Newsletter Archive

Christmas is coming! Karen, Miss Charlotte, and I  made these little cinnamon cheese blintzes a week before our grandson, R. Stuart Holden, IV, was born… and we just celebrated his fourth birthday!  We will make some this week, freeze them, and bake them on Christmas morning.  They are a yummy nibble to enjoy as we open presents (and we are indeed up early with little grandchildren!) before Christmas breakfast is served.  Note: These complement a glass of Christmas champagne too! You will need the following: 1 loaf of white bread (about 20 slices) with the crust removed 12 oz. softened cream cheese 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 egg yolk Optional: 1/4 tsp. almond extract 1 1/3 sticks of softened butter 3/4 cup sugar mixed with 1/4 cup cinnamon To-Do: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Flatten the bread until thin with a rolling pin. Cream together the cream cheese, vanilla,

The Paradise Ball was a grand and glorious tribute to the Salvation Army of Palm Beach County’s 100th anniversary, since 1922! The Salvation Army, located in 131 countries and in every zip code in America, marches to the drum of love, and their politics are that of kindness… both much needed in our world today. The stupendously elegant invitations from Dempsey & Carroll, NYC, were engraved and alluded to a stately evening ahead: the essence of old-world elegance.  “Mrs. Post’s Paradise Ball” was the title of the event. She purchased the property for her Palm Beach home in 1922, the same year the SA was founded in Palm Beach. Marjorie Merriweather Post was smiling from above as the guests at the Paradise Ball reveled in “old Palm Beach” graciousness.” Gentlemen in tails and ladies in glittering ballgowns contributed to the elegant, jubilant, and PINK atmosphere. Our goal was to dust off

It is finally happening! After months of planning, and the joyful execution of three pre-celebratory events, The Salvation Army of Palm Beach County’s 100th anniversary, Paradise Ball, will take place this weekend! While I have already discussed White-tie attire for men in a previous newsletter, a few of your inquiries prompted me to cover these additional details for ladies. White-tie dress code for ladies: The appropriate dress is a floor-length gown. If you always wanted to wear a Cinderella ballgown, this is your moment. Ballgowns and floor-length gowns contribute to the gracious old-world elegance of a White-tie Ball. Cocktail attire, semi-formal dresses and pantsuits are not worn. Think White House State dinner, or a Buckingham Palace Royal State Dinner. Shoes:  Heels with a closed toe are traditionally worn, and not an open-toed shoe. Glass slippers? Doubtful! What about Dorothy’s “click-your-heels-sequin-sparkly” shoes? Definitely! Glittering silver or gold is always festive!  The

Do you need to sing for your supper? Oh yes, indeed you do! As a guest, you are being treated to dinner, and your host is going out of their way to entertain and nourish you with their gracious hospitality, food, and drink. A proper guest knows how to acknowledge and show gratitude by being engaging and conversational with the other guests, as well as polite and appreciative. It is up to you to contribute to the evening by being charming with your conversation and joviality, especially if you want to be invited back! Nothing is worse than a guest who expects to be entertained or is a bore. Protocol for a proper dinner guest: Respond to an invitation within 48 hours or sooner! This affirms how enthused you are to attend. Hosts go to great lengths to choose an invitation for an event. When you open up a stunning

This is the week many of you will be setting a table for Thanksgiving! With that in mind, the topic of chargers came to mind. A “charger” is a plate that is more significant in diameter than a dinner plate. It is also referred to as a service plate or an underplate.  While chargers are used for decorative purposes these days, they were primarily used to protect the table from hot plates being placed directly on top of the table’s wood surface. They date back to the 15th century. Chargers vary in size from 11-14″ in diameter. Food is never served on the actual charger. Instead, the dinner plate is placed on top of the charger.  Additional courses may be served on the charger too. Do you know when NOT to use a charger?  The dessert course!  A charger is permanently removed before the dessert course is served. Chargers have become

It is that time of year again! The Holidays are coming. So, why not serve a festive punch?  Your guests will be pleased… as punch! My secret “Holden Punch” has become a traditional libation that our guests have now come to expect at Fox Hall and Fox Worth… and they are rawwwther disappointed if it does not greet them! In addition to having a bar, I find it easy to offer a punch versus a signature cocktail because the punch is prepared in advance, and voila, guests can also help themselves! Where did “punch” initially come from? British sailors brought it back to Europe from their travels to the colonies in India during the 16th century. Nutmeg was the most valuable product imported from there, and it was also the spice used in punch.  Because of that, punch became fashionable for aristocrats and the elite in Europe, and eventually in