Here Comes the Sun: A Late Winter Tablescape

After a week of rain and gloom, here comes the sun.
To celebrate, I made lunch and set the table. These activities are soothing, almost like playing, and they have a way of turning a mid-day meal into an occasion.  As light blasted through the windows, I listened to Celtic music and gathered dishes.

Joy can be found in simple pleasures ...
setting the table
arranging flowers
and humming. 

Do you find this to be true, too?

Like my Mimi used to say, even plain, ordinary food tastes better when the table is set.

My mother believes that tiny details make a big impact. She believes in shopping your house and using old things in new ways.

You don't need to live near a HomeGoods (I've never been to one...but I have an idea that I'm missing out on Dish Nirvana; I need to find a nearby store--soon!).
Until then, a table can be embellished with edible objects.

But what about the rest of it?

Thankfully, my mother is a font of homespun wisdom, and she explained
the tablescaper's secret weapon: white, mismatched dishes.

They can be bought all at once (see the Gollum Dishes,) or collected over time. I found the white Clairmont dishes in 2009--at Big Lots.

For another look at mixing and matching dishes, check out "Dinner for Eight," or What to Do When Nothing Matches.

Menu

Orange-Roasted Chicken (cooked over a mirepoix)

Asparagus Tart

Sliced Tomatoes drizzled with low-carb honey dijon dressing

Low-Carb Finger sandwiches

Guilt-free angel food cake

Orange slices

coffee ~ sugar free iced tea

Rattlebridge Farm Asparagus Tart

                                              serves 4 to 6

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1 c grated cheese

1 bunch asparagus, washed and trimmed

egg wash

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle flour over a sheet of waxed paper. Place thawed pastry onto the sheet and gently roll the pastry into a square. Pierce the bottom with a fork and place into a tart pan or baking dish. Brush egg wash over edge of pastry. Spread cheese over bottom of dough. Arrange asparagus spears over the cheese in a wagon wheel pattern (or place them in a linear shape--cut the asparagus to fit the shape of your pan). Bake 18 to 20 minutes.

Rattlebridge Farm is all about simple food.
Even when I'm not pressed for time, I like to serve this light, no-fuss cake. It won't win a beauty contest, but it's heart-healthy and (almost) sugar free.

Rattlebridge Farm's Guilt-Free Cake
                                                                     serves 6

1 "no sugar added" angle food cake (grocery store)

1 carton sugar free cool whip

fruit

"Ice" the cake with Cool Whip and garnish.

Yep, it's that easy. I used oranges because my husband was craving them. In the past, I've garnished angel food and pound cakes with fresh flowers HERE and HERE. Just place a small juice glass in the center of the cake. Add water and a bouquet. I've also cut the cakes in half and spread the surface with sugar-free pudding and sliced fruit.

I love dishes, but I'm not a seasoned tablescaper. My floral arrangements are hit or miss. It helps to see the humor in tablescaping.

Life is not a magazine shoot. Real life is messy and perfectly imperfect.

Real life is gravy on the tablecloth and clutter beyond the camera's view. But it's nice to have a sunny spot, a place to putter, relax, and spend time with family.

Here Comes the Sun is a Tablescape Thursday contribution.

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