christmas table in red & green

 

I know Thanksgiving is just around the corner, but today I was playing around with some of my vintage red and green transferware plates as inspiration for upcoming Christmas celebrations. I  like the look of this arrangement, but now I need to choose which place card holder looks best. 

Won’t you help me decide? I have four to pick from:  the Christmas tree in a bottle, the nutcracker, the little glittered house or the brass reindeer.  I guess I have a thing about table accessories! I found the bottle and the house this year at Pottery Barn, and purchased half a dozen of each. 

The reindeer (originally from Pottery Barn too) and the nutcrackers I found at my favorite thrift store, in brand new condition.  Let me know what you think! 

  

These green goblets are also from my favorite thrift store!

  

and the brass candlesticks are too!

  

The flatware is Calvin Klein purchased on ebay. 

 

The red plates are Spode and the green plates are Wood & Sons.

  

The table runner can be found Pottery Barn and 

the chargers were originally from Sur la Table, 

but can be found in lots of different stores.

ciao! fabiana

my thanksgiving menu

My Thanksgiving menu is all set!  

My family enjoys the same traditional foods

from year to year,

so this is the menu we came up with

 to make everyone happy.  

Everything is made from scratch,

including the chicken stock which

 I will make tomorrow and that will be

incorporated into the stuffing and gravy.  

Side dishes include maple infused sweet potatoes

and fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes

which both go through a potato ricer for the best consistency.  

Never use an electric mixer,

because the potatoes will end up gummy

and not fluffy!  

My secret to moist turkey is to buy a fresh organic bird,

 not previously frozen.  

For years I would spend hours trying to

thaw out my turkey

and they would always end up being a little dry.  

I simply slather on some butter, salt and pepper.  

Inside, I include a fennel bulb, onion

and maybe an apple or orange.  

I lay the turkey on rows of celery stalks in the pan,

instead of a rack.  

That way, all that yumminess from the pan,

the drippings and veggies,

go into my turkey soup for the weekend.  

All these recipes are in my head.  

I don’t follow recipes,

except for the pies,

but timing is so important in cooking the turkey. 

Figure out how many pounds your turkey is

and time it correctly.  

For the cranberry relish,

fresh cranberries are cooked in freshly grated ginger,

a little brown sugar and the juice and zest of one orange.  

The addition of ginger is so good for digestion!  

I also use freshly grated ginger (and nutmeg) in the pies.   

Fresh ciabatta bread, mushrooms, apples, onions, celery, fresh herbs (lots of sage) and more go into the stuffing.  

This year I am going to bake it in

a bundt pan,

as seen on pinterest!

The corn and brussel sprouts are cooked simply

with butter (for the corn)

and olive oil (for the sprouts) and salt and pepper.  

 

The pies are also made from scratch.  

Sweet potato chiffon, recipe by Emeril

 and good old pumpkin pie, of course!  

Bon appetit!

 ciao! fabiana

a turkey recipe and more

A bold option this year for your Thanksgiving turkey is this recipe that’s packed with heat—and a hint of sweetness. Infuse your turkey with this amazing spice rub and then roast it with the honey-hot sauce glaze. Surprise your loved ones at your holiday table this year with an interesting twist to a traditional favorite.

Twice-Cooked Sweet Potatoes get a kick this year with the addition of Tamari, a richer version of soy sauce. Honey and orange zest add the perfect contrast to these beauties. 

This combo of roasted pumpkin and carrots in this Roasted Pumpkin Soup creates a deep caramelized taste that screams “fall y’all!” Top with glamorous jewel-toned pomegranate seeds and a swirl of sour cream. 

Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie earns its nutty flavor from the browning of the butter and aroma of the spices. 

ciao! fabiana

Recipe source:

Southern Living

my favorite shops: weekend inspiration

anthropologie

As we go in for the final countdown of thanksgiving week, I wanted to share a little tablescape inspiration from my visit to South Coast Plaza today.  How do you like to set your table for thanksgiving gatherings?

williams - sonoma home 

pottery barn

anthropologie

Grateful today for the little things….

ciao! fabiana

throw in some tartan this season

Fall and winter are seasons when I just want to feel cozy.  While I was shopping the other day, I spotted a few pretty plaid throws that I thought would make great holiday gifts, but then it occurred to me how great these large tartan scarves would look on a table. 

I remember seeing some tablescapes on pinterest that I loved, using table scarves.  So, I picked up a few at only $10-$15 each.  

These are flannel throws fit beautifully on a dining table.  After the holidays, they are perfect to add to my wardrobe to keep me warm during those cold winter months!

Here are the two I decided to work into a tablescape.  The gray one has pretty orange and yellow accents, so I thought it would look lovely with a bouquet of fall leaves I clipped  a from a tree in the neighborhood.  

The “Burberry” print scarf is so pretty for fall or Christmas, since it has hints of red in it.  The real Burberry scarves sell for about $395! Lovely, I’m sure, but we are just having a little fun here!  

Orange and hints of yellow are perfect for fall.

I like adding a few rustic touches, in keeping with the season.

This was my Friday night dinner tablescape.

Now for this other scarf, I started playing around 

with my different Thanksgiving plates and accessories.

A variety of turkey plates look great with the colors in this plaid table scarf.  I just love the colors of fall!  

I love that this “Burberry” pattern crosses over so easily into Christmas and winter. 

This fun little stocking that holds silverware and the little snow globe place card holder are new!  Here are a few of my favorite inspiration photos....

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

ciao! fabiana

💕

While I’m here today, I wanted to share some of my "Tablescaping Essentials" with you. I have a whole page on the Amazon website with my favorite picks for setting a beautiful table.

Quite often time is of the essence, and I have last minute projects or events to work on, so I turn to Amazon for one or two day delivery. You’d be surprised at how many amazing items they have to offer! And I'm constantly updating this page with my new favorites. 

You can check it out here, at “Tablescaping Essentials”.