A Bird's Nest Napkin Fold and Dinner!

 Lucky me! 

Continued outdoor dining at my daughter's!

Previously, I enjoyed a lovely dinner on her balcony.

If you missed that post, you can check it out HERE

 

Tonight, dinner was originally for four but dwindled down to two.

That's okay. It happens... and it means more leftovers!

I like to include one or more wow-factors when entertaining

and often a napkin fold does just that.  I found this fun napkin 

fold in the shape of a bird's nest on You Tube HERE demonstrated

 by Denise Vivaldo. She has authored a book named 

"Top 100 step-by-step Napkin Folds." 

I decided to go with a bird theme and thought it coordinated

 well with this Morning Glories tablecloth and matching 

cloth napkins from Target.

My dinner for two began with an easy appetizer.

On a skewer, I added a cube of cantaloupe melon, a small fresh mozzarella

ball, and thinly sliced prosciutto.  I placed two each in margarita glasses,

drizzled each glass with a balsamic reduction sauce and chopped parsley.

The sweet melon goes beautifully with the Italian dry-cured ham

and the mozzarella ball has great texture and adds to the overall flavor.

They are pretty and were very nice to nosh on with a glass of wine.

For the entree, I made an Artichoke Chicken and Spinach Lasagna and served it

with a Caprese Summer Salad with Cannellini Beans. The salad had a

Basil Pesto Dressing that was really good.

Instead of a garlic bread traditionally served with lasagna, 

I tested a bread made with pizza dough stuffed with a soft herb

cheese, sprinkled with parmesan and topped with sliced zucchini 

and red onion.  You can find that recipe HERE.

Dessert was a wonderfully simple Lemon and Pistachio 

one-layer cake. Check back and I'll share the recipe with you.

I will be linking up with these following blog parties:

The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays

Between Naps on the Porch's Tablescape Thursdays 

Rattlebridge Farm's Foodie Fridays

 

 As always, thanks for visiting me!

 

Fondly,

~Karen

Summer Balcony Dining and Fresh Strawberry Salad

 One of my favorite things to do is to eat outdoors.
On a recent summer evening, I enjoyed a lovely dinner at 

my daughter's on her balcony.  The weather was a beautiful 70-something.

Perfect for outdoor dining with a friend and family.

I made a centerpiece using store-bought flowers, combining 

them with sliced limes inside a square glass vase. You can see

I placed some of the discarded flower stems on the bottom of the

vase to help wedge in the limes (to avoid their tendency to float)

and to act as a floral frog to anchor in the flowers.

 

Our food picture taking was a little scarce, but I did want 
to share with you this delicious Fresh Strawberry Salad.

This fresh baby spinach salad included bleu cheese crumbles, 

thickly-sliced fresh strawberries, sliced red onion, and blanched 

slivered almonds. I dressed it with a White Balsamic Apple Vinaigrette.

I don't use a recipe, but a very similar one is this copy-cat
version of Panera Bread's White Balsamic Fuji Apple Vinaigrette.

 What a relaxing way to spend the evening... outside.

Where do you like to eat during the summer?

Thank you for visiting.

I will be linking up with these talented ladies' linky parties:

Fondly,

~Karen

Spring Has Arrived!

Spring has arrived!

I love Spring. 

Flowering bulbs begin to pop out of the earth after their winter chilling...

Trees are blossoming (my Meyer lemon tree is loaded)...

Birds are chirping...

 

I'm often annoyed at the retail stores for "pushing" us into the

next holiday or the next season too early...

but Spring is always welcomed and as of the 20th we are here...

and Pottery Barn is showing off it's Spring line.

I'm always excited to see what they come up with

and secretly wish they carry over something from the

year before that I wished I had bought - but didn't!

Pottery Barn never fails to disappoint!

Beautiful arrangements of birds in nests...

in a picnic basket!

Plenty of bunnies, including wine bottle decor...

and  not to be missed are their gorgeous tablesettings!

I particularly like the orange, green, and pink napkins

they use here.  The middle of the table is left neutral and

the flatware in the cafe glasses are a surprise.

Now let's just sit back and continue to watch

the earth come alive and enjoy the beauty of Spring!

 

Thank you for visiting.

 

Fondly,

~Karen

 

 

 



A Prelude to Thanksgiving!

This week I've decided to create a tablescape and make-believe dinner for two using

all the gorgeous golds and ambers of Autumn and Thanksgiving with a

favorite cranberry accent thrown in! I think the centerpiece is stunning

and was taken off a nearby sofa table...

along with this lovely brass candlestick.

The color theme centered around this beautiful April Cornell

tablecloth I purchased at TJ Maxx.  The amber plates were a Marshall's find.

The drinking glasses were a gift from my mom which she purchased

from a current home party - sorry, the name of which I just can't remember!

At each place setting, I included a shiny gold pumpkin that I had

gotten at Michael's and included in a previous post HERE.

I added another less-shiny but glittery pumpkin on a gold

pedestal, as an addition to the centerpiece.

Tucked inside each cranberry napkin ring is a sweet-smelling gardenia blossom.

Along with some sexy lighted votives, this would clearly be a romantic dinner for two!

Don't you think?

 

The menu suggestion I have made tonight would be:

 

Bacon-Wrapped Beef Appetizer with a Horseradish-Chive Dipping Sauce

Spinach and Mushroom Pastry

Slow-Roasted Pork Roast with Cherry Sauce

Carrots Vichy

Molasses Walnut Tart

 

(Menu compiled from Southern Living Sept/Oct Issue,

Cook's Illustrated Fall Entertaining, and

Le Cordon Bleu Vegetable Practical)


This week I will be joining:
 

   

 

Thank you for visiting!

 

Fondly,

~Karen

 

 

 

Ready, Set Your Tables!

We have gotten past Halloween and it is now November.
(Can you believe it?)

Time to start thinking about our Thanksgiving tables!

Pottery Barn gives mini-siminars and I recently

went to one on setting Thanksgiving and Holiday tables.

They began with a tablesetting for Thanksgiving showcasing
Mr. Tom Turkey proudly accompanied with artificial and mercury
glass pumpkins, using traditional autumn colors.

A close up of the tablesetting shows a beautiful linen
napkin along with a jar which can be used for possibly a
delicious butternut soup or an autumn brussels sprout slaw, or how
about spooning in pumpkin bread pudding for dessert?

They suggested using a transitional tablescape they felt

would work for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  They teamed

the red tartan napkins with the leaf garland and kept the

mercury glass pumpkins and candlesticks.

Here is it from a different angle showing the matching

festive red tartan table runner on top a cream burlap-like

table runner. I love to see the mixing of gold and silver

as we can see a gold charger is included along with

the silver mercury glass and silver napkin rings.

I was loving these two extra-tall mercury glass candlesticks.

Items in the centerpiece should be either below eye level

or way above eye level in order for the guests to be able

to see each other while visiting and eating their meal. 

Candles (also votives) become a softscape that break up

the hardscape of the garlands.  It was nice to see

that mercury glass never goes out of style.  Pottery

Barn's mercury glass is applied on the inside so it can't flake

off on the outside like some less expensive ones.

 

The mini-seminar was held prior to the store opening

and included party planning and after-seminar

shopping with a discount for all attendees.

They offer many other mini-seminars so be

sure to check them out! 

 

Thank you for visiting...

 

This week, I will be joining the following parties:

 

The Style Sisters Centerpiece Wednesday


Fondly,

~ Karen

 



Crudité Centerpiece with an Herb Dip

Here we go!  An offering of crudité and centerpiece all-in-one!  
How about that?

For this warm evening, I kept the table light-colored and served Barefoot Contessa's

Herb Dip with vegetable crudités and chilled flavored water.

I just love, love, love this Sangria basket from World Market.  It actually

comes with the glass carafe and six glasses.  Someday, I just may actually serve 

Sangria in it!  I used it previously HERE as a floral centerpiece.

This time, in its glasses I served orange and yellow peppers 
(full of antioxidants and vitamin C!), my picked okra (Yes! I made it!), 

green olives stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes,

and crunchy Italian breadsticks.  All delicious dipped in the Herb Dip.

The chilled water is flavored with cucumber slices, lemon, 

and rosemary.  Very refreshing.

Each guest enjoyed their own arrangement of 
Nasturtiums and rosemary.

I captured the Nasturtiums from this potted plant before they
could fade away as the end of Summer approaches. (sigh....)

Barefoot Contessa's Herb Dip is a cinch to make and a
great addition to anyone's repertoire of recipes.

 You mix cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, scallions, fresh parsley, 
fresh dill, salt and pepper together...

until you have this creamy and delicious herb dip that you
and your guests will love! 

Herb Dip

Source:  Barefoot Contessa, 2004

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 scallions, white and green parts, minced

2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and blend.  Serve at room temperature.

This week I will be joining the following linky parties:

Style Sister's Centerpiece Wednesday

Kathleen Cuisine's Let's Dish Wednesday

Between Naps On The Porch's Tabletop Thursday

Rattlebridge Farm's Foodie Friday

The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays

I hope all of you are enjoying your Summer.
Thank you for visiting!

Fondly,
~ Karen

Birthday Luncheon Table

My mom turned 73 years young and what better way to celebrate

than with a luncheon for her and a few of her friends!

I set a table for 10

And another table for 8

My mother uses a lot of blue and yellow in her home.

I was thrilled when I found these tablecloths at Home Goods

and knew I wanted to use them with her party.  One was 60x102

and the other 60x120.  The plates, crystal stemware, and "nests"

were from guess where?  Yep! Dollar Tree.  I used the vine

wreaths as chargers which I thought worked beautifully in

keeping with the bird theme.

It was the day before the luncheon and I still did not know

what I was going to use as centerpieces. I headed to Home Depot

and checked out their plants.  I found the cascading white flowers then

looked for flowers in yellow and blue.  Next, I picked up three clay

pots which I knew I could paint blue - and I did.  One coat of

paint dries quickly and I had them planted lickety split!

I placed the little bird on top to help even out the height of the blue

flower.  The birds and ribbon were in my "stash" or "my little bag of tricks"

as I like to call it.   A while back, I bought the little blue birds at Hobby

Lobby and the green burlap ribbon was from Michael's (located

in the DIY floral design section). I knew I could use it somewhere - and I did!

Each guest would leave with a small succulent as a party favor.

A little reminder of the day!  Happy Birthday Mom!

With the tables set, the party favors looking pretty by the front door,

it left me time to make the food.  Check back next week

when I tell you about my inspiration's source along with the menu!

Thanks for visiting!

This week I will joining the following blog parties:

Centerpiece Wednesday

Tablescape Thursday

Fondly,

~ Karen



A Spring Outdoor Table

The weather has been so beautiful that I decided to stay outdoors.

Petunias are abundant in the garden shops right now so why not?
I set the table in front of the flowering Meyer lemon tree and to the right
is a rose tree.  Can't see any roses blooming because I snatch them off the second
they bloom, to enjoy indoors! (Guess I could have left a couple on, huh?)
You can see that the Meyer lemon is loaded with flowering buds which 
means it will be loaded with lemons before too long! But never soon enough!

Along with petunias in the centerpiece, the table is set with individual 
petunia plants planted in peat pots.  The planted pots can be taken home 
by guests and planted - pot and all - right into the ground! 
Wouldn't you love to take one home?  I would!!

On top of the white plate is a pink depression glass plate.  
The pattern is called Sharon Cabbage Rose and was made by the
Federal Glass Company in Columbus Ohio, from 1935 to 1939.
You also see the matching creamer and salt/pepper. 

I found this pretty scalloped-edged, cut-out tablecloth at a local antique
store.  I really enjoy looking through the linens and I just couldn't pass 
this one up.   I bought it, brought it home, washed it in cold water on the gentle
cycle, hung it out to dry (literally!), then ironed it.
Don't you love the way old linens crisp up when ironed?


Thanks for popping in to visit me and I hope you enjoyed my outdoor table. 


In the next week, I will be joining the following linky parties:
Style Sisters' Centerpiece Wednesday
Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish
Between Naps on the Porch's Tablescape Thursday


Fondly,
~ Karen

Mother's Day Tea with Mom

It's Mother's Day and I thought I'd set a little table

and invite mom to sit down and have a bit of tea!

I've added two more cups just in case my two girls happen to stop by.

Actually, Mom and I will also be joining my children later in the

day to celebrate Mom's Day!

The Menu:

Earl Grey Tea (my favorite!)

Maple Brown Sugar Bundt Cake (Thank you Trader's Joes!)

Fresh Strawberries

Coconut Macaroons that I partially dipped in melted chocolate.

Yum!

If you look just below the tabletop, you will notice this beautiful

hand-embroidered tablecloth.  Hand-embroidered by 

My Mom!

She worked this tablecloth many years ago while she was

pregnant with my younger sister.  

Here is a close up of the butterfly and flowers.  Mom learned as a 

child to embroidery by her grandmother, my great-grandmother.

Here it is on the other side.  Such beauty!  It actually continues all the

way around.  Mom keeps it pressed, hanging, and ready to use!

We will be drinking our tea in these pretty cups and saucers.

I bought eight of these cups and saucers for my mom years ago.

(I bought eight for me too!)  Do any of you recall Mervyn's?  

Mervyn's had a wonderful home section.  They went out of business

and many of their vacant stores became Kohl's.  I miss Mervyn's but I'm so

very happy to have these cups and saucers.  They are actually one

of the few blue things I own.  I just don't have a lot of blue in my 

home.  I was sold on the combination of the pink roses and the rims of gold.

So very pretty! 

I will be happily joining these parties this week:

Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish on Wednesday

Susan's Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday

The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday Mother's Day

And, of course, I'm wishing all of you Mom's out there

a very special and Happy Mother's Day!

Fondly,

~ Karen