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Monday, August 29, 2016

{Cooking Dinner for Twelve at Our Home}

Only one week after we got our new Miele Dishwasher installed I had to prepare a dinner for 12 at our home.
Imagine, cleaning all that mess and having a neat home, shopping for the ingredients and cooking...
Shopping means a 2 ½ hour drive to Atlanta, one way!

This is one table setting, in our dining room for 9.
Tabecloth is French Le Jacquard Français.

And 3 more in our bay window section in the kitchen.
Tablecloth is French Yves Delorme.
Monday, January 25...

At Costco Wholesale we did buy this great and very healthy salad.
It comes with dressing, variety of nuts and seeds!
That helps for making things easier...

These delicious wheat rolls are from Whole Foods Market
Snow Flake Rolls they are called...
(Added this photo later)
Tira-mi-su I made the evening before... A favorite dessert at our home.
I would prepare a German style dinner and as meat choice I had Pork Tenderloin, baked in the oven.
Red potatoes, just pre-boiled and then pan fried.
I did keep them warm in my 30" Miele Convection Food Warming Drawer with dual heating system. drawer in the staircase area.
It is great, getting things out of the way and ready to clean up the cook top and kitchen counter.

From Cost Plus World Market I did have this Red Cabbage Salad from Lowell foods.
And yes, I did for once cover the Le Jacquard Français tablecloth with a soft plastic that I have... This is a HUGE tablecloth, I've added a small table at the end, from the Rose Suite downstairs.
Not easy for ironing such size so this saved me from doing that.
My Pillivuyt Sancerre serving plates combined with Cream Colour on Cream Colour by Wedgwood for salad and later also the bigger round dinner plates for the main course. I kept those in my Miele plate warming drawer...

Cups & saucers from the same Wedgwood Cream Colour on Cream Colour and dessert plates for the Tira-mi-su.
Table setting for 3 in the kitchen.
Often I use the round teak table from the balcony for ourselves, set also in the kitchen.
Here no Wedgwood china is used but instead the Pillivuyt Sancerre dinner plates.

Those Pillivuyt dinner plates also went inside the plate warming drawer for the main course.
   Seltmann Weiden Mirabell White plates for the salad.
I've also learned not to use my French Baccarat crystal but instead a cheaper crystal for glasses...

Hard to capture such a longer table from above...
Flatware is Gero Zilmeta 528 Menuet and for dessert spoons silver Alvin Bridal Rose.
Sorry there are no further photos as it was only Team Vedder that did wait on these guests and no time for snapping any pictures from main course and such.

My French trolley from La Redoute, France that Pieter used in the veranda for creating a little bar...
The Baccarat crystal ice bucket with thong always comes in handy.
So that's my duty for Pieter's Monday Night Club as it is our turn to host the dinner.
The maximum I've done is cooking for 15.

I was sure glad when all was done and I also enjoyed the compliments about the food.
Next day I had severe back pain. That was mainly because that entire week, since our Miele dishwasher got finally installed and working, I had done the cleaning etc.
It is as I said above, for our home and garden, only Team Vedder!



16 comments:

  1. Wow, Mariette, what a beautiful table setting you created! It looks so dreamy :-) I love your elegant Wedgwood China. Your guests are very lucky. They must have enjoyed everything - food, atmosphere, and company!
    I'm sorry about your back, though. I hope it got better soon.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  2. Hello Mariette, Count on you to overcome all obstacles and have a beautiful party and setting. As you probably recall from living in Asia, there are few convenience foods here (at least, Western style), and so everything has to be made from scratch--if you can even find the basic ingredients! Still, there is nothing so nice as entertaining friends in your home. I sure that yours felt the warm welcome that emanates from your style and careful preparation.
    --Jim

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    Replies
    1. Dearest Jim,
      Thank you for your kind words and yes, with a lot of perseverance one almost can perform miracles at times!
      Yes, I do know about living in Asia, there was only one store where you could find Western style ingredients but that took us a 2.5 hour one-way drive! So that was sporadic and I've never cooked like I do here at home, in Indonesia. Better to go to a restaurant... You live there more permanently than we did with only two months and one month in-between away so I agree with you that entertaining friends in your home is by far the nicest way!
      Sending you hugs,
      Mariette

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  3. Liebe Mariette,

    das ist ein Gedicht!

    Sonnige Sonntagsgrüße
    Elisabeth

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  4. Dear Mariette - that was a lot of work and preparation for you, and not forgetting all the jobs to do after your guests have left - washing, clearing up and putting everything away again - it is very tiring entertaining so many people.
    Glad it all went well for you, and that your guests enjoyed and appreciated all of your hard work.

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  5. Hello Marietta,
    the tables are awesome and great. It was a wonderful gathering for all of you, I think.
    Best regards, Synnöve

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  6. Lovely table settings. Wedgewood is beautiful!

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  7. Het ziet er prachtig uit, zo'n gedekte tafel is zo leuk om alles eens te kunnen gebruiken wat anders maar in de kast staat. Maar veel werk van te voren om alles in te kopen en mooi te maken. Wij waren laatst ook met 12 personen voor Stef zijn verjaardag, je bent er dagen mee bezig, alle stoffige glazen een keer door de vaatwasser laten draaien :) We hebben er een buffet van gemaakt en iedereen kon in de tuin zitten mede dankzij stoelen van de buren want het was eindelijk eens mooi weer.

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  8. Liebe Mariette,
    alles sieht sehr fein und harmonisch aus.
    Die Gäste wereen sich wohlgefühlt haben.
    Einen schönen Sonntag wünscht
    Irmi

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  9. Petje af hoor, voor zo veel mensen koken, en dat ze het dan ook nog lekker vinden. Je hebt een mooi menu samen gesteld...en je tafel mooi gedekt!!
    Ziet er allemaal heel mooi uit, maar het is natuurlijk je vak..toch?
    Soms zou ik dit ook wel eens willen geven, les in etiquette, er zijn er veel die dit wel eens kunnen gebruiken, maar of diegene waar het om draait daar ook les in zullen volgen ?? denk het niet.
    Slim van je om een dun laagje plastic over je tafellaken te leggen, scheelt je inderdaad een moeilijk strijkwerkje..
    En dat je rugpijn had snap ik wel, was dus ook weer even een 'onrustig' en 'druk' weekje voor jullie...dus nu met de beentjes op de bank en nagenieten....

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    Replies
    1. Beste Marian,
      Nee hoor, dit was niet voor een etiquette class maar voor Pieter's club. Ze hebben telkens een diner op een maandag avond waar iemand van de maximaal 15 leden de gastheer of gastvrouw is. Aansluitend geeft een ander een lezing, ook om de beurt. Maximaal heb ik ooit voor 15 gekookt. Vaker had ik ook iemand die mee hielp serveren, het is aanpoten om drie gangen met z'n beidjes te doen, plus het bijschenken van de wijn en het water... Maar Team Vedder heeft het weer gered!
      Liefs,
      Mariette

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  10. Dearest Mariette!
    Your coking Dinner for Twelve at your home you had to prepare a dinner for 12 at your home.it was nice good ideas in your dining room. The healthy salad with lovely dinner plate.
    I wish next time are more usual walking just around your home.
    Have a nice day!
    Michiko

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  11. Dearest Mariette,
    it looks so delicious and you did a wonderful table setting! I am sure, your guests enjoyed the time with you!
    I LOVE your Wedgewood Stuff!
    Have a wonderful new week,
    sending Love and hugs and blessings, Claudia xo

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  12. Mooie gedkete tafels hou special van met het witte servies ,groetjes,Joan

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  13. Olá,
    um lindo jantar. Amei sua mesa. Essa salada está divina. Interessante vir pronto, aqui não temos nada assim. Tudo temos que fazer. Aqui para qualquer refeição é um churrasco e salada russa. Veio em boa hora a maquina nova.
    Bjos tenha uma ótima semana.

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  14. Your dinner is so elegant, dear Mariette! Such a beautiful table - I love it all! Your guests are very fortunate to have hosts like you. The little bar is charming :) and the food sounds wonderful. Dinner parties do take so much work, but I know it must have been very appreciated. I hope you are resting with the heating pad for a few days! You earned it! Hugs xo Karen

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Thanks for your visit and comment.

Mariette...