Red Bulls NBA Team: Sherbert

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A Blues Table for Five (Recipes!)

I have been dying to use this TJ Maxx tablecloth for something pretty on the porch, but the pollen and weather are not cooperating. I was too impatient to wait, so tonight we dined on new thrifty finds in the kitchen.

Oh, where to start?

Well, the bargain on the table is the sherberts. I found them on eBay for less than $1 a piece! I can't even believe I almost passed them up!

And the china was another eBay find. It is the Carlotta pattern made by Eternal Stone. While it wasn't quite the deal of a $1 per piece, it was still a bargain.

There is some crazing on a few pieces, but I adore the pattern and the two shades of blue. It is at least 75 years old and so chic! I love, love, love the way it looks with the sherberts and blue in the tablecloth!

I could kick myself for not buying napkins in Homegoods that would have matched! I am one of those shoppers who (sometimes but not often enough) walks around with all the things I want, and gradually put most of them back only to regret it later! Do you do that, too?

The tablecloth is a good example of that very thing. I found four placemats and a runner in this same pattern at a TJ Maxx in Atlanta, walked around with them, and decided I didn't want just four placements. I left them there only to find the tablecloth in a different TJ Maxx a week later. This time, leaving the first stash behind was a good decision!

The Azaleas in the ice bucket are from the yard. I have one plant with a few flowers. The rest are still budding. The other green comes from camellia and honeysuckle leaves.

So, what's the menu?

Cocktail Shrimp

Frozen and thawed from the supermarket (easy recipe, huh?)

Serve with dipping sauces

Mandarin Orange Salad

Salad:

1 head of lettuce, washed and torn

4-5 green onions, chopped fine

3 stalks celery, chopped fine

1 11oz can mandarin oranges

Combine and chill.

Dressing:

1/4 vegetable oil

1 T white vinegar

5 drops hot sauce

2 T sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

Topping:

1/2 c slivered almonds

2-3T sugar

Caramelize on stove. Spread on wax paper to dry. Can be stored in an airtight container for a snack.

Combine salad and dressing. Toss. Top with almonds. Mmmmm. :)

Easiest Poppyseed Chicken

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Casserole:

1-2 lb of shredded or cut up chicken, whatever you have on hand

1 can of mushroom soup (10 3/4 oz)

8 oz sour cream

1/4 c. milk

Combine so that the chicken is covered, even if just barely.

Topping:

Place 1-2 stacks of Ritz crackers in a freezer bag and crush

add 1 stick of melted butter or margarine

add 2 T poppy seeds (if you have them)

Shake.

Spread over chicken mixture.

Bake until bubbly, (about 30 minutes).

Easy Rice Pilaf

Prepare 3 c. quick rice.

Melt a tablespoon or so of butter in a large skillet.

Add 1/2 c. green onions (chopped), 1/3 c. slivered almonds, and 1 crushed clove of garlic.

When almonds are lightly browned (3-5 minutes), add rice and seasonings to taste such as salt, pepper, thyme, etc. Blend and serve.

I also served a can of corn. Another easy recipe. :)

Enjoy!

-Andrea

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Rose Chintz and Baseball Season

This morning is a ball park morning. I got up early, made breakfast, running around the kitchen plating one thing at a time as it was ready: pancakes, cheese eggs, grits, bacon, refills of juice and milk. I sent up children to get dressed, brush teeth, and brush hair. I ran up upstairs to find misplaced cleats. I ran back down to help locate hats and ballbags. I rushed everyone out the door with their dad for pre-game practice, only to realize I had never eaten my breakfast!

So I decided to take a little while to enjoy it since the games don't start for another hour! I made a little breakfast tray, adding the potpourri from my earlier post here.

Until recently, I shied away from a lot of pinks and pastels on the table. But, I have fallen in love with the Rose Chintz pattern by Johnson Bros. I found four dinner plates at TJ Maxx for 3$ each. Whoo hoo! (I have 24 snack plates, too. You can see them in my daughter's post here. They are a very unusual shape. To die for!) Here I am using the dinner plate with my Fortecrisa pink swirl glass dinner and salad plates. The glass plates are a little smaller, more like the size of a luncheon and a bread and butter, so it's a perfect fit!

Old Master by Towle.

A sterling goblet.

A sterling sherbert with potourri.

And a rose napkin! I will post a tutorial ASAP, but the ballfields are calling!

All in all, it was really nice to take a breather. Now I have to run to the ball field and cheer on the Cardinals and the Screamers! This is my favorite time of year!

And later that day...