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.

Hand Painted Cookies

I first made this recipe when my (now grown) son was a young boy, I loved to see his eyes light up when he arrived home from school to see them displayed on racks on the kitchen table.

They are fun to create; it's a chance to let your creativity flow, and everyone seems to love them. They are completely edible, here are some I made earlier this spring.

These are just simple sugar cookies, dipped in Royal Icing, allowed to dry then painted with a water-color paint brush and ordinary liquid food colors.

I don't plan, I just paint whatever comes into my mind at the time at the time, usually with a seasonal theme.

Here' is the sugar cookie recipe that I use for these ~ from an old Sunset Magazine:


Favorite Cut-Out Sugar Cookie
Makes about 45 2 1/2-inch cookies
I roll the dough thicker; thus the dough produces fewer cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


Preparation

1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Stir or beat in flour until well blended.

2. Divide dough in half. Flatten each portion into a 1-inch-thick disk. On a lightly floured board, with a floured rolling pin, roll dough, a portion at a time, to 1/8 inch thick.

3. With floured cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes (if dough is too soft to handle, freeze briefly until firm).

4. With a wide spatula or your fingers, transfer cookies to buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Gather scraps, pat into a ball, and repeat rolling and cutting.

5. Bake cookies in a 300° (F) oven until golden, about 15 minutes; switch pan positions halfway through baking.

6. With a wide spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool. If hot cookies start to break, slide a thin spatula under them to release; let stand on sheets to firm up, about 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.



Recipe from "Sunset" Magazine


* These are best made a bit thicker, not thinner & are easier to grasp to dip in the icing that way.

Honestly, sometimes I like my blotting towel more than my painting! It's like that feeling you get when you dump all the Easter egg coloring dye colors in the sink.