Artichoke Cheese Spread

I think our dear Michael at Designs by Gollum is in the home stretch with her editing by now. She has been a real trooper to continue hosting us. Thank you Michael!

I have learned one thing about cooking. If “location, location, location” is the real estate mantra, then “presentation, presentation, presentation” is the food mantra! The other one for me, is “easy, easy, easy”! I like a lot of bang for the buck! This recipe is in my notebook with the note—“easy, pretty, and good” written in the margin. I think you'll agree!

Ignore that nasty little crumb in the foreground…I’ve had a long day. This is a great do ahead for your own party or for taking to one of the many festivities surrounding the holiday. This one is going to a Rebels vs. Vols pregame dinner party. Try it…you’ll like it :)

Artichoke Cheese Spread

Stir together two (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese and 1/2 cup finely chopped green onion tops. Set aside. Stir together: one (14 0z.) can drained and finely chopped artichoke hearts, one cup grated parmesan cheese (I use the kind in the bag:), two cloves of pressed garlic, two tablespoons of olive oil, one tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground red pepper. Set aside. Drain and chop one jar of roasted red bell peppers.

To assemble use a four cup bowl. Line it with plastic wrap covering all sides. Divide and layer the cream cheese mixture, roasted bell pepper, and cheese/artichoke mixture. Repeat layers. I pat and shape each layer with a spatula. Cover and chill at least two hours. When you are ready to serve it, invert onto a plate and remove the plastic wrap. The plastic wrap ensures no sticking! I like to serve it with bagel rounds, but any cracker you like will do! Garnish red and green for Christmas!

Hope you like it. Click on the Foodie Friday button on my sideboard to see what’s cookin’ !

Tablescape Thursday…She Said the Magic Words !

Once again, our gracious hostess Susan at Between Naps on the Porch has invited us to her place to play with the dishes. Thanks so much Susan! If you are a regular visitor, you may know that our daughter got married last summer. So with engagements comes the bridal registry, and then gifts, and then finally MORE NEW CHINA! We spent a two days together last weekend painting two bedrooms and she finally got around to saying the magic words I’ve been longing to hear……not, “we’re having a baby” but “will you help me set my table?”. Yippee! This is music to my ears! I have been wanting to get my hands on this since June. Sunshine is a smart girl who knew what she wanted. She has loved Herend since she was a teenager when she received a small decorative heart. So, when she started making decisions for her bridal registry she chose this as her dinner plate.

This is the Gwendolyn pattern by Herend with 24 karat slightly scalloped edges. She thought one day it might mix nicely with either of these

This is Lancaster by Haviland and belonged to my grandmother. It is the pattern I always use for Thanksgiving and in the fall. The leaves and colors make it perfect for the season. It too is white with a very slight scallop and thin gold edging.

This is my formal china-Rosalinde also by Haviland. The very center of this plate is white (like the Herend plate), the outer rim is bone. Once again, it has a slight scallop and a gold edge. Do you think this might be genetic—three generations of gold scallops? :) We both thought this would be a good salad plate on top of her Gwendolyn. But for her salad plate, Sunshine mixed patterns. Brides seem to do that more now. She chose this

This is Chinese Bouquet by Herend. It is was of Herend’s oldest patterns inspired by an even older Chinese pattern. This particular pattern was commissioned by Count Albert Apponyi a distinguished nobleman and statesman of Hungary. Chinese Bouquet comes in blue, rust, or green. Sunshine chose green, but I was rooting for the blue. Look at all those serving pieces available!

Herend has been made in the small village of Herend near Budapest since 1826. Started by Vince Stingl, it quickly changed hands after a bankruptcy. The creditor Mor Fishcher took over and developed the artistry. It was a favorite of European nobility. In 1853 a Herend pattern, entered in the New York Exhibition of Industrial Arts, won an award. From that point on, it became an American favorite as well.

Many of the patterns were created and named for specific families or people. This pattern with flowers and butterflies is Queen Victoria.

You bird watchers and fans will love this pattern. Susan you would love this one! It was created in 185o for the Rothschild family of Europe. Twelve different motifs depict a nineteenth century tale about Baroness Rothschild who lost a pearl necklace in her garden in Vienna. Several days later the necklace was found by a gardener who spotted birds playing with it in a tree.

Not only does Herend produce china, they also create beautiful collectibles and figurines. This elephant is from the Safari Collection and is the popular fishnet pattern.

I personally aspire to fishnet bunnies—in several shapes, sizes, and positions :)

Here is a starfish in the green and white fishnet pattern.

The starfish and this sea urchin are from their newest collection.

I do own one small piece—the rose in the secretary was a gift. Mine is pink, but they come in several beautiful colors.

I can hardly wait to help Sunshine set her table for Thanksgiving! This will be the first time in over 25 years that the Thanksgiving holiday meal has not been at our house. The next generation is at least temporarily borrowing the torch…and I am thankful :)

Please visit our gracious hostess Susan and a lots of others for more table fun! You can click on the TT button and be there in a flash! Thanks for stopping by!

Lucy and Ethel Do Wheat Grass and a Winner

First let me say thank you to all of you who visited, commented, and entered the giveaway for my 100th post! I have pulled a name out the “hat” and the winner is at the bottom of this post!

I am happy to be joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday. I don’t participate very often except to visit, but I was roped into this one. You may remember that Sunshine, our only daughter, got married last June. Hubby had to go away on business and Beloved was busy, so she invited me for a girl night. When I think of “girl night” I envision this and this

followed by this

or this

But alas, it began with this

and this

I wish I could tell you that Sunshine and I planned and researched for weeks before starting our project. The truth is we are much more like this team

She picked out a color that was actually on the wall at Sherwin Williams-wheatgrass :). I picked out the other bedroom color from one I had seen at a friend's house-camel back. We painted ALL WEEKEND and finished two bedrooms.

This is the guest bedroom. It was empty when she moved in. Sunshine added her own touch with a little Pottery Barn bedding in bright colors she loves. We added Target shades and nightstand. Her in laws are coming for a few days for the Thanksgiving holidays, so we thought it was a good time to spruce it up.

This room will hereafter be referred to as the Wheatgrass In Law Suite :). We painted the master bedroom camel back, hung curtains, and waxed hardwood floors…I don’t have the strength to show you….I will tell you camel back is much more attractive in my hair than wheatgrass is in hers :). Now, on to more important things! Tonight I gathered all the names for the giveaway. I was careful to count each one the proper number of times.

Then I swished and I swirled as much as my exhausted muscles would allow. And I pulled out

Niki—Please email your address and I will send you this

Thank you to everyone! Click on the MM button to return to "The Porch"!

Pink Saturday…..I’m Dreaming and a Giveaway

I know most of us (including me) haven’t gotten the last Halloween decoration put away and the Thanksgiving menu is still on the “to do” list, but I love Christmas. So I’m dreaming…What if Christmas looked like this?

And the tree was covered in these?

Or this?

And the mantel was hung with this?

And the front door greeted you with this?

And the table was set with this?

And this?

Wouldn’t it be fun?

I posted my 100th post this week. I have loved “meeting” so many of you and hope to meet so many more. You can read about and enter my Giveaway for some early Christmas decorations here. Also……

Starting on Tuesday, December 1, I will be hosting a “Deck the Halls” party every Tuesday through January 5. You can read the details here. I hope you will join me! I hope you will grab a button after you read the details and spread the word!

Thank you Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting Pink Saturday! I hope everyone has a great pink Saturday and a wonderful weekend!

Click here for a world of pink! Now --- GO REGISTER here!!!

p.s.—I am posting a little early…I will be painting on Friday and Saturday…and I don’t mean portraits or landscapes :)

A Giveaway, A Celebration Tablescape, and an Invitation

Welcome to Susan’s 63rd tablescape party! You can join her at Between Naps on the Porch by clicking the TT button on the sidebar. You know Susan. There’s no telling what she has dreamed up for this week! As for me, I’ve set the sideboard for a celebration for two—you and me. You see—this is my 100th post!

I almost never take you into the dining room—but this is special! I’ve pulled out the champagne bucket we received as a wedding gift. See how that tart reflects in the silver? I have actually used this much more as a centerpiece container than I ever have for champagne. It is elegant with roses. I’ll show you soon! These are two lone champagne flutes we received as a gift from the owner of an antique store. I know nothing about them—except that they are a little different and I like that. The linen wine bottle apron was also a gift from a friend. In honor of the celebration, I “gifted” us with these fruit tarts from Fresh Market. These “high end” markets have the most fabulous meat department, prepared food deli, and bakery I have ever seen anywhere. Shopping there is just an occasional guilty pleasure for me! And since we’re talking about gifts —I’ve got one for you!

You may know I love tea towels and guest towels. This is a beautiful linen hem stitched towel that says it all about the upcoming holiday season! There are glitter embossed candy cane ornaments and a cheese spreader ready for your festive appetizers. I know it’s just a little early….but I want you to get excited….I have an invitation for you too!

On Tuesdays between December 1 and January 5 I will be hosting a “Deck the Halls” party. You are invited to link your posts with your decorations, those you have visited, or just those that have inspired you. I will post Mr. Linky on Monday evenings. Get creative—the rules are casual. I know it will be fun and I can’t wait to visit you all! Don’t worry—I’ll remind you!

SO—here are the giveaway rules:

1. Leave a comment on this post for one entry.

2. If you are a follower, you are entitled to two entries

3. If you post about the giveaway, please come back and tell me. I will enter you three times .

4. I will announce the winner on Monday November 8th!

Thank you all so much. When I first hit that “publish” button, I could never have imagined the friends I would make. I do consider you that! :)

Don’t forget! Grab a “Deck the Halls” button! Spread the word!

I hope dear Michael doesn't mind if I cheat and post to Foodie Friday....I do have tarts :) Click on her button on my sidebar for food and fun!

With Apologies to Robert Frost

Raking Up Leaves on an Autumn Evening

With Apologies to

Robert Frost

Whose leaves these are I think I know.

The tree is not my yard though.

It seems all wrong to yell and hiss

To treat the leaves as if a foe.

My little dogs are full of fear

For they can hardly walk in here.

The crunch and crackle frightens them.

They do not like this time of year.

My husband fumes and stomps his feet.

It seems he can’t admit defeat.

Leaves cover up his perfect path,

Swirl and fall and then repeat.

The leaves are yellow, brown, and deep.

So I will rake without a peep,

With leaves to rake before I sleep,

With leaves to rake before I sleep.

I am joining our hostess Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday. Please join her here for more outdoor fun. Robert Frost has long been my favorite poet. If you would like to read his poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, click here. I hope you will come back on Thursday for my 100th post, an invitation, and a giveaway!

A Metamorphosis That Really Matters

I love visiting Susan at Between Naps on the Porch each week to see what each of you has been up to—remodeling rooms, refurbishing furniture, repurposing Goodwill finds. But I’d like to share a different kind of metamorphosis with you—one that is a work in progress.

Firstborn son is a mentor and volunteer with Big Brothers of America. Recently he got the opportunity to take his nine year old “little brother” to sit court side at a Grizzlies basketball game. They were treated to first row seats, free food and a visit with the players outside the locker room. Mysteriously every t shirt and souvenir thrown came right their way!

He was treated to a personal visit with the “mouth of the Grizzlies!

Here is the little guy with two of the players outside the locker room.

This is the ride home—I think he had a good time. Firstborn is the kid who cried for six months with colic…the one whose vice principal had our number on speed dial…the one that keeps us on our toes. Little brother’s t shirt says it all—“We’re in this together”. I think they are making a change for the better in each other….Firstborn is a kid who is making us proud.

Click on the MM button on the sidebar for exciting changes over at Susan’s!