Welcome to my third entry post for Project Food Blog on Foodbuzz.com. The theme of the challenge for this round is “Luxury Dinner Party”. The good folks at Foodbuzz.com prompted thusly: “Celebrate! You’ve made it this far, and the next challenge is to hold a party for your friends and family (at least four guests). Whether you’re an experienced host or an entertaining newbie, get creative and host a luxurious dinner party. Share your hosting secrets with readers. ” I ran into a bit of a snag but the show had to go on! How did I do? I’ll let you judge…
“…[Weed] out what you yourself like best to do, so that you can live most agreeably in a world full of an increasing number of disagreeable surprises.”
~MFK Fisher
While planning our fabulous dinner party we all got the flu.
There was no reason at all to let a disagreeable surprise like the flu stand in the way of living as agreeably as possible. Clearly our previous plans were waylaid*, but the family gamely agreed to carry on when I solemnly pledged not to include any pictures of snuffly noses or red-rimmed eyes in the post. Luxury is a state of mind, after all, and we were of a mind for some luxury.
*Would you attend a dinner party thrown by a cook who looked and sounded as though you might find her lung in your soup? Exactly.
We respected the rules of the competition. And so invitations went forth…
The children all R.S.V.P.’d.
Then we hiked up our softest jammy pants, adjusted our fuzziest socks, combed our hair and generally made ourselves presentable (to keep ourselves in the spirit of the thing) for a Flu Fighting Feast of the First Degree.
Our first course was, naturally, a soup course. We indulged in a velvety chicken soup with light-as-air dumplings made from my grandmother’s “Never-Fail Dumplings” recipe. Everyone knows that nothing cures the flu faster than homemade chicken soup and Grandma’s dumplings. I do believe lungs started clearing.
Our second course was our hot drinks course. We harnessed the season and pampered ourselves with steaming sweet apple cider dressed with a spoonful of dulce de leche and a hearty dollop of whipped cream. The warmth of the drinks soothed our throats and quieted the chills. While whipped cream isn’t traditionally recommended as a flu curative, it certainly helped mend our spirits if not our respiration.
There were also spicy, hot Chai Lattes for the tea lovers among us. Topped with a cap of frothed milk and a cinnamon stick they warmed parents and children alike. Believe me, that felt like a million bucks.
We retired to the den for the dessert course; Vanilla Scottish Shortbread…
Lots of cuddles, and an ibuprofen.
And a luxuriously good time was had by all.
~~~~~~~~~
If you find yourself hosting a Flu Fighting Feast, take advantage of these simple tips to make your evening sparkle:
- Put cushy pillows on the seats.
- Have a blanket draped over the back of each person’s chair so they can wrap up when overtaken with the chills.
- Make sure to put out place markers with names clearly written in case you forget who you are because of fever.
- Above all, remember to ditch the whole plan and snuggle on the couch while watching a movie if you find it’s just too much to remain upright.
For a printer-friendly, photo-free version of these recipes, click here!
Chai Lattes
Recipe adapted from the Stash Tea Company
Ingredients:
- 10 standard-sized Chai teabags (I prefer the Stash brand.)
- 7 cups cool fresh water
- 1 cup whole milk plus additional milk for frothing
- 1/4-1/2 cup sugar, depending on how sweet you like your chai
- Optional: whole cinnamon sticks for a flavorful garnish
Combine water, milk and sugar in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the teabags to the liquid and bring to a boil, partially covered. Remove cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Pour chai into a tea pot (or into a Mason jar with a lid for storage in the refrigerator.)
To froth milk, use a handheld frother or pour at least 1/4 cup of milk into a blender and process until fluffy. Put milk in a microwave safe container,uncovered, and heat for between 30 seconds and 1 minute, depending on the strength of your microwave. Watch closely, because the milk expands and wants to boil over.
To serve, fill a mug 2/3 full with the hot chai. Spoon the frothed milk over the tea until you reach the rim of the mug. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. Use the cinnamon stick to swirl the hot milk and chai together.
Hot Caramel Apple Cider
Ingredients per serving:
- 6 ounces (3/4 of a cup) fresh apple cider
- 1 Tablespoon dulce de leche or caramel sauce
- Heavy whipped cream, to taste
Heat apple cider in a saucepan or in the microwave just until steaming. Stir in a generous tablespoon of dulce de leche or caramel sauce until it is completely melted. Top the cider with whipped cream just before serving.
This is my third entry in Project Food Blog over at Foodbuzz.com.Did you like this recipe and the post? I’d appreciate your vote of support! You can cast it for me here! Or you can simply click on the orange “Vote for Me” tab on the “Official Food Blog Contestant” badge up in the left sidebar. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for getting me this far and for your continued support!
Pssst… Are you still with me? I have a favor to ask. The next challenge, if I make it there, requires a photo tutorial. So I’d like, if I may, to get your opinion. Would you like a photo tutorial on Scottish Shortbread? Homemade Chicken Soup and Dumplings? How to open the new-fangled ibuprofen bottles? Something else entirely? Do let me know!
