Buried In A Book. And More Easter.

Long awaited book in one of my favorite series came out a few days ago. I've been able to catch a few chapters here and there. Last night I geared up to finish it. (I already ate one muffin I couldn't wait!) I am happy/sad to say, I finished it!

 *Sigh* Now I have to wait a long loooong time for the next one...

And I got my Foyer done for Easter. I know. Minimalist. But that's how I roll...

 I've had the topiary for 20 years. Bought it at Target, LONG ago. It actually broke in one of our many moves (if you look close you can see a repaired crack at the base). I remember with the topiary I bought some cute pastel Easter dishes, I'll have to put a tablescape together for another post! But I digress...I was looking for a cute sign to bring everything together, and guess where I found my "Easter Joy" sign? While buying a birthday card at Walmart! Yes. WAL MART. No joke. Don't discount Walmart. Sometimes they have good decor! You'd be surprised. 

And my French Country Fireplace. I keep feeling like there is so much more I could do with it, but I'll figure it out one day. 

 

A French Country Breakfast

Ah, breakfast in bed with Blue Transferware. I've got eggs and bacon under that lid, with hot tea and porridge with blueberries. I love porridge, and this kind has only 2 net carbs, made with defatted almond flour and flax seed. I make it when I want something hot and filling for breakfast. I'll attach the recipe at the end. (My water goblet got filled after the picture too--didn't want it to spill!)
...But back to the Transferware. These are pieces I've collected over the years. Some are Madison Bay Company, others are pieces I bought 10-15 years ago. They all have the same mark:

Double Lions and a Crown. Since all of the pieces shown are Antique Reproductions, they were most likely made in China. But apparently the company that made them has gone out of business, so these pieces can only be found online on sites like Ebay and Etsy, and a few Civil War sites, etc.. 
I take good care of them--and I always hand wash when I'm done. I don't care what anyone says, if you want dishes to last, you hand wash them right after you use them, in not-too-hot soapy water and dry them with a soft dishtowel. And they will last beautifully.

I love all Transferware colors, Blue, Red, Green--I don't have much experience with Purple, but there are some gorgeous patterns out there. It takes you back to another time. And it is elegant, too. I'd take Transferware over plain, modern dishes anytime!

Here is the recipe for Almond Flour Porridge. The consistency is more like Cream of Wheat, which I grew up with and adore.

(I found it on Low Carb Maven):

Almond Flour Porridge Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons Sukrin Defatted-Almond-Flour
• 1 tablespoon ground golden flax
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 large beaten egg
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 tablespoon Sukrin Gold
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Traditional Method: Measure the first 4 ingredients into a small pot and place over medium high heat.
2. When the mixture begins to simmer, turn the heat down to medium and whisk until it thickens and becomes hot.
3. Remove from the heat and add the beaten egg, little by little, whisking all the while. Place back over medium heat and whisk quickly until the porridge gets thick. Remove from the heat and whisk for 30 seconds more.
4. Whisk in the butter, Sukrin Gold, and cream. (Can use coconut milk)
5. Garnish this low carb almond porridge with your favorite ingredients and enjoy!
6. Microwave Instructions: Mix all of the ingredients together in a microwaveable bowl until thoroughly combined. Cook on hi power in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until thick and hot.

Recipe Notes

Only Sukrin's Defatted-Almond-Flour will work in this particular recipe.

Behold!! Teeccino!! (And Easter Prep)

I have discovered the HOLY GRAIL of low carb drinks! As I've mentioned in previous blogs, I'm not a coffee/tea drinker. So I'm always on the lookout for substitutes. I have formulated over the years a hybrid of Cafix and Kaffree Roma, which to me, substitutes quite nicely.

I was pretty happy with this "Cafixfree" imitation. THEN I LOOKED AT THE CARB COUNTS. To make it dark the way I like it, I use a tablespoon of each. And the result? A WHOPPING NINE CARBS.  Yikes. For those of you on Keto or low carb diets, you know this is almost half the allowed daily carbs! So, I looked for alternatives to my alternative. And LOOK what I discovered! 

Teeccino Organic Dandelion Dark Roast Chicory Herbal Tea! Yes, that's right, HERBAL TEA. I was skeptical, not going to lie. But this herbal tea packet has zero carbs and the reviews online were so positive, I decided to try it. Oh. My. Word. It is amazing! It tastes even more like real coffee than my Cafixfree combination! The tea bags are quite large. You place one in a teapot or mug and pour 8 oz boiling (has to be boiling) water over the tea bag and let it steep for a minimum of 5 minutes. When I'm making breakfast I make the tea first and let it steep while I'm cooking everything else and by the time I sit down, it's dark and rich and full-bodied and perfect. Add Truvia and a splash of cream and low carb heaven! And zero caffeine. I have finally found it! Life is good. ;-)

In other news, Easter comes early this year. April 1st! So I have started decorating. I am less "bright colorful eggs and pastels" and more earth tones:

I am REALLY into moss-covered bunnies this year. I have a few of them. I've been searching for a really big one, but so far no luck. Maybe I can make myself a cup of Teeccino and surf the internet for one. ;-) Happy Wednesday!

St. Patrick's Day is Coming!

Ah, St. Patrick's Day. In a nod to my Irish heritage (from my dad's side), we are extra-celebratory on St. Patrick's Day. I always make green food for breakfast, pack green lunches, and we all wear something green if not everything green! My first green breakfast left a lot to be desired:

Yes, it's green eggs and ham. I've gotten a lot better since then.

And St. Pat's Day is also a time for GREEN DISHES. Here is one of my collections, the "Gondola" pattern by Madison Bay Company. Unfortunately, these aren't being made any more so I am cherishing them for sure. I love new dishes that look old. That way I can use them without feeling like they will break or fall apart. And these are gorgeous:

Such a pretty green. And the best part about these? They are BRAND NEW.

Right out of the box. And they are dishwasher and microwave safe. So, yes, they are "cheap transferware," but they look pretty AND they are functional. I will have many tea breaks and breakfasts with these. And since I couldn't find any plates to complete the set (they are discontinued and clearly everyone who bought them is holding on to them because they love them too), I went on the hunt and found that "Tonquin" by Royal Staffordshire is a VERY close match. 

See? You can hardly tell the difference:

I went online to Replacements Ltd. and ordered some dinner plates and rimmed soup bowls to go with my dishes. Replacements Ltd. generally has things in pretty good condition. So, I will have a pretty St. Pat's day breakfast spread! Can't wait to post it!

Ready for Spring!

Can it be Spring already? I am getting a lil' tired of the freezing temps, cloudy skies, snow up to here, and lack of colors. So, I got out my springtime china (a great find at HomeGoods) and voila! Spirits lifted! (Can't wait to take this table setting out onto the porch when it's REALLY Spring!) And yes, I was tacky and used fake flowers. It's the Dead of Winter. Keeping it real...

Time for Toile

I have always had a fascination with toile. Especially dishes: French country, farmhouse toile, transferware, you name it. I have one set of glass-paned cupboards in my kitchen, and I like to change them out once in a while. I started with this:

On the top is "New England Toile" by Tabletops Unlimited, and on the bottom is Waverly "Fruit Toile" from Target. I had a lot more pieces but only a select few fit into these shelves. Now that I am going through a blue phase, this is what I have today:

Most of this transferware is "Romantic England" by Alfred Meakin, but there's some Spode Blue Italian and others in there as well. That's the beauty of collecting transferware, it doesn't have to be all the same pattern, mixing and matching is allowed. And it still looks great! (Next I'll probably display my Mason's Vista Red transferware, but for now, I'm going with the Blue.)

I've also recently developed a liking for GREEN transferware. I got this cute cute set online:

Just in time for St. Patrick's day! I have a few more pieces but that will be for another blog post. (Yes, I used the sugar bowl as a jam pot, don't judge.) Yes, I have a disease. I love DISHES! 

Who doesn't? :-)

Will You Be Mine...

Ah, Valentine's Day. My son, who is in elementary school, used to make hand-made valentines for his class. My favorites were his Minecraft themed ones a few years back:

I even made him a sweet valentines box:

I was pretty proud of it. Nowadays, I go to the local Target store and grab something sport-themed for him and a bag of heart shaped suckers or something like that. He's not as into "hand made" things as he used to be. With the mass commercialization of Valentine's Day, it's easy to pick something up in bulk. 

In the Regency Era, Valentine's Day was the same sentiment, but different execution. According to Donna Hatch: 

"Celebrating Valentine’s Day in Regency England was very different from the way we celebrate it today. It consisted of gentlemen and ladies–even people of all classes–exchanging hand-made cards with hand-written verses. During the Victorian Era, Valentine’s Day cards became mass produced, but in the Regency, such a gesture required more thought and care.

Cards sent were as varied as the senders. Some were made with gilt-edged paper, trimmed with lace–real lace, not paper lace since that had not yet been invented. They could be embossed or have gold overlay or even with sequins. Those who could not afford such luxuries made them out of simple paper, which was still an expensive commodity for the less affluent. Flowers seemed to be the most common decoration but cards were also decorated with hearts, birds, and cupids."

I think we definitely have it easier than they had it then! But easier doesn't necessarily mean better. Right?

Here is my idea of a great Valentine's Morning breakfast tray:

 This is my red transferware I've collected here and there over the years. It's mostly reproduction (with a few Johnson Bros. Old Britain Castles pieces), but I think it's gorgeous.

Happy Valentine's all! (I know it's not until Wednesday but I have a VERY full day and won't be able to post.)

The Beauty of Polonaise...and My New Table.

Noritake Polonaise. I've mentioned it in a few blog posts as the china used in the "Persuasion" TV movie (1996) at Kellynch Hall. But I was thinking about selling mine, and I took it out to have a look. I am REALLY torn...

The pattern is gorgeous. The gold trim...*sigh*

How could I even part with it? I have enough for two full place settings. And I got really lucky with the coffee and tea pots. It's a tough choice. Maybe I'll decide another time. ;-)

In other news, I have a new breakfast area table. Since my house is very French Country, my dark little missionary style table wasn't really cutting it:

I've had it for 15 years. It was originally orange wood, and I refinished it when I was going through my Brown/Cream/Blue Phase. But then I heard about Canadel, specifically their Champlain line, and I got to design the table of my dreams! And here is the end result:

DEFINITELY more farmhouse-y I'd say! And really lightens the whole room up. I'll never get tired of this one. Now I just need to convince my kids and Hubby that it is OK to eat on it every day! HAHA.

High Tea...For Just Me.

Laugh all you want, but I LOVE some of the English traditions. Since I am not currently staying in a hotel in the U.K. (or any posh hotel in the U.S. that offers High Tea), and I'm actually stranded in my house on a cold winter's day, I decided I needed some cheering up. So, I baked some scones (I love this recipe from Plated Cravings), and put together some cucumber/dill & egg salad finger sandwiches. Add some tea and Voila--High Tea for one!

It's not fancy schmancy like a REAL High Tea, but it was just for me-- so I'm good. (Warning, High Tea is not for low carb/sugar diets! If I'm going to splurge on carbs, THIS is the one time to do it.) And look at these sandwiches. Aren't they cute?

I slathered my scone with butter (don't judge) and some rhubarb-strawberry preserves and Devonshire cream and my oh my was it sooooo good!

I think buying clotted/Devonshire cream in a jar is A) expensive and B) silly because you can make it fresh at home! I made the cream earlier and stored it in the refrigerator, and unfortunately, I just couldn't wait to get it to room temperature! (That is what you're supposed to do with clotted cream/Devonshire cream, it tastes/spreads better that way.) But it was so fun and so delicious. 

Cheered me right up!

But if you really would like to know how to P-R-O-P-E-R-L-Y set up an afternoon Tea For One: Ellen Easton describes the how and why in this article, titled "A Proper Afternoon Individual Tea Setting." It's VERY informative! I had no idea there were so many RULES! But I am happy to remain ignorant, and make rules up for myself. However I do know the "3-Tier Rule" for High Tea. When you have the 3-Tier server, it always goes this way:

Sandwiches and Savories on the bottom, Scones/Biscuits with Jam and Cream in the middle, and Desserts and Treats on the top. So simple. Have to remember that!