The Perfect Hostess - Part 1

Going through my grandmother's old books, we found this treasure from 1950. Written by a woman "still in her 20s" the book is full of wisdom for entertaining - as a wife or a career girl.

The book includes a lengthy section on how to cook all day and still appear fresh and energetic for the party. (It involves bubble bath, lying down with your legs above your head, and convincing your husband that "only he" can do the last-minute activities like putting out trail mix.)

However, I was equally entranced by the graphical explanations of formal dinner settings...

Glasses for alcoholic beverages...

And even the proper settings for buffet tables!

Next week I'll share with you the results of my trial of one of the book's recipes, eggs baked in tomato.

NOTE: These pictures are large, so click on them if you want to see details.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Baking Again

Nothing heralds the arrival of fall like the desire to start baking again after an incredibly long, incredibly hot summer.

In the last few weeks I've fired up the oven several times. Muffins are a favorite.

Adding lemon zest to blueberry muffins

Breakfast! Snack! Dinner! I'm always relieved to have my own "quick breads" around because the ones you buy at the store are either a) flavorless or b) needlessly expensive. This may be one instance where "making your own" is not a good way to maintain a healthy diet, though, because when there's no competition for baked goods they all go in one belly: mine.

Irish soda bread with raisins and caraway seeds. Basically a giant scone. It came together in about 5 minutes (30 to bake). I was shocked.

Baked Stuffed Poblanos

I don't usually post recipes on here because most of the stuff I make is from other people's recipes. But I made up this baked poblano dish this past week (after researching baked peppers, rice pilaf, and Mexican rice) and I was so dang proud of how they turned out I thought I'd share.

INGREDIENTS:
2 lg poblano peppers
3/4 of a large white onion
2 scallions
2 lg cloves garlic
1 lg carrot
2 c. vegetable stock
1 c. canned chopped tomatoes (1/2 can)
1 c. long grain white rice
1/3 c. chopped toasted walnuts
1 c. shredded jack cheese
chopped parsley to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Roast poblanos and set to steam
3. Chop vegetables (I made mine pretty small). Put large saucepan over medium heat; add oil. Let it get hot, then add the onions and garlic. Saute for a minute or two, adding salt to taste. Add the rice and carrot and cook for a couple more minutes. Add a little more salt, especially if your veggie broth is unsalted. Then add 1.5 cups of the vegetable stock and all the tomatoes. Cover and cook the rice until done (about 10 minutes after it boils). Then remove from the heat, fluff the rice with a spatula, and let sit covered for 10 more minutes. Stir in the cheese, walnuts, and parsley.
4. Peel the poblanos, cut off the tops, and make a slit down the side. Remove seeds and ribs.
5. In a 9x9 baking pan, lay down a layer of the rice mixture. On top of that, lay the poblanos, which you can stuff with the remaining rice and reclose. Pour the remaining 1/2 c. veg stock into the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

Serve with black beans and or as a taco/burrito filling. Serves approximately 4.