Fall Buffet Tablesetting for November Book Club Meeting

Our book club generally meets on a weekday evening. But since we live a good ways out, and since my family generally spends their fall and winter weekends in the woods hunting, I decided to host it at my home on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Several were out of town for the holidays, but we still had a good group of ladies to attend.

We met in November, so I chose "Fall" for my theme. Pumpkins, nuts, and shades of gold, bronze, and brown were perfect for this buffet tablesetting.

We usually have a potluck menu, but since it was a small group, I did all the food this time. I set up a buffet on my dining room table.

I went around my home and gathered several items I already had on display for fall. This tablescape came together very quickly, and at no expense at all!

The "Friendly Village" water pitcher you see above contains the eucalyptus branches year round. I stuck in a few stems of tiny artificial orange berries to add a little color. I have a box of seasonal silk and dried flowers that I keep to freshen up arrangements from time to time. If I see something I like on clearance, I'll pick it up and add it to the box.

The white ceramic pumpkin was a hostess gift from a young lady at the last Miss Manners party I hosted. It has a beautiful gold stem. The brass colored ceramic pumpkin salt and pepper shaker set was about $2 on clearance at Michael's after Halloween last year.

I pulled out my "Friendly Village" dinner plates, along with the muslin napkins I made for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. Forks were corralled in a little galvanized bucket. I had picked up the large wooden carved acorns as well as the tiny brown ones at Hobby Lobby a while back at 50% off. The whole pecans were a gift from my uncle off his own trees. I hadn't had time to shell them yet, so I scattered them around the table.

A beverage station anchored the other end of the table. I made a cranberry punch and also had iced water and coffee. The one gallon beverage jars fit perfectly on the upturned galvanized tub. I also like that it offered a variation in height to my table.

I adore how Johnson Brothers always puts a little design on the inside of their teacups! It's such a pretty little surprise! The glasses are "Sweet Swirl" in dark green by Noritake.

Stacking the tea cups makes the tablesetting more casual and interesting.

Now to the food! I used little mini chalkboards to identify the food on the buffet. I like the way the black breaks up the lighter colors. Baked ham and cheese puff pastries were the perfect starter.

I think of Brussels sprouts as a fall veggie. This slaw was crunchy and sweet, and even won over a Brussels sprouts hater!

This pineapple-pecan cheeseball was a nice twist. A little sweet, it balanced great with the other savory items. I served it with whole wheat Ritz crackers. My kids actually like them better than the original, and they're much healthier! 

Rosemary cashews were the perfect snack served in this pretty red leaf bowl that was a wedding gift.

For "dessert" we had pumpkin pie dip with apples and graham crackers.

This is SO good. I have also made a gingerbread variation, but this is my favorite!

I draped a fall napkin under the drinks to add another layer of texture.

I love our book club! We have such an interesting mix of ladies! Over the next few days, I'll share the recipes for the yummies you see above.

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

Please take a moment to sign up to receive new posts by email.

I wouldn't want you to miss one crazy thing...

"Go Set a Watchman" Book Club Meeting

I recently hosted my book club as we discussed the book "Go Set a Watchman" by Harper Lee. It fell close on the heels of the holidays, and our number was a little down. But I must say we had probably the best discussion we've ever had!

The book called for Southern fare, so I attempted to channel my inner Aunt Alexandra to determine what she'd serve to her Missions Society ladies in the 1960's. I think I came close!

No Southern hostess (worth her salt) would fail to serve pimento cheese. I love it with these organic whole grain crackers from Costco and red pepper jelly. 

Who doesn't love meatballs made with grape jelly and barbeque sauce? I dumped a bag of frozen all-beef Italian-style meatballs in my crock pot on low with one bottle of each and four hours later, Voila!

Every good Southern cook has her own favorite recipe for deviled eggs. Mine includes sweet pickle relish and a squirt of yellow mustard. 

I pulled out my greatgrandmother's relish dish for the pickled beets, pickled okra and pickled pickles! (Those are made with Mama's recipe. They're simple and addictive. I always have some in the fridge.)

I served it all on my wedding china, because Alexandra would only use her best things, plus - my friends are worth it!

We had a fantastic discussion. No - it's probably not destined to be a classic on the scale of "To Kill A Mockingbird", but it's worth reading. I find it fascinating that one woman could have written both books - so different - yet dealing with the same topics - so close together. What do you think?

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

Please take a moment to sign up to receive new posts by email.

I wouldn't want you to miss one crazy thing...

Holiday Poundcake

Everybody loves Wednesday, right?

The week's half over.  The weekend is on the way.

What's not to love?

Each Wednesday, I want to share something with you

that I absolutely love and can't live without!

My book club got together last week. We had last met back in late February and discussed the book "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society" by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer. It was about a group of people who survive the hardships of World War II by developing a book club of sorts. They met regularly and each member reported back on the book they have been reading. It was a wonderful book, and we thought that having a "free book" meeting might be fun. So we decided at the next meeting, we'd each share a book that we have read that we really enjoyed and had an impact on us. Everyone shared their selections in simple two minute summaries. (No spoilers!)

My cohort, Nancy, provided her home. Everyone else brought a finger food, and I provided dessert. Today I'll share with you the recipe for the delicious cake I made. I'll give you the list of books that were recommended in another post soon.

I love poundcake. I have a basic sour cream poundcake recipe that is my go to dessert. It serves a million and is always delicious. However - last week, I saw a recipe on Facebook that looked great, but then I couldn't locate it again. I remembered it was called Christmas Poundcake, so I looked for it on Pinterest...and found a dozen different ones! So - I combined three recipes (all the things I liked about each one) and came up with what I'm calling Holiday Poundcake. It.Was.Divine!

Holiday Poundcake

For the cake

1 1/2 cups plus 3 tbsp cake flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup fresh cranberries

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 stick of butter, at room temp

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 block light cream cheese
2 tbsp light sour cream
1 tbsp half and half
zest of one orange
juice from half an orange
2 tbsp browned butter

For the frosting
1/2 stick butter, softened
1/2 block light cream cheese
juice from half an orange
"enough" powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9"x5"x3" loaf pan. Set aside.

Combine cake flour, baking powder and salt. Sift three times. Set aside.

Whisk egg and vanilla by hand. Set aside.

Mix butter on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar and continue beating until mixed and creamy. Add cream cheese, sour cream and half and half. Combine well.

Turn mixer to low and alternately add flour and egg mixtures, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Do not over beat.

Rinse cranberries and discard any that are shriveled.

Toss white chocolate chips in flour to coat. This keeps the chips from sinking.

Gently fold in cranberries and chips. Again - do not over mix.

Note - I forgot to add my orange zest earlier, so I added it after the berries and chocolate. Really, it should be added while the batter is being mixed.

While making batter, melt butter over low heat until slightly browned.

Spoon batter into the greased pan and smooth. Hit it on the counter a couple of times to remove air bubbles. Finally, pour the brown butter on top and tilt pan to swirl butter to cover entire top of batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour and a half or until a toothpick comes out clean. The butter will cause the cake to brown more deeply, so I had to cover it about an hour in and then uncover at the end. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then turn it out to cool completely.

Once the cake is cooled, mix up the icing, adding enough powdered sugar to get the right consistency. (Mix everything but the powdered sugar and then add sugar until it looks and feels right.)

Drizzle glaze on top.

I had extra glaze so I put it in a bowl to serve on the side. I also made a batch of cookies in case someone didn't like cranberries. I had picked up a pouch of Betty Crocker cookie mix. It is a "limited edition" flavor for the holidays called Salted Caramels. They tast like a caramel sugar cookie. Really yummy. Placed in a crystal biscuit barrel, they were elegant and delicious! 

This cake was delicious! It was so moist on the inside and crusty on the outside. The fresh cranberries were such a nice surprise against the rich chocolate chips. In fact - Brack told me to double the cranberries next time! He had begged for a piece before I left, but it wasn't cool yet, so I told him I'd save him a piece or two. I did, but it was hard!

This cake will definitely make it into the rotation again soon. In fact, if I end up getting everything done for tomorrow soon, I may make one tonight!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

Please take a moment to sign up to receive new posts by email.

I wouldn't want you to miss one crazy thing...

"A Long Way from Chicago" wrap up...

We had a wonderful time last night at our UCC Ladies' Book Club meeting. We met at the home of Brenda Burgess and had sixteen ladies to attend! Everyone bought their favorite finger foods and I brought a delicious homemade caramel cake. (Homemade by some sweet little lady who sells them at the Piggly Wiggly in Eclectic, thank you very much!) There was one piece left over. I brought it home and, out of guilt, told Gerald about it. He was half asleep when I got home, so I was kinda hoping it might still be around this morning to go with my coffee. No such luck... 

We discussed the book "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck. This is technically a young adult book that I found while preparing to teach Jewell's book club in homeschool co-cop, but the stories were so good, I had to share this one.  It's a fast read and will definitely keep you entertained. Several ladies have already downloaded the sequels and have either begun or finished them! That's a pretty good endorsement.

As usual, we had some great conversation and a lot of laughs!

Someone (who will remain nameless!) didn't finish the book, but I read this one TWICE!

Brenda's husband, Tommy, is a master fire builder,

and we enjoyed their big, warm fireplace
as we discussed the book.

We avoided all the snow this week down in our area,
but it's still been cold!

Our next meeting will be sometime in May and I will make the book announcement soon.

If you're in the area and would like to join our group, let me know. We'd love to have you!

**************************

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

Please take a moment to sign up to receive new posts by email.

I wouldn't want you to miss one crazy thing...

The Measure of Katie Calloway...UCC Ladies Book Club Selection

It's time to reveal the next book for the UCC Ladies' Book Club.

Drum roll, please...

The Civil War has ended, but in Katie Calloway's Georgia home conflict still rages. To protect herself and her young brother from her violent and unstable husband, she flees north, finding anonymity and sanctuary as the cook in a Northwoods lumber camp. The camp owner, Robert Foster, wonders if the lovely woman he's hired has the grit to survive the never-ending work and harsh conditions of a remote pine forest in winter. Katie wonders if she can keep her past a secret from a man she is slowly growing to love.

With grace and skill, Serena Miller brings to life a bygone era. From the ethereal, snowy forest and the warm cookstove to the rowdy shanty boys and the jagged edges of the saw, every detail is perfectly rendered, transporting the reader back to the time when pine was king, men were made of iron, and rivers were choked with logs on the way to the sawmills. Readers will have a hard time leaving the Northwoods when they turn the last page.

On a personal note...I'm pretty excited to read this book because Gerald has Georgia Callaways in his family tree, although they're spelled a little differently.

We will meet Thursday, September 18th, at 6:30 pm at the home of Nancy Itson.

Please bring a potluck dish.  Drinks and dessert will be furnished.

If you are local and enjoy reading, we invite you to join us.

We have a great group of ladies who love to get together to discuss the books

and just enjoy each other's company.

We have all ages participating.  All we're missing is you!

If you can't make it, I hope you'll still pick up the book and enjoy a good read.

So, order your copy now and start reading!

Hope to see you at the meeting!

**************************

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

Please take a moment to sign up to receive new posts by email.

I wouldn't want you to miss one crazy thing...

The Book Thief...UCC Ladies' Book Club Selection

We had a wonderful afternoon full of food, fun and fellowship at our last UCC Ladies' Book Club when we discussed the book, Mount Vernon Love Story by Mary Higgins Clark.  You can read more about the party here and get all the recipes here.

 

As we always do at the end of each gathering, we gave away a copy of the book for the next meeting. This time, I asked for the year the George Washington was born.  A couple of people got it right, so then I asked for the month.  Abbie Wallace was the ultimate winner, but since she won the book at the last meeting, she deferred and the prize went to the runner-up, Nancy Foster. 

Several people (that were unable to attend the meeting) have been asking for the title for the next meeting.  So, drumroll, please...

 

Our next book club meeting will be sometime in July and will be hosted by Wanda Warmack and Cindy Spangler.  We will be discussing The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  Cindy has actually taught this book in one of her literature classes at Faulkner, so she will lead the discussion.

 

This is a bit of a departure from the type of books we normally choose, but I have heard wonderful things about the book and we are all looking forward to reading it.

 

I will post more details in early June as to the date, time and place for the meeting.

 

Until then, Happy Reading!

 

*********************************



I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

Please take a moment to sign up to receive new posts by email.

I wouldn't want you to miss one crazy thing...

 

 

 

 

 

Mount Vernon Love Story...The Menu

On Monday, I gave you a look at the buffet table-scape I created for the book club I hosted at my home last Saturday. 

 

Today I want to share with you the menu.  As I mentioned on Monday, I wanted the table setting to reflect various aspects of the book.  I did the same with my menu.  Often we have a potluck menu, but since I was hosting the club in my home, I wanted to take the opportunity to do something special for the members.  But first, a little background. 

 

Gerald and I entertain a good bit.  The Washingtons entertained, too.  A lot.  In fact, I read somewhere that from the time they married until he died, they had someone for dinner almost every night.  Many people made their way to Mount Vernon, before and after Washington was president, and as long as you appeared clean and sober, you pretty much got an invitation to dine with the family.  As a result, the kitchen was always on standby to prepare an outstanding meal for any number of people. 

We were able to visit Mount Vernon when we were in Washington D.C. last September.  One of the outbuildings we saw was the smokehouse.  Martha took great pride in her smoked hams.  You can see the inside of the smokehouse and read a little about it on the Mount Vernon website here.

I decided that a spiral cut ham would be the centerpiece of my meal.  After trying several over the years, I honestly believe that Costco's Kirkland brand spiral-cut ham is the absolute best.  (Sorry Honey Baked!)  I doubted that Martha would approve of a honey-glazed ham, so I opted not to use the glaze packet that comes with the ham.  Instead, I just baked it about an hour and a half.  It was delicious!  We had leftovers, so I sent some to my sister-in-law and we had the rest over the next couple of days.

 

In this picture, you will also see the other items that made up my menu: grits casserole (a Southern staple), a grape salad, garlic pickles and biscuits (sweet potato and regular).  I also offered honey from my father's bee hives and hot pepper jelly for the ham and biscuits.  I think this is a meal the Washingtons would have enjoyed!

After our meal, we discussed the book.  After all, I guess that's the real reason we get together.  (Or at least that's what we say!) 

But getting the chance to relax and just visit is really the highlight of our meetings!

 After our discussion was over, we surprised Sister Joyce Foster with a birthday cake.

Saturday was her 80th birthday!

 

 

Her daughter-in-law, Nancy, made a delicious tiramisu cake!

I plan on making it soon, and when I do, I'll share the recipe.

 

Just in case you're now a little hungry (I am!), I will give you my recipes below.  They are perfect for a breakfast, brunch or luncheon.  Or as I called it "lunch-fest" since we ate at 1:00 in the afternoon.  Regardless of when you enjoy these recipes, I know that you will love them!

 

 

Party Grapes

 

My mother-in-law gave me this recipe not long after Gerald and I married, and we have it a lot on special occasions.  I guess that's why we call it "Party Grapes"!

 

2 lbs. seedless grapes (I like to use half red and half green)

1 cup granulated sugar

8 oz. sour cream

8 oz. block cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans

light brown sugar

 

Wash and dry grapes.  Mix cream cheese, sour cream and sugar until smooth.  Mix in grapes.  Place in a trifle bowl or other glass bowl.  Sprinkle with nuts and brown sugar just before serving.

 

 

 

Grits Casserole

 

I think the first time I made this several years ago, I used a Paula Deen recipe.  As usual, I have changed a few things and kind of made it my own.  It is soooo good.

 

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups regular grits (quick not instant)

16 oz. grated sharp cheddar

1/2 cup half and half

4 large eggs, beaten

1 stick butter, cut in pieces

8 oz. grated Gruyere cheese

 

Preheat oven to 375.  Bring chicken stock and water to a boil.  Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and grits.  Whisk until there are no lumps and reduce to simmer.  Simmer about 10 minutes stirring frequently.  Remove from heat.  Add sharp cheddar, butter and milk.  Stir to melt cheese and allow grits to cool slightly.  Add beaten eggs.  Pour into a large 9X14 casserole dish.  Sprinkle with half of the grated Gruyere and bake about 40-45 minutes.  Add the rest of the Gruyere and bake until cheese is golden.  Casserole will rise up a little due to the eggs.  Let it sit about 5-10 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

Sweet Potato Biscuits

 

Can you even have ham and grits without biscuits?  And what's more Southern than sweet potato biscuits?  My grandmother used to make them, but unfortunately, no one has her recipe.  This one will do, though!  My mama helped out and made the biscuits at her house and I popped them in the oven at the last minute. 

 

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 heaping tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

1/2 stick softened butter

2-4 tablespoons of milk (depending on moisture in potatoes)

 

Preheat oven to 450.  Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  In a separate bowl, mix sweet potatoes and butter.  Add flour mixture to potato mixture to make a soft dough.  Add in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to get desired consistency.  Turn out onto a floured board and knead just a little until it looks smooth.  Roll to a 1/2" thickness and cut with biscuit cutter.  Place biscuits on a greased pan and brush with melted butter.  Bake for about 15 minutes.  Lower temperature of oven if they are browning too fast.

  

These were delicious, but I wanted to have some regular biscuits in case someone didn't like sweet potato.  I'm gonna let you in on a little secret.  Just between you and me?  The other biscuits were frozen!  I LOVE Mary B's Southern Tea Biscuits.  They are divine.  And they are the perfect little dainty biscuit.  And if you eat four, well that's ok.  They're petite!  You can get them at Wal-Mart or Winn Dixie in the frozen breads section.  Try them.  I won't tell anyone!

 

 

Mama's Best Pickles

 

We have been making these "homemade" garlic pickles for many years, and we absolutely love them!  Between me and mama, one of us always has some on hand in the fridge.  Mama calls them garlic pickles.  I call them "Mama's Best Pickles".  You'll see why...

 

46 oz. dill hamburger chips

3 cups granulated sugar

1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

 

Drain pickles and place in large glass or plastic bowl.  Be sure to keep your pickle jar and lid.  Mix in all other ingredients.  Stir well and cover with plastic wrap.  Let sit on counter overnight, stirring every once in a while.  Put pickles and juice back in pickle jar and refrigerate.  These will keep indefinitely, but trust me, they go fast!

 

Couple of notes about these pickles.  When we first started making these, we used whole dills and cut them about 1/4" thick.  This makes them very pretty and old-fashioned looking.  Hamburger chips are just much, much easier.  Second - you MUST use real sugar.  I know it's a lot.  In fact, I think I have cut it down to 3 cups from the original recipe.  I have tried using half real sugar and half Splenda and it just doesn't work.  They will not crisp back up.  Sorry folks.  Just enjoy them with the real stuff.

  

As always, before we dismiss our gathering, we always announce the book for the next meeting.  The next selection is...  Well, now!  You didn't think I'd actually tell you here and now, did you?  That's a whole 'nother post.  I'll let you wonder a while...

*********************************



I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

Please take a moment to sign up to receive new posts by email.

I wouldn't want you to miss one crazy thing...