When a Dish Is More Than A Dish

Last week was one of the busiest I remember since the days of wedding planning. But that was not the original plan. Beloved was out of town and I had a total “me” week planned….sushi and ice cream on alternate days for dinner, lots of blogging, lots of reading, lots of blissful nothing. That was not to be. Unplanned events popped up all week.

One of my daughter’s very best friends called me and said she needed a little of my time. I could sense this young working mother of two toddlers needed more than a visit and a latte at Starbucks. So, I put the butter pecan back in the freezer and set the table….for two.

I think all mothers instinctively know when someone they care very much about needs pampering, a hug, or even the wisdom of experience. I knew this busy mother who often lives in a world of chicken nuggets on the run would appreciate a pretty table set just for her. I’ve known her since she was twelve and she likes dishes too :)

Nothing was fancy…no fine china; no good silver.

So I lit the candles for the special occasion of two women caring for and supporting one another. We held hands and said grace together as we have many many times before….. and we talked.

Sometimes a tablescape is more than dishes….

Thanks for visiting. I hope you’ll click the TT button on the sidebar to visit Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch. I’ll be back tomorrow with the dinner recipe—Shrimp Portofino. See you then!

Welcome Fall Tablescape

Tonight at 10:09 pm my little part of the world will officially usher in the beginning of fall with the autumnal equinox. We will be needing that official proclamation; the weatherman has forecast record-breaking highs of 96-98 degrees. But, no matter. Sometimes seasons are a matter of the heart and not the thermometer.

I’m afraid a busy schedule has made me a little lax in the feeding of my family lately. So I’ve planned a meal to welcome fall and the table is already set.

I bought this set of dishes several years ago at Steinmart. After using it for a while, I tucked it away and had almost forgotten about it. The pattern called Still Life has all the deep, rich jewel tones I associate with fall.

There are four different patterns in both the dinner and the salad plates so I like to mix them up.

The centerpiece is sunflowers I purchased for next to nothing in the last few minutes of a street festival on Saturday. The carafe makes an interesting vase.

Susan’s napkin tutorial last week sparked my interest in playing with napkins. These are “wash and wear” napkins made out of a blend, so they are perfect for a week night family dinner. I’ll show you how to make this easy silverware pocket next week.

The stemware, also from Steinmart several years ago, is sturdy and ready to hold water, milk, or your favorite merlot :)

You can nibble on some hors ‘d, oeuvres and check out the menu while I finish up in the kitchen. I put out some homemade sour dough bread, grapes and cheese.

Apple and Fennel Salad

Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Fresh Mustard Greens

Wild Rice

Cornbread

Apple Dumplings with Vanilla Ice Cream

**I’ll be back for Foodie Friday with the salad and dumpling recipes!

And I couldn’t resist this—Remember the street festival I told you about? I saw this and thought of Susan at Between Naps on the Porch.

Aren’t you glad this isn’t Susan’s philosophy? :)

Happy fall and thanks for stopping by. And thank you Susan for not “keeping it on the porch”! :) Click on the Tablescape Thursday button on my sidebar for immediate transportation! See you tomorrow with recipes and pictures ! :)

When Autumn Leaves Start to Fall

I can hardly believe this is Susan’s 62nd Tablescape party. Susan at Between Naps on the Porch is always a gracious hostess and never fails to amaze and entertain us!

I love the jewel tones that come with autumn. I don’t believe I have ever used this particular combination of plates before and I think I like it. But first, let’s start with the centerpiece—you know I like those!

I think sometimes these are called “living centerpieces”. The name is appropriate, because these are potted plants from the hardware store and soon will find their way into pots on my deck. I used a large basket and filled it with daisy mums, ornamental cabbage and kale. I filled in the bare spots with a little Spanish moss and a few mini pumpkins. I like to vary the heights, colors, and textures of the plants. We can enjoy this for a little while on the breakfast room table and then later outside on the deck. I love not having dead flowers to throw away! This works great in any season with flowering plants.

Brown, gold, dark green, burgundy---all the rich jewel tones of fall. As you can tell, this is certainly not a collection—just playing with different combinations. The leaf plates are new this year from Marshall’s with the Olfaire stamped on the back. I am not familiar with this, but it’s microwave and dishwasher safe so it works for me!

I also found the stacked pumpkin candle holders on sale 50% off this year at Hobby Lobby. I like how the base and pumpkin napkin rings continue that rich feel with the burnished gold and copper. Both will be good for tables in October and November—pumpkins are versatile :) ! Votive holders are from where else—Dollar Tree!

The squirrels sitting on the leaf are salt and pepper shakers. Kathy at Life in the Slow Lane is having a few issues with squirrels, but not these. They are cute, harmless and certainly will stay out of the attic! Now, you know I like to “feed” you when you come to my table and this week I planned to . You’ll notice a dessert on that maple leaf plate in the top picture.

It’s hard to tell but this is a HOMEMADE toffee marshmallow s’more. Yes, I made the marshmallows and topped it with granny Smith apple slices and caramel topping. Now this is not what Gollum would call a train wreck, but it will not be repeated at my house. NOT a lot of bang for the time spent. Anytime I pull out the candy thermometer, it is serious business! I might repeat it with a bag of commercial marshmallows. The flavor combination of sweet and tangy was good.

I am glad you visited me today. Don’t forget your transportation back to Susan and many others is the TT button on the sidebar…Good things await you! And have a happy and safe Halloween!