A VISIT TO MEXICO

 Today we went all the way to Mexico.  This

would not be the country of Mexico but

rather the little town of Mexico.  There is a

wonderful antique shop there in an old Coke

Plant (yes, the soda Coke).  It is only open

on Saturdays and sometimes on Friday.

We took a few moments to drive around

and see some of the old houses:

This was the side view:

I love seeing the flowers in the yards.

This home was amazing:

Just look at all those angles!

This house below had a wonderful tower.

I can only imagine the colors it could

be painted:

An amazing tower:

And this house below is more

English Tudor style but I have

always loved it:

We also stopped in a tiny town to

take a spring peak at a

Victorian house there that I have

taken photos of before.  This is in

the town of Auxvasse, Missouri. (below)

Well, the question is did I find any treasures

on this trip?  Well, yes indeed I did.  I found

some purple transferware which I have been

looking for and trying to collect.  So at the

Coke Plant Antiques I got all these pieces

which means 65 pieces for $100.00.

I am thrilled!

I do recommend this shop especially for 

antique clocks!  They have ever so many!

SPRING TABLE, A CARROT CAKE AND BOUQUET

 I am sharing a perfect cake for Easter

and a springtime bouquet for

my table.

It is such a delight to finally have some blooms

to pick in the garden and know there will

be plenty for bouquets in the coming months.

I have been enjoying my pansy themed

English pieces and now adding some

purple Rural Scenes transferware.

We still have a few daffodils and jonquils

blooming around the yard and some

tulips still coming on.  It won't be long

and the irises will really show off for

a while.

And what would spring be without a Cream

Cheese Walnut Carrot Cake?

The recipe for this cake came from this

older favorite tea book which is now

out of print.   If you don't already know this,

older used books are inexpensive and available!

This is something wonderful and simple!

APRIL IN THE GARDEN

 April has brought us a combination of

warmer lovely days and also lingering

cold days.  The bulbs didn't seem to

mind either.  

So I am sharing a few collages.

Happy April!

SUNDAY CELEBRATION

 

SUNDAY CELEBRATION

 

LADIES FOR A TEA LUNCHEON

 Today I served a tea luncheon for

some senior and pre senior

ladies from the church we attend in Boonville, Missouri.

  We have a valued common bond 

because we all love the Lord.

We talked a little about

the 23rd Psalm and how to

use it in our prayers.

I made a little Psalm 23 art paper

for each place setting. 

 And what did we eat?  We had a nice green salad with mixed greens and nuts, celery, cucumber, olives, blueberries, 

mushrooms and onion rings 

on it with Oriental Honey Dressing.

There were also be some Havarti

Dill Cheese cubes.

  A Creamed Chicken Salad 

on a small Croissant

 I have made this recipe numerous times and ladies gobble them!  I cut this recipe out of a very old “Victoria” magazine.

 Makes 10 small “scoops” of chicken salad

 Creamed Chicken Salad:

1 lg boned, skinned chicken Breast,

1/2 cup finely chopped celery,

2 hardboiled Egg finely chopped,1/3 cup chopped pickles or pickle relish, salt and pepper,  ¼ cup mayo, ¼ cup sour cream 

 I also added: 1/2 tsp dill weed, celery seed and poppy seed and 1 small jar drained pimentos

 Double or triple recipe as needed

 Then we had a

 Creamy Fruit Salad 

(photo above from the past)

  For dessert

we had a Strawberry

Danish Cream Cake.  I made one of

these last week and my husband

and I loved it so

I made one for the ladies.

Beverages were water, iced

tea and hot tea which was Ginger

Peach.

It is so wonderful to sit and chat

with other ladies and find out

about their life.  I love to enjoy

learning more and taking the time

to relax and share. 

Tip: Also, now that

it is just my husband and I, I still

bake but I go ahead and freeze two

slices of desserts together so we

can have some later.

MARCH GARDEN

 I think I finally understand what

March is like in Missouri.  One

day is cold and then the next might

just be warm!  By warm, I mean in

the 50's - 60's.

It is very exciting to have some

color again and even to need to

mow the grass.

To see all the pretty daffodils

is such a welcoming sign.

I love when the Red Bud blooms:

I have a few early tulips coming up

too.  I love it all!

And lastly, a new little area where

the koi pond used to be.  I don't miss

all that work.

SETTING THE TABLE FOR A TEA LUNCHEON

This Saturday I am having a few  senior

ladies over for a tea luncheon.  I 

was wanting to do an Afternoon Tea

but I think a tea luncheon is a better

plan for me. 

To have an Afternoon Tea I would be making 3 savory finger foods and 3 sweet finger foods, a salad and scones.  I have my table all set

using a spring pansy theme:

  For a luncheon I will serve a

 vegetable salad, a fruit salad, chicken salad croissants and a 

dessert.  So you see, that is a whole

 lot less work.  Of course, we will have 

hot and iced tea too.

I have a nice big teapot with the

tea cozy I made from an old vintage

runner that had pansy embroidery. 

 This week my husband and I drove westward to Overland Park Kansas 

to the Glenwood Antique Mall and 

I love this Victorian cake stand I found.

I really enjoy having ladies over

but at my age I think I will be keeping

the size of the group smaller.  This

group will be 5 ladies plus myself

which is much easier to handle.

Will be you having a tea soon?

Or a luncheon?  What do you 

think about the "gift of hospitality"?

I will try to take some photos with

the ladies but I must say, I often

get so busy that I forget to do that.

SUNDAY CELEBRATION

 

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY

I have enjoyed decorating

various tables over the years

and finding green items for

a St Patrick's Day theme (though

I am not Catholic I enjoy it just for

the fun).  This little reel reflects

many such times going back through

photos from the past:

  

MARCH ARRIVES WITH GREEN TRANSFERWARE

 

With the arrival of March, I was

excited to reset the dining area table

with the green transferware that I

 have been collecting.

This is actually a Battenberg

bed cover I am using for a table

cloth which explains the deeper

drop on the sides.  The topper is linen

with brighter green cutwork embroidery.

I have two sizes of tablecloths that

 my Grandmother embroidered for me shortly after I was married

56 years ago.  There are 2 sets of

embroidered napkins too. 

 I used some of the stained 

napkins to make

a tea cozy years ago.

I find green transferware hard to find

and especially this Johnson Brothers

pattern called "The Florentine".

This covered dish

was my most

recent find:

We still had some

snow a few days

ago but we have

also enjoyed some

warmer days and

everyone is looking

forward to spring.