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. 

Sunday Musings

Life has simply been busy around here.

How about for you?

Get up.

Start fixin' lunch.

Take a shower.

Get dressed for church.

Pick up the boy child.

Have breakfast.

Go to church.

Hear a great sermon about being spectator Christians. 

(you know we aren't supposed to sit on the sidelines and wait for someone else to do the work)

Drop off the child.

(yes, at 30 he's still my baby)

Get everyone together for lunch.

Steak, baked potatoes, salad, chocolate cake, blackberry cobbler ice-cream- Blue Bell.

Clean up.

Do another load of laundry.

Catch up on some of the "list".

Wait on solar eclipse.

 Thanked God for everyday blessings.

Praying that you had a wonderful weekend.

For what have you thanked God today?

Dining in Tuscany Tablescape

I welcome you to a bit of Tuscany on the table this evening! Some of you might know that I received a fabulous box of gifts from Linda at More Fun Less Laundry last Saturday. So this weekend, It was my chance to put this box of goodies to work!

So I popped "Under the Tuscan Sun" into the player. Now, that I'm into the book, well let's just say things are a bit different in there!

I started with the new lovely placemats and napkins from the 'box'. Added a vintage wooden charger, a dinner plate from the kitchen and the handmade pasta bowls made by my very talented and gifted sister-in-law Becky. Also brought out a patterned napkin and the napkin rings from Pottery Barn.

Can you believe I had all this stuff? Yep... there was no shopping involved in this tablescape. Seriously, it can happen - and often does.

Must have a water pitcher on the table if you want to avoid trips to refill glasses.

A bowl and wooden spoon for the freshly shaved parmesan that will grace the table later on.

A wine decanter helps a red breathe and come to it's most perfect state.

When it's only 4, I avoid setting the end seats.. so much more intimate this way. I thought about putting some rosemary on the table, but the pops of red from the kitchen window geraniums just added the unexpected.

The amber goblet had a deep, wide bowl that also lets a red breathe. My favorite water goblets are back for an encore presentation.

A fresh loaf of bread, some dipping oils to pour into the little yellow bowls. Ooh, I can just taste it now. For those of a less spicy set of taste buds.. the new Frances Mayes olive oil stands at the ready. It's going to be used on the pasta, too.

The dining scenes in the movie had tables laden with food. And more food. Do you see any table in this scene? When my oldest half-brother got married in Provence, dinner was just about 6 hours long! So, I can relate to this table....

So what's a poor girl to do? I pulled out my golden vase, stuffed it with newspaper and piled the kitchen goodies up high.

I also put the bamboo flatware to use today. It gave the table the rustic feel I wanted.

See the ridges in my pasta bowls? Those were created by my sweet sister-in-law's fingers.The wooden chargers were new in 1974. They happened to survive the fire and we sanded and refinished them.

As the sun is setting, I have a pot of pasta ready to cook. Will serve some fresh, homemade spaghetti topped with tomatoes, basil, a bit of garlic and lots of olive oil.

Cast:
Placemats, yellow napkins - Villeroy and Boch (More Fun Less Laundry)
Plaid napkins - Williams Sonoma
Napkin rings - Pottery Barn
Dinner plates - Passaro, World Market
Pasta Bowls - handmade by my sister-in-law
Yellow dipping bowls - Tuesday Morning
Butter dish - Vietri
Dark Bamboo Flatware - available at Horchows on line
Gold goblets - Stein Mart?
Water goblets - French, handblown, Santa Fe, NM
Barley Twist candlesticks - auction
Golden jug/vase - One King's Lane
Wine Decanter - World Market
Water pitcher - Fitz and Floyd

I hope you've enjoyed your short sojourn to Tuscany today. Let's drop on over to Cuisine Kathleen's for Let's Dish on Wednesday and then see what's happening over at Susan's Between Naps on the Porch on Thursday... great parties. Hope to see you there.

Candle shelves and other good things

Candle shelves for the fence. Okay, this could be a fire hazard, I get it. But it's so fun. Never, ever leave your candles unattended. Ever. Don't use them on a windy day. We saw these somewhere, a movie?, I didn't 'pin' it. Magazine? Don't really remember.

Anyway, much to my surprise, Mr. CJ got out his saw, some old fence pickets, and some brackets this afternoon. This being Mother's Day Sunday. No nap for him. He's one of the really good, other things.

With the past week of lower temps and rain, the plant life is doing really well. Another good thing.

Now with all the activity going on.. Regan assumed his spot on the back of Mr. CJ's chair. Doesn't he just look like he's about to slide off?

I guess it was too light out for him! We'll keep him around, he's a good thing.

Back to the productive member of the household, he cut the aged fence pickets into about 3 inch pieces. Aged so they would match our existing fence. Attached a small metal bracket on the bottom so that the piece of fence picket makes a shelf.

While he was doing that, I punched out some white circles and attached them randomly to the fence. Around the decor that happens to be hanging or plopped up against the fence. That way I could decide to move and rearrange before we drilled the shelves to the fence...

So we waited for it to get darker and plotted our next event in the backyard. Need to replant some grass, trim some branches, repaint the patio furniture.. sooo much to do this year.

And then it got dark... pretty magical. I think I'll be keeping these around for a while.. and then purchase a slew of battery powered candles. smile!

Have a beautiful week!

Happy Mother's Day

The Mother

by Robert W. Service

Your children grow from you apart,
Afar and still afar;
And yet it should rejoice your heart
To see how glad they are;
In school and sport, in work and play,
And last, in wedded bliss
How others claim with joy to-day
The lips you used to kiss.

Your children distant will become,
And wide the gulf will grow;
The lips of loving will be dumb,
The trust you used to know
Will in another's heart repose,
Another's voice will cheer . . .
And you will fondle baby clothes
And brush away a tear.

But though you are estranged almost,
And often lost to view,
How you will see a little ghost
Who ran to cling to you!
Yet maybe children's children will
Caress you with a smile . . .
Grandmother love will bless you still,--
Well, just a little while.

 Regan wants to know how you will spend your day... Do tell!

As for us, after Church, and a family lunch... I'll be culling through the reading material. It's growing exponentially!!!

Happy Mother's Day to you and yours!  Linking up to the Tablescaper's seasonal Sundays! It's her 100th party.. I hope I see you there!!

A tribute to Mother's everywhere tablescape

This table is dedicated to my mother Margaret, my grandmother/Oma Gretel, my mother-in-law Mona, my grandmother-in-law Mamma, and a very special lady Mary, whose deep faith and Christian demeanor planted seeds in my life that make me a better person.

I apologize for the massive amount of pictures, so I'll stick to few words.

The base for the table is a monogrammed, damask tablecloth, with matching napkins, that were part of my mother's dowry.

 

Did you know that table linens usually have the lady's monogram and barware traditionally wears the man's monogram?

To the damask linens, I added some German china. Another Schumann pattern. This one is called Antique Roses. I also used gold flatware and mixed it with some silver pieces.

 Mona's silver pitcher, I keep a monogrammed napkin tied to it just for any drips that might occur.

My mother loved roses. Loving this shade. I wish they had had one more bundle.. but alas, wasn't to be.

If so, these darling napkin rings would have had a sweet pink rosebud in them. My sweet husband bought those for me at Poem in Santa Fe. Love...

 Thank you Mikasa for this lovely Cheers votive holder that I use for candles AND flowers.

It's complete and it turned out exactly as I had envisioned. Silver candlesticks  in memory of my grandmother in law..tablecloth from my mom, roses for my mom...

And although the swans weren't from Mary, they remind me of her graceful demeanor. Priceless pieces with which I honor a special lady.

 A carafe for some wine. Thanks Cherry Kay for turning us all on to this trick.

This picture could be my thank-you cards for year... what do you think?

The roses on the china.. ooh that is soo me! My Oma would have loved it. My mother would have laughed at the sweetness because I was such a tomboy as a youngster. Saddle oxfords and flannel lined jeans were my favs!

 

Only have 4 matching dinner plates. Still collecting. Also missing some more creamed soups.....

On the buffet, my  mother in law's tray and warmer, and my grandmother's Sammeltassen. Check out these posts for more on this one of a kind collectables. Here and Here

Both my mother and grandmother were fabulous with needle and thread.. so their skills were instilled in me at an early age. This was made on my favorite Bernina machine out of Irish Linen, a wing needle and lace!

A few shots with the candles on to end the evening.

Cast:
Tablecloth and napkins - Mom; German
Dishes - Schumann Arzberg Antique Rose; ebay
2 Dinner plates - Rosenthal
Flatware - International Silver- gold plated
Candlesticks - estate sale
Vases - Mikasa Cheers votives
Salt Cellars - Lenox Swans (more HERE)
Stems - estate sale; anyone recognize them?
Sammeltassen - Geman, my grandmother's
Crystal knife rests - my husband's grandmother; Mamma
Napkin rings - Two's Company, gift from my husband, purchased in Santa Fe, NM

Taking my tribute to my mother, grandmother, mother in law, grandmother in law, Mary and all mother's to Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish party and to Susan's Tablescape Thursday. I hope you will come by and see the special posts created just for you. 

I miss you mom... Du fehlst mir Oma,