Christmas with the Angels

Here are my two Golden Angels, a Christmas present from my husband many, many years ago . . .

One holds a lyre . . . 

The second one holds a violin . . . 

Gold seems to be making a comeback after years left out in the wilderness, and it paired perfectly with the Spode Delamere Brown, which I had wanted to use for a Christmas table, instead of always relegating it to Fall tables (next, I'm going to try it on a Spring table).

A few things to notice about our table this year.  It is in fact, a new table.  After a lifetime of using inherited dining room sets, first, my parent's, later my mother-in-law's, I was ready to finally bring my own style to our dining room.  I will always treasure the memories we made on those tables, but it was time for a change.  When I saw that a local Amish furniture gallery was having a sale, I rushed over there and tortured that poor sales lady for days, until I got the design that I wanted.  

I'll write more about my table in the coming days, but I'll just say that the table had just been delivered a mere week earlier, and I had barely had time to play with it, so this was a very exciting day for me!

Even with the splash of Christmas red, the Delamere Brown always brings nature to mind.  These Leaf Christmas tree ornaments were a serendipitous find at Crate and Barrel.  Not only did it bring a touch of nature to the table, but they were gold besides - and everyone got to take one home!

Here is the Oak Leaf . . .  Do you notice the tiny acorn attached?

The Maple Leaf . . .

And the Birch Leaf.  I also brought out the Delamere Woodland flatware, stamped with forest creatures, like quail, ducks and deer . . . Here's a closeup of the forks.  I didn't take many pictures of the flatware this time because I've featured it in a few other posts.  Check out this post in which I used the flatware for the first time.

I walked by the floral department of my local grocery store and spotted these arrangements, which were made perfect after I added a few white roses.  White roses class up any act!

As for the napkins . . . Not only is it “C” for Christmas, but it's also the initial of our last name.  Aren't they beautiful?  I ordered them from Etsy.

The amber goblets are Mikasa French Countryside.  They have now discontinued this color.  I wish I had gotten more of them.

A tired little angel . . .  Sofia, my nephew's daughter . . .

Here is part of the Cheney-Grimón tribe . . .  My son, David was stationed at the time in South Korea, and couldn't be with us.

And one more picture of my family:  My son, John, nephew Kevin, brother Al, and nephew Colin.

And a cardinal in the Christmas tree!

A Patriotic Picnic: Cantigny Park

We recently discovered Cantigny Park, practically in our own backyard!  Where, oh where, have we been all these years!  It's located in Wheaton, Illinois and approximately 20 minutes from our house. 

Cantigny Park was the former home of Robert McCormick, who owned and ran the Chicago Tribune and made it into a formidable publication in the early part of the 20th century.  His biography is rather interesting and worthy of a read.  Upon his death in 1955 he bequeathed his estate to the McCormick Charitable Trust, now the McCormick Foundation, and at his request, the estate was opened to the public.

What a legacy!  The grounds are breathtakingly beautiful.

Filled with flowers, plants and trees of all sorts, the paths invite the visitor to walk and wander through its many gardens . . .

. . . and stop to admire the pools and statues that dot the landscape.

The marvelous Rose Garden contains more than 1,000 rose bushes, representing many, many varieties and classifications.  I could spend hours in this garden alone.  Now that we know this place is here, I must come back next year when the roses are at their peak.

This is the Chicago Peace Rose, described as a "glowing pink rose with a butter yellow heart."  This variety was hybridized in these very gardens.

Robert McCormick's second wife was very fond of oriental art, and brought back many curiosities from their many trips to Asia, especially China.  A pair of Foo Dog statues (also known as Imperial Guardian Lions) flank the front of the house.

   

The 500-acre property was originally called Red Oaks, but McCormick renamed it Cantigny, after the battle in France in which he saw action with the Army's 1st Battalion.

He also endowed the First Division Museum on the same premises, but it's currently closed for remodeling.  It contains all kinds of tanks from WWI, and from other wars that followed it.  It's now become a military museum.

Once the museum reopens, we'll have to go back.  Alas!  What sacrifice!

After wandering around all morning, and visiting his former home (no pictures allowed, unfortunately), it was time for lunch in one of their picnic groves.

And because military history enveloped us everywhere, it seemed logical to bring out the red, white and blue.

I prepared an easy and delicious picnic that could stay in the car for a few hours while we wandered around the park:  Sandwiches made with Egg and Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade on French Baguette. To drink we had lemonade.  We had also tucked a bottle of Sancerre in the picnic basket but it was so hot that we craved the lemonade above all else and never got around to opening the wine.

The sandwiches were messy and drippy, but utterly delicious.  The recipe was simplicity itself:  I sliced hard-boiled eggs, and added some Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade from a jar (that you should always keep in your pantry for emergencies, sometimes it's called Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta).  A dash of salt and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes enhanced the flavor, but were not really needed, so feel free to skip these, if you'd rather.

The sandwich was hard to photograph because it wanted to fall apart; I need to work on my sandwich building skills.  My husband, reluctantly held out what was left of his so I could snap a photo.  I should've made a couple more!

Then, for dessert, we had freshly cubed peaches marinated in Grand Marnier, and served with Madeleines to help soak up the boozy juice.  Light and so perfectly suited for the season!  The peaches have been marvelous this year here in the Midwest!

I love museum gift shops.  They always carry such intriguing merchandise!  And books, of course, wonderful books.  I found this small collection of poems from World War I, the most famous of which is "In Flanders' Fields."  It is very poignant and reminds us of how truly tragic war can be.  

I wish I had been able to find red poppies instead of red carnations, to honor our fallen soldiers.  After WW I, poppies have been adopted as a symbol of remembrance.  But my local florists didn't have any.  It would have required a special order.  Why don't I ever see poppies at the florist or grocery store?  Note to self:  Plant some poppies in the garden this fall. 

This afternoon, I was once again reminded to be grateful for our country, with all its flaws.  And to live in the moment, and have many, many picnics!

This adorable dragonfly that I also found at the gift shop says it best:  Enjoy today!

Getting back on the horse: Blogging again.

But the horse never bucked me!  The problem is life.  A demanding job.  A longer commute. Facebook.  Too many things happening!  I've missed blogging dreadfully, and I have so much to share that I'm making a promise to myself not to be gone so long in the future.

Since food is fun, comforting, and emotionally easy to address, I'll start with that:

Here was last night's dinner - Chicken Tortilla Soup.  It was truly delicious.  I followed The Pioneer Woman's recipe, more or less.  I've been turning up the heat in my kitchen a bit more for the last couple of years after reading of all the many health benefits chili peppers offer.  I know, I'm late to the party.  In addition to Vitamin C, carotenoids, and antioxidants, they are great to help regulate insulin in the body, and even helps break up gallstones!

Can you tell I'm getting older?  Now food not only has to taste delicious, but it has to have some redeeming healthy quality, if only to justify it to myself.  My heat tolerance is still low, compared to that of most of my friends, but it's definitely improving.  If you attempt to make this recipe, take it nice and slow with the hot spices, until you find the level of heat with which you are comfortable - and be sure to have some sour cream on hand to cool things down in a hurry!

Our interest in Mexican food was rekindled recently during a visit to Rick Bayless' "Topolobampo" restaurant here in Chicago.  We waited for our table next door at "Frontera Grill" sipping sangría (we are not into margaritas), admiring their alebrije - a Mexican folk art sculpture of a fantastical creature. 

. . . and enjoying the most unusual, but delicious Chef's Choice Guacamole, made with mashed avocado, infused with morita chile, grilled onions, oregano, chorizo and queso fresco.  It was fabulous!

And that was only the beginning because the 5-course meal that followed at Topolo's (as the name is frequently shortened) was inspired.  The courses were described elaborately and presented with flare, but when it came down to it, the food was of the utmost freshness and simplicity.  It took us three and a half hours to finish the meal.  I felt like I was in Europe, in one of those delightful suppers that never seem to end, and in which the conversation flows like good wine.  If you have the opportunity to visit one of Rick Bayless' restaurants, don't miss it!  It's definitely worth it!

Martha Stewart posted the beautiful picture above of  her Leftover Salade Niçoise, and it spoke to me because it reminded me a bit of my grandmother's salad  - Carmela's Salad, of which I have previously written.  I felt like Martha was challenging me to take it up a few notches, so, of course, I had to try making it . . .

. . . even down to making up a batch of my own Roasted Red Peppers.

Voilà!  I omitted the anchovies, because neither my husband nor I will eat them (although I don't mind them in a Caesar Salad Dressing, where their fuzzy texture is obliterated by the blender, another day, perhaps). Everything was Martha-worthy - organic, locally grown, grass-fed, antibiotic-free, pesticide-free, and wild-caught.  We feasted on it for two days.  Challenge met, Martha!

North Carolina Pulled Pork was another new entrée to feature at our table in a recent weekend dinner.  I convinced myself that because it was dressed with apple cider vinegar and honey, it had to be healthy. The pork came out very tender, but we decided we really missed the barbecue sauce, so I'm not sure if I'll be making this one again.

My attempts at healthier eating aren't always successful, but sometimes they are.  Dr. Hyman's Green Breakfast Smoothie, which he touts as probably "the healthiest smoothie in the whole world" has been part of my breakfast for the last few months, and I'm enjoying it! It is actually very tasty, and easy to make with the help of a good Vitamix blender, and my wonderful husband, who prepares the veggies for me.

Since our recent trip to Hawai’i we've welcomed papayas back into our lives.  I don't know why we've ignored this delicious fruit in the past.  My mother was very fond of it.  In Cuba it is generally known as "Fruta Bomba" - Bomb Fruit.  In Havana, especially, the sophisticated town mice would never utter the name "papaya" which in Cuban slang represents the female genitalia.  This article will help explain this Cuban idiosyncrasy.  I guess it's better that it look like a bomb than a part of the female anatomy.  We humans are so sexually repressed!  Ha!  In any case, they've been exceptionally good this year, and we have indulged.  Go buy a papaya before the season runs out!

Ah!  Food!  We can't avoid dealing with it daily.  And what joy it brings when we do it right!

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” —Virginia Woolf

I'm back!

Valentine's Day 2017

It had to be red roses ...

The toile placemats depicted such a lovely romantic scene!  He's on his knees, asking for what?  Is he asking for her favors?  Is he proposing marriage?  Methinks the lady needs further convincing ...

In another intriguing scene the lady seems to be listening to the troubadour(?).  No, it can't be a troubadour, his hose and shoes seem too fine.  Is he wooing her?  If so, his technique needs improvement.  He really needs to look into her eyes.  Or maybe he's trying to tell her to go away . . .  Alas!  Men often don't understand a woman's heart.

I have been, once again, transported by another romance from Alexandre Dumas.  Are you familiar with The Sphinx?  I thought I was an AD connoisseur, but I hadn't heard of this one!

Save it for your next vacation, when you can linger, and pay attention to the various strings of the plot and it's many characters.  I loved it!

I used all my French-looking patterns.  The dishes are Mikasa French Countryside, and the flatware is Jefferson, by Reed & Barton for Monticello.  Both have the "fiddle and thread" pattern typical of the 18th century.  The plaid napkins are from Pottery Barn, several years ago, and, finally, the wooden heart I found at Joann's and painted myself.  I needed a heart on the table.

Red goblets were a HomeGoods find several years ago, and the champagne flute are Chartres, by Atlantis, now discontinued - they were given to us at our wedding.

I forgot to photograph the food, but because St. Valentine's fell on a weekday, the menu was simple:  Strawberry Spinach Salad with Sliced Almonds and Poppyseed Dressing, Roasted Chicken with Steamed Broccoli, and for dessert . . .

Two proven aphrodisiacs, at least at our house:  Chocolate and strawberries!