Showing posts with label pewter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pewter. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

A New Year ~ 2014






January 1st

 New Year's Day 2014





The champagne is chilled.





Black-eyed peas 

 are on the stove cooking.




We are dressed and ready 

 to share the day with friends.


Black-eyed peas on New Year's Day

 is a southern tradition that dates 

 back to the Civil War.

It's believed they will bring 

 luck and prosperity for the new year.




 We'll start with chips, salsa,

and fresh made guacamole.




 A simple table is set to

celebrate the beginning of a new year.




 No need for a centerpiece as the

food will be the star of this table.




 Casual Settings




 Napkins of a Provencal Print





Ringed with 

 Bands of Pewter





A Favorite 

 Pewter Tureen





 Whimsical Salad Bowl





Paired with Complementary 

 Pewter Salad Servers





Black-eyed Peas and 

 a Healthy Mixed Green Salad





 Black-eyed Peas for the Coins





Greens for Paper Money





Cornbread for Gold





 Perfect Meal for a

Lucky 2014




 Dad's Black-eyed Peas with Ham Hocks

1 and 1/2 cups black-eyed peas
2 smoked ham hocks
Some salt port, diced
1 small can tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes w/ green chilies
(I now use 2 cans since they are smaller.)
1 medium onion, sliced
Pepper to taste

Wash and cover peas with water. boil fast for 10-15 minutes. Let stand 30 minutes. Do not stir so that peas don't break. Add water if necessary. Add meat and simmer until tender. Add other ingredients and simmer until it tastes done. Remove bones. cut meat off the ham hocks and add back into soup. Serve with green salad and cornbread.

Joining
Let's Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen
Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm


Continue Reading....
64 comments
Labels: , , , ,

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Cold Here and Time for Boeuf Bourguignon






French Fäience Figural Mustard by Alcide Chaumeil


It's cold here in Texas.  

Time for the chef to fix a hearty dish.



Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

Cooler weather is the 

perfect time to make a stew,

 and what better choice than 

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. 




Boeuf Bourguignon with Boiled Potatoes and Snow Peas

Want to join me for a delicious meal?




The table is set 

and dinner is ready!




 Pewter chargers topped with 

white dinner plates in Wedgwood Nantucket. 

 The flatware is Lauffer stainless in the Bedford pattern.




~ Tea Towels Used As Placemats ~ 

100% Cotton Made in 

France for William Sonoma.




 ~ Cows ~ Ducks ~ Rabbits ~ Chickens ~

 The woven details offer a

 charming French country feel for

 the theme of a casual one dish meal.
Napkins in olive green and aubergine

 are also from William Sonoma. 
 The pewter napkin rings, 

each with a different flower motif, 

are from the Netherlands.




Contemporary Quimper Pottery

Dinner Plates With Scalloped Rim
Produced at Fäiencerie Kéraluc 

by the Artist L'Helguen
Bowls are wide and shallow.

Perfect for stew!




Ralph Lauren ~ Glen Plaid

 Arte Italica's Crystal w/ Pewter Stems





Metal leaf dish 

 for bread service.
Each of the plates and bowls 

of the Quimper set are a bit different, 

but with the same stylized flower theme.






The gray tones of this pottery work

with the pewter and the gold 

and taupe of the linens.
Centerpiece is simply a wooden bowl filled

with natural horse apples and ceramic acorns.
Natural horn votives 

and a few of the oversized ceramic 

acorns were added around the base.




The glow through the natural horn

adds a bit of warmth on this chilly evening.
A glass of red wine

 is perfect with this dish. 
 Julia recommends a 

Beaujolais, a Bordeaux, or a Burgundy.
The sides of boiled potatoes 

and snow peas compliment the beef cooked 

in red wine with bacon, onions, and mushrooms.





Bon Appetit!

Julia's Recipe here.

~ Joining ~


Continue Reading....
59 comments
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Monday, September 2, 2013

Still In Love ~ 38 Years & I'd Do It Again



Favorites on the 1st
with Alison @ The Polohouse
This Month's Theme ~ Favorite China Patterns

Still in love and
happily married for 38 years!
All these years later I wouldn't change a thing,
including our choice of fine china which we
selected together when we registered for our wedding china.

Richard Ginori ~ Palermo Brown
We selected this pattern for its simplicity 
and the touch of chocolate brown.
Our crystal selection was by Denby 
in a rich amber brown with clear stems.  

Richard Ginori china has been produced since 1735.  
As with many of the porcelain 
and china factories in the UK and Europe,
Ginori experienced financial difficulties. 
The company declared bankruptcy in January 2013.

In April 2013, Ginori was purchased by Gucci with plans to improve the factory in Florence and continue to produce 
the high-end products under its name.

Palermo Brown has been a discontinued pattern since 1988, but one can still find it through eBay and online retailers.
This pattern was also produced in several other colors.
~ rust ~ green ~ yellow ~ blue ~ black ~

As you can see, this is a very versatile pattern.
It's easy to mix it with a variety of linens,
chargers, and patterned salad or dessert plates.
Here it is paired with an inexpensive salad plate, 
Classic Tidings Tartan from Target.

Here with another fine china,
Olde Avesbury by Royal Crown Derby
and Italian pewter chargers.

The colorful Birds of Paradise and Oriental Pheasants 
in Olde Avesbury are taken from an original embroidery.
This pattern was first produced as above in 1932,
but now one can purchase many other color variations
 that have been derived from this pattern.
The green charger is by Zrike.

Our colored crystal by Denby 
compliments both of these china patterns.

Last summer I loaned our china to a friend 
for an alfresco dinner party.
She set an elegant table with gold chargers 
and white linens with an added touch of burgundy.
I just may copy this idea for our November Thanksgiving table.

I'd be a real copycat right down to the Bosc pears 
and the gorgeous rose bouquets in urns.

Or I may do something totally different 
and use the set of Mottahedeh Sacred Bird and Butterfly plates 
that were a gift from Cherry Kay @ Entertaining Women.
You can view the complete post on this table here.

I paired them with the set of 
Walbrzych salad plates that were a thrift store find
and woven rattan chargers from Pier One.

Alison gave us permission to share favorite
china patterns that we own or ones we wished to own.
She called it "wishful thinking"!
I was curious to know what other patterns might work with 
Sacred Bird and Butterfly. 
Off I went to a local shop that carries this pattern
 to see what might be a nice compliment
 to this beautiful rust design.

~ Royale Limoges ~
 Carolle Paprika Dessert Plate w/ Thin Gold Filet
Danielle Presentation Plate w/ Gold Band on White Porcelain
I'm adding the Carolle Paprika dessert plates 
to my "wishful thinking" list.
What do you think?

If you enjoy pretty dishes you should hurry on over to 
Link up you favorite china patterns and see what 
others favor for their personal table settings.

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable

My tip for selecting a china pattern, is to select a simple rimmed white plate that will easily coordinate with other pieces.  It's fun to mix things up with accent pieces, pretty linens, glassware, and flatware.



Continue Reading....
68 comments
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)