My “All Fired Up” Blooper

I’m joining Susan’s Blogging Bloopers Party 2010 over at Between Naps on the Porch.  I had to laugh when I read Susan’s comment that at least she hadn’t set a single thing on fire this year…cause that’s just what I did!

When I set the table using my Glimmer of Gold setting (you can see the photos here), I didn’t show any of the photos that I took of the table by candlelight.  After my family left and the dishes were cleaned, I had reset the table for our dinner that night.   Since it would be after dark when we sat down to eat, I had added pillar candles in lovely crystal hurricanes and several votive candles around the table.

All the candles were burning and I was busy taking photos…when all of a sudden, I noticed this r—e—a—l—l—y big hole (and getting bigger by the second) in the ribbon on my centerpiece.  Apparently I didn’t put the candle as far away from the ribbon as I thought I did…said ribbon deciding it was a nice night to be highly flammable.  Talk about snatching that ribbon out of the way!

At least it happened AFTER my luncheon was over!  My family would STILL be teasing me about it if they knew. 

Ribbon and Fire…they don’t mix well. 

I can’t wait to read everyone else’s bloopers for 2010!

DG

 

A Glimmer of Gold

Wow, it’s so great to be back!  My computer hard drive decided it was time to fry about a week before Thanksgiving and I was computerless until Christmas when my sweet family gave me a new laptop.  I’ve been slowly learning how to use it and trying to get used to not having a mouse.

I’m so happy to be able to once again join Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for another Tablescape Thursday.  Don’t you want to join us too? 

A few days before Christmas, I invited my mother, two aunts and a cousin to have lunch with me.  Today, I’m sharing photos of the table I set for the luncheon. 

  

I started out with a dark green tablecloth and then layered a white lace tablecloth on top.  For the centerpiece, I began with a golden sleigh filled with pinecones and greenery.  I placed it in the center of a plain wreath.  Then I began adding greenery, berries, golden ornaments and feathery birds.  Golden swirling ribbons are the final touch to the centerpiece.

The place settings consisted of gold baroque chargers, forest green dinner plates, and swirled glass soup bowls.  Individual green butter dishes with crystal handled butter servers were placed next to each plate.  Anchor Hocking Forest Green iced tea glasses and sherbets completed each setting.

A Forest Green depression glass tea pitcher was placed on the end of the table.  Alongside the pitcher, I placed a bowl containing small gifts for each family member.  Each received a Christmas ornament that I chose to compliment their styles of decorating.

The island in my kitchen was set up for desserts.

 

It was was cold and rainy, but sitting down to lunch with my family members warmed up my day.  We laughed, we gossiped, we enjoyed a delicious meal …it was wonderful sharing this moment in time with family!

I hope that each of you had a wonderful Christmas!  Thanks for visiting!

DG

 

Ambrosia

Ambrosia…in Greek mythology, it’s known as “the food of the Gods” and was thought to bestow immortality to all those who partook of this divine food. 

About 30 years ago, my future husband and I were visiting his Grandmother in Georgia before Christmas and she made Ambrosia for us.  This was the beginning of my love affair with this delicious indulgence.  After my husband and I married, it became a tradition for  him to make Ambrosia to serve at our Christmas morning breakfast.

Ambrosia can be made with basically any fruits that you would like to use, but oranges are a must have ingredient.  Chopped pecans or walnuts can also be added.  Some people like to add in sliced bananas, grapes or cherries, but we like to keep it simple with basically oranges and coconut.

Start out by putting sectioned pieces of oranges and the orange juice in a bowl.  Add in some coconut and any other fruits and chopped nuts that you like.  Then add in sugar to taste and …voila, you have Ambrosia.  How simple is that!

Do you make Ambrosia?  What fruits do you like to add to it?

Thanks for visiting today.  I’m joining Designs by Gollum for another Foodie Friday.  See you there!

DG

 

Cherry Jubilees

I’ve never before eaten cookies that had plain maraschino cherries in them and when this recipe caught my eye, I was intrigued enough to give it a try.

I found it in “Favorite Recipes of Alabama Vocational Home Economics Teachers Third Edition”.  It was published during the 1960’s and at that time my Grandmother’s youngest son was still in school.  I think she purchased the cookbook when it was sold through the school as a fundraiser. 

Ingredients are mixed well and then chopped cherries, coconut and pecans are added. 

I actually quartered the cherries, but mixing them into the dough breaks the quarters into smaller pieces.

The recipe states to bake 10 minutes, but I found the cookies were perfectly baked after only 8 minutes.  When the cookies are done, let them cool on a rack.

Time for afternoon tea…

Super easy to make and oh my gosh, they are delicious!

I think they look so pretty with the bits of cherry baked in them.

Cherry Jubilees

1 1/2 c butter

2 c brown sugar

2 eggs

4 c flour

2 t baking soda

2 t vanilla

2 t salt

1/2 c shredded coconut

1 c chopped pecans

1 c chopped maraschino cherries

In a large bowl, cream the butter; add the sugar gradually and mix well.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well again.  Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add this to the sugar/eggs and blend well.  Add the pecans, coconut and cherries.  Mix until blended well.  Drop teaspoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Yields 8 dozen cookies.

Although the recipe states it yields 8 dozen cookies, I made half of the recipe and it yielded 6 dozen cookies for me. 

I’m sharing my tea and cookies with Brenda’s Canadian Kitchen for another Cookbook Sundays. Don’t you want to join us?

DG

Happy Fall Y’all!

Warm days and cool, crisp nights…this season always seems so glorious to me.  Autumn days arrive with so much promise.  Seeing the colors change almost while you’re watching, the clear nights with thousands of stars sparkling like diamonds in the sky…I love Fall! 

Scarecrows and pumpkins…are there any two more perfect embodiments of Autumn?  

I wanted to arrange a fun, simple table setting celebrating these two icons of Autumn.  To set the stage for the table, I began with a Fiesta tablecloth in the color Tangerine.  Layered on the tablecloth is a white lace topper. 

 After placing the linens on the table, I started out with this wooden tray decorated for Fall.  It usually sits on my island in the kitchen, but this week it’s doing double duty as the centerpiece for my table.

The tray is decorated with a glittery orange votive candleholder surrounded by berries, pinecones, acorns and flowers in autumnal colors.

A metal pumpkin is placed at the front of the tray.

Taking center stage is Jareth and Sara with their charming sentiment.

“Camder Stripe” plates are one of my favorites to use in the Fall.  I love the versatility of these plates with their stripes of blue, orange, yellow, green, red and white.   

Fingertip towels are used as napkins.  Two plates have scarecrows on green towels…

and the other two plates have yellow towels with sunflowers.

 

Leaf plates serve as bread and butter plates.  Small green bowls will hold individual servings of butter. 

I placed Tangerine silverware by Fiesta on the plates.

I love this little whimsical scarecrow place card and pumpkin holder! 

Ribbon and fall foliage embellished pumpkins sit in “Lorain” sherbet dishes. 

Time to light the candles and sit down to dinner…

Our dessert was a slice of Plain Cake.  The recipe can be found here.  It’s so moist and has a wonderful texture…almost melts in your mouth.

 

I’m joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for another Tablescape Thursday.  I’m also joining Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday .  Hope to see you there!

I’m so glad you stopped by and hope you’ll come visit again soon!

DG

Autumn’s Splendor

While helping my aunt with some cleaning back during the spring, I spotted the dishes used in this week’s table in a pie safe that had belonged to my Grandmother.  I’ve been wanting to do this table setting for quite a while now, but had to wait until Halloween was over.

The menu for dinner is Spicy Blackeyed Pea Soup, tiny Barbecue Sandwiches made with tea biscuits, a side salad and Pear Cobbler for dessert.

The dishes that inspired my table is “Trellis Blossom” by Mountain Wood Collection Stoneware.  I believe this pattern is from the 1970’s and I see this and similar dishes quite a bit in thrift stores now.

“Sorrento” salad plates, another thrift store find, in the color Oregano are layered on top of the dinner plates.

Topping the salad plates are the “Trellis Blossom” soup bowls that I’ll be using for dessert.  Sitting in the “Trellis Blossom” bowls are individual covered soup bowls.  These bowls were a great find at my favorite antique shop…I only paid $2.50 for the four covered soup bowls and salt/pepper shakers. 

I love the look of layered dishes!  I think the delicate wheat pattern on the covered bowls is so pretty and perfect for Autumn.

The “Royal Baroque” stainless flatware is one of my favorite patterns that I inherited from my Grandmother. 

 

A brass bowl with a crystal insert will hold salad dressing.  A “Modern Precious” ladle will be used for dipping the dressing.

Another brass dish holds a crystal bowl in the shape of a cluster of grapes.  I’ll place four Perfect One-Bite Brownies in this dish.  This will cover that most important food group – Chocolate!

A brass wine holder has two green Harvest ramekins placed on it.  One will be used for barbecue sauce and the other will hold tiny dill pickles.

Each setting has a place card made from a vintage postcard.  I love the little wheat wreath with flowers that surrounds the pretty cottage.  On the reverse side is found the sentiment “Autumn’s Splendor”.

The set of salt and pepper shakers that match the covered bowls are elevated on a brass candleholder.  Pinecones and acorns decorate the crystal plate and the curves on the candleholder echo the curves in the wine holder. 

“Rainflower” by Anchor Hocking will be used to serve iced tea for dinner.

A pair of bird candleholders sit under the centerpiece while a pair of brass candleholders flank it. 

The centerpiece holds sparkly bronze pears and leaves, berries, pinecones, bay leaves and fall flowers. 

I have to give a shout out to my friends over at GW for the suggestion to use the bronze pears and leaves!  Thanks ladies…y’all are the BEST!

 

Night is falling , dinner is ready and it’s time to light the candles.

Centerpiece by candlelight…

Would you like some Pear Cobbler for dessert?  The recipe can be found here.

 I’m joining Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for another Tablescape Thursday.  We would love to have you join us!

DG