Tag: #menuplanning

Halo (Hello)

On By Leslie Byars RegisterIn Ask Leslie, Buy the Book, salads, sides, The Parties, The Recipes2 Comments

It’s me, again.

It’s amazing what can happen when you have college-age children back in the house for a few weeks. $allie Sallie, after a greedy negotiation, offered to “help” me out with a few computer issues on Dear Party Diary. Many of you have asked if I could make the recipes “printable.” Well, yes, I can (thanks to the help of Family Savvy blogger Jamie Tarence and her helpful tips), but only one recipe per post, it seems—so $allie has gone back through all of the past posts for me. I selected the most requested recipe from each post, and she has added that feature. So print away! 

Dear Party Diary is set up for a continuous feed of past posts (for those binge readers), so to get the correct recipe to print, you must go to it directly from the menu or recipe tab options, even from the most recent post. See examples below:

This is what the menu toolbar looks like on your phone.
The menu/recipe tab looks like this from a laptop or computer.

I’m truly amazed at how many food bloggers and Instagram food sites are out there. Being a staff of one, I will never be able to keep up with the Martha Stewarts of the world, so I wanted to think of a way to add a special touch to Dear Party Diary that could set my site apart from the masses.

My whole career in the publishing world was based on my love for art. I feel like I’m home again.

“There’s nothing prettier than food and art, so why not combine the two.”

I’m like a kid in a candy store when I go into an art supply store.

I’m really excited about pulling out my art supplies and getting back into what got me here today. I may add a sketch or two to each post—or whatever I find time to do and feel like works. It was one of my New Year’s resolutions.

I have not touched my pastels since my early 30s. It’s fun to relearn what I love so much.
“I can eat like 4 of these in 5 minutes. I was eating them faster than I could draw them!”
Everyone needs a hobby to entertain themselves during the winter cold snaps. I love playing around with color, shadows, and textures.

Now for what you really want—let’s get cooking!

More than likely your grocery store has a display set up in the middle of the produce section with the popular Halo fruit. These easy to peel mandarin oranges are a delicacy—so don’t miss the season for these. They are delicious in a salad and a wonderful snack. 

These sweet, seedless jewels have only 40 calories each!
This salad is especially good during a Romaine scare, which seems to be happening a lot lately. Look for the prewashed baby spinach to speed up the process.

Spinach-Halo Salad with Chickpea Croutons

Serves 4 to 6

8 slices bacon

½ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons honey mustard

1 tablespoon ketchup

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (10-ounce) package fresh baby spinach

4 Halo mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned

½ red onion, thinly sliced

Chickpea Croutons (or your favorite crouton)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cook and crumble bacon, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. 

In a small saucepan, combine drippings, oil, and next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep dressing warm while preparing the salad. (The dressing can be made up to two days in advance and warmed before serving.) 

In a large bowl combine spinach, oranges, crumbled bacon, and onion. Toss with warm dressing, and top with croutons. Serve immediately.

Chickpea Croutons: Rinse and drain 1 (16-ounce) can chickpeas, patting off excess water, and place in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, tossing to coat thoroughly. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and crispy, jiggling the pan occasionally. 

These will soften after they sit awhile, but can easily be done in advance and recrisped right before serving.

Yields 4 to 6 Servings

Spinach-Halo Salad with Chickpea Croutons
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Ingredients

  • 8 slices bacon
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey mustard
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 (10-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
  • 4 Halo mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned
  • ½ red onion, thinly sliced
  • Chickpea Croutons (or your favorite crouton)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cook and crumble bacon, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings.
  3. In a small saucepan, combine drippings, oil, and next 4 ingredients.
  4. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep dressing warm while preparing the salad. (The dressing can be made up to two days in advance and warmed before serving.)
  6. In a large bowl combine spinach, oranges, crumbled bacon, and onion. Toss with warm dressing, and top with croutons. Serve immediately.
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https://dearpartydiary.com/halo-hello/

Peeling Halos is much easier than sectioning oranges, perfect for a crowd. This company-worthy salad could be served with a simple piece of grilled fish or chicken for a nice, healthy start to your work week.

Fabulous Find for Foodies

One last thing I want to share is one of my favorite gifts I received for my birthday (December 26). My sister Beth found the most unique menu book by Jacques Pépin. Each spread in the book has a page for you to write in your menu and a page for your guests to make comments and sign. It’s a nice way to remember an evening, and a successful menu idea. Great find, Beth!

Each colorful menu design was hand painted by the chef himself.
They can easily be photocopied and used as actual menus on your table too.
This charming book for your meal memories is available at Amazon. $13.51, amazon.com


Quote for the Day

I’ve been on a diet for two weeks and all I’ve lost is two weeks.

TOTIE FIELDS

I hope you enjoy the new look and the printable recipes. Next post will be a Valentine’s dessert you won’t want to miss! So back to the drawing board…maybe I’ll pull out my watercolors next. The party never ends. Leslie xoxox

I still have a few books left in the basement. If you need a gift or two go to Buy the Book on this post, or to my website at lesliespartydiaries.com

Timing Is Everything

On By Leslie Byars RegisterIn appetizers, sides, The Parties3 Comments

Have you ever felt like you are attached to your oven with a ball and chain during a party? With that in mind, menu planning can be more important than you think. Below is an actual schedule that my friend Cindy had on her counter during her last dinner party. I asked her if I could keep it. I have very few friends who could pull this evening off, Cindy being one of them. She did it beautifully. This is easily doable if your menu is carefully planned from the start.

Cindy’s timing cheat sheet from her dinner party. Can you imagine keeping up with this and talking to your guests?

When hosting a dinner party, use all your cooking resources. Spread out the cooking—to the grill, stovetop, and oven or ovens. Make something ahead such as a salad. Have it ready to go in the serving bowl you plan to use in the refrigerator. You will be thanking yourself when the entire party is standing in the kitchen in your “cooking triangle”—which is now referred to as The Devil’s Triangle.

On one of those nights where the menu is complicated, I try to do a simple appetizer. One of my favorite Emergency Appetizers is as easy as putting out a bowl of pistachios. Not only will they hold your guests over until dinnertime, they are now entertaining themselves. How about that? I put out two attractive matching bowls and that’s it. Jon usually gives them a test run, like leaving a used toothpick in a bowl to show guests what to do.

Appetizer, check!

Be on the lookout for a pair of matching bowls.

Garden shops are a great source for serving pieces. These bowls are from Oak Street Garden Shop at oakstreetgardenshop.com.

The Star of the Show

This is the first time I can remember in a long time not being with my sister, Beth, on Thanksgiving. I’m going to miss her and our dressing bake-off.

First of all I have to say this is not an exact science—well, for me that is. It is kind of feel and taste as you go. But it has never seemed to disappoint anyone at the Thanksgiving table.

Mama Lil’s Thanksgiving Dressing

Makes 3 quarts

1 cup butter

1 ½ cups celery, finely chopped

¾ cup onion, finely chopped

2 (9-inch) pans of cornbread, crumbled (Leslie’s Tried-and-True Cornbread), see page 179, Leslie’s Party Diaries

3 to 4 biscuits, crumbled

1 to 2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon ground sage

1 teaspoon pepper

Poultry seasoning to taste

A pinch of thyme and marjoram (optional)

2 eggs, beaten

3 to 4 cups warm chicken broth

Melt butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté celery and onion until translucent, for about 5 to 7 minutes.

Making dressing is therapeutic to me. I love the aroma of celery and onions cooking in butter.

Add cornbread and biscuit crumbs and next 5 ingredients. (This is the point where I like to taste the mixture for flavor, before the eggs and broth are added.)

Stir in eggs. Gradually add chicken broth, 1 cup at a time. You may not need it all, so go slowly. And, on the other hand, you may need more. So be prepared. (When the mixture is in the baking dish it should easily jiggle, but not slosh.) Pour into a buttered 3-quart baking dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and thoroughly heated.

Recipe Image

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 ½ cups celery, finely chopped
  • ¾ cup onion, finely chopped
  • 2 (9-inch) pans of cornbread, crumbled (Leslie’s Tried-and-True Cornbread), see page 179, Leslie’s Party Diaries
  • 3 to 4 biscuits, crumbled
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground sage
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Poultry seasoning to taste
  • A pinch of thyme and marjoram (optional)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 3 to 4 cups warm chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté celery and onion until translucent, for about 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Add cornbread and biscuit crumbs and next 5 ingredients. (This is the point where I like to taste the mixture for flavor, before the eggs and broth are added.)
  3. Stir in eggs. Gradually add chicken broth, 1 cup at a time. You may not need it all, so go slowly. And, on the other hand, you may need more. So be prepared. (When the mixture is in the baking dish it should easily jiggle, but not slosh.) Pour into a buttered 3-quart baking dish.
  4. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and thoroughly heated.
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https://dearpartydiary.com/timing-is-everything-especially-on-thanksgiving-day/

Leave it to my mother to have a china pattern called “Mayflower”. We eat on it every year.

Coming up in the next few posts, easy-to-eat holiday appetizers, food gifts with packaging, and some very interesting cocktails. You don’t want to miss. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and most of all, safe travels.

I would love to hear from you. Don’t be shy about making comments or asking questions. I love getting mail! Leslie