Fancy Gourmet Dessert Cakes

Rule #1: Do not take on the challenge if you are not up to it. I learned that the hard way. Remember that people can sense what you are feeling in any situation, especially if you are apathetic. Your guests pick up on your feelings and it often sets the mood for the event. Now, that is a pretty powerful thing. I was approached by someone I met a long time ago. He became a long time acquaintance after arriving unexpectedly at a party I held.  This nice, shy man told me that my party turned into one of the nicest evenings he could remember. That particular evening was one of my most successful events. It was a night of good food, dancing and games where all of the guests were encouraged to participate. I was in a wonderful mood and it showed.

I used to hate to go to a party “in the third person” (welcomed to come with an invited guest) because it was likely that I would not know too many people and would feel a little bit out of place. This was often the case because the host or hostess did not make it a point to welcome me. I would receive a harried half acknowledgment as he or she rushed by and would think to myself “Alright, I can expect no help from you for comfort ability here; I’d better check for the nearest exit.” Do you know I have actually stepped through a couple of them? Courtesy is a big word and not always easy to spot.

Unexpected guests must be expected for a gathering to come off well. I see it as a compliment. Someone sees my home as a nice place to be and my friends as good people to spend time with. When I take the position of humility, I treat people the way I would like to be treated. It is the responsibility of the host/hostess to be organized and have room to take care of the needs of the guests, beyond the food and beverages. Make sure that they have someone to talk to and someplace to sit. You can build a strong reputation with something as simple as an enjoyable evening. 

Rules that have worked for me over the years are as follows: Smile and look your guests in the eye. Stop what you are doing and put the people first. This is done through careful preparation. Have everything together so that you can take the time to get to know someone well enough to introduce them around and join them with others that share similar interests. For instance I have brought together a music lover and an artist. It was the closest match I could think of and it worked very well. As a matter of fact the two of them are still married. It’s okay to ask for help. Get the brightest personalities among your friends to act as ambassadors, for guests that seem out of place. You may just give someone a night to remember.

Written by Delightful Biteful

It’s the New Year again and although the holiday season has passed the desire for rich foods hasn’t; at least not for me.

 I have some strawberries that are nice and ripe due to the green house growth process, so I can still have my serving of fruit to help with the needed nutrients, and tonight, I will have a nice salad instead of a large meal. A Caesar salad, yes that’ it, and it works too. I manage to hold off my weight gain more effectively with this sort of logic. If you want to try it, here’s a recipe that I like to use.

You only need a head of Romaine lettuce and a few ingredients.1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper½ tsp. Salt1 egg yolk¼ cup Parmesan Cheese ¼ cup virgin Olive Oil1 tbls. Lemon3 Anchovies ground up½ clove finely chopped garlicMix all ingredients thoroughly and let sit for about 1 hour.Don’t forget your regular exercise! (If applicable) Written by Delightful Biteful

The holidays are synonymous with turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes so if you would like a few tips for each; here goes. To really lock in the juices, butter baste your turkey. Put about three tablespoons of margarine and three tablespoons of cooking oil into a microwavable cup. Heat the mixture until both are melted together. Baste the turkey thoroughly with the mixture and cook your turkey as you normally would. You’ll be amazed at how juicy the bird turns out. Oh, by the way, get a kitchen thermometer and cook your turkey at a slightly lower heat, even if it takes a little longer, it will keep the bird from drying out too much. The thermometer will ensure that the turkey is safely cooked so you won’t get thrown off track by the change in degrees. 

Gravy is relatively simple to make. You can take about 11/2 cups of the juice which melted off the turkey during cooking (this is assuming that you are cooking an 18 to 20 pound bird), mix it with about 1/4 cup of flower and stir the mixture thoroughly in a large skillet over a low heat. The flower thickens the leftover juice and creates a nice gravy texture. Adjust the measurements accordingly to your bird’s weight.  

For mashed potatoes, you can add a little garlic powder along with the butter and milk before using the mixer on your boiled potatoes. It makes the potatoes a little more flavorful. Some people use a dash of Cheyenne pepper on the potatoes but I would recommend doing a test run before hand so that you are sure you like the flavor. We all develop little tricks over the years and I hope these come in handy. There is nothing like enjoying a fine meal, especially one that you have prepared yourself. Happy eating everyone!  Written by Delightful Biteful