Lines from Linderhof

An Italian Kind of Lunch

2012-02-01T21:24:00.000-06:00

Friend Shirley Ann invited herself for lunch. "I've got a new recipe for pasta salad" she said when she called "and it makes a ton. I'll be happy to share it with you."

I told her that would be great. That I had a new loaf of crusty bread and that I needed a break as I was baking biscotti for my class at Life+Style and that I could "steal" a few for our dessert.

While she was on her way over, I set the table

The breakfast room is the perfect spot for lunch.

One of my tea cloths and since it was an "Italian" lunch, the Spode blue Italian.

No garden flowers -- and the hyacinths were done and the paperwhites are still in their infancy -- so the Blue Italian bowl (which resides on the table during winter) with the remainder of this week's apples is the centerpiece as well as the two English barley twist candlesticks.

A simple table for a simple lunch.

A Spode Blue Italian plate for the pasta salad, a white linen napkin in a silver ring, the German knife and fork (laid English style -- upside down), a Spode Blue Italian bread plate and an English butter knife. A water goblet and wine goblet -- husband Jim got them at an Estate Sale -- 4 big ones and three little ones -- we use them "just for us".

Spode Blue Italian is the perfect china to use for an Italian pasta salad.

A couple of Blue Italian cups and saucers -- all the better to dunk the biscotti in.

We had a grand time at this impromptu lunch. Shirley's salad was wonderful and we both felt that the biscotti was the perfect dessert.

And it was a nice respite from biscotti baking!

It's Thursday and I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

Cartagena

2012-01-31T19:52:00.000-06:00

One of the stops on our Panama Canal cruise was in Cartegena, Columbia. Neither Husband Jim nor I have ever been to South America and we were excited to be able to visit this city in not only a new country but a new continent.

We walked up to the wall inside of which was the old city . . .

Cartagena, Columbia

Through the arched doorways and we walked a couple of blocks to

The square

Simone de Bolivar square. A shady place with park benches

Columbia women transport fruits and vegetables in bowls on their head. They have perfect posture!

And natives as well as tourists.

In the middle of the square a statute to honor

Simone de Bolivar -- a hero to the Columbians. We've very familiar with Bolivar for there is a town not too far form our town on the prairie that also has a statue of Simone de Bolivar on their square for the name of the town is Bolivar (pronounced Balivar) and yes, it was named after the same Simone de Bolivar!

We enjoyed sitting in the park

And I worked on my needlepoint. The canvas bought in England . . . and so close to being finished.

After our respite in the square, we crossed the street to the

Cathedral.

Which we found to be a beautiful church.

In the area by the dock where our ship was, we got to see some native birds . . .

Flamingos

Macaws

Of all the places that we went on our cruise, we both agreed that Cartagena was our favorite. Perhaps it was because it was such a laid back sort of day -- a walk in the old town, a sit in the square and a visit to a beautiful cathedral.

It's Wednesday and I'm sharing our day in Cartagena with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday.

It's Blue for You and Blue for Me and Blue for Tea!

2012-01-30T19:10:00.000-06:00

I write a column for our local paper, The Herald Tribune, which appears every Saturday. I've been doing it for a long time now (since 1997) and have a nice readership both here in my little town on the prairie (That's "The Tribune") and the little town 20 miles east of us (That's "The Herald"). We lived for 17 years in that little town so we have loads of acquaintances and lots of friends there.

I received an email from one of those acquaintances about some blue and white china that she had . . . would I like to look at it? Would I like to look at it!!!!! Of course!

So arrangements were made for her to come to Linderhof with china in tow and I invited her to share a cup of tea as well.

The breakfast room table all set up for tea and awaiting my friend's arrival.

Since it was a "blue and white" sort of day -- I set the table with an assortment of blue and white.

A mixture of blues make for a pretty table.

A Spode Blue Italian teapot, a Masons "muffin" dish filed with scones. Meyer lemon curd in my Indies open sugar.

Spode Blue Italian cups, saucers and tea plates. A pearl handled knife to spread the curd.

The hyacinths in bloom lending a heavenly aroma to the breakfast room.

And a trio of hyacinths for a centerpiece!

We drank tea, ate warm from the oven scones spread with homemade lemon curd and chatted and had a grand time.

And the china she brought . . .

Alfred Meakin Blue Florette. It's a lovely pattern and far different than any of my other blue and white. And with a real English tea cup as well!

A set for 8 with 8 plates, cups, saucers, tea plates, soup bowls, fruit bowls, a vegetable dish, a platter and a sugar and creamer.

Sigh -- my china cabinets are bulging and I didn't feel that I could get another set of china in -- sigh -- but I do know where Sandy lives -- in case I change my mind!

It's Tuesday and I'm joining the Tuesday parties:

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life

Sandi at A Rose Chintz Cottage

Ruth at Antiques and Teacups

A Return to Lovliness

Tea Party Tuesday

Bernideen at Bernideens Tea Time Blog

If It's January It Must be Hyacinth Time

2012-01-29T19:39:00.000-06:00

I love flowers indoors and all during the growing season of spring, summer and fall, there are always flowers on the breakfast room table and often a bouquet in the living room and on my bedside table as well.

But, alas, come the first freeze and the flowers of the garden are gone. In November, we have pumpkins and bittersweet to fill bowls instead of vases on tabletops and in December there are poinsettias and Christmas greens.

To insure flowers in January, we force bulbs. Paperwhites and hyacinths. The paperwhites in blue and white bowls and pots (stored in the basement just for this purpose) and the hyacinths in forcing vases -- made especially to coax hyacinths into bloom.

January centerpiece of hyacinths in the forcing vases

I have a nice collection -- bought slowly over the years -- two more green ones (one a twin of the one on the table) and another pink one. I would like a couple of more blue ones for they would be smashing with my blue and white china!

And last spring when we were in England, at one of the Antique Centres we went to . . .

I've never seen so many forcing vases in one place.

There was this lovely display! How I wanted to bring one or two or three home with me -- but, alas, I stayed away from anything breakable -- too much to worry about on the long plane trip home!

I must admit that I've always been a purist as to color -- although the vases are various colors -- the hyacinths themselves are always all of one color.

This year -- the color is

White!

I love the aroma especially first thing in the morning! It makes one smile!

A pure perfect white. And the fragrance in the breakfast room is heady.

I must confess, however, that this year I didn't force the bulbs -- for we left before the end of the year and there would be no one at Linderhof to "fuss" with the bulbs. I bought a pot of hyacinths in the bud, washed off the dirt and plunked them into my vases. Sigh. Which is why I only have three this year!

But I really can't imagine a year without hyacinths and so if I have to resort to trickery, I have to resort to trickery!

Today, a lot of odds and ends of chores got done at Linderhof . . . But at 3:30, I put the kettle on for my afternoon tea.

It's half past three!

It's always the perfect place in winter for a cup of afternoon tea!

I love this wee teapot and teacup and saucer.

My wee Burleigh Asiatic Pheasant teapot -- perfect for two cups of tea -- and a matching cup and saucer.

Slices of lemon apricot tea bread will be my afternoon tea treat this week.

And for a nosh, the lemon apricot tea bread I made yesterday. Not just a bread for tea but a bread with tea for it has tea infused milk as it's liquid. And, of course, the apricots I used were my boozy apricots which gave an added flavor to the bread.

It came yesterday in the Relish magazine and the recipe is a keeper!

LEMON APRICOT TEA BREAD

1 1/4 c. milk

4 bags English Breakfast tea

1 3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar (plus 1 T)

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 egg, beaten

1/4 c. canola oil

1 T. lemon juice

2 t. finely grated lemon peel

1/2 c. dried apricots, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

In a small saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until hot but not boiling; remove from heat and add tea bags. Cover and let steep 6 to 7 minutes; remove tea bags, gently squeezing out milk and discard bags. Let cool.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, 3/4 c. sugar, baing powder and salt. In another medium bowl, combine egg oil, lemon juice and 1 up cooled milk tea. (Mixture will curdle lightly.) Add egg mixture to dry mixture, stirring just until moistened. Fold in lemon peel and apricots.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, stir remaining milk tea with 2 T. sugar. While bread is still in pan, brush tea-sugar miture over top of loaf. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack.

The Last Few Days . . .

2012-01-28T21:46:00.000-06:00

The last few days have been fun. They've been "play days" -- First with friend Shirley Ann and a trip to Joplin. For some errands. For some fun. For a good lunch.

The errands were gotten out of the way first and then we headed for a favorite antique mall. We've not been in a while and so it was fun to peruse the booths.

And treasures came home with me . . .

I've been looking for a big Quaker Lace tablecloth for a long time!

A Quaker Lace tablecloth for the dining room table (I've got one for the breakfast room table). The last time I was at the this Mall, I had looked at the cloth but I thought it was a bit too pricey and so I passed it by.

This time, however, everything in the booth was half price. Home it came with me. It's in good shape with no holes and shall be on the dining room table the next time we have company.

I love lace cloths and there is none finer than Quaker Lace.

Everyone knows I love blue and white and this week found out that I also collect the Asian influenced bird and mum pattern. My other love, however, is white or cream china with a gold rim.

And there in a booth was 12 plates

I love gold rimmed cream or white china.

A creamy rim and white inside with a nice gold rim. Twelve lovely little dessert plates.

Marked Limoges - C. Ahrenfeldt. For Loring and Andrews, Cincinnati. I looked up C. Ahrenfeldt and found that this mark was used between 1894 and the 1930's. I couldn't find anything about Loring and Andrews, however. But I'm sure if they had C. Ahrenfeldt's company make them some wonderful china dessert plates that they were a high level store.

Yesterday, friend Sally and I went to Joplin. First to Sandstone where we oohed and ached, had a great lunch and friend Sally found two great concrete urns for the garden. On the way back we stopped at an Antique Store (read store not antique mall) in the little town South of us.

Dapper's Antiques is a gem of a store and we were gobsmacked by the quality of the merchandise!

Reluctantly we left without anything . . . and then this morning when I ran over on an errand, Sally mentioned that she should have bought an embroidered table doily.

We agreed that since we weren't doing anything today that we'd go back south right after lunch.

Sally made some purchases (besides the table doily that was the reason for the trip) and I came home

with these lovely linens

A linen and lace tablecloth which were used as "napkins" at Dappers.

A matching runner.

Five "napkin/placemats". I'm not sure of their age.

When I helped Sally bring her loot inside, she showed me her 100 year old Christmas cactus. It was a true old fashioned Christmas cactus -- you could tell by the bracts. I asked for a start . . .

A true old fashioned Christmas cactus.

And she gave me this -- a whole little plant. Which I shall treasure! Hers was blooming and it has a very pretty bloom. I'm hoping that I'll be able to get this little guy to bloom this year.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the kitchen, for this morning, in the Relish magazine which comes in our morning paper was this recipe

This will definitely go into my recipe book.

For Lemon Apricot Tea Bread.

Fresh out of the oven.

With everything in the pantry, I baked a loaf. I substituted, of course, my "boozy" apricots. (The story and recipe can be found HERE.)

Cooled and ready to wrap for next week's teas.

Which shall be my afternoon tea treat this week.

It's cooler today and a stew sounded like a good dinner. With a package of veal in the freezer, I made our favorite veal stew -- blanquette de veau with spring vegetables.

Nothing better on a chilly winter night than a LeCreuset pot filled with stew.

Even though it isn't spring. Nice pieces of veal and a wine and chicken flavored broth filled with onions, celery, small spring carrots, asparagus, spring onions and spinach. I make it often and have posted about it before, along with the recipe.

Spooned into the Spode soup bowls and sprinkled with parsley.

We always have candlelight for dinner in the fall, winter and spring. Husband Jim is in the kitchen pouring us each a glass of wine -- a pinot noir.

Served in the breakfast room with candles lit in the barley twist candlesticks.

And as is our custom . . . after I clean up the kitchen after dinner, I put the kettle on . . .

And bring a tray of coffee to the living room. A great way to end the day while we watch our favorite shows and I needlepoint or catch up on the computer.

It's a great way to end the day and a great end to a fun week!

Not All Orchids Are At Linderhof . . .

2012-01-27T21:04:00.000-06:00

When we were in Costa Rica, we visited a coffee plantation. But we also visited a

Botanical Orchid Garden. Of all the types of gardens, a Botanical Orchid Garden is an orchid grower's dream!

There were rows of Vanda orchids. Tall Vanda orchids.

In bloom!

And the other orchids on display and blooming . . .

This lovely white one with touches of yellow . . .

This beautiful deep pink spotted beauty.

A pale purple with interesting coloring on the petals.

And the most beautiful of all . . . this large beauty -- white with a deep purple center.

I was in awe as we walked through hundreds of orchids in bloom. And they reminded me of home . . .

And my few blooming orchids!

It's Pink Saturday. Please join Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday.

A Cooking Class -- I'm a Student Not a Teacher!

2012-01-26T21:51:00.000-06:00

One of our favorite places in our little town on the prairie is this store -- life+style. I'm always finding new finds and it's the place where I teach most of my cooking classes.

We are so glad that Jim and Cynthia not only moved to Fort Scott but opened this wonderful store two years ago!

life+style

And from September through May, it's where every Thursday night you'll find the cooks of Fort Scott for it's "Cooking Class Night"!

The cooking class begins

Tonight I was there not as a Teacher but as a Student for Friend and Owner Cynthia taught a class on Pot Pies.

Everyone had The Frugal Gourmet cookbooks in the 80s

Her favorite recipe that she's made for years and years -- from The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American.

Chicken Pie with Biscuit Topping

A pot pie topped with biscuits rather than pie crust or puff pastry. Pot pie is so good topped with biscuits for as Cynthia said, the underside is all "dumplingly" with the juices from the pot pie.

We each got a fair portion of the delectable entree along with a green salad and . . . a bonus was the

Easy Peach Cobbler with blueberries

Blueberry and peach "cobbler". An old recipe that's been around forever. Cynthia made it her own by adding blueberries and spices including ginger.

The class can hardly wait for dessert.

Rosemary dishing up the cobbler which made a great dessert to a pot pie dinner!

It was fun to be a student and no matter how much one cooks or how many classes one goes to, you can always learn something! Besides classes are always fun and everyone who attends has a common interest -- food!

Next Thursday, I'm donning my apron again as I'll be doing "A Whole Lotti Biscotti". I hope to see you there!

"THE FRUGS" CHICKEN PIE WITH BISCUIT TOPPING

3 - 3 1/2 pound whole chicken

1 bay leaf

1/4 t. thyme

1 T. butter

1/2 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 carrots, sliced

2 T. chopped parsley

2 cups chicken stock

4 T. butter with 4 T. flour cooked together to form a roux

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced and lightly sauteed

biscuit dough

Place chicken in 2 quart saucepan and add enough water to barely cover. Bring to boil and then turn down the heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Allow the chicken to cool in the liquid.

Take the chicken from the pot, reserving the liquid and remove the skin and bones. Cut the meat in 1/2 inch cubes, cover and set aside (you can do this the day before if you wish).

Place the bones in the cooking liquid and add the dry herbs. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. This will

provide you with the chicken stock.

Heat a frying pan and add a bit of butter or oil. Saute the onion, celery and carrots until they just begin to brown. In saucepan, add browned vegetables, parsley and 2 cups of chicken stock.

Prepare the roux and bring the vegetables and stock to a simmer. Thicken with the roux. Blend the sauce with the chicken meat and sautéed mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and place in deep 2 quart baking dish.

Prepare your favorite Biscuit Dough and roll out enough to make a lid for the casserole pan. (Cynthia cut hers into "biscuits".

Bake in a preheated 425 oven for 20 minutes or until the top is high and lightly browned.

EASY COBBLER

(The Original Recipe)

1 cup white sugar

1/2 c. butter, room temperature

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup milk

24 ounce can peaches

Preheat oven to 350. In a one-quart baking dish, cream together sugar and butter. Mix in flour and milk until smooth. Pour peaches and their juice over the top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven until golden brown.

CYNTHIA'S CHANGES:

She added about a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (with ground ginger added) to the flour, sugar, butter mixture. he also added the grated rind of one orange to the flour, sugar, butter mixture. Since she had a smaller can of peaches (16 ounces) -- she added about 1 cup of fresh blueberries as well.

It's Friday which means that it's Foodie Friday with Michael at Designs by Gollum. Join her to see all the other good things to eat this Friday.

A January Lunch

2012-01-25T20:58:00.000-06:00

The Lunch Bunch, three dear friends, meet once a month, on the third Tuesday of every month -- usually at Linderhof. It's my chance to try new recipes and that's really the reason that The Lunch Bunch came to be. We've been having these monthly lunches for 11 years and sometimes we do "road trips" to restaurants in the city or to museums or art galleries. Lunch, of course, is always included!

This month one of the "Bunchers" is in Oregon with her daughter who just had a baby and rather than change the date, we've decided that the date would be the date and if someone couldn't make it, then we would see them next month.

We did have to change January, however, for on our regular day Husband Jim and I were in LAX awaiting a plane for Kansas City. Therefore, we moved it back a week.

So, on Tuesday, the Lunch Bunch minus one came to Linderhof . . .

The weather on the prairie this winter has been fabulous -- unseasonably warm and no snow. But it still is winter, January has "blahs" whether it's warm or cold and Spring in January seems so far away.

A Spring table, I decided would be perfect for our January lunch . . .

The First Lunch Bunch Lunch of 2012

Lace tablecloth and new linen napkins from William Sonoma. On sale at a ridiculously low price -- but, alas, there was only 4! In silver napkin rings, of course!

Only three of us -- one was enjoying a new grand baby in Oregon!

Alas, no blue and white on the table . . .

The hyacinths were almost in bloom!

They weren't quite opened but the hyacinth vases with almost blooming white hyacinths in them. Two little ceramic birds bode Spring!

I love this pattern and collect them as I collect my beloved blue and white .

My Wedgwood Cuckoo. A similar pattern (and usually in similar colors) made by many of the English potteries.

I love the big streak of green that the Crown Staffordshire has.

Crown Staffordshire Roc Bird. Another similar pattern. Husband Jim's grandmother's cutlery.

A table that brings promise that Spring is around the corner!

A table full of greens and pinks and white with a bit of blue.

And the lunch? . . .

ham and leek and potato pie. A perfect pie to use leftover Christmas or Easter ham!

Ham and leek and potato pie.

Love these tiny zucchini -- finger sized!

Roasted baby zucchini dusted with a garlic dill mixture. The perfect side dish.

And no Lunch Bunch lunch is complete without dessert. Since I had made lemon curd over the weekend, I thought a cake would be the perfect dessert . . .

It's really a Meyer lemon curd cake -- decorated with blackberries and Meyer lemon wedges.

A lemon curd cake. A lemony cake filled with lemon curd with a cream cheese and lemon curd icing.

When there isn't many at table, I often do just half the cake. I freeze the other half for later (or if I can, make only half) and then create a "half" a layer cake. It's the perfect size!

Blackberries on the cake and blackberries on the plate.

Blue and white was the perfect plate for dessert. These are French from Tuesday Morning and it took me three years to acquire them at a price I could afford!

Blue and white and yellow.

Three perfect pieces of cake . . .

We savor dessert and linger over another cup of coffee.

Served along with freshly brewed coffee in my Spode Blue Italian cups and saucers. You know I don't mind mixing and matching my blue and white!

LEMON CURD CAKE

3 cups cake flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. ground ginger

1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

2 T. lemon juice, fresh

1 t. vanilla

1 1/3 c. buttermilk

1/4 t. cream of tartar

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar, sift before measuring

1/4 c. heavy cream

1/3 cup lemon curd (purchased or homemade)

Filling:

1 cup lemon curd (purchased or homemade

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 straight sided 9 x 2 inch round cake pans; dust generously with flour, tapping out excess. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger and salt. Sift into another large bowl. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed 2 minutes, until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture (about 4 flour additions and 3 buttermilk additions). Beat just until blended. In small bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. With rubber spatula, gently fold egg white mixture, in thirds into batter. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on racks, 10 minutes. Invert onto racks. Cool.

Frosting: In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter 2 minutes, until fluffy. At low speed, beat in powdered sugar, cream and lemon curd until smooth. Cover; chill 20 minutes until spreadable consistency.

To assemble: place one cake layer on plate, top with lemon curd, then second cake layer. Spread frosting on top and sides of cake.

NOTE: I prefer to frost cakes "English style" -- only the top.

NOTE: I made half a recipe of frosting which was more than enough to spread on top of the cake.

It's Thursday and I'm sharing my first luncheon of 2012 with Susan at Between Naps On the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

A Squirrel, A Chicken and Three Pears . . .

2012-01-24T20:10:00.000-06:00

We feed the birds all winter. This year, the starlings and grackles haven't found us for when we were gone last Spring we didn't feed and when we came back it was summer and so we didn't feed. When it cooled off a bit in September, we bought our first big bag of black sunflower seed. And the birds came . . . the jays, the cardinals, the titmice, the chickadees, winter wrens . . . but not the starlings or grackles.

And we re elated! For those two are not my favorite birds and although, I don't really begrudge them food, they're not as fun to watch as the colorful birds!

Besides birds, however, we often have another visitor in the backyard -- in search of those sunflower seeds . . .

Husband lures birds and squirrels to the statue by putting sunflower seed on it!

Husband Jim likes to pile seeds on top of the statue and the cardinals favor that spot but yesterday one of the squirrels decided that those seeds were just the best!!!!

Here on the prairie, we have a custom of bringing food whenever there has been a death or surgery. Some friends have an "always fix" meal to send to those homes but alas, I don't, although at times I wish I did. Often adult children and even adult grandchildren come to stay for a while and need to be fed.
And that is what friends are for!

Yesterday, I cooked for a friend who lost her husband . . .

Lemony Chicken and Rice Casserole all ready to take to a friend.

A chicken and rice casserole. Always brought in an aluminum throw away pan. I don't want to burden the bereaved with having to return dishes.

I put the recipe together myself -- I used Ina's recipe for lemon chicken for the chicken breasts, then I fixed a box of Uncle Ben's white and wild rice. I added a drained can of water chestnuts, a small jar of pimentos and a half of green pepper chopped and mixed it all together. I poured the sauce from the lemon chicken recipe over all. Wrapped with foil and wrote instructions as to how to reheat.

Husband Jim and I both tasted it and it was yummy! With a salad it makes a good meal.

And because I had three pears in the fridge -- Harry and David pears leftover from Christmas that were still good, I made . . .

Upside down cakes are great for dessert or breakfast.

A pear and ginger upside down cake. The batter tasted wonderful (but alas, I didn't get a bite of cake) and with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, it will make a good dessert or even good for breakfast with coffee.
The plate -- a Christmas cookie gift plate that I don't need back either.

PEAR GINGER UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

1/4 c. buter

2/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 t. ground ginger

3 pears, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Cake:

1 T. flour

1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

1 1/3 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 cup packed brown guar

6 T. butter, softened

2 eggs

1/2 t. vanilla

1/4 c. milk

Heat oven to 325. Grease bottom and sides of 8 or 9 inch square pan with butter.

In 1 quart saucepan, melt 1/4 c. butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2/3 c. brown sugar. Heat to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 t. ground ginger. Pour into pan; spread evenly.

Arrange pear wedge over brown sugar mixture, overlapping tightly and making 2 layers if necessary. Sprinkle 1/4 c. crystallized ginger evenly over pears.

Toss 1 T. flour and 1/4 cup crystalized ginger to coat; set aside. In medium bowl, mix 1 1/3 c. flour, the baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat 1 cup brown sugar and 6 T. butter with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture alternately with milk, beating after each addition until smooth. Stir in ginger-flour mixture. Spread batter over pears and ginger.

Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes on cooling rack. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan, turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. Store cake loosely covered.

NOTE: The recipe also came with a ginger whipped cream but since I was taking it to someone, I omitted that.

Below is the whipped cream recipe -- I think the cake would be smashing for dessert with a dollop of that cream!

GINGER WHIPPED CREAM

1 cup whipping cream

2 T. sguar

1/4 t. ground ginger

In a chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream on high speed until it begins to thicken. Gradually add sugar and 14 t. ground ginger, beating until soft peaks form.

NOTE: I baked my cake in a round pan for a round cake looks better on a round plate!

Here's Ina's chicken that I've made many times for it's a favorite of ours at Linderhof. Although hers calls for boneless skin on breasts, I've made it with skin and bone breasts as well as skinless and boneless. It works with all of the above!

INA'S LEMON CHICKEN BREASTS

1/4 c. olive oil

3 T. minced garlic (9 cloves)

1/4 c. dry white wine

1 T. grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 t. dried oregano

1 t. minced fresh thyme leaves

salt and pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)

1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium low heat, add the garlic and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme and 1 t. salt and pour into a 9 x 12 inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and then sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with foil and allow to rest for10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

NOTE: Because I used boneless and skinless breasts, they didn't really brown and I turned them over about halfway through the cooking so that the lemony garlic herby oil was on top.

It's Wednesday and I'm joining Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday

Lemons and Blueberries and Tulips . . .

2012-01-23T16:46:00.002-06:00

I am always excited in January when I see the first tulips for sale. I buy a bunch, of course, for they are a promise of the spring to come. This winter on the prairie has been mild and snowless but I still bought tulips, nevertheless, for now it is a ritual . . . and soon Linderhof's own tulips will fill a vase or two!

An old wing chair and a tilt top table . . . and my latest needlepoint cushion.

Although we like flowers on the breakfast room table, in winter, we prefer a Spode bowl filled with fruit -- handy for snacking -- and the flowers go into vases in the living room and master bedroom. This end table next to the wing chair is in my line of site as I sit in the living room -- seeing the tulips make me smile!

The pictures are so dear to me -- far better than something done in a photography studio!

A blue and white vase is the perfect holder for the tulips. A Chinese tea canister lamp and a Chinese bowl filled with my potpourri. Two pictures -- taken 23 years apart -- "family"pictures taken at Stonehenge. The little one in 1989 with us and 13 year old Daughter Sarah -- the bigger one taken last year with a very grown up Sarah and her Andy. What a difference 23 years makes! The amazing thing is that Husband Jim and I have not changed hardly at all!!!!

We love to travel and we love to share our travels -- not boring friends with photos but instead just visiting and sharing our experiences and answering questions. Today I had two friends to tea -- two friends who were eager to hear all about our trip through the Panama Canal.

I love the afternoon sunlight in the breakfast room.

And so as we sat in the breakfast room with the sun streaming through the windows . . .

A blue and white table.

That pretty late afternoon winter sun that seems so mellow and often is rarely seen on the prairie.

Spode makes the perfect china for tea.

Spode tea cups and tea plates and tea pot and some pearl handled English cake forks.

Anna's lemon blueberry cake is a favorite here -- perfect for breakfast or tea!

A wonderful lemon blueberry cake from Anna Pump and her Country Weekend Entertaining. I make it a lot and I've shared the recipe before -- Lemon Blueberry Cake. This time I made it into two loaves for I took one to a sick friend yesterday.

Meyer lemon curd

And if the cake weren't decadent enough -- some Meyer lemon curd to slather on. And slather we did!

For my tree this year produced one lemon -- but it was a big one -- the tree put all it's energy into making sure that it was a "super size" lemon!

And then, at Wal Mart, the only sack lemons you can buy are Meyer's -- can you believe that? I've bought three sacks so far for besides the cake . . .

The big lemon is from my tree -- the little ones from Wal Mart!

I made some lemon curd -- which is so good with breakfast or teatime toast. Lemon Curd is good -- Meyer lemon curd is wonderful!

Yellow "gold" for breakfast or tea!

Two jars and enough for my breakfast toast this morning.

It was fun sharing my trip with my dear friends. That's part of the fun of traveling are the stories and remembrances from your trips that you can share with friends.

We had a grand time and too soon it was time to say goodbye. We did make a definite dent in the cake (I've enough left for a tea time or two) and I must say that that bowl of curd is all gone!

I use Ina Garten's recipe for lemon curd -- it's easy and so delicious. You can make it with limes or oranges as well (wouldn't a blood orange curd be wonderful?) and I suppose even with grapefruit.

LEMON CURD

3 lemons

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/4 pound butter, at room temperature

4 extra large eggs

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/8 t. kosher salt

Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes) stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

It is Tuesday and I'm sharing my tulips and my lemons and my blueberries with:

It is Tuesday and I'm joining the following tea parties:

Tea Time Tuesday with Terri at Artful Affirmations

Tea Cup Tuesday with Martha at Martha's Favorites

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday with Pam at Breath of Fresh Air

Tuesday Tea for Two with Wanda Lee at The Plumed Pen

Tea Time Tuesday with Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage

Tuesday Cuppa Tea at Antiques and Tea Cups

Tea Party Tuesday at Sweetology 101

And I'm also joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday

From One Side to Another . . .

2012-01-22T18:20:00.000-06:00

Years and years ago on road trip to Minnesota and Wisconsin we came home through the tip of Illinois and stopped in a town that I'd read about in magazines and always wanted to visit, Galena, Illinois.

It is a neat historic town with a wonderful downtown full of wonderful touristy shops especially some nice antique shops.

In one, we happened to notice a "stove" -- it caught both of our eyes and we checked the price which was far too dear for us -- for what would we do with such a piece?

And the owner came over, saw a customer with some interest in this stove and said that he would take $100 for it.

"SOLD"

He was European and said that the stove had come over with him. It was a shop featuring mostly French antiques (in an Illinois river town -- go figure!) but the stove is German. And for years it lived on our front porch.

And then we had the breakfast room built and it was moved inside -- tucked into this corner.

The stove -- banished to the corner -- hidden, really.

It's ceramic and I'm sure if it was hooked up properly lit would work. I've never liked it in this corner . . . for I think it should be a focal point piece -- not a tucked into the corner piece. And besides, it reminds me of . . .

Much prettier than Linderhof's stove, it was workable (although we didn't know how) and reminded us so much of our little heating stove back home!

This stove which was in the dining room of our English Cottage, Blue Row. It was nice to find this stove there for it reminded me (during our stay in England) of our beloved Linderhof.

A pedestal with a secret -- CD storage inside and the Christmas cactus on top!

In front of the doors, we had our pedestal -- not just a "pedestal", it's also storage for our CD collection -- a nifty subterfuge, methinks.

And today, at breakfast, the "light bulb" came on!

The stove, now taking pride of place in the breakfast room and reminding us of the wonderful dining room at Blue Row!

And I switched them . . . I moved the stove in front of the windows (and I may, just may, put some pipe so it looks as if it does work)

I always thought this was a better place for the pedestal and the orange tree looks much better on top of a pedestal than on top of a stove!

And I put the pedestal in the corner -- which is where it resided until we moved the stove in. It's much easier to get to the CDs (for the CD player is close by) and the orange tree on top is not "catawompis" as it was on top of the stove -- for the stove's top is not entirely level!

I am happy with this small change and yes -- I did it by myself -- the pedestal was a "snap" to move -- the stove not so much but I can be stubborn about things and I was determined that I could get it moved!

It's Monday and although it is more of a change than a metamorphosis, I am sharing this with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday.

Reprise - A Winter Garden

2012-01-21T20:11:00.000-06:00

First posted on December 29, 2009, it reminds me that it can be winter. But alas, this winter on the prairie has not seen any snow. A few flakes but no accumulation and even though we've had some cold temperatures it's not been below the 20's and we've had many days in the 50's and 60's -- this winter of 2011/2012.

I do miss the snow -- for although it seems more like winter when there is snow -- that moisture is imperative for the garden.

There are still 57 days until spring and we've been known to have snow in March -- so we may have some "winter" yet!

I'm joining Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday Favorites and The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays. (for there isn't anything more seasonal than snow!)

The pond in summer - with the cat fountain sprewing water and goldfish swimming below the surface . . .

Transforms into frozen snow covered tundra. The goldfish are somewhere in the depths of the fountain. And the cat has been put out for the winter!

Quite a transformation from summer scene to winter scene!

And with the ice and snow covered ground, the birds have been flocking to the garden. Cardinals, juncos, chickadees, an occasional goldfinch and tufted titmouse. Herr Squirrel, too, has managed to get a meal or two.

But a favorite of ours is the bluejay. This fellow is working hard for his sunflower morsel.

While at the feeder, a fat (and sassy) Jay is eating his fill. Although Jays can be raucous birds, they have a soft spot in my heart. My high school mascot was the Jay and so I've always held them dear.

And what can be better than one Jay -- two Jays!

Summer or winter, I love to see the blues of the jays flit from tree to feeder and back again. Blue is always a favorite color in the garden -- whether it's feathers or petals!

Back In The Kitchen Again . . .

2012-01-20T19:44:00.001-06:00

We've been home three days now. Things are starting to settle down. We're unpacked and laundry is done and the house is finally cleaned.

Meals have been easy -- pasta with a jarred sauce for Wednesday night (getting home at 1:30 a.m. and having nothing in the house and no nap means that dinner is done the easy way!)

Thursday we were gone and so dinner was the container of Costco chicken noodle soup that I brought home. We adore it and often buy it when I go to Costco. It makes for great lunches until it is gone.

Which is what we did today -- a grey day, this, and a bit cold I thought. Soup is always the perfect winter luncheon.

And even if it was just us, I like to do things nice.

I always like to set a nice table -- even if it is just for us!

A tablecloth and real napkins in my silver napkin rings. Spode for soup and an Asiatic Pheasant under plate. Big soup spoons and my new Picardie glasses.

A blue and white table is always perfect!

The Spode bowl full of apples and my two barley twist English candlesticks. Lit, almost always, for dinner.

With an easy soup lunch and luscious pork chops in the freezer, I was "itching" to get in the kitchen again.

A favorite pork loin recipe from Ina Garten (Pork Loin with Green Peppercorns) was changed up to do it with just two pork chops.

I try to always keep a little jar of green peppercorns.

I almost always keep a jar of green peppercorns in the pantry for we do love this recipe.

It was great fun to be cooking again! Oh, and I served the chops with roasted carrots and parsnips. The perfect accompaniment!

We love the mustardy winey sauce that goes so perfectly with pork.

Alas, no dessert for we're trying to be good and we had far too many really good desserts on the cruise -- and it is just us, after all -- and it's hard to make small desserts -- we'll save them once again for company occasions!

This is Ina's recipe for the pork loin and although her recipe calls for bone in, it works as well with a boneless as it does with a bone in. This is my "go to" recipe for pork loin for company.

Ina's Roast Loin of Pork with Green Peppercorn Sauce

1 pork loin, bone in, Frenched and tied (about 5 pounds, 10 bones)

2 T. olive oil

4 t. Dijon mustard, divided

4 t. whole-grain mustard, divided

1 t. ground fennel seed

salt and pepper

3 T. flour

1 cup white wine

3 c. chicken stock

1/4 c. green peppercorns in brine, drained

Preheat the oven to 400. Allow the pork to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it comfortably. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 2 t. of each mustard, the fennel seed, 2 t. salt and 1/2 t. black pepper. Rub the mixture on top of the pork and roast for 1 to 1 1/4 hours until the internal temperature reaches 140. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and cover tightly with aluminum foil for 20 minutes.

For the sauce, remove all but 1/4 cup of the fat from the roasting pan. If there isn't 1/4 cup, add enough butter to the pan to make 1/4 c. total. Over medium heat, whisk the flour into the fat in the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock, the remaining 2 t. of each mustard, the green peppercorns, 2 t. salt and 1/2 t. black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened.

Remove the strings from the roast pork, slice between the bones and serve warm with the hot sauce.

NOTE: I made half of the rub and put half on top of each chop. I roasted them at 400 until done. It was by sight not by time! I then made half the sauce in the pan in which I had cooked the chops. I used Vermouth instead of wine, however. It made a great sauce for the chops and I will do that again -- this is not just a company dish!

Cruise Food - Part One

2012-01-19T19:08:00.000-06:00

Cruise Food. To me, I am always amazed at the quality of food on cruises especially when you think that they are feeding 2,000 to 3,000 people six meals per day.

Everything is made from scratch and their breakfast pastries are hard to pass up (but we often do) and on Princess, they even make their own ice creams which is also hard to pass up (and we often don't).

We prefer to take all our meals in the dining room. I like being waited on and Husband Jim who was in the military doesn't like standing in a line for food! Sometimes (like boarding day and port days) the dining room is closed -- we then resort to either room service or pizza or the grill.

We always like the traditional seating where we have the same dinner companions at the same time and with the same waiter. This cruise it was a table for six and the six of us became fast friends in our two weeks of dining together.

Breakfast and Lunch we always ask for a big table for we enjoy visiting with other cruisers and sometimes we found ourselves on the same time schedule as other cruisers and would join them day after day. We so enjoyed the three ladies traveling together who had been fast friends since high school. They were most interesting and we were glad when they were seated at our table a second and a third time!

But as everyone knows, part of cruising is about the food and as everyone also knows, sea air causes clothes to shrink. Sigh -- it's a fact of life!

I didn't take the camera with me to every meal but I did some and captured some of the great dishes we enjoyed the first two weeks of January!

My lunch -- Jim dined on the traditional fish and chips!

Cottage Pie

(The Coral Princess does an English Pub Lunch in one of its Speciality Restaurants -- it doesn't cost extra -- just a different venue than the dining room. They did a great job with their Pub Lunch.)

Husband Jim chose this as his first course for lunch.

Vitello Tonnato

(A picture pretty dish as prepared by the Coral Princess kitchen -- thin veal with a tuna flavored creamy sauce)

While Jim had the vitello tonnto, I had this lovely soup.

Borsht

(a cold beet soup with a dollop of sour cream)

I forget how wonderful asparagus can be as a first course.

Asparagus as an Appetizer

(Covered with hollandaise and sprinkled with prosciutto)

I've only had this a couple of times in my life and I've never made it -- should I remedy that?

Beef Wellington

(Filet covered with pate and then puff pastry and baked)

This was different than what I make but loved the fresh clams in the dish -- and the garnish of fresh chives.

Linguini with Clam Sauce

(Tasty and good and eaten as a first course rather than a main course!)

I could have eaten another order -- I love mussels!

Mussels (from Brussels)

(Not really -- they were from Chile but they were yummy with a creamy garlic sauce and bread for sopping up that wonderful sauce!)

This would make a great summer lunch -- especially when one is working in the garden!

Grilled Vegetables and Romaine with Lemon Vinaigrette

(A salad course which was my favorite salad of the whole cruise)

We're at home -- dinner last night was angel hair with a warmed jarred sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. We were both in the city today (on different journeys) and dinner tonight will be Costco's chicken noodle soup.

Reality!

It's Friday and I'm sharing Cruise Food -- Part One, with Michael at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

To Panama and Back . . .

2012-01-18T19:54:00.000-06:00

We've been gone. For quite a while -- for we celebrated New Year's Eve in the city and New Year's Day flew to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the following Wednesday, we were leaving on a cruise.

And the main reason for the cruise -- to see the Panama Canal!

It was a great experience to go through the Panama Canal.

It was awesome. This is the picture we took upon entering the first lock on the Atlantic side -- a boatload of containers is just ahead of us.

It took most of the day -- although the time in the locks was much less than I had imagined for they filled quickly and then you moved on. The lake between the sets of locks is large and it took a while to sail through the lake until we got to the final three locks and then, finally, into the Pacific Ocean.

And the day after the Panama Canal, we stopped in

Panama City was definitely a city of haves and have nots!

Panama City -- the buildings in the background are lined up on the ocean. High rise condos all -- built within the last eight years (or at least that is why our guide said). The richness of these condos was quite a contrast to the poverty of the older sections of Panama which we drove through.

But before we sailed through the Panama Canal, we also stopped in . . .

Nothing like a Caribbean Island -- white beaches and blue blue water.

Aruba. Our ship is in the background -- The Coral Princess -- our first Princess cruise!

Our favorite port on the cruise was in Columbia --

A town not far from us is Bolivar, Missouri -- it was fun to see another square named in honor of Bolivar!

Cartagena where we spent a few quiet hours on a park bench in a square named in honor of Simone de Bolivar before we visited their Cathedral and headed back to the ship.

And our last stop before five wonderful days at sea was in

The coffee plant and the coffee berries were not what I expected. At the plantation we visited, they still harvest by hand.

Costa Rica where we visited a coffee plantation. Fresh roasted coffee came home with us and I had a better understanding of how coffee is produced and what the raw beans look like on the bush. We were fortunate to be at the plantation during harvest -- not everyone gets to see the beans being harvested.

One of the best parts of a cruise is . . .

An ocean sunrise!

The view from your balcony as the sun rises. The perfect way to start the day!

Last Friday when the Costa ship "sank", it was the talk of every breakfast, lunch and dinner table until we got off the cruise. We were on a similar ship and Costa is a sister company to Princess -- both being owned by Carnival.

Being on a cruise means that there isn't any internet access (there is but it is way too expensive and way too slow and besides, we like the idea of not being "plugged in"!) so I apologize for not visiting your blogs while I was gone.

I'm back and life is almost back to normal at Linderhof. I'm trying to get used to only three meals a day -- and those I have to prepare myself! No one made my bed this morning (sigh) and I'm sure when I go upstairs that there will not be a chocolate on my turned down bed! (In fact, I doubt that my bed will even be turned down!)

Oliver missed us and that was my first chore this morning! He was very glad to get home and has been under my feet most of the day!

The second was sorting the container of mail that we received while we were gone (most of which went into the trash!) and the third was laundry.

We'll soon have guests for luncheons and dinners and real cooking will once again begin.

Vacations are fun but it is always so good to come home again!

There's Something In the Air . . .

2012-01-17T18:53:00.001-06:00

I love aromas in a home -- besides the wonderful scent of luncheon or dinner food wafting from the kitchen, a house should smell good!

I'm picky about my scents and I believe that it is never wise to be chintzy with your scents for cheaper scents never have the same power or aroma that something that costs a bit more has.

We do use scentless candles for our dinner table, but we love to have scented candles or our Lampe Berger burning when we have company. And I always keep a candle in the breakfast room and that is the first thing that I do in the morning is light the candle and then turn on the stereo. Before I go to the kitchen to put the kettle on!

My three all time favorite scents for Linderhof:

1. Lampe Berger

It's a fragrance oil lamp from France. The lamps can be reasonable or extremely expensive. My first one came from an Estate Sale and cost $3. My second cost a bit more but it is nice to have one up and one down. The "oil" (it isn't but it's called that) is pricey but it can really scent the air when you burn it for just a short time.

My favorites of the Lampe Berger scents: Winterwood, Lavender, and Pain d'espices.

2. Trapp Candles

A Kansas City product. One of the most fragrant of all candles. They're pricey but not all that much pricier than any of the other premium brands. The amount of "oil" in the candles are amazing and one burning downstairs can be smelled upstairs!

My favorites of the Trapp Candles: lavender, orange vanilla and No. 2

3. Potpourri

I've been hesitant to buy potpourri for I've been gifted with some that were shavings of colored wood that didn't smell all that strong or natural either. So I've always had an aversion to it. Except some that I made myself.

And then . . . I read on a favorite blog -- Reggie Darling about a company called Agraria and their potpourri, Bitter Orange (or Park Avenue Potpourri as it is nicknamed). They've been doing this since the 70's and it was pricey. But I ordered some. And it is amazing. I put it in an Asian bowl on the coffee table and it fragranced the whole room!

And it's a big bowl and although it is pricey and the box seems small, it does almost fill the entire bowl. It's made of all natural ingredients -- no wood shavings here but rather bits and pieces of dried flowers with cinnamon sticks, a dried orange and dried flower for interest.

I bought a box last year for winter fragrance and I bought another this year. Along with the fruitcake and the wrapping paper, the potpourri shall be another annual early December order.

I've been told by Lindaraxa that it can be sometimes found at T J Maxx (which also may mean HomeGoods and Marshalls) if you're patient so I shall check every time I go to either store. It would be, in my opinion, a bonus box!

My favorites of the Agraria potpourri: Bitter Orange

But then I've tried no other and I'm really interested in the lavender and rosemary -- I may have to order that for summer!

For at Christmas and winter, I love the house to smell of spice but in summer I like the clean smell of lavender!

Reprise - A Holiday Luncheon

2012-01-14T18:43:00.001-06:00

This was my very first January post on my blog -- on January 2, 2009. I was still a "newbie" at blogging for I had just really started blogging in September of the previous year. I'm still hosting holiday luncheons for The Lunch Bunch although we all are older and wiser and the breakfast room has changed a bit since 2009! The menu would make a good luncheon today as it did in 2009. Some recipes are timeless!

(And thanks to Cass, at That Old House, I know the name of the dishes -- Noritake Christmas Ball!)

I'm joining Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday Favorites.

We love to have company especially for a luncheon and right before the end of 2008, three friends joined me for lunch. The Christmas decorations were still up and so the centerpiece was one of my blue and white bowls filled with golden pinecones. I collect white and gold china and these plates (part of a set of 8) have what looks to me like Christmas balls around the edges so I often use them at Christmas thinking of them as "bonus" Christmas china!
At every place, whenever we entertain, be it for dinner or a luncheon, is always a menu -- since this is a holiday luncheon, the picture is of the ornaments on our tree. The napkins are always in one of our collection of silver napkin rings -- all have names or initials engraved on them.
After a salad of greens, dried cherries, roasted pecans, and sliced apples with a maple vinaigrette, the entree of Christmas pasta with chicken and a roll topped with rosemary, salt and pepper. I love the Christmas pasta because with the red peppers and red onion and green pepper and asparagus it has the colors of the season. With chunks of chicken added, it's a main course.
Dessert was a favorite apple tart -- from Ina Garten and THE BEST -- no cinnamon or nutmeg here -- just apples and sugar and butter baked on a thin crust and then brushed with apricot jam thinned with Calvados. The Lennox Christmas dessert plates are a fitting carrier for the tart.
We love to have luncheons in the breakfast room overlooking the garden although in winter, the garden looks bleak unless it is snow covered. Alas, no snow this Christmas, but a good show by the bird friends of Linderhof kept us entertained through lunch.

A Pot Roast Story - Part Three

2012-01-13T18:22:00.001-06:00

We love roast beef especially for Sunday Lunch -- a tradition of my childhood (but we called it Sunday Dinner) and a tradition that we reacquainted ourselves with during our stay in England. And no matter how small the roast, for two people there will definitely be leftovers!!!!

But we don't think of roast reruns as "leftovers" but rather new meals. The second night it was made into what my mother always called "hash" -- leftover meat and vegetables warmed in the gravy. I took it up a notch by roasting additional carrots and potatoes to add to the mix. It was very good for it was a cold evening and the rest of the hash made a great lunch the next day.

But, still there was some meat left over and so our third day of beef was turned into

Shepherd's Pie. It used the last of the beef, I mashed fresh potatoes and added some cheese on top and then put it into a hot oven where it got all warm and bubbly.

More of the same roast but neither of us felt as if we were eating "leftovers" -- for it was not a "redux" but a new meal.

And with it . . .

White asparagus. Found in the market and served with an herbed lemon sauce -- from Country Weekend Entertaining by Anna Pump -- one of my all-time favorite cookbooks. The sauce is good with green asparagus, too, but it looks extra pretty with the white.

We made the most of the beef and had three delicious dinners and one true leftover lunch. Not bad for the price of the beef!

Shepherd's Pie

4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 T. butter

1 T. finely chopped onion

1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

5 carrots, chopped

1 T. oil

1 onion, chopped

1 pound cubed cooked beef roast

2 T. flour

1 T. ketchup

3/4 c. beef broth

Cook potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, finely chopped onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

Cook carrots in a pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm. Drain, mash and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat oil in frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear. Add beef and cook until beef is warm. Then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup and beef broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Spread the beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Next spread a layer of mashed carrots. Top with the mashed potato and spangle with shredded cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

NOTE: This was the recipe I used as a guideline -- I didn't make this quantity for it was just the two of us and we didn't want to eat Shepherd's Pie for the entire week!

Also, you can make Shepherd's Pie with ground beef instead of leftover roast. Just brown the beef after you cook the onion and proceed with the recipe as shown.

It's Friday and I'm joining Michael at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

A Project . . .

2012-01-12T17:54:00.001-06:00

I'm a needlepointer and have been for years and years. I put it down when Daughter Sarah was a toddler and eventually packed away the pieces that I had made. A year or so ago when I was going through things in the attic, I found the pillows and got them out again and put them back in chairs. And last year when we did our transatlantic cruise I bought another canvas. It would be, I thought, a good way to keep hands busy on long days at sea. (It was and I also found out that it was a good conversation starter -- it was also on this trip that I learned that it was indeed a cushion, destined to go in a chair -- rather than a cushion to be put on a chair!)

That pillow was finished while we were in England and I found a Stitchery Shop in Burford (a village quite near) and found another canvas.

It kept me busy the rest

of the trip and I worked on it at odd moments at home. Not as steadily as the first canvas, however, and so

My almost finished canvas. It, too, is a reminder of our time in England.

I'm still not finished -- but I'm getting there -- it's turning out well and someday . . .

Someday . . .but that will be another post!

It should look like this. And it will make a nice cushion . . .

Will it not look handsome on the sofa?

For the sofa!

I must admit that the last bit always goes much quicker and I feel that soon, I shall add my new cushion to the sofa!

And waiting in the wings . . . is another canvas. This one is full of flowers which shall also look smashing on the sofa!

This one I ordered from Ehrman Tapestry. They have some great pieces and their prices are very reasonable. This cushion was by far cheaper than either of the other two! I must admit that I could have ordered several but I refrained -- one at a time . . . and when I am almost finished, then I allow myself to order another!

An Herbal Window

2012-01-10T17:39:00.002-06:00

The North Kitchen Window is where the herbs reside in the winter -- always chives, always a rose geranium and always parsley. In some years, we add other pots -- this winter a pot of thyme is doing nicely as is a pot of basil (actually, the second pot I've bought for the window this winter) for it reminds us of our stay at Blue Row in the Cotswolds where I kept pots of basil in that kitchen window! It may, perhaps, become a tradition at Linderhof -- the basil in winter!

The summer of 2010, I lost my bay tree that I had had forever. I bought another last year but it acquired scale (I would say that it came with scale, but I will not quibble) and so it was discarded. For I did not want a scale infestation inside!

I am bay leafless -- having to buy dried leaves from Penzey's. But then, a dear friend, gifted me this Christmas with this:

a bay leaf wreath. It smells divine! It lived in December in the dining room windows, hanging from the curtain rod with a red ribbon (and which reminded me that I should next year add another live wreath to my Christmas greens for a wreath in that window is a perfect Christmas decoration!).

Come January, we moved it to the herb window in the kitchen where it's fragrance leaves a heady aroma in the kitchen and the leaves are easy to snip to flavor a stew or a roast or a meatloaf or even a ham, potato and leek pie.

It's a beautiful wreath and a daily reminder of a dear friendship.

It's Wednesday and I'm joining Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday.

Reprise - My Garden Pots

2012-01-07T15:34:00.000-06:00

This post was originally posted in August 25, 2009. With a bleak January garden where the only color are the birds at the feeders, it's fun to look back at a growing garden.

We love our garden pots for they give color to the garden all summer long and for little money if you get smaller plants.

It's Sunday and I'm joining Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday Favorites.

I love garden pots. Especially stone or concrete or iron ones. They are great in the garden. I've got them scattered here and there throughout the garden -- filled with mostly summer annuals.

A great concrete planter with the geraniums in it -- it looks aged but isn't. A splurge at my favorite garden store, Red Cedar Gardens.

Actually four square planters that I bought early on for Linderhof's front -- to hold the summer geraniums or begonias. I have since replaced them and by turning one upside down and one right side up, they make the perfect addition to each side of our new brick stairs. The left one is planted with ivy -- to be brought inside in the winter. The one to the right holds some purple summer annuals.
A planter that's a statue as well -- it's been moved here and there in the garden but has landed under the trees for a few years now. It holds ferns and caldiums -- shade loving plants.
A begonia in one of my favorite concrete pots -- bought at a "steal" at Red Cedar -- the last one and marked way down.
My two big French pots, the concrete pot from Red Cedar that was a "steal" and another Red Cedar purchase -- the lion's head pot.
A group of planters that I see from my kitchen window -- mixed plantings from a dew drop tree to lavender in one of the pots to a couple of nice boxwoods (that need trimming).

The planters at my front entrance -- iron with a bit of rusty "patina" -- filled this summer with red geraniums.

My newest pot -- filled but not planted (which is why a bit of a wilt) with coleus. It's concrete, with a chip or two and a lovely mossy patina. An Estate Sale find for a "steal" -- $40. I saw it the first day of the sale but . . . when I went back the third day and everything was half off -- I snapped it up. It's a nice addition to the Garden Pots at Linderhof. Next spring I'll plant it with purpose rather than just plopping something in.

Epiphany

2012-01-06T14:55:00.006-06:00

Epiphany is January 6 -- it's the culmination of the Christmas season and for those of us who are traditionalists, it is the day to take down Christmas decorations.

The past few years, we've had much simpler decorations -- real greens on the mantles and few Christmas things to sit around the house. Decorating in December is much easier and it is even easier to take down Christmas in January! Most of the decorations (the greens) go into trash bags and out to the curb -- less trips up and down those basement stairs.

And this year, we had a real tree -- which simplified the undecorating even more so -- the ornaments and lights into boxes and into the basement (and fewer boxes than in years past -- just two trips down!) and the tree also out to the curb where our thoughtful city will pick it up -- for free!

And once the decorating is undone and the house returned to the sparseness of January, we sit down to a cup of tea . . . and a nosh!

The pyramid gone from the table and a Spode Blue Italian bowl filled with apples will be the centerpiece until the daffodils bloom when we'll start having pitchers of fresh flowers on the breakfast room table. My old barley twist English candlesticks for we eat dinner by candlelight are on either side.

Spode Blue Room cups and saucers and tea pot . . . and for the nosh . .

Mince pies -- a traditional English Christmas tea treat which is just as good on Epiphany!

Epiphany is the day that the Magi visited the Christ child in the manger in Bethlehem.

Some people don't add these figures to their nativity scene until January 6 -- but we're not purists and the three wise men (and their camels) are put out when we put out the nativity set.

And if you adhere to the 12 Days of Christmas, January 6 is the day that your True Love gives you

Twelve Drummers Drumming!

I wonder if Husband Jim will have any surprises for me this year?

The mince pies are quite tasty. We enjoyed them for Christmas Day tea and since I had leftover mincemeat I made another batch and they were the perfect Epiphany treat. I bought my first Nigella book when we were in Las Vegas in early December -- her Christmas book and I absolutely adore it. These mince pies came from the pages of that book and they are "scrummy"!

A new "toy" was my tartlet pan from Williams-Sonoma and it was perfect for these pies and made them much simpler to make!

Nigella's Mince Pies

1 2/3 c. flour

9 T. cold butter

Juice of 1 orange

Pinch of salt

Approximately 2/3 cup mincemeat (I used jarred Nonesuch)

Confectioners sugar for dusting

If you don't have that wonderful Williams-Sonoma Tartlet Pan, get out your 12 hole mini muffin pans along with a 2 1/4 inch fluted, round cookie cutter.

Mix together the orange juice and salt in a separate bowl, cover and leave in the refrigerator to chill.

Put the flour and butter into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until you've got a pale pile of cake like crumbs. Pour the salted juice down the funnel, pulsing until it looks as if the dough is about to cohere; you want to stop just before it does (even if some orange juice is left). If all your juice is used up and you need more liquid, add some iced water.

Turn the mixture out of the processor onto a work surface and, using your hands, combine to a dough. Then form into 3 disks (you'll need to make these in 3 batches, unless you've got enough mini-muffin pans to make all 36 pies at once).

Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to rest for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425.

Roll out the disks, one at a time, as thinly as you can without exaggerating. In other words, you want a light pastry case, but one sturdy enough to support the dense mincemeat. This is an easy-going dough, so you don't have to pander to it; just get rolling and patch up as you need.

Out of each rolled-out disk, cut out circles a little wider than the indentations in the tart tins. I use a fluted cookie cutter for this. Press these circles gently into the molds and dollop in a scant teaspoon of mincemeat.

Put in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them, as they really don't take long and ovens do vary.

Remove from the oven, prying out the little pies right away and letting the empty tin cool down before you start putting in the pastry for the next batch. Carry on until they're all done.

Dust over some confectioners sugar by pushing it through a tea strainer.

It's Friday and I'm joining Michael at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

What Is A Cottage?

2012-01-03T16:27:00.003-06:00

What is a cottage? Is Linderhof a cottage? It definitely is not Manor nor is it a Hall, but it could be a House, but it isn't a mansion either.

For Christmas, I received this book . . .

Cottage, English Country Style by Elizabeth Hilliard. It was gifted to me by a friend from Maine. An internet friend for last year Husband Jim and I rented Blue Row in Swerford. This year, she, Gene, and her husband, George, will spend some time at Blue Row. She emailed me with questions, I answered and we've been emailing back and forth since.

For Christmas, I received this book for she found it and thought of me and knew that I would adore it -- she was right!!!!

And the introduction makes it clear as to what a cottage is:

The word 'cottage' means different things to different people, but most would agree that it is a small house, old, in the country, vernacular (built in the local style with local materials) and with a garden.

Then what makes it different from a 'house'?

Scale, for one thing. Inside the cottage has small rooms, with ceilings which may be low or relatively high, depending on its age, but are always in proportion to the modest size of the rooms.

A cottage also has correspondingly modest aspirations -- it has no pretensions to grandeur. It is, or should be, a comfortable, practical and functional living space.

Linderhof is definitely a small house, it's definitely an old house, and if you count a small town as country, we are indeed in the country, it is vernacular for it's built of bricks and our little town on the prairie had several brick factories at the time Linderhof was built, and it definitely has a garden!

We like to think of Linderhof as modest and that it has no pretensions of grandeur. We think it is comfortable, practical and a functional living space.

Linderhof . . . the cottage . . . room by room:

The living room with a cushy sofa and comfortable chairs, tables for drinks and lamps for reading, and a footstool or two, and a corgi for companionship.

The dining room where we entertain company. It's good size, has a fireplace and several pieces which hold our china and glassware.

The breakfast room which is a new addition but which most people think is a porch we've enclosed -- we did our job well! It's where we begin each day and where we have our 6 o'clock martini. It's my favorite tea spot and we enjoy watching the birds in the garden summer or winter.

The kitchen is small but a cottage kitchen should be and it was large, actually, compared to the kitchens in our English cottages. Everything is close at hand and I love the marble counters and island.

The master bedroom with fireplace. A small alcove is my dressing room. A big poster bed, an old walnut chest, an assortment of chairs and a hooked rug make for a cozy bedroom.

The sunroom which houses a wall of books, the computer and a television -- it's small and sunny with two comfortable leather chairs for tv watching.

The guest room with a soft downy comforter, bedside tables for those who like to read in bed, a wall of bookshelves and a window seat which overlooks the back garden. Comfy chairs for reading are in the corners.

To many people a cottage reprints an ideal state of existence.

As soon as you duck under the roses which ramble over the front door and pass into the cool interior,

you enter another world.

Here life is simple and uncluttered by the nuisances of our ordinary lives;

the necessity of earning a living, finding socks that match, and dealing with the tide of unwanted paper that comes through the front door.

To live in a cottage is, to the uninitiated, to escape.

Even for those people who do actually live in cottages, the ideal burns bright.

Happy 2012!!

2011-12-31T16:08:00.001-06:00

We, at Linderhof wish you

all the best

2012!

2011 -- The Year In Review

2011-12-30T16:27:00.000-06:00

On the last day of the year, I so enjoy looking back and seeing what that year has brought. And as I did last year, I'm reliving 2011 through my teas. For everyday that I'm home (and everyday that we were in England) I stop at half past three and have a cup of tea. Sometimes a friend or two will join me and sometimes I have a real tea party. But the ritual of afternoon tea is a big part of life at Linderhof.

January

Tea for two with goodies from a favorite bakery in Kansas City -- Andre's. I'm using my Spode Famille Rose tea cups and saucers and my Aynsley Pembroke tea pot.

February

A February Afternoon finds me in the living room in front of the fire with a good book and a cup of tea. The Wedgwood Asiatic Pheasant teapot, cup, saucer and tea plate.

March

Tea for one at half past three. Burleigh Asiatic pheasant teapot and tea cup and Johnson Brothers Asiatic Pheasant plate. A book and good music and it's a delightful respite.

April

And what better way to celebrate The Royal Wedding than with tea (even though it was morning tea in America and not afternoon tea!) -- an old English silver tea pot, my Spode Famille Rose cup and saucer and lavender shortbread imprinted with "Kate and Will".

May - Pitts Cottage

An English High Tea. Pies, cake, scones, cream and jam. At our cottage in Wiltshire. I would have preferred the Spode Blue Italian but it was locked away (sigh) and so I settled for the kitchen dishes!

May - Blue Row

Tea in the Garden at Blue Row, our cottage in the Cotswolds. We invited a friend who we met. The china is English and was our everyday (and only) china that we used at Blue Row. Sigh, I would have preferred something blue and white, but . . .

June

Tea in Linderhof's Garden. Friend Sally came over and we sat in the garden and had tea as we made lavender wands. A skill I had and a skill she quickly learned. The Burleigh Asiatic Pheasant tea pot, tea cups and saucers.

July

Friends for Afternoon Tea. Those friends who helped Linderhof "run" while we were gone -- who kept the flowers watered, Ollie fed and walked, and who mailed those bills that I couldn't do online, were invited to a full afternoon tea. The Spode Blue Room cups and saucers -- for I have enough of those for all the friends I invited!

August

Tea in the Garden. Lots of "catch up" to do with weeding and such since we were gone . . and I'm a fair weather gardener -- if it's too hot I stay inside. Icy tea and an extra glass in case a neighbor peeks over the garden fence.

September

Afternoon Tea and Cake. In the sunroom with my grandmother's silver pot, my Spode Blue Italian cups and saucers and cake plates. The treat -- a black walnut cake.

October

An Afternoon Ritual. It's just me and it's half past three. My Johnson Brothers Indies -- my everyday tea set -- the cup and saucer and wee tea pot brought back years and years ago from England.

November

Tea with Cass. (From That Old House) sent me a beautiful orchid which took center stage on the tea table in the living room. Because it's Cass, the Johnson Brothers Indies (which we both adore) cups and saucers, a new Spode Blue Italian sandwich plate for the cake, the English silver tea pot and the spirit kettle from my tea set.

December

A December Afternoon Tea. The candles on the pyramid are lit, the tea cup and saucer is the Royal Doulton Tartan (that I hand carried home from a trip to England) and the tea plate is Lenox Holiday (because I could never find tea plates in the Tartan).

I've enjoyed this look back at afternoon teas at Linderhof during 2011. And I look forward to sharing more pots of teas with friends in 2012.

Appetizers

2011-12-29T20:14:00.001-06:00

Early in December, I taught an appetizer class at Life+Style. It was a fun class filled with tasty appetizers. Since Saturday night is New Year's Eve -- the snack night of the year -- I thought I would share these appetizers. All make great party fare. All are easy to make. All can be taken somewhere or eaten at home.

And they're not your ordinary appetizers -- so you'll be the hit of the party and have everyone asking for your recipe!

Bacon Blue Cheese Dip

Everybody loves vegetables and dip but frankly, I'm tired of dill dip and carrots and cauliflower and broccoli. I crave something different both in dip and in vegetables. This is a great dip with the flavor of blue cheese and the saltiness of bacon. You could use the requisite carrots, cauliflower and broccoli but think outside the box when choose your vegetables!

Blue cheese, bacon and potatoes -- a great combination!

1 bottle real bacon bits

2 green onions

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

7 oz. plain Greek yogurt

1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese

1/4 t. Worchestershire sauce

Roughly chop the white and green parts of the green onion. Add all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix until completely combined. Chill until ready to serve.

Note: I served these with roasted potatoes fingers sprinkled with salt and parsley. The dip would work equally well with celery and cherry tomatoes.

Mexican Cheesecake

We've been making savory cheesecakes "forever". In fact, the appetizers at Daughter Sarah's wedding were an assortment of savory cheesecakes. It takes a "cheese ball" to new heights. And surprisingly enough, each cheesecake will serve around 25.

A savory cheesecake which can be made ahead. It can even be frozen!

1/2 c. flour

3 T. butter, softened

1 egg yolk

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 package taco seasoning mix

3 eggs

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

4.5 ounce chopped green chiles, undrained

1 cup sour cream

Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 400. Lightly grease 9 inch springform pan.

Mix flour, butter and egg yolk. Press mixture evenly on bottom of pan. Bake about 15 minutes or until golden brown; cool.

Reduce temperature to 350. Mix cream cheese and seasoning mix in a large bowl. Stir in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in Cheddar cheese and chives. Pour over crust.

Bake about 40 minutes or until center is set. Immediately spread with sour cream. Bake 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours. Remove side of pan. Serve with tortilla chips.

Pizza Dip

I love to talk food with Daughter Sarah and she was the one who suggested that I add this to my class. It was, she said the appetizer in Minneapolis where she lives. It was, she said, at every party this season and was the hit of every party. I found a recipe on line, made it, and it was, the favorite appetizer of the class. It's simple to put together and is so good. I think, however, that the corn chips are the perfect dipper -- crisp (like a pizza crust) and with a slight corn flavor (for so many pizza crusts have cornmeal on the bottom).

The hit of the class. I gave the recipe to Cass at That Old House and it was the hit of her Christmas Party!

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
14 ounce can pizza sauce
1/4 pound pepperoni, sliced
1 green onion, chopped
black olives, sliced
2 cups Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 inch pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread cream cheese on bottom of the pie pan. Pour pizza sauce over the cream cheese, and spread it so that there is an even layer of sauce. Sprinkle with pepperoni, onion and olives. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve with corn chips.

Meatballs in Chinese Soup Spoons

When short of time, we need all the help we can get and there can't be any easier help than frozen meatballs. These are easy and the only other ingredient is a bottle of a store-bought sauce (your favorite). The presentation is the thing here -- if you have or can find the Chinese soup spoons, they are perfect -- if you can't, your silver spoons would work and if you'd rather not use those the meatballs speared with a straight pretzel stick, on a plate with a bowl of the dipping sauce in the middle would work.

It's all about presentation.

The easiest of the appetizers. Frozen meatballs warmed in the oven. A dab of chipotle mustard into each spoon, a meatball on top and a sprinkle of chopped parsley. A one bite easy appetizer. You could use silver teaspoons if you don't have the Chinese soup spoons.

Curried Truffles

Cheeseballs are really a party staple. But once cut into they can look like a dog's breakfast. Making the cheese ball into individual balls and calling them truffles takes this aspect out of the appetizer. This is a good cheese ball recipe and you can use it or you can use your favorite cheese ball and just roll it into little balls to put in either miniature muffin papers or stick a straight pretzel in them and serve them on a plate. And then call them truffles!

Cheeseballs in miniature -- one bite at a time -- perfect for slipping onto a cracker!

8 ounces cream cheese

4 ounces goat cheese

2 t. curry powder

1 T. finely chopped green onion

2 t. mango chutney

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. finely chopped dried apricots

1/2 c. finely chopped finely toasted almonds

1/2 c. finely chopped dried cranberries

Beat cream cheese and goat cheese and curry powder together at medium speed until smooth. Stir in green onion, chutney and salt. Cover and chill 2 hours or until firm. Combine apricots, cranberries and almonds. Shape cheese mixture into 1 inch balls. Roll cheese balls in dried fruit mixture. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

It's Friday and I'm joining Michael at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday. See what everyone else is making this Friday!

Cheers!

The Morning After Breakfast

2011-12-28T16:15:00.000-06:00

The Morning After Breakfast -- the breakfast on December 26. It's part Christmas and part not. Put away are the Christmas china. It's our custom as we wash the dishes after Christmas dinner, back into the cabinet it goes until next year.

We do, however, usually keep the tree and greens up until after the first of the year -- Christmas isn't really the end but the beginning of the season.

Often, Daughter Sarah and Andy leave on December 26 to head back to Minneapolis -- they need a good breakfast for it's an 8 hour drive! They need fuel!

An early breakfast so much better for them to arrive home before dark!

Breakfast is often in the dining room for it's still dark and the breakfast room is best when it's sunny and light and you can watch the birds flit from one bird feeder to another.

Part Christmas (the tablecloth and centerpiece and candles) and part "normal" -- the blue and white plates and mugs and my favorite casual napkins.

The centerpiece worked as well for breakfast as it did for Christmas dinner.

The Christmas centerpiece -- a silver cake basket filled with shiny red apples. The candles are new -- a gift from Andy's parents and I though they looked smashing and so we immediately put them on the dining room table for Christmas dinner and even lit little votives in them! Such a thoughtful gift.

We've missed our old friend, the blue and white, during December.

The Spode is back as our everyday china as is the hotel cutlery. Blue napkins. The tablecloth was our Christmas one -- a damask that is one of my favorites. There's nothing as posh as a damask tablecloth and freshly ironed damask napkins!

For breakfast . . . toasted bagels, vegetable cream cheese, sautéed new potatoes, and for the entree

Easy to make and a great way to fix eggs for a crowd. I don't have a recipe for I just whip eggs, add meat and cheese, onion and parsley and pour into the skillet and bake at 350 until it's baked.

A ham and cheese frittata with onion and parsley. It's a great day after breakfast when Christmas dinner is ham! Served at the table in the iron skillet in which it was baked in.

Breakfast was over far too soon, gifts were loaded in the car and they were off! It was a great Christmas and we're grateful that they still come home for Christmas.

It is Thursday and I'm joining Susan at Between Naps On the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

A December Ritual

2011-12-27T16:49:00.001-06:00

A December ritual is the writing of thank you notes. Friends are always so generous to Husband Jim and I and a pile of presents from friends are always under the tree Christmas morning. Most are from far away friends and arrive by mail. That makes December even more exciting.

On the first day that we're home and alone after Christmas Day, I take my notes, my cards, tea and a treat (for treats abound) and spend the morning watching the birds and thanking dear friends for their thoughtfulness.

It's fun watching the birds (or squirrels) as we write our notes.

My new Christmas runner is on the breakfast room table as is the German pyramid. We're not one to rush taking Christmas down. For the Christmas season does not end the night of December 25!

But the beloved blue and white is now our daily china for we do retire the Christmas china on Christmas Day.

We like an assortment of note cards and are always looking for ones with tea or flower themes.

I always try to have a stash of note cards -- especially in December and sometimes we're gifted with note cards from dear friends. Each card and envelope is handwritten. No email notes from Linderhof!

There is never a shortage of sweets during the days after Christmas.

Writing thank yous is "hard work" and we need to be fortified and so Christmas treats and a pot of tea helps us from getting "peckish"!

We love these little mince pies and they seem so Christmasy!

Christmas mince pies make a great nosh so that we can keep our strength up!

It was a wonderful Christmas at Linderhof -- great food, great company and "Santa" brought everything we wished for and then some!

As this week slides into the weekend and New Year's Eve, we enjoy the laziness of this "tween" week (the week "between" Christmas and New Year's) and although there is the last of the Christmas parties this week and I'm also hosting a Christmas luncheon, it is still a laid back week as we end 2011.

I'm joining Bernideen for Friends Sharing Tea.

A Very Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T17:59:00.000-06:00

A Very Merry Christmas

The holly and the ivy, now both are full well grown,

Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.

The holly bears a blossom as white as lily flower

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to be our sweet saviour.

The holly bears a berry as red as any blood,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do poor sinners good.

The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ on Christmas Day in the morn.

The holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ for to redeem us all.

The Merriest of Christmas wishes from

us at Linderhof.

Jim and Martha

Candles and Carols

2011-12-23T16:54:00.000-06:00

It's Christmas Eve. What is done is done -- and what isn't -- then it isn't going to get done! Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the Christmas holidays for the baking is all done and the gifts are all wrapped, decorating was done eons ago and we've played most of our Christmas CDs in rotation -- shamelessly singing along whenever we're alone!

One of our favorite Christmas decorations is our German pyramid. We've had it "forever" and for the last few years it's not been brought upstairs -- and I'm not sure why! Armed with a whole box of little red candles bought at a German Christmas shop in Stillwater, Minnesota, the pyramid made a reappearance in 2011.

We even lit it when we had afternoon tea on dreary gloomy days. A definitely bright spot in an otherwise dreary December day.

One of my favorite things about Christmas Eve is the service of carols and candles at Church. Here, it's an early service -- 7 p.m. but when I was a teen we always attended the midnight one in a church across town. We loved leaving the church at midnight and knowing that it was Christmas Day and on the way home, driving through the Country Club Plaza where their Christmas lights burned brightly. It was a truly magical Christmas Eve -- those Christmas Eves.

The pyramid with it's three levels tells the story of the birth of Jesus and every time I look at it -- while I breakfast or while I have tea, I think of the carols about that night oh so many years ago.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing . . .

God, rest ye Merry Gentlemen . . .

Away In the Manger . . .

We Three Kings . . .

While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks . . .

And at the end of service, when the carols have all been sung, when the lessons read especially the reading from Luke, the lights of the church dim, a candle is lit from the altar candle and row by row the church is bathed in candlelight as we sing . . .

Silent Night!

Our Christmas Eve tradition following church is eggnog and cookies and fruitcake while we enjoy the twinkle of the Christmas tree lights. Tomorrow is the big day and company is coming and there are presents to be opened and a feast to consume!

But I love the peace and quiet that is Christmas Eve. The only thing that would make Christmas Eve perfect is gently falling snow!

Santa Claus Is Coming . . .

2011-12-22T20:21:00.001-06:00

When we went to Vegas early in December we visited Nellis Air Force Base and the Commissary (I love military Commissarys -- you always find such interesting and different things there!) and since it was December, I found

I haven't seen these sugar decorations since I was a child.

These little decorative candies which look so vintage -- like something from the 50s that my mother would have used!

But I could imagine them decorating the white frosting of a red velvet cupcake and so I brought them home from Vegas.

And yesterday, I did bake cupcakes. Alas, not red velvet ones but rather Nigella Lawson's vanilla cupcakes which I call "Fairy Cakes" and which I have baked many times. I like them because they're mixed in the food processor and go together in a thrice!

But I did frost them with white frosting . . .

Smooth white icing -- the perfect base for a Santa face.

And put one of my little Santa faces in the middle of each cupcake.

Cupcakes all done.

The recipe makes 12 and here is my bevy of Santa cupcakes.

Then, with a Martha Stewart item I found last week . . .

I bought these on a lark not knowing for sure what I would do with them -- I would buy them again -- they make an ordinary cupcake look special!

A decorative cutout sleeve for cupcakes. The red of the sleeve makes the cupcake look extra special.

Cupckes baked - check
Cupcakes iced - check
Decoration in place - check
Red cupcake cases on - check
Now time to package for gift giving

The cupcakes with their Santa faces and in their little red cupcake cases all ready for . . .

I love to put baked goods in cello bags -- they're a perfect gift for one!

packaging in cello bags tied with a red ribbon.

A sweet sweet for a gift. . .

The perfect little treat.

For one!

Who wouldn't like to get one of these cupcakes as a gift?

The gift recipients? The Staff at the newspaper who publishes my weekly column.

The recipe for the cupcakes is so simple and I like the Royal icing to top them although I have used buttercream a time or two.

Fairy Cakes

1 stick plus 1 T. soft butter

1/2 c. plus 1 T. sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

2 t. vanilla

2 to 3 T. milk

Take everything you need out of the fridge in time to get to room temperature -- and this makes a huge difference in the lightness of the cupcakes later -- and preheat the oven to 400.

Put all of the ingredients for the cupcakes except for the milk into the food processor and blitz until smooth. Pulse while adding the milk down the funeral, to make a smooth dropping consistency.

Divide the mixture between 12 muffin tins (lined with muffin papers) and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. They should have risen and be golden on top. Let them cool a little in their tins on a rack and then take them carefully out of the tin to cool in the papers, still on the wire rack.

Ice with Royal Icing

Royal Icing:

1 large egg white (or substitute powdered egg whites)

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 t. lemon juice

Combine the egg whites and powdered sugar in a medium size mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer on medium speed until opaque and shiny, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the lemon juice, this will thin out the icing. Beat for another couple of minutes until you reach the right spreading consistency for the cupcakes.

This will ice all 12 cupcakes and there will be some leftover.

It's Friday and so it's tim e to join Michael at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday and I'm joining Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.

Christmas With The Lunch Bunch

2011-12-21T16:27:00.000-06:00

The three girls who I refer to as "The Lunch Bunch" are dear friends and for the past almost 12 years, we've been getting together monthly for lunch -- at Linderhof! The December Lunch -- The Christmas Lunch -- is always special!

I take great pains with the table for this lunch it has to be perfect!

The table -- a vision in red.

Red is the theme. Red for the centerpiece, the runner, the napkins, and the bows on the presents!

The runner was a birthday gift from friend Shirley Ann

A white tablecloth grounds the table while touches of red abound!

Plaid and Holly -- perfect Christmas dishes

My Christmas China -- Royal Doulton Tartan, a Lenox Holiday salad plate, the Hotel silver, and a red linen Williams Sonoma napkin. Two gifts -- one wrapped in gold paper and tied with a red ribbon, and

A wee chocolate fruitcake tied with a red ribbon and a label which identifies it as a chocolate fruitcake

A companion gift of chocolate fruitcake also tied with a red ribbon.

Minutes before the company arrives

I always love it when the table is all set, the meal is done and I'm just awaiting the guests to arrive.

The menu for our December luncheon:

Christmas Salad

Chicken and Broccoli Cobbler

Hot Rolls

Panettone Trifle

Freshly Brewed Coffee

When I typed the menu at 11 p.m. the night before I listed Christmas salad -- had not a clue what I was going to do. Pear, blue cheese and walnuts -- perfect for a Christmas salad!

The Christmas Salad: Greens with a light oil and vinegar dressing, half a Harry and David pear, a sprinkle of blue cheese and candied walnuts.

I love how the trifle looks in the bowl.

Panettone trifle -- soaked in Marsala with boozy apricots and raisins, custard and whipped cream.

We exchanged presents (and they were very generous), ate, and visited sharing our plans for Christmas Day.

All too soon, it was 2 p.m. and everyone said their goodbyes and Merry Christmases.

We each had a nice helping of trifle!

We certainly did a number on the trifle -- enough was left, however, for Husband Jim to have a big helping mid afternoon and for us to have trifle for dessert. Trifle is one of those desserts that seem to gets better as it ages!

A fun time was had by all!

I love the table when a meal is done and everyone is gone. You can read into it what a good time was had by all!

PANETTONE TRIFLE

5 ounces panettone

2 3/4 oz. dried apricots, cut into 4ths

2 3/4 oz. raisins

7 oz. marsala

Custard:

5 eggs

1 T. sugar

1 t. cornflour

5 oz. marsala

1 pint whipping cream

2 oz. toasted sliced almonds

Put the raisins and apricots in a small saucepan with 5 oz. of the marsala. Bring up to simmering, then take off the heat and leave to soak for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the panettone into slices about 1 inch thick, then cut these down to about 1 1/2 inch pieces and place them in the trifle bowl.

After that strain the cooled soaked fruit over a jug and add enough marsalla to make the liquid up to 5 oz. Then sprinkle the marsala evenly over the panettone, followed by the fruit. Leave to one side so that the panettone can soak up all the juices, and tip the bowl from time to time to make sure there are no little pools of liquid in the bowl.

To make the custard, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a medium bowl. Then place 12 1/4 oz. of the cream and the marsala in a saucepan and over a gentle heat, bring up to simmering pint, then, whisking the egg mixture all of the time with one hand, gradually pour the heat cream back into the bowl with the egg mixture. Now quickly put the whole lot back to the saucepan, using a rubber spatula. Whisk over a medium heat until it just begins to bubble and thicken (don't worry, it won't curdle -- if it does look at all grainy, it will become smooth again when whisked off the heat).

Let the custard get quite cold then pour it over the fruit and panettone. Then whip the remaining cream to the floppy stage (being careful not to make it too stiff) and spoon it all over the custard. Cover and chill till needed, sprinkling over the toasted almonds just before serving.

It's Thursday and I'm sharing my Lunch table with Susan at Between Naps On the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

THE Tree 2011

2011-12-20T20:26:00.000-06:00

The Tree 2011 is different than our usual Christmas tree. It's a fresh tree -- our artificial 9 footer is still in the garage in it's protective covering. It's shorter by t least two feet! It's not as wide around either. And it may not have the "wow" factor of our normal big tree but I think it is a sweet tree!

We put it in the same place as our big tree -- it's the first thing you see when you enter the house.

Filled with amber twinkle lights . . .

There's something about a real tree. There isn't an artificial that can come close to the real deal.

And our collection of mostly Shiny Bright "antique" ornaments.

Reds, blues and pinks coexist happily on the branches.

The ornaments we've had "forever" and some were even my mother's and my aunt's. Years ago we decorated two trees -- the big guy downstairs and a six foot pencil tree upstairs. That -- the pencil tree -- was my tree. I had white twinkle lights, antique ornaments, real metal tinsel and a great angel topper.

One of my favorites -- a set of six (two of each style) bought at a Garage Sale for 50 cents for all six of them!

But one year husband Jim took the tree to our store . . . and sadly, it never made it's way home. So the antique ornaments were put in a bin in the basement where they've lived for the last six years.

And then we got this real tree and . . .

I know why they're called "Shiny Bright" -- they reflect the tree lights so that the whole tree glows!

The ornaments were perfect for this simpler Christmas tree.

One of my favorite ornaments (I have another that is gold) and one of my first purchases.

We bought them mostly at Garage and Estate Sales before they skyrocketed in price. It's nice to rediscover a much loved Christmas treasure.

It's Wednesday and I'm joining Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday.

A Bright Tea on a Soggy Afternoon

2011-12-19T15:57:00.000-06:00

Every afternoon that I'm home at half past three, I stop and put the kettle on and have a cup of tea! It's amazing at how tired you can be and how restorative that cup of tea is.

It is a dark and rainy day. It's rained -- not a downpour but a steady rain -- since this morning when I took Ollie for his walk. We need the moisture, so I can't complain. And it's not snow, so I can't complain!

A busy morning with a good clean of the breakfast room and then a noon luncheon meeting (which was close enough to walk to) and then errands.

A cup of tea was much needed for I was chilled to the bone (parking was a long way from the door!)

With carols on the stereo, my pot filled with Christmas tea, slices of Dundee cake and a cookbook to read, I

Afternoon tea most usually is taken in the breakfast room

lit of candles of my German pyramid. It is Christmas after all!

Dundee cake-- one of the best things about the Christmas season

Slices of Dundee cake (which I made in early November and stuck in the freezer) are afternoon tea fare from St. Nicholas Day through Christmas.

The German pyramid lit and spinning!

The German pyramid (a real German one -- not an Asian knock off) which we decided to put up this year. With candles lit and the bottom and middle tiers spinning merrily around!

And my book . . .

I'm having company for lunch and am fine tuning my menu!

Southern Living's Christmas Cookbook -- printed exclusively by Dillards -- a traditional gift from dear friend Maybelle.

Tea and Dundee cake on a dreary day!

With candles lit and a dreary day outside, the warming cup of tea and the slices of Dundee were especially refreshing.

It made dealing with the wash a lot more bearable!

It is Tuesday and I'm joining the following tea parties:

Tea Time Tuesday with Terri at Artful Affirmations

Tea Cup Tuesday with Martha at Martha's Favorites

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday with Pam at Breath of Fresh Air

Tea Time Tuesday with Katherine at Lady Katherine's Tea Parlor

Tuesday Tea for Two with Wanda Lee at The Plumed Pen

Tea Time Tuesday with Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage

And I'm also joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday

A Change In The Dining Room . . .

2011-12-18T22:28:00.000-06:00

We've changed a lot of light fixtures since we moved to Linderhof -- putting chandeliers in most rooms because we like them. But the house is a 1920's house and was "updated" in 1948. In those times, they used a lot of sconces in rooms. The house originally didn't have many outlets but we have sconces . . .

And the sconces we have were put into the house in the 1948 update. Brass fixtures with globes and prisms.

The master bedroom with the fireplace sconces

In the bedroom. Between the sconces is the perfect place for a mirror!

The living room fireplace with sconces that match the ones in the master bedroom.

In the living room. Duplicates of the ones in the master bedroom.

The living room sconce -- I have since replaced the missing prisms.

We changed out the globes . . . but the prisms are original.

Above the dining room fireplace, there were no sconces. The dining room sconces are on the wall above the buffet.

However, beside the fireplace, close to the mantle is a plug in . . . which we figured were for mantle lights!

And we've put lamps on the mantle at different times since the outlets were there. And they looked okay but not great and soon we moved them elsewhere where we thought they looked better or put them in the "lamp yard" in the attic.

And then, last Monday on an outing, I came across . . .

My new treasure

These wonderful prisms which were attached . . .

Brass and crystal prisms

To this lamp. Which had the same patina as both sets of sconces. The price was reasonable and so . . .
they came home with me.

The dining room mantle before . .

And the mantle which looked like this . . .

And after.

Now looks like this!

the lamps lit match the light from the buffet sconces

And at night it has a beautiful glow to match the glow from the living room and master bedroom sconces.

Now, I'm thinking, I need to find globes to match these new lamps for at least the living room sconces and perhaps the bedroom ones as well.

I must admit that when I found the lamps, I had to give it some thought before I committed to buy them but I knew deep down that they would be perfect on the dining room mantle!

It's Monday and I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday. It's a small transformation -- but most are at Linderhof since we've been here almost 24 years.

O Tanenbaum, O Tanenbaum . . .

2011-12-17T16:49:00.000-06:00

The "tanenbaums" of Linderhof . . . through the years from 2008 to 2010 . . . I'll post this year's tree later in the week.

The Christmas tree is very important both to Husband Jim and myself. They're the focal point of the Christmas decorating and take center stage. They're a labor of love and Husband Jim's theory is the bigger the better! (But then he was Christmas tree challenged as a child -- his parents had an "aluminum Charley Brown kind of a tree")

Being German (and living at Linderhof) Christmas decorations should be about the tree!!! They are, after all, the ones who started the Christmas tree and Queen Victorian embraced it when her German husband brought the tradition with him to England.

It's Sunday and I'm joining Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday Favorites and The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Christmas 2008

Lighted with big bulbs, our collection of ornaments and shimmery tinsel

Christmas 2009

The tree takes pride of place in our living room.

Christmas 2010

It's always on when we're home, we love to look at the cheerful colored lights.

It was a step down memory lane to see three years of Christmas trees.

I'm Biscuit Challenged No More

2011-12-15T19:28:00.000-06:00

For most of my married life I have been biscuitly challenged. Biscuits are a big deal on the prairie. Biscuits and gravy is THE breakfast. Every restaurant on the prairie serves biscuits and gravy as a breakfast offering. Well, even our McDonald's serves biscuits and gravy for breakfast (for $1.19 for one biscuit and a small container of gravy).

And I've tried -- really tried to make good biscuits. But I gave up. I just couldn't do it and Pillsbury makes great frozen biscuits and so I depended upon those when we wanted biscuits for breakfast or dinner.

And then, last week, a light bulb went off . . . .

The biscuits fresh from the oven

And I produced these wonderful, tall, flaky biscuits.

Perfect Biscuits!

The light bulb moment? Mixing the biscuits in the food processor. It works! I've made them more than once so it wasn't a fluke! And each time they've been tall and flaky -- perfect biscuits.

Ina Garten taught me to do pie crust in the food processor. I had been pie crust challenged as well and my pies were always made with the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust. But Ina changed all that. I hardly ever buy a pie crust anymore preferring instead to make my own.

It was easy to do -- the baking powder, flour and salt in the food processor and then add the fat (I use butter usually) and whirl until it's all mixed together. Then add 1 beaten egg and milk (I prefer buttermilk). Mix until the dough comes together.

As you know, the dough needs to be handled gently and once it has come together, knead a few times and then roll out and cut with a biscuit cutter and bake.

It's Friday and I'm joining Michael at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

Sunday Lunch For Sunday Supper

2011-12-14T22:37:00.001-06:00

One of our favorite parts of our Spring in England was the Sunday pub lunch.

The menu from our first Sunday pub lunch this trip.

A choice of beef or pork or chicken with vegetables -- one of which was roasted potatoes. Horseradish and Yorkshire pudding for the beef; applesauce for the pork. Husband Jim varied from week to week.

roast beef, vegetables, Yorkshire pudding

I only had the roast of beef for I adored the Yorkshire pudding.

When we arrived home it was summer, and we seemed to be too busy to have a Sunday lunch. Gardening chores and another trip. And it was summer, after all, and grilled steaks or chops seemed more fitting fare than a roast.

Last week I found a great roast at the market and so on Sunday, I cooked a Sunday roast. Alas, we ate it for supper rather than lunch for an Advent Sunday is a busy Sunday.

The breakfast room table set for Sunday Lunch for Sunday Supper

We ate in the breakfast room, off the Royal Doulton Christmas China, with carols playing softly in the background.

Night falls early in mid December

A Yankee Candle Mistletoe candle lended the scent of the season. Red linen napkins -- for it is December.

And for dinner, a bought a long time ago and never used . . .

Bought on a trip to England in 1994 and never used -- imagine!

Yorkshire pudding tin. Which made . . .

These look as good as the ones we were served in England!

Four perfect Yorkshire puddings -- which went perfectly with our . . .

A traditional Sunday pub lunch on the Royal Doulton Christmas china. We abandon our beloved blue and white in December for the Christmas Tartan.

Roast beef, roasted potatoes and carrots. Yorkshire pudding is easy to make -- it's a cousin to popovers and Dutch babies. Basically, a batter of milk, eggs and flour with a pinch of salt, poured into a hot pan that has beef drippings poured into it and then baked in a very hot oven.

Supper is ready for us.

Served not all that late on a Sunday evening -- it gets dark early in the weeks before Christmas for we're about to get to the Winter Solstice.

The roast was served with . .

The traditional condiment -- horseradish sauce

Horseradish sauce, of course, which was spooned onto our plates with . . . what else -- a horseradish spoon. A souvenir of our early December trip to Vegas.

It is Thursday and I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Christmas tables abound, I'm sure, as everyone shares their pretty Christmas dishes this Thursday.

Linderhof and Stillmeadow

2011-12-13T19:19:00.000-06:00

On a shelf in the sunroom is a collection of special books. Ones that I've read hundreds of time and lovingly collected over the last 50 years.

A very special shelf of books in the sunroom.

The Stillmeadow Books written by Gladys Taber. I first "met" Mrs. Taber at my grandmother's. For grandmother bought Family Circle magazine and inside was a column entitled, Butternut Wisdom.

I was in Junior High School and the magic of childhood Sundays at grandmother's palled when you reached 13. But grandmother's Family Circle's helped relieve the boredom of Sunday afternoons.

I soon found that she had also written books and I checked those out of the library and eagerly read all of them. Then slowly, one by one, I acquired a fair collection of Gladys Taber books.

I must admit that as a teen reading Butternut Wisdom, I yearned to grow up and live like Mrs. Taber -- on a farm in Connecticut with a bevy of dogs in an old house among antiques and earn my living by writing a monthly column for a magazine about my life on the farm with the dogs.

I also hoped that someday I could visit Mrs. Taber at Stillmeadow -- I dreamed of that day. To actually visit Stillmeadow.

In October, my husband made that dream come true. . .

Stillmeadow -- I gasped when I got my first glimpse.

For we ventured to Southbury, Connecticut and armed with Garmin and "hints" from her books, we were able to locate Jeremy

Swamp Road and we turned the corner . . . and there stood Stillmeadow. Just like it was pictured in her books.

With autumn decor on the door indicating that someone still loves Stillmeadow.

The "front door" which really isn't but it does lead into the living room. The picket fence kept the cockers (and Irish) in tow.

It was great to see the line drawings in the books transformed into reality.

The well house with the wisteria and a view of the kitchens.

I can imagine a picnic with the Irish and cockers underfoot.

The pond and summerhouse where Jill and Gladys would picnic in the summer!

Mrs. Taber's granddaughter uses the house on weekends (or so I was told)

Can't you just imagine that Gladys is at the door to welcome us to her beloved Stillmeadow?

A great meal for a cool fall or winter night -- and it smells heavenly while it bakes.

When we came home, I had to get out one of the Stillmeadow cookbooks and make a favorite recipe of both Mrs. Taber and myself. Her pork chop and cabbage. Sooo good when served with a baked potato to spoon the sauce over.

Stillmeadow Pork Chops and Cabbage

6 pork chops

1 large onion

1 head fresh cabbage

milk

Seasoned salt, pepper and paprika

Brown the pork chops, using a little butter if necessary. Slice the onion and add to the chops after you have turned them. Now arrange them in a greased casserole with the onion slices around them. Season well. Slice the cabbage thinly with a sharp knife and pack it tightly over the chops, filling the casserole almost to the top (it will shrink). Pour over enough milk to barely cover, add more seasoning. Bake, covered, in a moderate (350) oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the chops are fork tender. Serves 4 to 6.

Note: Mrs. Taber always served this dish with baked potatoes so that you could spoon the sauce over them!

I can't tell you how much I appreciate Husband Jim. Mrs. Taber isn't at Stillmeadow any more but it was a lifelong dream to go there and how sweet of a husband to make a childhood dream come true.

It's Wednesday and I'm joining Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday.

Postscript:

Many of my dreams have come true. I do live in an old house, among antiques. Although I don't live in the country, I do live in a small community. I don't have a bevy of cockers but I do have a spoiled corgi and a dog has always been a part of my adult life. I do write about life at Linderhof -- not only on a blog but in a weekly newspaper column (which may be better than a monthly magazine column).

It is nice when childhood fantasy becomes reality. I think that I am living the life of my childhood dreams.

Christmas Cards and Christmas Tea

2011-12-12T18:21:00.000-06:00

We love to receive Christmas cards . . . but we love to send them as well. It's our way to catch up with old friends . . .

Christmas cards are never pre-printed at Linderhof! We handwrite our names in them. A few (very few) cards have just our names while others get a half card of a cheery message as to what we've or Daughter Sarah or Brother David and his family have been doing the past year and a lot more get a letter -- each one different for we write them just to the person we're sending the card to. No "Generic Christmas Letters" for us!

But whether there's more than just the name in them, it all starts with the addressing of the envelope and writing our names on the card.

Sunday I started the Christmas cards in the sunroom. It was a sunny afternoon and with a Yankee Candle Mistletoe Candle lit wafting that wonderful pine fragrance throughout the room and carols on the stereo, it was a pleasant afternoon.

My Christmas card box while holds cards and my Christmas card address book and pens . . .

Christmas card addressing (and note writing) can be very tiring and so . . .

We fortify ourself with tea and cookies.

The teacup is new. It's French Limoges and was a birthday present from a dear friend. It's a sweet teacup and I absolutely adore it! It's an exquisite cup and shall be my special tea cup.

The cookies are from my stash of Christmas cookies -- cutout cookies in the shapes of bells, holly and stars and all sprinkled with sugar and decorated with a red hot.

For fun while I was addressing cards

I lit the candles on the German pyramid.

I didn't get the addressing finished, but I did get up to "F" . . . and tomorrow afternoon, I shall tackle the task again. Upstairs are the cards needing letters . . . I'll work on those as I can steal an hour or two.

It is Tuesday . . . and I'm joining the Tuesday Tea Parties . . .

Tea Time Tuesday with Terri at Artful Affirmations

Tea Cup Tuesday with Martha at Martha's Favorites

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday with Pam at Breath of Fresh Air

Tea Time Tuesday with Katherine at Lady Katherine's Tea Parlor

Tuesday Tea for Two with Wanda Lee at The Plumed Pen

Tea Time Tuesday with Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage

And I'm also joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday

"Fill In the Blank" Tea Cakes

2011-12-11T17:16:00.000-06:00

The cookie by many names -- is the little nutty ball of shortbread that's baked and then rolled in powdered sugar twice.

It seems that every country makes their version of this cookie for among it's many names are:

Mexican Wedding Cakes, Russian Tea Cakes, Italian Butternut, Viennese Sugar Ball and Swedish Tea Cakes.

But they also go by other names as well:

Southern Pecan Butterball, Snowdrop, Sand Tart, Snowball, Pecan Dreamies, Nut Balls and Butterballs.

We call them with Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cakes and we've been making them for years and years. My mother made them sometimes when the "girls" came for bridge and always at Christmas.

I love these little bites covered with powdered sugar -- some of which almost always spills on your front (always if you're wearing black).

I must admit that the last few years I've not made these little cookies. It was time, I decided, to make them once again.

My recipe is my mother's recipe from

The Betty Crocker Cookbook.

It's a simple recipe and they call them Russian Tea Cakes.

They go together quickly and have very few ingredients. The only hard thing is to remember to set out the butter the night before.

Rolled into balls ("Betty" recommends 1 inch balls -- I think my inch is more like two!) and baked in a hot oven. Once out . . .

You roll them in powdered sugar and leave them to cool . . .

Then you roll them a second time in powdered sugar and either put on a cooky tray to enjoy immediately or tuck away for future teas.

One of my Christmas tins -- filled with the Russian Tea Cakes -- to be served for whenever we have guests for tea.

Covered and placed in the larder -- they will be enjoyed in these pre-Christmas days.

I must confess that I had forgotten about these delicious cookies that I often made at Christmas. Daughter Sarah made some yesterday for a cookie exchange today. It inspired me to make my own batch today!

Reprise - Silver Bells, Silver Bells -- It's Christmas Time at Linderhof

2011-12-10T14:35:00.000-06:00

First posted on December 14, 2009, it tells the story behind our silver bells that fill our tree every Christmas. Since then I've been on a mission to acquire all (now 42) bells and so at every flea market and antique mall I'm looking for the silver bells. I've found a few but I'm still missing some . . . and I keep that list in my wallet so that if I do come across a silver bell I know if I need it or not!

I've not gotten this year's but it will be at Linderhof before we decorate the tree so it can take pride of place for 2011.

I may make a real effort in 2012 to complete my collection by searching ebay religiously for the bells I need.

It's Sunday and I'm joining Chari at Happy To Design for Sunday Favorites and The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday. Please see what everyone is up to this Sunday.

For once a year we get out our Silver Bells -- the Reed and Barton silver bells -- each with a date.

From our November honeymoon 40 years ago, the start of the collection. What better way to remember a special time than at Christmas each year as we put this special silver bell on our tree.

The love from the silver bells comes from the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" for each time a bell rings, an angel gets it's wings.

We don't mind if we accidentally bump the tree . . . and one of the bells ring. For we know . . . an angel got it's wings!

I don't have 40 silver bells for most were Christmas gifts from my brother (when we exchanged Christmas gifts) and now with my birthday money, I've started buying a bell each year (quite appropriate as my birthday is in early December).

Some are special remembrances such as the bell from our 25th anniversary year (a gift from a dear friend which commemorates that special anniversary) or the bells from the Homes for the Holiday tours when Linderhof was on tour. Those are indeed special bells.

This year's bell is not on the tree yet -- but it has been ordered . . . with the special engraving "40th Anniversary 2009". I hope to pick it up soon for it needs to be on the tree . . . nestled next to the bell that we bought so many years ago -- which celebrates our first Christmas together.

A Birthday Dinner

2011-12-08T21:41:00.000-06:00

We love having parties at Linderhof. But the best parties are the birthday parties that have been celebrated around the dining room table over the years.

From Daughter Sarah's Thirteen Birthday party to Jim's Mom's 80th, friends and family have joined us for these joyous celebrations.

There are milestone birthdays -- those are usually the ones that end in zero. And on a Friday night in November, we celebrated a milestone birthday for Husband Jim -- his 65th!

And we celebrated as we always do with friends around our dining room table.

The dining room all ready for a company party.

Thanksgiving's not quite a week away . . .

Since it's November, the blue and white are our turkey plates.

My blue and white, of course, with the blue linen napkins.

The big blue and white bowl is often used as a dinner centerpiece. It is always on the dining room table mostly empty. It's really a punch bowl but we've never served punch from it!

And the Chinese bowl still filled with fall pumpkins, gourds and bittersweet.

A quick and easy appetizer that can be made ahead and is really good!

Bacon breadsticks for an appetizer. It is Husband Jim's birthday, after all, and at Linderhof, the birthday person gets have all of their favorite foods!

Linderhof Brisket is often served for a celebratory dinner.

Linderhof brisket. A recipe of my mother's and a favorite of Husband Jim's.

Baked low and slow.

Smokestack Baked Beans. The gold standard by which I judge all baked beans. We've been making it since the 60's!

Anything with corn and cheese and cream cheese has to be good!

Smokestack Cheesy Corn Casserole.

The breakfast room table makes a great buffet table.

We served buffet style in the breakfast room. And we don't mind when guests go back for seconds!

For the Red Velvet Cake Recipe, it's posted HERE

This is my 40th Red Velvet Cake that I've made for Husband Jim for his birthday. It's his favorite cake. He was the one that got the recipe when he was in high school and proudly brought it home to his mother who promptly made him a cake!

After a certain age, we NEVER put the correct number of candles on a cake -- but for one milestone birthday, we did have a fireman friend come in prepared to put out the "fire"!

All birthdays call for candles, lights down low and the singing of "Happy Birthday". And then the candles are blown out as a wish is made!

Slices of red velvet cake. Alas, cake only no ice cream!

Big slices of red velvet cake all around!

Another successful party!

The party is over! Dinner is finished and the wine bottles are empty. The guests are gone and soon it's time to clean up!

It's Friday and I'm joining Foodie Friday with Michael at Designs by Gollum and I'm sharing Jim's birthday party with Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday. There's nothing better to share than a 65th Birthday Party!

Linderhof Brisket

Take your brisket, sprinkle with liquid smoke and sprinkle with celery salt, garlic salt and onion salt. Turn the brisket over and do the same on the other side. Wrap brisket in foil, making sure that the fat side is up. Put in a roasting pan and bake in a slow (250) oven for at least 8 hours. Let cool before slicing. Reheat in a 350 oven in the pan juices for about 30 minutes before serving.

Smokestack Cheesy Corn

2 T. butter

4 t. flour

1/8 t. garlic powder

3/4 c. milk

1 1/2 c. sharp American cheese, shredded

3 ounces cream cheese, cut up

3 (10 ounce) packages frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

3 ounces diced ham (I like Burger's Smokehouse)

Melt butter, stir in flour and garlic powder. Add milk; cook and stir over medium heat. Heat until thick and bubbly; stir in cheeses. Cook/stir over low heat until cheeses melt; stir in corn and ham. Bake in a 2 quart casserole for 45 minutes at 350.

SMOKESTACK BAKED BEANS

4 slices bacon

40 ounce can pork and beans, drained

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 T. minced onion

1 T. chili powder

1 T. mustard

1 t. liquid smoke

1 cup barbecue sauce

1/4 c. sorghum

Combine all ingredients except bacon. Put in large baking dish. Put bacon on top of the beans.

Bake uncovered in 325 degree oven 60-75 minutes.

Reprise -- A Christmas Luncheon

2011-12-08T07:09:00.000-06:00

We've been away playing -- to Las Vegas -- where you literally do "play" -- the slots or black jack or Texas Hold 'Em! And although we did play some of the slots (and I came home $13 richer) that wasn't the purpose of our trip. It was to celebrate my birthday.

We arrived home on Wednesday which was spent picking up Ollie and the mail and running errands and washing the suitcase of laundry that one brings home from a trip. We didn't even eat at home -- the two of us for with nothing in the larder, breakast was picked up and brought back home when I brought home the dog, lunch for both of us was out, and Husband Jim heated a can of soup while I feasted on a Ladie's Club Christmas dinner.

This post was originally posted on December 16, 2009. It was the December get together for The Lunch Bunch complete with presents.

The four of us who call ourselves "The Lunch Bunch" enjoyed a holiday luncheon. A festive Christmas luncheon! With presents and cake!

The centerpiece -- my non-blooming Christmas cactus in the blue oriental bowl.
A menu at each place, a present for my guests at each place. Wrapped in gold and tied with a gold bowl.

A green Christmas cloth and festive napkins with greens, burgundies and golds. A birthday gift from my dear friend, Shirley Ann. In the silver napkin rings, of course!

And my "new" everyday cutlery -- the German silver. (The fork turned upside down in the European tradition.)

The china is not Christmas but I think part of the gold design looks like a Christmas ornament. Bought long ago at an auction -- not for these dishes -- they were a bonus in the box. Eight of them. They're Japanese. I have no idea of the maker and not a clue as to the pattern. But since I like white and gold china almost as much as the blue and white transferware, they became as treasured as whatever was in the box that I did want!

The menu with a gold Christmas tree --

Luncheon at Linderhof

December 15, 2009

Menu

Neiman Marcus Chicken Ala King

Parmesan popovers

Salad of Mixed baby greens with kumquats, sugared pecans

Orange curry vinaigrette

Lemon Curd Poundcake

Freshly Brewed coffee

It's Thursday which means that it's time for us to show off all of our beautiful tables. If you want to see some other fantastic tables, please join Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for it is Tablescape Thursday. I suspect a Christmas table or two may be in the offing!