Pancakes at the Counter

Pancakes at the counter for breakfast today!

I'm linking this post to Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday and Michael @ Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

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. Don't forget to head back to Susan's @ Between Naps on the Porch for a list of others sharing a table for Tablescape Thursday, and on Friday, Michael @ Designs by Gollum will have delicious recipes to share.

Silver and Blue - The Perfect Pair

In my mind silver and blue make a perfect pair, so I'm pairing today's post for both Silver Sunday with Gypsy Fish Journal and Blue Monday with Smiling Sally.

I was thrilled last week when I discovered Gypsy Fish Journal. Beginning last Sunday Beth began hosting Silver Sunday. I arrived too late to participate last Sunday, but wanted to join in the fun for Silver Sunday #2. For those who haven't yet visited Gypsy Fish, you are in for a treat. First she shared a "sweet silver succulent garden", and this week she has silver treasures from her grandmother.

The piece of silver I'm sharing today isn't but a decade old, and it certainly isn't fine silver. But it is a sweet remembrance of a milestone holiday. Remember New Year's 2000? It was the beginning of a new millennium, and the world was filled with excitement. (and worry about the Y2K bug)

This was a gift from my husband for our New Year's 2000 celebration. It is a silver champagne bottle engraved with MILLENNIUM 2000. It was marketed by Twos Company and was made in India. It's not a high quality silverplate so some of the silver has begun to wear a bit. It was just meant to be a souvenir of this historical year.

You can see in the photo above that it screws apart so that one can place a bottle of bubbly within. Then one has a "silver champagne bottle" perfect to bring in a new millennium. I figure that someday it will be a collector's item. Not to mention the fact that I think it was a very thoughtful gift from my husband!

The petite arrangement of blue hydrangeas and orange tulips was a party favor. I've never been to a baby shower before where I went home with a party favor. Have you? The hostesses had lined the centers of the three long dining tables with alternating arrangements: some of blue hydrangeas with orange tulips, some of orange roses, and some of blue hydrangeas with orange kalanchoes. Then at the party's end, they sent everyone home with one arrangement. Don't you think that's the sweetest idea for party flowers?

I came home with one of the tulips and blue hydrangeas. I adore the blue polka dots on the brown ribbon. Have you guessed what the color pallet is for the nursery? Yes, the mother-to-be has used aqua with brown and a touch of vintage cowboy fabrics.

In addition to visiting all the silver spotlighted on Silver Sunday and all the blue on Blue Monday, I recommend a visit to a post I read last week: L' Heure Bleue @ Poppedijne

Thanks for joining me today. I do hope you'll leave a comment to let me know you stopped by to visit.

Lina's Coco Couture

Want to know what's in this pretty pink box?

It's this incredible life size stiletto made of imported Belgium chocolate and filled with the most delicious gourmet chocolates handcrafted by Lina of Lina's Coco Couture.

Lina is a registered architect in the state of Texas and a partner in the firm Studio H+L. She started her business as a chocolatier after studying at the French Pastry School in Chicago in 2005. Her architectural design skills have easily transfered to creating her contemporary chocolates which are filled with a variety of interesting ingredients from spicy mango with basil to a blend of blue cheese and dark chocolate. Lina recently sampled her chocolate confections at Gallery Shoal Creek.

Here is Lina with one of her custom chocolate necklaces.

Lina has a line of custom creations from shoes to necklaces, to boxes. Each edible and filled with her individual bonbons.

This is one of her small stilettos which is solid chocolate.

In addition to the custom pieces, Lina's Coco Couture offers individual 2 piece to 12 piece boxes filled with your choice of bonbons.

If you click on the above photo it will enlarge so you can read what varieties are in this box of 12.

Look at this! Lucky me found one of Lina's Coco Couture's pink boxes sitting in my desk chair on Christmas morning. That Santa Claus is a special guy!

Want to see what came in my pink box?

It was a beautiful chocolate box with this snowflake medallion and . . .

filled with four special bonbons inside. The blue is coffee amertto, the red is raspberry framboise, the leaf is candied orange and almond grand marnier, and the yellow is spicy mango with basil.

Lina's Coco Couture is a unique spot for fine chocolates. Be sure to visit her site here. You just might find the perfect gift for your Valentine!

Thanks for joining me today for Pink Saturday hosted by our ever faithful Beverly @ How Sweet the Sound where you will find a list of others participating in today's Pink Saturday. One such site will be Mary @ Across the Pond. Click here to see her post from last week spotlighting delightful pinks found in NYC. You won't be disappointed. But before you head off, I'd be ever so grateful if you left me a comment today.

Sharing One More Holiday Party

Nicol Sayer Sugar Plum Snowman

I know we are into the New Year 

and Christmas 2009 is behind us, 

but I've one more holiday party to share with you. 

What with all the holiday rush, 

I didn't have time to post this earlier. 

I hope you don't mind. 

Baked Brie with Marinated Fruit

My husband had been longing to have prime rib for months, 

and with the house all decorated for the holidays, 

what better excuse to have a few friends over for dinner. 

 One of our guests brought a delicious appetizer. . . baked brie 

with marinated fruit served on a beautiful and unusual glass dish.

Neighborhood children stopped by 

to sing some Christmas carols. 

 How fortunate was that! 

 It gave the evening 

an extra special festive touch.

The tree in our dining room, 

topped with Courtly Check ribbon and 

decorated in part with MacKenzie-Childs ornaments, 

set the theme for the evening.

Dinner was served buffet style. 

 Snow people and candle glow 

filled the dining room windows.

The buffet continued the black and white theme 

with Nancy Thomas's New York Santa from her 1995 collection.

 We happened to be visiting Williamsburg 

during the holidays that year, and I 

instantly feel in love with Santa dressed in a tuxedo. 

 Nancy Thomas had designed these Santa figures 

to decorate the windows in one of the large 

New York department stores that Christmas. 

 The print is mounted on wood and framed in metal. 

 The Santa figure is carved from wood. 

 Click here to see more of Nancy Thomas's work.

The snow people are by Nicol Sayre, 

and the little silver tree is called a bullion tree. 

 It is made of coiled metal and just gets better with age. 

 The Snow Queen Angel cloche is also by Nicol Sayre. 

You can read a post about this little cloche here.

The Sugar Plum snowman is a 2005 design by Nicol Sayre, 

and his little friend is by Dee Faust designs for Bethany Lowe. 

 The Let it Snow figure is a 2007 design by Nicol Sayre.

This little bell ringer in his green 

snow suit is by Debbee Thibault, 2005.

Christmas red napkins tied with 

courtly check ribbon held the flatware.

The lime green of the lemon cyprus topiary 

with hot pink cyclamen added just the perfect 

punch of color to the black and white theme.

Prime rib roast 

was the main dish.

Served with au jus 

and horseradish sauce.

Roasted baby carrots, haricots verts 

with roasted baby tomatoes, wild rice salad 

with dried sour cherries, and fresh bread 

were both beautiful and delicious.

Dessert was Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake 

with fudge icing, whipped cream, and raspberries.

The dessert service is St. Nick transfer ware in red by Spode. It was made exclusively for Williams-Sonoma. These plates were from 2004. This series is now retired.

The mugs are also the 2004 edition of

 St. Nick Christmas series by Spode for Williams-Sonoma.

Each guest left with a party favor, 

a petite box of chocolate truffles.

Recipe for the Texas Sheet Cake:

Sift together: 2 cups flour and 2 cups of sugar

Put in a pan: 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of Crisco, 4 T. cocoa, and 1 cup of water.

Bring this to a boil and pour over the flour and sugar. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 eggs slightly beaten, 1 tsp. soda, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix and pour in a greased 11" x 16" jellyroll pan. Bake 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.

While the cake is baking melt and bring to a boil: 1 stick of butter, 4 T cocoa, and 6 T sweet milk. Then add 1 box powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 cup pecans. Spread the icing on the cake while the cake is still hot.

Furry Backyard Visitor

It's a sunny cold day here, and it appears that this backyard visitor has found a nice spot in which to relax for a bit . . . a playscape in a neighbor's backyard.

This is a gray fox, a small mammal considered to be in the wild dog family. Both coyotes and foxes are very common in Texas, and it's not uncommon to see these creatures in urban areas near greenbelts. One can assume from the coloring why this is called a gray fox. Their coats are mostly gray with a little cinnamon colored fur along the sides, neck, and legs. Their belly's are white.

According to Wikipedia, canidae is the family of wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes, and dogs. These mammals eat both small animals and fruits and berries. This gray fox may be napping here, but these agile creatures are known to be good climbers and can climb up and down trees. The gray fox is the only one in the canidae family with the ability to climb trees.

A young fox is called a cub, kit, or pup. The female is called a vixen and the male a reynard, todd, or dog. I've no idea if this is a vixen or a reynard, but I do think this critter has sensed being watched. So let's leave it alone and go on over to Susan's @ A Southern Daydreamer to see what others are sharing today for Outdoor Wednesday.

Hope you'll take time to leave me a comment below. It will make my day!

The photos were taken by a neighbor in his yard. Thank you, Michael, for allowing me to share these amazing photos.

I found the facts on the gray fox on The Web Site of Everything.com. Click here if you want to read more about the gray fox.