A Baby Shower Menu and More! Part 1
- Bess Hawthorne
- Dec 18, 2025
- 3 min read
Immigrating from Russia as a teen, Nicole Shuparski offers a unique perspective on serving others including a humorous look into life on her church’s hospitality committee. From the cauldron-sized pot she uses for her beloved clam chowder to the oar she stirs it with, Nicole shares her must-have tools and reliable recipes, including trusted King Arthur Baking classics. She highlights the importance of writing out a plan, staying flexible, and keeping a good attitude. Nicole also reminds those who are married to be in sync with their husband's vision for hospitality and to avoid comparison to others. We're so glad you're here!
Recipes:
Note: Gruyère can be substituted with Beecher’s cheese, and you can use breakfast sausage in place of bacon, or use both.
Note: Can serve with scones and jam.
Cinnamon Rolls
Notes from Nicole:
I strongly recommend weighing all ingredients on the kitchen scale.
I remove the buns out of the oven as soon as the internal temperature of the centermost roll reaches 190 degrees F.
The recipe calls for dry milk. Any dry milk will do. I purchase mine in Walmart, the Great Value brand.)
Add ½ stick or 4 tablespoons of softened butter to rolled out dough BEFORE sprinkling cinnamon and sugar.
Consider an alternative cream cheese icing! (See recipe below.)
Alternative Icing
1 stick of butter
½ pack or 4oz of softened cream cheese
1 cup of powdered sugar
Vanilla or Vanilla Bean Paste (Neilsen-Massey makes a good quality vanilla bean paste)
measured with the heart
Whip all ingredients in the mixer and spread half of it as soon as the rolls come out of the oven. Once the rolls cool completely, you may spread the rest of the icing.
A few more recipes mentioned in the episode -
Potato Wedges
Yellow Yukon Gold potatoes
Olive oil
Johnny’s seasoning salt
Directions:
Wash potatoes thoroughly, dry and cut into wedges.
Toss with olive oil to coat and season with the seasoning salt to taste.
Bake at 400°F until crispy on the outside and tender inside, tossing once during the baking process.
After the potatoes are done gently toss with the mixture of melted butter and freshly squeezed garlic.
Note: These potatoes pair well with oven roasted meat and grilled meats. Optionally, you may also add fresh lemon zest to the butter garlic mixture.
A note on mac and cheese made in advance:
I bring pasta to boil and let it cook for about 2 minutes, then I drain it and toss with a little bit of oil and let it cool completely, and put it into the fridge. Then I make the cheese sauce, cool it, and also store it in the fridge until I need it. I tested this method, and it worked well after sitting in the fridge for 2 days. When you are ready to make the mac and cheese, just combine the pasta and cheese sauce and bake it without topping. Mix it once during the baking process if it’s a single batch and 2-3 times if you’re making a large batch. Halfway through, add the breadcrumbs and the bacon bits and bake till desired level of browning.
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