Vote!

 We had our state primaries today . . .

And this is how we celebrated St. Patrick's Day this year!  Vote!

Dinner Fit for a President

The Liberty Blue Ironstone china was made in Staffordshire, England as a promotional item for the American Bicentennial, by Benjamin Franklin Federal Savings & Loan Association.  

I only own a few pieces of this china, just enough to put together a simple dinner table for two, in honor of George Washington, our first president.

The dinner plate depicts Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and it's slightly smaller than a regular dinner plate, so I added the Lenox Federal Platinum dinner plate beneath it, to act as a charger.

Then, came the Bread & Butter plate, depicting Washington leaving Christ Church.

Ever since I began collecting dishes, it's become a compulsion to turn the plates upside down to see what I can find on the back side.

The darling cobalt, glass-blown vase came from the gift shop at Monticello, originally the residence of fellow Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson.  I'm sure Jefferson could never imagine his home becoming a museum with a charming little gift shop, but there you have it.  It wasn't easy, a mere few days after Valentine's Day, but I managed to find some spray carnations with a touch of red on the leaves.  Now, I could have some red, white and blue on the table.

The Reticello lace napkins, were given to me by my godmother on the baptism of my second son.  They are only 18" x 18" so I generally prefer using them for luncheons, but I felt Martha Washington might have appreciated them, following Abigail Adams advise to her husband in a letter dated March 31, 1776, to "remember the ladies."  The placemats are Sferra in the Clearwater color.  Similar shades were often found in colonial homes paired with Prussian blue.

The Jefferson flatware by Reed & Barton for Monticello.  I've had this flatware for years and still love the Fiddle & Thread pattern typical of the 18th century, and which Jefferson loved.  With all his flaws, I'm a big fan of TJ.

The Laguiole butter knife with the rosewood handle, is made in France, but derived from a Spanish-Arabic knife style typically found among the shepherds in Cataluña, Spain.  It's doubtful that it would have appeared in Martha's table, George would probably not have approved, but I love these little spreaders and bring them out to play whenever I can.  

George might have been a stickler for proper behavior, and even wrote a book about it.  I wonder what he would think of today's manners.  I wonder what he would think about my calling him George.

The Cape Fear candlesticks are made of pewter, an alloy very common in Colonial America.  Cape Fear is an actual port in North Carolina, but very treacherous to make landings, hence, the name. Both the glasses came from the Dollar Tree.

The table is set.  For dinner, a hearty beef roast surrounded by root vegetables, all of which could be found in the colonies.

And for dessert, Cherry Pie.  It was delicious, I cannot tell a lie.

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!