I always write about the outdoors but I spend as much time indoors as any other American. I sit at a computer for eight hours, as a matter of fact, five days a week, pulling information about products out of various databases and displaying it through a browser in an accurate and, let's assume, compelling way. (Actually, most of what I do is systems analysis and project management: arranging for information to be put into databases and done so in a way that I can retrieve it, uh, systematically.) So despite all the deer, quail and mountains you find here, I do often think about indoor things.
Like dessert.
When you invite another family over for dinner, do you serve dessert? I always think I should because they're guests and that I shouldn't because – well, children spend 10-15 rowdy minutes at the dinner table and then disappear back into their toys, leaving the adults free to talk. Why invite the children back for dessert? But then, you know, they're guests. But then, all my friends are psychotic about what they feed their children; I couldn't begin to guess what kind of dessert they would consider acceptable.
Ice cream is for birthdays. Cookies and cakes are too sweet. Pies are too much work. Grapes and cheese we serve as appetizers. What's left?
Advice, please. What do you do?
(You want me to go back to the deer and quail, don't you?)
9 comments:
I confess, I usually have some sort of dessert. Muffins would count, absolutely, but often it's ice cream (EASY) or pie. Mmmm. Pie.
Jody! It's nice to hear from you.
Ice cream is OK for an ordinary meal, eh? That's good to know. Ice cream is healthier than yogurt, turns out -- depending on the brands you buy. I had a big discussion with one of my sisters about that. (Breyer's french vanilla wins out over any flavor of Yoplait, hands down.)
Cupcakes.
Melon.
Pudding (mom was big on Jello and pudding, remember Dad melting it in his mouth and then gargling with it? don't you want to teach your kids that??)
store-bought cookies that you hide in your underwear drawer or in a Saltines box so as not to be devoured.
canned mandarine oranges, canned fruit cocktail, cool whip and any fruit, really
Ice cream is NOT just for birthdays. CHEAP ice cream is for birthdays. Depending on how much you like your guests, get a small assortment of Ben and Jerry's.
I think nice store bought cookies (i.e. Pepperidge Farm Milano or Brussels) are always good too.
Or you can bake. If you want, I can send you a recipe for clafouti, which is really yummy and tasty and quite healthy really. It's best with cherries but fine with any kind of berries. Or I have a delicious tarte au chocolat recipe which isn't that hard to make, although you should know that I don't consider pie all that hard to make either. What about cobblers and crisps? Apple cake? Cupcakes?
I entertain a lot...can you tell :) We don't normally have dessert, only if there's company.
If the other family asks what to bring, tell them "dessert"!
Mayberry, that's the best idea yet : )
Nomad, I'd love your clafouti recipe. I bought a ginormous box of pears and one of apples from the Prineville FFA group; clafouti would be a good use of the pears.
apple crisp.
and yeah, ice cream is not just for birthdays. so put some vanilla ice cream on the apple crisp.
For guests, I have dessert. What dessert depends on what they feed me at their home. Pie lovers get pie, birthdays get cake.
I often serve a savoury - 'smelly cheese' the kidlet calls it, with baguette. And serve a bowl of berries with it, with yoghurt.
Or Apple Crisp, like Magpie, or a few decadent cookies with a bowl of fruit.
On Christmas, each plate gets a chocolate mouse. Yes, mouse, not mousse.
This is funny - the word verification is 'savor'.
I was just coming in to say the same thing as Mayberry.
If I'm the one making dessert, it's usually vegan chocolate cupcakes from the recipe in the Moosewood Cookbook.
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