"First things first...We are truly blessed to have the means to set a pretty table and invite our friends to join us for good food and fellowship. I am mindful that many are not so fortunate. My daughter has a passion for the work of the Food Bank. As a singer-songwriter, she has written and recorded a song that is the anthem for the world wide Crop Hunger Walk project. Her song, "Raise Your Voice" is featured in their video. I've included a link in the side margin of my blog. I hope that it will encourage you to support projects in your community that contribute to the effort to overcome hunger.
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What's brown, and white, and red all over? Why my tablescape for Cuisine Kathleen's "Apple Challenge"! The Garden Friends are coming tomorrow morning for Bible Study and our first birthday luncheon of the new semester. I'm thrilled to have them gather around my table once again to share food, fun, and priceless fellowship.
The dining table is festooned to welcome Fall and 10 guests. Kathleen's challenge saved me a sum of money because I didn't buy flowers. The apples were already in the refrigerator. Sweet Mister likes to eat apples; I'll need to replace a few.
A Williams-Sonoma deep red tablecloth with a brown and white toile motif set the color tone for today's design.
I acquired the antique oriental bronze bowl at an estate sale. Today it displays....what else?...apples. The fall leaves meandering down the table are just two garlands from Michael's. I've used them for a number of years.
I had fun with these little goodies. A friend once gave me a Barbuzzo Candle Carver. Have you ever seen one? They can be found on Amazon.com, if you want to take a look. They are very inexpensive. Tip: With the Candle Carver, you can make a candleholder out of a wonderful variety of items. A tea candle fits perfectly in the opening that the tool creates. It's pretty easy to make, and I thought that an apple candle was just the perfect touch for you, Kathleen. Today they are sitting on Copeland Tower Pink individual ashtrays that belonged to my mother-in-love. Do you remember the days when our parents had guests who sat and smoked at the table after dinner? These little guys would have been a part of each place setting...so foreign to most of us now, I think.
The Maryland China Company Minuet charger created a nice frame...
...to make the Spode Delamere Brown dinner plate stand out against the toile tablecloth. You might be familiar with the Woodland Spode pattern. The Delamere is the same plate, minus the animals in the center.
Coalport's Athlone Brown salad plate will be removed and returned later for dessert.
The brown handled flatware was a great bargain from one of the Horchow Click Tock Sales, available to their customers who allow Horchow to send them emails.
This Pottery Barn Flax Hemstitched Linen napkin is one of my favorites. Today it is caught with the Coalport Countryware napkin ring.
A pair of crystal goblets lend yet another touch of the browns...
The Vietri Smoke Optical goblet was a nice companion for the rather contemporary brown stem, that I found on eBay. I don't know the maker of the brown goblet.
Everyone is bringing a dish to share for our luncheon, so my work is done...
I'll be up and around early tomorrow morning to make a treat for the Garden Friends to enjoy while we share our Bible study, so I'm off to bed as soon as I hit 'publish.' I can hardly wait to see my treasured friends, and I can hardly wait to see what you all do with all those apples!
This week I'll be joining:
Inspire Me Tuesday with Marty @ A Stroll Through Life
Centerpiece Wednesdays with The Style Sisters
Let's Dish with Cuisine Kathleen
Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch
Seasonal Sundays with The Tablescaper
Autumn Tablescape Link Party with Centsational Girl
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What's brown, and white, and red all over? Why my tablescape for Cuisine Kathleen's "Apple Challenge"! The Garden Friends are coming tomorrow morning for Bible Study and our first birthday luncheon of the new semester. I'm thrilled to have them gather around my table once again to share food, fun, and priceless fellowship.
Whitewashed wood finials are making an encore performance in my centerpiece. This time I'm saying that they are pine cones.....yes, definitely pine cones. Two pair of the Barley Twist candlesticks contributed another touch of brown...
This week I'll be joining:
Inspire Me Tuesday with Marty @ A Stroll Through Life
Centerpiece Wednesdays with The Style Sisters
Let's Dish with Cuisine Kathleen
Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch
Seasonal Sundays with The Tablescaper
Autumn Tablescape Link Party with Centsational Girl
What's Brown, and White, and Red All Over?
Cooking is so much more then dumping ingredients into a bowl and hoping a delicious dish pops out of the oven. For your kids it’s learning math and science, it’s having fun with their mom, it’s making a mess and it’s discovering something new. While cooking with kids can be frustrating for a parent who just wants to get the meal made and in the oven, it can be a bonding time that your children will remember forever. So slow down and take some time to plan your kids into the meal preparation time! Here are a few tips on how to include your children while cooking and what you can teach them during the process.
· Involve Them in the Planning!
Let little Timmy decide what sounds good for dinner that night (you may have to help him by giving him a few options). Then let them help you make the ingredient list, shop for the produce or find the needed ingredients in your pantry. Whenever possible, let them make choices about the meal.
· Create a Safe Environment
Give them their own workspace at a height that’s convenient for them. Let them have their own spoon, children’s knife, bowl etc. Don’t worry if their space gets messy and unorganized…just let them have fun in it!
· Use Dirty Produce
Think we’re joking? We’re not! Take your kids to the farmers market and have them pick out the produce. Let them see their food with dirt on it and teach them about how food grows, what a farmer does, how rain affects the growing process, and why we need to wash fruits and vegetables before eating them.
· Measure Up
Get them up close and personal with the fractions used in baking and cooking. Teach them about using one cup or one half of a cup. For kids that are in grade school and learning fractions, this is an excellent hands-on opportunity. For kids who are too young for fractions, have them count how many times they stir the brownie batter or how many eggs go into the mix.
· Follow Instructions
As children learn how to read, have them read the recipe and/ or ingredient list for you. They will increase their vocabulary and learn the importance of following directions in a specific order.
· Introduce New Foods
Kids are more likely to try a new food if they are involved in the preparation of it and are able to handle it before it’s prepared. If you can get them to use the food in a creative way (mushrooms, olives and pepperoni to make a face on a pizza) they are also more likely to try it.
· Other Little Tips
o Let them press the buttons on the blender/ food processor
o Give them a rolling pin and have them roll part of the cookie dough alongside you
o Cut a sandwich with a cookie cutter to give it a fun shape
o Have them help with clean-up
o Cook when you aren’t starving…just enjoy the process!
Sources:
PBS Parents. (n.d.). Cooking with kids. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/parents/food-and-fitness/eat-smart/cooking-with-kids/
Gastrokid. (2004, March 24). Top 10 tips for cooking with kids. Retrieved from http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/top-10-tips-for-cooking-with-kids
Pictures:
Cooking With Kids
All around the BYU-Idaho campus you will find mother’s rooms attached to the women’s restrooms. There are small stalls with just one plush chair and other larger areas with three or four…sometimes a whole couch! The mothers of BYU-Idaho are aware of the great benefits breastfeeding can bring to their babies as well as their own health. Besides being obviously cheaper than buying cases of formula ($1200- $1500 cheaper per year!), breastfeeding has some bonus effects.
· Breastfed babies typically get sick less. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of ear infections, diarrhea, and stomach problems.
· Your baby can see you up close and personal. Babies are born extremely nearsighted, which means they can only see things about 8 to 15 inches away. That also happens to be the distance between your face and your baby’s face when breastfeeding. So when your baby locks eyes with you, it’s a true bonding moment.
· Breastfeeding allows your body to recover from pregnancy and childbirth more quickly. The hormones released when you breastfeed make your uterus contract back to its pre-pregnancy size.
· Breastfeeding exposes your baby to many different tastes. Formula has one taste. But through your breast milk, your baby eventually gets a slight taste of whatever you eat, although not directly. This will later make introducing solid foods easier.
· Breastfeeding may help you to lose weight. Mothers who exclusively breastfeed can burn as many as 600 calories a day, which may help you get back to your pre-pregnancy weight.
· Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer in moms.
· Your breast milk changes during a feeding session. When your baby first starts to nurse, your milk is a watery bluish color. Toward the end of the feeding session, your baby gets to thicker, fattier milk, which gives your baby the calories needed to grow healthy and strong.
· Breast milk heals. Breast milk is filled with special components that are designed to help fight infection and cut down on swelling in the breast. So, if your breasts are sore those first few days, gently massaging some of your milk into your nipples and breasts can soothe the soreness and speed up recovery.
Even with all of these great effects, some women struggle to breastfeed their baby. Whether it’s because they can’t produce enough milk, the baby won’t latch, or it’s painful for the mother, there are solutions! The following are great websites with information on how to overcome breastfeeding challenges as well as more information on how to breastfeed and it’s benefits:
Sources:
http://www.womenshealth.gov/ItsOnlyNatural/
Breastfeeding: The Wonder Milk
Earlier this week, I had the chance to give a talk at the annual meeting of our south central PA chapter. The chapter always likes to get an update on what up at the General Assembly, so I oblige them.
Also, they meet at a bar. So there's that.
I started by raising three issues and asked our members to note what these bills have in common:
- The creation of a prescription drug monitoring program (House Bill 317), run by the state government, in which they would collect personal data about people who receive prescriptions for medications on Schedules II through V of the federal controlled substances act. The existing bills on this topic, including HB 317, are extremely weak on privacy protections. Among other problems, every bill allows law enforcement to snoop in the database without a search warrant and without a finding of probable cause. They never have to tell a court what they're doing.
- The collection of DNA samples from people who have not been convicted of a crime (Senate Bill 150). DNA would be collected from people who have been arrested but not convicted of felonies and some misdemeanors and then sent to the DNA databanks of the Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI. The government would not need a court order to collect the sample.
- The use of an administrative subpoena to obtain personally identifying information about an individual from an internet service provider in child sex offense investigations (House Bill 90). An administrative subpoena is issued by a prosecutor's office and is not reviewed by a court. Under current law, prosecutors need to obtain a search warrant from a court to get this information.
This is a disturbing trend. We are heading into territory where government officials will use technology to break down the walls between us and them. The revelations about the NSA's metadata collection have made that obvious.
They have to be stopped. Two weeks ago, Rep. Matt Baker of Tioga County announced his intent to introduce a prescription drug monitoring bill, so last week we asked our supporters to drop a note to their state rep to ask him or her to not co-sponsor the Baker bill.
Their appetite for our personal information is insatiable, and they'll only stop if they hear an outcry from the people.
Breaking down barriers. But not in a good way.
"First things first...We are truly blessed to have the means to set a pretty table and invite our friends to join us for good food and fellowship. I am mindful that many are not so fortunate. My daughter has a passion for the work of the Food Bank. As a singer-songwriter, she has written and recorded a song that is the anthem for the world wide Crop Hunger Walk project. Her song, "Raise Your Voice" is featured in their video. I've included a link in the side margin of my blog. I hope that it will encourage you to support projects in your community that contribute to the effort to overcome hunger.
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Things have been buzzing at Honey Bea's house. First birthday parties are a pretty big deal, and KC outdid herself in planning Beatrice Emaline's special celebration. The invitation simply said, "Come for cake and ice cream," but oh it was so much more. Come along, and I'll share some pictures of the day with a few observations about details.
It was a gorgeous afternoon, and everything was ready for a party...
The table and the seating group that KC built were perfect for extra seating on the front porch. KC found the beat up Adirondack chairs on the curb, dragged them home and rebuilt them...They are so comfortable.
Thanks to Sonia @ Miss Bloomers, I learned where I could find these darling bee skeps at a local store. They were a hit at Honey Bea's party. The delightful bee platter was a gift from my dear friend Kathy. She bought it with Beatrice in mind. We found the girly dessert plates at Nell Hill's in Kansas City.
Beatrice Emaline is ready for her smash cake rendevouz...Let the fun begin!
This week I'll be joining:
Inspire Me Tuesday with Marty @ A Stroll Through LIfe
Let's Dish with Cuisine Kathleen...Next week I'll be participating in Kathleen's "Apple Challenge." Join us!
Tutorials, Tips, & Tidbits with Yvonne @ Stone Gable
Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch
Honey Bea's First Birthday Party
"First things first...We are truly blessed to have the means to set a pretty table and invite our friends to join us for good food and fellowship. I am mindful that many are not so fortunate. My daughter has a passion for the work of the Food Bank. As a singer-songwriter, she has written and recorded a song that is the anthem for the world wide Crop Hunger Walk project. Her song, "Raise Your Voice" is featured in their video. I've included a link in the side margin of my blog. I hope that it will encourage you to support projects in your community that contribute to the effort to overcome hunger.
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Did you miss me last week? I certainly missed you! KC hosted another party at my house last Wednesday. I kept thinking that I could get all the details together in time to publish my post about the evening, but it just didn't happen. Not only did I work up to the last minute, I was totally pooped by the end of the party.
Hannah is one of KC's close friends, so I was blessed to be able to open our home and the china closets to KC to create her party. KC was excited because this was the first of the fetes that she planned that featured a seated dinner. She was excited to use a number of her grandmother's and great-grandmother's things to design her tables. Because KC was the matron-of-honor in the wedding and busy with a multitude of wedding party duties, she chose to cater the food. Fair warning: this is a photo intensive post.
KC prepared the dining table...
...and the games table in the living room for her 16 guests.
From the get-go, KC knew that she wanted to use our dear Nana's antique Limoge gold incrusted, Dresden Flower dinner plates. Tip: The tables were going to be a bit crowded, so KC chose to forego a large charger plate to create a feeling of more space. Dinner was plated and served on the Castleton Laurel luncheon plate. I forgot to snap a picture of it. For the record, I try to avoid serving food directly on these great old Limoges plates. They've survived this long, and I want them to be available for the enjoyment of future generations of our family. The Reed & Barton Francis I sterling flatware belonged to my mother-in-love. KC also chose this pattern for her wedding silver.
An assortment of four colors of the Waterford Simply goblets was paired with Nana's antique French cut crystal wine goblets for the dining table.
The games table also featured the Waterford Simply goblets with the Lalique Treves wine goblet, part of my wedding crystal.
My mother-in-loves peach Madeira napkin was held by an engagement ring napkin ring...
...It matched her magnificent tablecloth...such a noble old piece. I don't know the maker for certain, but I have often suspected that it might be Marghab Madiera. The workmanship is exquisite.
The games table was laid with the Williams-Sonoma light pink hemstitched linen table cloth. The lace topper and the Madeira napkins also belonged to sweet Nana.
KC's centerpiece for the dining table featured Nana's English silver presentation bowl, bursting with Hydrangeas, and flanked by the Val St. Lambert crystal candlesticks, the Dollar Tree crystal votives...
...and a quartet of peach rose nosegays in Nana's antique French crystal tumblers.
The games table centerpiece featured Nana's Black Starr & Frost presentation bowl overflowing with assorted colors of Hydrangeas.
KC knew what she wanted to achieve from beginning...
...to end.
I even managed to capture some candlelight shots...
Hannahs bridal supper and lingerie shower was a delightful and lovely evening. After the gifts were opened, the wedding party departed for downtown to continue the celebration. I don't know how KC was able to keep going...I couldn't get in bed quickly enough! Ah, youth!
This week I'll be joining the following parties:
Inspire Me Tuesday with Marty @ A Stroll Through Life
Centerpiece Wednesday with The Style Sisters
Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch
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Did you miss me last week? I certainly missed you! KC hosted another party at my house last Wednesday. I kept thinking that I could get all the details together in time to publish my post about the evening, but it just didn't happen. Not only did I work up to the last minute, I was totally pooped by the end of the party.
Hannah is one of KC's close friends, so I was blessed to be able to open our home and the china closets to KC to create her party. KC was excited because this was the first of the fetes that she planned that featured a seated dinner. She was excited to use a number of her grandmother's and great-grandmother's things to design her tables. Because KC was the matron-of-honor in the wedding and busy with a multitude of wedding party duties, she chose to cater the food. Fair warning: this is a photo intensive post.
I even managed to capture some candlelight shots...
This week I'll be joining the following parties:
Inspire Me Tuesday with Marty @ A Stroll Through Life
Centerpiece Wednesday with The Style Sisters
Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch
Hannah's Bridal Shower and Supper
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