This past weekend we were overjoyed to have most of our landlords sitting around our dinner table Saturday evening. There was laughter, conversation and food abundantly shared!
So much work goes into our little event but at the end of the night I am so very happy we do it. Having a connection with our landlords is essential as I’ve mentioned before. Getting to know them and having them connect with us and our 10 year old daughter helps our relationships.
We hosted 13 people and I have to admit that if everyone attended it would be pretty cozy! We are discussing changing the time of year so we can utilize the yard and deck area for next year!
Our menu this year reflected a good ol’ family meal like grandma used to make. One of our guests actually said that which made me smile. That was one of my own goals for this gathering, to take them back to a time of comfort and simplicity.
The table decor was a couple tablecloths I picked up on clearance last year and $5 bundle of colored flowers. Bright but simple with gifts for our guests as they left for the evening. This year I made potholders/hot pads and homemade jam and apple butter for each. I have four to ship but I hope they enjoy their little homemade bags of goodness none the less!
It’s not required but when you receive a little something from someone you can’t help but feel special. It’s kind of some of our guests to bring us gifts and we are thankful. But farming their land is really gift enough.
Now onto the entertaining kitchen section where I tell you about where I got the recipes and how it all went down. This year it was more of a task for me than usual and the reason is because the farm needed my partner in crime. If you follow us on social media or pretty much any agriculture sites you can see that farming has not been an easy task this year. Our fall harvest and wheat sowing are still continuing due to moisture, moisture, and more moisture. Honestly it’s getting old and my husband is not normally a grumpy person. Needless to say he is right now and I don’t hold it against him!
The mashed potatoes were from our own garden and Milton was kind enough to peel those for me (a job I really dislike!) I actually made most of these in the crockpot then we mashed them.
The two cakes Almond Cream Cake and Doctored Up Caramel Cake were whipped up the day before our gathering. Warning, the almond cake is a lot of work, I had never made frosting with a flour base.
The fried chicken I did use a brine this year. The brine consisted of sugar, buttermilk, and salt. We did that overnight. I did fry it early but only the morning of the party. Then we put it in a large roaster and reheated closer to the party time. I normally make my own gravy from the drippings but didn’t want to risk it not turning out and I was stressed by early afternoon. So I bought packaged white gravy mix and added drippings to it.
The corn was frozen so the stove top worked to cook it! Rhodes rolls are my best friend since I started having dinner parties. Seriously. They are delish and although I could make rolls from scratch I find this is simpler and tastes great!
So I want to thank our guests for coming and send a shout out to my farmer. Because although he worked right up to 5:00 p.m. that day and is feeling pressure this is where I found him Saturday night after our guests left.
With that being said we will continue to pray for all those in the farming community and wish them the best as we finish out one season and move onto another. May your 2019 be one that can be endured and that we can sustain the legacy that has been around for so many years.
Thanks for stopping by,
Julie
In Between the Sunsets of Life 
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