In the home where I grew up, we had a sardine can sized dining room where guests were squeezed in around a table, and once you were seated you had to stay until the meal was over.
The white fairy lights are plugged in for special occasions
opting for simple white Sophie Conran china
and
French Bee glasses.
There is plenty of crystal and Royal Albert china tucked away in the buffet.
Those pieces come out for bigger gatherings like Christmas and Thanksgiving.
Fragrant freesias from Thorn and Thistle Flower Merchants,
my favourite spot in town for fresh flowers and plants.
We gathered together with darling daughter and her husband to watch their honeymoon video.
For starters
a plate of cheese, crackers, fig jam and olives were served.
Beef tenderloin cooked on a bed of mushrooms
in a black bean Asian fusion sauce.
Recipe is in Susan Mendelson's cookbook page 135
(I cannot find her recipe online and for copyright reasons I cannot print the page so I hope you can find a copy of the book in your local bookseller or library)
Served with green beans and garlic mashed potatoes.
The garlic mashed potatoes are from The Barefoot Contessa's Paris cookbook
Mixed fruit and berry crumble which we topped with coconut ice cream.
I used Ina Gartens's basic recipe from her Paris cookbook
substituting apples for the plums.
Late Evening Tea Time
decaf Yorkshire Blend and a scented candle.
Time to reflect on the day
count my blessings
then write in my journal.
It was a lovely evening...
Today
Mother and I walked the Esplanade this afternoon
then we went for a coffee.
Our usual cafe was closed for holidays.
The blue skies and sunny weather were a tonic
I am feeling a bit unsettled and persnickety.
I seem to have developed
a headache
after purging our filing cabinet
which took me several hours...
and
has left me with a stack of shredding
that I need to attend to in the morning.
(UGH!)
We
also need the dishwasher motor to be replaced
we could opt for the whole new machine but I do not think that very green or eco friendly so we will replace the broken bits and hope for the best.
I plan to wake up with a fresh attitude
brew my cafe creme
sit and reflect on the good things.
Then
put on a crisp white shirt, pearls and my NYDJ boyfriend jeans
and seize the day!
Do you ever have a day where you just feel like someone has hijacked your life?
Don't be shy...
~ Be Well and Be Kind ~
