Proper way to set a Table for dinner

Hello young ladies. I am so glad that you stopped by and checked out this hub. This article is about Basic Home Cooking and the Proper Way to Set a Table.

I congratulate you on looking for ways to make a good impression. Basic cooking skills are required for all young people starting out - because moving from home and Mama's good old cooking takes some adjusting. (if you are blessed to know) If you do not know about how good your Mama's cooking can be well - let me share a few tips with you with what my Mama (God bless her soul) taught me about cooking and it's important for you to know how to do it.

There are some qualities that a woman should have when she starts to "court" a young man. - for some of you it means - dating -I'm not talking about the guy you are trying to get with - or want to impress - but, the "real young man" - the one that my Mama would say, "the marrying kind" - The first rule of winning this game, is to learn how to cook! When a man comes home from a hard days work, he's hungry and if you keep telling him that you have to go out and pick something up - fast food or whatever - well let's just say that may not be a good thing for a very long time. So do yourself a favor, learn how to cook a good home cooked meal - it may make a difference in your life and the longevity of your marriage one day. I don't care what no body says, ask any woman - married for over 10 years and she will tell you the same - it still stands true - the way to get a man heart and keep a man's heart is still through his stomach.

In addition ladies, learning how to set a table properly is worth the weight in gold. Now this "special young man " may not notice , but, his Mama will - if you cook dinner for them and she notices that you can cook a good meal and set a table - well that just moved you up at least 5 slots compared to his "last girlfriend." Every Mama wants to know that the woman her son decides to marry can at least cook, keep a house clean, wash clothes, and set a table . So take the time and learn the art of these love gifts it is definitely worth it in the long run.

Now, before I start getting mail about, how I'm an old fashioned - backwoods thinking woman, let me be clear, I know you too work hard,(such as myself) and I know first hand that it takes two or more to keep up today's households - everyone pitching in - just like my house. However, I am not talking about equal rights and womens rights here,

When setting up a nice table for your guest(s) a table cloth is what you have to have first. Plain white one, lace is for Christmas and cotton for special occassions- please NO PLASTIC - and for goodness sake take out the iron and iron it when you have finished ironing it. Set it upon your table and like you see in a restaurant. A couple of elegant candles and small vase of fresh flowers. This always adds that "special touch."

Now dishes - we can go on and on with the right dish set. Your choice is what makes you unique. So, please keep in mind though, that you want your meal to be the center of attention, not the dishware. Nothing worst than a lovely table and a dried up chicken or a beautiful chicken sitting on paper/plastic plates. You get the idea.

Before we go shopping for recipes and coupons, lets talk a little about the basic stuff - like your cooking tools. These tools will help you with cooking quickly and efficiently. One of the most commonly known tools each of us have in our kitchens is a stove - either gas or electric and a refrigerator. But, what you may not have in your kitchen is a good set of pots and pans, bake-ware, crock pot, stove top grill, casserole dishes and an electric knife. These tools are essential to making a difficult home cooked meal - one made simply and easily.

There is nothing better than a good set of pots and pans. The market has tons of them - no stick, non stick, stainless steel and the like. You can buy your favorite Food Network chef's set or buy your own set of cast iron pots and pans. They last a lifetime! Everything else in my opinion - dies out quickly and you usually have to throw them out and buy another set or a pot because you may have burned something in it and can not longer get the goo out. So, I would suggest that you buy cast iron and when you do get them home, the first thing you want to do is season the pans.  Try to cook some really fatty bacon in the pan -  not to eat mind you only to "season the pan." When you finished cooking your bacon, take it out, toss it, and wipe out the bacon grease with a paper towel and some sea salt. This also helps to season the pan - do this a couple of times to make it soft to the touch (as possible) then you are ready to cook in them a great meal.  Just wipe out do not wash it.

Let's talk about stove - gas or electric - you have to know your knobs. There should be one for baking in the oven - (that's the pull down bar that opens the oven) You will use this dial to set the temperature of the oven - you will often read in your recipes the term "preheat" that just means to check to make sure nothing is in the oven - then set the dial to the temperature suggested and leave the door closed. This will get your oven warm enough to welcome the food you have to cook within it. Gas and electric are different when it comes to cooking - I prefer gas cooking but, I've learned to live with electric. It's just easier to control the stove top temperature's. Whereas the electric stove - you have set temperature's already established within the stove so you have go gage it to when its warm enough or too hot and something needs turned down.

Bake-ware -A good set of bake-ware is something one can not live without if you are going to be cooking. I have found over the years that the best bake-ware is aluminum. It bakes your goodies just right with the performance of the stove you are baking. To help with the possibility of sticking - always use something like a Pam spray or baking spray before putting in your batter to bake and a light coating of regular flour makes it really easy to get out without damaging your sweet treats.

Casserole Dishes - are a used for baking casseroles and the ones I find that I love the most is Pyrex. Even though they are made of heavy glass material - the beauty of the glass allows it to go right from the oven - on to your table (of course after it cools off). This keeps you from having to take it out and put it on a serving dish - as Pyrex does the job of two and clean ups - if you put in the spray are easy to put in the dishwasher and take out spotless ready for something else.

Crock pot - No good chef can live without his or her crock pot. In today's rat race - there is little time for oven cooking and preparing wonderful home cooked meals when we get home. Everyone is either too tired, or has to work late or stay after school - so families are eating alone and at all times of the evening. But, when you get home and smell your wonderful meal simmering and waiting on you after a long, tired day, you won't ever part without it and surely you will buy more than one! :)

Stove Top Grill - This has become my most valued tool in my kitchen other than my crock pot. It allows me to cook quickly, healthy and its easy clean up too. In fact, I have two of them. I can put on on the left side and other on the right - both can cook what I need and it makes making a meal a snap. Almost anything can be grilled. When you are done grilling, just toss it in the dishwasher and you are done! No scrubbing necessary. Oh, let me not forget the other fine quality of this amazing kitchen tool - is that you can flip it over and make the best pancakes you have ever eaten!

So here are the things you should start with and the "real" reason why. Don't give all your "goodies" away to the man of your dreams ladies. Like my Mama use to say, "Ain't no man going to buy no cow if he can get the milk for free." If you don't understand this old country saying, let me know I'll be glad to break it down for you in plain english. But, until then, go on out and get these few things and come on back for some more Love Gifts from Mama. I look forward to your comments. Take care. God bless