Celebrities for Dinner

I am glad to be joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday and Michael at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday. As I've said before, they complement each other and I am happy to visit both! This week I was in charge of a committee to do flowers for a luncheon of about sixty women--eight tables in a lovely setting overlooking the city. Between that pig thing going around and wanderlust, I ended up as committee of one. The good news--no boring meetings to discuss strategy. The bad news--I am NOT a florist. But I do have a Costco card and I know how to use it!





The luncheon went off without a hitch and now I am left with all these flowers! So .....I invited celebrities for dinner!





I started out with these lovely cream colored dishes with scalloped edges and brown etched fleur de lis accents. They are made by Nina Campbell a London designer with a home line that I believe is offered exclusively at Steinmart. She has beautiful basic pieces with lovely details in several colors. I like the cream and brown for fall. Besides it works so well with these wooden chargers with the leaf design.





I layered a dark green salad plate on top of the Nina Campbell. The salad plates are a Marshalls find. I like to buy salad plates or bowls. They can completely change the personality of a neutral plate. These have a raised grape and grape leaf pattern on them and are called Bordeaux made by Raymond Waites.

I recently saw this idea for individual bouquets that hold place cards. They are actually salt and pepper shakers from Walmart with the top removed . I just added a few mums and fern fronds from the yard. I use these stemmed votive holders all the time. I like the heighth on the table. Now, let's see-- that's a place for Ted and a place for Bob.

Alice will sit here. The bold plaid of the napkins have all the tablescape and flower colors--orange, gold, greens, and brown. I just pushed them down into the stemmed bronze tea glass. They may be celebrities, but they're just folks like us.

If you like old movies, by now, the names are beginning to sound vaguely familiar! Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice was was a risque' movie in the late sixties when free love was just making its way to the over thirty set! I love all these actors! Honestly, those are the first four names that popped in my mind as I was making "faux place cards". But what do you serve for dessert when Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice are coming for dinner.....no, not that :)

There is Carol's spot with Cinnamon baked apples with dumplings! These are my grandmother's sherbet glasses. I finally got a shot where you can see a little of the beautiful etching.

Baked apples make a great guilt free fall dessert and this presentation makes it an elegant dessert as well. It will look like you went to a lot more trouble than you did and I'm all for that...even for celebrities :).

Core Rome or Golden Delicious apples. I don't all the way through to the bottom, Fill it with whatever concoction you like--brown sugar, Splenda, butter, raisins, cinnamon, etc. Next, lay a prepared pie crust out on a floured surface. (I've told you --Sister Schubert makes my rolls and the dough boy makes my crusts :) Cut into strips about 1/2 inch wide and 10 inches long. Criss cross two strips to form an X and place the filled apple in the middle. Pull strips up around the apple and tuck into the center. Next, using the leftover crust cut out small leaves an attach to top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. You may need to cover the leaf garnish with foil at the end to prevent over browning. Garnish with a cinnamon stick stuck in the center. Serve warm. Great with whipped cream or topping.

Just a reminder about Deck the Halls on Tuesdays starting December 1. If you'd like, go ahead and take the reminder button from the sidebar. I'd be grateful if you helped me spread the word. I will be doing a full post about it next week. Gotta go--Elliot Gould needs me!

Click on the TT button to see more tablescapes and on Friday click the Foodie Friday to head over to Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday!