Southern Lady Celebrate Winter White Entertaining 2011

What a great time of the year! It is Oscar time, and we will watch intently to see if our picks are chosen for the awards. I know many of you have Oscar parties, so we have some great plans for a showstopper! Neal calls me Queen Theapatra because I am so theatrical. I don’t have any idea what he is talking about. But I am proud to be QT! I love drama and theatrics with the best of them and feel it should be incorporated daily into our lives. Last year after the Oscars, we decided to have movie night once a week at our house. There were so many movies we had not seen, we decided this would be a great plan to stay up on the releases. This…

Don’t decide to hibernate this winter— not just yet. The season of hustle and bustle might be over, but there’s always a reason to celebrate—at least that’s what we think at Celebrate magazine. Before we had packed away the last Christmas ornament, we were brainstorming entertaining ideas for winter. If you’re with out a sweetheart this year, check out our chocolate party where guests might meet their match—at least in the world of cookies. Roll out the red carpet. Throw on any old designer dress, add lots of diamonds (who says they have to be real?) and you’re ready for your own Academy Awards party. Appetizers just like those served in Hollywood will tempt your friends. And you can toast Oscar with a drink named in his honor. A 30Thbirthday party, a superparty for…

Broccoli Cheese Soup Makes 8 to 10 servings 6 tablespoons butter 1½ cups finely chopped yellow onion 1 cup finely chopped carrot ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper ¼ cup all-purpose flour 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 cups half-and-half 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli, thawed 1 (8-ounce) block fontina cheese, shredded 1 (8-ounce) block white Cheddar cheese, shredded 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened ¾ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper Garnish: finely chopped fresh broccoli, finely chopped carrot In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and bell pepper; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add flour; cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add chicken broThand half-and-half, stirring until smooth. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 20 minutes, stirring…

Every February 2 attention turns to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and Wiarton, Ontario, in hopes of seeing the timid groundhog, Phil, and the shy hedgehog, Wiarton Willie, venture from their burrows. Will we have six more weeks of winter, or will spring be early this year? While you ponder the situation, enjoy our ladies’ luncheon featuring a menu that combines the best of boThseasons. Menu Pineapple-Cardamom Toddy Cranberry Tonic Cream of Mushroom Soup with Fried Leeks White Bean Salad with Kalamata Olive Vinaigrette Tortellini Salad with Creamy Basil Dressing Baby Spinach Salad with Pecan-Crusted Goat Cheese Double Ginger Cheesecake with Sautéed Pears Individual Strawberry Trifles Pineapple-Cardamom Toddy Makes 8 servings 4 cups pineapple juice ½ cup orange juice ¼ cup fresh lime or lemon juice 1¼ teaspoons ground cardamom or more to taste ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon Garnish: lemon slices and cinnamon sticks In a large saucepan over…

R ed is a staple in this event. We found red plates and bowls at a discount home store, and instead of an elaborate and more expensive cloth, we used a roll of red gift wrap from the craft store as a runner for the table. A silk red umbrella from an importer hangs upside down over the table to create a colorful focal point. Paper drink umbrellas and lanterns are cut from scrapbook paper to add interest to the table and to decorate the room. Black is a nice complementary color to red, so gather black vases and other implements from around the house, and assemble them at the table to hold berries and foods. This year celebrates the rabbit, so we brought in an iron rabbit from the…

See page 109 for invitation. Brie and Cranberry Tartlets Makes 45 tartlets 3 (1.9-ounce) packages miniature phyllo pastry shells (45 shells)* 1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce 1 tablespoon orange zest 1 (8-ounce) wheel of Brie, rind removed Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place shells on prepared baking sheet, and bake for 5 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 300°. In a small bowl, combine cranberry sauce and orange zest. Cut Brie into about 45 pieces. Place 1 Brie piece in each pastry shell; top with about 1 teaspoon cranberry mixture. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes, or just until cheese begins to melt. Serve immediately. *We tested with Athens Mini Fillo Shells. Bacon ’n’ Oysters Makes 24 serving 8 bacon strips 2 (3.7-ounce) cans smoked oysters, drained 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced Line…