There are many decisions that need
to me made when you plan to entertain.
I’ve broken it down into four main categories below. The importance of each category depends on
the entertaining you plan to do. How formal
or informal with the event be? It may
be helpful to sit down paper and pencil and make lists. What is the special
occasion?
The guests should come first. How any will be
invited? How formal will the event
be? Will phone calls be enough got
invitations or would written and mailed invitations be better. If you need a count online invitations are
more common. If there are many guests,
make a list.
The food should fix the occasion. Plan the menu, including beverages. I like to have a variety of choices, since
everyone’s tastes are different. What
parts of the meal are you planning to serve?
With there be appetizers and cocktails before? Will it be an informal meal with salad, the
meal, and dessert? Are you planning a
formal meal with many courses?
Plan enough servings for the guests. I usually plan for a few more servings. Look over the guest list for special dietary
needs. Is anyone diabetic, have
allergies, vegetarian or needs gluten free.
You may want to take these into consideration or offer options that fix
these needs.
Is there a theme, holiday or type of cuisine
that you will be serving? What dishes or
options fit this theme? Make a list of
ideas and dishes. What is in
season? Plan your shopping list. It is also a good idea to plan your timetable
at this point. What can be made ahead? What needs to be made closer to serving time?
The decorations are
important, even if you are planning a very informal even. The decorations don’t need to be elaborate,
but some thought should be given. They
are the finishing touch and tell your guest that you want this to be special
for them. Start with the table
setting. Which dishes and serving dishes
will you use? What will be the
centerpiece? Do you want fresh flowers or candles?
House cleaning is in this
category. It may be helpful to make a
list of the jobs that need to be done.
This should be started early in your preparations.
Extras are the special touch. I recently heard a quote from Maya Angelou,
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what
you did, but people will never forget how you made the feel.” Extras do this. It can be the music for the evening. It can be a small parting gift. It can be a memento of the evening, like a
printed menu. It can be home baked goods
wrapped and presented as a gift to take home.
It tells people you were thinking of them, and you want this evening to
be memorable and special. I prefer to
make this homemade. I have given a
little jar of homemade jelly or jams.
This Week’s Challenge –
Entertain is a different way
Think of a new way to entertain and
make plans for it. Use the checklist
below. You can decide to put your plans
into action or just use the as a planning exercise. An example could be a seven
course French meal for six.
Tip for This Week – Entertaining
Checklist
Planning
Theme
Date and time
Guests
List
Invitations
RSVP
Food
Menu
Shopping lists
Preparation timetable
Decorations
Theme/Colors
Flowers
Table setting
Cleaning timetable
Extras
Music
Gifts
Mementos
Entertainment – Games,
cards, movies, etc.
This Week in Punkin’s
Kitchen
Grandma’s Fried Chicken
3 Whole chickens, cut into pieces
Salt water, ice cold
3-4 C Grease*
3 C Flour
1 t Paprika
1 t Salt
½ t Pepper
 |
| The Ingredients |
1. Cut
up the chickens and soak in salt water for a couple of hours in the
refrigerator. (review posting for March
12, 2016)
 |
| I usually take a little hot water and add the salt. You need a lot to brine the chicken. Dissolve the salt and let it cool |
 |
| Add the chicken to the salt water and cover with more water. |
 |
| Add some ice cubes and refrigerate several hours or overnight. |
2. When
you are ready to fry the chicken, heat the grease in a heavy cast iron
skillet. Do not put too much in the pan,
about half full.
 |
| This is canola oil and the chicken fat I had saved from stewed chickens |
3. Place
the flour and seasoning in a Ziploc bag.
 |
| Place the flour in a large Ziploc baggie or paper bag. |
 |
| Add the seasonings. Close the bag and shake to I the seasonings and flour |
4. When
the grease is hot, but not smoking, take the chicken out of the
refrigerator.
 |
| Remove one piece of chicken at a time. Place in the baggie and shake to coat the chicken. |
 |
| Dredge the chicken in the flour and add to the hot grease. The ice cold chicken and the very hot grease is makes this work. |
5. Begin
with the meaty pieces, breasts, thighs and drumsticks. Remove the piece from the cold salt water
and dredge in seasoned flour.
6. Drop
into the hot grease.
 |
| Allow the grease to heat up between adding the piece of chicken. Cook about 20 minutes on each side. When the skillet is full, return the rest of the chicken to the refrigerator. |
7. Fill
the skillet and allow to cook on one side until golden brown.
8. Turn
and cook on the other side until golden brown.
 |
| Once the chicken is turn to cook on the other side, cook about 10-15 minutes. Watch it closely so that each piece is evenly golden brown. |
9. Drain
on paper towels in a metal pan. Be sure
to use only heat proof pans.
 |
| The chicken is good warm or cooled. This is good for picnics or outside dinning. |
10. Keep
the chicken in the cold salt water in the refrigerator until ready to add to
the hot grease.
Note: The grease is cooking fat. I use a combination of cooking oil and
chicken fat. I sometimes add bacon
drippings if I have them. In the olden
days, they used Crisco and bacon drippings. Any oil that can stand up against high heat, like vegetable, corn, canola oil are good. I would steer away from olive, grape seed, and peanut oils. I haven't tried coconut fat.
 |
Grandma's Fried Chicken
I'm not sure if this recipe is my grandma's or grandma's grandma's. I suspect it is my great grandmother's recipe. It has been in the family a very long time.
Ingredients
- 3 Chickens, cut into pieces
- to cover chickens ice cold salt water
- 3-4 C frying grease
- 2-3 C Flour
- 1 t Paprika
- 1/2 t Pepper
- 1 t Salt
Instructions
1. Cut up the chickens and soak in salt water for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. (review posting for March 12, 2016)2. When you are ready to fry the chicken, heat the grease in a heavy cast iron skillet. Do not put too much in the pan, about half full. 3. Place the flour and seasoning in a Ziploc bag.4. When the grease is hot, but not smoking, take the chicken out of the refrigerator. 5. Begin with the meaty pieces, breasts, thighs and drumsticks. Remove the piece from the cold salt water and dredge in seasoned flour. 6. Drop into the hot grease. 7. Fill the skillet and allow to cook on one side until golden brown. 8. Turn and cook on the other side until golden brown. 9. Drain on paper towels in a metal pan. Be sure to use only heat proof pans.10. Keep the chicken in the cold salt water in the refrigerator until ready to add to the hot grease.Note: The grease is cooking fat. I use a combination of cooking oil and chicken fat. I sometimes add bacon drippings if I have them. In the olden days, they used Crisco and bacon drippings. Any oil that can stand up against high heat, like vegetable, corn, canola oil is good. I would steer away from olive, grape seed, and peanut oils. I haven’t tried coconut fat.
It is crucial to keep the chicken ice cold and the grease very hot. There is something about the cold hitting the hot that makes the chicken so crispy. This is an authentic Southern recipe and has been in my family for about 100 years.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 36 pieces
Apple Crisp
 |
| Apple Crisp served with a little cream |
6 Jonathan
apples, peeled, cored and sliced
½ C Butter,
softened
½ C Flour
¾ C Brown
sugar
1 t Nutmeg
1 t Cinnamon
1½ C Oats
 |
| The ingredients |
1. Spray
a square baking dish or quiche pan with Pam.
2. Place
the prepared apples evenly in the pan.
 |
| I used apples this time, but any fresh fruit will work. I used canned fruit in a pinch. |
3. Mix
the rest of the ingredients thoroughly.
It will be crumbly and not hold together.
 |
| The crisp ingredients. |
 |
| I usually mix this with my hands, rubbing the butter into the other ingredients. |
4. Sprinkle
the topping over the apples and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
 |
| Apples cover by the crisp and ready for the oven. |
 |
| Apple Crisp just out of the oven. Serve warm or cold. |
Experiment with
substituting other fruit for the apples.
I have made this with fresh peaches, fresh berries, canned cherries and
canned whole cranberry sauce. All were
just as good as the apples. For
Christmas throw in a handful of Craisins.
Apple Crisp
This recipe is from friend Dee Dee Trujillo. It is so good and lends well to experimentation. Have fun with this.
Ingredients
- 6 or more Jonathan apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 1/2 C Butter, softened
- 1/2 C Flour
- 3/4 C Brown sugar
- 1 t Nutmeg
- 1 t Cinnamon
- 1 1/2 C Oats
Instructions
1. Spray a square baking dish or quiche pan with Pam. 2. Place the prepared apples evenly in the pan. 3. Mix the rest of the ingredients thoroughly. It will be crumbly and not hold together. 4. Sprinkle the topping over the apples and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.Experiment with substituting other fruit for the apples. I have made this with fresh peaches, fresh berries, canned cherries and canned whole cranberry sauce. All were just as good as the apples. For Christmas throw in a handful of Craisins.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 12 servings
Tuna
Cucumber Potato Salad
1
Can Albacore
packed in water
1
lg. Potato, boiled in the
jacket
1
C Cucumber, thinly sliced
½
- 1 C Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
 |
| The ingredients |
 |
| Prepared potato, cucumber and albucore |
1. Boil
the potato in its jacket, until it is tender.
2. Allow
the potato to cool.
3. Peel
the cucumber and cut it lengthwise.
 |
| Boiled potato with jacket removed and ready to dice. Cucumber peeled and ready to slice. |
4. Scoop
out the seeds and sprinkle with salt.
Allow it to set.
5. Remove
the skin from the potato. Dice the
potato and place in a medium bowl.
6. Open
the albacore and drain the water. Add it
to the potato.
 |
| Potatoes, cucumber and tuna in a bowl. Add the mayo and seasonings. |
 |
| Stir to mix the mayo throughout the salad and refrigerate until time to serve. |
7. Thinly
slice the cucumber and add it to the potato.
8. Add
the mayonnaise to cover. Stir to cover
all the ingredients.
9. Season
with salt and pepper.
10. I
Sometimes add chopped fresh parsley.
 |
| Serve and a lunch salad. I sometimes serve this on a bed of lettuce or greens.
|
Tuna, cucmber, Potato Salad
This is my mother-in-law's recipe. she is fro Japan, but this does not seem like a Japanese recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 can (7 oz.) Albacore packed in water
- one Potato, boiled in the jacket
- 1C or one whole Cucumber
- 1/2 C to 1 C Mayonnaise
- Salt and papper to taste
- 2 T Parsley, freshly chopped
Instructions
1. Boil the potato in the jacket until tender. Allow to cool enough to peel it.2. Peel the cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and lightly salt. Set it aside.3. Open the can of albacore and drain the water off. I usually give the water to the cats for a special treat.4. Peel the jacket from the potato and dice it. Place in in a medium bowl.5. Thinly slice the cucumber and add it to the bowl.6. Add the drained albacore to the bowl.7. Add enough mayonnaise to cover everything. I usually start with 1/2 C and add more as needed.8. Season with salt and pepper. 9. Set the salad in the refrigerator until time to serve, at least 20 minutes.10, Serve on a leaf of lettuce. The parsley can be added just before serving or added the with salt and pepper.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 4 servingsHappy Cooking!
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