Hostess with the Mostess 

I LOVE Martha Stewart. She is the Queen. She was the original Boss Bitch. And for the better part of my life, for as long as I was aware of who Ms Stewart was, I wanted to be her. Not the wealth or the power, but the elegance, and the style, and the entertaining capabilities. When I was growing up, entertaining was sitting around the kitchen table with the adults, eating cubes of cheese with crackers, and little slices of salami or pepperoni.  I didn’t know there was anything more than that until Martha (yes, we’re on a first name basis). 

I loved wrapping presents, making them pretty. Often, the presentation was more important than the gift. In the 2000s, I started baking shortbread, and wrapping them up in elegant little packages to gift to co-workers, friends, my hair guys, at the holidays. I think I made like 50 dozen shortbread one year!  I can’t even imagine what my butter bill must have been at the time!  But it really was just an excuse to wrap up the box. 

I didn’t actually “entertain” until late in life, in Toronto. Brunches with Sinead, or my neighbour Judy, the Babies’ godmother, the odd cocktail party here and there. Planning the menu, thinking of each guest’s tastes, and any dietary restrictions. And planning the décor, of course. Just doing everything I could to make my guests feel welcome and appreciated.

Then Covid hit, and the entertaining stopped.  Then the move back to the country, and the nightmare scenario at home. I missed the entertaining!  Then once the jackass moved out, and the planning could begin again. 

I had a little patio built for an outdoor dining area just off my garden. I finally had a space to have a coffee in the morning, or a meal al fresco. That first summer, I had friends over for snacks, and a fire in my firepit.  It’s a lovely way to spend a summer evening!  

The next summer, I hosted a brunch for a couple of friends: quiche, scones, a variety of jams, all homemade of course. It was great to get my serving dishes out of storage!  You know it’s a big deal when you have to stand on a kitchen chair to reach the highest cupboards for the “special” dishes!  It was a beautiful Saturday morning, great for brunch outside. 

The ultimate party, though, was Henry’s first birthday. That was a big milestone for him, but it was also an excuse to have my girlfriends over. The timing was also perfect – that was just after I had stopped working, so the menu and party planning was the perfect distraction. My reading suffered that month, though, I was so focused on the planning. 

I had five guests and my sister for brunch. It was a little too early in the year to count on the weather for outside dining, so we pulled out my grandmother’s dining table. I also pulled out some reliable brunch recipes, and experimented with a new one – lemon posset, served in little lemon cups!  It was delicious, and so, so cute! And of course, Henry needed some “pupcakes”!

And it was a birthday party, so we had to have decorations, and cake!  It was also Heidi’s birthday, so she got a cake, too!

The best part of gifting, and entertaining, is the joy you can bring to others. That’s how I show my love – through the food, and the attention to detail. 

Henry’s party was a great success, I think!  We got to spend time with the people we love, celebrating Henry’s birthday and each other. And I think people were happy with the food, especially that posset!