The Prairie Thief

This book has my heart (you can read more at Read Aloud Books) - perhaps because Chapter 28 is titled Potato Chowder!

Once you read the book, you'll understand the ladle centerpiece (Mrs. Smirch is not the sweetest lady)!  Of course, we needed a brownie (garden gnome...whatever is a close match) and some prairie sunflowers.  We got to use my teapot, and a tea towel authentically embroidered by my prairie-raised grandma.

As we read this book, we kept a list of food options for our book dinner party.  Potato chowder (check out Miss Mustard Seed's potato corn soup with dill recipe if you need a recipe idea) was our main course, naturally with bread and real butter because, come on, this book is set in the Midwest and that's our primary food group.  

Louisa, the main character, makes an essential discovery in a hazel grove, so we have a teacup of hazelnuts.  In Chapter 17 Horseradish Tea, Louisa does her best to be polite: The brownie's "tea" was like nothing Louisa had ever tasted before...she tried to swallow politely, but it stung her throat and brought tears to her eyes. We substituted cinnamon tea.

Of course, we couldn't NOT have brownies for dessert!