Travelscape! (with recipe)

Our family loves traveling almost as much as tablescaping. Summer will be here soon and it is time to plan vacations. I invited my daughter and two granddaughters to lunch for a surprise discussion of our next travel adventure.

The table was set. Then, I added some black and white photos to remind us of our past travels.

Paris

New York

Morocco

Berlin

I used some square “cities” plates that I had bought many years ago at TJ Maxx. I had always intended to put them on the wall of one of my bedrooms, but never got around to hanging them. Each one has scenes of a different world city – Paris, London, Rome and New York.

Paris

London

Rome

New York

I decided to use yellow with the black and white, so I added some lemons to a black wire basket from TJ Maxx. Maybe, I will use them later to make my mother's lemon cheese cake (recipe at the end).

The Sunflower Yellow Fiesta tablecloth was purchased on Amazon.com.

Fiesta Solid Color 60 Round Tablecloth, Sunflower

I ordered the black and white napkins from an online linen store.

The napkin rings were made from flowers that I bought at Michael’s. The yellow centers were the inspiration for the black, white and yellow color scheme.

Target was the source for the black flatware and placemats.

The glasses are from Mikasa.

The stemware charms that I have had for years almost matched the plates perfectly. They include the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Of course, the leaning tower is not in Rome, but it is in Italy, at least!

Our trip last summer was to London and Paris, so I guess those cities will be eliminated from the list of possibilities for this year. I do love to shop in England for china, though - the first time that I ever visited one of the China Reject shops, I was overwhelmed. Of course, shopping at Harrod's in the tabletop department is not bad either!


Time to decide on a destination. Collectively, we have been to most of the countries in Europe. However, none of us has been to South America. Maybe, it is time to learn to dance the Tango - Argentina, anyone????






Lemon Cheese Cake

Cake


8 egg whites
2 cups sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 1/4 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Sift flour and baking powder together four times.
Cream butter and sugar together. Add flour and milk alternately, mixing after each addition.
Beat eggs whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Add vanilla.
Pour into three greased and floured cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees, until layers are done (the recipe reads 45 minutes, but my layers were done after 20-25 minutes).


Lemon Cheese Filling


1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
juice of 3 lemons


Cook together in the top of a double boiler, until thick. Refrigerate, until cool.


Seven Minute Icing


2 egg whites
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla


Combine the first 5 ingredients in the top of a double boiler. With hand mixer, beat for one minute to combine. Then, over boiling water, beat on high for seven minutes. Beat in vanilla.


To assemble the cake:


After removing the warm cake layers from the pan, spread cooled filling over the bottom two layers. Place the three layers together and spread seven minute frosting on sides and top of cake. Enjoy!


Diane

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Erin go Bragh

Erin go Bragh - Ireland Forever!!




March 17th! Leprechauns and Shamrocks await...




Saint Patrick’s Day – wearing of the green! After to traveling to Ireland, I understand why green is so important to the Irish people. I was there in the month of November and just look at how green the grass was at Blarney Castle.




It was just as green on the Dingle Peninsula, which was one of my favorite places in Ireland. My friend, Jane, who had visited there, told me not to miss it. I am eternally grateful.




Another of my favorite places was the Waterford glass factory in Waterford, Ireland. I carried back several treasures from my trip. One was a Waterford biscuit barrel for my mother-in-law.



Recently, my mother-in-law gave me several pieces of crystal that had been in her collection and, happily, the biscuit barrel was among them. I used it as a centerpiece on the table to hold the green and orange flowers (Irish flag colors!).




Waterford is not the only manufacturer of crystal in Ireland. The other crystal on my table is made by Galway. It is the old “Longford” pattern and I have had it for many years. The shapes of the pieces have changed a bit, since then, but I still love mine. I acquired it, when my mother gave me a surprise check and told me to buy myself something pretty. I used the money to order the footed iced teas and champagne/sherbets from Ireland. I never set my table with “Longford” that I do not think of my mother who died fourteen years ago.

Many thanks to my mother and mother-in-law for helping to make my table beautiful!

I was determined to have Belleek "Shamrock" salad plates for Saint Patrick’s Day this year. Some time ago, I ordered them from a company who does business in Ireland and America. Not only did I never receive them, but the company does not answer my e-mails! Fortunately, I have green dishes. They are the “Samarra” pattern by Royal Doulton. This china was one of the patterns that I chose, when I married.




The sterling flatware is “Strasbourg” by Gorham.




The green tablecloth was purchased at Ross and the napkins are ones that I have had for years. The napkin rings came from Dillard’s. I used several shades of green on the table - they remind me of all the greens of Ireland!




I found the shamrock place mats at Home Goods.




The pretty beaded coasters were bought at TJ Maxx, I think, and the darling etched shamrock Irish coffee mugs were an Ebay purchase.




Watching over the table are two Annalee Leprechaun elves.




Also, decorating the table are sprinkles of leprechaun and shamrock confetti. Hopefully, the Leprechauns left the gold coins for some lucky dinner guest!

While I do have some Irish heritage, I am afraid that my ancestors came from the northern end of the isle – the Scotch-Irish. However, on Saint Patrick’s Day, we can all be officially Irish. Who would not love a man who ran the snakes out of a country?

Instead of an Irish recipe, I am going to leave you with the lyrics to an old Irish song:

AN IRISHMAN'S DREAM 

Sure I've roamed this wide world over

But of all the lands I've seen

There's no spot I'd rather dwell in

Than my little isle of Green

Only last night I was dreamin'

Of a sight that thrilled me through

But what I saw I'll see no more

'twas too good to be true

Sure the shamrocks were growing on Broadway

Every girl was an Irish colleen

The town of New York was the county of Cork

All the buildings were painted green

Sure the Hudson looked just like the Shannon

Oh, how good and how real it did seem

I could hear me mother singin', sweet Shannon bells ringin'

'twas only an Irishman's dream

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day - may we all have the luck of the Irish!!!


-Diane

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