"Beware the hobby that eats." ~ Benjamin Franklin

But what a wonderful hobby it is!!  BITE (But Is This Edible?), gathered together the other evening for our "Colonial Christmas   Dinner" at Ellen's home.  Her house was decked out in its holiday finest and as an old farmhouse, was the perfect setting for a dinner set in the past.  Once again, we divvied up the dinner responsibilities.  Ellen, as host, provided the entree and beverage.  Tierney had the side-dish. Chris - the dessert, and I was responsible for  the appetizer - only to discover that the colonists didn't really "do" appetizers - so I improvised a bit.

At our last gathering, our conversation at one point turned to paper-dolls, and our memories as girls growing up and playing with them.  In honor of those memories, and in keeping with our theme, Tierney presented Ellen with a set of colonial paper-dolls that she had found on-line and printed out for her.  They were a perfect addition to our festivities!

 

I failed to get an actual shot of the biscuits and ham that I made, so this image will have to suffice.  Mine were smaller - more bite-sized.

~ The table adorned with glittering ornaments ~

Potato Stew - creamy and delicious

Grape Sauce

The Chicken Breasts

    King's Arms Tavern Boneless Breast of Chicken and Virginia Ham 

Who would have ever thought that grapes on chicken could be so delicious?

Panetone Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Syrup ~ rich and luscious!

 ~Very, very sweet ~

Once again, we managed to pull together a menu that was delightful on every level - to say nothing of the company!  We talked and laughed well into the night.  You may have noticed as you scrolled through the photos, that there was not a vegetable to be seen.  I think that we will try to take that into account for our future gatherings.  Speaking of the future, a few of us will be heading to warmer climes shortly, so BITE will be on a brief hiatus.  I hope to experience new fresh seafood recipes during this time, and will happily share them along the way!

All recipes can to accessed on the BITE page of my blog located in the right-hand column.