Soups On

There is a nip in the air, 

and we are welcoming fall.

It's the perfect time to enjoy a cup of hot soup.

I've set a table for 

two out in our sun room.

                   

~ Our Menu ~

Spicy Tomato-Chipolte Soup 

Garnished With Ripe Avocado Bites

Slices of Warm Focaccia 

Right Out of the Oven 

Chilled Chateau 

St. Michelle Chardonnay

Let's Dish 

about the details on the table.

The soup is served in 

simple white French porcelain bowls.

These cute pumpkin plates are 

the perfect accent for a fall table.  

I've place them on Nantucket Basket 

by Wedgwood to set them off 

against the fall inspired placemats.

The detail of the hand painting 

on the pumpkin plates is amazing.  

I wasn't familiar with MSC Mainstreet Collection, 

but if these plates are representative 

of their product line, I'm impressed.

We found the decoupage placemates 

at a Paris shop many years ago.  

The colors and the details are wonderful 

and perfect for any fall table.  

I've used my husband's favorite flatware, 

Talisman by Christophe.

These were made by Siecle, 

but I suspect many of you clever 

DIY readers could make these yourself.

The metal leaf serving plate 

offers another touch of fall.

As do the plaid 

napkins tied with raffia.

The mix of colorful 

flowers fill a favorite medal basket.

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable

A few tidbits about this table:

Raffia Accents 
Fall Gourds Tied With Silk Ribbon
Main Dish that Echos the Colors of the Table Setting

Bon appétit everyone!

Joining

Let's Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen
Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here
House and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life
Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable
Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Fresh Cut Friday @ Rose Vignettes
Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm
Open House Friday @ Bernideen's Tea Time
Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Potpourri Friday @ 2805
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home
Seasonal Sunday @ The Tablescaper
Sunny Simple Sunday @ Sunny Simple Life
On the Menu Monday @ Stone Gable
Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage
Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life
Tuesday Treasures @ Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With an E
Cowgirl Up @ Cedar Hill Ranch
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Centerpiece Wednesday @ The Style Sisters
My entry into No Minimalist Here Open House Party  sponsored byAppliances Online.

TALES OF PASSION, TALES OF WOE

Sandra Gulland's Trilogy of Josephine Bonaparte is available here @ Amazon. I give each of these books *****.

I'm linking this book review to both Food for Thought and Pink Saturday this week.

Josephine and Napoleon have just been married as the first book in Sandra Gulland's Josephine trilogy ends. The second book, TALES OF PASSION, TALES OF WOE, begins as the couple starts out on a life together, and Josephine begins her journey as, Madame Bonaparte. For the romantics, the story of Josephine and Napoleon is truly an irresistibly heartwarming love story, and thus most fitting for this Valentine's Day weekend.

As in each of these three books, the author tells Josephine's story through fictionalized diary entries. One can easily visualize the lovely Josephine sitting in silence at her escritoire as she pens her thoughts.

Gulland gives us the essence of Josephine's life as the wife of Napoleon in the title of this work. Passage after passage, we learn that Napoleon is most passionate about his love, Josephine. He adores her and is devoted to this woman who intrigues and enchants him. Napoleon, frequently away fighting battles, pens ardent love letters to his bride, his Lady Luck, his destiny.

Josephine, at times overwhelmed with the situation of her life, struggles with both the intense love Napoleon shows for her and the public life she has been thrust into as the wife of the militarily successful General Bonaparte.

Unfortunately Josephine's life is not all hearts and roses. Post Revolutionary France is in a state of political upheaval. Napoleon is off to far away lands fighting wars, while Josephine is left to manage life on limited resources. Suffering from ill health due to the harsh conditions of her prison confinement during the Terror, Josephine also must endure various spa treatments. The trauma of the Terror most likely left Josephine infertile and thus unable to provide Napoleon with the heir he desperately desires and the child she so fervently wants to conceive.

As the pages of Josephine's diary reveal, her marriage to Napoleon is a tumultuous one. She longs to please Napoleon and grows to adore and cherish her new husband. Josephine, a shrewd business woman, is sophisticated and connected to those of influence. The Bonaparte family, on the other hand, is both jealous and vindictive toward Josephine. Not pleased that Napoleon and Josephine married, they plot to destroy both the marriage and Josephine's reputation.

There are few passages related to food aside from the occasional mention of dining . . .

or a mention here and there to coffee or hot chocolate.

There is however a reference to a formal dinner hosted by Citoyen Director and General Barras. Such an extensive menu is not the usual here at Hyacinths for the Soul, so we opted to spotlight the first dish, onion soup.

French onion soup is a favorite of ours, so it was an easy choice.

There's nothing better on a cold, wet evening than the warm rich broth and the sweet onions paired with large crunchy toasted bread topped with gruyere cheese.

As the book comes to a close, Napoleon and Josephine have moved into the Tuileries with great celebration. "The age of Fable is over . . . the Reign of History has begun." Sandra Gulland's portrayal of Josephine during these years is a new look at this controversial period of Josephine's life. I find it touching. Through these works I've come to love, adore, and admire Josephine Bonaparte. I think you will too.

Next time we look at the conclusion of this trilogy, THE LAST GREAT DANCE ON EARTH. But for now, you'll find more edible book reviews at Food for Thought and more pink at Pink Saturday. For more information about Sandra Gulland and her work, click here to visit her personal web site and blog.

Soup for Lunch

It's Thursday and my favorite weekly blog event with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch. Welcome to Tablescape Thursday. Today I'm serving lunch on our porch.

It's been raining for the past few days, so lunch on the terrace is out of the question. But with cooler temps, the sun room is the perfect spot to enjoy a cup of soup and a casual lunch with my husband.

So come on in from the rain and

 enjoy a little lunch with us.

Today's Menu includes...

Spicy tomato chipolte soup 

with a garnish of ripe avocado bites,

fresh, warm focaccia bread,

and a glass of chilled 

Chateau St. Michelle chardonnay.

I met a sweet friend for coffee this week, and she greeted me with this beautiful bouquet of flowers. I popped in a few yellow blooms and a little seeded eucalyptus to fill out the rustic metal basket.

The mix of colors pulls 

in all the colors of the table.

Yellow is such a happy, cheery color. 

 It always puts a smile on my face.

The soup is served in simple 

white French porcelain bowls.

The accent plates, shaped like pumpkins, were an after Halloween find last year at a favorite local store. They only had two but I knew they would come in handy for various serving needs. They are the perfect accent for our fall lunch today. I've placed them on Nantucket plates to set them off against the fall inspired placemats.

The detail of the hand painting on these little pumpkins is amazing. I wasn't familiar with MSC Mainstreet Collection, but if these plates are representative of their product line, I'm impressed.

The napkins are a plaid in fall colors 

that I found at World Market a few years ago.

I like using these decoupage placemats because they are square. They were a special find in Paris a few years ago. The colors and the details are wonderful and perfect for any fall table. I used my husband's favorite flatware, Talisman by Christophe.

The above information is on the back of the placemats. 

 Check out the Siecle web site.

Bon appétit everyone!

Thank you for visiting today. I always look forward to your visits and comments.

Click here to see Susan's fabulous tablescape for this week and a list of others who have shared a tablescape this week.