I love clam chowder and I’ve passed this love down to my kids. My daughter is a picky eater, but one food she loves is clam chowder. I think it’s a odd thing for a picky eater to like. Clams are an acquired taste. Since it’s something I know we’ll all eat, Sunday afternoon I decided to try a new recipe. I found a recipe that looked pretty good on the Food Network website. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mikes-clam-chowder-recipe/index.html
The kids were in a good mood so I convinced them to help me make the chowder.

They peeled and cut the potatoes (with my help).

This is my absolute favorite kitchen tool. It’s a little mini chopper from Pampered Chef. I use almost daily to chop herbs, garlic, or onions. I don’t think I could live without it. We used it to chop the thyme and parsley for the chowder.

They stirred and added ingredients. Then they lost interest. My son took the puppy to the dog park and my daughter drew pictures. I decided to get ready for Tablescape Thursday on Between Naps on the Porch.

It may not be anything fancy, but my kids thought they were royalty. I don’t usually set a table quite like this when it’s just the four of us. My youngest was so excited that her cup wasn’t plastic! I love taking a simple soup dinner and making it into a special night for my family. Seeing their smiles gives me a joyful heart.

Here  are a few linky parties I like to participate in.

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Here’s a family dinner.

This was from a day when my daughter and I made clam chowder for dinner.  She was excited to use the soup tureen and the tablescape just grew from there.

This was our tablescape from last Easter.

Here is a Thanksgiving tablescape from my sister’s house.

Of all the beautiful displays I’ve shared over the past year, THIS tablescape is my favorite:

My kids, with a little help from dad, prepared a perfect Mother’s Day dinner for me.  They called it a seafood extravaganza.

There was shrimp with cocktail sauce, smoked salmon and crackers, fresh berries, salad, bread, and crab fettuccine. Grandma’s fine china and favorite sparkling cider glasses are paired with the plastic butter container, salad dressing bottle, and jar of sunflower seeds.  Honestly, it was the best meal I’ve eaten in a long time.  Their table setting made my heart melt.  It was a perfect Mother’s Day, spent with a perfect family.

Happy belated Mother’s Day!

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It’s been a long time since I’ve participated in Tablescape Thursday, at Between Naps on the Porch. I didn’t actually arrange any of these tables, but they are beautiful and need to be shared. They are the Thanksgiving tables of my sister, sister-in-law, and a neighbor. Enjoy!

 

 

 

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Well, since beginning to participate in Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch, I’ve been inspired. I’ve been excited to try new colors, experiment with textures, and break out the fancy stuff that I normally don’t let my kids touch! I’ve been married for fifteen years and I think I may have used my wedding china once. Yep, once! Part of my hesitation is that it’s too nice and I don’t want to break it. The other problem is the color. It’s blue. Remember all those warm colors I said I like? Blue was not on that list. I have no idea what made me choose blue china fifteen years ago. Thanks to BNOTP, Tablescape Thursday, I washed up the china that has not seen the light of day in many years, changed my drapes so things would blend a little better, made a table runner to incorporate the colors I love, and let the family use the fancy stuff!

The bunny napkin rings didn’t really match with my tablescape, but it was Easter and my 5 year old really wanted to use them. My mom bought 24 of these napkin rings many years ago, when she worked at Macy’s.

I borrowed gold chargers from my sister. Here’s the blue wedding china and the goblets that I’ve always been afraid to use.

After setting the table, it was looking very boring. I was really wishing I had a table runner that could incorporate some of the reds and yellows that I love. Then, I remembered that I had this fabric. It was purchased with a different project in mind, but it was the perfect fabric for a table runner!

My table wasn’t a typical Easter tablescape. The napkin rings didn’t match, and the flowers that my daughter picked out didn’t look quite as beautiful as I had hoped. But, sometimes it’s not about the tablescape as much as it is about the people around the table.

Here are a few linky parties I like to participate in.

The post My Easter Tablescape appeared first on home is where my story begins....

I love clam chowder and I’ve passed this love down to my kids. My daughter is a picky eater, but one food she loves is clam chowder. I think it’s a odd thing for a picky eater to like. Clams are an acquired taste. Since it’s something I know we’ll all eat, Sunday afternoon I decided to try a new recipe. I found a recipe that looked pretty good on the Food Network website. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mikes-clam-chowder-recipe/index.html
The kids were in a good mood so I convinced them to help me make the chowder.

They peeled and cut the potatoes (with my help).

This is my absolute favorite kitchen tool. It’s a little mini chopper from Pampered Chef. I use almost daily to chop herbs, garlic, or onions. I don’t think I could live without it. We used it to chop the thyme and parsley for the chowder.

They stirred and added ingredients. Then they lost interest. My son took the puppy to the dog park and my daughter drew pictures. I decided to get ready for Tablescape Thursday on Between Naps on the Porch.

It may not be anything fancy, but my kids thought they were royalty. I don’t usually set a table quite like this when it’s just the four of us. My youngest was so excited that her cup wasn’t plastic! I love taking a simple soup dinner and making it into a special night for my family. Seeing their smiles gives me a joyful heart.

Here are a few linky parties I like to participate in:
http://homeiswheremystorybegins.net/linky-parties-i-like-to-participate-in/

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