Of Gardens and Dining Rooms

What a glorious weekend. Warm sunshine beguiled us into the garden on Saturday. I planted out the tomato starters, but will leave them covered lightly until the last full moon in May which is the 29th. We can occasionally get a touch of frost this month if the skies are clear. Carrots, beets, and radishes were planted earlier and are emerging from the soil. The strawberry plants are full of blossoms and I mentally encourage the bees and other pollinators who busily move from plant to plant. 

Tablecloths or placemats? I use both, but I prefer tablecloths. I've had two pieces of printed linen in my fabric stash for a couple of years and was finally motivated to stitch them up on Saturday. I mitred the corners for a nice finish and am very happy with the way they look. 

A couple of weeks ago my daughter-in-law Katie was listening to a radio talk show about how dining room tables are passe because no one sits down to a meal together anymore. A number of callers responded in agreement. Katie called in and said that she was a millennial and she certainly used her dining room table. The talk show hosts wanted to know how she used it, and were surprised to hear that she and Travis sit down to dinner every night with their two young children. Katie told the hosts that it was an important time for the family to connect and talk about the day. 

I know that in my Foods 8 class, many students say that they don't eat together with their families and often each person heats something up in the microwave on his or her own, and no one actually cooks dinner. Is it possible that this is the future? Or the present? 

Do you have a dining room table? Do you use it? We eat at a small kitchen table when it's the two of us, but the dining room gets used if there are more than four people. I can't imagine being without tables to eat at. That said, Tim and I do eat dinner on trays while watching the news more frequently than we used to. 

I think of the meals eaten around our dining room table, and of the laughter, the discussions (sometimes heated) and the more infrequent tears that accompanied the food. I don't think those conversations could have happened anywhere else. We'll be keeping our dining room and kitchen tables. 

On the blog Delightful Repast, Jean gave the recipe for a Brown Butter Rhubarb Cake. The rhubarb is flourishing, so I went and pulled up enough stalks and made this cake. It's SO good, with a buttery taste and very tender crumb. And not too sweet. YUM! I like my cake plain, but you could certainly have yours with ice cream or whipped cream.

Lilacs are at their peak in my garden just now. I picked a big bouquet and put them into a crystal vase (after smashing the woody stems with a hammer to help with water absorption), and placed them on my dining room table. The sweet scent fills the living and dining rooms.

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life.  

Thoughts on Hospitality

There comes a time, usually 5-6 hours before friends are due to arrive for dinner, when I think to myself, "Why did I want to have company? I'd like nothing better than to sit down in front of the television with a tray of leftovers." 

Then, once I begin executing the plans I've made, I feel much better and look forward to the evening. For me, planning and working ahead is key. One evening earlier in the week I ironed the tablecloth and napkins of vintage linen. 

Things that can be done ahead I do the night before - this time it was peeling and cubing the butternut squash, trimming the brussels sprouts, and making the salad dressing. 

For this particular get together, one friend offered to bring dessert and another brought appetizers. I augmented the latter with a bowl of nuts. Tim takes care of the wine. 

Saturday morning I vacuumed and dusted, and cleaned bathrooms. I would have done those things on Friday but didn't have the energy after working all day. 

I really enjoy setting the table and do that before I begin cooking so I can take my time. This table setting is simple. The photos were taken during daylight, and in the evening, with the lights low and the candles lit, the space was cozy for the six of us. Years ago I purchased a box of tiny brass stars. These I fling over the table in a scattered constellation. They catch the light and are often played with by dinner guests as we chat late into the evening.

I started cooking around 3:00 and had plenty of time - enough to decorate the mantel and set out the nativity set. 

So what was on the menu? To start, a salad with greens, avocado and orange slices, sprinkled with cinnamon candied almond flakes. For the main course, stuffed chicken breasts, potato stacks, butternut squash with brussels sprouts and cranberries, and steamed asparagus. 

Hospitality is something I learned from my mother. Having guests over was a regular occurrence in our home. My mom still entertains regularly. She taught me the value of working ahead and having a plan. 

During our years overseas I had plenty of opportunity to practice the skills Mom taught me. Guests at the dinner table (and breakfast and lunch) were a part of life. They came from the four corners of the globe - Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the South Pacific.

The conversation last night ranged from politics and literature to boating and religion. Lots of laughter. Some teasing. Yes, the food was delicious, and I took extra care last night. In the end, however, it's the people sitting around the table who are most important. Sharing life. A bowl of soup and chunk of bread can accomplish the same meeting of minds. 

After the guests left and Tim and I finished cleaning up the kitchen, I went to bed content with the evening.      

After church on Sunday morning, the same six of us went for a boat ride (not ours). And we enjoyed another meal together in Fulford Harbour on Saltspring Island. Once again, it's all about the people in our lives.

Do you enjoy having guests in your home? What tips help make things simpler for you?

I'll be linking to No Place Like Home, hosted by Sandi of Rose Chintz Cottage.  

Dinner Together

Last Saturday evening the family (minus a couple) gathered for a turkey dinner. I didn't cook a turkey over Christmas and had one in the freezer. One of my favorite parts of preparing a meal is setting the table. 

All the drizzly grey had me craving color. I really love the Anna Maria Horner fabric I used for the table runner. 
 

X marks the spot. Or in this case, a K. Each place was marked with the first letter of the person's name. The Little Misses know their letters and could easily find where they were to sit. Nana messed up a little, though. She'll know next time that the cousins want to sit beside each other, not across from each other.

Cooking and eating a turkey dinner without the accompaniment of Christmas was a very calm event. 

I'll be taking a blogging break for a week or so. See you in February!

Fussing for the Two of Us

A special day. A special dinner. A little fuss. Last night's dinner à deux. A host of memories on the table alone - a pale blue damask linen table cloth given to Tim's parents on their wedding day more than 60 years ago. White linen napkins from the same era. China salad plates and later, for dessert, tea cups from the set started by my mother when I was 16. Flatware given by my parents for our first wedding anniversary. Crystal water goblets chosen for our wedding (I only have 6 for they ceased production soon after.) The table itself, built by Tim in Ecuador 28 years ago. How many people have sat here, lingering, laughing, talking?
 

Candlelight on a summer evening. White flowers and greenery gathered from the garden. All this fuss for just the two of us.  You know, it didn't take long to pull together. I started cooking and table setting at 3:00 and all the prep was done by 5:00, except for the last minute cooking after he arrived home.

I use to save "special' for company. During our years in Ecuador there were always the special treats brought down from Canada or the USA. I would hoard them in the freezer and use them rarely, then only for company. One day I read or heard, "Use the things you love on the people you love." Well, of course. 

My children remind me occasionally of the time I tried to grow raspberries in Ecuador. Our crop was very very small. I used these same china salad plates, one for each of us, and in the center of each plate I placed one single raspberry. That was dessert. How we laughed. 
 

First course, Watermelon with Feta Cheese and basil. Simple. Juicy.

Main course: Shrimp with Garlic, Parsley and Lemon, Roasted Asparagus, Sauteed Mushrooms, and an Onion Carbonara from a cookbook by Patricia Wells (The French Kitchen Cookbook) that will be going into my regular repertoire of recipes. He had a glass of Malbec, I had Riesling.
 

We like to wait a little for dessert. Tim had an exhausting day so he took a little rest on the couch while I cleared away the food and dishes. Very 1950s. Then dessert - a Flourless Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream and Raspberries. Earl Grey tea. The cake is from Laura Calder's book, French Taste. Dark intense chocolate flavour. 
 

I let the candles burn down even after dessert was done. We watched an episode of The Good Wife on Netflix. My sister called to wish us Happy Anniversary and we Skyped with our youngest daughter and her husband in Vancouver. There are cards on the mantel.

And so another year is marked. Today I'll be watching two little grand-people while their mother goes to an appointment. Good times ahead, always.

On a Winter's Night

OK. So it's not winter quite yet. However, the weather around here belies that fact. Chilly wind and below freezing temperatures have us bundling up to venture outdoors, and upping the cozy factor indoors.

Six of us gathered on Friday evening for dinner. One couple brought appetizers, another brought a salad and beverages. We provided the main course, paella, and bread, along with spiced wine poached pears for dessert. We laughed, we ate, we drank, we talked around the table as the candles burned low and the pearl garland in the light fixture overhead gleamed. 

Simplicity of white and red. Gathering together in the warmth of friendship is an age-old defense against the cold outside.

Linking to Mosaic Monday, hosted by Mary of the Little Red House. 

Another Item Ticked Off the List

What's wrong with this picture (above)?
 

"Nana, this chair has a HOLE in it."
 

Well, yes it does. In March (time really flies) I found a set of 6 dining room chairs for a really good price. The seats were in terrible shape; someone had attempted recovering them and the foam was thin and squishy, and the fabric improperly applied.

The cherry wood chairs themselves were in good shape with labels inside from a very reputable Canadian chair manufacturer.

I did not use the new-fangled Chalk Paint on these chairs - my husband (Mr. Woodworker in his spare time) is highly suspicious of things that don't require proper preparation like sanding, washing with TSP, and a coat of primer. I did all that and then I applied 4 (FOUR) coats of white paint. Thin coats, and there are still a few drips.
 

Then I took the seats to the foam store where they cut and glued firm foam to the chair bases. Last week Tim and I spent a couple of hours one evening and managed to cover one seat. Things were not looking good. But the next night, the remaining five seats were covered lickety-split. We'd figured out the system the first night. First a covering of polyester quilt batting, then the fabric tightly, tightly applied with a staple gun, then a dust cover underneath. Then Scotch Guard and finally, on Saturday morning, we screwed the seats back onto the chairs. 

And I'm very, very happy with the way they look and how comfortable they are. Very happy. I like the mix of painted and wood finishes in the dining room and how the light paint makes the room brighter. The walls are pale blue and go well with the grey hutch. Another wood piece sits behind this chair at the end. And I love the upholstery fabric - a Robert Allen print from Fabric.com.

This was a bigger project than I'd anticipated and I'm happy to see it completed. Just one more thing to tick off the list. Have you ticked any projects off your list lately?