Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from July 18, 2010

A Refreshing Take on Chicken Salad and one of my Poems

Here is a yummy Chicken Salad with a twist, so perfect for these hot summer days we're experiencing.   I used to make this years ago.  Do you ever have something you make a lot and then forget about it?  That's just what I did.   I made it again a few nights ago after re-discovering the recipe and everyone loved it.  Ashton asked if I'd make it again this week.  What makes it unique is that it's got a dressing made with Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix  and the addition of pineapple. Super fast and super easy to prepare. I made a little extra dressing and we served it over mixed greens with some crusty cheese bread.  It was light and refreshing and still hearty enough for a dinner meal. Food always looks so good on blue transferware! Pineapple Ranch Chicken Salad (from a Hidden Valley Ranch brochure) 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken 1 cup sliced celery 1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks*** Separately combine 1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing / Dip mix with

Toile de Jouy and Transferware ~ A Black & White Tablescape

Toile de Jouy pronounced twal duh zhwee derives its name from the fabric that was first manufactured at the Oberkampf factory in Jouy-en-Josas, a village located SW of Paris. The factory became famous for its monochromatic toiles (meaning canvas or cloth) which were printed in red, blue, or black, on a white or cream background.  At first, the Oberkampf factory produced only floral designs block printed with wood blocks. In all, more than thirty thousand block print designs were utilized to print fabric there.  In 1752, Francis Nixon, of Dublin, Ireland, designed an improved way to print fabric. He discovered that engraved copper plates and a cylinder system could transfer designs to cloth. This required less manpower than wood block printing, and was more cost effective. An added benefit of copperplate printing is that the design area repeat could span up to as much as a yard, whereas wood blocks were only 10" wide. Oberkampf, wanting to stay abreast of new technology, even

French Manor Houses

Preparing for my tablescape tomorrow night, which features a transferware pattern depicting a French Manor I did a bit of research and came across some beautiful French Chateau's and Manor's.  In France, the terms chateau or manoir are often used synonymously to describe a French manor-house.  Although not typically built with strong fortifications as were castles, many manor-houses were partly fortified: they were often enclosed within walls and included various outbuildings.       This particular manner was rebuilt in the 18th Century.  The pepperpot towers framing the pediment were added in the 19th Century.  I love these rooms of the home. In fact, this is kind of my dream interior.  I'd decorate differently and not so sparsely.   I think my needlepoint rugs, traditional Old World furnishings and of course my English transferware would fit right in.  Oh, to dream. One of the outbuildings on this property is the barn, whose originations have been dated to