Pink, Pink and More Pink

Last night we had a shower to welcome little baby Hannah. We had a great turn out and lots of great food too! The menu included chicken salad croissants, chicken caesar skewers, a lettuce salad, fresh fruit plate and deviled eggs. The pink theme made its way into the desserts too. We had pink popcorn balls, cheesecake pops, cream cheese mints and a really yummy heavenly angel cake. Recipe to be posted later, I promise! Thanks to to everyone that helped out. It was a great way to welcome such a cute little girl.

PLUM DELICIOUS!

My first plum crop from the small tree in our backyard was more than I anticipated! So to the internet I went-a-looking for things to do with my plums. I made slow cooked stewed plums, plum jam, plum dumplings, plum quick bread, plum kuchen (3 different recipes), spicy plum chicken thighs, plum cake, plum sauce and plum crumble! I also gave away a number of plums to friends and neighbors. Needless to say, I was plum tired, but most of the results have been filed away for next year. Here is the recipe for the plum crumble which was very good!

Ingredients:

3 pounds fresh plums, pitted, quartered, about 5 cups

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup butter, melted

Preparation:

Combine plums and bown sugar, stirring well to blend. Pour into a buttered 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 inch baking dish. Sift together the flour, granulated sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add the beaten egg, stirring lightly with fork until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the plums then drizzle with the melted butter. Bake plum crumble at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream.

Read Twice - Bake Twice

This is a great breakfast/brunch casserole dish that is easy to make. But, beware...read carefully. You DO bake this recipe twice for 15 minutes each time. But if you forget your reading glasses like me and assemble it all at once just bake for 30 minutes, it will turn out!

CHEESE BAKED EGGS

4 slices soft bread torn into pieces
¼ c. melted butter
½ c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4-5 eggs
½ c. cream or milk
½ to 1 tsp. thyme
½ tsp. salt
Spread crumbled bread in a shallow pie pan or casserole. Pour butter over crumbs. Bake 15 minutes in a moderate oven - 350°. Sprinkle cheese over top. Break eggs onto cheese, keeping separate. Heat cream or milk and thyme and pour over eggs.
Bake 15 minutes in a moderate oven - 350°, or until eggs are set. Serve at once. Serves four to five.

Cream Cheese Mints

Here is what 30 dozen mints looks like all boxed up!

Get Your List Making Fix

For those of us who have to have a list in order to function, these sure make the tasks alot more enjoyable! She also has some really great downloadable cards and mini file folder templates. I am reminded again why I love all things paper. *Sigh*

Fab Furniture Find

Check out this super cool photostream and the blog that goes along with it. Very inspirational for a person getting ready to work on a basement project :)

The Meaning of R.S.V.P.

Because I have been wondering what RSVP means, and because I just hosted a party where I requested RSVP's (and actually had a really decent response) here is what I found out.

Let's Clear Up the Confusion Over RSVPs
By Donna Pilato,

I hope that this week's tip will benefit hosts and guests alike, because there seems to be a lot of confusion about the meaning of the above term.

Lack of RSVP's - A Growing Problem
I hear more and more often, and have found in my personal experience, that hosts often do not receive firm indications whether guests plan to attend their parties, even if RSVP is clearly printed on the invitation. This could mean either one of two things. First it could mean that rudeness is a growing trend in our society. Or, as I would prefer to believe, people no longer understand what the term means. Assuming the best, and that the decline in RSVP's can be attributed to ignorance and not rudeness, I will clarify this for the record.

What RSVP Means
The term R.VP comes from the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond". If RSVP is written on an invitation it means the invited guest must tell the host whether or not they plan to attend the party. It does not mean to respond only if you're coming, and it does not mean respond only if you're not coming (the expression "regrets only" is reserved for that instance). It means the host needs a definite head count for the planned event, and needs it by the date specified on the invitation.

Why It's Inconsiderate to Not RSVP
An incomplete list of respondents can cause numerous problems for a host including difficulty in planning food quantities, issues relating to minimum guarantees with catering halls, uncertainty over the number of party favors and difficulties in planning appropriate seating, among other things.

So the next time you see RSVP on an invitation you receive, please call your host and respond promptly.