good food | Tuesdays with Laurie

Saturday night was a beautiful evening for the Tinkler’s barn party in Woodstock, Illinois—and what a party it was!

Appearing seamless to the casual observer, there’s lots of pre-planning, elbow grease, and behind-the-scenes work that goes into this annual event. I don’t know their full recipe for success, but some of the ingredients include:

Start with a fun loving host family

Mix in their century-old barn

Whisk in a hearty portion of guests—adults and children alike

Liberally add tables laden with delicious food

Sprinkle with tents for people who’ve travelled far

Add a generous dollop of cheerful flowers

Gently fold in good friends

Baste with plenty of arm-waving, booty-shaking, get-down music

Shake, don’t stir.

If you follow this recipe, you’re sure to have one heckofa good time!

What was the last party you went to?

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
— Laurie Buchanan

www.HolEssence.com and our Facebook page

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We celebrated Len’s 55th birthday on Sunday. After an early morning bicycle ride, we headed over to “Our Garden” for a beautiful bouquet of colorful flowers and some delicious vegetables to add to the celebration meal.

Because it was hot and humid, we kept the meal simple and cool: fresh fruit, nuts, and cheese for appetizers, and a build-your-own salad, with fresh-off-the-stalk corn on the cob. I made one of the salad dressings with Chemlali Olive Oil and Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar—both from “The Olive Oil Shops” in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin—our favorite oilery.

Our friend, Karen, brought an assortment of homemade bars—chocolate, lemon, and peanut butter—for dessert.

The first birthday that Len and I celebrated together after we got married in 1980 was Len’s 25th birthday. Because he didn’t play a musical instrument, I thought it would be a good idea to broaden his horizons just a wee bit. With that in mind, I bought him a harmonica. After two months of ear-scraping, brain-denting “noise” I confiscated it, explaining that this was just one more good reason for him to never, ever go to prison. With a harmonica they’d kill him—definitely kill him!

Happy Birthday Len!

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
– Laurie Buchanan

Tuesdays with Laurie

"Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing." —Laurie Buchanan

Tag Archives: good food

Shaken, Not Stirred – The Art of a Great Party

Double Nickels — Happy 55th Birthday Len!