How To Properly Set Your Table 

A properly set table is the canvas for a beautiful meal. When you have an upcoming holiday dinner—or just want to make an occasion feel special—formal place settings are ideal for creating an exceptional dining experience .  Follow these easy steps and set a beautiful table and enjoy your guest!

 

Setting the Stage

• Spacing: When setting a dinner table, place settings should be evenly spaced and flatware should be balanced.
• Start with Plates: Start by setting out dinner plates. Make sure plates are far enough apart to provide guests sufficient elbowroom—about 2 feet apart from plate center to plate center.
• Let Plates be Your Guide: Once your plates are set, you can use them to balance the rest of your place settings. Cups and glasses go on the right side of the plate, butter and salad plates to the left.

Silverware & Napkins

• Basic Placement: Place silverware in the order of its use, from the outside in, first course to main course. To simplify the setting, don't put out utensils that won't be used.
• Forks, Spoons & Knives: Forks should be placed to the left of the plate, knives and spoons to the right. The only exception to this rule is a small cocktail fork, which goes on the outermost right side of the plate.

Tip: Place knives with their cutting edge towards the plate, and make sure all of the utensil handles line up. If possible, remove the used utensils after each course.

• Napkins: All napkins should be cloth and go to the left of the forks. Use a decorative napkin fold as an added touch.
• Butter Plate & Spreader: When serving bread, place a butter plate above the forks to the left of the plate and include a butter knife or spreader.
• Dessert Silverware: If you serve dessert, the silverware should be placed above the plate with the fork handle to the left and the spoon or knife handle to the right (the cutting edge should face down). You can also just bring out dessert silverware with the dessert.
• Special Touches: Dress up your place settings with napkin rings, or try making a personalized place card for each guest.

Use the diagram below as your guide when arranging your formal place settings:

1. Napkin
2. Salad fork
3. Dinner fork
4. Dessert fork & spoon
5. Bread and butter plate with spreader
6. Dinner plate
7. Dinner knife
8. Teaspoon
9. Soup spoon
10. Cocktail fork
11. Water glass
12. Wine glass (red wine)
13. Wine glass (white wine)
14. Coffee cup and saucer

Drinks

• Glass Placement: Glasses should be placed above the knives in a straight row, slanting downward from the upper left, going from biggest to smallest. Make sure smaller glasses aren’t hidden behind larger ones. An example of a proper arrangement would be a water goblet in back, wine glass, then a dessert glass closest to your guest.
• Coffee Cup & Saucer: If you plan to serve coffee with the meal, place the cup and saucer to the right of the setting, with the coffee spoon on the right side of the saucer. Otherwise, bring the coffee out with dessert.

Tip: While a formal table setting is impressive, you’ll certainly have your share of dirty dishes. Use Cascade Complete Pacs to easily clean your dirty dishes and silverware to a shine—no rinsing required.

If you like this article, you might also like:

• Pretty Place Settings: Romantic
• Place Cards 101
• Quick Clean: Dining Room

 

Lisa's Easy Peach Cobbler

Easy Peach Cobbler  

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup milk $
• 4 cups fresh peach slices
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice $
• Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
2. Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over butter (do not stir).
3. Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (do not stir). Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
4. Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve cobbler warm or cool.

Do you Believe

Turkey Sliders

Sliders are very popular right now and this version made with ground turkey and baked rather than fried is not only good, but good for you. . Served with baked Parmesan fries this was the perfect 'fast food' meal and the cost per slider is about 45 cents -- that's good, too.

Ingredients

• 20 ounces lean ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons Feta Cheese with Tomato & Basil, crumbled
• 1 clove garlic - minced
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano,, dried
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 16 dinner or slider rolls
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon honey Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Combine ground turkey, cheese and all seasonings. Mix together well.
2. Shape turkey into 16 small patties.
3. Place patties on a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 - 10 minutes or until cooked through. Be careful not to cook too long or they will become dried out.
5. Combine mayonnaise with honey Dijon mustard and stir until well blended.
6. Place on rolls and top with honey Dijon mayo.

Discovering your Strengths....

Discovering your Strengths:
1. Dream Big - What would you do for FREE if money didn't matter? When you learn to tap into your dreams, you'll learn to find your source of career happiness.
2. Strengths - Take an aptitude test and discover your strengths! Uncover your hidden talents and find out how you can turn your passion into profits.
3. Network - Find networking events and meet and talk with different professionals --you will gain valuable insight into several career choices.
4. Believe - In your dreams and they may come true--believe in yourself and they will!
5. Remember to Believe. Dream.Change.

Love & Peace, the Dreamer....

Chicken & Artichoke with White Wine Sauce!

Chicken and Artichokes with White Wine Sauce


1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
1 fresh sliced button mushrooms
1 6 oz jar artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1 tbsp butter
1/3 cup dry white wine (I used a white cooking wine)
1 Bottle White Wine Champagne Dressing (Harris Tetter)
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

In a shallow dish, stir together flour, , the 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper; reserve 1 tbsp of the flour mixture and set aside. Dredge the chicken breasts with the flour mixture, and cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside, turning once. Remove chicken from skillet, cover with foil. In the same skillet, cook mushrooms and artichoke hearts in hot butter over medium heat for 3 minutes or until artichoke hearts are tender.

In a small bowl stir together the reserved 1 tbsp flour mixture, wine, 1/2 bottle of White Wine Champagne Dressing , and 1/8 tsp salt until smooth. Add wine mixture to skillet, cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken--Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees until bubbly , sprinkle with cheese, and serve.

Vision Board Party

I did it!  I realized one of my dreams of launching out on faith and adding another element to my business portfolio--I hosted my first vision board party!  We laughed, shared and we DREAMED BIG DREAMS!

We made a list of our goals to be completed by the end of the year and we also counted all of our blessing that have occurred during the last 9 months.  We did this as a visual reminder for each of us of all that we have accomplished.  We talked about the word "revelation" and how it applies to our life dreams. The ladies were inspired, full of hope and promise--knowing that the Dream Giver was with them every step of the way.    

I wanted the party to be special, so I prepared a few of my favorite entree:

Appetizers:

Pesto Pizza with Spinach, Peppers and Gouda Cheese 
Pita Points with Red Pepper Hummus

Entree
Chicken & Artichoke with a White Wine Sauce.
Steamed Green Beans with Carrot and Dill
Lisa's Pasta Salad

Dessert
Fresh Fruit with Honey & Fresh Mint

Punch

Enjoy!