Memories of a Midwestern Farm or Fete Accompli Workbook

Memories of a Midwestern Farm: Good Food and Inspiration from Around the Kitchen Table

Author: Nancy Hutchens

With a voice as warm as a summer breeze, Nancy Hutchens recalls afternoons in the shade of the back porch, snapping beans for canning...family reunions where the gossip was as good as the food...the serene beauty of the first frost of winter...and other cherished Memories of a Midwestern Farm.

Nancy Hutchens grew up on a southern Indiana farm in the 1950s, when horses still plowed the fields. Soap and butter were homemade, and success was a table laden with a hearty meal. Now she shares this bygone time in Memories of a Midwestern Farm, a celebration of country living sprinkled with irresistible recipes, reminiscences, and bits of timeless folk wisdom. Here are the charming poems and journal entries of Nancy Hutchens' grandmother, Mamaw Tribby; reflections on rural life from Willa Cather, Walt Whitman and others; and family photos and original illustrations that adorn the pages of this beautiful memoir.

And here are more than one hundred classic recipes handed down in the Hutchens farmhouse kitchen. From "Moist and Crunchy Fried Chicken and Gravy" and "Green Beans Country Style" to "Sweet Cherry Dumplings" and "'Get You a Husband' Apple Pie," these mouthwatering favorites bring back the sweet and savory pleasures of country cooking for any occasion and every season.

Memories of a Midwestern Farm is a delightful antidote to modern life, a tribute to the simple gifts that bring farm folks together—hard work, close ties, and an abundance of good, wholesome food.

Library Journal

Hutchens grew up on a large family farm in southern Indiana during the 1950s, but from her description, it could have been decades earlier-no telephone or television, dresses made from colorful calico feed sacks, before-dawn awakenings to prepare the food for the hay hands. In fact, some of her stories are reminiscent of the work of Jane Watson Hopping, the "Pioneer Lady" (The Many Blessings Cookbook, LJ 9/15/93; The Lazy Days of Summer Cookbook, 4/15/92), or even of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Family was important, and Hutchens includes poems, diary entries, and nostalgic memories as well as recipes-Mamaw's Raspberry Cobbler, Mother's Famous Apple Butter-from grandparents, parents, brothers, and sister. A period piece, for larger collections.

Table of Contents:

	Introduction: The Simple Pleasures of Life on the Farm
	Through the Farmhouse Door	2
	A Word About Farm Cooking	6
	Spring: The Glory of the Early Garden
	A Spring Meal to Feed the Hungry Farmer	12
	How Grandpa Started the Farm	20
	Jeff's Special Backwoodsman's Breakfast	24
	Strawberries Three Meals a Day	30
	Leftovers to Treasure	38
	Summer: Haying in the Fields, Canning in the Kitchen
	Mamaw Tribby's Journal	46
	A Hay Hands' Feast	54
	Dandelion Dreams	64
	Putting It Away for Winter	67
	Chicken for Sunday Dinner	74
	Family Reunion Picnic	82
	Homemade Ice Cream Makes a Summer Afternoon	90
	What's Summer Without Corn?	97
	Autumn: Making Cider and Filling Silos
	Apple Pickin' Time	106
	Sweet Potato Pie	115
	Feeding the Silo Fillers	119
	Plain Country Cookin'	127
	Winter: Keeping Warm with Stews and Soups
	Winter Breakfast on the Farm	136
	Washday Stews	141
	Christmas on the Farm	149
	Makin' Fudge 'n Keepin' Busy	161
	Soups to Take the Chill off Winter Nights	165
	Mother's Sugar Cookies	169
	Leaving the Farm	173
	Index	177

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Fete Accompli! Workbook: The Ultimate Party Planning Guide

Author: Lara Shriftman

Throwing a successful party requires a lot more than a well-stocked bar and good music. As public relations experts whose job it is to produce events that make a lasting impression, Lara Shriftman and Elizabeth Harrison know it's the details that make the difference. Now you, too, can organize any party, for 10 guests or 1,000, on a budget of $50 or $500,000, from creating the concept right down to saying goodbye at the end of the night. Chic tips, creative ideas, irresistible recipes, and all the countless ingredients that make a party sizzle are at your fingertips in this hip and handy guide to becoming an event planner extraordinaire. You'll find the experts' best advice on:

• Creating a concept and a budget for any kind of party

• Choosing the right location, whether you keep it cozy at home, camp out at the beach, or rent a local club

• Designing invitations, from classic to kitschy

• Setting the mood with lighting, music, flowers, furniture, décor, and all the little touches that make a party extra fab

• Stocking a thirst-quenching home bar, whipping up smart cocktails, and thinking of innovative ways to serve it all up in style

• Whetting the appetites of your guests, using insider secrets from chefs and tips on how to make fast food sophisticated, with sample menus for classic cocktail parties, luncheons, late-night bashes, and more

• Being a flawless host--or guest--with proper etiquette guidelines, gift ideas, Table Setting 101, and the 411 on posing for the camera

• Producing a party from beginning to end with colorful case studies and detailed instructions for eight fierce fêtes, such as aHamptons-style clambake, a Barbie theme party, an Indian dinner on a $200 budget, and a mani-pedi party

• Re-creating our favorite drinks and dishes from the best restaurants and bars all over the world, like Nobu, Asia de Cuba, Trader Vic's, Bungalow 8, the Delano Hotel, and Indochine

• Getting what you need. There's a complete resource guide in the back, not to mention savvy tips from Puff Daddy, Russell Simmons, Lara Flynn Boyle, David Copperfield, Hugh Jackman, and Donald Trump.