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Last night\'s dinner party

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Dimple's Mom
Dimple's Mom Posts: 1,740
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Last night we had some friends over for a 'literary' dinner party. Everyone was supposed to bring a recent or long-time favorite book to talk about. It was really just an excuse for a dinner party. With a theme. Which gave me the excuse for fun with the decor...

Table setting
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Each place setting had a book mark (party favor to take home) with a quote about food from a novel
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I'm a certified floral designer and last weekend I was in town and picked up a floral magazine which had the idea of making leaves out of book pages, which I thought was amazingly timely! I bought a hideous bouquet from the supermarket, took it apart, added lilacs and apple blossoms from our yard, and arranged it into this
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This menu was rounded out by two appetizers that guests brought (stuffed mushrooms, a red pepper dip with bruchetta) and pancetta-wrapped asparagus which we grilled on the egg and then it somehow managed to largely disappear as it was carried into the house to take its place on the buffet table
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6 meatloaves, 3 on each egg, were smoked over guava wood
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And sloppily garnished with rosemary (I am the world's WORST garnisher; I'm embarrassed to even post this photo)
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The cheese and fruit course (I forgot to include the Cougar gold cheddar that I drove all over Pullman to get last weekend when I took my son for incoming freshman day - I'm such an idiot and really can't even blame it on the margaritas because I prepared the cheese tray before I even started drinking)
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Last but certainly not least, the chocolate cheesecake. This is my 8-hour cheesecake that is sublime. It didn't turn out of the baking dish as nicely as it usually does, so the answer to that was to smother it in chocolate - a most excellent remedy.
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Today I enjoyed chocolate cheesecake for breakfast, followed by meatloaf sandwiches for lunch. Gotta love left-overs!
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Comments

  • Fluffyb
    Fluffyb Posts: 1,815
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    Gwen,

    How creative you are! A beautiful and delicious party for sure.
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  • reelgem
    reelgem Posts: 4,256
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    Gwen, your table setting and floral arrangement is absolutely beautiful. Clever idea to make leaves out of the book pages. Beautiful menu you put together. The food looks wonderful. Would you want to share the cheesecake recipe. An 8 hour cheesecake sounds like a challenge that I would love to try. :)
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  • Village Idiot
    Village Idiot Posts: 6,959
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    Nice.
    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
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    Very impressive Gwen and such a great price.

    Mike
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  • Dimple's Mom
    Dimple's Mom Posts: 1,740
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    Sure, I'll post it in a separate post. It's not a challenge at all. In fact, it's ridiculously simple, which is why I make it a lot for parties when you already have so much else to do!
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  • Dimple's Mom
    Dimple's Mom Posts: 1,740
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    :laugh: We've been putting that on our party menus for 23 years now. Last night was the first time someone actually handed my husband 50 cents.
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  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
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    Beautiful, all around Gwen!!
    Cheesecake recipe.. I beg of you :)
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Gwen, that sounds, and LOOKS, lovely. I'm glad the meat loaf turned out well!





    So, when are we all invited for dinner? I'm sure none of us would object to the $0.50 surcharge. :)

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
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    Even better, you didn't charge them tax. ;) Great looking menu and meal Gwen.

    Mike
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  • doccjb
    doccjb Posts: 238
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    No need to be embarrassed at all. I think the whole evening probably rocked!
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  • Florida Grillin Girl
    Florida Grillin Girl Posts: 4,973
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    That was a great dinner party and it shows how much thought and effort you put into it. I wish I was there!

    Garnishing is easy if you have the right stuff to garnish with - some greenery under the meatloaf, with some other colorful berries, etc. placed around it. Strawberries come to mind.

    Faith
    Happily egging on my original large BGE since 1996... now the owner of 5 eggs. Call me crazy, everyone else does!
     
    3 Large, 1 Small, 1 well-used Mini
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  • Dimple's Mom
    Dimple's Mom Posts: 1,740
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    We're severely produce-challenged here on Whidbey. I was so spoiled living in California! No berries to speak of at this time of year, certainly not organic, which is what I prefer. But even nonO are no good right now.

    I could have put something green under - that's a good idea. I just don't think of those things! We have a series of food and food blog classes in Seattle and I so wanted to take the one of -- oh, what's that word when you make food look good for photographs. Anyway, I was out of town when they did that class, so now have to wait for the next one.
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  • Dimple's Mom
    Dimple's Mom Posts: 1,740
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    Michael, any time you're in the area, you're more than welcome!
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