entertaining

Do You Make a Pretty Plate?

by Jessica on August 16, 2011

The following post is from Jessica of GoodCheapEats and LifeasMOM:

source: Jessica Fisher

My husband jokes with me about what have come to be known as “beige” meals. You know the ones: grilled chicken, brown rice, and steamed cauliflower. While it’s a balanced meal, all things considered, it also lacks color. And for some reason, that makes a difference.

On the other end, we laugh about the gratuitous garnish: the bit of kale, sprig of parsley, or slice of orange that a restaurant adds to the plate as a decorating accent. Though, I have been known to chew on a bit of parsley as a breath freshener after a particularly spicy or garlicky meal, these garnish serve no purpose other than to add color to the plate.

Appeal to all the senses.

While I am certainly no great food stylist or food photographer or gourmet cook, it does matter to me what the plate looks like when I dish things up. I like to serve a pretty plate. In fact, I think if all our senses are being positively stimulated at dinner, we will enjoy it more.

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Eat Well, Spend Less: Hospitality on a Budget

by Mandi on July 22, 2011

eat well spend less

This month’s Eat Well, Spend Less topic is summer entertaining! I shared my ideas for throwing a party on a budget earlier this week, and everybody in the group is sharing their best entertaining tips as well.

Hospitality is not necessarily one of my gifts, but I want to want to, and I love the ideas that everyone is sharing, not just for their cost savings, but for their simplicity as well!

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Eat Well, Spend Less: Throwing a Party on a Budget

July 19, 2011

This month’s Eat Well, Spend Less theme is entertaining on a budget! Some people are born entertainers, but it takes a little more effort for others of us! My mom loves to throw a good party, and she’s really good at thinking of all the little details and special touches. I, on the other hand, [...]

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How Do You Serve Dinner?

July 18, 2011

The following post is from Jessica of GoodCheapEats and LifeasMOM: It wasn’t until I read Laura’s post a few weeks ago that I stopped to think about the different ways one could serve dinner. Certainly, we spend a lot of time talking about food shopping and preparation, but really the most important part of the [...]

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9 Ideas for Using Mason or Repurposed Jars When You Entertain

June 6, 2011

I’ve been a bit obsessed with entertaining ideas lately — as my “For a Party” Pinterest board shows — as I plan for a backyard get-together with some of our friends next weekend. I especially love ideas that incorporate repurposed jars or mason jars, and there really are so many creative ways to use them [...]

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