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CateC_BettyCrocker_MOD 10/24/2009 12:00:00 AM
“I used to bake in high heels everyday.”- Grandma Joann
My grandmother, entertainer extraordinaire, loved to bring her family and friends together around the kitchen table throughout the years. As a mother of eight, she was always budget-conscious. So, when she passed away a few weeks ago, I wanted to pay tribute by throwing a family gathering on just a $25 budget. A mass email to my family confirmed that brunch was the best time, which also happened to be perfect for my budget! I...
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budget, entertaining, "Eggplant Marcille", brunch, "Applesauce Raisin Cookies", "Potato Casserole Supreme", "Canadian Oatmeal Shortbread", "Hot Apple Cider", "Cherry Cheesecake", party
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jillbcooks 8/19/2009 9:59:00 AM
My older sister is probably the greatest mom I know. She has two beautiful kids, who are, incidentally, the best nieces in the world! I marvel at the amount of work it takes to care for wee ones. I can see how it could become an all consuming job. My sis has the wise sense to declare a kid-free zone for important mommy relaxation time: bunco night.
In case you aren’t familiar with bunco, it is a parlor game that has ...
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party, retro desserts, Bunco, retro housewife theme
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jillbcooks 4/30/2009 8:30:00 AM
My friend (and former neighbor) Kelly asked me for some food and drink ideas for the party that marks the opening of her neighborhood’s private pool. She is chairing the event for the first time. The neighborhood is tight knit and the pool becomes the social center during the summer, especially for kids and moms. I used to live in that neighborhood and loved to see the kids taking lessons and training for swim meets when I went past the pool. The pool facility has a very nice clubhouse with areas for eating indoors and on a large patio. Kelly plans to use the large grills for making hotdogs and hamburgers. She wanted ideas for unfussy salads and memorab...
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cake, party, salad, chex, planning, summer
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jillbcooks 12/18/2008 8:52:00 AM
When it comes to Hanukkah and food, the first type of food that comes to mind is anything deep fried, like latkes and Israeli jelly doughnuts. But, also associated with the celebration of Hanukkah is cheese. Like the Hanukkah story of the Maccabees regaining control over the Temple in Jerusalem, Judith is also a figure who strove for freedom from oppression. As the story goes, Judith’s community had come under siege by the Assyrian army and its leader Holofernes. Brave Judith approached Holofernes’ tent and pretended to seduce him, all the while purposely feeding him salty cheese and quenching his thirst with wine. Eventually Holofernes became int...
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party, cheese trays, cheeseball, entertaining, hanukkah
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AndiatBettyCrocker 8/20/2008 4:35:00 PM
My friend Kathy is a master at cooking for a crowd. She has often had pool parties in their backyard with guests numbering in 50s and 60s – can you imagine? We all bring a dish to share but still, there have been times when we run out of food. Now I know better and usually bring three dishes to share and then I double or triple each one. Kathy recently had a Sunday afternoon party to celebrate the wedding of her daughter. Many of the guests were from out of town and so I knew that they wouldn’t be able to bring anything. I told Kathy that I’d make four batches of a tortellini salad that would serve around 50 guests. I prepared all of the ingredients in ...
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party, salad, wedding
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Heidi at Betty Crocker 4/9/2008 3:46:00 PM
My friend Amy is a party person. Basically, she’s Julie, the Cruise Director, from The Love Boat when it comes to planning get-togethers. I admire the fact that she never seems to stress out and can get a group of super-fun people together at a moment’s notice. I am absolutely the opposite, and therefore lea...
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party supplies, party