You are Hereby Cordially Invited to Dinner with the Queen – Don’t Panic! has been getting a lot of interest over on Miri Attwater’s World.

Apparently there are people getting dinner invitations that are a lot more exciting than the ones I get. Who’s been invited to dinner at the White House? Come on, spill! I want to hear all about it!

Some people seem to be finding that post when they go in search of guides on manners. So what do you do when you get a nice dinner invitation. How do you act? Maybe I can make a little series of posts out of this.

First, let’s start with some basic table manners. You know, the ones I’m trying to teach my own kids with various levels of success.

I try to scare table manners into them with a tale from my dating days. I was on a first date with a guy and we went to the local eatery  and got fried chicken. My date picked up a piece and tore into it like a hyena. Then he talked with huge pieces of meat hanging out both sides of his mouth. Not attractive.

Perhaps it was shallow, but I quickly had not desire for a second date!

You might not be trying to get a date, but at the very least I’m sure you would rather not turn the stomach of the other people at the table. And so, I give you…

Ms. Ivy’s Guide to Basic Table Manners

1. Sit up straight. Don’t put your elbows on the table.

You are sitting at the table, not lounging at the table.

2. Put your napkin in your lap. This will catch any crumbs that happen to fall in your lap and you can pick it up and discreetly wipe your mouth if you need to.

But you really shouldn’t need to much. Chocolate stains napkins, so try to eat without chocolate drooling out of your mouth. Believe it or not I made this comment just last night, and my kid’s aren’t little! <sigh>

3. Wait for your hostess to pick up her fork before you take a bite.

There is nothing more frustrating to a hostess than serving the last plate (their own) and sitting down to the table just as everyone else is done and ready to leave the table.

4. Put a reasonable sized bite on your fork.

If you have to turn your fork sideways to get the bite in your mouth or open you mouth so wide that you’re in danger of unhinging your jaw – then there’s a good chance it qualifies as too big.

5. Chew one bite and swallow before putting another bite in your mouth.

Your fork is not a shovel and your mouth is not a dump truck. And for goodness sakes, don’t lean over your plate like you are trying to guard your food and shovel repeatedly without a breath. I understand that is considered fine etiquette for chopsticks and rice, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.

6. Don’t talk with your mouth full.

This can be a tough one. Some dinner companions make it almost impossible to follow this rule. Either they give you very little chance to jump into the conversation, or they give only short responses so you don’t have time to eat your bite before they ask you another question. But, if you are taking small bites it will be easier to try to do this discreetly and not show the whole table your mouthful of half-chewed steak.

7. If you’re having trouble getting something on your fork, like the last pieces of corn, don’t use your fingers to push them on. Use another utensil, like the back of a spoon or your knife.

Okay, I admit to being guilty of that occassionally. If I don’t need the spoon or knife for something else I hate to get another piece of silverware dirty. But, for goodness sake, if you cheat on this wipe your fingers discreetly on the napkin in your lap. Don’t lick them!

8. Don’t pick up your dessert plate to lick it clean.

Even if it was the best chocolate cake you have ever had. Don’t Do This. It is not a compliment to the chef. It’s just the impersonation of a dog. (And what is it with people letting their dogs lick their plates clean anyway? Eew.) In fact, you’re not even supposed to try to get it squeaky clean with your fork, but if you try hard enough you can do a pretty good job and I doubt many people will know that particular manners rule.

So there’s a basic list. I’m sure Miss Manner’s could find something I have left out.  But this should get your through a meal without scaring off the rest of the diners!

So what did I leave out? Any dining manners pet peeves? Leave a comment!

So I’m still trying to find my way into what I want to blog about. It’s a good thing I added the category “cooking.” Otherwise this would have to go under “posts to keep me from giving advice to random people in stores.” I just hate to see someone an inferior product. I know they would really like for me to share my advice. I just know it.

Or maybe not.

Moving on…

Avocados are a staple at our house, just like lettuce and carrots. This isn’t a health blog so I won’t go into all the nutritional benefits or good fat vs. bad fat arguments and potassium content.

Suffice it to say that a taco’s not a taco without guacamole. And a salad is better with chunks of avocado. And avocado is even good on hamburgers. Okay, so I can’t “suffice it to say.” I really love avocados!

Whenever you need an avocado there aren’t any ripe ones at the grocery store. And if they’re ripe, they’re all bruised. Or worse. Have you ever taken home a green avocado to ripen, only to find when you cut it that it is all bruised on the inside and slightly soapy tasting? Blech.

For a while it was a mystery why my hubby could pick better avocados than I could. Turns out, one thing that helps is to always pick avocados at the top of the bin that haven’t been handled too much. My 6’6″ hubby has more luck with this than my 5’2″ self. Pick ones with medium green skin to ripen in  a paper bag for a couple of days on your kitchen counter.  If you do more than one at a time they ripen better.

The almost fool proof way to pick an avocado? Buy the ones that come 4-6 to a bag. If you want them to ripen more quickly, put them in a closed paper bag. But I’ve had them ripen just fine in only their mesh bag on the counter as well.
They are ripe when the skin is dark and they yield a little to gentle pressure. They aren’t mushy when you test them, they just have a slight springiness under your fingers.

Not sure you can eat that many avocados? If you put them in the refrigerator when they are just barely ripe they last longer.

Caught with a bunch about to go bad? Freeze them.

Mash the avocados with a fork and add a squirt of lemon juice. (I keep Minute Maid 100% Pure Lemon Juice on hand to use in recipes. You can find it in the frozen juice section.) Then freeze it in a plastic bag. I usually do individual servings in sandwich bags. Then thaw it by putting the bag in hot water. Or pop the frozen avocado out of the bag and thaw in the microwave for a few seconds. Take it out when most of it is still icy and mash it around with a fork and continue to thaw at room temperature.

Freezing is a great way to store left over guacamole as well. Even if you plan to eat it the next day, guacamole will turn brown in the refrigerator. Freezing it prevents the browning and preserves the flavor.

Now you will never be without guacamole again! (And we all know how important that is.) So buy an avocado, or 4 or 6, and have tacos in a couple of days!

Just in case you need it, I’ve added our family guacamole recipe at the bottom. I have no idea if it’s authentic or not. I’m pretty sure it’s not authentic according to Mexican cooking, but there’s a chance it has some authenticity when it comes to TexMex. Parts of my family have been here since the Texas Revolution!

My Family’s Recipe for Guacamole

Everything is done to taste. This is great on all Mexican food, chips, and in place of salad dressing.

• Avocado mashed with a fork or blended smooth in a food processor (The different ways makes it taste differently. On tacos I like it smooth.)
• lemon or lime juice
• sour cream (about one tablespoon per avocado)
• chili powder
• garlic powder
• salt

That’s it! That’s how my family has made guacamole all my life! The one thing I’m not sure I’ve seen anywhere else is the addition of sour cream.

Traditionally my family ate it without any tomatoes or raw onions, but you can add them if you like. Occasionally I add fresh tomatoes when I eat it on chips. (But don’t tell my 5 year-old-self! She would be appalled. She thinks tomatoes only belong well cooked in ketchup and Italian sauces.)

So I’m still trying to find my way into what I want to blog about. It’s a good thing I added the category “cooking.” Otherwise this would have to go under “posts to keep me from giving advice to random people in stores.” I just hate to see someone an inferior product. I know they would really like for me to share my advice. I just know it.

Or maybe not.

Moving on…

Avocados are a staple at our house, just like lettuce and carrots. This isn’t a health blog so I won’t go into all the nutritional benefits or good fat vs. bad fat arguments and potassium content.

Suffice it to say that a taco’s not a taco without guacamole. And a salad is better with chunks of avocado. And avocado is even good on hamburgers. Okay, so I can’t “suffice it to say.” I really love avocados!

Whenever you need an avocado there aren’t any ripe ones at the grocery store. And if they’re ripe, they’re all bruised. Or worse. Have you ever taken home a green avocado to ripen, only to find when you cut it that it is all bruised on the inside and slightly soapy tasting? Blech.

For a while it was a mystery why my hubby could pick better avocados than I could. Turns out, one thing that helps is to always pick avocados at the top of the bin that haven’t been handled too much. My 6’6″ hubby has more luck with this than my 5’2″ self. Pick ones with medium green skin to ripen in  a paper bag for a couple of days on your kitchen counter.  If you do more than one at a time they ripen better.

The almost fool proof way to pick an avocado? Buy the ones that come 4-6 to a bag. If you want them to ripen more quickly, put them in a closed paper bag. But I’ve had them ripen just fine in only their mesh bag on the counter as well.
They are ripe when the skin is dark and they yield a little to gentle pressure. They aren’t mushy when you test them, they just have a slight springiness under your fingers.

Not sure you can eat that many avocados? If you put them in the refrigerator when they are just barely ripe they last longer.

Caught with a bunch about to go bad? Freeze them.

Mash the avocados with a fork and add a squirt of lemon juice. (I keep Minute Maid 100% Pure Lemon Juice on hand to use in recipes. You can find it in the frozen juice section.) Then freeze it in a plastic bag. I usually do individual servings in sandwich bags. Then thaw it by putting the bag in hot water. Or pop the frozen avocado out of the bag and thaw in the microwave for a few seconds. Take it out when most of it is still icy and mash it around with a fork and continue to thaw at room temperature.

Freezing is a great way to store left over guacamole as well. Even if you plan to eat it the next day, guacamole will turn brown in the refrigerator. Freezing it prevents the browning and preserves the flavor.

Now you will never be without guacamole again! (And we all know how important that is.) So buy an avocado, or 4 or 6, and have tacos in a couple of days!

Just in case you need it, I’ve added our family guacamole recipe at the bottom. I have no idea if it’s authentic or not. I’m pretty sure it’s not authentic according to Mexican cooking, but there’s a chance it has some authenticity when it comes to TexMex. Parts of my family have been here since the Texas Revolution!

My Family’s Recipe for Guacamole

Everything is done to taste. This is great on all Mexican food, chips, and in place of salad dressing.

• Avocado mashed with a fork or blended smooth in a food processor (The different ways makes it taste differently. On tacos I like it smooth.)
• lemon or lime juice
• sour cream (about one tablespoon per avocado)
• chili powder
• garlic powder
• salt

That’s it! That’s how my family has made guacamole all my life! The one thing I’m not sure I’ve seen anywhere else is the addition of sour cream.

Traditionally my family ate it without any tomatoes or raw onions, but you can add them if you like. Occasionally I add fresh tomatoes when I eat it on chips. (But don’t tell my 5 year-old-self! She would be appalled. She thinks tomatoes only belong well cooked in ketchup and Italian sauces.)

This isn’t my typical post. But in addition to things that make me happy, like crafting and cooking, I also – occasionally – think about BIG questions. Sometimes I amuse myself that I could solve all those big questions if anybody would just ask.

But when I think about BIG questions that pertain to kids, more often than not, as a parent, I’m not really sure what the right answer is. Raising kids is tricky business!

The issue I was thinking about recently pertains to issues kids face. If this gets to be a habit, maybe I’ll make a category for that, but at the moment it will just stand on its own.

Are Adults Enabling Bullies at School?

You probably grew up hearing the stories of bullies. The kind that steals your lunch money. Or your lunch. Or maybe you were harassed by exactly that kind of bully.

I, myself, was never tortured by bully as a child, even though I was always one of the tiniest kids in the class. At least if some kid was trying to intimidate me I was blissfully unaware. So I grew up more thinking that bullies were a legend of schools of the past, characters made only slightly more real by those terrible after-school-movies that were popular in the 70s.

But now it seems that you hear about bullies in the news all the time. Child and teen bullies are still here and more menacing than ever. One theory is that the anonymity and remoteness of social media makes bullying easier. But that doesn’t explain the seeming increase in face-to-face bullying between kids starting as young as elementary school.

Is it a real increase, or are parents just more aware and alarmed by it? For now, let’s assume that it’s a real increase.

Violence in society is often debated. Movies are violent. Computer and video games are violent. Real violence kills children in the streets of the inner city. I, myself, abhor violence in books and an on-screen. In short, I can’t stomach it.

In spite of that, I would argue that “western society” as a whole is less violent than it has been in the past. We don’t gather in stadiums to watch men fight lions to the death like they did in Rome. We don’t gather in the town square to watch mass executions with the guillotine like they did during the French Revolution. We don’t take picnic lunches and sit under parasols on the hills above the battlefield and watch men die in mass like they did during the Civil War. (I just recently found that last one out, and I’m still shocked by it.)

Yes, there are still places in the world where atrocities are occurring even as I type, but I would argue that we are still progressing. At least we are appalled by it and not watching the real occurrence as entertainment. And these atrocities are not happening in your average school.

What is true in your average school is that corporal punishment is no longer allowed. Fewer parents spank their children. I’m not bringing that up to say that undisciplined children are the problem. I’m bringing that up to point out the physical means of settling differences and disciplining kids has decreased, so why are bullies threatening in physical ways that they have seen less modeling of?

I started wondering about this when I heard about a kid at our local elementary school who was cornered in the bathroom and felt physically threatened. The matter was brought up with school personnel and the issue was addressed. The situation, at least for now, seems to be better.

Because the parents of the victim want to make sure this doesn’t happen again, they also talked to the kid about how they can change their behavior keep them from being a victim of bullying. They told him that if he feels cornered, in spite of what he’s been taught about violence not being the answer, he should fight his way out. His response was to break into tears that he would get sent to the principal’s office. The parents told them they would support him and be right in the office with him if this happened. But this gets to my thought.

Zero tolerance for fighting in school, not matter who started it, is typical. I think this is a slight but significant difference in the way fighting was viewed when we were in school ourselves. My husband is one of the least confrontational men I know, and even he has stories about physically standing up to bullies.

Instead of protecting kids, does this zero tolerance rule actually give bullies more power? Because now bullies can threaten or pick a fight knowing that a “rule follower” won’t fight back for fear of getting in trouble with the adults. Fear that fighting back will tarnish their permanent school record. I admit that I’m reluctant when I tell my own kids to fight back because they might get in trouble at school. My husband can give them more specific instructions and with much more enthusiasm.

I think the issue is further clouded by the awareness that issues are not always black and white. We are reluctant to pin blame on a kid in case we are wrong and being unfair. We don’t want to tarnish the “alleged bullies” permanent school record when we can’t be certain whose fault it was, and so we punish both kids. But is this fair if one of them is innocent?

If we tell our kids that fighting back is never the answer, are we making them weak? Why do we not give our children permission to defend themselves from harm? Are we creating sheep that are in danger of getting hurt by more dangerous bullies as they get older?

If we give kids permission to fight back, will we increase the amount of fighting in school? Are we telling them that violence is the answer?

I’m not sure what the answer is. Will giving our kids the courage and permission to stand up for themselves in a physical way if necessary increase or decrease bullying and violence? What do you think?

This isn’t my typical post. But in addition to things that make me happy, like crafting and cooking, I also – occasionally – think about BIG questions. Sometimes I amuse myself that I could solve all those big questions if anybody would just ask.

But when I think about BIG questions that pertain to kids, more often than not, as a parent, I’m not really sure what the right answer is. Raising kids is tricky business!

The issue I was thinking about recently pertains to issues kids face. If this gets to be a habit, maybe I’ll make a category for that, but at the moment it will just stand on its own.

Are Adults Enabling Bullies at School?

You probably grew up hearing the stories of bullies. The kind that steals your lunch money. Or your lunch. Or maybe you were harassed by exactly that kind of bully.

I, myself, was never tortured by bully as a child, even though I was always one of the tiniest kids in the class. At least if some kid was trying to intimidate me I was blissfully unaware. So I grew up more thinking that bullies were a legend of schools of the past, characters made only slightly more real by those terrible after-school-movies that were popular in the 70s.

But now it seems that you hear about bullies in the news all the time. Child and teen bullies are still here and more menacing than ever. One theory is that the anonymity and remoteness of social media makes bullying easier. But that doesn’t explain the seeming increase in face-to-face bullying between kids starting as young as elementary school.

Is it a real increase, or are parents just more aware and alarmed by it? For now, let’s assume that it’s a real increase.

Violence in society is often debated. Movies are violent. Computer and video games are violent. Real violence kills children in the streets of the inner city. I, myself, abhor violence in books and an on-screen. In short, I can’t stomach it.

In spite of that, I would argue that “western society” as a whole is less violent than it has been in the past. We don’t gather in stadiums to watch men fight lions to the death like they did in Rome. We don’t gather in the town square to watch mass executions with the guillotine like they did during the French Revolution. We don’t take picnic lunches and sit under parasols on the hills above the battlefield and watch men die in mass like they did during the Civil War. (I just recently found that last one out, and I’m still shocked by it.)

Yes, there are still places in the world where atrocities are occurring even as I type, but I would argue that we are still progressing. At least we are appalled by it and not watching the real occurrence as entertainment. And these atrocities are not happening in your average school.

What is true in your average school is that corporal punishment is no longer allowed. Fewer parents spank their children. I’m not bringing that up to say that undisciplined children are the problem. I’m bringing that up to point out the physical means of settling differences and disciplining kids has decreased, so why are bullies threatening in physical ways that they have seen less modeling of?

I started wondering about this when I heard about a kid at our local elementary school who was cornered in the bathroom and felt physically threatened. The matter was brought up with school personnel and the issue was addressed. The situation, at least for now, seems to be better.

Because the parents of the victim want to make sure this doesn’t happen again, they also talked to the kid about how they can change their behavior keep them from being a victim of bullying. They told him that if he feels cornered, in spite of what he’s been taught about violence not being the answer, he should fight his way out. His response was to break into tears that he would get sent to the principal’s office. The parents told them they would support him and be right in the office with him if this happened. But this gets to my thought.

Zero tolerance for fighting in school, not matter who started it, is typical. I think this is a slight but significant difference in the way fighting was viewed when we were in school ourselves. My husband is one of the least confrontational men I know, and even he has stories about physically standing up to bullies.

Instead of protecting kids, does this zero tolerance rule actually give bullies more power? Because now bullies can threaten or pick a fight knowing that a “rule follower” won’t fight back for fear of getting in trouble with the adults. Fear that fighting back will tarnish their permanent school record. I admit that I’m reluctant when I tell my own kids to fight back because they might get in trouble at school. My husband can give them more specific instructions and with much more enthusiasm.

I think the issue is further clouded by the awareness that issues are not always black and white. We are reluctant to pin blame on a kid in case we are wrong and being unfair. We don’t want to tarnish the “alleged bullies” permanent school record when we can’t be certain whose fault it was, and so we punish both kids. But is this fair if one of them is innocent?

If we tell our kids that fighting back is never the answer, are we making them weak? Why do we not give our children permission to defend themselves from harm? Are we creating sheep that are in danger of getting hurt by more dangerous bullies as they get older?

If we give kids permission to fight back, will we increase the amount of fighting in school? Are we telling them that violence is the answer?

I’m not sure what the answer is. Will giving our kids the courage and permission to stand up for themselves in a physical way if necessary increase or decrease bullying and violence? What do you think?

Looking for a last minute Valentine’s Day snack or even a light but festive meal? Here’s a recipe for quick heart-shaped thin and crispy mini-pizzas. You make the crust out of flour tortillas so you won’t even have to mix the dough!

Heart-Shaped Thin and Crispy Mini-Pizzas Recipe

You will need:

Flour tortillas
Marinara sauce (or one 8 oz. can of tomato sauce + ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning)
Shredded mozzarella, Monterrey jack, or provolone cheese
Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut each flour tortilla into a heart shape. (I used a large cookie
cutter.) Brush both sides with olive oil.
3. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes, or until
very lightly browned.
4. Remove the tortillas from the oven. Flip the tortillas over. Top
each with tomato sauce and then shredded mozzarella cheese. Put them
back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes.
5. Remove to racks or paper towels to cool. Serve warm.

(Note: the amount of olive oil, marinara sauce, and cheese you will
need per heart depends on the size of your cookie cutter. Hearts this
size took about 2 teaspoons of marinara sauce and 1 tablespoon of
shredded cheese each. I would estimate six hearts would take
approximately 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.)

Looking for something sweet to go with your mini-pizzas? Try my Strawberry Heart Cookies!

Need last minute homemade Valentines? Stitching card Valentine’s are quick and cute!

And if you’ve got a little more time and just want to have some fun crafting, try the Valentine Fortune Tellers!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Looking for a last minute Valentine’s Day snack or even a light but festive meal? Here’s a recipe for quick heart-shaped thin and crispy mini-pizzas. You make the crust out of flour tortillas so you won’t even have to mix the dough!

Heart-Shaped Thin and Crispy Mini-Pizzas Recipe

You will need:

Flour tortillas
Marinara sauce (or one 8 oz. can of tomato sauce + ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning)
Shredded mozzarella, Monterrey jack, or provolone cheese
Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut each flour tortilla into a heart shape. (I used a large cookie
cutter.) Brush both sides with olive oil.
3. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes, or until
very lightly browned.
4. Remove the tortillas from the oven. Flip the tortillas over. Top
each with tomato sauce and then shredded mozzarella cheese. Put them
back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes.
5. Remove to racks or paper towels to cool. Serve warm.

(Note: the amount of olive oil, marinara sauce, and cheese you will
need per heart depends on the size of your cookie cutter. Hearts this
size took about 2 teaspoons of marinara sauce and 1 tablespoon of
shredded cheese each. I would estimate six hearts would take
approximately 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.)

Looking for something sweet to go with your mini-pizzas? Try my Strawberry Heart Cookies!

Need last minute homemade Valentines? Stitching card Valentine’s are quick and cute!

And if you’ve got a little more time and just want to have some fun crafting, try the Valentine Fortune Tellers!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching! I don’t know about you, but every year I have plans to channel my inner-Martha Stewart and make heart shaped sugar cookies and decorate them with royal icing. Or maybe Pecan Linzer Cookies with Cherry Filling! Yes! They are gorgeous and I bet they taste even better. And I’ll make my own marshmallows and cut them in the shape of hearts and float them on top of hot-chocolate made with real milk on top of the stove!

Sadly, I disappoint myself often. Sometimes, life just gets in the way. I need to remind myself that it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach!

So, here’s an idea for those of you who ran out of time or are always more realistic in your expectations! These are super easy. And they have fresh strawberries and so they’re healthy. Okay, maybe just healthi-er.

These are super fast to make. I made it first with the white candy coating, which makes a really pretty smooth base. Then I realized that I could make them healthier by using cream cheese as the base. I only had regular cream cheese on hand, but you could make it even healthier by using the lighter cream cheese (Neufchatel) and low fat vanilla wafers (Nabisco makes a low fat version for Nilla). I didn’t add anything to the cream cheese to make it extra quick and easy.

In the picture, the one on top is done with the candy coating. The two lower ones are done with cream cheese.

Super Easy Strawberry Heart Cookie Recipe

Option 1:

You will need:

vanilla wafers
strawberries
softened cream cheese (or Neufchatel cheese)

Directions:

1. De-hull the strawberries by using the tip of a small, sharp knife.
(Rather than cutting straight across the top.) Slice the strawberries,
and carefully shape the top of each slice into the top of the heart.
2. “Ice” a vanilla wafer with the softened cream cheese. Place one
strawberry heart on the top.
3. Refrigerate until serving.

(Note that the cookies will soften with time in the refrigerator,
which improves their flavor, but overnight they might get too soft for
little kids to eat easily. To speed prep, prepare the strawberry
hearts ahead of time and refrigerate. Have your cream cheese at room
temperature for easy spreading.)

Option 2:

You will need:

vanilla wafers
strawberries
white candy coating or white chocolate pieces

Directions:

1. De-hull the strawberries by using the tip of a small, sharp knife.
(Rather than cutting straight across the top.) Slice the strawberries,
and carefully shape the top of each slice into the top of the heart.
2. Melt the white candy coating or white chocolate candy pieces in the
microwave just until softened. “Ice” a vanilla wafer with the soft
candy coating. While the coating is till warm, place one strawberry
heart on the top.
3. Refrigerate until serving.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching! I don’t know about you, but every year I have plans to channel my inner-Martha Stewart and make heart shaped sugar cookies and decorate them with royal icing. Or maybe Pecan Linzer Cookies with Cherry Filling! Yes! They are gorgeous and I bet they taste even better. And I’ll make my own marshmallows and cut them in the shape of hearts and float them on top of hot-chocolate made with real milk on top of the stove!

Sadly, I disappoint myself often. Sometimes, life just gets in the way. I need to remind myself that it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach!

So, here’s an idea for those of you who ran out of time or are always more realistic in your expectations! These are super easy. And they have fresh strawberries and so they’re healthy. Okay, maybe just healthi-er.

These are super fast to make. I made it first with the white candy coating, which makes a really pretty smooth base. Then I realized that I could make them healthier by using cream cheese as the base. I only had regular cream cheese on hand, but you could make it even healthier by using the lighter cream cheese (Neufchatel) and low fat vanilla wafers (Nabisco makes a low fat version for Nilla). I didn’t add anything to the cream cheese to make it extra quick and easy.

In the picture, the one on top is done with the candy coating. The two lower ones are done with cream cheese.

Super Easy Strawberry Heart Cookie Recipe

Option 1:

You will need:

vanilla wafers
strawberries
softened cream cheese (or Neufchatel cheese)

Directions:

1. De-hull the strawberries by using the tip of a small, sharp knife.
(Rather than cutting straight across the top.) Slice the strawberries,
and carefully shape the top of each slice into the top of the heart.
2. “Ice” a vanilla wafer with the softened cream cheese. Place one
strawberry heart on the top.
3. Refrigerate until serving.

(Note that the cookies will soften with time in the refrigerator,
which improves their flavor, but overnight they might get too soft for
little kids to eat easily. To speed prep, prepare the strawberry
hearts ahead of time and refrigerate. Have your cream cheese at room
temperature for easy spreading.)

Option 2:

You will need:

vanilla wafers
strawberries
white candy coating or white chocolate pieces

Directions:

1. De-hull the strawberries by using the tip of a small, sharp knife.
(Rather than cutting straight across the top.) Slice the strawberries,
and carefully shape the top of each slice into the top of the heart.
2. Melt the white candy coating or white chocolate candy pieces in the
microwave just until softened. “Ice” a vanilla wafer with the soft
candy coating. While the coating is till warm, place one strawberry
heart on the top.
3. Refrigerate until serving.

Need a quick class Valentines idea? Check out my post Help your little one make their own stitching card Valentines.

Need a last minute Valentine Craft or toy idea? Check out my post Make your Own Valentine Fortune Teller.

Even little kids have fun making their own Valentines! But I was never one to want to put paint all over their hands for making handprint hearts and the like. Too messy! This idea is no muss no fuss.

Stitching Card Valentines

Supplies:

• pink, red, and/or white craft foam
• pink, red, and/or white yarn
• large heart cookie cutter
• scissors
• hole punch
• markers
• tape (optional)

Instructions for Stitching Card Valentines

1. Press the cookie cutter down on the craft foam to make an indention to follow. Cut out the heart.
2. Use a hole punch to punch evenly spaced holes around the perimeter of the heart, about 1 cm apart. Mark the hole positions ahead of time lightly with a pencil on the back of the heart if you need to.
3. Cut a piece of yarn 10-12 inches longer than the perimeter around the heart. To keep the yarn from fraying, tie knots in the ends. OR Roll the ends with tape like the end of a shoelace. Thread the yarn through the holes. Start by going in the hole next to where you want the bow to be from the front. Come back through the next hole from the back of the heart. Go in the next hole from the front of the heart. Repeat.
4. Tie a bow when you get back to where you started.
5. Use markers to write a saying on your heart such as “You keep me in stitches, Valentine!” or “Don’t string me along!”

That’s it! You can have your little one do the yarn stitching for you. Or, you can have them help with the hole punching and give the Valentine’s in a baggy with the string so that everyone can stitch their own. A card and a gift craft in one!

This is the second in what I think will be come a series of Valentine posts. You can see the first one, the Make Your Own Valentine Fortune Teller in the last blog post. Or in the right sidebar, under Blog Topics, click on Holidays.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Even little kids have fun making their own Valentines! But I was never one to want to put paint all over their hands for making handprint hearts and the like. Too messy! This idea is no muss no fuss.

Stitching Card Valentines

Supplies:

• pink, red, and/or white craft foam
• pink, red, and/or white yarn
• large heart cookie cutter
• scissors
• hole punch
• markers
• tape (optional)

Instructions for Stitching Card Valentines

1. Press the cookie cutter down on the craft foam to make an indention to follow. Cut out the heart.
2. Use a hole punch to punch evenly spaced holes around the perimeter of the heart, about 1 cm apart. Mark the hole positions ahead of time lightly with a pencil on the back of the heart if you need to.
3. Cut a piece of yarn 10-12 inches longer than the perimeter around the heart. To keep the yarn from fraying, tie knots in the ends. OR Roll the ends with tape like the end of a shoelace. Thread the yarn through the holes. Start by going in the hole next to where you want the bow to be from the front. Come back through the next hole from the back of the heart. Go in the next hole from the front of the heart. Repeat.
4. Tie a bow when you get back to where you started.
5. Use markers to write a saying on your heart such as “You keep me in stitches, Valentine!” or “Don’t string me along!”

That’s it! You can have your little one do the yarn stitching for you. Or, you can have them help with the hole punching and give the Valentine’s in a baggy with the string so that everyone can stitch their own. A card and a gift craft in one!

This is the second in what I think will be come a series of Valentine posts. You can see the first one, the Make Your Own Valentine Fortune Teller in the last blog post. Or in the right sidebar, under Blog Topics, click on Holidays.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

It’s that time of year again! When you ask – Will you be my Valentine?

If you can’t get up the courage to ask in person – ask the Magic Conversation Heart Valentine!

I came up with this idea and sold it to Family Fun Magazine in 2008. It appeared in the February 2010 issue. They called it the Oracle of Love and modified the directions to cover the jar with air drying clay, which makes the fortune teller look really awesome! I had considered the same idea, but had decided it would be too expensive. My original directions covered the jar with craft foam. The directions are below.

Magic Conversation Heart Valentine – A Valentine Craft

You will need:

1 small glass jar (Such as a baby food jar – one with a fairly flat
bottom works best.)
1 1-inch Styrofoam ball
sheets of  craft foam in assorted colors
permanent marker
low temperature hot glue (or other waterproof glue)
permanent double stick tape
craft foam stickers (optional)

Directions:

1. Using the heel of your hand against a hard surface such as a table, gently press the Styrofoam ball into a cube.
2. Using assorted colors of craft foam, cut out six hearts the size of a face of your Styrofoam cube, approximately ¾ inch. On each heart, use a permanent marker to write a possible answer to a yes or no question, such as “yes,” “no,” “maybe,” “for sure,” “you bet,” or “no
way.”
3. Have an adult use the low temperature hot glue to affix the hearts
to each side of the cube. To do this, put a small dot of hot glue on
the blank side of a heart, and then carefully press the cube down on
top of it.  (Tips for using a low temperature hot glue gun: Keep a
small bowl of water nearby for cooling hot glue quickly when an
accident occurs.)
4. Measure the craft foam to cover the jar. Trace around the lid and cut out a piece to cover the top of the lid. To cover the sides of the jar, measure the height of the jar including the craft foam on top of the lid. Next measure the circumference of the jar. Cut a rectangle of craft foam with the height of the jar and the length of the circumference.

5. Fill the jar with water and float the conversation heart cube inside. Carefully fill the jar as full as you can without it overflowing when you put the top on. Screw down the top tightly.
6. Using permanent double stick tape, affix the craft foam to the jar.
Then decorate the jar using permanent markers and craft foam stickers
or cut out craft foam shapes.
7. To use, shake the Magic Conversation Heart Valentine as you ask it a question such as “Will you be my Valentine?” Turn the Magic Conversation Heart Valentine over to reveal the answer!

You can view the directions, complete with step-by-step pictures, as they appeared in Family Fun Magazine on Disney’s Spoonful.com here: http://spoonful.com/crafts/oracle-of-love

It’s that time of year again! When you ask – Will you be my Valentine?

If you can’t get up the courage to ask in person – ask the Magic Conversation Heart Valentine!

I came up with this idea and sold it to Family Fun Magazine in 2008. It appeared in the February 2010 issue. They called it the Oracle of Love and modified the directions to cover the jar with air drying clay, which makes the fortune teller look really awesome! I had considered the same idea, but had decided it would be too expensive. My original directions covered the jar with craft foam. The directions are below.

Magic Conversation Heart Valentine – A Valentine Craft

You will need:

1 small glass jar (Such as a baby food jar – one with a fairly flat
bottom works best.)
1 1-inch Styrofoam ball
sheets of  craft foam in assorted colors
permanent marker
low temperature hot glue (or other waterproof glue)
permanent double stick tape
craft foam stickers (optional)

Directions:

1. Using the heel of your hand against a hard surface such as a table, gently press the Styrofoam ball into a cube.
2. Using assorted colors of craft foam, cut out six hearts the size of a face of your Styrofoam cube, approximately ¾ inch. On each heart, use a permanent marker to write a possible answer to a yes or no question, such as “yes,” “no,” “maybe,” “for sure,” “you bet,” or “no
way.”
3. Have an adult use the low temperature hot glue to affix the hearts
to each side of the cube. To do this, put a small dot of hot glue on
the blank side of a heart, and then carefully press the cube down on
top of it.  (Tips for using a low temperature hot glue gun: Keep a
small bowl of water nearby for cooling hot glue quickly when an
accident occurs.)
4. Measure the craft foam to cover the jar. Trace around the lid and cut out a piece to cover the top of the lid. To cover the sides of the jar, measure the height of the jar including the craft foam on top of the lid. Next measure the circumference of the jar. Cut a rectangle of craft foam with the height of the jar and the length of the circumference.

5. Fill the jar with water and float the conversation heart cube inside. Carefully fill the jar as full as you can without it overflowing when you put the top on. Screw down the top tightly.
6. Using permanent double stick tape, affix the craft foam to the jar.
Then decorate the jar using permanent markers and craft foam stickers
or cut out craft foam shapes.
7. To use, shake the Magic Conversation Heart Valentine as you ask it a question such as “Will you be my Valentine?” Turn the Magic Conversation Heart Valentine over to reveal the answer!

You can view the directions, complete with step-by-step pictures, as they appeared in Family Fun Magazine on Disney’s Spoonful.com here: http://spoonful.com/crafts/oracle-of-love

Gold nugget

Pyrite

Sign up for my newsletter and be the first to hear when Miri Attwater and All that Glitters is available. There will also be newsletter exclusive special promotions!

Gold nugget

Pyrite

Sign up for my newsletter and be the first to hear when Miri Attwater and All that Glitters is available. There will also be newsletter exclusive special promotions!

Our Christmas table.

One of my pet peeves is the articles in magazines that to advise you to let go of the stress of the holidays don’t do anything to make your dinner special. Just use paper plates and eat frozen pizza!

Really? I mean, I know all about stress at the holidays. Just ask my hubby, I can definitely set out to tackle too much.

But you can make some concessions without out going as far as paper plates and plastic forks that break. The secret? Everything possible goes in the dishwasher!

My grandmother has a saying, “As soon as I get something, I put it in the dishwasher before I get attached to it.” She paints china herself, and made a point when she gave me my first piece to tell me to put it in the dishwasher or I’d never use it. It was a butter dish that’s been washed about once a week for almost 20 years and it’s still lovely.

A few votive candles with left over Christmas decorations make an easy centerpiece. A light cable wound through the dishes on the buffet adds a festive touch.

Growing up, we ate off my mom’s fine china and silverware every day and it went in the dishwasher. Yes, it got a little bit worn, but we actually *used* it. It didn’t just stay stored away where no one could see it.

I haven’t gotten into the same habit, but when I do pull out the fine china and silver, I don’t wash it by hand. I’ve been washing my china, silver, and nice glasses in the dishwasher for over 20 years now and none of it is the least bit worn. The only time you might want to take care, is if you water etches your glassware. Then you have bigger issues. (I’ve heard that can be helped by using less soap.)

The only things I don’t put in the dishwasher are my fine crystal and biggest pots. You might think I’m kidding, but I’m not. I am so attached to dishwashers that we have two. Yes I know it is terrible for wooden knife handles to go in the dishwasher. But it’s terrible for me to wash them by hand.

My grandmother’s crystal, from 1925

This thanksgiving we had 17 and I ended up using my paternal grandmother’s crystal at the teenager’s table, which made me a bit nervous.

Both these glasses went in the dishwasher!

So for Christmas one of my gifts as Marquis by Waterford goblets to pair with my water glasses that go in the dishwasher. That’s what I used Christmas dinner. We’re teetotalers, but I like to serve sparkling grade and apple juice for a festive treat.

Is it possible my glasses will chip in the dishwasher? Yeah, it’s possible. But it also might happen when I take them out of the china cabinet once every three years to dust them. And that’s not as much fun.

How do you dress up your holiday table? Or do you go for the ease of paper on the special day? On Christmas Eve, we use paper bowls for our traditional seafood chowder. On Christmas Eve I always still have presents left to wrap! Paper does have it’s place.

Our Christmas table.

One of my pet peeves is the articles in magazines that to advise you to let go of the stress of the holidays don’t do anything to make your dinner special. Just use paper plates and eat frozen pizza!

Really? I mean, I know all about stress at the holidays. Just ask my hubby, I can definitely set out to tackle too much.

But you can make some concessions without out going as far as paper plates and plastic forks that break. The secret? Everything possible goes in the dishwasher!

My grandmother has a saying, “As soon as I get something, I put it in the dishwasher before I get attached to it.” She paints china herself, and made a point when she gave me my first piece to tell me to put it in the dishwasher or I’d never use it. It was a butter dish that’s been washed about once a week for almost 20 years and it’s still lovely.

A few votive candles with left over Christmas decorations make an easy centerpiece. A light cable wound through the dishes on the buffet adds a festive touch.

Growing up, we ate off my mom’s fine china and silverware every day and it went in the dishwasher. Yes, it got a little bit worn, but we actually *used* it. It didn’t just stay stored away where no one could see it.

I haven’t gotten into the same habit, but when I do pull out the fine china and silver, I don’t wash it by hand. I’ve been washing my china, silver, and nice glasses in the dishwasher for over 20 years now and none of it is the least bit worn. The only time you might want to take care, is if you water etches your glassware. Then you have bigger issues. (I’ve heard that can be helped by using less soap.)

The only things I don’t put in the dishwasher are my fine crystal and biggest pots. You might think I’m kidding, but I’m not. I am so attached to dishwashers that we have two. Yes I know it is terrible for wooden knife handles to go in the dishwasher. But it’s terrible for me to wash them by hand.

My grandmother’s crystal, from 1925

This thanksgiving we had 17 and I ended up using my paternal grandmother’s crystal at the teenager’s table, which made me a bit nervous.

Both these glasses went in the dishwasher!

So for Christmas one of my gifts as Marquis by Waterford goblets to pair with my water glasses that go in the dishwasher. That’s what I used Christmas dinner. We’re teetotalers, but I like to serve sparkling grade and apple juice for a festive treat.

Is it possible my glasses will chip in the dishwasher? Yeah, it’s possible. But it also might happen when I take them out of the china cabinet once every three years to dust them. And that’s not as much fun.

How do you dress up your holiday table? Or do you go for the ease of paper on the special day? On Christmas Eve, we use paper bowls for our traditional seafood chowder. On Christmas Eve I always still have presents left to wrap! Paper does have it’s place.

The roast beast, I mean beef, at our Christmas dinner this year.

Okay, so it’s not really roast beast, but roast beef instead. Like I said, I decided I was tired of having turkey twice in a row every year and wanted to mix it up a bit for Christmas dinners.

The first year I found a recipe from a magazine for something like cherry glazed Cornish game hens and I was serving something like 16 people. And I had a bitty baby who came down with a cold on the 23^rd.  The only reason I was able to pull it off was my fabulous soon-to-be sister-in-law! Since then, I have learned to simplify a bit.

Often I have chosen to do a beef roast. Believe it or not, this can be really easy! I still haven’t perfected it yet, but here’s what I did this year. I was trying to repeat what my mom did to cook the roast at my house last year. She had read an article in Cooks Illustrated, but was having to do it from memory because she forgot to bring the article. Her method turned out to be even easier. This year we consulted both her notes and the original article before I cranked up the oven.

I got an almost 6 lb. rib roast; my local HEB butcher automatically cut the bones loose and retied it.

1. When we came down for stockings took the roast out of the fridge.

2. After breakfast a couple hours later, I seasoned it with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. (You are supposed to do this at least the night before, but I ran out of time.) I inserted the oven meat probe and put it in an unheated oven on convection roast set to 375 for an hour. The temperature started out at 52 degrees.

3. At the end of the hour the internal temperature was 88 degrees. I turned off the oven, didn’t open the door, and left it for 3 hours.

4. We aren’t sure if we used the convection setting last year or not, but last year we then turned the oven back on for 45 minutes. If your roast beef isn’t up to the temperature you want, turn the oven back on. This year, my roast was already at 156 degrees when the three hours was up. I couldn’t believe it! I even took the temperature in a new spot just to be sure.

5. We then took it out of the oven and let it rest while we prepared the rest of the meal.

It was fabulous, but it could have been a bit more tender and I would have preferred a slight touch of pink; it was well done. Next time I’ll try a lower cooking temperature if I use convection. In spite of being well done, it was so delicious that we would all like to try it again soon!

The rest of the meal? It was really easy on Christmas Day! The rest took about 45 minutes because all the dishes could either be started or made completely days earlier.

Everlasting Rolls : Sparkle made them from my mom’s recipe. She shaped them, then we let rise in the refrigerator for 4 days, then left them out on the kitchen counter all morning before baking. They turned out much better than they ever did when I made them!

Scalloped potatoes: I baked them halfway a couple of weeks ago and froze them, then thawed them on the refrigerator overnight. I made sure they weren’t icy before I put them in the oven for another 30 minutes.

Sauteed green beans: made Christmas day, which is why I got distracted and cooked a bit too much.

I forgot to make the cherry salad! But that would have been made the day before.

Oh well, we were still too full for the sweet potato pie and coconut cake with raspberry filling until much later. The coconut cake was made by Sparkle and rescued by me when I noticed the batter didn’t look right. She forgot to put in the eggs! I’m glad to know that Sparkle still needs her mom sometimes; she’s only 12!

The roast beast, I mean beef, at our Christmas dinner this year.

Okay, so it’s not really roast beast, but roast beef instead. Like I said, I decided I was tired of having turkey twice in a row every year and wanted to mix it up a bit for Christmas dinners.

The first year I found a recipe from a magazine for something like cherry glazed Cornish game hens and I was serving something like 16 people. And I had a bitty baby who came down with a cold on the 23^rd.  The only reason I was able to pull it off was my fabulous soon-to-be sister-in-law! Since then, I have learned to simplify a bit.

Often I have chosen to do a beef roast. Believe it or not, this can be really easy! I still haven’t perfected it yet, but here’s what I did this year. I was trying to repeat what my mom did to cook the roast at my house last year. She had read an article in Cooks Illustrated, but was having to do it from memory because she forgot to bring the article. Her method turned out to be even easier. This year we consulted both her notes and the original article before I cranked up the oven.

I got an almost 6 lb. rib roast; my local HEB butcher automatically cut the bones loose and retied it.

1. When we came down for stockings took the roast out of the fridge.

2. After breakfast a couple hours later, I seasoned it with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. (You are supposed to do this at least the night before, but I ran out of time.) I inserted the oven meat probe and put it in an unheated oven on convection roast set to 375 for an hour. The temperature started out at 52 degrees.

3. At the end of the hour the internal temperature was 88 degrees. I turned off the oven, didn’t open the door, and left it for 3 hours.

4. We aren’t sure if we used the convection setting last year or not, but last year we then turned the oven back on for 45 minutes. If your roast beef isn’t up to the temperature you want, turn the oven back on. This year, my roast was already at 156 degrees when the three hours was up. I couldn’t believe it! I even took the temperature in a new spot just to be sure.

5. We then took it out of the oven and let it rest while we prepared the rest of the meal.

It was fabulous, but it could have been a bit more tender and I would have preferred a slight touch of pink; it was well done. Next time I’ll try a lower cooking temperature if I use convection. In spite of being well done, it was so delicious that we would all like to try it again soon!

The rest of the meal? It was really easy on Christmas Day! The rest took about 45 minutes because all the dishes could either be started or made completely days earlier.

Everlasting Rolls : Sparkle made them from my mom’s recipe. She shaped them, then we let rise in the refrigerator for 4 days, then left them out on the kitchen counter all morning before baking. They turned out much better than they ever did when I made them!

Scalloped potatoes: I baked them halfway a couple of weeks ago and froze them, then thawed them on the refrigerator overnight. I made sure they weren’t icy before I put them in the oven for another 30 minutes.

Sauteed green beans: made Christmas day, which is why I got distracted and cooked a bit too much.

I forgot to make the cherry salad! But that would have been made the day before.

Oh well, we were still too full for the sweet potato pie and coconut cake with raspberry filling until much later. The coconut cake was made by Sparkle and rescued by me when I noticed the batter didn’t look right. She forgot to put in the eggs! I’m glad to know that Sparkle still needs her mom sometimes; she’s only 12!

Our Christmas table. Sparkling fruit juice always adds a pretty touch.

So I know you’re asking, what does your Christmas dinner have to do with books, writing, and getting kids to read?

Or maybe you aren’t.

For my own peace of mind, I’m going to justify it anyway. (There needs to be some sort of structure to this blog, doesn’t there?)

The first time Miri met the Queen in Miri Attwater and the Ocean’s Secret it was at a fancy, schmancy dinner. Sadly, the Queen wasn’t wearing a tiara. (Don’t worry! A crown is coming in Book 2 – All that Glitters.) But there was plenty of sparkling china, crystal, and silver that Miri had to worry about not knocking off the table!

What are the rules for dining with the Queen? Don’t worry, if your manners aren’t royal perfect, Queen Elizabeth II of England doesn’t order “Of with her head!” like the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland. At least not very often.

President George W. Bush and Queen Elizabeth II at a state dinner

According to the British Royal Family’s official website, there aren’t any special rules for meeting or dining with Queen Elizabeth II. You wouldn’t know it from reading the stories in the British press, though. They love to print stories about mistakes made by various leaders, including our Presidents and First Ladies! Can you imagine how hard it is to have a crowd of reporters just watching for you to make a mistake?

So what do you do if you get invited to dinner with the Queen? Don’t panic! here are a few pointers to help keep you out of the headlines.

1. Don’t arrive after the Queen.

2. Remain standing behind your chair until the Queen takes her seat.

3. Don’t eat until the Queen starts eating.

4. When the Queen is finished, the meal is over. (Even if you haven’t managed to scrape the last bit of the delicious shrimp newberg off your plate.)

Tables in the State Dining Room in the White House

But, alas, let’s face it. If you live in the States you are much
more likely to be invited to dinner with the President. No crowns, but the tables are still pretty. And you’ll still be faced with all that silverware! So how do you not end up having to eat your fruit sorbet with a fork like Miri did?

Come back next week and learn all the secrets to make it through a formal dinner. Better yet, sign up by email or put the blog in your feed reader so you won’t miss it!

(Because I’d hate for you to be embarrassed when you’re invited to the White House. You might not get a second chance!)

Our Christmas table. Sparkling fruit juice always adds a pretty touch.

So I know you’re asking, what does your Christmas dinner have to do with books, writing, and getting kids to read?

Or maybe you aren’t.

For my own peace of mind, I’m going to justify it anyway. (There needs to be some sort of structure to this blog, doesn’t there?)

The first time Miri met the Queen in Miri Attwater and the Ocean’s Secret it was at a fancy, schmancy dinner. Sadly, the Queen wasn’t wearing a tiara. (Don’t worry! A crown is coming in Book 2 – All that Glitters.) But there was plenty of sparkling china, crystal, and silver that Miri had to worry about not knocking off the table!

What are the rules for dining with the Queen? Don’t worry, if your manners aren’t royal perfect, Queen Elizabeth II of England doesn’t order “Of with her head!” like the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland. At least not very often.

President George W. Bush and Queen Elizabeth II at a state dinner

According to the British Royal Family’s official website, there aren’t any special rules for meeting or dining with Queen Elizabeth II. You wouldn’t know it from reading the stories in the British press, though. They love to print stories about mistakes made by various leaders, including our Presidents and First Ladies! Can you imagine how hard it is to have a crowd of reporters just watching for you to make a mistake?

So what do you do if you get invited to dinner with the Queen? Don’t panic! here are a few pointers to help keep you out of the headlines.

1. Don’t arrive after the Queen.

2. Remain standing behind your chair until the Queen takes her seat.

3. Don’t eat until the Queen starts eating.

4. When the Queen is finished, the meal is over. (Even if you haven’t managed to scrape the last bit of the delicious shrimp newberg off your plate.)

Tables in the State Dining Room in the White House

But, alas, let’s face it. If you live in the States you are much
more likely to be invited to dinner with the President. No crowns, but the tables are still pretty. And you’ll still be faced with all that silverware! So how do you not end up having to eat your fruit sorbet with a fork like Miri did?

Come back next week and learn all the secrets to make it through a formal dinner. Better yet, sign up by email or put the blog in your feed reader so you won’t miss it!

(Because I’d hate for you to be embarrassed when you’re invited to the White House. You might not get a second chance!)

The roast beast at our Christmas dinner this year. Oops! My china is a bit uncoordinated.

Growing up, we always had turkey and dressing for Christmas dinner. Turkey for Thanksgiving, turkey for Christmas.

Not only that, it was always the exact same menu: turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes with pineapple, ambrosia, cherry coke salad, peas and asparagus casserole. For dessert we had pecan pie and pumpkin pie with perhaps a another dessert added like chocolate pie. Yes, we were heavy on the pies! Is there another dessert? Oh wait, at Christmas we had Christmas cookies if there were any left by the time the 25^th rolled around. (There were six kids.)

It was all foods I absolutely loved, or grew to love. I certain I didn’t love the asparagus when I was five. I do know I started eating it just for the buttered toast drenched in cream of mushroom soup that was on top!

It was the only time of year we had most of those dishes, but a bit repetitive. So when I finally got the chance to host my own Christmas, I decided I wanted to do something different for dinner. I’ve changed the menu every year since, but a beef roast is often featured.

This year I noticed that I’m not the only one doing different Christmas dinners! My brother also did a beef roast, my sister had shrimp newberg, and my aunt had a pork roast. Just when did the traditions start changing? How long had there been a tradition of turkey anyway?

My grandmother grew up on a West Texas sheep rank in the early 1900s where they used to have to run from Pancho Villa periodically. She said they always had turkey for both holidays. They would order the turkeys from Sears and Robuck and raise them in a pen all year in anticipation! It was a treat, even when they had it twice in a row, because it was such a change from cabrito (goat). Her own holiday dinners were also both turkey, as were my mom’s. So I wondered, why does the tradition change now? Why not one or two generations ago? My granmom’s theory is that there are just so many different recipe available now. When she started cooking she only had one cookbook. If it wasn’t in there and she didn’t already know how to make it, it didn’t get cooked.

What about you? What did you have for Christmas dinner? Is it different from what you had growing up?

The roast beast at our Christmas dinner this year. Oops! My china is a bit uncoordinated.

Growing up, we always had turkey and dressing for Christmas dinner. Turkey for Thanksgiving, turkey for Christmas.

Not only that, it was always the exact same menu: turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes with pineapple, ambrosia, cherry coke salad, peas and asparagus casserole. For dessert we had pecan pie and pumpkin pie with perhaps a another dessert added like chocolate pie. Yes, we were heavy on the pies! Is there another dessert? Oh wait, at Christmas we had Christmas cookies if there were any left by the time the 25^th rolled around. (There were six kids.)

It was all foods I absolutely loved, or grew to love. I certain I didn’t love the asparagus when I was five. I do know I started eating it just for the buttered toast drenched in cream of mushroom soup that was on top!

It was the only time of year we had most of those dishes, but a bit repetitive. So when I finally got the chance to host my own Christmas, I decided I wanted to do something different for dinner. I’ve changed the menu every year since, but a beef roast is often featured.

This year I noticed that I’m not the only one doing different Christmas dinners! My brother also did a beef roast, my sister had shrimp newberg, and my aunt had a pork roast. Just when did the traditions start changing? How long had there been a tradition of turkey anyway?

My grandmother grew up on a West Texas sheep rank in the early 1900s where they used to have to run from Pancho Villa periodically. She said they always had turkey for both holidays. They would order the turkeys from Sears and Robuck and raise them in a pen all year in anticipation! It was a treat, even when they had it twice in a row, because it was such a change from cabrito (goat). Her own holiday dinners were also both turkey, as were my mom’s. So I wondered, why does the tradition change now? Why not one or two generations ago? My granmom’s theory is that there are just so many different recipe available now. When she started cooking she only had one cookbook. If it wasn’t in there and she didn’t already know how to make it, it didn’t get cooked.

What about you? What did you have for Christmas dinner? Is it different from what you had growing up?

Miri Attwater and the Ocean’s Secret is now on sale in the Kobo Store!

Miri Attwater and the Ocean’s Secret is now on sale in the Kobo Store!