Wednesday, September 11, 2013

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

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.



Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Dog Days of Summer ~ A Refresher



According to ancient Rome,
Dog Days of Summer 
last from July 23 to August 24.

Well, I'm here to tell you that
with the Texas heat,
Dog Days
of lethargy and inactivity are still here.

It's definitely the season 
for afternoon naps
followed by a refreshing treat.

Like an icy cold 
glass of lemonade.

Along with a slice of
 delicious Meyer Lemon cake.

~ Lorina ~
Delicious ~ Sparkling ~ Lemonade

Nothing better on a hot summer day
than citrus drinks to quench one's thirst.

Any way you slice it,
this lemon cake is full of goodness.

Tangy with a 
touch of sweetness.

Elegant and Light

An afternoon citrus refresher.

"When are you going to stop talking 
and cut the cake, Mom?"

"I'm ready!"

The Perfect  Refresher
~ Dog Days of Summer ~

YUMMY!

One of the things I've gleaned from watching my "chef" 
is the importance of mise en place, having all ingredients
measured and prepared before one begins cooking.
This practice enables one to cook efficiently and eliminates
the possibility of leaving out a step or ingredient.

Another tip for you when making 
this recipe is to use a spring form pan.
Using a large flat spatula like 
above also allows easy transfer.

You'll find the recipe here
where I originally shared it for
 Cooking With The Meyers.
Silver trays, flatware, plates, and 
vase were all thrifty finds.

Joining

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

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.