Country Time

Country Time
A great way to host a summer get-together is to serve everything country style...mason jars, white dishes, bandanna napkins. If the weather's nice, serve dinner outside. Your guests will feel relaxed, nostalgic and just like family.

When entertaining a large number of friends, a beverage station is a great idea. Guests can help themselves as they mingle. Be sure to include non-alcoholic drinks along with the cocktails.

Here we have sun tea with mint syrup, always a crowd pleaser. A sugar syrup is the best way to sweeten tea because the sugar dissolves completely. Garnish with a lemon wedge.










An Arnold Palmer is a popular drink choice as well. It is made by mixing equal parts tea and lemonade.

Lemonade Spritzer is yet another refreshing choice. If you don't have time to make lemonade from scratch, just purchase lemonade at the store and add an equal portion of ginger ale. Lemon slices can be frozen to keep the beverage cold.

Mint Julip is a delicious beverage on a hot day. It's made by muddling mint, adding a simple syrup, bourbon, and club soda. What makes it especially pleasing is crushed ice filled to the top of the glass and extra mint. I like to have enough mint so that the drinker gets a heady sniff of the stuff. Extra ice and mint make the difference between a good mint julep and a great mint julep!

Ideally, the beverage station should be as visually engaging as your picnic table. Add a colorful cloth and fresh flowers. Include things such as mint, lemons, teaspoons, striped straws...anything that your guests may need for their drinks. Flea market antiques complete the nostalgic atmosphere and help you make your own special family memories.

Happy Summer!

Le Dejeuner

Graduation Breakfast

If you have a graduate, a unique way to honor him could be with a special breakfast. What better time to bring out your finest china than to  congratulate your brightest senior! 

Because we want to create a memorable intimate affair with family, we present a breakfast that appeals to the eyes as well as to the palate.

Our graduate's school colors are blue and gold,  which easily lend themselves to a French provincial theme. Blue is repeated in the
chinoiserie flower vases while yellow-gold is reflected in the flowers. In addition to the forsythia, rununculus, orchids and begonias, yellow is also found in the lemons and mimosas.

To complement the blue and gold while keeping the look crisp, I choose a white tablecloth, china and lace dessert plates.  Silver in the cutlery and metallic tray provide a clean yet traditional accent.

Other elements are also used to enhance the French garden appeal. For example, the pedestal and the salt and pepper shakers feature birds while the wicker chargers are nest-like. Egg place card holders support the avian theme as well.

The forsythia branches form a canopy over the dinner table which enhances the feeling of le jardin. The low row of flowers and tea light candles enhance the romantic setting.

This tablescape appeals to all of the senses. Eyes are delighted first by the color scheme which includes warm, cool, and neutral hues.
Then the textures gratify touch. The napkins are soft cotton and the silver is weighty. Meanwhile smooth jazz pleases the ear. Music always has an affect on mood. In my opinion, it's the most important component to a successful event. In addition to music, I add candles throughout the house to prompt pleasant emotions. Fragrances should support the aroma of the food because the food is the star attraction after all. When all five senses are engaged, guests will feel transported to a happy outdoor sanctuary.

Considering various taste preferences is necessary when planning a menu. Combine sweets and savories to please all of your guests. The  French toast Monte Cristo paninis accomplish this balance by combining salty ham and Gruyère with peach apricot marmalade.

Because the first taste is with the eyes, I select yellow begonias to accompany the sandwiches; then add the bird salt and pepper shakers for a bit of whimsy.

The marmalade is for taste as well as color. The berries provide an unexpected treat as well. Yellow orchids and lemons act as devices to complete the visual frame for the paninis.

Citrus drinks continue the color scheme and taste délicieux. Mimosas are composed of equal parts good quality orange juice and dry champagne or sparkling white wine. For teetotalers, orange spritzers are a satisfying alternative. What a perfect drink for toasting your graduate, "Congratulations!"

Sweet as Honey

HOW SWEET IT IS!

If you're looking for a fresh idea to please your mamma, try a honeybee themed lunch. She'll think it's sweet.

Honeybees are symbols of diligence and domestic contentment. How appropriate then for Mother's Day!

The keys to making this apiary tablescape harmonize are "unity and variety." Amber colors and natural textures work beautifully, creating a warm atmosphere.  The tablecloth, napkins and chargers are neutral while the glasses, tulips, and candle holders are golden. Dimension is built up from the woven cloth and basketweave chargers to the topiary placecard holders. A bee design appears on the plates and in the bud vases. Together these elements support a honey of a lunch.





To accommodate eight guests, two different dish sets of four are mixed. Creamware blends beautifully with the butterfly and bee pattern from Portmeirion. Also the goblets are combined from two sets. Because the glasses are similar in color and shape, the eye moves easily across the table. The chairs are an eclectic combination as well. Variety keeps it interesting.








Elements that are repeated include the chargers, silverware,  and tulips. Unity keeps all of the elements humming along together nicely.

The Italian menu includes crostini appetizers. The mushroom pesto is honeycombed with toasted walnuts. Tea with lemon is the beverage and a honey-almond cake with citrus glaze is for dessert.

The main course is chicken saltimbocca, a spinach and prosciutto roll wrapped in a chicken cutlet. The side dish is penne with treviso and goat cheese. Bella!

Happy Mother's Day!

A Modern Easter Dinner

                           






























A Modern Easter Dinner

Want to try something different for Easter this year? Try a contemporary theme. In this entry I show how you can mix modern and traditional elements to create an elegant as well as meaningful meal.

Here, a black tablecloth creates a dramatic base. Then plates build on the modern theme by being geometric in shape. Round and square alternate, so beautiful. Because the plates are lovely with a floral and lace pattern, the centerpiece is kept simple. Pink candles enhance the rosy colors in the plates while mercury silver votive candles provide low lights. These metallic pieces give a modern flair to the tablescape. Also mixed and matched silverware repeat the luster of the candelabra, keeping each place setting unique.

Red wine and orange blossom water are a nice complement to the tapenade and flatbread appetizer.

 Bunnies grace each place and lend dimension to the table. 

The menu is traditional with a fresh presentation. Grilled rosemary lamb chops sit atop saffron rice with asparagus and raisins. Not only does it smell heavenly, it tastes delicious. But more importantly, it reminds us of The Lamb of God.

For the adults, there are orange coconut cupcakes with kumquats for dessert.

















But the children can enjoy the same cupcakes with the addition of jelly beans and a chocolate bunny.

Easter baskets are a delightful surprise.
Happy Easter, All!

Old Country Roses

 Old Country Roses

If you're hosting a special dinner party for family and friends, you may have a larger group than usual. But you can always create a memorable gathering by using just a few cost-saving ideas.

Instead of seating guests in the dining room, I moved the table to the larger drawing room where the red walls look lovely as a backdrop for the rose-covered plates and the floral arrangement. Pastels don't have to be boring. By adding red ranuculus to the pink and yellow roses in the garland, the pastels are energized. Because the setting is in the drawing room, I can accommodate more guests and play with fresh color schemes.





An economical way to vary place settings is to choose white plates for almost every occasion, dressing them with decorated dessert plates that enhance seasonal themes. Old Country Roses by Royal Albert is the versatile china pattern shown here.

Other money saving tips include re-purposing knickknacks as centerpieces. Bunnies and Faberge eggs, along with wicker chargers, are added to create a springtime feel. This tablescape would work beautifully for an Easter dinner.

Borrowing also helps to reduce expenses. This Battenberg lace tablecloth, a gift from my husband's grandmother, acts as an overlay with a taupe cloth underneath.







For an eclectic look, mix and match chairs. Otherwise, chair covers can be an inexpensive way to provide extra seating. Event rentals are another great resource.


The three following menus are budget friendly as well. For appetizers we serve bourbon praline pecans, deviled eggs, crudite, and fruit.












Chicken cassoulet, a traditional French stew, can be made ahead and feeds a crowd... even if some of the guests arrive late.
The cassoulet is paired with a fresh summer squash saute.  Pecans give a southern taste to the veggies. French lemonade or sparkling peach lemon soda are refreshing beverages that please everyone, including children.

For a more southern presentation, the chicken can also be shredded into the bean stew and spooned over buttermilk biscuits.

Carrot cake is a delicious spring dessert of which any bunny would approve. Add butter pecan ice cream for a taste of heaven.

As an alternative menu for a large group, substitute chicken salad sandwiches. Grapes, toasted pecans and watercress make this croissant divine! We present it simply on a bed of lettuce with a giant perfect red strawberry. The fruit adds a punch of color and flavor.

Mini coconut cream pies and coffee complete the meal. All of these dishes can be prepared ahead of your guests' arrival so you'll have more time to visit.

A third alternative is to serve chicken pot pie in individual pedestal bowls. By presenting a simple comfort food in an unexpected way, the meal is both welcoming and elegant.

With its beautiful color and taste, a chocolate fruit tart makes an ideal spring dessert.

Or lemon squares dusted with powdered sugar can make an equally sweet finish.

If friends are flowers in the garden of life, may you blessed with many. Happy Easter!

Marie Antoinette Tablescape

Marie Antoinette's Versailles is the inspiration for this St. Valentine's Day tablescape. Pink, gold, and white look elegant and flirty with the addition of flowers and feathers.

For placecards, the computer is an indispensable tool. Here the names of the guests are superimposed over images of Marie Antoinette and then encased in ornate frames.

Mixing patterns a' la the dessert plates and the water goblets keeps the look fresh.

Beverages include Rose Tea, Kiddie Champagne, and Lemon/Orange Water. Striped glasses add a modern element.

Three different damask patterns (in the tablecloth, the runner, and the chargers) enrich the textures, creating the look of luxe.

My daughter's tea cup provides the perfect bowl for the amuse-bouche of broccoli cheddar soup.

I created garlands for the candelabra by intertwining floral wire with flowers and greenery.

Rose petals and mercury silver tea lights grace the runner.

The entree' consists of Chicken Cordin Bleu, with les haricots verts and scalloped potatoes.

Flammable pink plumage necessitates battery-operated candles.

















The pink feathers are an homage to Marie Antoinette's fabulous haberdashery.

Rose cupcakes and chocolate strawberries are a tasty dessert.
















Happy Love Day!