NumberNineteen

Easter Table 2018

It's become a tradition for me to come up with a new Easter tablescape every year and share it here. Though I've been absent from the blog, I thought that this would be a good time to come back and share this year's table.

Every year I've got a starting point, whether it's an inspiration photo online or a tablecloth.  This year's starting point is the cabbage plates that I picked up last year.  

I found an April Cornell table runner that I knew would look great with the plates and napkins with the sweetest matching blue edging at Home Goods.  I love April Cornell table linens.  I have several table runners and I love their beautiful designs and quality.  I embroidered the napkins with our monogram to give them a bit of personalization.  

And, of course, flowers.  The one time a year that I do a big arrangement.  Although, I can I do a little flower-related vent?  I always go out, looking for gorgeous magazine worthy flowers in the stores and I can't find them.  Even at the nice grocery stores like Wegmans.  Grocery stores: please stock something besides roses, tulips and hydrangeas -- at least at Easter.  First world, ridiculous issue, without out a doubt.  

It's just going to be the three of us for Easter this year.  Glenn's mother was planning on visiting, but she came down with the flu.  I hope that all of you have a wonderful Easter!

Caught My Fancy -- May

I don't know how the last week slipped by, but I totally forgot to post!  By the time that I realized it, it was the middle of the week & I decided to wait until this week.  After months of having nothing on my social calendar suddenly I have something going on every weekend.  I'm chalking it up to spring and the end of school drawing near. Warmth & freedom -- an irresistible combination.  Here are a few things that have caught my fancy this month:

Lucketts Spring Market - Last weekend I went to the Lucketts Spring Market for the second year in a row.   This year, no rain!  They moved it to a new location, more suited for all kinds of weather but the rain held off this year.  It's a bit farther for me, but I enjoyed it.  My girlfriend & I had a great time catching up while perusing the booths.  I found a few small things, all of which will be found soon in my etsy shop.  

 

Love Actually Sequel - If you haven't seen the Love Actually mini sequel that was made to benefit Red Nose Day, you must check it out.  They manage to tie up loose ends and answer the  "I wonder what happened with..." questions.   It's funny and heartwarming and satisfying.

(photo from House and Garden UK)

The Winnie the Pooh House Is For Sale - The house around which A A Milne created the Winnie the Pooh books is up for sale.  It is surrounded by the places that inspired The Hundred Acre Wood, Pooh Corner and more.  And, the interior is just as wonderful as you would imagine Christopher Robin's house to be. I want it.  Or, I want to vacation in it.  Currently on the market for 1.85 Million Pounds (!).

(photo from The Great British Afternoon Tea Company Instagram Feed)

The Great British Afternoon Tea Company - Since going to tea with Hope over Spring Break, I've been fascinated with tea parties.  On Instagram I stumbled across the most wonderful purveyor of tea parties this side of the Atlantic, Andrea Bradley Golombeck.  Her company, The Great British Afternoon Tea Company, puts on the most beautiful, elegant and delicious looking teas that you've ever seen. Her IG feed is pure eye candy.  And, she seems like a total sweetie.  Check her out!

Alrighty, I'm off to take advantage of the sunshine and get into my garden.  I hope that you all are enjoying a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Visit From Great Friends

(Mount Vernon garden)

I'm back...like I said, summer vacation means time to blog!  Continuing on the story of our eventful and delightful June, I'll pick up where I left off, with the end of school....The very day that school ended we had dear friends visit from Indiana.  Glenn went to high school with Brian and has known Leslie ever since he was in their wedding.  As soon as I met them at our wedding, I knew that we would hit it off.  We usually only see each other once a year in Indiana, but they were able to take an entire week to visit with us and explore DC and the Virginia wine country. 

I know that both of them appreciate good food and restaurants, so I had fun putting together a menu of delicious food and choosing restaurants for nights out.  I wish that I would have taken photos of Friday night's dinner, because it was so good.  Flank steak, Susan Branch's tomato salad, asparagus, french bread and blackberry cobbler with ice cream!  Mmmm...I wish that I could have it again tonight :)  Saturday morning, I made a bacon, egg and cheese breakfast ring, pumpkin muffins (I added mini chocolate chips), Barefoot Contessa bananna crunch muffins (I left out the granola, banana chips & coconut) and berries.  Again, soooo good.  Bonus: the breakfast ring and pumpkin muffins are Weight Watchers compatible to those of us attempting to get rid of the effects of winter hibernation.

(photo from Foodnetwork.com)

(photo from Savorysweetlife.com)

Sunday night was chicken marsala, mashed potatoes and green beans.

For dinner out, I really wanted to try Blackwall Hitch, a restaurant that has been in Old Town Alexandria for about a year and has been getting a lot of positive talk.  I loved the setting and the interior -- it's right on the waterfront, with gorgeous views of the river and boats.  The interior is fun mix of industrial and vintage, with a bit of a nautical theme thrown in. We sat inside, in a booth. The food -- mine was only meh, but Brian and Leslie really liked theirs.  I think that I'd like to return, sit outside to enjoy the views and give the food another try before giving a final review.  DC area peeps -- any opinions on Blackwall Hitch?

(photo from Theblackwallhitch.com)

Believe it or not, and it's hard to tell from this post, we did something other than eat.  Saturday, we went to Mount Vernon and George Washington's Distillery. 

Did you know that our founding father was a wiskey distiller?  The restored mill and distillery is really interesting (worth a visit if you are in the area) and you can purchase wiskey made from on the premises from his original recipe.  Mount Vernon is always a beautiful site to visit, with it's perch overlooking the Potomac. 

On Sunday, knowing that Brian and Leslie enjoy hiking, we went to Great Falls National Park to walk around and see the famous and dangerous falls.

(All of the photos, unless otherwise noted, were taken by Leslie.  For some reason, I didn't take any pictures the entire time that they were here!)

It's an easy walk, along the river, and you can easily see the falls from various viewpoints.  There were a lot of people there including many kyakers, but we stayed a safe distance from the water, on the high path!

After the weekend, Brian and Leslie explored DC on their own while Hope and I had to leave to meet my parents in Maine (more to come).  Right before they left our house, Leslie snapped this great picture of these great friends:

 

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A Spring Weekend

It's been a spring weekend that hasn't felt much like a spring weekend.  We got snow yesterday. SNOW.  In April, in Virginia.  My plans had involved going to a tulip festival and a flea market on Saturday.  I had to re-think that.  But, I did capture these pink tulips in front of our house on Friday.  Luckily, the snow went away very quickly and no damage was done to my bulbs.

We had friends over for dinner last night and this morning, I baked a cake for a co-worker's birthday.  I've made it before, so I know that it's going to be good.  But, check it out from another angle....

Whoops, kind of lopsided....!  But, as my mother said when I was little, "it's all the same in your tummy" (see, Mom, I was listening!).

We framed the little painting that I got at the flea last week and hung it in the front hall.  This may be the fastest that we have ever gotten a new picture up.

Other than that, it has been a quiet weekend.  We are running a book fair at school this week and I need to work on finding a caterer for the teacher appreciation lunch at Hope's school, so I'll be busy soon enough.  Let's all hope for warmer weather and lots of sunshine so that it starts to feel like spring for real.

Spring Break/Easter Brunch Crab Strata

I have been meaning to post so many things in the past few weeks and life has been crazy.  But, I'm on spring break now (yay!) and I can finally get all of those ideas posted. 

 

I've been putting out a few spring and Easter touches here and there, including Mr. Easter Bunny and the decoupaged eggs that I made last spring break. Hope and I are going shopping for her Easter dress tomorrow (better late than never!) and have to pick up dye so that we can dye eggs. 

I made a breakfast strata last weekend that was so good that I have to share it with you.  The original recipe is from Epicurious, but I made so many changes to the original, that I'm now claiming it as mine.  Crab meat, eggs, cheese, chunks of bread....soooo good. Every few bites, Glenn said, "I REALLY like this!".  Bonus: it's make-ahead, so you put it together the night before and pop it in the oven while the kiddos are egg hunting on Easter morning.

Crab Breakfast Strata

7 large eggs

2 1/4 cups milk

1 T. butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

2 green onions, chopped

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 t. chopped fresh thyme

3 cans of crabmeat or 1 pound fresh crabmeat

1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese or gruyere

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

8 cups 1 inch bread cubes from a loaf of french bread

1 t. salt

3/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

 

Butter 10 inch casserole or 8x11 inch baking dish & put aside.  Wisk eggs and milk together in a bowl and put aside. Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add onions and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and add green onions, parsley and thyme.  Mix the cooked mixture with the egg mixture, crab meat, cheeses, bread cubes, salt and pepper in the bowl.  Pour the mixture into the buttered dish.  Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.  When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for about 1 hour, until the strata is browned & puffy.  Cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

I hope that you enjoy!  I'll be back later this week with more Easter ideas.

 

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Brrr....it's cold!  I know, tell you something that you don't know, right?!  We went back to school last Thursday, promptly got Friday off for snow, went back on Monday and were off again yesterday for frigid temperatures.  It's been the most pleasant return from vacation that I've ever experienced.  It's like the world is letting us slowly ease back into regular life, dipping our toes into it slowly.  

Post Christmas time is always a period in which I feel inspired to change things around in the house.  Fluff up pillows, pull forgotten treasures out of hiding and move around pictures.  I spent my day off yesterday doing a "fluff".  I shop from around the house, poking into storage, pulling things from bookshelves, exploring cabinets.  I found so many things that I thought "Why was this in hiding?  I must find a home for it!".  The big things are slowly being added to our home (bit by bit....month by month....) so I try to make it more cosy with the bits that we already have. 

 

Being house bound also gave us the perfect excuse to bake cookies.  We stirred up a batch of an old family favorite -- Toll House with Oatmeal.  My mother and my grandmother before her always made a double batch of these at Christmastime and we made them when I was a teenager in my mom's house.  I didn't make any this year so I was missing them (though I did get a few that my sister brought to my parent's house).  Hope is the best helper, always in charge of the eggs & vanilla.

 You know that it's a good recipe when the pages are falling apart and covered in smudges of chocolate.

How are you filling these cold days?

 

This & That

It's my last week of freedom before school starts again & I'm trying to fit in lots of fun/relaxing activities.  It's a big semester -- my very last one of grad school.  I'm taking a cataloging class, comprehensive exams and doing my practicum, which is a hands-on school library experience.  I'll be working in middle & elementary school libraries to see what really goes on in the daily life of a librarian and decide in which type of school I'd like to work.  I've been really looking forward to my practicum for a long time and excited that I finally get to do real library work.  So, I've spent time this week organizing the details of the practicum in addition to homey activities.  It's not very cold here, but I sure do feel like snuggling in a cozy house right now.  It's  a state of mind, this winter cozy-seeking-ness. 

A big part of this is cooking & baking, as I mentioned in my last post.  Believe it or not, I was itching to bake cookies (after the dozens I baked in December, you'd think that I'd be over it), so I made up a batch of chocolate chip pecan cookies two days ago.

I received The Barefoot Contessa Foolproof cookbook as an early birthday present (yay!), so I've been trying out recipes from there.  Last night was salmon & lentils from an earlier Barefoot book & the orange braised carrots & parsnips from Foolproof...

Yumyumyum.

I've been reading a lot.  The latest was The Real Mrs. Miniver, which is a biography of the woman who wrote the book Mrs. Miniver which was turned into a WWII classic movie.  I know, pretty esoteric, but I'm a geek for anything having to do with Britain during the war.  More in the mainstream was Dearie, the latest bio of Julia Child and Dark Places, an older one by the author of Gone Girl.  So, I've read bios & a pretty dark book -- I'd say it's time for something more uplifting, less serious.  Maybe Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin?  That sounds uplifting, doesn't it?

Here's something uplifting -- a rousing game of Life with your family:

Except I don't recommend letting the 7 year old be the banker.  Just sayin.

January Menu -- Menu Plan

I'm always very enthusiastic about cooking in January.  I think that its the idea of making something warm and comforting that is so appealing.  Also, after a month of eating a diet high in sugar, its good to get back to real food!  I've been scouring my recipes, Pinterest and my new copy of Barefoot Contessa Foolproof (just got yesterday!) for ideas.  Here are some of the things that I'm planning on making in the next few weeks....

Salmon with Lentils

Orange Braised Carrots and Parsnips

Cheesy Taco Pasta

Cajun Chicken Stuffed with Pepperjack Cheese

 

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

Brown Rice

Broccoli with Almonds

 

Chicken Parmesan (I make it up as I go along, baking it instead of frying)

Spaghetti

Salad with walnuts, dried cranberries & vinaigrette (I use Barefoot Contessa's)

 

Cheesy Taco Pasta

Steamed Broccoli

 

Salmon with Lentils

Orange-Braised Carrots and Parsnips

 

Cajun Chicken with Pepper Jack Cheese

Green Beans Gremolata

Oven Fries

 

I'll probably try another Foolproof recipe, TBD, and there will be at least one night with a Trader Joes quick meal after I start my library practicum.

I'm linking up with:

Susie QT pies Scraps of Life Menu Plan

Organization Junkie Menu Plan

 

 

 

Trader Joes Favorites

The closest Trader Joes for me is about half an hour away -- not terribly far, but not someplace that I go for weekly shopping.  When I do go, I find myself wandering the aisles and taking the opportunity to stock up.  I always feel like there are hidden treasures at TJs, if I could just find them.  I often experiment but I also love to hear what other people have to say about their personal favorites.  Let's make a deal -- I'll list my newest favorites here & you tell me yours.  Okay?

Egg Rolls -- I've been eating these since I was a single gal and love them.  They are perfect for a super simple dinner or lunch and they are something that I'd never make from scratch.

Garlic Basil Linguine -- This is one of my recent experiments that turned out soooo well.  I love to eat it for lunch with just a little olive oil on it & nothing else.  So delicious. 

Chicken Sausages -- I'm a big fan of the sun-dried tomato variety,but I've tried & like other flavors as well.  They are really good grilled & eaten in a hot dog bun or sliced and used in a pasta dish.  And, bonus, they are good for you!

Flounder Stuffed with Crabmeat -- OK, I recognize that frozen fish sealed in plastic doesn't seem appetizing, but stay with me here.  These are Really, Really good.  A friend who I consider to be the ultimate host served these along with beef as surf & turf at a dinner party.  Everyone raved. 

OK, your turn!  Tell me your favorite Trader Joe's foods!

Treats for Teachers -- Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce -- Homemade Christmas Gift

Here we are, just 5 days from Christmas!  I'm wrapping the last gifts and getting together treats for teachers, bus drivers and all of the wonderful helpers in our lives.  I made up a batch of homemade peppermint hot fudge sauce this week.  It will be going into a basket for Hope's teacher and to the librarians with whom I volunteer.  It is so super simple to make!  This is what you need:

Seriously! That is it. Here is the recipe, which I found at Our Best Bites.

Hot Fudge Sauce

1 /2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 C butter 

1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 t. peppermint extract (if you want to make peppermint hot fudge sauce)

Instructions:
Put the ingredients in pan on medium heat & melt together until smooth.  Stir occasionally.

Pour into 2 8 oz. jars.  They can be at room temperature for the short term, but for more than a few hours, it's probably a good idea to refridgerate.

I sprinkled a little bit of crushed candy canes on top for fun.

Here is the final product, all ready for giving:

I hope that you are enjoying your Christmas preparations!