Come on in.....

there's a party going on.

These pictures were taken before the guests arrived. Afterwards I was running around like a nut and didn't get anymore pictures. That's OK because the party animals need to remain anonymous to protect their reputations. Besides, we wouldn't want their kids to know that their parents actually know how to have fun!

Just to the right of the front door is the living room where we had a table set up with the Hurricane glasses and ice.



Next to that is the liquid Hurricane. It sneaks up on you. I found this drink dispenser on sale at Target after Christmas one year. Unfortunately, it looks better than it works. The liquid comes out at barely a dribble.



I found these cute and colorful Mardi Gras mask decorations at the local party store. We hung them in the doorways and over the table.



We lit the voodoo candle. Anyone who has visited the French Quarter knows about the voodoo shops tucked on the side streets.



We place two banquet tables in our family room so that everyone can eat together.



I have a great book on napkin folding and this is my favorite - the Fleur de Lis, which is tucked inside of the wine glass. I'll have to do a video to show you how.



Colorful flowers from the local grocery store. On the table I've scattered Mardi Gras coins. The Farmer also brought home some edible flowers. Since I wasn't serving a salad I simply spread them on the table also.

Small orchids floating in water.



My neighbor Jacki and I agreed that we'd both love to have a job creating tablescapes. I'd love nothing more than to set tables and decorate them especially if I could have an unlimited budget.

Menu

File Gumbo
Shrimp Stew
Baby Eggplant Pirogues
Cajun Pasta
Grilled Red, Yellow & Orange Peppers
Andouille Sausage Kebabs
Chicken Kebabs
Shrimp Kebabs
Remoulade Sauce

and of course, Pecan Bread Pudding with Cream Anglaise

Thanks for stopping by today!

Entertaining Disasters

Things are moving along in preparation for our dinner party on Saturday night. Several of the couples will not be able to attend due to the fact that we needed to postpone for a week while I continued to recuperate from pneumonia. As things stand there will be 16 guests instead of 20. It doesn't matter to me whether I'm cooking for 16 or 20. The dinnerware/flatware situation is not quite as complicated.

Over the years I've picked up all kinds of extra plates, bowls and serving pieces from Goodwill. I've got plenty of cabinets to store them but someday I was a real butler's pantry to keep everything in one spot.

At one point in my life I was scared to entertain. I'd be a nervous wreck. My old friend Annie was the most terrific hostess and she gave me some good advice. First she said, "Look, these people are getting out of their houses for the evening and they don't have to cook, so it's going to be pretty hard to disappoint them." True.

Then she said that the big secret was just to be organized and prepared. If you do much of the work ahead of time you're much better off. That's true too.


Photo from my archives.

What I do is make lists and a timetable. There's a grocery list, a copy of my menu and the recipes. I check the recipes and see if there's anything in common and how much is needed. For example, for this party I'm making several recipes that call for dice green bell pepper. So what I do is diced up all the pepper the day before and put it in a container in the fridge.

I prepare certain dishes ahead of time and heat them after the guests arrive, or prepare them shortly before their arrival and keep things warmed in the oven.

We decide upon a signature cocktail for the evening and I make up a big batch. For a Texas Barbecue I made Texas Tea which is similar to Long Island Ice Tea. This time around I'm serving cajun/creole and I'm mixing a large batch of Hurricanes.

No matter how organized you are disasters have a way of happening at the worst times. We had about 30 guests arriving for my daughters graduation party when the oven decided not to work. Yikes! I had two large pans of lasagne that needed to be baked. My plan B was to fire up the grill and cook them over coals. Luckily the cranky oven finally decided to work.

We've had some other classic disasters, including the first Christmas in our first home. We'd invited the family over and were so proud to show off our new house. Unbeknownst to us when they built the house a large rock was inside the sewer pipe leading to the street. After three weeks of flushing, toilet paper had packed itself around the rock and the pressure busted the pipe. We were busy inside and had no idea the pipe had burst.

OMIGOSH...our guests arrived in late afternoon to the sight of sewage and toilet paper floating around our yard! Talk about mortified.

The one thing about entertaining disasters is that they give you some great stories to tell for years to come.

I'm sure you've had some disaster doozies and I'd love to hear about them.

The Corn Drops at Midnight

Our neighbors were originally from Long Island and were raised on the New York city tradition of the ball drop in Times Square. It was something they missed and in an attempt to capture the spirit of the ball drop celebration they came up with the Corn Drop.

An ear of feed corn is the iconic symbol of Illinois and lends itself to a decent representation in chicken wire and lights. Well, there is the soybean, but a soybean drop just wouldn't have the same effect.

The official Corn Drop party involves a lot of food. Lets's see, there's artichoke dip, mini crab cakes, corn salsa and much more!



My favorite bartender is behind the bar.


The fabulous Mr. Ed.

We engaged in lots of animated storytelling.



The children fail in their attempts to stay up until midnight.



Shortly before midnight we all grabs our coats and linger in the kitchen for a moment to discuss the weather.



Other neighbors who are hosting their own parties arrive in a convoy just before midnight to witness the corn drop.



A group of about 50 people congregate in the brisk air.



The corn is high above the crowd on a pole.



The countown commences......three, two, one.......



Happy New Year!!!

Thanks for joining us here in the great American midwest for our homemade celebration!!!

P.S. For years we've been attempting to contact David Letterman's "people". We'd love to invite David's mom to our celebration. If you know them, please contact me. Thanks!!!

What's Your Plan?

Years ago when the Farmer and I were relatively young, we would make grand plans on New Year's Eve. It usually involved reservations at a hotel or country club and lots of money for the privilege of eating lukewarm and mediocre steak and standing six deep at the bar to get a drink.

The last time we engaged in this folly we were in the company of two other couples who were involved in raging arguments for the entire evening. Both the women spent the entire night in the bathroom crying and swearing. The food was abysmal and the only thing accomplished that evening was the lightening of our wallets.

It was freezing cold and snow was piled in great frozen heaps in the parking lot. We scurried to the car, which as I remember produced very little heat. We scrape the inside of the car windows and swore we would never attend another packaged New Year's Eve celebration. And we haven't.

A few years later we spent New Year's Eve in a small family owned tavern, surrounded by a small group of friends. We were in love and just embarking on our lives as adults. I remember a very sweet and loving kiss at midnight!

When our son was not quite two years old the Farmer was in the hospital on New Year's Eve, recovering from surgery. Our plans to visit him were thwarted by a sudden snowstorm. My son and I sat alone in our little house, staring out the window as huge snowflakes fell at an alarming rate. The Farmer was treated to a small celebration by the nursing staff.

I'd love to hear your stories of New Year's past, or plans for this very evening.

Why don't you come along with us the evening? Bundle up and engage in our rural Illinois tradition of watching the corn drop. What's a corn drop you ask? New York may have it's high tech ball but we have a five foot illuminated ear of corn that drops at midnight. This is last years preparation.,



Children danced in the snow.



Newlyweds, who had recently moved here from California experienced their first snowfall. They danced too!



You're invited. Bundle up really, really well because I promise you it's going to be cold tonight. Wear a hat, gloves and wrap a scarf tightly around your neck. They'll be hot chocolate or champagne at midnight.

Because here in the midwest we know how to celebrate.

Check back tomorrow morning for photos. You never know who might be dancing in the snow. It just might be you!

Lowcountry Shrimp Boil

A number of years ago the Farmer and I took a trip to Myrtle Beach and drove down the coast to Charleston. We fell in love with the area and especially the food. We ordered shrimp and grits in every restaurant that offered it on the menu. We were determined to discover who could claim the title of Best Shrimp and Grits. I don't know if we ever came to a consensus but it didn't matter because we thoroughly enjoyed every version.

On our way down the coast I insisted that the Farmer pull off the main highway to check out McClellanville. Someone had told me not to miss it. There's nothing there but a few homes but it's one of the spots where the shrimp boats dock. If you get there early you can see them heading out toward the ocean. This is one of my favorite photos. It was taken in McClellanville. I call it the town that time forgot.



The live oaks were dripping with moss and the heat was formidable. The air was still and nothing was moving, not even a grasshopper.

This recipe for a Lowcountry Shrimp Boil is adapted from a recipe from Paula Deen's sons. A shrimp boil isn't just about the food, it's about the experience, about having fun and relaxing. You're not a stuffed shirt, are you?

You're going to need a large stock pot. I have one with a colander basket insert so that you can pull the basket up and drain it over the pot.

SHRIMP BOIL

1 gallon water
2 TBSP. Old Bay Seasoning
2 TBSP. salt
1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 small cloves garlic, minced
12 small new potatoes
1-1/2 lb. Andouille or smoked sausage
6 ears sweet corn, cut each into 3 pieces
3 lbs. medium raw shrimp

Combine water, Bay seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic and tabasco sauce in the large stockpot. Bring mixture to a boil.



While waiting for water to boil cut the sausage into 3/4 inch slices.






We couldn't find small new potatoes so we cut each red potato into 4 pieces.



Rinse the raw shrimp well under cold water.



When the water is boiling add the potatoes and cook for 15-20 minutes until almost tender.



Add the sausage and cook for 5 minutes longer.

Add the corn and cook for another 5 minutes.



Add the shrimp and boil for 4 more minutes.

Have someone watch the pot while you prepare the table. Cover the table with a clean, thick bath towel. Cover the entire table with fresh newspaper. Give each person a plate.



When the shrimp is pink and heated through, pull up the strainer basket and carefully carry over to the table.

NOW THE FUN BEGINS. Remember, I needed to know if you were a stuffed shirt. Here's why.....we're going to dump the food onto the middle of the table.



Sit down in front of the steaming mass and start eating! Put what you want on you plate and dig in.



Want more? Just reach forward and grab it. Leave the shrimp shells and corn cobs on the newspaper because after dinner you'll put the four plates into the sink and wrap up the mess and throw it away!

Then you can serve turkey cake. The local food store had these turkey cakes for sale the day after Thanksgiving for only $5.00. It was so cute we just couldn't resist.



After all this you have my permission to go take a nap.

I encourage you to try shrimp boil because it's so easy and so much fun to eat!

Last Minute Napkin Tricks

For those of you who are hosting Thanksgiving dinner, I say sit down, relax and I'll show you a last minute napkin trick.

No matter what amount of chaos existed in our house when I was a kid, my mom always set a fabulously beautiful table for the holidays. I guess you could say it's a tradition, or a challenge, to come up with a wow factor. Years ago I purchase a small book that showed how to fold napkins and the "Fleur de lis" has always been my favorite and it's so easy.

Grab a napkin and play along. It works well with a napkin that is the same on both sides. First you're going to fold the napkin in half diagonally.



Fold one of the points down, like this:



Fold the second point down to match. Now turn it around so the points face up. It's easier to fold this way.



Starting at the left side and working across, make accordian pleats, not too small, not too large.

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Keep folding across the entire length.



You'll end up with this. Be sure to hold on tight!



Place it inside a glass and pull down the tails. This is a water goblet.



Voile! You've got a beautiful presentation with a minimum amount of work.



You can also grab the corner of the front petal and pull down, which will give you this effect.



Have fun with your Thanksgiving preparations. It's meant to be a time of joy and sharing. Give thanks!

Día de los Inocentes & Dia de los Muertos

Today is the first day of the Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead. This day is set aside for the remembrance of children and infants who have passed away and tomorrow is the day remembering the adults.

It is not at all a morbid thing but a respectful and joyous celebration and remembrance of the persons life. You can read more about it here:

Dia de los Muertos

Be sure to check out the photos of the colorful Catrinas.

Shown above is the Dia de los Muertos display put together by Beatriz, my former co-worker and editor of the local Spanish language newspaper. It is in memory of Frida Kahlo. There are certain elements in a Day of the Dead display including marigolds (thought to attract the spirit), intricate cut paper shapes and sugar skulls.

You can buy the sugar skull molds online and make your own using white sugar and egg whites. Beatriz's sister hand cut the intricate paper banners and these were just a few of the many that adorned her office. If you look closely you will notice that the design features two skulls facing each other.

I love to see and learn about traditions and celebrations of other cultures.

Have you ever heard of the Day of the Dead?

Summertime picnic

We have lots of new guests joining us today via the SITS, otherwise known as The Secret is in the Sauce. Those of you who haven't joined in the fun, take a hop over there and check it out.

Instead of just hanging out in the kitchen I thought we'd head outside and have an old fashioned picnic! People don't seem to picnic like they did when I was a kid. We didn't have the money for big excursions and theme parks didn't even exist at that time. Yeah, I know, ancient history. We made our fun by organizing a loosely planned day at a forest preserve or state park. Grab the old quilt and I'll carry the picnic basket.



We were all outside in the sunshine for the day and it was a good excuse to leave behind the household chores. I remember playing ball, eating, taking naps on old quilts, eating, taking hikes, eating catching fireflies at dusk and eating. The best thing about the picnics of my childhood was the "potluck element". Everyone brought their favorite family recipe, whether it be an appetizer, casserole, pie or homemade ice cream cranked in an old wooden freezer. I think I see someone cutting a pie in this photo! (For the newcomers - I'm on a lifelong quest to find the perfect piece of pie.)



Today we're going to gather in the back forty under the trees. There are plenty of vintage picnic baskets to hold all the food. There's a covered cake plate if someone wants to bake a cake.

I've got a special surprise - I'm giving away one of my aprons which is made from Mary Jane Butter's pattern. Don't worry if you don't win the prize because I'm going to post a tutorial next week and show you how to make one for yourself. It's made from a man's dress shirt and it's easy, I promise!



Just leave an comment and let me know what you'd like to bring to the vitual picnic. I'm not going to assign any categories because I hate when people do that. So what if we end up with 52 desserts? It's more fun that way. Just tell us what you're bringing. You don't need to include the recipe. The drawing will be on Sunday morning. I'll close off entries at midnight (Central Standard Time) on Saturday..... because I seriously need my beauty sleep.



I'm bringing Edna's Fruit Salad which is a recipe my mom has been making since the late 1950's when our neighbor Edna brought it to a picnic. Here's the recipe:



Omigosh, I just thought about that cherry jello dish that has pretzels in it. AHHHH...it's so delicious. Does anyone have the recipe? I'd be forever grateful.


DON'T FORGET - Subscriptions are always FREE here "At Home....." If you like what you see, please subscribe. Don't miss a minute of our exciting life here on the prairie. We're going to go out again next week and watch the corn grow. Remember what I told you, it needs to be knee high by the Fourth of July.

Let's Get Together for Dessert

I'd love to invite all of you over for dessert. If only we weren't separated by the miles we could all share some cake and coffee and catch up on what's going on in our lives. But we can certainly do that in a cyber setting. So join me!

I'll have to admit that I spent many years being terrified of entertaining. But I had a wonderful mentor who told me to relax and enjoy the experience. The secret she said, was to be prepared. And she was right! As long as you're prepared you can really enjoy the evening.

When I'm having a party I make two lists, a shopping list and a to-do list. It's that easy. I get all my serving pieces together and ready to go and I decide what I'm going to serve. The food is prepared as far ahead as feasibly possible. For the dessert evening I decided to keep it simple by serving pound cake, ice cream, strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate sauce. The guests can feel free to put everything together in whatever combination they wish.

But since it's summer I decided to drag out one of my $30 cake pans. I'm generally a frugal person but the devil made me buy this:



After my last fancy cake disaster I decided to spray liberally with PAM and stand guard over the oven. (The last time the oven inexplicably shut off somewhere in the middle of the baking process!)



I've got lots of pictures to share today so I'll spare you the pound cake recipe. Use your favorite recipe. A buttermilk poundcake works very well.



Just when I thought I had everything covered I discovered that the thermostat on the oven was not working properly and I ended up with a very dark brown sand castle. This castle has definitely had too much sun! Oh, and the little porch broke off.



Let's not be deterred by such matters. For those of you who commented about the complexity of a sandcastle cake....it's not at all complicated. Here's the beauty of a fancy cake pan. It does all the work for you. And even a very dark brown cake can look a little better if you tart it up a bit. I always use brown sugar or turbinado (raw) sugar for the sand. So cute. But this time I added whole strawberries and lemon slices for color. The flags are just bamboo skewers and a length of wide ribbon.



Early in the morning I snuck into the garden and cut these peonies. Luckily the were still OK. This is probably their last hurrah. In a day or two they will be toast.



The day of the party I set up three stations. The beauty of setting up different stations is that you don't have everyone clumped together in one space. I have so many interesting serving pieces that I decided to let everyone choose what they wanted to eat from. Here are some vintage glass luncheon plates with the space for the matching coffee cup. I love these. I made these pink gingham napkins several years ago and they've been used many times. The tablecloth was $2 on clearance many years ago. This is the first station.



On the table where the desserts will be displayed are some green leafy dishes and pressed glass bowls. (All thrifted items) This is the second station.



The coffee pot is set up in the wet bar area (third station), allowing everyone to help themselves. Remember, I want to enjoy the evening too!



The table is ready. Just before the guests arrive I'll whip the cream and bring out the desserts.



I'm going to be serving ice cream and I don't want to stand at the table scooping. Here's what I devised. Get two bowls, one smaller than the other. This is a trifle bowl and a clear mixing bowl. Put the smaller bowl inside the larger one and fill the space between the two bowls with water. You'll need to put a weight (can of soup) inside the smaller bowl to keep it from floating. Put these into the freezer and allow the water to freeze.



Scoop your ice cream into balls. They don't have to be perfectly round. Line them up on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Put in the freezer until time to serve. Put all the ice cream balls into the frozen bowl and they stay cold for awhile.



Light your candles just before your guests arrive. Plug in the coffee pot.



Bring out your food....and enjoy yourself with your guests!! Having a party is also a great motivator in getting your house clean and organized. This party pushed me to do some long overdue maintenance cleaning in this room. I love to entertain and when I follow the blueprint I'm rarely, if ever stressed.



I'm really glad you could join me for dessert, even if it was only cyber!