Holly & Berries Tablescape

 

Christmas isn’t Christmas without the traditional colors of red and green. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Nothing says Christmas more than this table. Not only because of the color combination, but because these beautiful bone china dishes in the “Yuletide” pattern by Rosina-Queens once belonged to my mother. I’m not entirely sure when she bought this set, but she bought service for 12, with all of the completer pieces, and used those to serve her Christmas brunch every year after she made that purchase. They go back to at least the 80s, maybe earlier. When she passed away, it was such an honor to bring these to my home.In addition to the dinnerware, the adorable little ceramic baskets with Holly leaves and red berries were hers as well.

She used to place a truffle, or other delicious bit of chocolate in each one at each place setting.The mercury glass ornament place card holders belonged to her too, as well as the gold flatware; the woman set a beautiful table.

My contributions to this table besides the hunter green tablecloth and gauzy runner are the wonderful placemats that I bought from Pier 1 years ago. Just setting them on the table makes it feel like Christmas.

 

The napkins are from Pottery Barn, as are the little reindeer votives.

 

The red goblets are from Villeroy and Boch. 

The centerpiece is a simple hurricane with a candle and a small wreath. When you have such beautiful dinnerware, a simple centerpiece is all that you need.I’ll be thinking of my mother, and her legendary brunches, when I dine at this table during the coming week.

 

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 This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday

Bavarian Meatballs

I was rummaging around in my mother’s recipe box as I have often mentioned doing, and came across a recipe that I had not noticed before. It had been written on one of those pieces of stationery that fold into an envelope, and are then stamped and mailed. For this reason I know that her friend Shirley Fick sent it to her on the 21st of April 1979, at a cost of 13¢. Because my mother was such a good cook on her own, when she asked for a recipe from someone that meant that she really enjoyed it, so I thought I should try this for myself.

Including sauerkraut in a meatball was new to my experience, but it worked. Surprisingly, it did not do a whole lot to alter the taste, something I found a tiny bit disappointing. I enjoyed mine a couple of times in a variety of ways: first, as you see here on top of egg noodles, second, on top of mashed potatoes, thirdly, on top of mashed potatoes and topped with sauerkraut. I even had leftovers as a meatball sandwich slathered with stone ground mustard and topped with thinly sliced red onion. Clearly this recipe is versatile and I can tell you that I enjoyed them all of these ways.

 Because I always tend to think that I know better than everyone else, I altered this recipe just a tiny bit to give it more flavor. These are easy to make, and something that I think the entire family would enjoy, however you plan to serve them. I do find that they make quite a striking presentation in these beautiful black au gratin dishes.

 Bavarian Meatballs

For meatballs:

½ c. beef stock

1 t. caraway seeds

2 lb. ground chuck

1 lg. egg

1 c. drained, chopped sauerkraut

1 T. dried minced onions

¼ t. lemon pepper seasoning

1/8 t. dry mustard

½ t. salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

3 T. flour

2 T. olive oil

For sauce:

2/3 c. sour cream

2 T. whole milk

½ t. caraway seeds

Pour beef stock over 1 teaspoon caraway seeds and let stand for five minutes. Combine ground chuck, sauerkraut, onions, lemon pepper seasoning, dry mustard, egg, salt, pepper, and stock/caraway seed mixture. Mix well and shape into 18 balls. Roll balls in flour; set aside.

Heat oil over medium/high heat in the bottom of a 12-inch skillet. Add meatballs and brown on all sides. Reduce heat to medium/low and cook slowly for 30 minutes until cooked through. (Meatballs may have to be done in batches.)

Combine sour cream, milk, caraway seeds, and salt in a medium saucepan and heat until hot. Remove meatballs to platter (or individual au gratin dishes) and top with sour cream.

Garnish with chopped parsley and a few gratings of lemon pepper seasoning.

Makes six servings.

 

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A "Friendly" Winter

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With Christmas and our Boxing Day celebration behind us, it’s time to put the Christmas dishes away, and bring out new dishes for winter. I inherited this lovely set of Johnson Brothers “Friendly Village” dishes, complete with wine glasses and completer pieces, from my mother. I have always admired this set, and now look forward to the comforting scenes all winter long. 

I love transferware, and was totally charmed by the fact that each dish has its own special scene. I hadn’t realized this until they became mine. What charm!

Some of the scenes included in the collection are Autumn Mists, Covered Bridge, Hay Field, Lily Pond, School House, Sugar Maples, and Village Green.

What dishes, if any, do you turn to to get you through the dark days of winter?

Ye Olde McCormick Tea House...This Week's Find

I don’t know about you, but certain things will strike a chord with me, and this teapot is one of them.  In the shape of “Ye Olde McCormick Tea House” (after the original landmark in Baltimore, MD, circa 1969-1976, where hostesses, in Elizabethan gowns, served tea both hot and cold), my mother acquired this decades ago, and I loved it. My hope was that she would give it to me, but she liked it too, so she kept it. Now it is mine, alas, and I enjoy it every day, as it has become a part of my decor on the kitchen island. 

Armed with my favorite teabag assortment, this is going to be my “go to” teapot for the winter. It just speaks to me, shaped like a tea house, with all of those people inside, it makes me feel all warm and cozy.

In the winter, drinking hot tea is always a pleasure, but it will be even more so with this teapot, now to decide what color cups to use with it.

Is there an item that strikes a chord with you? Tell me about it.

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Haviland Fruit Bowls...This Week's Find

When I was packing up my parents' things in preparation for selling the house, I did so in haste. I was careful, don’t get me wrong, but I tried not to dwell on individual items, just pack them up as quickly and carefully as I could. I am still unboxing things, and just the other day unboxed these beautiful fruit dishes (if that is indeed what they are), that you saw in this post. I was with my mother when she bought these, having no idea what she would ever do with them, just bought them because she liked them, but didn’t realize that they were Haviland.

What treasures! Like my mother, I have no idea what I’m going to do with them, but I suspect I will use them for cold salads or soups. They are a bit more dainty and delicate than what I’m used to, but I find, these days, then you can pretty much mix everything with everything.

Aren’t these lovely?

To see last week’s unique find, click here.

"Yuletide" Dinnerware by Rosina-Queens...This Week's Find

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that this is certainly not the time of the year to talk about Christmas, it is way too early. You’re right, of course, you’re right. But this week’s find (that was hardly a find because I knew it was there), is my mother’s set of Christmas dishes. I’m not sure exactly when she bought them, but I believe they go back about 30 years. She wanted a set that was different from what everyone else had (At that time Spode “Christmas Tree” was all the rage.), spotted these locally at Stix, Bayer & Fuller (later Dillards), and bought the entire service for 12, including completer pieces. When it came to fancy dinnerware, my mother did not mess around. She also bought a set of gold flatware, service for 12.

You can bet I wrapped each piece very carefully as I was unpacking the server in the, now empty, dining room. It took multiple trips, and more than a dozen boxes to ensure it got home safely.

As you know from looking at my holiday tables, I tend to opt more for whimsy than I do for elegance, but I will certainly be paying tribute to both of my parents this holiday season, that will surely be a difficult one.

This set from Rosina-Queens is called “Yuletide.” Beautiful, isn’t it? For those interested, you can occasionally find it, in limited availability, on Amazon.

To see my previous find, click here.

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This Week's Find...Royal Albert Teapot

This week’s find is actually in two parts. First is this adorable Royal Albert Old Country Roses Earthenware “Hutch” One-Cup Teapot containing, you guessed it, a Royal Albert “Old Country Roses” tea set. Second, is this tiny (working!) mantle clock. Both of these were on the hutch in my parent’s breakfast room. I cleaned them up and brought them home. Truth be told, I don’t know where I’m going to go with all of the cute things I’ve been cleaning up and bringing home, but I’m going to enjoy them while I can.

 Come back next week to see what other treasures I have uncovered.

To see my previous find, click here.

Bunny Tea Set - This Week's Find!

I have little by way of Easter tableware and decorations with the exception of some wonderful bunny dinner plates that I have used here. I was debating upon whether or not to bother with an Easter table considering I won’t be doing much by way of celebrating this year, when I stumbled upon this lovely Fitz & Floyd bunny tea set (from 1989) while clearing out the hutch in the breakfast room at my parents' house. 

My mother was like me in that she found it very difficult to resist the offerings of Fitz & Floyd. “Oh, that Fitz! Oh, that Floyd! They know what we like!” we used to say as we carried our finds up to the cash register.

She always hosted Easter brunch, but I don’t recall her ever serving tea, or even using the sugar and creamer when she served coffee.

Now that it's in my home, I guarantee it will be put to good use, more than likely with the pink cups that I found a week or so ago.

I love the detail in this set. The spout on the teapot is actually a bunny. Isn’t it adorable? After giving everything a good washing, my only decision now is to decide what type of tea to brew.

Come back next week to see what other treasures I have uncovered.

To see my previous find, click here.

This post is linked to:

Tablescape Thursday

Antique Dessert Plates - This Week's Find!

The cleaning out of my parents’ home continues, and this week’s cute find are these beautiful Italian dessert plates with matching server. I also found eight of these pink cups but, alas, no saucers to match.

These plates have a bit of history. They belonged to the mother of Shirley Fick, my mother’s long-time (since childhood) friend, who acted as maid of honor at her wedding.

You can see her in the picture below at far left. When her mother got up in years she passed them down to her daughter, who used them at every opportunity. Because Shirley had only one child, a son, she gave them to my mother knowing that they would get a lot of use, and eventually be passed down to me. And here they are, and here I am, as thrilled to have them as the original owner.

It’s going to take a special dessert for me to use these, but I guarantee I will be making one, and sharing the recipe with you.

Meanwhile, my mind is whirling thinking of all of the beautiful pink and green spring table settings that I will be able to create with these new, much loved items.

To see my previous find, click here.

This post is linked to:

Tablescape Thursday