Tables of the Past

With food, family, friends, football, and parades competing for our attention, there may not be many out and about in the land of Blog today.  Susan, our faithful hostess, continues to invite us in no matter what the calendar says.  I thought I might show you a few tablescapes from the past.  Hope you are having or have had a joyous Thanksgiving filled with an abundance of the love of family and friends.

 

 

  

Thanks for strolling down tablescape memory lane with me.  Don’t forget “Deck the Halls” on December 1. Mr. Linky will be up on Monday night! Click on the TT button to join Susan at Between Naps on the Porch!

Deck the Halls

Tuesdays, December 1-January 5

My Thanksgiving Wish for You

 

I grew up in a time when variety shows were popular and never more popular than at holiday time.  I remember watching Perry Como as a child.  Perry was eighty one years old when this was recorded.  His song is my wish for each of you and your families.  Happy Thanksgiving!   Don’t forget to turn off the music in the playlist at the bottom!

Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About….Dessert

Funny, that Bonnie Raitt’s song popped in my head when I was thinking about this post. But let’s face it. Thanksgiving with lots of extended family can be stressful. Lots of planning, cooking, and cleaning. Throw in a few strange relatives and you’ve got stress. Serve this dessert and this is ALL your guests will talk about! It is a showstopper—delicious, pretty, and best of all made ahead of time.

Creme Brulee’ Bundt Cake

3 cups sugar, divided

4 cups heavy cream, divided

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

6 large eggs

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 egg yolks

1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

Sprinkle 1 cup sugar into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until sugar melts and turns a light golden brown. Quickly pour into a 12 –cup Bundt pan, tilting to coat the sides of pan about 1 1/2 inches up sides. This may crack as it cools. Stir together heavy cream and vanilla in a large bowl. In a blender, process 6 eggs, next 3 ingredients . and 2 cups sugar until smooth. Stir this into cream mixture. Pour over caramelized sugar in Bundt pan.

Place in a large roasting pan in a preheated 350 degree oven. Pour hot water into roasting pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in deepest part comes out clean. Remove pan from water and chill on wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Loosen edges with a thin knife and invert onto a serving plate. Garnish with remaining whipped heavy cream, sweetened to taste.

I served this for the birthday dinner (here) with green salad, Rett’s (from The Gazebo House) individual beef Wellingtons (recipe here), twice baked potatoes, and creamed spinach and artichokes. This meal gave everybody something to talk about!

Stuffing or Dressing?

Ahh..Thanksgiving always brings up one of life’s eternal quandaries. Is it stuffing or dressing and is there a difference? As a southerner, I have always called the Thanksgiving staple dressing. I believe the term stuffing is more prevalent above the Mason Dixon. Some say the base of dressing is cornbread, while the base of stuffing is white bread. Others say stuffing is “stuffed” inside the bird, while dressing is baked in a casserole dish. Which ever name you use, most of us will find it on our Thanksgiving tables. Several years ago, a dear friend who was living without family in NYC called and asked me how to make dressing. Although I did not have a written recipe, I figured it was a good time to measure and put one in writing..for her and posterity. Last year the Commercial Appeal newspaper published my recipe in a column titled “Tasteful Dressings”. It has been said that the Mississippi Delta begins in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis TN and ends on Catfish Row in Vicksburg, MS. Since I am intimately acquainted with both, I call it

Delta Dressing

4 batches of corn bread (recipe here)

1 quart homemade chicken stock

4-5 bunches green onions, chopped with tops

5 stalks celery, chopped

2 pieces of white bread

Salt and pepper

Place broth, onion, and celery in a deep skillet. Cook until celery is soft. Meanwhile, crumble cornbread completely in a large bowl. Add broth mixture. Tear and add white bread. Mix all well. Get in with your hands if you need to. Add salt to taste and LOTS of black pepper. (I just taste it until I like it). Put into two 9X13 greased casserole dishes. I usually reserve a small amount to mix with oysters and oyster broth. Bake at 350-400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Notes-Use homemade stock. Don’t shortcut here! Homemade broth makes a big difference. This can be done in advance and the broth frozen. Boil a whole chicken with an onion, celery with leaves, and a carrot. Add salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is done (the leg will move easily). Remove the chicken and strain the broth. This recipe is not for sissies, but definitely worth the effort! I make the cornbread on Monday, chop celery and onion on Tuesday and put the dressing together on Thanksgiving morning. You could do it ahead, but I like the way the kitchen smells while watching parades.

****This is exactly the way I emailed it to my non-cooking friend :)—hence, the detailed instructions. Call it what you like…just call me when it’s ready! I wish you and yours a Thanksgiving filled with the blessings of family and food. Nothing says that more than this Norman Rockwell picture.

Click on the Foodie Friday button for more fun and recipes! Thanks to Michael at Designs by Gollum!

Birthday Tablescape…Where the Deer and the Antelope Play

Susan, our gracious hostess at Between Naps on the Porch has invited us once again. As someone else pointed out: I don’t really think she naps :)! I know everyone is neck deep in Thanksgiving plans…cleaning, cooking, or a lucky few packing. But we are have a double celebration before the big holiday. First Born and our new son in law (hereafter known as Shug and pronounced like the first half of sugar :) are both celebrating birthdays! First Born is celebrating a milestone one and it is Shug’s first as a member of our family. He proposed to Sunshine on his birthday last year. It calls for a celebration—and a manly one!

This antelope started it all. A friend had it left over from a garage sale. He was originally an ash blonde color. The tablescape wheels starting turning in my head and with a can of gold spray paint he became my centerpiece.

We are usually an informal family more prone to barbecue on the deck than formal sit down meals—but this one is special and required a special table setting.

Glenda at A Dab of This and That tipped me off on these large faux acorns at Cracker Barrel. Perfect and 40% off to boot—thanks Glenda!

It’s hard for me to set a table without flowers no matter how manly it is. Since I had a gold theme going, I spray painted these Dollar Tree candle holders with the same gold spray paint. The roses (always from Kroger) are yellowish with burnt orange tips to pull out the colors in the china.

I used my grandmother’s Lancaster by Haviland—a great pattern for autumn. One of the things that I love most about this china is what it represents to me. This china was not a wedding gift to my grandparents. My grandmother, a career woman, bought every single piece on layaway—that thing people used before credit cards. She had a great appreciation for beautiful things and was willing to work for them. I found these great gold napkin rings at Old Time Pottery recently for $1 each. The sterling is Burgundy by Reed and Barton.

I dressed up the Lismore by Waterford with wired gold ribbon. Each person will have their own little crystal salt and pepper set.

No one but my grandmother would have ever dared to wash this covered dish…we were all afraid we’d break it :)

I am serving Rett’s (from The Gazebo House) individual beef Wellingtons and the gravy boat will be perfect for a horseradish sauce or bearnaise

Butter pats for the rolls will hide inside here. I usually use this china for Thanksgiving, but this year we will be eating with my daughter—my first time to be a guest in over twenty five years. The Thanksgiving torch passed directly from my paternal grandmother to me…so I had to get out her china….I hope you’ll enjoy sharing it with me.

Click on the TT button on the sidebar for more tablescape with Susan! Don’t forget Deck the Halls will be on Tuesdays beginning December 1. I hope you’ll join in the fun and grab a button! For details click here

Metamophosis Monday…New Look for the Nook

I almost never get to “play” on Met Monday when Susan at Between Naps on the Porch hosts her party, but I’ve been working on a project for a while now….and it’s time I invited you in to see! If you visit my tablescapes, you’ve seen this table and this view frequently.

I bought this table several years ago at an estate sale—just a pedestal table. I’m not sure of its age, but the size was right. Our farm table from our previous home did not fit the new space comfortably. This table had lots of “character” from it’s previous owners. I loved that it was well worn and obviously had its own stories to tell, but I was never really happy with it. The window treatments were in the house when we bought it. Again, I appreciated having them, but they nagged at me after a couple of years. I find some of my best inspiration in catalogs. I love browsing through Ballard Designs. I saw this table and an idea was born.

You talented bloggers have introduced me to the wonders of furniture rehabilitation! I’ve always been a spray painter, but have never ventured far out of my comfort zone of small items and deck furniture. But you gave me courage to try! SOooo…I waited until Beloved went out of town; I went to the hardware store; I showed the man a leaf from the table and asked his advice on painting it. “You gonna ruin this antique?” was his reply. After I recovered, I answered, “Yep, so you might as well help me do it”. What is it with men and wood? :) I painted the table and six chairs in two days….just in the nick of time before Beloved got home.

The Windsor chairs were a previous purchase and needed an update too!

I think it looks like the Ballard table. I can take out two leaves to make it round, but the larger size suits us most of the time. Hershey in the background is not impressed :) Next, it was time to get rid of the window treatments. The metamorphosis stalled in the pupa stage! But while I was catalog browsing, I saw these curtains in the Country Curtains catalog.

The photo makes it hard to tell, but they are a small tan and black check….love the fabric. The style is just a little much for the breakfast area….but the wheels started turning again. Five fabric stores later, I had a coupon, a seamstress, and a plan.

I picked them up on Friday and Beloved and I hung them on Saturday. I must tell you that this is a miracle in itself for several reasons: 1) Beloved did it . 2) He did not use words that make sailors blush. 3) We are still married.

I like the way the table and the window treatments complement the colors in this picture. I had to replace some decorative plates to go with the new color scheme. I found these at Hobby Lobby. They will do for now, but I’m still looking.

The back entryway need a little sprucing up too. The door has the same window treatment. I bought this rug on clearance at a local rug store and another one at Big Lots for beneath the sink.

I had always thought the little breakfast alcove needed a rug to define and warm up the area. I had a black and tan sisal rug in mind, but completely reversed directions when I found one on clearance at the same rug store. I think it added the color and texture this area needed.

Now, I never told you what Beloved said when I painted the table, or changed the window treatments, or added the rugs. Beloved is a man of few words. He took one look all around and at the rug in the kitchen and said,

“Why do we have a New Orleans Saints rug?”. I love that man :)

Click on the MM butterfly on the sidebar for more transformations at Susan’s.

Don’t forget the Deck the Halls party will begin on December l. For details click here! Hope to see you there!

Writer’s Challenge….My Favorite Movie

Lori over at Family Trees May Contain Nuts is hosting a Writer’s Challenge and while I am definitely not a writer, I do have a favorite movie….no having to think about it, no contest. I have loved “The Wizard of Oz” since I was a little girl and it continues to be my all time favorite to this day.

I began watching “The Wizard” when it was a once-a-year event…no DVR, CD’s, or even Blockbuster. The movie came on tv and you watched it or missed until the next year…I never missed it. I prepared for days making sure I would be ready at the appointed time…bath taken, pj’s on, popcorn popped, pillow in place…I was ready. When I was very young, the beginning of the movie which took place in Kansas was all in black and white—symbolic of how young Dorothy thought of her life. It was not until the house touched down in Oz that the presentation was in color….As Disney used to say, “the wonderful world of color". The cyclone had transported Dorothy and Toto to a world full of rich color and richer characters. …not black and white, and certainly not Kansas.

She landed in a place where good and evil were at war and recognizable.

She landed in a place where she had a chance to be someone else and to make a difference.

“The Wizard of Oz” theme seemed to follow me.-first, in college as an annual sorority skit, and later in events with my children.

I think I spent a lot of my life like Dorothy….looking for my place over the rainbow…feeling as if the answer was just over the hill and down the yellow brick road.

But like Dorothy the road led me to an answer. I found out that I have always had the power to be happy. I discovered and have tried to teach my children that happiness is an “inside job”. Happiness does not depend on circumstances; happiness depends on attitude.

Last February when I finally decided to take a leap of faith into Blogland, I had no trouble deciding on a blog name or symbol. I feel as if I have gotten to the other side of the rainbow….and there’s no place like home :).

Hope you’ll visit Lori to share movie memories at Family Trees May Contain Nuts. Thanks Lori!