Julia's Moules Marinière on the patio

Last week I took you to Tuscany, this week I had planned on taking you to Provence. However, life got in the way. So I thought I'd bring an older, semi-tablescape to the forefront. I hope you enjoy the short sojourn into one of our favorite Sunday afternoon activities.

2010:
We practically live on the patio in the spring, cool summer mornings and evenings, and in the fall. Sunday was no different. After cleaning up a bit, shopping a bit, it was time for eating a bit! I married a man who, bless his heart, grew up on chicken fried steak , mashed potatoes with paste gravy, green beans and iceberg lettuce. While there is nothing wrong with that, in the 35 38 years we've been married, I've taken his taste buds on a never ending journey.

When I was a young girl living in France, I was lucky enough to get to go with friends to the Atlantic coast where we picked Moules off the rocks early in the mornings while the tide was still out. I can remember wearing heavy, thick gloves because those rascals were stuck "real good" on those rocks. Then we would cook them on the beach, eat them and then drain down the liquid in which they were cooked. Yummy. So Sunday we had Moules for lunch. I am so thankful for United Market Street and their knowledgeable fish mongers who pay careful attention when selecting mussels. When you purchase them, they must be closed! Bring them home, place them in a bowl of either salted, cold water or water into which you've added some cornmeal. Both the cornmeal and the salt agitate the mussels to cleanse themselves. Remove any barbs and leave them in the water until you are ready for the cooking step. Then drain well before adding to the pot.

Mussels Steamed in White Wine
Moules Marinière
4 tbs butter
1 cup minced onions
1 large clove of garlic, pureed, optional
a large handful of chopped fresh parsley
4 quarts fine fresh mussels
2 cups dry white wine or dry white French Vermouth

Melt the butter in a kettle, stir in the onions and optional garlic, and cook slowly for several minutes until limp. Then add the parsley and the mussels, cover the kettle and shake once to mix all the ingredients. Pour in the vermouth or wine and shake once again. Turn heat to high, cover tightly, and let steam for 3 to 4 minutes (without shaking), just until the mussels have opened.

Dip the mussels out, shells and all, into the soup bowls. Tip the kettle and ladle the fragrant cooking liquor into each serving bowl. Serve with a fresh baguette, real butter, and a bottle of wine.

Merci milles fois, Julia Child. Bon Appetit!

Old tablecloth, Wedgewood white bowl, Bordallo Pinheiro salad plates, unknown wine glasses,
Vietri butter dish.
I'm linking up to two fabulous parties - Let's Dish on Wednesday evenings over at Cuisine Kathleen's, and then to the weekly Thursday party, Tablescape Thursday over at Susan's Between Naps on the Porch. 

A Gaelic Tablescape celebrating St. Patrick

Irish we are not.

But on St. Patrick's we all celebrate our faux Irish ancestry!

With some faux Irish linens.

I do have a set of Irish linen napkins, but these cutwork embroidered with a bit of bobbin lace and finished off with lace edging suited the table better.

Out came the Pier One chargers on top of which I chose to use the green cabbage Bordallo Pinheiro dinner plates. For a lovely salad, the Granada soups fit the bill.

This Granada set has a history your can read Here and see more of Here and Here.

I also pulled out this wine chiller, wine server. It's an antique, fitted with a chamber to insert ice with a cork plug. You can see the chamber going into the center of the bottle. I believe it is Spanish (still the same side of the Atlantic) - it has a name, but I've forgotten it - anyone want to chime in?

All this on top of a Williams Sonoma Irish green hemstitched linen tablecloth.

I placed a bobbin lace runner down the center of the table. 

I took my shamrock plant and plopped it into a Vietri jardiniere.

Can you believe this is the same plant I used last year for St. Pat's, too.

Yes, I kept it alive for a year. It had a few downs, but that was because I was learning what it liked.

It's bloomed so much, but of course this week, not one white blossom to be found.

The underside of the leaves is a glorious eggplant color. Don't you just love it?

The table is augmented with lots of faux Irish crystal.

One for water, one for wine and the old fashioned champagnes even came out to play.

I really like the dainty scrolls on this china. The white is all raised and gives so much dimension to the pieces.

Ignore the black specs.. not sure from where those came, they aren't on the dishes, really.

But there they are again.. dagnabit! Still am enchanted how the scrolls on the chargers play so well with the scrolls on the salads. The green Bordallo plates in between just unify the pieces all the more.

Gold flatware picks up the gold in the Granada pieces.

May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire.

Cast:

Tablecloth - Williams Sonoma

Napkins, runner - estate sales

Chargers - Pier One

Dinner Plate - Bordallo Pinheiro

Salad plate - Granada

Flatware - Certified International

Water goblets - Mikasa Parklane

Wine and champagne - estate sale

Jardiniere - Vietri

Shamrock - still alive by the grace of God

Thank you for dropping in.. So glad you did. Thank you for your kind comments so that I can know you've been here. 

Joining Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch thursday morning at 9am CDT... see you there!!
Also making my first appearance at Cuisine Kathleen's 4th Annual St. Patrick's Day crawl. Do drop in and see all that is green!

Brunch on the Patio

This is a repost of an earlier post last spring/summer. We've had a very hectic week around here. I had both my father and my dear mother in law in the emergency room, at the same time, unbeknownst to one another, last Saturday evening. MIL had surgery on her broken hip and had a few rough days, but is better now, but still in the hospital. Dad went home and is doing fine.. I'm looking forward to looking at all the pretty tables at Susan's Between Tablescape Thursday at Naps on the Porch maybe this next weekend. See you there!


Last Sunday, while the air conditioner was still out and it was actually still pleasant outside, I set the table. By the time Sleepy awoke, this is what he saw.
Quilted and embroidered place mats over a blue linen table cloth (Williams Sonoma). Our everyday kitchen dishes, stainless and eggs boiled to perfection. Here's a link to an older post using the entire embroidered set.
I lugged this rooster home from the Cracker Barrel in Oklahoma City. You know the one, right there by OESD, very close to where I-40 and I-44 intersect. I've brought stranger and more aromatic things home too, like Krispy Kreme donuts for my American Airlines staff! I saw him, I loved him, I bought him, I brought him home, check the computer, carry-on the rooster. He is actually a pitcher but has never been used as such ;-).
Real butter served wrapped up in Vietri cabbage leaves.
Brought home these French hand-blown goblets from a wonderful store in Santa Fe. Too bad it's not there anymore. Sleepy is glad they are not, we still have a nest egg!
Sterling salt and peppers found at an estate sale some time ago.
Oneida stainless. Good. Heavy. Sturdy. Perfect for everyday.
Boiled eggs. Whites done. Yolks runny. Remind me of my grandmother, who could cook them perfectly every single time. She used a timer. Tiny spoons with which to scoop out the deliciousness. How many minutes with the steeping method - 7 1/2!
Noritake Summer Estate. Sadly out of production but still available from Replacements.com. If you have never been to one of their sales.. it should be on your bucket list. It's that good.
Don't you love the colors? I just love how the green and blue look, especially when coupled with the brighter colors of the rooster.

I was inspired to search for tall clay pots when I saw some in a window at a cute little local place. They looked so "French". I finally found some that were tall, not square like the originals, but these fit perfectly on my kitchen window. In the winter time, the red blooms on the geraniums sure beat the winter-time blues away.
Kikeriki.. Cocorico. Cock-a-doodle-doo. Did you know that animals have different sounds in foreign languages?
Purchased the quilted place mats some time ago. Used the Bernina binder attachment #84 with binder foot #94 to finish the edges anew once I removed the binding that was in place. I love the addition of the Moda bound edge. I believe this was part of the Provence collection.
As a crowning finish, I embroidered two roosters on each place mat. This one can be found here.
Here's the link to this fine feathered fowl.

Hope you enjoyed our Sunday morning together. Come back soon and we'll do it again. Oh Sleepy was so impressed, he hurried into the kitchen and made some bacon, biscuits and fresh coffee!


And I'm sharing this post with Between Naps on the Porch! Go check out the rest of the wonderful set ups for more ideas.

Something to crow about tablescape

We've been extremely blessed with extraordinarily warm weather these past two weeks (I set this table March 26, 2011!). The bulbs are not blooming yet, but the wisteria is providing a gorgeous backdrop and lending it's heavenly scent to our home. What could be better than a later than usual breakfast outside?

Made the tablecloth myself. G-Street Fabrics in Rockville, MD carries fabrics that are tablecloth width! I was in heaven. Had I been able to foresee that I would quit my favorite job with Bernina, I would have purchased yardages in everything in stock.  Blue handled flatware suits this setting perfectly.

Delightful yellow daisy mums in a white Wedgwood pitcher. What's breakfast without a rooster pitcher to deliver the orange juice?

Our new kitchen dishes, I simply adore their ethnicity, topped with a golden bowl inside which rests one of my collection of Gail Pittman eggs.  Was able to visit her studio in Ridgeland, Mississippi years ago. I certainly wish I had purchased everything there way! (Thanks for the best memories Marlo!)

I know roosters don't lay eggs, but loved how they looked on the table, especially this close to Easter.

Mrs. Fitz and Mr. Floyd are preened and ready to dispense salt and pepper, should they be needed.

My favorite butter dish, a piece of Vietri in a most fabulous shade of green!

Our favorite coffee mugs, handmade by my dear sister-in-law Becky. She threw the clay, formed the mugs, glazed and fired and sent them on their way to our table.

My favorite glasses ( right now) - Mikasa French Countryside. I love their curvy-ness, their weight, their beauty. Most of all I'm a sucker for a flared glass.

I placed the napkin between the large plate and the smaller plate (today for sliced fruit) which adds a bit of definition between the two plates. The smaller plate has a wonderful peacock on it. Passaro, World Market.

A beautiful, old, silver, toast holder. I actually used it for it's intended purpose today. Usually it holds cocktail napkins.

Cast:

Tablecloth - made by me from fabric at G-Street Fabrics

Plates - Passaro, World Market

Bowls - "B" - TJMaxx

Flatware - Horchow

Glasses - Mikasa - French Countryside

Mugs - Becky LeBoeuf originals

Napkins - very old and well loved

Chargers - Pier One

Butter dish - Vietri

Rooster salt and pepper - Fitz and Floyd

Rooster pitcher - Cracker Barrel, OKC, "egged" on by my dear friends Faith and Barbara

Eggs - Gail Pittman

 Thank you so much for dropping in, your comments spur me on my creative journey. I hope you enjoyed your visit today as much I enjoyed bringing you this breakfast scape. I'm linking to Susan's delightful party, Tablescape Thursday, at Between Naps on the Porch. Please feel welcomed to the wonderful blogparty she hosts for all of who love our dishes.

I am humbled by the many people who visit, follow and comment. Acknowledging that you give your time to me brings me to my knees. So In return, my napkin giveaway is a little bit of my time as a gift to you.  If  Dianne of Dianne's Creative Table would look at Embroidery Arts (click HERE) and select your favorite monogram style, select which letter you want embroidered, decide what color the monogram should be on the white napkins, and then email me back, I'll be able to get your new set of napkins to you in a timely manner! Congratulations Dianne, I hope you have many happy meals using these!