (AND shopping still to do!), and a stocking to make, and an early, full-swing Christmas gathering --What?!  Move Christmas UP?!  How 'bout BACK?!

But my recipe for corn soufflé is SO EASY and SO DELICIOUS that I simply have to share it with you so you can use it for your holiday gatherings.  This is a foolproof recipe, and I don’t think I’ve ever served it/taken it to a party where I wasn’t asked for the recipe.

It's this easy--these are all the ingredients!

You can bake it in the dish where you will serve it, to make it even easier

if you're transporting it, or bake it and transfer the

soufflé to a prettier serving dish when it's done.

Spray the dish with non-stick spray.

Mix them all in your baking dish, bake, and you're good to go. 

I've made it in a deep bowl, and I've made it in a large, 3" deep dish, depending

on the quantity.

This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, and quadrupled.

The bowl in the pictures is the liner of an old crock pot.

It almost held a tripled recipe.

Oven:  375^o

 Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, until the top is a lovely light golden brown.

Ingredients:

1 box Jiffy Corn Mix

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 stick softened butter, add in slices

1 can whole-kernel corn, drained

1 can creamed corn

8 oz sour cream

2 tbsp sugar (can be adjusted)

Optional:  Chopped fresh or canned jalapeño to taste (I use 1 for a single recipe)

About halfway through baking time stir to fully distribute the sour cream and butter.

Ready to go in the oven!

The small one with  jalapeño, the large without.

I made a triple recipe here, and scooped some out into the small bowl, then added the jalapeño.

Done!

Nice and lightly browned.

Ready to transport in my Longaberger basket to our family's Thanksgiving gathering.

Ready to go!

This is how the smaller one went to the party~

In the small Longaberger mixing bowl and in a smaller Longaberger basket.

Since the mixing bowl has no lid, I inverted this pretty little dish that came in a box full of stuff

from an auction—it was my big, pleasant surprise!  I LOVE this little dish!

Tied it with a fall ribbon to keep the "lid" in place, and it was ready to go too!

I LOVE my Longaberger baskets for transporting food to parties!  The women in our family know that when we take something we take everything--the serving bowls, serving utensils, etc.--so the hostess doesn't have to scramble to look for these things when we arrive.
Do  you have Longaberger baskets?  How do you use them?

¡Buen provecho! (bon appétit in Spanish, which is what we say at our house before every meal.) 

Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them, and they encourage and inspire me.  And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too!  Thank you!

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From my Chickadee Nest to yours~

    Zuni