Monday, August 2, 2010

Orange is for Marmalade



"Orange was his favorite as he never tires of telling us. It is, apparently, a more interesting color. Many of William's favorite things are orange. Not oranges, nothing that prosaic. It's not that William is opposed to fruit. He likes a nice kumquat, especially in preserves. But the things he enjoys that are orange include paella spiced with saffron, Monarch butterflies, the Orangemen of Northern Ireland and of Syracuse University, and especially traffic cones."
(LOVE AND OTHER IMPOSSIBLE PURSUITS, p.8-9)




If you'd like to know more about William, the precocious five year old whose favorite color is orange, pick up a copy of Ayelet Waldman's LOVE AND OTHER IMPOSSIBLE PURSUITS. William and the other personalities in this novel are certain to keep you amused. You can read more about this book in my Food For Thought review here.




I do appreciate an occasional paella spiced with saffron, and Monarch butterflies have always fascinated me with their amazingly vibrant orange wings, but orange to me is marmalade.



Growing up, my mom usually made biscuits on Saturday morning, but here in our home it's Sunday mornings that often mean fresh baked biscuits ~ piping hot out of the oven, lathered with sweet cream butter, and a dollop of orange marmalade. Though my husband is the chef in the family, I'm the biscuit maker in our household. And see that vintage cutter? It was the biscuit cutter that belonged to my grandmother as a young bride, has been passed down through the family, and has been in my kitchen now for almost 30 years.





Can you smell the aroma of fresh baked biscuits?

I've set our vintage breakfast tray just for you.





Orange marmalade is made from the peel of Seville oranges, sugar, and water. The peel, somewhat bitter, is what gives orange marmalade it's distinctive taste. Seville oranges are high in pectin which helps set the mixture.





Go ahead and lather 

up plenty on your biscuit.




It's the perfect combination

 of sweetness with a tangy bite.






Orange is across the color wheel 

from blue which makes them complimentary colors.




The contrast of complimentary 

colors creates a vibrant look.




Blue, a cool color, gives the impression of calm and will help sooth your morning while the orange, a warm color, will help you feel energized for the day ahead.





I especially like the striking 

contrast against fresh white or neutrals.




The multiple fabric weaves and designs outlined with chain stitched embroidery add wonderful texture to this textile from Anthropologie.





It's actually meant to be a dish towel, 

but I like to use it as a tray cloth.





The linen napkin edged 

in lace adds yet more texture.




So settle in and enjoy 

your little morning treat.





You're sure to find plenty of 

orange color among the Sunday comics.




Hot biscuits, marmalade, 

and fresh squeezed orange juice.





ORANGE
you are extroverted
cheerful, impatient and loud
you seek adventure
your down to earth attitude
is very attractive
you love sports and nature
you are quite talkative
you are always willing to help
but you will never be pushed around

So how many of you out there consider orange to be your favorite color? Any of you see yourself described above? Leave me a comment to let me know.

Don't miss the Give-Back. August is Anniversary Month @ Hyacinths For The Soul. Leave comments here on the original post to be included.

Thank you to the ladies hosting the following weekly memes. A click on the link will take you to a list of others participating this week. You can find more information about each of these events on my sidebar.



Sarah
Sarah

The summer we married, my husband was in graduate school, and I was employed as a teacher. We took a portion of our savings that summer and purchased a sailboat. We christened our Catalina 22, “Hyacinths For The Soul” after Saadi’s poem. Our "Hyacinths" provided years of pleasure.

63 comments:

  1. Well ya gotta love the cutter, enjoy-how special! I also see a beautiful marmalade server, mother of pearl spreader and trimmed napkins that are just too fun!
    I'm light orange:@)

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  2. Hi Sarah
    What a fun post about orange and I love that checked plate with the oranges on it! Makes me hungry seeing those biscuits and marmalade.
    Hugs, Rhondi

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  3. I love all your orange, but I don't have any really. I love orange marmalade and those biscuits look so good. How nice that you have that biscuit cutter that was handed down.Wonder how many biscuits that has cut out?

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  4. Such a pretty post, what a delightful morning treat! I love marmalade, DH can't stand it. Which is fine, because there's more for me :) I love that you have your grandmother's biscuit cutter, such a special heirloom!

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  5. this is adorable, i love your org plate! oh now i am craving marmalade... so many cute pieces, another great post :-)

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  6. Sarah...those biscuits look sooo yummy! I can't imagine anything better than homemade biscuits. I love seeing the old bisquit cutter. I bet your grandmother would absolutely love that you are using it now. Probably does a lot better job than what we can buy these days. Your fabrics are beautiful...beautiful napkins! Fun reading and seeing all these fun ORANGE things. :)

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  7. What a GREAT orange post~ How wonderful to have that biscuit cutter...and YES I can smell the aroma of those biscuits! Love your tray cloth & book review tie in. Extroverted no, cheerful, yes & impatient, most definitely...sports not so much, but a big yes for nature :-)

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  8. Congratulations, I heard you were celebrating a year of blogging! That is wonderful. What a beautiful table you set. I love the orange and blue together. They really are lovely. I noticed your biscuit cutter. My great grandfather was a tinsmith and made things like this. Of course I didn't end up with any of them, but it reminded me of things he made for everyday use. I love it.

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  9. I love that the cutter was your grandma's - bisquits and marmalade a little taste of sunshine!

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  10. Oh, yum! Yes, I can almost smell those biscuits! How neat that you have your grandmother's biscuit cutter!

    Love this post!

    You and Marty and making me love orange! I only used it back in the 60s! Remember how everybody had orange and brown, or avocado green back then! (Maybe you weren't even born yet!)

    Katherine

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  11. Love the biscuit cutter! Very cute post. Thanks for sharing.

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  12. I love orange marmalade! It is my favorite spread in the morning. I do love orange as a color, but am more inclined to a burnt orange in the fall...like leaves and pumpkins.
    xo
    Penny

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  13. yum--I love orange marmalade and fresh biscuits--I'll be over next Sunday morning! Your linens are perfect for this little breakfast! Linda

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  14. What Sunday morning would you like me over for some of those delicous smelling biscuits? I'll even bring the orange juice. A lovely post...just lovely. I knew at first glance that your biscuit cutter had been around for a long time...my oh my.
    Thank you for sharing with us all.

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  15. there is nothing better than a well-loved biscuit cutter...i think i would get up extra early for sunday services if i thought i was going to be treated to warm biscuits and hearty marmalade afterwards. my mouth is watering!

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  16. What a beautiful post - you inspire with the joy that you have presented here ---in pictures and words....blessings..bkm

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  17. I don't like the color orange. I like your biscuit cutter, biscuits, and marmalade (but I've never had marmalade on biscuits).

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  18. Wonderful tablescape, and my favorite is the treasured biscuit cutter. I have the old wooden press with the faded rooster on the lid that my Daddy used to make our hamburger patties. It's one of my most treasured possessions. Thank you for sharing your charming design. Cherry Kay

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  19. Charming tray setting! Chaming post! And you made my mouth water! What more could you ask for? :)

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  20. The marmalade looks SO delicious! The biscuit cutter is really a special piece~ I wonder how many biscuits it has cut over the years?

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  21. Oh my goodness - drooling here, late at night, over the keyboard. I can just taste the warm biscuit with butter and marmalade - delicious.

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  22. Lovely breakfast tablesetting.

    I love how you include vintage knives and servers...your biscuit cutter is fantastic!

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  23. What fascinated me the most was the dish towel/tray cloth. Did you make that? It looks like it has a poem written on some of the patches.

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  24. I meant recipe, not poem! D'OH!!!

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  25. The orange marmalade looks so yummy, and I love baking smell in the house.

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  26. Hi Sarah..BEAUTIFUL post! I absolutely LOVE oranges and all shades...it makes me feel alive...and your wonderful post sure has sparked me too! I love the story about your mom and the biscuits...so special and wonderful! Your photos are gorgeous..should be in a book they are so lovely! ahhh...you have pressed my reset button..thankyou for a wonderful post! Man i am hungry now ha ha!
    Kiki~

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  27. I would love to smell and taste the biscuits and marmalade.

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  28. Though pink is technically my favorite color, I have picked ORANGE as my theme color for 2010.

    So... I enjoyed this post! I am determined to make some marmalade this year. I've never made it before. I also love, LOVE that linen tea towel with the mix of words within the visuals. It's very striking to me!

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  29. Great example of Rainbow Orange in that marmalade! Seville is just up the road so no excuse for me not to make some too!

    Have a great Rainbow Orange day,

    LOLA:)

    PS Mine this time is HERE. Hope you can stop by.

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  30. How cool that you still have your grandmother's cutter! I have my GM's colander & think of her every single time I use it.

    DH is the orange marmalade lover around here. I HATE ORANGE!! (the color, not the flavor) It & grey are my two least favorite colors & brown is right up there behind them. LOL
    Funny how a color can effect emotion so strongly, huh?
    Very pretty post though...even though it done most in ORANGE! ;-p

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  31. Hi Sarah,
    great orange post, my mouth is watering just at the thought of those juicy Sevile oranges. You reminded me that I haven't made marmalade for ages, must remedy that, next time they are in season, you can't beat home made.
    Your breakfast tray is lovely, so simple but oh so stylish as ever.

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  32. Mmm. What a cool cutter. I love the linen. It's a very nice soft orange.

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  33. I could almost taste the orange marmalade with it's sweet tartness. The fluffy biscuits are much to be appreciated also.. Wow. Love the spoon, it all looks wonderful.

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  34. Oh! I love this orange filled post! I am so hungry for biscuits and marmelade now, you can probably hear my tummy rumbling all the way over there. How wonderful to have your grandmothers biscuit cutter!

    Happy VTT,
    Sally

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  35. Hi Sarah! Your post makes me stop blogging so I an go to the kitchen and eat, lol. Love it!...Christine

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  36. These biscuits are very yummy looking. You were very lucky to be able to purchase a boat when you first got married. Most people that are newly married don't have hardly anything.

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  37. Oh my gosh. I'm entranced....from the plates to the biscuits and marmalade.

    Can I come over??

    ;)

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  38. I love that cutter, it has lots of character....have a great VTT!

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  39. G'day Sarah ~ Oh, how lovely you have that cookie cutter, memories bound, I am sure. Love the tea towel .. it is so nice to see the use of vintage treasures used in so many inviting ways.
    Have a lovely summer's day ~
    TTFN ~ Marydon

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  40. LOVE that plate with the oranges on it, how cute is that!?!

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  41. That "dishcloth" (how can we even call it that when it is so gorgeous!) is just perfect paired with your dishes and that yummy marmalade. There is such lovely detail in each photo.

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  42. I love marmalade and it was my father's favorite as well. And, yes, I can smell those biscuits. What precious memories you must have every time you put that biscuit cutter to use. Orange makes me happy too! Wonderful post!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  43. Great post! Glad to see you use the cutter for a delicious treat :-)

    Jocelyn
    http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/

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  44. Sarah, that fabric is wonderful. How great that you have your grandmother's biscuit cutter. Your biscuits and marmelade look so good. My mouth is watering. laurie

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  45. I confess...I'm impatient. That one stood right out.

    I'd love to be having breakfast at your house! Everything was very nice. I'm a sentimental old fool at heart so my favorite thing was the biscuit cutter. How neat to have something that's been passed on down the line and still being used today. (They don't make them like that anymore.

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  46. All I can say is 'YUM!" I would love to wake up to this pretty table and wonderful breakfast.

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  47. I really enjoyed looking at your French faience slideshow, in the sidebar. You have some amazing and beautiful pieces. Thank you for sharing it!

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  48. I really enjoyed looking at your French faience slideshow, in the sidebar. You have some amazing and beautiful pieces. Thank you for sharing it!

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  49. I actually know someone who works with a professor that only eats orange foods...how bizarre would that be!

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  50. That serving dish is gorgeous...I love to add orange to Blue Willow, makes for a very cheery placesetting. Your biscuits and marmalade are making me drool...

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  51. Those pictures look so inviting! Reminds me of my youth. Love the marmalade pic on the biscuit.

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  52. Holy Wow! loved all of your oranges, the table is beautiful, the marmalade looks delish and the biscuits look oh so yummy!

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  53. So much to take in, but it was a fun journey. I especially like the placemats, or is it a table runner. Hope you enjoyed all your yummies.

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  54. I wish I had some of my grandmother's kitchen-ware. Fun post - makes me want to make biscuits!

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  55. Lovely post, Sarah! I would love one of those biscuits!
    Orange is my least favorite color, except at Halloween, but I do love my glass of OJ everyday!
    I am sorry I am so late getting to comment. That dance took up a lot of time and this week I had to catch up on what I neglected!
    Tomorrow is the wedding with my 4 gkids and son and dil in the wedding party. We will have a busy day and late night!

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  56. Are you going to share your biscuit recipe...pretty please Sarah! They look amazing and having your grandmother's cutter makes them even more special I know.

    As for marmalade, my most favorite 'jam' since childhood - of course all English people love it and learn to make it! Always a rush for the Sevilles during that small window when they're available. Now I buy mine - usually Keiller's Dundee or Robertson's Scotch - I like thick peel in mine!

    Mary X

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  57. Oh, I love that vintage biscuit cutter. Way cuter then the juice glass I use.

    What a delightful stop on our little journey through Alphabe-Thursdays Rainbow Summer School.

    Your biscuits look delicious and that is my favorite way to eat them.

    Thank you for sharing this delicious post and happy table setting.

    This was such a fun stop!

    A+

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  58. I am new to your blog and love it! Your biscuits look divine and I imagine from everyone's comments that you have a line at your kitchen door on Sunday mornings just waiting for your biscuits and orange marmalade! Your rooster collections is fabulous and unique. As you can tell, since I'm new to your blog I am reading backwards. You have a delightful blog and your pictures are beautiful. Oh, I will be joining the line at your kitchen door for the biscuits. Wonderful, wonderful blog.

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  59. I am now a follower. So happy to have found your wonderful blog and look forward to following along.

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