Welsh Love Spoons & a Decorating Dilemma

 Anyone who has moved from one domicile to another (and we all have), be it large or small, elegant or rustic, invariably suffers from the same thing. Beloved items from one home just don't look quite so special in the other. In my case I went from a nineteenth-century American Victorian farmhouse full of bold colors - raspberry and French blue to name two, to a sleek modern, brand spankin' new home with an open floor plan and a destiny of serene neutrals. 

What I found was that only a handful of pictures from the old house worked in the new. So, the quest to redecorate begins, on a severe budget. You may recall my consignment store bargain picture that I talked about here. It is now hanging behind a cute little vignette that I will share shortly.  The plans for the room have changed a bit from the initial “coastal” theme that I longed for, to a “Riviera” theme to make use of French accessories. But I wander from my point.  

I am the type of person who is seriously affected by her surroundings. I need cozy, and I need it now!  (Did I mention that I'm also, ever so slightly impatient as well?) I have walls, lots of big, empty, oyster colored walls that, eventually will get a coat of paint, but in the meantime I'm doing my best to cozy without cash. 

So here's a little spot that I'm working on. The letterpress quote, perfect for the dining room, is from Etsy, the thirsty dog print from eBay, the frames repurposed (the previous pictures now filed away). The “Love Spoons” were one of those delightful, didn't-know-we-had-them discovery while unpacking. They belonged (yup, past tense, they are mine now!) to my husband, purchased during a trip to Wales back in the seventies. 

According to the tag on the spoons:

Around the 17^th century, giving wooden hand-carved gifts was general all over the country, but the giving of spoons originated in Wales.

They were given to a girl as a prelude to courting, as an indication that the boy was interested in her.  This was not necessarily a commitment.

There are no hard and fast designs for the spoons. They can be as elaborate or as plain as the imagination of the carver allows.  However, various symbols have become, traditionally, an integral part of the spoon.

The flat stem of the spoons, often very wide, developed as the carver wanted more room to display his skills.  Thus the spoons gradually evolved further and further away from the original utilitarian design.

Here are a few of the spoon symbols and their significance:

A Wheel – Willingness to work for a loved one.

A Spade – Willingness to work for a loved one.

Keys, Keyholes – My House is yours.

Little House – My House is yours.

Locks – My House is yours.

Single Heart – My Heart is yours.

Double Hearts – We feel the same about each other.

Anchor – Steadfastness or My Love is Safe, or Home to Stay.

Celtic Cross – Faith or Marriage.

Vines – Growing Love.

Trees – Growing Love.

Leaves – Growing Love.

Bells – Marriage.

Horse Shoe – Good Luck and Happiness.

Flowers – Courtship.

Ball in Cage – Captured Love, or Number of Children Desired, or Number of Years Together.

Chain Links – Captured Love, or Number of Children Desired, or Number of Years Together.

Double Spoons – The Couple.

Triple Spoons – The couple and hoped for family.

  

Pretty sweet, no?  Imagine what a cute Valentine’s Day gift this would be.  But again, I’m wandering…

Now, here's where you come in. The pillow. Yes or no?  Number two son says, “no.”  He likes it better on the couch, but the chair needs something, I think. A throw? A smaller pillow? No pillow?  Speak to me!

I'll be waiting.

This post is linked to:

Rose Chintz Cottage for Home
The Vintage Farmhouse for Creative Things Thursday
A Delightsome Life for Home and Garden Thursday
Imparting Grace for Grace at Home

Superior Pecan Spread

 

The excruciatingly correct Mr. O-P does not like the name of this dish. He argues that nothing can be called “superior” until taste-tested against all others of its type, and even then cannot be truly referred to as superior because of varying tastes. Sometimes Mr. O-P can be downright punchable!

This blog post is for everyone who attended the Boxing Day dinner, sampled this spread, and begged for the recipe. I have yet to meet anyone whom this does not please. Adults like it, children like it (tested on children as young as three, who gobbled it up with delight), my green pepper-hating son likes it. 

It is easy, can be prepared a day ahead (store the toasted, chopped pecans separately and add just prior to baking), and requires no special serveware, just a simple pie plate, yet still manages to look elegant. 

The recipe dates back to the seventies, and has served me well, year after year. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. 

Superior Pecan Spread

1 8-ounce package Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

2 Tablespoons whole milk

1 2-ounce package dried beef (Buddig recommended), diced

¼ cup green pepper, finely diced

4 scallions, finely chopped

½ cup sour cream

½ teaspoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped, toasted

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place all ingredients (EXCEPT PECANS) into a medium mixing bowl and beat together, using a hand mixer, until thoroughly combined.  Spread in the bottom of an 8-inch pie plate, and sprinkle toasted pecans on top to cover.  Place into preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbling at the edges.  Serve hot with the cracker of your choice.  Can be made ahead and refrigerated up to one day before baking.

In the bleak midwinter...

 With more snow on the ground today and sweep-you-off-your-feet 40 mph wind gusts, a wintry table is seriously in order. 

The new sleigh ride salad plates (more versatile than you could ever imagine) pair nicely with the vintage Old Curiosity Shop plates. 

Black napkins join things together; the woven round placemats give the table a natural feel. 

Vintage crystal by Mikasa hold water and wine, or any other fun combination you can dream up depending upon the meal. Champagne and orange juice are a good brunch combination. 

Toast racks are such fun on a table, but something I seldom see used. Get creative, and use it for holding English muffins, cracker bread, pita bread, waffles, slices of fruitcake or panettone, in addition to triangles of toast. 

My son, Andrew, gave me a set of “hottles” for Christmas. I love them so much. When I was a little girl, my mother used to take me to lunch at the Jade Room restaurant inside the Famous-Barr department store. We'd dress up for the occasion and, while waiting for our meal to be served, I'd sit wide-eyed watching models sashay around the room in beautiful clothes sold in the store. Mother always ordered tea, and it was served in a hottle like this one. I love little individual serving pieces like these, so am delighted to have a set of my own. There are so many uses for them, tea and coffee, yes, but also milk for cereal, flavored water, juice, Sangria...

My dad gave me the vintage-look flatware from Pottery Barn for Christmas. I love it so much, I don't ever want to put it away. 

Placemats - Pier One
Dinnerware - eBay
Salad Plates - Replacements, Inc.
Flatware - Pottery Barn
Napkins - Made by my mother
Stemware - Mikasa 

This post is linked to:

Marvelous Mondays

Inspire Me Tuesday

Tuesdays At Our Home
The Scoop

Let’s Dish!

Tabletop Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesdays

Tablescape Thursday

Seasonal Sundays

Ham Viennese

Let me begin this post with a caveat. I realize that not all people like all things. Me?  I pretty much do like everything, but particularly casseroles. I was raised on them. Despite my mother preparing a wide variety of meals for dad and me, the casseroles were always my favorites. It seems as though they were the favorites of many cooks feeding growing families during the seventies, because there are endless recipes for them dating back to around that time. 

Mr. O-P feels differently. Raised two decades before me, he is a meat and potatoes man. He'd be insulted by this, I'm sure, but it's the case all the same. The meat may be a rare filet of beef and the potatoes Hasselbach, but it is what it is. 

So, the retro recipe that I am presenting you with today is one that was a part of my youth. It has been years, perhaps decades, since I last tasted this, so I was happy to have stumbled upon it in my mother's collection. 

To me, this dish is warm and soothing, tasty and comfortable, with just the right combination of flavors to make it unique. It reminds me of my happy youth, Friday night dinners with my best friend, winter nights, Girl Scout Banquets, and Nancy Drew. Mr. O-P said it reminded him of rice pudding with ham, and he just couldn't get past this.  C'est la vie!

As for you, give the ingredients the once over. If they look good to you, give it a try and tell me what you think. If this sounds like something you'd run from, that's fine too. You won't hurt my feelings; I live with Mr. O-P.

Ham Viennese

 2 cups of cooked rice

2-1/2 cups ham, diced into ½” squares

1-1/2 Tablespoons butter

½ cup chopped onion

2 cups celery, diced

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

2 Tablespoons white wine

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

¼ teaspoon dried dill weed

½ cup sour cream

1/3 cup Melissa’s Fire Roasted Sweet Red Peppers, diced

Sauté ham in one tablespoon of the butter over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add the ½ tablespoon of butter along with onions and celery, and sauté until tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in soup, wine, mustard, and dill weed.  Heat thoroughly.  Stir in sour cream and red peppers.  Heat, but do not bring to a boil.  Stir in rice (or serve over the rice, your choice).  Serve.

This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Foodie Friday

Simple Crockpot Pork Chops

I am campaigning for the Simple Sunday Supper.  A satisfying, family-friendly meal that takes little time to put together so that you can enjoy your day with your favorite people, or have some quiet time to yourself. When did that last happen?  Enter this simple pork chop recipe.  Nothing at all to do ahead, just pop everything into a crockpot, and let it cook on low for most of the day.  Pair it with Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes and Glazed Rainbow Carrots with Dill, and you have an easy dinner that's a real winner.

Simple Crockpot Pork Chops

2 to 4 pork chops

1 package Lipton dry onion soup mix

1 can low-sodium Cream of Mushroom Soup

½ soup can white wine

Place chops in the bottom of a crockpot.  Sprinkle onion soup over chops.  Pour mushroom soup and wine over chops, spreading to cover.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

This post is linked to:

Wow Us Wednesday
What’s In The Kitchen 
Work It Wednesday
Miz Helen’s Country Cottage