Dinner On A Tray

More often than not,

dinner here at HFTS is served on

a tray rather than sitting at the dining room table.

No room for a pretty stack,

just a simple dinner plate.

Printemps

by Sigma for Tastesetter.

Cotten linens

 from the South of France.

Little pockets 

to hold the flatware.

Blue glass stem

for a glass of wine.

~ Simple Healthy Dinner ~

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Brown Rice

Grilled Salmon With Preserved Meyer Lemons

Recipe Here

Even dinner on a tray can be pretty!

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable

Think out of the box 

when you are out shopping.

These cute little flatware pockets 

are actually potholder mitts.

Joining

Let's Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Home and Garden Thursday @ Delightsome Life

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olsen

Be Inspired @ Common Ground

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House

Tuesday Treasure @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With An E

The Scoop @ Cedar Hill Ranch

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Breakfast On The Terrace

Last week I invited you to 

join me for Cocktails On The Terrace here.

Both mornings and evenings have recently offered 

up pleasant breezes, so this week I thought you might

like to join me for Breakfast On The Terrace.

This cheerful tray is from  Le Cadeaux.

 ~ Fleur de Provence Yellow ~ 

A neighbor's recent return from a week in Provence 
has me reminiscing about our own past 
summer provencal vacances.
No summer trips for us this year,
so I have to make my summer fun here.
Join me for a little provencal escape.

Since retirement, I no 

longer get up with the roosters,

but occasionally one will join me for breakfast.

This handsome fellow, surrounded by some of the 
traditional "les indiennes" designs of the South of France, 
was a thrift store find.  I paid all of $3.00

for this delightful needlepoint pillow.

Most mornings I have a bowl 

of lemon yogurt with fresh berries.

Since you are joining me today 

I sliced up some fresh cantaloupe and

made another batch of lemon blueberry muffins.

You'll find the recipe here when I shared them for 

Foodie Friday Mystery Ingredient Club #1.

Coffee, dark and rich,

served in these sunny mugs.

 ~ Printemps by Sigma ~ 

I guarantee these 

lemon blueberry muffins 

are some of best ever!

I may just linger a while longer with my 
daydreams of sunny provence.

Thanks for stopping by.

Bee Happy

It doesnt' take 

much to make me happy.

Take for instance ~

a simple setting 

for an evening meal.

Italian Pottery

Happy Blues and Yellows

Printemps by Sigma 

Wine Stems 

of Blue Glass

French Provencal Napkins

The Sweetest 

Bee Napkin Rings

Parade of Vintage 

Aqua Ball Canning Jars

Flowers From the Garden

~ Menu ~

Spinach

Rack of Lamb

Lime Basil Risotto

Lime Basil Risotto

New York Times Recipe here.

This happy little sign 

hanging in my friend's kitchen.

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable

My tidbit for the week........

Savor the simple things in your life.

~ Meals with family and Friends ~

~Flowers in the Garden ~

~ Bee Happy ~

My entry into  

The Charm of Home's Home Sweet Home Party 

sponsored by Appliances Online

.

Joining

Let's Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Home and Garden Thursday @ Delightsome Life

Open House Friday @ Bernideen's Tea Time

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm

Potpourri Friday @ 2805

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Happy Hour Friday @ Craftberry Bush

Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper

On the Menu Monday @ Stone Gable

Blue Monday @ Smiling Sally

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

Tuesday Treasures @ Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe withe an E

Cowgirl Up @ Cedar Hill Ranch

Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Pancakes, Anyone?

Pancakes at the counter for breakfast today!

It's suddenly much cooler here again, and I'm fighting a sore throat. I haven't had time to create a new post, so I thought I'd share a little breakfast setting from the past.

Pancakes, anyone?

Many mornings we simply have oatmeal with fresh berries, or during the hot summer months, it is cold cereal with fresh berries. But sometimes we just feel like hot pancakes with maple syrup. The petite counter space between the kitchen and the morning room includes two counter stools and provides a perfect informal dining spot for two.

An Italian planter with pink cyclamen adds a bright backdrop to separate the space from the farm sink in the kitchen.

Fruit inspired textiles from the south

of France lend a touch of Country French.

These 100% cotton placemats with matching napkins are typical of the textiles available in France. I found these at a small shop in Nice for a very reasonable amount.

Our everyday pottery is Petite Fleur by Sigma. It is made in Italy and hand painted.

The mix of French Provencal textiles with the simple decor of the hand painted Italian pottery compliment each other.

These yellow pockets are actually hot pads. The fact that the fabric mixes polka dots, stripes, and checks caught my attention immediately, but my first thought was . . . "Wouldn't these be perfect repurposed as little pockets to hold flatware at a table setting?"

What do you think?

It's a mix of Italian and French, though both with a country feel, and a blue and yellow color palette is always cheerful for breakfast.

We like warm maple syrup with our pancakes, . . .

and this spicy variety is a special treat.

A couple of sausage patties are the perfect side dish. Have to have a little protein to start the day!

Yum! Pancakes are a nice treat once in a while!

If you want a quick, easy, fail proof recipe for pancakes, here it is. I've made these since my single days of sharing an apartment with roommates. Thanks, Margo!

Thanks for joining me today. Click the links below to see what others are sharing this week.

Tablescape Thursday @ BNOTP

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Voila French Inspiration @ The French Cupboard

Friday Favorites @ Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Sweet Tooth Friday @ Ali & Son

A Few of My Favorite Things @ Bargain Hunting & Shopping w/ Laurie

French Toast ~ A Favorite

Sharing my favorite breakfast food today.

I fixed a special tray just for you.

F is for my Favorite

~ French Toast ~

It's certainly no secret among my friends that one of my favorite foods is French Toast. If it's on a menu, that's usually what I order when we go out to eat breakfast.

But you can see this isn't exactly what

comes to mind when one says, "French Toast!"

No, indeed!

Since you've stopped by for a visit I've pulled out some essential ingredients to make us a little treat this morning. Most any bread works for this dish, but I like to use challah bread in thick slices so it's nice and fluffy.

While you're here you may stay in our "French" guest room. I'll just bring up a breakfast tray with a pot of rich fresh ground coffee and a glass of chilled orange juice.

Just for you, I've used French linens. The napkin ring is also French.

F. L. G.

I have a group of French napkin rings that I've found when exploring weekend brocante markets in France. I like to think about who might have owned these little rings of silver and have a bit of fun imagining whose monogram is delicately engraved upon them. This one I think must have once belonged to Françoise Louise Gauthier.

I like to top French toast with a bit of

mascarpone cheese and fresh berries.

But I also like to eat my French Toast with lots

of confectioners sugar and a little maple syrup.

What do you like on your French Toast?

French Toast is a rich, sweet dish,

so I like to add a side of sausage with mine.

Americans eat French Toast for breakfast,

but the French like to offer it as a dessert.

They refer to it as pain perdu, or "lost bread".

I tucked in the new issue of Phyllis Hoffman's Celebrate Spring for a little reading pleasure.

Enough of my talking, you must be ready to eat.

Settle in and enjoy your own plate of French Toast.

Bon appétit!

There on the bed resting on the pillows are Brigitte, Gabrielle le chat, and Zoé le lapin. You can read about them here.

Linking to:

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

A Few of My Favorite Things @ Bargain Hunting & Chatting With Laurie since French Toast is my favorite breakfast food.

Sunday Favorites @ Happy to Design, where Cherry invites us to share a previous post.

Seasonal Sunday @ The Tablescaper because I love French Toast on Sundays any Season of the Year.