LET'S COOK! Repnow dinner party brings mayor’s wife to her knees
By CHARLES REPNOW, Freelance WriterArticle Photos
Is there such a thing as: A Styrofoam cup worthy of rich coffee? An automobile clock that is easy to program? A guaranteed, huge money-making investment? A flawless dinner party? Well, I personally can answer "no" to all of the above. Today I wish to expand on the flawless dinner party I was planning in Rugby a few years ago.
Jan and I have always enjoyed entertaining guests in our home. With our thoughts of enjoying the 12 days of Christmas, we took full advantage of holiday entertaining well into the first week of the New Year. When we purchased a home in Rugby, a formal dining room was one of our top priorities. We feel blessed to live in a Montgomery Ward catalog home which has a lovely dining room complete with a Tudor ceiling. Years ago when we selected our wallpaper, we tapped into our spirit of adventure and covered the walls with the most inky, midnight blue wallpaper you can imagine. We selected this because we thought it went very nicely with Jan's Royal Albert bone china in the Memory Lane pattern. Now if all decisions we had to make would be this lasting and pleasing as this wallpaper, I know I would be wrinkle-free.
Bless the world for perceptive and generous relatives. Case in point: our relatives quickly figured out that we enjoyed entertaining and thought we should be adding to our china collection.
Over the years, we have received a complete set of Lenox china in the Holiday pattern. Now you cannot live on this Earth without knowing and appreciating Lenox Holiday. The china itself is the creamiest shade of ivory with an elegant garland of green holly and red berries resting in a classic repose next to a soft gold banding. When the table is set with these dishes, you know your entertaining will not be ordinary.
Several years ago, we were checking on the china at the former Robinson's Jewelry Store in Williston. This was always one of our shopping stops as we were excited to see what new Lenox Holiday pieces Ruth would be enticing us with this year. As we strolled up the staircase into the elegant china balcony -- complete with crystal chandelier -- our eyes were cast upon one of the great exalted masterpieces of Lenox -- a large Lenox Holiday punch bowl. We both stood in awe, and at this moment felt privileged to see first hand the unmatched supreme quality of this stunning, massive bowl. This lasted just for moments because we both started to consciously realize what this piece had to offer our entertaining domain. As true testament to our Scandinavian heritage, once our eyes located the price tag, we did not gasp out loudly, but only sniveled within ourselves that this was way out of our price range.
Even though we could not afford the Lenox Holiday punch bowl, this did not stop us from strolling into Robinson's Jewelry Store each time we visited Williston. Ruth soon knew Jan and I were developing a relationship with this bowl. Unbeknownst to me, neither she nor Jan were giving up hope that this punch bowl would be heading east on Highway 2. And for those of you who are also astounded by the pure beauty of Lenox, you know how vulnerable one can be at times like this. The Lenox Holiday Christmas sleigh is highly prized and many owners have instructed their loved ones, "If the house catches on fire, grab all the pictures and Lenox you can!"
Ruth mentioned she was willing to make a nice deal on the Lenox punch bowl. So on the way home, without missing a beat, Jan says to me, "Would we make use of that gorgeous punch bowl?"
I simply knew it wasn't possible, so I merely responded by saying "I really don't have a need for it." Meanwhile, it had already been purchased, and with a great "hush-hush" the bowl was delivered into the safe hands of Jan's mother and stashed away until the next Christmas Eve. It was the last present opened that Christmas Eve, and you can imagine my surprise. In fact, I was for once completely "bowled over!" Once again, we must never underestimate the power of women working together in a covert operation.
The Unveiling
Being very pleased with this astral gift, I was very anxious to now have a dinner party where there would be complete harmony from the punch table to the dinner table -- with the common denominator being Lenox Holiday.
I may be wrong, but I do not believe there is another Lenox Holiday Punch Bowl in the community of Rugby. I knew the unveiling would need to be tremendous. First, I would establish a guest list ... dignitaries and other china lovers. So, Mayor Dale G. Niewoehner and his lovely wife, Marilyn, would be invited. Having attended several auctions, I knew the love Mary Hamby and Veronica Buchl had for dishes as well. So add these to the guest list as well as Veronica's husband, Art. With seven chairs filled who would be the last invited guest? Yes, a china enthusiast from way back and a gracious hostess as well Eleanor Buchl-MacDonnell.
Jan and I carefully planned our menu, and we took the time to set our dining table the evening before. When it was completed, we both knew deep in our hearts this was certainly going to be one of the very ultimate dinner parties we had given. Our home was trimmed for the holidays, and the each window was lighted with a candle. Oh, if Martha Stewart could see us now!
We had carefully worked out the logistics of the punch bowl. After all -- at a coming-out party, the guest of honor must be seen! The bowl would be placed front and center on the living room coffee table. In my total brilliance, I thought the bowl should perhaps sit a little higher. So I placed this stunning punch bowl on a red glass pedestal. Yes, the look was completely unbeatable! One of Jan's finest hand-embroidered tablecloths was the foundation for the punch parade.
Wanting to have a berry punch, I selected a recipe complete with raspberries set into an ocean of cranberry and pineapple juice. As I poured the punch into the bowl, I was envisioning all the wonderful parties this bowl would grace. To this point, the evening could not have been more flawless. I looked at the clock and we were both ready for guests. The table was perfect and the meal was right on the avenue. We both sat down in our living room to enjoy the holiday ambiance. This had never happened before ... at previous dinner parties we were always running until the first guest arrived.
Our guests had now arrived and I was serving punch using my matching Lenox ladle and feeling mighty proud! When all of a sudden the pedestal gave way,
and in a beautiful s-l-o-w motion the glorious bowl rolled onto the floor! Our Christmas punch was quickly claiming new territory ... our oriental rug! Thanks goodness our rug is shades of cranberry. Gasps from our guests were heard, and we all stood dazed -- and a bit traumatized.
I remember Mary Hamby yelling out, "Get a broom and some towels -- quick!" At once I zoomed off for the demanded rescue tools. Within seconds, Mary was gently sweeping up the berries in her black velvet pumps; Marilyn, Veronica, and Eleanor -- also dressed in their holiday finest -- were on their knees with towels soaking up our cranberry tidal wave. I stood in pure wonder as I watched this spectacle unfold! Here we have the mayor's wife and invited guests on their knees ... what an entertaining disaster! I had visions of invigorating our dinner party with humor and lively conversation, but never had I planned on bringing our guests to their knees.
Well, have you ever heard, "What was bad becomes good, what was ugly becomes beautiful." Well, this was certainly the case -- especially when we discovered our Lenox punch bowl was unharmed ... glory be. We were tremendously lucky. There was no need worry here about having an ice breaker to warm up the guests. Approximately 10 seconds after cleanup we were all rolling in laughter. So as you can see a bit of early unraveling at a dinner party may just be what you want. But if you wish to re-enact this scene, don't come looking for my Lenox Holiday punch bowl.
Jan and Lydia join me in extending our best wishes to you for a wonderful Christmas season. Thank you for reading "Let's Cook," and I certainly have enjoyed hearing from many of you. This week, I will share with you the punch recipe we used at this dinner party that truly brought our guests to their knees ... in a noble fashion of course!
--------------------------------------------------
Christmas Punch
very colorful; guests have been "bowled over"
1 can chilled pineapple juice
1 bag of cranberries cooked with 4 to 5 cups of water and strained through a cheese cloth or 1 64 oz. bottle of cranberry juice
2 liters chilled ginger ale
1 liter club soda
2 cups of sugar dissolved in 2 cups of gently boiling water cooled completely
2 boxes of frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 cup lime juice
2 to 3 oranges which have been sliced very thin for garnish
Chill above ingredients well and mix in given order. This makes a very colorful punch and when your floating punch is garnished with the thin orange slices, it is very attractive. You may also add a large bottle of 7-Up if you feel you need more punch.
