Party Vegetable Preferences Poll
plllog
8 years ago
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blfenton
8 years agomorz8 - Washington Coast
8 years agoRelated Discussions
please help us plan birthday/anniversary party
Comments (6)Just a follow up on the "no gifts please" issue, because it is something we all always agonize over, isn't it? It went as we predicted. Our very closest friends got me birthday gifts (in groups of 2 or 3). These are the people with whom we are so close that we give each other gifts for big occasions, party or no party, so we ignore "no gifts, please" if there is a party, because just as we aren't giving a gift because of the invitation, we aren't refraining from giving one because of the invitation, either. Our very, VERY closest friends also got us anniversary gifts (one from a group of three couples, one from one couple) -- same circumstance. Most people either brought a bottle of wine, amaretto, or champagne, a small birthday and/or anniversary gift (about like you would give for a hostess gifts -- candy, a funny little purse mirror, etc.), or nothing. Several (whether or not they could attend the party) made contributions to various charities. Another factor that may have made a difference was the gift my husband gave me -- the best ever. It is an album of stories and memories he asked people to send. Not only do I love it more than anything else he could have thought of, I like the idea that that would help people feel like their contribution to the album WAS a gift -- and they are right! Anyway, the bottom line is that I think that whether or not you put "no gifts, please" on an invitation doesn't make much difference; those who would anyway will anyway, and others might bring something small, but about the size they would probably bring as a hostess gift anyway. The real function is for the hosts to avoid feeling embarrassment about giving themselves a party for a gift-y occasion. So I guess in the future I will stick to no reference at all to gifts, EXCEPT where we are both hosts and also the guests of honor. I still feel, also, that people LIKE giving gifts to their friends. And I'll close with a funny story to that effect from this birthday: one day, about 11:30 am, a couple of weeks before the party, I called my friend G, on her cell phone, to see if she wanted to go to lunch. No answer, so I called A. No answer, so I called N. No answer - !!! "Why don't my friends take my calls," I thought, feeling very unpopular. So I called C, and she and I went to lunch. The next day, G called me, laughing. She said, "Sorry I didn't get back to you until today. I bet you wanted to go to lunch. I was out with A and N, shopping for your birthday present!" They had figured it out and wanted to share the laugh with me. (Good thing I had tried all three of them, eh?) They had fun shopping together, and I love the gift (it's a glass necklace) because it makes me think of them having a good time because of me....See MoreCocktail party appetizers
Comments (6)Annt's spinach squares are delicious as are sherry's spinach brownies. Spinach Squares  Ann T =============== These are really good. They are from a Woman's Day Home Entertainment Magazine from Dec. 1982. 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen, chopped spinach 1/2 cup choped onion 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 8 eaggs beaten 10 to 12 soda crackers, crumbled (2/3 cup) 2 teaspoons herbs, (thyme, rosemary, dill) 1 teaspoon pepper 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups grated cheddar cheese Parmesan cheese paprika . Thaw and drain spinach. In large skillet, heat oil. Saute spinach, onioin, garlic and parsley until lightly cooked. Add eggs, crackers, seasonings and Cheddar cheese, mix together. Pour into a greased 8 1/4 X 13 1/2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese and paprika and bake at 325 for 45 minutes, or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean. cut in small squares, about 1 3/4 inches. May be served hot or cold. Makes 36 squares Spinach Brownies -sheshebop 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed 16 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 cup chopped onion (I use a whole onion) 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1 cup flour 2 eggs, beaten 4 T. butter, melted 1 cup milk Preheat oven to 350. Spray 12 x 8 pan with cooking spray Drain spinach in colander and squeeze out moisture Combine cheese, spinach & onion in a large bowl. Mix. Stir salt & baking powder into flour and mix with spinach mixture. Mix eggs, butter, and milk and stir into other ingredients. Pour into pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until just starting to turn lightly brown. You can also make these in mini muffine tins as hors deouvres and bake for 18-20 minutes. Makes 42...See Morelooking for: 48 hr. emergency! dinner party guest on atkins!
Comments (27)I'm still laughing! Well, the dinner party went just fine. Thanks to all of you, I was able to relax and enjoy it all. There was no talk about dieting or that he was on a diet. I couldn't wait to tell you about what happened with the food, though. You know what's coming, don't you? Of course you do. Before dinner, I really didn't pay attention to whether "Cuthbert" ate the blintzes or not or if he ate nuts (I decided against serving the salmon spread), and I did overhear him choosing vodka rocks (as lindac predicted). At dinner, I decided just to serve him the same peanut soup as everyone else. He ate it (admirably slowly), although I noticed when I cleared the bowls that he left the coconut/scallion garnish. He was seated at the other end of the table from me, so I don't know whether he took any vegetables. I put that chicken breast on the table near his end of the table, without any comment. Someone else asked about it, and I just said something like, "Oh, that's just if someone wants something plainer." I served that chicken/pastry/mushroom/artichoke/rice dish individually, and Cuthbert did take a piece. Not only did he eat every bite, he later asked if there was enough chicken left for him to have another helping. He finished that one, too. No dessert for him, not even the meringues. My only comment when I served dessert was in answer to "What are those?": "These are sugarless cinnamon meringues; they're an Atkins recipe." "Mrs. Cuthbert" ate those and no pie. She was seated right next to me, so I couldn't help but notice that, and also that she ate all the chicken dish EXCEPT the chicken. Maybe she has become a vegetarian? I did not ask or comment, of course. The dog and cat were delighted, though! So look at all I learned. I worried about entirely the wrong things. Mrs. C had said, "He finds the diet much easier if he just never deviates. But evidently, he was ready to take a night off. I only hope he didn't think *I* was trying to get him to stick to his diet or commenting on his weight! Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart. You were great. I really wasn't as spazzed out as I seemed -- but I still really, really appreciated your support, sympathy, and suggestions. Oh, and by the way, the youth group didn't end up congregating here anyway; their program was cancelled due to the weather, even though it wasn't bad enough to delay our guests. To thank you all, I want to share that peanut soup recipe with you. It is SO delicious, and really easy and fast -- and always gets "Wow, this is amazing!" from guests. I cut it out of the newspaper 2 years ago; it's by J.M. Hirsch, who writes a vegetarian cooking column. (He and his mom have a cookbook out; I've loved his recipes from the paper so much that I plan to buy it.) I hope you all enjoy it, too. I always double this recipe, which serves only about 4-5. Polynesian Peanut Soup 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut (I had shredded, so I used that) 1 T canola oil 1 c finely chopped onion 1/4 c finely chopped fresh ginger 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 14-oz. can light coconut milk 3/4 c vegetable stock 3/4 c smooth natural peanut butter 1/4 c mango chutney 1 T minced fresh jalapeno chili, or to taste salt to taste 1/4 c finely chopped green onions 2 T minced fresh cilantro [I omit this, as we are "tasters"] sesame oil, for garnish In a small dry skillet, toast the coconut over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes (took less for me). Transfer to a plate and cool. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.* Add the onion, ginger, and garlic . Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and ginger are very tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the coconut milk, vegetable stock, peanut butter, chutney, and jalapeno [I chopped the jalapeno in there first and then added the rest]. Puree until smooth (anticipate a little leakage if you're doubling the recipe!). If the peanut butter is too thick, it might be necessary to add more stock (I like it thick, though). Transfer the soup to the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until heated through. Season with salt to taste. Meanwhile, toss the coconut with the green onions and cilantro, if using. To serve, drizzle each bowl with some sesame oil and top with a mound of the coconut mixture. *I found that the onions stuck too much, even though I stirred almost constantly, so I ended up using another pot after pureeing. Next time, I will use a nonstick pan first to toast the coconut, then use the same one to cook the onions, ginger, and garlic, and not use the soup pot (Dutch oven) until after pureeing. Still a total of 2 pans to wash....See MoreWhich do you prefer?POLLS closed, thank you! : )
Comments (80)I turned on my old iPad this morning, one I haven't used since 2018. This picture was one I had saved in my inspiration album. I thought, I voted wrong! Anyway, just thought it was a funny coincidence. :)...See Moresatine_gw
8 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
8 years agoplllog
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoNothing Left to Say
8 years agoeld6161
8 years agoTexas_Gem
8 years agoplllog
8 years agomarilyn_c
8 years agowildchild2x2
8 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
8 years agorob333 (zone 7b)
8 years agoravencajun Zone 8b TX
8 years agoWalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
8 years agoplllog
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoFlamingO in AR
8 years agoblfenton
8 years agoravencajun Zone 8b TX
8 years agoplllog
8 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
8 years agoplllog
8 years agoartemis_ma
8 years agoplllog
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agograndmamary_ga
8 years agoplllog
8 years ago
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