Here's Ann's Sticky Toffee Pudding. Sticky Toffee Dessert ===================== Source: Vancouver Cooks - Chef Rolf Gunter from Rim Rock Cafe & Oyster Bar 1 cup whipping cream 1¼ cups unsalted butter 2¼ cups brown sugar 6 oz. Pitted dates 1 tsp baking soda 1¼ cups boiling water 1 tsp vanilla 1 egg 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1½ tsp. Baking powder NOTE: I used Medjool Dates This comforting Pudding lives up to its name! For an extra touch, garnish dessert with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Serves 6 to 8. Note: I used my Caramel sauce over this dessert. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 inch springform pan with aluminum foil and butter it well. Place cream, 1 cup of of the butter and 1 3/4 cups of the brown sugar in a saucepan on medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to turn brown and thicken slightly. Pour half into the springform pan. Save the rest of the sauce. Place dates and baking soda in a bowl. Add boiling water, mix and let cool. Place the remaining butter , the remaining sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer. Beat on medium high for about 5 minutes, until well creamed. Beat in the egg, then stir in the date mixture. Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl. Fold into the egg mixture until evenly incorporated. Pour into the springform pan and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn down the oven to 300°F and bake for 60 minutes, until golden brown and firm when touched lightly. To serve: unmould the pudding, slice it and place on individual plates. Drizzle with the warmed reserved sauce. NOTE: I found that this cake cooked much quicker than the time called for in the recipe. I baked it for 30 minutes at 350°F and then for another 20 to 25 minutes at 300°F. Caramel Sauce ============= Caramel Sauce 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup cream pinch of salt 2 teaspoons vanilla Mix all the ingredients together and simmer for about 5 or 6 minutes. Serve over Bread and butter pudding, apple pie and icecream, warm gingerbread, etc.. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

How food is served, what is served, etc. is a bit of a touchy issue for me. I think, like everything else, different people have different lifestyles (and probably different histories). No big deal. Just as different families handle finances, discipline, decorating, and everything else differently. I really appreciate that attitude. That's the way I feel. When I'm invited to someone's home for dinner, I appreciate whatever they've done. If it's different than my own personal tastes, then I just appreciate the adventure of experiencing someone else's family culture or lifestyle. The reason it's a touchy issue for me is this: And some of us feel if you have company over, you should offer plenteous food, lots of choices, but leave to the guest which items they want to eat, and in what quantity. Just different styles That's the way my MIL feels about it, but without the "Just different styles". I've known my MIL for 30 years, and every meal I've ever had at her house offered lots of choices, tons of food, buffet-style, everything was delicious. I deeply appreciate all the effort she puts into all her meals, and they are always wonderful. But she just can't seem to accept any other way as appropriate for guests. When we were a young married couple, we almost always invited my inlaws if we had some type of special occasion or dinner. Sometimes I did a party with a theme, or served just one special entree, etc. It always clearly upset and embarrassed my MIL that I didn't have lots of choices and tons and tons of food. She tried to make up for my deficiencies by bringing lots of extra food. I'm not talking about dinners for her extended family, in which case I keep to their customs if I'm the hostess. In all the years I've known my MIL, her special meals have all been for family, no dinner parties with friends. And that's fine. Special meals involve 3 meats or more, all her regular every day homestyle vegetables dishes (mashed potatoes, peas, fried okra, etc.), served on paper plates. Basically the same as her every day meals, just more of it. And that is fine. It's wonderful, and I never have ever thought she should do anything different than that, I've always just been happy to eat it. I just wish she didn't see a special meal with only one entree, one salad, one fruit, one starch, one vegetable, and one dessert, plated and served on china as an offense against my guests. Like azzalea said, it's all good. I will be happy if you serve me on paper plates, hopefully you won't care if I serve you on china. I will be happy if you serve me mashed potatoes and peas, hopefully you won't care if I serve you marinated asparagus and fish with a garnish. I will be happy if you serve me 10 choices, all of them plain and family style. Hopefully you won't care if I go to a lot of trouble and expense to create that one special entree for you. I could go over to someone's house, step over the toys and the laundry that needs to be folded, eat hot dogs and chips that they plated on paper plates and have a wonderful evening. So I guess it just astounds me to meet someone who thinks you shouldn't invite someone over unless you're going to have 3 meats, 5 vegetables, 2 salads, 6 desserts, and deviled eggs and serve it buffet style, in a house that's immaculate. Whew! Thanks for letting me get that off my chest!

Looks like it's sort of a transition space between your living and dining rooms. I would paint it the same color as the living room, if it's not already. Then, as dee suggests, hang a large piece of art above the buffet -- make sure it's something that personally speaks to you and that you'll love looking at every day. The buffet is nice, but I wouldn't try to make it a stand-out piece. Let your artwork take center stage.

Maybe on painting legs. Do you have something black to wrap around them as temporary to take a look without potentially ruining pot? The black legs might disappear into dark console color & sort of mimics tree shape in art. Can legs be removed?