Beauty & the Feast

A Storied Thanksgiving Table

“Words set the tone for how the table is set,
and how the food will be digested.”

~ T.F. Hodge

The beginning of any event or tablescape starts with a story. Fundamental to both my business & personal life, storytelling writes the personal notes of an event in the margin. For me, the narrative to a celebration often begins with a heartfelt treasure, a color theme or seasonal florals. When it comes to Thanksgiving table styling, I believe it should reflect the gratitude of family history, reflection of the past year & of journeys to come.

I am partial to vintage china & serving pieces. Eleven sets collected over the years, to be exact. I often dream about the families that sat around their own table, sharing the holidays together. A new favorite is a set of Spode Buttercup, in amber and brown. Fitting of an autumnal table. Mixing in salt cellars, crystal jam dishes & the odd dessert plate for a sweet butter dish adds to the curated feel.

Linens are also a treasured finds at estate sales. Imagining the woman who quilted blankets or embroidered sweet details to napkins, tea towels, cloths & runners. One of my favorite cloths is Quaker Lace my parents received as a wedding gift in the late 1950’s. Layering multiple pieces creates charming texture.

Storied centerpiece collections I have created includes family photos of those who have passed, collected figurines, heirloom books, cake stands with Jack-be-Little pumpkins & gourds, and fresh flowers in favorite vases, tea cups & cream & sugar bowls. Favorite seasonal flowers & greenery include Heirloom mums, cottage roses, Dahlias, leaves, sunflowers, Amaranth, grasses, seed pods & Camomile. All in warm cozy tones.

Place cards, a pretty napkin & a sweet take-away at each place setting is a gracious touch for your guests. If you don’t have the perfect curated piece you have in mind, often thinking outside of the box results in a story personal to you. Whether family or framily, swanky or intimate, guest or host- setting a storied table is noteworthy.

Pam’s Tips for a Meaningful & Storied Table

1.
Shop your home on a calm day prior. A Sunday afternoon is a perfect time for me. Make your self a cup of tea & turn some music on. Carry a basket or bin as you connect with the past year while you “shop”. Look for old photos, family table cloth or candle holders, favorite vase or a collection from a trip or school year gathered over the past year.

2.
If you have a choice of china to choose from, organize your pieces and give a fresh wash if needed. Likewise with linens needing a fresh iron. *If you don’t like to iron napkins, a pretty paper works fine. Everyday dishes look special with a napkin & a favorite caramel placed on top. By adding a ribbon, jam jars substitute for vases with a nod to the harvest season.

3.
Organize all of your serving pieces. Coordinate with your menu. Add a note to each one… for what it is to be… along with the serving utensil needed.

4.
Place cards artfully created by you ahead of time. Or task the kiddos in your group to create one for each person the day-of. This becomes a fun project for all ages.

5.
If you are a guest and not the host, I love to recommend what I call a “Hosting” gift. A kind way to say thank you for all the intentionality creating your holiday celebration.

“She” Shells

“She sells seashells by the seashore,
The shells she sells are seashells, I’m sure.
So if she sells seashells on the seashore,
Then I’m sure she sells seashore shells.”

~1871 “The Family Herald”

You won’t find me selling my shell collection any time soon. Take me on vacation and my bag is always heavier on the way home. Shells, rocks, driftwood, sand—all collections of nature-made treasures. Each jar, shoebox or pottery bowl holds a cherished memory of a day, a stroll or adventure.

The beach has always been a refuge for me. Whether distant islands, the Pacific coastline or our unique Puget Sound. Walking bare feet along the shore. The repeated act of creating foot prints is meditative. Sometimes filling with water, others a perfect replica. My eyes scanning the shoreline ahead of me, looking for a treasure.

A favorite collection takes me back to the Long Beach Peninsula with our boys. Each Spring Break & Kite Festival Week were long & carefree days. Dogs running in the sand, boys building forts, plaster footprints, sandcastles & sandy sandwiches. A particularly intriguing find, buried in the sand. A collection of small toys. Treasures left for young boys to puzzle over and imagine who left them to be found in the expansive shoreline.

A memorable family trip to Hawaii produced a heartfelt collection of tiny shells from Kauai, reminding me of my father. Tucked in their home of a child’s shoe box and in my heart. More exotic travels to the Caribbean even turned up a turtle egg casing. Along with my other treasures from tropical travels, they are home in an apothecary jar. A conk shell from a Harbor Island lunch shack, sits atop a stack of books. An heirloom collection of shells passed on to me accent our Guest Room. And treasured white pebbles from a landlocked beach in Greece. A sea of white, which we soon discovered were marble pebbles of all sizes. Soft & smooth from their time tumbling in the harsh elements of the sea. A few now reside in a silver bowl on our coffee table.

Both reflective & celebratory memories can be found in the Puget Sound. My favorite beach scattered with smooth granite stones. Speckled & varied in size along with tumbled pieces of driftwood. A few chosen pieces find their way to my garden. Lining a pathway, grouped at the base of potted plants or added to our fountains for the birds & bees to rest upon.

Pebbles have found their way into my own art too. My signature pottery piece is called “The Pebble Pot”. Telling the story of the pebble, much like our own human story. Edges softened with time; comforting & familiar. This story is woven into the tale of the pebble that is tossed into the water. Its rings spreading further and further, reaching far beyond that initial splash.

Writing the chapters of endless summer days & winter respites, strolling along the shore, resting in a comfortable beach chair reading or exploring a new seashore are welcome anytime of year. A sense of gratitude washes over me for this tiny world nature creates for our enjoyment & balance—whether you find me selling seashells or not.

“The sea air and society were meant to coax her out of her shell before her season commenced. It didn't quite work that way. Instead, Maddie spent most of those weeks with shells. Collecting them on the beach, sketching them in her notebook…”

~Tessa Dare, When a Scot Ties the Knot

When Life Gives You Lemons—Get Creative

“Like the first ray of sunshine, a lemon wakes up the senses and refreshes the soul.”

~Alice Waters

The brilliant citrus flavor & cheery sun color of lemons always puts a smile on my face. In winter its addition to a holiday sauce adds a bright note. Long summer evenings are enjoyed with a favorite Happy Hour treat, the Lemon Drop. Lemon Chicken sprinkled with Herbs de Provence fills the house with a homey aroma. And a springtime dessert bar sings a fresh tune with a classic Lemon Bar.

“If life gives you lemons, don’t settle for simply making lemonade – make a glorious scene at a lemonade stand.”

~Elizabeth Gilbert

A favorite summer event for our young boys was a Lemonade Stand. Our previous home was on a corner of a cul-de-sac with a wide front lawn. Setting up their small table & chairs, a fresh pitcher of Lemonade with ice and slices of fresh lemons & cups. An a sweet hand lettered sign. The quintessential childhood entrepreneurial activity.

“In the simplicity of a lemon, there’s a complex burst of life.”

~Alice Waters

Lemon & Lavender mingle together in Italian countryside memories. A rental house in Umbria was our home for a week’s time. Lemon trees, fresh eggs & fresh herbs gathered from the property provided the base of many creative meals. The reminder that the simplicity of ingredients create a slow and sustainable approach to cooking.

“Cooking without lemon is like eating without tasting.”

~Daniel Boulud

I have considered my favorite pantry items previously. The humble lemon has alway resided on the top of the list. Other “must haves” are salt, olive oil, eggs, sugar/honey, gf flour, vanilla, cornstarch, baking soda, rice, chicken stock, beans, greens, cheese, chicken—and coffee!

“Lemons symbolize a fresh start; their zest is a reminder to renew and refresh.”

~Donna Hay

Springtime is the perfect time to incorporate this zesty citrus as a seasonal refresh!

Pam’s Favorite Lemon Bar

Ingredients:

1/2 c unsalted butter, room temp + more for pan

1/2 c confectioner’s sugar + more for dusting

1/4 t salt

1 c Bob’s 1-to-1 gf flour

4 egg yolks

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

3/4 c fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 8” square pan. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving overhang on 2 sides; butter paper.

2. Make shortbread crust: Using mixer beat butter, sugar & salt until light & fluffy. Add flour & mix on low until just combined. Press into bottom & 1/2” up sides of prepared pan. Prick all over with fork. Bake until lightly golden, 15-20 min.

3. Make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together yolks, condensed milk & lemon juice until smooth. Pour over hot crust in pan; return to oven & bake until set, 25-30 min. Cool completely in pan.

4. Refrigerate until filling is firm about 2 hours or up to 3 days. Using paper overhangs, lift cake onto work surface; cut into 16 squares. Dust with confectioners sugar.

**I love to serve these Lemon Bars with homemade ice cream & sliced strawberries.

(Original recipe credit Martha Stewart 2019)

Wintering In—

“In the winter she curls up around a good book and dreams away the cold.”

~Ben Aaronovitch

December

Winter arrives each year amongst a flurry of holiday activity. To my heart, Winter Solstice surpasses the seasons most romantic event—Valentine’s Day. The longest night of the year. Giving way to a gently lengthening of days. Set against a back drop of the night sky full of stars, Christmas lights, kindness & tenderness.

“Every moment is a fresh beginning.”

~T.S. Eliot

January

Following the weeks of anticipating a new year, we turn the calendar to a fresh beginning. “Is this your slow season?” I am frequently asked. My answer as a small business owner is, “I don’t believe there is one.” Winter hits is stride with closing of books and tax preparations. One of my favorite parts of January is adding events & bookings to our calendar. With each inquiry of wedding florals, custom orders, popup invitations & nonprofit requests comes an excitement for the year ahead.

“I can buy myself flowers”

~Miley Cyrus

February

“Kindness never goes out of style,” and I feel is essential to all relationships, including ourselves. The shortest month of the year is the busiest for the floral industry. I enjoy spending the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day curating non-traditional gift offerings & designing fresh color palettes for our florals. I so enjoy selecting the perfect cards, self care products & plants to offer. February date nights consist of dinner & a movie. As amateur film enthusiasts, Mark & I commit to watching the award season movies.

“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”

~Percy Bysshe Shelley

March

The anticipations of spring always gets the best of me by the time March arrives. Pruning of Hydrangeas is winding down, garden beds are planned, seeds started, sprouting of green everywhere. Birds are gathering material to create their nests for the approaching season. My favorite cherry tree always shares her flower splendor, daffodils reach for the sun, cleaning and organizing every nook and cranny has begun.

During the winter months within its scurry of activities, I consistently am drawn to celebrating life’s quiet rituals. An extra cup of coffee in the morning, sipped from my favorite mug. A fire in the fireplace, Henry stretched out getting cozy. Striking a match to light a soothing candle. Curled up with a book from the top of my reading stack. Throwing new pottery pieces, painting or sewing. Organizing photos from the past year—a perfect way to experience gratitude. Sometimes the sun is shining crisp and clear, creating patterns of light on the wall. Or rain that seems never to end. Every so often, a gentle snow fall, covering the gardens in a clean blanket.

Whether your winter months reflect your own cozy nest, snow bird to warmer weather or mountain eagle’s nest to enjoy the seasons activities—cheers!

C is for Cookie…

“I think cookies are sort of the unsung sweet, you know?

They’re incredibly popular. But everybody thinks of cakes and pies and fancier desserts before they think of cookies. A plate of cookies is a great way to end dinner and really nice to share at the holidays.”

~Bobby Flay

Most of us have childhood memories taken from the primary holiday book—cook book that is. Whether a neighborhood cookie exchange, tins of homemade treats for friends, office recipe swap or annual gingerbread house making. Each home has their own story to tell.

Years of Tupperware laden tables with dozens & dozens of cookies is mixed into my own holiday memories. It began as our family Christmas Eve celebration held at my grandparents farmhouse (a mere .5 mile from Belle Flower Farm). As the family member numbers rose, it evolved to my childhood home. The inevitable spread again and a move to the church social hall was incorporated.

Step 1: Gather your ingredients

Sisters that loved to bake. Two of the four took the pastry chef lead on this. They began early as ingredients went on sale, cracking walnuts in the fall & picking up the latest container at that year’s Tupperware Party.

Step 2: Get to mixing

A blend of old and new recipes—grandma’s favorite sugar cookie, nutmeg heavy, sat along side the “modern” Rice Krispy Treat. Peanut butter balls & Snicker-doodles. Chocolate crinkle cookies & Snowballs. Wagon Wheels, Fudge & Divinity. Vanilla jumbles, cutout cookies & more. Both sister baked at least 10 double batches each!

Step 3: Don’t Forget the Leavening

As all the sisters chatted on the phone, updates to the party plans, dinner menu & cookie numbers. Laughter was never far away. The objective, after all, was for the family to sprinkle fun with folding in memory making.

Step 4: Time to Bake

The timer went off & everything came together each Christmas Eve. Over 59 years of celebrating together. Soup buffet, Christmas carols & reading the Christmas story,  box in the box game, BINGO, Family trivia, talent show, Graham cracker houses, Christmas stockings from grandma, and later the “grandmas”—and cookies!

Step 5: Resting

After all of the cookies had been sampled, family members were encouraged to fill their empty containers with cookies to take home. Several dozen remained, set aside to become dessert for our own Christmas Day. A few favorite ones for Santa’s treat later that night.

All shared & enjoyed—until next year.

“Christmas cookies can’t help but be retro—

they are memory first, sugar-flour-egg-redhot-gumdrop-sparkle reality second.”

~Dana Goodyear

My own joy of baking lost its spring for a short time. Gluten free baking took some time finding the right flour to incorporate. As I bake our favorite holiday cookie recipes it now delightfully goes unnoticed. From Chocolate Pinwheel to Macarons, Snow balls to grandmother’s Nutmeg Sugar cookies—I am filling our cookie jar with a new twist.

“..and that’s good enough for me.”

~Joe Raposo

Dedicated to my late Aunt Margaret