French Blogger: entertaining

Showing posts with label entertaining. Show all posts

Monday, July 1, 2013

strawberries and roses - the red and white bouquet

Roses are blooming,

strawberries are fruiting,

the sun is shining

and the evenings are warm....

two outsized bouquets on my table,

in white tureens

a little buxus,

five different roses,

some chamomile, or feverfew (I can never remember)

a couple of peonies .....
and the strawberries

candles,

champagne,

good food,

charming company ....

it's not much to ask is it?

hope you had a lovely weekend

with something pretty on your table too!

Saturday, May 25, 2013

dining in the kitchen

Dining space in the kitchen always looks relaxed and friendly, but I sometimes wonder how practical it can be when you're really entertaining?

You know what I mean .... the table is laid beautifully, your guests arrive, everyone moves staight into the kitchen to enjoy an aperiitif and watch the finishing touches be added to the meal; wine is poured, the first course enjoyed ... then cleared for the main course and so what do you do with the dishes?!

If you are all sitting in the kitchen, you don't want dirty dishes spoiling the decor, and neither to do you want to start piling plates into the dishwasher... or the sink...

So I wondered, with the fashion for big open kitchen and family rooms, how do you work it? Where do you like to eat? I mean for big family meals, or if you invite friends over for dinner or lunch.

Here in the summer (if it ever arrives!) we enjoy nearly all our meals outside, but the rest of the year it's mostly in the kitchen for breakfast and quick family lunches, then in the dining room for 'proper' meals and when we have guests or friends with us.

As we finish with plates they are taken out of the dining room and into the kitchen to wait.

The kitchen looks like a riot broke out by the end of the meal, but I don't mind because it is all out of sight, and I just clear away once every one has gone.

So how do you work it? Do you think that dirty dishes just adds to the fun, or do you hate the thought of your guests seeing your kitchen in a muddle?

Do tell, I'd love to know :)

hope you have a happy weekend, thank you for reading me

all pictures from Pinterest

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

the last minute autumn table

Running late last weekend with friends invited over for supper in front of the fire. No time to do anything fancy on the table ... I simply grabbed the patissons and mini pumpkins from the garden with a few dahlia heads stood individually in liqueur glasses, some autumn leaves from my neighbour's virginia creeper and some candles in cake moulds stood in moss-filled pots.

As a table runner I found a piece of antique linen with some pumpkin orange ribbons sewn down the center, and that. was. it. !

What have you come up with recently for decorating a table in a hurry?

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

summer food - la tomate

Summer food... we want fresh, we want healthy, we want quick and abundant and high in colour. La belle tomate makes an appearance nearly every day on our table during the summer. Oven roasted, sun dried, puréed in a gazpacho or quite simply sliced and seasoned with olive oil as a salad.

Doesn't take much ..... some good tomatoes, olive oil, olives, basil leaves,

some rock salt, maybe a few anchovies ......

part of the enjoyment is the beauty of the fruit itself ...

and what to serve alongside for a quick and easy lunch on a hot day ....

this combination has been happening a lot here this summer, tomato salad and goats cheese

baked in the oven on a slice of good bread , a little olive oil and a few sprigs of thyme ...

it really only takes a few minutes ...

and it looks so pretty it can go straight from the oven to the table

all these great pictures were taken by my daughter Ella, you can see more of her photos here .... please excuse her for not updating too recently, she is busy living her life!! :)

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for the last of my august giveaways - this one you do not want to miss!!

Monday, August 27, 2012

summer entertaining - improvisation is the key!

While we were on holiday in the south last week, we kept the meals fresh and simple, but in the evening it was nice to enjoy our dinner al fresco and dress it up a bit!

Of course, away from home, I had none of my familiar 'accessories', but one little foray to a local brocante fair provided me with a heavy linen sheet to use as a table cloth, and some charming vintage glasses and pitcher that immediately gave a 'special' feel to the table.

Added to that a few candles in champagne glasses and really the simplest of flowers, nothing more than branches of pink roses and a variegated greenery. First we tried them in tall wine glasses, then finally simply laid them down the table centre.

White plates and the simplest of cutlery, summer can be easy on the eye ...

How about you, do you like to improvise a special table now and again, or is the holidays for making life as simple as possible?

all the wonderful close up shots here are by my daughter Ella - thank you sweetheart! :)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

springtime entertaining

With the arrival of spring many of us emerge from our winter hibernation and enjoy entertaining friends and family again. The time of year when we long for spring flowers, pastel colours. I love the way the season delivers a license for creativity, permission to decorate tables with style, to add flowers to dishes ... to have FUN!

Here are some ideas to inspire you for your Easter and spring entertaining - enjoy !