Tag: table setting

Passover Seder Table 2012 and Our Beloved Frog Collection

passover seder table

Passover Seder Table 2012 and Our Beloved Frog Collection

My dear sister-in-law Kristy and I gleefully agonize over the color scheme for the Passover Table every year. When our guests arrive just before sundown, they are always surprised and delighted by Kristy’s table.

And of course, by then, I’ve photographed the table from every angle for Taste With The Eyes. In addition to the striking turquoise & yellow color scheme of 2012, some of the color combinations from our past Seders include:

  • Gold & Raspberry
  • Gold & White
  • Eggplant & Sky Blue
  • Lavender & White
  • Tangerine & Hot Pink

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Eco-Friendly Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

Come Celebrate

Spring

Mother Earth

You

Join Us for the Annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon

This year’s event will be entirely eco-friendly.
Come see the many creative ways to reuse trash.

“Because waste is a terrible thing to waste.”

This year for Teacher & Staff Appreciation Day, our wonderful parents chose an eco-friendly theme, transforming the auditorium into a charming recycled oasis. On this day the parents go all-out to express their gratitude for the faculty and staff. While some parents graciously serve the food and set the tables at the luncheon, other parents are in the classrooms with the children so teachers may have an extended lunch period to relax and enjoy the fabulous meal. We are so fortunate to work at an outstanding school with such a dedicated parent population.

Recycled cereal boxes were painted and made into enchanting wall art. Magazine covers were cut into butterflies that flittered above the tables. Cat food cans and light bulbs were refitted with wire and hung as mini vases for flowers. Centerpieces were made out of twigs and recycled beer & wine bottles, decorated with labels made from old calendars. They re-purposed buttons and corks, newspapers, soup cans, and paper bags.

Personalized wishes for teachers from students were hung on a “wish tree.” Lunch was served on natural areca leaf plates. Several moms made homemade cupcakes and apple pies for dessert. After the delightful lunch, we were given seeds to grow our own butterfly garden which came in a darling flower pot with cookies and pencils and the message, “thank you for helping us grow.”

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A Trip to Little Saigon & The NYE Repas du Soir

southeast asian table setting
A Trip to Little Saigon
The New Year’s Eve Repas du Soir
New Year’s Day Fabulous Leftovers Brunch

Best friends, great memories, stellar food – that’s how we celebrate the New Year! The old gang is together again, this time we take A Trip To Little Saigon & cook a NYE Repas du Soir together! My old dear friends, dating back to our restaurant days in the 80’s, are visiting for the holidays.

It was Tori’s idea to spend the day in Little Saigon. Eating lunch, laughing, taking photos, getting massages, and shopping. It was her idea that led to the inspiration to cook French/Vietnamese for dinner. We picked up authentic ingredients for our repas du soir and returned to my home in LA in the late afternoon to drink Champagne and create a six-course meal together.

southeast asian table setting

The dinner table was pre-set in a casually elegant Southeast Asian style with orchids, bamboo, and the color red to symbolize wealth and prosperity. We cranked up the holiday music and started cooking; everyone participated in the creation, photography, prep, and execution of the menu. We had a blast!

I had no intention of submitting this outing for the Foodbuzz 24X24 event until I read that the folks over at Foodbuzz were interested to see how Featured Publishers would be spending the last day of 2011. We had terrific culinary/cultural plans that turned out to be a fantastic way to ring in the New Year.

Extending a very special thank you to my friends FA, Al, Kirk, Tori, and Tom for your love & friendship and sense of humor & adventure! Thank you to Foodbuzz for choosing A Trip to Little Saigon & The NYE Repas du Soir as a participant in December’s 24×24 event. Foodbuzz 24×24 showcases posts from 24 Foodbuzz Featured Publisher bloggers, highlighting unique meals occurring around the globe during a 24-hour period.

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The Stuffing Everyone Loves

classic stuffing
♡ The Stuffing Everyone Loves ♡

Is stuffing the overwhelming favorite Thanksgiving dish? According to the Foodbuzz Poll it is. I had no intention of posting my unfancy traditional stuffing recipe until I saw the poll results tweeted yesterday. If stuffing is indeed the jewel of the holiday buffet, we certainly can’t keep “The Stuffing Everyone Loves” recipe to ourselves…

What makes this stuffing different than the ubiquitous mushroom sage stuffing served on dinner tables all over the country at this time of year? Not much, and that is the beauty of it. It’s just like mom’s, only better. And everyone loves it. Ciabatta, lots of fresh parsley and butter-fried sage, fresh-made rich flavored giblet stock, a higher vegetable to bread ratio, lots of crispy crust, plenty of butter, no “surprise” ingredients – it simply exceeds expectations.

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