Party Like Jane: Set the Table and Set the Tone

Set The Table and Set the Tone For Your Party

Setting the table and decorating for your party helps to set the tone and your mood.  Beauty inspires us to work and a beautiful table lets your guests know that they inspired you to create an oasis for them.  And, a beautiful and FINISHED table, puts your mind at ease so you can create in the kitchen.

Doesn't this lovely table setting from DapperImages.com make you wish you were invited?

Source: thefoundblog.com via MyJane on What we are pinning at My Jane Doe's

Set the Table First Because Beauty Inspires

My dad used to say that "function IS form" because he wanted to emphasize that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and that a properly working system has its own beauty.  But who goes to a state of the art garbage dump for inspiration?  Ok, maybe Oscar the Grouch goes there but most people go to a place of extreme beauty for inspiration.  A beautiful table creates an oasis in the desert of a busy week.  Think of the calm you feel when you walk into the lobby of any Ritz Carlton. Do you find yourself automatically saying, "ahhh" when  you see the magnificent flowers and perfectly arranged furniture?  Beauty is Powerful.  Beauty will inspire you to create in the kitchen.

Set a Beautiful Table Because It Makes the Food Tastes Better

Ever noticed how a beautiful woman can get away with so much more?  Think of your table along those same lines.  Imagine a seven course gourmet meal served on paper plates at a card table with no flowers.  Now, imagine the table setting above, with just good simple food (even a roast chicken from Harris Teeter and a quick lemon dressing and salad).  Who cares if you forget the rolls when the table is that beautiful.  Your guests will feel your warmth and thought at the presentation.   They will appreciate your efforts.  Of course, if you make a seven course gourmet meal with a beautiful table setting, then my dad would have said, "This plate has color, texture, and taste!" 

  

It's Not A Party Without Food

The Best Food.

The best food usually makes an occasion with friends turn into the best party.  My name is Jane and I love to cook.

You know that we were founded by two best friends who love parties.  We all know that parties need food (and nametags).  In fact, it really is not a party without food.  We are not shy about saying we throw some pretty spectacular parties.  In fact, most of our friends also throw great shin-digs.  Who can say whether they become our friends because they give great parties or whether they give great parties because they are our friends.  

We are about to spill the beans on some of the BEST FOOD in the South.  We get it from the local cookbooks.  Our favorites are those dogeared and handed down gems from our moms.  The treasured church cook books,  the grease splattered junior league cookbooks, and the tattered newspaper clippings from years gone by top the list.

Betty Crocker CookBook

Holly learned to cook with her mom's copy of the 1958 Betty Crocker Cookbook and agrees with the Matriarch in Training that this book IS life changing.  The way the recipes are organized with the instructions to the right of the ingredients makes it so easy to read.  Also, each basic recipe has a list of variations directly below it.  It is sooo easy to learn with it.  The biscuits are on page 83 and everyone in Holly's family knows that page number.  

Charleston Receipts - This cookbook is the oldest Junior League cook book in print. It has some of everything.  Check out the shrimp and grits recipes.

Rocky Mount Junior Guild Rainbow of Recipes -- Good luck EVER finding this one.  You'd have to pry it out of someone's hands.  This writer has witnessed a debacle at a tag sale where one was spotted.  

You're Invited - Junior League of Raleigh - This one is great for our favorite balsamic chicken recipe. Yum.  It's only available for a limited time.

Happy Birthday Croissant. I love you.

Happy Birthday Monsieur Croissant.  

This is one lesson that is easy for Jane to learn.  Who doesn't love a delicious flaky croissant?

Rumor has it that the Austrians baked the first croissant in 1529 when they fought against the Ottoman Empire.  Eating a pastry in the shape of their enemy's symbol must have made them taste even better.  It probably wasn't long before that delicious Austrian chocolate found itself inside a croissant.  Now, the French are usually more associated with the delectable crescent shaped puff of butter bliss.

Regardless of the invention and improvement,  in honor of the croissant's birthday, we decided to throw a croissant party.  Actually, this party is more about stuffing ourselves silly with that flaky buttery taste of manna.  Here are some of the ways that we found to make it more creative.

Croissant French Toast Stuffed with Nutella on the Food52.com site.  YUM.  As if Nutella were not BORN to snuggle inside a blanket of puff pastry.

Croissant Bread Pudding.  The only problem with this one is that we never have stale croissants.

For more delicious recipes and party ideas, check us out on http://pinterest.com/myjanedoes/  and be sure to send us your recipes and party ideas.

Cook Like Jane: Chocolate Toffee Bars

The Power of Pinterest, Chocolate, and Friendship

Pinning

My Jane Doe's has two founders who are, well, FUN.  They both love chocolate.  One loves pinterest. One loves to bake.  The other loves to eat the baked goods she pinned onto pinterest for the one who really loves pinterest to bake.  It works out well. 

The other week both founders happened to be on Pinterest. One (Holly) saw these delicious Fudge Toffee Heaven Delight Oh My Goodness Bars that the other (Jane) had pinned.  

They proceeded to have a conversation on pinterest as follows:

Holly: Did you pin these to make for me?

Jane: As a matter of fact, that is exactly why I pinned them.

Holly: Good, Now I am going to pin them to my "Recipes I wish someone would make for me please" Board.

Source: familybites.blogspot.com via MyJane on Pinterest

The following week Holly arrived at a party at Jane's to find that INDEED Jane was whipping up a batch of these BAD, I mean BAD... VERY VERY BAD boys.  Jane, in true form, did make some substitutions from the original Pillsbury Recipe that are worth noting.  She used the dark chocolate and she made the chocolate chip cookie dough from scratch rather than use pre-packaged.  

Get the Recipe

Not one cookie made it back to the office or we would have taken a photo.  But, here is the link to pin for the original recipe  from Pillsbury  and here is Jane's adaptation:

Fudgy Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

1 batch of chocolate chip cookie dough*

1/2 C butter, melted


2 C graham cracker crumbs (32 squares) 


1 8 oz. bag toffee bits


1 12oz. bag chocolate chips


1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk


1 T butter
1 tsp vanilla extract



* Cookie Dough

2 ²/₃ cups Dark Chocolate Chips


¹/₄ cup butter, softened


³/₄ cup brown sugar, packed


2 eggs 


1 teaspoon vanilla


¹/₂ cup all-purpose flour

¹/₄ teaspoon baking powder

Grease 13x9 baking dish and heat oven to 350.



Make the Cookie Dough and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup of melted butter, 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs and 3/4 cup of toffee bits.

Pour mixture into the greased pan and press evenly until mixture covers bottom of pan.  Refrigerate for around 15 minutes.



In a 2 qt saucepan, heat the milk, chocolate chips and the tablespoon of butter over medium heat.  Stir frequently until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth.  Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Spread the mixture over the graham cracker crumb mixture.


In another medium mixing bowl, break up the cookie dough and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs until blended. Crumble the mixture evenly over the chocolate layer and the sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup toffee bits on top.



Bake for about 25-35 minutes or until it's golden brown. Cool completely before cutting, probably around 2 or more hours. (hahah… RIGHT… Like that actually happens… cooled cookies!)

Are you on Pinterest?  You should be. And, getting your friends to make this kind of treat for you is why.

When The Kids are Gone, Jane Becomes _(Fill in the Blank) _______

It's that time of year again!  Back to School.   

We've also heard rumors that some moms are singing Christmas Carols again ..... "And Mom and Dad Can Hardly Wait For School To  Start Again"

Cook Like Jane - Watermelon Salad

Sometimes, I cook.

Sometimes, I prepare.

Other times, I am a guest.

The South is too hot to really cook in August.  It is really, just too hot and muggy to do much of anything and that is probably why watermelon is one of our favorite treats.

My guests have been getting my famous Watermelon Salad.  It sounds and tastes glamorous but it doesn't photograph very well.  The recipe is so simple I am not sure it should be a recipe or an "instruction" but here it is:

Watermelon Salad

1 small watermelon

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Cut the watermelon into 1 inch cubes.   
2. Place in a bowl.
3. Chill.
4. Toss in crumbled feta cheese.
5. Dish up and Enjoy the luscious salty sweet combination.

I thought ya'll would like to see some fancy recipes from Southern Living Magazine (the have great ideas for cool treats) that use our luscious heat beating fruit: the watermelon.

Drinking your watermelon is even better than drinking water!

Recipe for Watermelon Coolers

Doesn't this look DELICIOUS?  

Recipe for Grilled Grouper with Watermelon Salsa

Learn Like From Jane: Tweetiquette

Today's Topic: You were invited but you smart phone was not.

"How do you do? Thank you for the follow, it's nice to tweet you."  When is the last time you saw these polite exchanges among the twitterati?  They are out there and these "tweeters" are probably those who needn't read this Tweetiquette Tip on how to enjoy a party sans le cell phone.  

There are four possible ways to party with actual old school style face-time:

1.  The easiest is this one, just don't invite people who use their phone as a make shift life support machine.  We all know who these people are and they cannot leave their phones alone for even a minutes.  Rather than risk a run in or a rude guest, just don't invite them.  

2.  When guests arrive, have a basket for keys and phones.  You could use a fun sign that implores people to Carpe Diem instead of Record Diem.  Or, let them know that for their protection, you have asked all twitterati and paparazzi to leave recording devices in the off position.

3.  Greet each guest with the following statement, "I'm so glad you could come for our electronics free party."  Guests might not completely get it, but you have set the tone in a fun way.  Remember, you set the tone and if you are giving your undivided attention to them, they will not have time to do anything but reciprocate.

4.  Take photos of everyone and promise to post them later so that people are free to enjoy the party.  Sometimes guests just want to make sure they record a memory.  Let them know that you will do that task for them so they can relax and enjoy themselves.

What are you fun ways to engage guests in the moment and entice them to leave their phones off?