Sunday Dinner Recommendation: Minestrone Soup

Let’s keep our New Year’s resolutions going strong with a delicious and healthy bowl of minestrone soup for Sunday supper tomorrow!

Whatever you are gathering to tomorrow night, I hope that you find time to gather your friends and family around the table together.

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Weekend Happenings: Settling In!!!

Given I have been in Seattle for some two weeks now, this weekend will be spent grocery shopping, dusting and unpacking! What a great feeling, when its all done that is! 

Whatever it is that you are getting into this weekend, I hope that you find time to gather around the table together with your family and friends!

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Throwback Thursday: New Years Resolution

Writing last year’s New Years Resolution. Good news, most of them have come true with a few great surprises! Already looking forward to next year!!!

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Countdown To New Years!!!

With only a few more hours of 2014, I hope that you are making the most of them. Whether hosting a New Years Eve celebration or simply enjoying a low key evening at home, there is no right or wrong way to finish off the year. If you are throwing a New Years Eve gathering this evening, I hope that you are well under way with you planning and menu production.

If you are staying in and keeping it low-key, consider starting a new tradition this year. After dinner, sit everyone around the table together. Present each person with a piece of paper and ask them to write goals for the next year. Whether it is going back to the gym, scoring well on the SATs, cooking more, eating better, spending more time connecting with old friends, write them all down. Then, seal each persons resolution in their own envelope with their name written on the outside. Put the envelopes in a safe place vowing to not open them until exactly one year from now. Actually writing down goals holds you accountable and gives you something to strive toward throughout the year.

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Sunday Supper Reveal: Mom's Cooking

Tonight my mom is making dinner and I will act as her sous chef. For those that have enjoyed my mom’s cooking, you will agree that she is a fabulous cook. I absolutely love being home and in the kitchen alongside the stovetop with my mom. I am not sure what’s on her menu for the evening, but whatever it is, I know it’s going to be amazing!

Whatever it is that you are gathering to around the table together this evening, I hope that you find time to enjoy a home-cooked meal with friends and family.

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Sunday Supper Recommendation: Spiced Apple Cobbler

With all the varieties of apples in existence, I find every excuse to incorporate them in my baking. Plus, I absolutely love fruit cobblers and pies, hence my apple pie recipe from a few weeks back. This apple cobbler is sweet with perfect notes of cinnamon spice throughout. You and your family will love gathering around the table together to a freshly made apple cobbler. Trust me on this one!

Whatever it is that you are gathering to for dinner tomorrow night, I hope that you find time to gather your friends and family around the table together!

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Weekend Happenings! Holiday Celebrations with Friends

We made it! Christmas has quickly come and gone and now it’s time, since I am in Seattle, to raise a toast with friends for the New Year that is quickly approaching! This weekend a big group of us are heading out in Seattle for dinner and drinks and reconnecting before we officially countdown to 2015!

Whatever it is that you are gathering to this weekend, I hope that you find time to gather your friends and family around the table together.

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Throwback Thursday: Last Christmas

Seems like yesterday my family was gathered around the Christmas tree opening presents and enjoying each other’s company. Fast forward 1 year, my sister is married and will be sharing Christmas for the first time with two families. However sad it will be to not have her there from sunup to sundown this year, I am still thankful that we are all in Seattle and will be together at some point throughout the day!

Merry Christmas and happy holiday everyone and may this next year be the best year yet!

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Formal Place-Setting

I can hardly believe Christmas is tomorrow! Where has the time gone! When it comes to setting your table, it makes all the difference in the world to set it correctly. After all, it’s a formal affair and your guests will take notice.

Here is a quick overview for you to use as a guide when setting your own table:

• Silverware: Silverware should be placed and used from the outside in toward the dinner plate.
  • Forks: Left of the plate. Salad fork should be far left with the dinner fork to the right of it.
  • Spoons: Right of the plate. Soup spoon should be far right then the dinner spoon to the left of it.
  • Knife: Right of the plate. The knife should be to the left of the dinner spoon and directly to the right of the dinner plate.
  • Dessert Spoon and Fork: Directly to the top of the dinner plate. Dessert spoon should be above the desert fork which is closest to the dinner plate.
• Wine, water and coffee cups: Top right corner of your dinner plate. Stager on a slant toward the soup spoon in this order from left to right: Water glass, wineglass (red) and wineglass (white). When dessert is served, place the coffee cup to the right of the white wineglass and just above and to the right of the soup spoon.
• Bread Plate: Top left corner of your dinner plate with the bread knife on top.
• Place Card: Right above the dessert spoon and in between the bread plate and water glass.
• Salad Plate: Directly on the charger if serving in courses. If not, place it next to the bread plate in the top left corner.
• Napkin: Center of the charger or to the left of your salad fork folded neatly without wrinkles.

This is a formal place setting, but by all means, customize your table to the menu and serving pieces at hand. With all the time you are taking to plan and cook the perfect dinner, take this last step to bring everything together in a beautiful manner (pun intended!).

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Hosting the Perfect Holiday Feast

Quite often, we ask ourselves what makes for a perfect holiday feast. How many appetizers should I make? Which ones?  Hot or cold? Finger food or plated? How much wine should I account per person? Red or white? Should I serve hot mulled cider? Should I hire a bartender? Etc. Etc. Etc.  There really is no right or wrong when it comes to hosting a dinner party.  Regardless of whether it’s to celebrate the holidays or the New Year, you are the host and you set the rules.

• Appetizers: Generally speaking, when guests are standings and mingling, finger food is best so that they can sip with their left hand and eat with their right. Cheese, crackers, prosciutto, fresh preserves and spiced nuts (like my recipe for spiced nuts) is a good place to start. Think of items that can easily be eaten in one bite with minimal mess and crumbs.
• Drinks: When it comes to drinks, if there are more than 12 people, I always like to have someone dedicated to drinks. Whether you splurge and hire a bartender or designate your other half or a friend, having someone on point with the bar will keep things clean, flowing and help prevent spillage.
• Dinner: Serving 3 courses is absolutely perfect when hosting a dinner party. Start with a soup (hot or cold) or a salad, then your main and of course, dessert. By all means end on a sweet note! Sometimes, less is more so plan out your menu as realistically as possible.
• Coffee Service: I always recommend coffee service with dessert. This way, those that had a few glasses of wine start to sober up and those that like coffee with their dessert, are completely satisfied. It doesn’t have to be fancy but make sure you have plenty of it and it’s hot!
• The most important component to planning a holiday feast is taking into consideration your space, understanding your guests and catering to fit the needs of both. At the end of the day, you have every right to also enjoy the party, so allow yourself the opportunity to do so.

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Sunday Supper Reveal! Holiday Happy Hour!

Tonight I am meeting some friends’ downtown where we will toast to the holiday season. I am especially excited for the all you can eat cheese selection at The Four Season's Art restaurant. Although I have never tried it, I hear it’s fantastic!

Whatever it is that you are gathering to this evening, I hope that you find time to gather your friends and family around the table together.

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Sunday Supper: Shrimp Cocktail

Why not gather around the table to my delicious shrimp cocktail tomorrow night? It’s a perfect addition to any Sunday night supper and is a beautiful addition for Christmas dinner that’s in a few days.  Why not give it a test run before the big day?  Trust me, I would make any excuse to have shrimp cocktail twice in one week!

Whatever it is that you are gathering to tomorrow night, I hope that you find time to gather around the table together with friends and family.

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Home for Christmas

Photo by Azzura Photography

This weekend I am back in Seattle gearing up for Christmas. From a formal holiday gathering on the 22nd to last minute shopping and menu planning, this weekend is jam-packed! To be honest, it’s a little too cold for my taste, but the fact that I am home with family and that we are all healthy and happy, brings me great warmth and pure joy!

Whatever it is that you are gathering to this weekend, I hope that you find time to gather your friends and family around the table together.

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Throw Back Thursday! Amish Country

When I lived in Columbus, Ohio I was a short drive from Amish country. I loved visiting and once there, driving around the neighborhoods, eating at the local restaurants and bakery cafes, and exploring. Not only was I fascinated with their homemade jams, desserts, breads, and home-goods, I was fascinated with their culture and way of life. Rain, snow or shine, they live modest lives without makeup, electricity, cars for transportation and electronics. To see the way they lived and how as a community they came together, made me realize that those material items really don’t bring you happiness. Yes, they are wonderful to have, but what truly brings us great happiness and “fulfillment” are times surrounded with family and friends. If you have a chance to visit any Amish community, I highly recommend that you do so. They are wonderful, kind and generous people that value family, working hard and being together.

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

One Week Countdown Till Christmas!

With 1 week until Christmas, for those that are celebrating, I wanted to send a quick and very friendly reminder when it comes to hosting a perfectly executed celebration at your home. From place settings, to music, hot apple cider, mulled wine, and delicious home-cooked food, you have your work cut out for you. But, with that being said, it’s absolutely feasible!

1.   Enlist some help! People genuinely want to help, for the most part, when they ask. Be realistic when you ask yourself if a little help wouldn’t hurt. In most cases, a little extra help won’t hurt.

2.   Start today! Start writing your lists, menu, shopping lists, errands, and last minute self-reminders today! Why wait until next week?  You’ll be too busy cooking anyway, right?

3.   Today: Do as much as you can today. Set the table, arrange the buffet table, set out trivets, pull out your holiday plates, mugs, silverware, napkins, extra chairs, etc. Don’t wait for tomorrow!

4.   Friendly Reminder: Send a reminder to your guests on what time they need to arrive, what you asked them to bring (if potluck style), and any other details like where to park, how to enter, directions, etc.

5.   Prepare yourself: What time will you need to start the roast, where is it going to rest once it has cooked, how many burners will you need at the same time? And, what you are going to wear of course!

6.   Miscellaneous items: Take inventory of your staples. Do you have enough garbage bags, sponges, dish soap, paper towels, clean dish towels, ziplock bags, foil, plastic wrap, salt, pepper, oil, etc.?

Starting today will help make the last week before Christmas as enjoyable as possible. This is supposed to be a magical and festive time of year spent with family and friends. So whatever you do, make sure you find time to do so.  

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Baking Soda Vs. Baking Powder

Come the holidays, the amount of flour, sugar and spices coming out of kitchens across the country increases astronomically. Before you scoop bench flour to roll out your great grandmother’s cinnamon roll recipe, let’s talk about the difference between two ingredients that you will come across throughout your holiday baking.

First of all, both baking soda and baking powder are leavening agents. What that means, is that they both help a batter or dough rise during baking. Think cakes and cookies.

Baking Soda:

• “Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda (alkali) is about four times as strong as baking powder.  It is used in recipes that contain an acidic ingredient (e.g. vinegar, citrus juice, sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk, chocolate, cocoa, honey, molasses (also brown sugar), fruits and maple syrup).
• Baking soda starts to react and release carbon dioxide gas as soon as it is added to the batter and moistened. Make sure to bake the batter immediately.
• Baking soda has an indefinite shelf life if stored in a sealed container in a cool dry place. Too much baking soda will result in a soapy taste with a coarse, open crumb. Baking soda causes reddening of cocoa powder when baked, hence the name Devil's Food Cake.”

Joy of Baking

Baking Powder:

• “Baking powder consists of baking soda, one or more acid salts (cream of tartar and sodium aluminum sulfate) plus cornstarch to absorb any moisture so a reaction does not take place until a liquid is added to the batter.
• Most baking powder used today is double-acting which means it reacts to liquid and heat and happens in two stages.
  • The first reaction takes place when you add the baking powder to the batter and it is moistened. One of the acid salts reacts with the baking soda and produces carbon dioxide gas.
  • The second reaction takes place when the batter is placed in the oven. The gas cells expand causing the batter to rise.
• Because of the two stages, baking of the batter can be delayed for about 15-20 minutes without it losing its leavening power.
• Too much baking powder can cause the batter to be bitter tasting. It can also cause the batter to rise rapidly and then collapse. (i.e. The air bubbles in the batter grow too large and break causing the batter to fall.)  Cakes will have a coarse, fragile crumb with a fallen center. Too little baking powder results in a tough cake that has poor volume and a compact crumb.”

Joy of Baking

I couldn’t have said that better myself. So, in other words, before you think one could be swapped for the other, or eyeballing is “good enough,” think again. Both are specific in their use and should be used accordingly. And, if you are testing your own recipe and the end result isn’t coming out as you would like, maybe this will help steer you in the right direction.

Regardless, baking should be fun, taken with stride and most importantly, enjoyed with family and friends. Now with that, gather your friends and family around the kitchen, roll up your sleeve, dust your boards, and start baking those cinnamon rolls!!

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Sunday Supper: Green Beans

Being a professional blogger, I run my business around stats. What are people commenting on, reading, “liking”, cooking, and viewing. My green beans with almonds and dried cranberries is my number one recipe in terms of views and comments. Even though I posted it for Thanksgiving, many of you have already expressed an interest in bringing it back for Christmas dinner. Quite frankly, I cannot blame you! It’s fresh, healthy, bright and quite show-stopping, if I may say so myself.

Consider giving them a try for Sunday supper tomorrow and seeing how they go.  I think you and your family will love them. Heck, they may even make your Christmas menu!

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Weekend Happenings: Holiday Party and Packing

This weekend I am making my famous Mac & Cheese recipe (recipe available at thetabletogether.com) for a holiday party. It is cheesy and just plain delicious. Plus, it’s just as popular among the adults as it is with children.

I am also starting to pack for Seattle where I will be celebrating Christmas and New Years with my family. In other words, cashmere, down coats, scarves, gloves, boots, and long johns will make the packing list.

Whatever it is that you are getting into this weekend, I hope that you find time to gather your friends and family around the table together. 

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Throwback Thursday: Adopting Duke

Seven years ago, I decided to adopt a dog. I knew I wanted either a lab or golden retriever, but wasn’t sure what the process would entail, nor the true joy I would gain from doing so. Duke, whom I named upon meeting him, was rescued by a wonderful lady in Troy, Montana. She has a great relationship with the pound where she rescues dogs once they have extended their stay and would normally be euthanized. She took Duke into her home and posted him on Pet Finder to give him a real chance at finding a forever home.

This is where I come in. Seeing Duke for the first time on the website gave me goose bumps as I instantly knew he was the one. I still remember telling my dad that I had found my match and that we were going on a road trip to Montana to pick him up. Luckily we met halfway in Moses Lake, but I would have driven cross-country to bring him home. To this day, I think about his past, what he must have seen and experienced and am so thankful that he is apart of my life. He may shed a lot, but to me, he is everything.

If you are looking to rescue a dog, there are so many wonderful choices and resources for you. There is no greater gift than knowing you gave a loving animal a second chance; a second chance at life.

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!