Tablescape Times Three: Recipe

Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts

Monday, December 2, 2013

Curried Fruit

1/2 c. butter
1 c. light brown sugar
2 tsp. curry powder
canned fruit: halved pears, peaches, pineapple slices, maraschino cherries
fresh fruit (optional): prunes, plums, or apples

Drain and dry fruit as much as possible. Heat butter, sugar, and curry. Arrange fruit in baking dish and cover with butter mixture. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Delicious!

Sharing at:

http://www.betweennapsontheporch.net

http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com

http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com

Friday, November 29, 2013

A Thanksgiving to Be Thankful For

Our home has become the gathering place now every Thanksgiving - and we love it. I have to say, we were more ambitious than last year, but somehow, the prep work, cooking, and cleaning were much easier. When your helper actually lives in the same house, it makes for much more effective teamwork.

Being a "Southern" family, our traditional foods are things like turkey, ham, dressing/stuffing, sweet potato casserole, pistachio-gelatin salad (with marshmallows and pecans), roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes, copper carrots, green beans, etc. That being said, we did something a little different this year. I decided to change the recipes a little and then make some very traditional dishes that even predate the era of "company chicken" and the "Seven Layer Salad." Everyone who asked what they could bring was assigned a dessert except for my aunt. I asked her to find good (not soupy) Brunswick stew. And she delivered!

Green beans, creamed mushrooms with lemon and tarragon, Steve's maple amaretto agave carrots, and black-eyed peas

Brunswick stew, broccoli salad, curried fruit, and a ginger beer and lime gelatin fruit salad

Turkey, cured and baked hams, three sauces, and gravy

Steve's delicious lemon turkey

Green bean casserole - but made with all fresh ingredients - no cans were opened for this dish

Sweet potatoes in a shallot and white wine sauce with bacon and parsley

Traditional broccoli salad

From scratch cranberry sauce with not much sugar - red grapes add the sweetness

Four cheese mac-n-cheese, sharp cheddar, Gruyère, parmesan, and Fontina - with a hint of nutmeg

My favorite dish - cornbread dressing with sausage, apple, pear, raisins and walnuts. Holy cow, this was good!

Corn pudding

Desserts brought included a caramel cake, traditional pecan pie, brownies, and sugared cereal like White Trash, but with chocolate. YUMMY!

I went with a brown toile pattern last year, J & G Meakin's Americana:

So this year, seating 16 in the dining room, breakfast nook, and library, I went with Royal Stafford's black toile Blacksmith's Forge in the dining room and Churchill Blue Willow in the nook and library:

I used Mikasa Richelieu iced beverage glasses everywhere and all manner of sterling patterns, depending on purpose and location. Sir Christopher by Wallace framed the settings in the dining room and nook. Old Master by Towle complemented the lower key space of the library. Both were using for serving dishes, and they were augmented by pieces in Francis I by Reed & Barton, Apollo by Alvin, Old Atlanta by Wallace, and Imperial Queen by Whiting.

My breakfast today included a piece of the sausage-fruit dressing and curried fruit.

Will share recipes in subsequent posts! They are worth it! I lucked out with my choices, and even though it's only one day later, the leftovers are almost gone!

Andrea, Steve, and family

Sharing at:

http://www.betweennapsontheporch.net

http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com

http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

If I can only be young at heart, that is good enough

When I was twelve, I was crazy about two things. One was the music of Ray Charles (I had just discovered him!) and the color combination of green and purple. I was so crazy about green and purple that my friends would look for things in those colors for me, even when they were on vacation!

Eventually, I found other colors that I loved and really forgot about green and purple – until now. I was trying to find something new to use with my Lenox “Solitaire” china, when I saw some purple glass plates that were on sale at Sur la Table. For some reason, the website would not let me purchase the plates and I, eventually, gave up.

A few days later, my sweet daughter found purple Pyrex “Festiva” glass plates at Big Lots and bought them for me. I thought they would look good with Solitaire, but what else could I use?

Another earlier Big Lots purchase had been some lavender place mats, so they went on the table.

I had purple goblets from Pier I.

Then, the great inspiration came! I discovered the most wonderful website, Saffron Marigold, and they had green and purple napkins! You must visit this online store. I have absolutely nothing to do with it, but they have the most marvelous linens. They are hand blocked in India and the cotton fabric is so incredibly soft. You really have to feel it to believe it. Anyway, I ordered the green and purple napkins and they certainly have rekindled my love of that lovely color combination.

A “Solitaire” dinner plate went on the lavender placemat…

Then, I added the purple “Festiva”. These plates are nine inches – perhaps, they are luncheon plates. I am not sure, but the swirl design is really pretty.

Next, I added a “Solitaire” salad plate as an under plate for the soup bowl. I needed something else green to go with the green and purple napkins, so I made a chilled green soup (Creamy and Cold Avocado Soup – recipe to follow). Perfect!

I used Barenthal flatware in an ivory color – a Tuesday Morning purchase.

I bought some yummy rolls at Fresh Market and put them on a "Solitaire" bread and butter plate. The butter spreader is from Steinmart.

The lovely cut glass butter dish was a gift from my mother-in-law.

For the centerpiece, I used a purple bowl that belongs to my daughter and simply placed a bird’s nest in it, in honor of spring – lots of green to go with the color scheme.

With dessert in mind, I added a sugar and creamer, a coffee pot and coffee cups to the table. All are part of my “Solitaire” collection.

Now, maybe I will get out those Ray Charles CDs and entertain my guests with “Hit the Road, Jack” or “Georgia on My Mind”. It is so much fun to feel twelve, again!!

Diane

Creamy and Cold Avocado Soup

2 medium ripe avocados, seeded and peeled

2 ½ cups cold water

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

1 (7.6 ounce) can of Nestle Media Crema (this is evaporated cream – usually found in the Hispanic cooking section of the grocery store)

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 cloves of garlic, quartered

4 teaspoons of granulated chicken flavored bouillon

Garnish with avocado or cilantro

Place avocados, water, 1 cup cilantro (optional), media crema, lime juice, garlic, and bouillon in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate one hour. Garnish and serve immediately.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Anniversary Musings

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary last week. After looking at this photograph, I think you can understand why I chose him!!

I have mentioned in several blogs that he is a “keeper”. My gift from him this year was a new china cabinet. It was meant to help me find more storage for my ever-expanding collection of china and linens. We ordered it from North Carolina and it arrived earlier than expected. Perhaps, you have already noticed it in a couple of recent blogs.

Most of the wedding gifts that we received long ago are still being used today! We were so fortunate that our family and friends gave us pieces that have stood the test of time. The only things that I can remember that we eventually gave away were some melamine dishes, which I believe are now becoming popular, again. Who knew??

One of my favorite gifts that we received was from my Aunt Mable (yes, she spells it that way!). I wrote in my Valentine’s blog about my husband’s and my decision to marry much more quickly than we had originally planned. We were both in college some distance away from one another and thought it would be easier for us to be in the same place. We married in a month and gave my poor mother almost no time to plan. Obviously, we had a small wedding.

The Christmas before we made that Valentine’s Day decision to marry in March, I had visited my aunt. We were searching for treasures in an antique shop (she, too, loves old beautiful things) and I spotted a darling chintzware coffee demitasse set. As I was already engaged, but thought the wedding was some years down the road, I jokingly told my aunt that when I did get married, I would love to receive the coffee set. Then, I completely forgot about it.

Of course, you have already guessed what happened! My aunt did not forget and the coffee set found its way to me on my wedding day. What a thoughtful and wonderful surprise!!

I had the pieces for many years, when I discovered a matching condiment set at an antique show. It consisted of a tray with salt and pepper shakers and a jam pot with a tiny sterling spoon. The chintz pattern is “Devon Rose” by Royal Crown China.

My sister contributed the “Virginia Carvel” sterling demitasse spoons.

After putting the china cabinet in place, my husband suggested moving our old dining room buffet to our study. It works perfectly there and makes a wonderful “tabletop” to serve after dinner coffee and showcase my “Devon Rose” demitasse set.

I began by using a white on white embroidered placemat, which was a Tuesday Morning find.

Is there anything more beautiful than white on white embroidery?

I, also, used white on white cocktail napkins. I bought these at a wonderful store that has been out of business for years. I still miss finding treasures there!

The creamer and sugar were set on the condiment tray and I surrounded them with the coffee pot, demitasse cups and saucers.

For an after dinner chocolate treat, I melted white chocolate and drizzled it onto Hershey’s chocolate nugget with almond candies - half milk chocolate and half dark chocolate. What could be easier than that?

I served them in a tiny bowl that was originally my mother’s. I do not know the name of the pattern, but I plan on doing some research, after using it here. The bowl is so pretty that I think there must be more pieces available somewhere.

I love the way my old Mikasa glass candlesticks repeat the vertical lines in the little bowl. Candlelight is an absolutely must for after dinner coffee!

I always enjoy celebrating our anniversary. We are getting older, but marking the day reminds me that we have somehow traveled through this life together and made it work. In today’s crazy world, I think that is a real accomplishment!