Mexican Rice, Fancy Dessert and a Party, 4 of 4

Mexican Rice

By the day of the dinner party everything was made in advance except the Mexican Rice. I also had to finish up the tablescape and pick up the fancy desert. I got my Mexican rice recipe from my good friend and Maid of Honor at our wedding (43 years ago on June 15th.) Judi is German but she married Joel who is Mexican and her mother-in-law lived with them for many years. So she definitely knows how to cook authentic Mexican Food. Since they were just at our house last week for dinner, I had a chance to review with her how to do the rice just so.

The ingredient you will need to make the rice, oil, 2 cups of rice, 2 cans of diced stewed tomatoes, minced garlic, one large or two medium onions chopped, and any form of chicken broth, liquid, cubes or powder to flavor the water.

Begin by browning...Jim came home just in time to brown rice,
onions and garlic in a little oil for me.
We like a lot of garlic so you just have
to judge on your own what you like best.

Preparing the liquid...

Open the cans of tomatoes and drain the liquid into your measuring cup. You will need four cups of liquid for the rice and maybe a little more will need to be added as it simmers. Then fill the measuring cup to four cups adding warm water and bullion to the tomato juice and water (two cubes or two teaspoons.) It you are using liquid chicken broth just eliminate the water and use that instead.

I like to chop the tomatoes a little finer
before adding to the rice and liquid.

Cooking the rice...

Stir and cover bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer until all the liquid is absorbed. It takes 20 minute or so to cook but towards the end I check to see if a little extra warm water needs to be added. This rice is our favorite with Mexican Food. Hope you enjoy it!

So now for the fancy dessert...

We had a little vanilla ice cream with cinnamon twists
from the drive-up window of Taco Bell!

They cost 89 cents per bag and one bag will serve about two people. I use to make fried flour tortillas chips and sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar when the kids were little. Can you say, messy hassle? Since then I have found my time more valuable, so I go for the less hassle way. However, if you insist on making them yourself, or don't have Taco Bell in your country, you can find the recipe here.

We had seven guests so with nine at the table there was little room for serving dinner family style so we decided on serving it buffet style since the dishes are not easily passed either. I wanted to take photos of the buffet set up but it was nothing fancy and at that moment I just didn't have time to snap photos. I love dinners like this because if you really plan ahead and do the work ahead, by the time the your guests arrive, you can just relax and enjoy them with no worries. Because as much as we enjoy getting ready....

I agree with this card's sentiments except if what is on the table is good it makes the whole experience for your guests just that...a memorable experience, not just a meal. A big part of that is creating the ambiance in your dining room.

Setting the Table

A few days before the dinner I went shopping to get some pretty flowers for the front porch. Well, I got side tracked and landed up buying some new tableware! I never did get the flowers! I have been wanting and saving up for some new white dishes for quite awhile but just hadn't found what I wanted. I found these at Cost Plus World Market and love them. I landed up buying placemats and napkins to go with them and the most awesome glasses were conveniently located just a few doors away at Pier One Imports. Although I purchase tons of dishes over the past several years for the business, I cannot remember the last time I picked out new dishes for us. It was fun. I gave most of the ones from the business away because they were only sets of four.

The placemats match these napkins.
I decided to use my chocolate brown tablecloth.

The swirled flutes came from Pier One years ago, the new ones are the red and orange striped water glasses. They are mouth blown and each of the stripes are different shapes and widths, etc. These glasses flat out make me happy. I even love emptying the dishwasher now! I know I am weird, what can I say?

Wish each and everyone of you
could have come over to join us.
Someday, OK?
You come to CA we'll cook for you!
Deal?

Party Animals

Every year in March, women of the church celebrate the anniversary of the organization of Relief Society around the world. Relief Society is the oldest and largest women's organization on the earth. This year we had a lovely buffet dinner and the committee asked several women to decorate tables for each month of the year. Then when all the ladies arrived they were to sit at the table that was their birthday month.

Since I was in charge of setting the February table I was there early enough to capture the essence of the tables that the other ladies were doing before it got really crowded. I loved all the tables but I think my favorite, pictured above, was January. Michelle did a beautiful job of making it looks so festive. The centerpiece had a bunch of brightly colored balloons and the black was very dramatic. The Young Women were also invited to the RS Birthday Party so Michelle had her daughter Morgan helping her.

This will I am sure look a little familiar as it it a near replica of the one I did for our dinner party on Valentine's Day for our Family Home Evening Group. These are just clear plates with paper doilies underneath from the cake decorating department of the craft store.

This one for March was really cute too. Heather and Joy worked on this one and it kept getting better and better. It wasn't even done at this point. They did a great job.

This is Lanette's April Table. Love those cute Easter Egg plates and the table top jelly beans were a big hit with the ladies at this table.

This is Donna's May table. It looked so pretty and just perfect for a lovely Mother's Day brunch or something special like that. People with June and August got to sit wherever they wanted as those months were the food tables. We didn't need 12 tables so it worked out just great.

Kathy and her mother-in-law, Darlene, decorated the July table. That was where I got to sit and they did a great job. Darlene and Kathy both do professional floral arrangements so they had a great centerpiece and little terra cotta pots of flowers for each lady to take home at their table.


Cathy got us all back in the mood for a new school year with her September Table. Didn't she have some cute ideas for that?


Marcy had some great October things going on here. Her table was not done when I got by for a photo or two. She added some orange glasses and black plates and it was really darling!


Maureen did a beautiful job on her November Table. Everything looked so classic and inviting I love how she did her place settings. Those brown and white floral dishes are to die for aren't they? And I am sure she made these adorable napkin rings.

Loved this melting snowman!

Tammy and Trisha did the December table. It was all about snowmen and they had some darling ones. It wasn't finished when I got over there so missed the final look. At first I thought oh, I wish I had December...until they reminded me of what it was like to get this stuff out of storage in March. Ahhh, Never mind!

Here are the food tables, June and August
before some of the food was brought out.

The large beautiful Birthday Cake that Heather made.

The intricate detailing on the icing.
Truly beautiful!

The sisters just relaxing and enjoying the evening.

The Young Women sang a pretty song for us!

Diane read us all a beautiful book called
The Parable of the Princesses.

Not a dry eye afterward...highly recommend it
for teaching Choice and Accountability.

We concluded our evening with a closing song and prayer. The song "Sisters in Zion" has become somewhat of an unofficial theme song for Relief Society it seems. It portrays our mission so perfectly! I loved this evening because everyone did a little something and it turned out to be a wonderful concerted effort event enjoyed by all. Jim and two other men ran the nursery for the little ones while the young mommies truly had a Girls' Night out!

*********************

While we are in the Birthday mode and looking at pretty tables, look at the one Jen and Piper did for Piper's birthday party. She and her friends had a fancy dinner and then watched a movie. The rest of the family was banished to the downstairs family room while they enjoyed their meal. And the reverse was true when it was time for the movie!

Piper Chose Raclette
a Swiss meal that is wonderful!
This is a family favorite that
Lowell learned of while serving in the
Swiss/Germany Mission for the Church.

Waiting for one more Friend...
Whew, that is for March birthdays!