Meat & Cheese

I always love having people over.  Almost to a fault. I could be exhausted and just want to curl up on my couch when something takes over.  Five minutes later I’ve invited my six closest friends over for dinner.  Generally, this is how the scenario plays out: 

Me: “Craig, I’m so tired.”

Craig: “I know, me too.”

Two minutes pass

Me: “Should we have whosywhatsy over for dinner?”

Craig: “Up to you.”

Me: “Great, I’ll call them.”

These last minute invitations have forced me to get creative and figure out how to host a dinner party while exerting as little energy as possible.  Although I may be tired, I wouldn’t want my guests to get any indication their presence wasn’t the most important part of our day. 

Last week we hosted some friends for dinner. Instead of a big meal with various components we threw together a beautiful charcuterie plate from which everyone could snack.  It took less than 15 minutes to pull together and it took even less time to clean up.  If you’re hosting last minute guests this weekend and need an idea for a meal, this is perfect.  All you will need is a large serving piece, good friends, and drinks.  Always.  Here are some good options for the perfect plate.

Cheese: I serve like I decorate, always with uneven numbers.  Start with three:

• Brie
• Blue
• Goat
• Manchego
• Parmesan
• Gouda
• Havarti

Meats:

• Pepperoni
• Proscuitto
• Salami

Served With:

• Crackers (I prefer Waters table crackers)
• Breadsticks
• French bread slices
• Nut thins

     Accouterments:

• Strawberries
• Blackberries
• Olives
• Marcona Almonds
• My Favorite Nut Mix
• Honey
• Jelly
• Dijon Mustard

The Cocktail Porch!

“We should do this.” 

After five years of marriage, my husband knows how to translate this statement.  I am either planning our next vacation or have found my ideal [insert any room in the house here] and am ready to redecorate.   Guilty.

I was sitting on my screened porch reading the latest version of Southern Living when suddenly I saw this,

via

I hadn’t been satisfied with the porch since we finished the addition.  Just couldn’t get it right.  I ripped this page out of the magazine and two days later, I’d sold all of the porch furniture on our neighborhood list serve.  Carte blanche.  Getting it done.

Progress

The first thing I picked was the rug.  I needed something to anchor the porch and set the tone.  These Dash and Albert rugs are perfect for outdoor spaces.  Machine washable, these rugs can easily be cleaned and they wear very well.

via

Next:  seating.  We already had some chairs from Ikea that I would use as my own spin on “cocktail” chairs. These chairs are white molded plastic, stackable, and surprisingly comfortable.  They look great wherever they go.

I needed a statement table.  I headed to the Nashville flea market to find the tabletop.   Hidden in a corner I found the perfect piece of cut wood that would serve as my tabletop. We happened to have a short welded steel table which was spared in the clean out which served as the perfect base.

It's Perfect, Right?

Almost Perfect

Lastly, I picked up a gold, antiqued mirror top table at TJ Maxx and some baskets at Target for the trees from my local plant store. These pieces provided the finishing touch.

I am as pleased as punch with the way the porch turned out.  We use it quite a bit more than we did in the past.  Of course, I may run across another article next week that could prompt another overhaul, but for now we love to lounge and enjoy drinks on the cocktail porch.  Hope you're enjoying cocktails or porches this long weekend!

Gimme That Nut!

A few weekends back some friends of ours invited us over for dinner. The Emily Post in me realized I needed a hostess gift. Unfortunately, my inner Emily didnt drop by until mid-Saturday so time wasn't on my side. According to the real Emily, there are strict guidelines to which I had to adhere.  

• I shouldn’t bring alcohol I expect to consume
• I should only bring food that the host shouldn’t have to serve
• The gift shouldn’t be over the top, but should show your appreciation

After some soul searching, I decided to whip up a batch of Barefoot Contessa’s nuts that I had a few years back at a friend’s house.  I have shared this recipe with a few friends who have served them at parties, made batches to have on hand when guests pop by, or simply made them to enjoy themselves.  So here you are, the recipe is as follows. 

After the nuts cool, throw them in a brown paper package and tie it up with string. You can also fold the bag over and use a laundry pin to fasten a note card to the bag.  The possibilities for quick and unique host gifts are endless. Save this recipe, print it out, flag it to your favorites.  You will be glad you did!

 The Gifted Blog

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Ingredients

- Vegetable oil
- 3 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews (14 ounces)
- 2 cups whole walnut halves (7 ounces)
- 2 cups whole pecan halves (7 ounces)
- 1/2 cup whole almonds (3 ounces)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder
- 4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
- Kosher salt

Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil. 
- Combine the cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder on the sheet pan. Toss to coat the nuts evenly. Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again.
- Spread the nuts in one layer. Roast the nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown. 
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary.
- Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning. Serve warm or cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature.

2010, Barefoot Contessa

Hey Girl, Hey!

You know that old friend you haven’t talked to in a while?  The longer you wait to call her back, the more your guilt sets in.  You know you should have called but now it would just be awkward. 

You bite the bullet and make the call only to pick up right where you left off.  Well, I’m that friend.  I was on a roll with the blog and then (bam) life got in the way.  We have taken trips, changed jobs, lost loved ones, and just lived life.  I’ve been meaning to get back to the blog, satisfying the desires of my few faithful readers.  So, let me start by saying, I’ve missed you.  We have so much to catch up on. 

I have recipes to share, trips to tell you about, and opinions to give.  Stay tuned for more posts.  I’m going to try and start slower so hopefully I won’t let you down again. I’m glad to be back.