ABigSlice Journal

Necktie Napkin Fold

If you want to deck out the Father's Day table in style, then you will need the perfect tablescape. Here are step-by-step instructions for a necktie napkin fold. Just as mention of the fabric choice. If you use traditional napkins, this fold works best with a 24 inch square (at least). Choose a masculine pattern like a stripe or paisley. We went to the fabris store and got a great piece with vintage automobiles. Then we cut our own squares and gave then a quick 1/4 inch hem. (click on the images for a closer view)

A. Begin with an open napkin, pattern side down. Place the napkin on an ironing board, diagonally. Fold the napkin into thirds. First the left side, and then the right. Make sure the overlap is even (and the tip of the tie is centered).

B. As in "A" fold the napkin into thirds again. Keep the folds and the tip of the tie centered.

C. Approximately one-third down the length of the napkin, fold the thin top point to the left and slightly down, so that it looks like drawing "D".

D. Turn the napkin over from side to side.

E. Take the thin point of the napkin and bring it over the main part of the napkin toward the left. This will become the knot of the tie.

F. Fold the point back and into a crease at the back, top part of the tie. This will form a very loose knot.

G. Carefully shape and tighten the knot until you are satisfied. Place a card to dad on top and the man of the house's place is set!

Valentine's Day Wine Tasting - For Singles Only, Part 1

A lot of people feel that Valentine's Day was simply made to make you feel unloved. If you are one of those people then read on. We want you to learn to express your love with no strings attached.

This year we invited two of our single friends over for a St. Valentine's Day wine tasting. This was not a set up, in fact that is strictly forbidden for this kind of party. It is meant to be an evening spent with friends who may not often get together without their other coupled friends. It's a time to deepen and strengthen ties. A time to let them know they are not alone.

I won't go into the specifics of how we conducted the wine tasting, we have covered that before. But we did use the Bacchus Box (click here for an explanation of the Bacchus Box). For this tasting we wanted to see if we could tell the difference between five sauvignon blancs from five different countries. To see the results of this tasting click here. We chose a menu especially for this tart, mouthwatering wine consisting of tilapia with cilantro beurre blanc, chilled cream of tomato soup and pear, chevre and hazelnut salad.

If you are alone the St. Valentine's Day, chances are you know someone else who is, too. Why not change the emphasis of this holiday and express your love for a dear friend? You may never be lonely again.

For more information on the history of sauvignon blanc, and to see the recipes we used click here.

Valentine's Day Wine Tasting - For Singles Only, Part 2

Setting the Table

Clare and I wanted the table to resemble one of those old fold out valentines. The kind that seems to create a three dimensional scene when you open it. There's something very romantic to me about weathered love. The kind that has been through the mill, but somehow manages to stay together. (sigh) But I digress. So the inspiration for this table was one of those antique valentines. Here's what we did.

1. My chairs are black and I felt that next to the table they would really take away from the look. So I made some quick slip covers by measuring the length of the chair from seat to the top of the back and doubling it. Then I measured the width of the chairs. (Luckily the chairs I was using had no arms, which would have created too many problems) I cut four pieces out of some beautiful red satin and sewed them leaving one end open to slip over the backs. Now the chairs fit right in.

2. We covered the table with a white tablecloth, and down the center we created a runner out of some bunched up hot pink satin.

3. All along the length of the runner we placed old silk roses. We got these at a garage sale. They are all faded, but they are still lovely and fit right in with the antique valentine theme.

4. Since we were tasting five wines, every taster had to have five glasses. So we centered those at each place setting.

5. The clear red glass plates came from Target. Very inexpensive, but we use them a lot when we need some color on the table.

6. The silverware was a Christmas gift from Ted's sister. In fact they may have been the start of the whole process. Their red handles work great with the rest of the decorations.

7. On top on each plate we placed the decorative envelopes (see below). And there you have it. It it a little over the top, but so were those old valentines.

Valentine's Day Wine Tasting - For Singles Only, Part 3

Heart Shaped Napkin

When each guest pulled out their chair, a Valentine's surprise was waiting for them. We had folded the napkins in the shapes of hearts and placed an antique Valentine within the folds of each one. A Big Slice's philosophy is that even though you may not have someone special on Valentine's Day, you are still loved. We wrote a special note to each guest expressing how much we care for them, and how nice it was for them to spend that day with us. For the complete instructions on how to fold a heart shaped napkin click here.

Valentine's Day Wine Tasting - For Singles Only, Part 4

Decorative Silk Envelopes

I made these envelopes about two years ago and we use them all of the time. Sometimes the envelopes will contain the evening's menu. Other times it will simply have a special note for that guest. Since this gathering was for a wine tasting, each envelope contained an antique valentine with a list of the wines that our guests were about to taste.

For detailed instructions on how to make these lovely table envelopes, click here.

Valentine's Day Wine Tasting - For Singles Only, Part 5

Sweet Endings

At the end of the tasting, we all enjoyed some heart shaped chocolates. This was the first time that we tried our hand at making chocolates and it was easier than we thought it would be.

Materials

1/2 pound of good chocolate
(This can be semi-sweet, milk or white. We purchased a block of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate for our hearts, but you should go with your favorite.)

heart shaped mold
(A couple of Easters ago, some dear friends of ours from Denmark gave us an ice tray that made heart shaped ice cubes. We adapted it for these chocolate. So almost any mold will do, but the more hearts your particular mold has, the quicker the process will be.)

1. Temper the chocolate. This gives the chocolate a nice glossy appearance. Click here to find out how to temper chocolate.

2. Pour the chocolate into the mold. There is no need for any releasing agent like butter or oil. The chocolate shrinks as it cools and releases easily from the sides of the mold.

3. Using a knife or an offset spatula, gently scrape over the surface of the mold to remove any excess chocolate and smooth out the surface of the candies . You don't have to be too meticulous about this. We found that the extra bits seem to fall right off. It might also be a good idea to hold the mold about 3 inches off of the surface of your kitchen counter and drop it a few times. This will bring any bubbles to the surface.

4. Refrigerate the chocolates until they have set. The amount of time will depend on the size of your chocolates. Ours were about one inch at the widest point, and they set up in about half an hour. Then, by pushing on the bottom of the mold, release the chocolate hearts.

Since this was at the end of the wine tasting, we simply served the chocolates with some coffee. But place them alongside any fancy dessert and you have an instant Valentine's Day treat!

Planning a Formal New Year's Eve Party

Creating the atmosphere for a party is much like an interior designer creating a room. There are a few things that must be taken into consideration for the party to achieve the desired effect. I am going to walk you through how we arrived at and developed our atmosphere.