Monday

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ March 30, 2009

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW... Bright sunshine


I AM THINKING... I have many comments and emails I should be answering.


I AM THANKFUL FOR... My family, and being loved.


FROM THE KITCHEN... Hot tea and fresh pink grapefruit juice


I AM WEARING... Pink pajamas


I AM CREATING... nothing at the moment, trying to recuperate from this cold.


I AM GOING... to be celebrating when I feel better.


I AM READING... catalogs.


I AM HOPING... the David Austin climbing roses arrive shortly.


I AM HEARING... Birds chirping, and Food Network


AROUND THE HOUSE... it looks like Spring!


ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS... fresh, cut flowers aaround the house every week.


A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK... catching up with emails & comments, getting over this cold, and spending some time in the garden.

A picture thought I'd like to share:




Please click here to visit the other participants of "The Simple Woman's Daybook".



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Saturday

Darling Bakers ~ Spring Fling!



Welcome to our ...



Event!

It's a beautifully sunny Spring day ~ so ~
We've set the table on the back lawn area for cake and
Strawberry Italian Soda ~



I have a number of extra tables that I like to bring out for
different occasions/

This drop-leaf is one that I bought from an old florist shop in town
several years ago. It is chippy & distressed from years of use;
it has a lot of age on it, which I love.

In the winter I use it around, inside the house ~
when the weather begins to warm I bring it outside.





I always look forward to the colorful flowers of spring each year.



I made an Almond Bundt cake with a thick lemon-cream glaze
in the little Bee Hive cake pan. Although I have the old Martha Stewart
Bee Hive cake pan, I much prefer this one for it's more manageable size.












The beverage is simply Italian Strawberry syrup stirred
into sparkling water, and served well chilled.
I prefer this beverage to any punch ~ and you can make it as sweet (or not) as you like.



The table topper is vintage from Germany,
hand cross-stitched on linen.



The cake/pie server is silverplate, I purchased it several years ago from Neiman Marcus.
The serrated knife is French; a gift from a dear friend in France.



Faux eggs ~ with a French Salt mill,
just table decorations. :)




Vintage Imperial Glass, Candlewick design ~
(also known as Boopie.)


Vintage Desert Rose, the ever popular old pattern by Franciscan.




Thank you for coming by!

I hope your Spring is wonderful in every way.








Wednesday

Tablescape Thursday ~ 2009, March 26



Welcome, welcome to this edition of Tablescape Thursday!



We're having breakfast here in Oregon, in the original rose & rhododendron area of the garden.
Sometimes it's a little chilly early during spring mornings, so I have the outdoor tower heaters warming the area. I think you'll find it quite comfortable.



It's peaceful, lush and GREEN here, surrounded by forest and woods, although the roses and rhodies/azaelas won't come into bloom for about a month or so.








Tablescape Thursday is hosted by sweet Susan at her lovely blog, Between Naps on the Porch.








Since it's Spring ~ that is the theme I chose for this Thursday's Tablescape.







I've collected all kinds of rabbits and bunnies for years ~ here are a couple of them.



The two larger ones are glazed terra cotta, and I'm sure you recognize the jumbo size figurine of Peter Rabbit, and his mother Mrs. Bunny. (She is busy straightening his collar and necktie.)







I love pansies, so I've included some on today's table ~along with a little fragrant Greek Oregano plant in the milk pitcher.





I believe the remainder of the photos are self-explanatory ~I hope you enjoy them...




And I WISH you really COULD be here to have breakfast with me in this tranquil setting .
It's a wonderful place to begin the day.






The linens (again) are from April Cornell ~ her table linens are some of my favorites.








The mugs and bowls the pansies are in are by Martha Stewart.
The glazed white terra cotta plates and bowls (which I've featured in the past)
are by Lone Oak & Co., California. I bought them at Vanderbilt & Co. in Palo Alto, as well as their old store in St. Helena, CA (Napa wine country.)

I believe the company is now defunct, unfortunately.



The small blue glass cake stand is made by the US glass company, L.E. Smith.



The flatware is made by "Gourmet Settings". And the pressed-glass blue tumblers are Portuguese, from Horchow.













Thank you so much for stopping by to visit ~ please leave a comment so I can come visit YOUR blog, too. :)



Please bookmark my blog, or add it on your favorites list ~ there is always something on the table, or something happening around the house, you're always welcome here.



Click here to go to Between Naps on the Porch to see the other blogs participating in this weeks tablescape.











Tuesday

Chocolate Croissants ~ Foodie Friday


With grateful thanks to Designs by Gollum for hosting Foodie Friday!
Please click the link above to see all who are participating this week.



If you don't buy them at your favorite bakery...


You can choose the finest chocolate, cut it into long "fingers"
encase it in the rolled pastry...







chill then bake...













Until puffed and flaky, then cool and decorate with a drizzle of your favorite chocolate ganache or a sprinkle of confectioners sugar... Williams-Sonoma also offers a top-notch frozen version, thaw in the refrigerator then bake off and decorate as desired. Excellent!






Either way, they are delectable.

Not something I grew up with, but I love them now, as a special treat with a cup of coffee or tea.

A delightful once-in-a-while pleasure!


Thank you for stopping by ~ I LOVE comments!

Please leave me a comment so I can visit your blog, and I would be pleased if you add your name in the side bar to follow my blog. You are always welcome here!








Roasted Greek-Style Chicken with Lemon, Garlic & Oregano

Does this ever happen to you?

You believe you know what you're going to prepare for dinner, then you find something irresistible on one of your favorite blogs ~ and it completely changes your plans?

I admit, it happens to me at least once a week.

Most recently (yesterday morning) on my friend Ann's fabulous blog ~

Greek Roasted Chicken dinner...

I immediately knew what dinner would be.

Driving into town wasn't an inviting option for me this morning so I utilized the same technique
but substituted chicken wings.

The recipe is free form; I salted the wings generously, sprinkled with plenty of fine lemon zest early in the day and allowed them to rest (uncovered) in the refrigerator for several hours ~ and then followed Ann's instructions:

"Lots of garlic, oregano and fresh squeezed lemon juice over the potatoes and the chicken. Roasted at 500°F."

I used a combination of both dried and fresh Greek Oregano ...
and turned the wings and potatoes once after the top side was very nicely browned.

This is one of my favorite ways of preparing chicken, and ... those potatoes!


You must go visit Ann's blog to discover her wonderful recipes and captivating photos.

Check out her very informative tutorials, too!


Thank you Ann, for providing the inspiration for a delicious dinner ~ once again.







A Sampling of my food . . .

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