Thanksgiving Week

Life can  become so hectic this time of year.Last weekend  as  chairman of the Benevolent Committee at church  I was  privileged to be able to  provide Thanksgiving   food bags and turkeys  with  all the trimmings  to  61  needy families in our community.

  ON  other   days and evenings  Lynn and I have been practicing for this up coming weekend's  Christmas musical, entitled Behold the Savior!  Lynn is singing tenor and  I am first soprano.  we  both are   honored to get to  sing in  an ensemble  of the title song.

Somehow in between all of this   we  hosted a lovely  Thanksgiving dinner for our  dearest friends, Dottie, Bill, Sandy, and Wes!

The day before Thankgiving, it snowed, making a great day for prep work.  I made the most  delectable  turkey stock  and  prepared the  appetizers.  Then put the  finishing touches on the setting.

We enjoyed using Lynn's  mother's  Sunday china.. 

After  we prepared   the house, and the food,  we prepared our hearts for   pure thanksgiving before our Lord!  We all have so much for which to be thankful.

 The cooler weather  set a  great  tone for  mulled cider  in pewter.

 And dinner  was  not only a vision  for the eyes, but  a  triumph  of  God's bounty....   and it  goes  so much better  when everyone pitches in  and helps   by bringing their favorite  dish of food.  I   got to make the turkey and   my mom's  delicious dressing/ gravy/ and mashed potatoes...

I used  Daphne Oz's  mashed potato  recipe from The Chew!
I didnt  make them ahead  so I didnt bake them.

ingredients

 

s

tep-by-step directions

CREAMY MAKE-AHEAD MASHED POTATOES

• 5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 2 cups half and half
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 Sticks room temperature butter, plus more
• 1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced, plus more
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold, salted water. Place on the stove top and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender (about 15 minutes). Drain potatoes and set aside until cool enough to handle. Using a kitchen towel or a paring knife, peel the potatoes. Then pass the potatoes through a potato ricer and add to a large bowl. Add 2 sticks of softened butter to the potatoes and stir just to combine.
• Meanwhile, combine the half-and-half and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring up to a gentle simmer and remove from heat. Discard the garlic cloves. Add the sour cream to the half-and-half and stir to combine. Then add the creamy mixture and scallions to the potatoes and stir just to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with more scallions and serve.
• For Make-Ahead the Day Before:
• Repeat process above. Place the mashed potatoes into a baking dish. Cover the baking dish with tin foil and place in the fridge the night before. The next day, remove baking dish from the fridge and let come to room temperature. In a separate bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano, and top the potatoes in an even layer. Dot with more butter on top. Place in an oven preheated at 375 degrees F and bake until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes. Garnish with more scallions and serve.
  
  Tips
  - Be sure not to over-mix your potatoes or they will become gummy!

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Thursday Favorite Things

A Summer Transformation

This  season is flying by....   plus I am  so   involved in so many  things,  when I am  sitting at the computer I  feel like Im just either vegging, pondering,    praying and  just  havent felt  a bit of creativity ,   but  this morning  there was a bit of   the  desire to   push forward and  do something different  in the house...  lately I have been  so   enamored with  posts from Nancy's Daily Dish  that regularly  appear on facebook,   that  I must say   her  gorgeous transfer ware  has inspired me to   make   these changes....And the fact that  last week following my  skin cancer  removal,, ouch!!!  I  felt I owed  myself a stop at my favorite  consignment shop where I found the most  lovely set of 4 salad plates by Bursley, which I  incorporated into my tablescape..

These  lazy days of   mid-summer  put me in the mind of  those long ago  visits to  my grandparent's dairy farm...  The  checkered tablecloths and the  tall  ever vibrant  sunflowers grandma   planted around the  edge of corn rows...these beautiful   plates depict The Old Post House  from  the  English potteries of Bursley  I enjoyed  pairing each place setting with various other   plates from my red transfer ware  collection...

 some  by Spode's  many groupings

others  with  one of a kind plates like this  lovely white filigreed bordered  Abbey in  red.

 I think the  fiery red of the  table  lends itself very well to the  golden  sunflowers   which  are grounded  by the  sturdiness and   earthiness of the  pewter  pitcher!...

To complement the table I have  removed the  springy  blues of  spring  and replaced them with  the transitioning  colors of late summer..
Completing the  farm theme,  I   am  most happy to  highlight  my  roosters and chicken.....   mainly, too,  because of  one of my  favorite  birthday presents  ....
Jim Shore's  Angel with   chicken....

ON the table  are  a myriad of lovely  birds....   a  jaunty rooster   I inherited  from my  mother's  estate when she had to break up housekeeping...  It was a gift I gave her for Mother's day  several years ago  commemorating   her  namesake...   We are of the Cox clan.... and she  collected  chickens...

The red  ceramic hen is an antique that I remember so well in mommie's kitchen  since my first memories of home...  the   beautiful handcrafted wooden rooster  was one my dad  cut from wood and mom painted  during their  crafting days.... and, of course, my  beloved  angel of the  chickens....

I love how the colors of all these items  reflect the country  theme I  have  created  which  enlivens  so many wonderful memories of my life!  

Another  small tribute to my mother is  this simple arrangement of fresh flowers on the  drop leg table grandpa made..mama always loved  the simple things of life,  yet  she could make   the simple things  seem   like treasures of great worth.

So there is  the transformed sun room...   from  springy robin's egg blue to  the  country  fowl and  hues of mid summer!

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http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com

The Charm of Home

Make it Pretty 

Thursday Favorite Things

Summer Arrives in Glory!

I have really enjoyed these  first days of summer.  The  regular  rain showers have  kept the  grass so green and the colors so vibrant!

 The profuse petunias  create such a cheery  greeting by the back door!

Summer

Hydrangeas explode, grass spikes the soil

Sun scorches all, water crashes on shores 

Ice destroyed, eyes beaten by bright rays 

Heat everywhere, blue suffocates the sky 

We love a violent summer

source

 The  day lilies  show off with their fiery  hues ! 

 Rosy  blossoms  bless  my heart scattered here and there!

 My  garden kids  make me smile broadly.. they are such   happy little gardeners....

Home  and Garden  

 Outdoor Wednesday

Cottage Style Party

Birdie Style

IN my previous post I spoke of the massive yard sale   that was held by  a wonderful church family  to raise money for their  dear grandson who has  reversible leukemia, but the  3 years of treatments  is   not only very   on the 6 year old but also the family finances...  thankfully, it was hugely successful, and I found a few treasures as well...  I found that  fabulous  pink tea  sign, but I also found a  sweet  vase   that  reminds me of my dear  little Birdie!..

I    love this  lovely celadon color...,  so while I   thinking of  Birdie,,  I thought Id  share  just

 how  precious she is and how she is growing...

What a sweetheart!!!
So   I continue to  create Birdie vignettes around the house   because she and her dear mommie   occupy so much of our hearts!!!

I thought Id share this next item so that Amanda can  show her  family  ....  recently  as we visited in the home of  our aunt who is downsizing and  preparing to  move into a smaller place, she gave  Amanda this gorgeous painting  that  reminds  Amanda so much of her many times of visiting her beautiful country home...  She had a huge poppy garden  in her side yard...

  It will be  fabulous  come  late summer when we can    take this to her   and  get to  see our  dear ones in person once again!
Home and Garden Thursday

Grace at Home

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The Charm of Home

What's on The Menu for My Book Chat Tea?

My Book chat tea is coming up in a couple of weeks..
We are   at this time still reading our book,  Holy Fire, by RT Kendall.  What  an  awesome book... just the  kind of literary piece  that   C S Lewis  would have  loved to  digest  and   stew over  with his  contemporaries over  tea and   delights.

Hence, my  theme for this  party.... 
  recreating  the ambiance  of  an English tea room,  or study.... in keeping with the   English theme, I discovered the  most delightful site online.. 
English Larder...This Suffolk, UK  based  baker  provides  a gorgeous    tea  fit of the royals....  but   I   think  this   is  a bit too  gracious to  my  event....  so I kept  searching...and ran across this wonderful site..
All Dishes    from the UK
and I began working up  my    menu.

I am  really   a huge fan of  marmalade, and  found  the most interesting article on   it here.I   have always associated it with  Britain,  and  truth to tell, Britain has played a great role in its popularity.  So  when I found this recipe,  it became  the  anchor of my menu.For savories,  I have included Benedictine  finger sandwiches as seen here...  truly a gentleman's idea of  a true  tea sandwich..heheheheh.

But   to finish  off this    post  I will share  about  the  Cinnamon Chip  Scones....   

which I  practiced making  this morning...

Prep: 25 min. Bake: 10 min.

Ingredients

3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cold butter, cubed

1 cup buttermilk

1 package (10 ounces) cinnamon baking chips

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder,

baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse

crumbs. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Fold in chips.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 10-12 times or

until dough is no longer sticky. Divide in half; gently pat or roll

each portion into a 7-in. circle. Brush with butter and sprinkle

with remaining sugar.

Cut each circle into eight wedges. Separate wedges and place on an

ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 10-13 minutes or until

lightly browned. Serve warm. Yield: 16 wedges.  

paired with a  delicious  cup of Orange Spice tea,  these scones are  perfect for  the  cold snowy day

as seen from  my front window this morning.

 These scones are  very ample in size  so even though the  recipe  originally  said  cut the  disks in 6 pieces, Im glad I cut them into  eighths!

Served up on my newly found   Lochs of Scotland  dessert plate by  Royal Warwick..

the  tea   tasted  marvelous  from  my Wedgewood  Romantic Collection,  Willy Lotte's Cottage  tea cup.

Next week,  I will be giving the cake a try!  Please  check back!
I am  sharing on 




The Charm of Home

Seasonal Sundays..

A Return to Loveliness

Martha’s Favorites 

Tea Time Tuesday 

 Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Teacup Tuesday 

Friends Sharing Tea 

Share Your Cup Thursday

A Book Chat Tea Begins to Take Shape

If you have been following my blog you know how much I love planning a tea.   This link   will   refer back to my plans for the  Book Chat Tea  I am planning for late March..  a    recent  post  told how  my theme  is inspired  by   CS Lewis  partly because 

of his wonderful tea quote:'
"You can't get a cup of tea big enough

or a book long enough to suit me."

And because of his love of books!
I have been working  on  the house a bit more..in the earlier post I showed how I  rearranged the furniture for  cozy chatting,   but  I have been  working now on    decor,   the menu, and  some favors.
One of the favors   is found here.
( A gorgeous template for a CS Lewis bookmark)

Because I am using my blue and white china  I  was  bringing out my    blue hydrangeas  along with  the early springs ...besides, blue hydrangeas make me so happy!  
I am also  so very excited  to be using my new framed blackboard...  Seeing these on Pinterest  just  pulled me right in..I was going to  try to make one until I found this one at  AC Moore...the perfect foil for  sharing my  tea party menu! 

I mentioned in my earlier post that the room arrangement was a work in progress...  there were  remnants of Christmas past  still in evidence...

Now  there are more  hydrangeas

mixed in with  potted plants ...

 Springtime greens  set in  diamante  is always   a good choice!

The wall hanger   has lost  its  yule look  and  now is the  mass of  meadow glasses   with   a regal  hydrangea or two!

 So now Id say the reading parlor   is  draped  for the occasion

 As  my  If Teacups Could Talk  book  says,   it is best to  take tea out of doors,  but if you can't  bring the outdoors in!"

 Uh, oh.... Even as I pan around the parlor I glimpse a bit of  left over  valentine roses in the dining room....  

well, onward we go as  we  continue to plan  this   wonderful experience....  sharing heart, hearth, and home around a great book and a cup of tea!

Since many of my menu items are    new to me,  I will be posting more about those  this coming week...   and  goody for me....  I have been working in the dining room now and have much more to share   so please    click  the read more  button!!!!!!!!