The Apple Dinner Party

I tend to name my dinner parties so they stand out in my mind.  The colors on table were inspired by a Granny Smith apple.

We held this dinner party on October 27, 2018.  We had just returned from Paris, and it was still fresh on my mind, so the menu consisted of Boeuf Bourguignon, served with crusty baguettes, and butter.  Just some nice comfort food, wine, and great conversation.  I find that I prefer simple foods, really well prepared.

I love these Belt Napkin Rings from Pottery Barn.  It somehow feels like something I'd find in the countryside or a farm.  I thought they would work for the harvest season.

The dishes are Mikasa French Countryside.  They have the fiddle and thread pattern associated with French Classicism.  The flatware is Jefferson, by Reed and Barton for Monticello.  The pattern is a copy of the silver that Thomas Jefferson commissioned while he was in France and brought back to Monticello.  They also have that refined fiddle and thread pattern.  I've always loved their classic simplicity.

I was able to score some simple mums in the same color as the napkins.  The table runner is an old one from Pottery Barn, and the grasscloth placemats came from Crate and Barrel.  The muted tones go well with the season, and makes the green pop.

The table is set.  Now it waits for the friends.

How many adults do you need to take a selfie?  All of them, plus one more.  When there are no teenagers around, old folks struggled to make it work . . . but we had so much fun trying!

Two of these friends are currently fighting Covid-19, but they seem to have mild symptoms so far, so I think they are on their way to recovery.  I miss my friends.  I miss traveling.  Let's hope this scourge gets under control soon.

Flowers, and music, and bees, oh, my!

And tea!  Oh, my, my!  All from Australia!  Thank you to a dear Facebook friend, Dewita Carson, for this unbelievably thoughtful card and tea bag that have traveled halfway around the world!  Your card reminds me of how much goodness there is in the world, and how worthwhile life is, and how much we should treasure friendships!  You are an angel!

The hydrangeas are from my garden!  We finally got some blooms this year!

The description on the teabag says: "A fruity mango blend with Australian Native Plants and other ingredients that have been recognized to help relax and calm the mind.  This blend is designed to help you focus on the positive aspects of life."  I'll take it!

Dewita enjoys creating multi-media art, like in this card . . .

Always with her audience preferences in mind . . .

Here's to friendship and the land Down Under!

Three Kings Day Open House 2020

2019 will always be to me "The Year of the Hiatus" - I stopped blogging last year because ... I'm not sure, too busy at work, to unfocused at home, Facebook ... but I've missed the journaling, and my blogging friends, and having a visual record of what I've done.  So, with a great deal of caution, careful not to over commit, here we go again.

We held our almost-annual Three Kings Day Open House on Sunday, January 5, and we were lucky enough that my oldest son, John, was still with us on Christmas vacation.  John is now living in Charlottesville, Virginia, and we had not seen him since the previous Christmas!

Here he is with some of his college friends that came to the Open House.  It was so wonderful to see these cute faces!  I've missed them!

So, I've had a lifetime of trial and errors with this Open House.  It started as a small gathering with just my brother's family, which included three nephews which are about the same age as my two sons.  I wanted to teach them about our Cuban tradition of gift giving on Three Kings Day, and to celebrate Epiphany, the revealing of the Christ-child and the light of God to the world.  Many European countries and those of Latin and South America also celebrate Three Kings in their own way.

In Cuba, we wrote our letters to the Three Kings, not to Santa, and we knew their glorious, albeit mythical, names:  Melchior, Gaspar (or Caspar) and Balthazar, and we knew from where they came!  After receiving our gifts, we'd have breakfast and for mid-morning merienda (snack), we'd have Roscón de Reyes - our version of Three Kings Day, always bought at bakery.  I don't know anyone who actually baked the yeasty treat at home.  One thing I've loved about America is their ability to take a tradition and make it their own, so I've adopted this particular approach for the Open House, and the day is as much a reflection of my whim, as it is about tradition.  You'll see what I mean ...

First a Hot Chocolate Bar.  The Spanish, from where our traditions are derived, love hot chocolate.  And I've been intrigued by the many hot chocolate bars I've seen on Pinterest, so I decided to set one up.

I've been playing with a program on my iPad called "Layout" and it makes some very easy collages.  The Hot Chocolate Bar included Candy canes, Williams-Sonoma Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark (this one is now a staple at our house, it is so delicious!), decorated marshmallows (also from W-S), Dark Chocolate Caramels, Peppermint Poles, Chocolate-covered Coffee Beans, Chocolate Hazelnut Pirouettes Wafers, and RumChata to go with some very delicious Hot Chocolate (from W-S).  I draped one of my plaid throws over a basic white tablecloth, and pulled out my Mikasa French Countryside mugs.

It was a cold day, so for the adults that preferred something less sweet, and perhaps with a little alcohol, we offered some Mulled Wine and kept it warm in a crockpot.

And it was served on my Irish Coffee glass mugs ...

The Open House was held beginning at 2 P.M.  It was supposed to end at 6 P.M. but friends kept dropping by, so we actually walked out our last guests at 7:30 P.M.  Planning food for this event can be challenging.  There are those that come earlier and are looking for something light.  For them, I made a tea sandwiches:  Basque-style tuna sandwiches on Oatnut Bread, and Cucumber Sandwiches on White Bread.

Here's the super easy and oh-so-delicious recipe for the Basque-Style Tuna Spread:

4 5-oz. cans Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil, drained
2 8-oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
½ jar Roasted Pepper Bruschetta (about 5 oz.)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 shakes of Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

With a fork, combine tuna, softened cream cheese, and Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta and mix until fully integrated.  Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.  This will yield enough filling for three loves of Oatnut Bread.  Basque cooking is noted for their inclusion of local red peppers ad Spanish smoked paprika.  This bruschetta, although Italian, mimics the flavors beautifully.  Oh, and take the leftover bruschetta and serve it over boiled, roasted or mashed potatoes.  Yum!

There were treats aplenty, including the Honey Pecan Butterballs that are a staple in our home.  I've blogged about them here.

I ordered canolli from a nearby bakery ...

My son made his famous Black and White Chocolate Bark with Pistachio and Cranberry ...

I baked a Flan ...

And a cake with the fève baked inside and whoever found it was declared King or Queen for the Day ...

Oranges have a deep connection to Christmas in many cultures, symbolizing the gold balls that St. Nick left for a poor girl, or the bright star that followed the Magi, or the fact that they were considered a special treat during the Depression, and so, a prized gift at Christmas.  They are also in season at this time of year, and I decided a while ago to adopt the custom of having something orange during Three Kings, so I spread Orange Slice Candy around the house.

I know my peeps, and there are some (mostly guys) who start prowling around the kitchen, looking for something more substantial to eat, so I made Pulled Pork Sandwiches (for which I have no pictures!), and I also made a Hot Buffalo Chicken Cheese Spread ... I made four recipes of it during the party. Thank goodness I had enough supplies!

So many lovely friends!  All these photos were contributed by friends since I was too busy having fun to remember to snap pictures.

We ended up with both, a King and a Queen, since one of my friends brought a special Three Kings Day cake with the fève, or bean, inside ...

And everyone took home a goody bag ...

The goody bags included gold chocolate coins, an  assortment of candies, a Godiva Blood Orange Dark Chocolate Bar (my current favorite), a lottery ticket, and a little cardboard box ...

The little box contained a paper scroll with a House Blessing, and a piece of chalk to mark the door of the house ...

The blessing is another European tradition that I tried out one year, and it's become so popular that I now find myself shopping for white chalk in late December to include in the loot bags.  Some friends have panicked on the few years when I haven't had the Open House, and I've actually had to make some to give away.  This year, the door would be marked 20 + C + M + B + 20.  C M B stands for the names of the Kings - Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar.  It also means Christus mansionem beneficat - Latin for "May Christ bless this home."

And a star to light our way ...

It was a lovely way to start the year, and it never fails to fill me with joy and gratitude.  Happy New Year!

Concert at Cantigny Park

 At least once every summer, we try to get together with friends and go to an outdoor concert, where we can also bring food and socialize before the music starts.

It's one of my favorite ways to spend a summer evening . . .

And, now and then, we capture a really sweet picture . . .

St. Patrick's Day 2018

One of my favorite St. Patrick's Day dinners, which took place in 2016, and I never posted the table!

I love this flower combination for St. Patrick's Day:  Bells of Ireland, Daisies, Carnations, and Chrysanthemums.

 

I found these cabbage rose napkin rings and the brown gingham napkins at Pier 1.  Those napkin rings make me think of vegetable gardens, like Mr. McGregor's, of Peter Rabbit fame, which then, lead me to ponder that they might work beautifully in a Spring or Easter table!  I can already tell I will be enjoying these rings for many years to come, in a variety of settings.

All set for a corned beef and cabbage dinner - a traditional American way to celebrate St. Patrick's!  What do you cook for St. Patrick's Day?

"If you lived on cabbage, you would not be obliged to flatter the powerful."  To which the courtier replied, "If you flattered the powerful, you would not be obliged to live upon cabbage."  

—Diogenes, ancient Greek philosopher's advise to a young courtier

(But I do like cabbage!)

The perfect excuse to indulge in some Kerrygold Irish butter.  Everyone gets their own butter dish, to go with the Irish Soda Bread!  I'm so glad that sanity has returned and butter is once again back on our tables!

And here is the happy bunch, a gathering of English, German, Italian, Mexican and Cuban ancestry, to celebrate St. Pat's!  Erin go Bragh!

Dessert and Coffee with an Old Friend

Dessert and coffee with dear, old friends.  Anna and I have known each other since high school.  I danced at her 15th birthday cotillion, and was a bridesmaid at her wedding.  She was my matron of honor.

There's nothing like an old friend.  We can talk for hours, and the only thing that can stop us is the presence of our husbands, who may not care to hear about crinoline underskirts (which we wore for her cotillion) or the latest kitchen gadget.  Life can be so sweet.

*   *   *   *   *

Placemats and table runner:  Hemstitch Squares Cutwork Linen from Horchow

Dishes:  Lenox Federal Platinum

Goblets:  Chartres by Atlantis

Flatware:  Jefferson, by Reed and Barton

Cake Stand:  Vintage, given to me by my Aunt Olga

Chicago in White 2015

We thought we were registering for Le Dîner en Blanc . . . instead we ended up at the Chicago in White event . . . and had a blast!

White events seem to be all the rage.  The French started it with Le Dîner en Blanc, a very chic pique-nique, the location of which is always shrouded in secrecy . . . and now it's spread all over the world!  Well, maybe we'll have a chance to do it next year . . .

But the Chicago in White event was absolutely lovely, and fun!  And now that we have all acquired complete white outfits, and a few little white extras, we are definitely going to do it again!

This year's event took place at Ravinia, the oldest outdoor music festival venue in the United States.  For this special night, Chicago Jazzman, Ramsey Lewis, celebrated his 80th birthday and performed accompanied by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra!  We would have gone to the event regardless, but having Ramsey Lewis perform was such an awesome treat!  I'm a big fan!

I couldn't resist snapping pictures of some of the guests.  These two ladies were having such a good time! This year, the proceeds of the event benefit Ravinia's “Reach * Teach * Play” program, that provides accessibility to music education in the Greater Chicago area.

So we packed up a nice dinner . . .  Brought umbrellas, since the day was slightly overcast . . .

Decked ourselves in white from head to toe . . .

Set a pretty table, to which we all contributed . . .

And  . . . enjoyed!

The event kick off  is announced with trumpets and the waving of the white napkins.

The menu was also a joint effort, but my friend, Layda's Caprese Salad on skewers, stood out for its prettiness and deliciousness . . .

And my friend, Chris, wins the prize for the bottle of wine with the most interesting name:  Sangue di Giuda - Judas' Blood!  It's a red semi-sweet sparkling wine with fruity undertones, pefect for a warm summer night!

Rose, Layda and Nick . . .

Miguel and Chris . . .

The centerpiece included ranunculus (my “new” favorite flower) . . .

Gillyflowers, tulips, roses and waxflowers . . .

I'm already thinking about next year . . .