Birthday Boy Tablescape

Getting ready to party!!!  They were coloring pictures of Thomas the Train. Here you can see the snacks set out in festive Train Depot themed attire!

Train Depot themed birthday tablescape!
A sweet family friend lent me her stash of goods when I asked for a picnic style tablecloth! She had enamalware, bandanas, mason jars, silk flowers, tablecloths and more. My mom had a small set of bandana style melamine plates and bowls she bought a couple summers ago from Target. Thanks, Mom!

Birthday boy and a couple friends!!! The little ones ate on cute bandana paper plates from Michael's dollar spot. I had matching napkins too!

Train cupcake cake!!!
My sweet Adrian asked for another train cake this year, so I played around with gum drops,
sprinkles and m&ms to add to the theme.

Grandpas eating snacks!!!
My dad is on the left, Papa to my boys.
Our dear friend, Doug (Da) is the closest thing to a second grandpa to our boys
since my husband's parents live overseas.
His wife, Mimi, was the one with the great stash!

I'm linking up with Susan from

Between Naps on the Porch for

Tablescape Thursday

Muffin Tin Monday & Muffin Tin Recipe!!

grapes, goldfish, White chocolate Chex Mix, pizza stuffed biscuits, summer squash

We haven't done many muffin tin meals over the summer and since we moved, but I love the idea and the portion size. It allows to me try new foods on my boys and get them to eat in a fun and cute way!

Andrew is learning how to eat a muffin tin meal with his mini fork! Adrian is a pro!

pizza stuffed biscuits

 Last night I made muffin tin pizza stuffed biscuits. I love this recipe because you can change it to your liking. I had leftover mini sausages and cheese from Adrian's party and a little salami in the refrigerator, so that's what I used.

1 can biscuits

mixture of cut sausage, salami and mozzarella

marinara sauce

Mix meat mixture with enough marinara to just coat it. Kneed each biscuit to flatten it and make it like a mini bowl and put it in the muffin tin. Add a heaping spoonful of meat mixture. Top with extra cheese. Bake at 350 until done.

I'm linking up with Muffin Tin Mom

Happy 4th Birthday, Adrian!!

Coloring pictures of Thomas the Train

Sharing a snack with his friends!

Opening presents can be a bit overwhelming!

Andrew got a present too! I love all the itty bitty toes in this picture!

Cupcake Train Cake

blowing out the candles

Eating my yummy cake!

Cranberry Dill Chicken Salad & White Chocolate Cranberry Chex Mix and a birthday

Today I wanted to share two recipes I created from memories of potluck school lunches and parties I've attended or hosted. 

I love chicken salad, but I'm REALLY picky about it...the consistency of the mayonnaise dressing, too sweet, too savory, too herby.   

I've eaten a lot that I don't like and just a few that were completely perfect...so I tweaked my recipe a bit to satisfy my taste buds!

I hope you'll like it too!

Cranberry Dill Chicken Salad

3 cooked chicken breasts cut in chunks or shredded

3 green onions sliced on the diagonal

3 celery ribs, each cut in half and sliced on the diagonal

1/2 - 1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

Dill (probably a good tablespoon)

Parsley

Pinch of celery seed

salt

pepper

mayonnaise

1/2 tablespoon of mustard

***You could add sliced grapes too. 

I just didn't want to pay $3 a pound right now***

Mix everything together well until salad is coated in dressing. Enjoy on a buttery croissant!

We are celebrating this weekend. 
My sweet Adrian turns 4!!! I can't believe I've been a mommy for 4 years. 
He is a handful of energy, sweetness, determination and stubborn will. 
He is a charmer and with good direction will grow up to be an amazing young man. I look forward to all the memories we'll make, but savor the time I still have with him as my little boy...
did I mention he's almost 4 feet tall and over 44 pounds? 
Yeah, he's not so little anymore! He weighed in at 7 lbs, 6 oz at birth. 
He was absolutely beautiful.

I made this last year when I was trying to come up with a party favor for Andrew's 1st birthday party. It was a hit!  

1 1/2 boxes of Honey Nut Chex

1 package of white chocolate / white almond bark

1-2 cups of dried cranberries

1 cup m&ms

Melt bark over LOW heat. Take off heat and add cereal. Mix well and spread on a cookie sheet to cool. Add cranberries and m&ms after cooled but not dry. Mix in and let harden. 

White Chocolate Cranberry Chex Mix

I packaged this up in little baggies for each guest and had a bowl of it at the party. It was so good, I thought it would be a great treat again. 

The possibilities are endless. You could add cashews or pecans. I used candy corn for Andrew's October birthday.

We are having a train cake...again and a Train Depot themed party, so with all the planning, I didn't post pictures yet. I'll get pictures of the tablescape and muffin tin ideas I used and share them all next week!

I'm linking up with 
Miz Helen for Full Plate Thursday
and

Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday

 and

the Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

Brunch in Indies Blue

 My mom gave me this Indies Blue teapot, platter and a couple serving bowls for my birthday in May. They stayed at her house til we moved in June, so I am very happy to have them out on display! 

The detail in this pattern is exquisite in my opinion. I love the scalloped swirls in the china itself. My mom  has a full set of Regency White and this compliments it beautifully. I'll have to 'borrow' hers for a tablescape one day! 

Today, I am thinking of my grandmother Jane Wallace. She had beautiful taste and very pretty things. Most of my silver pieces were hers. I will polish my tea set and use it in a tablescape soon! She was a well educated lady for her day and yet was an amazing homemaker. I think she would have loved taking photographs of her tables. 
Enjoy! I've saved a place for you...
We're serving omelets, bacon and breakfast sausage, homemade cinnamon rolls, orange juice and coffee (Texas Pecan)

Tablecloth--Romanian linen, gift from a friend
Rattan Chargers--Walmart

Johnson Brothers Indies Blue china--Ebay

Blue Swirl glasses--Pottery Barn years ago
Napkins--handmade by my mom
Napkin rings--Target Christmas clearance years ago

Silverware--stainless from Target years ago and Wallace Antique Bead -- Home Goods

Silver spoons-- from my grandmother...Tiffany & Co (I can't remember the pattern name)

 Silver plate teaspoons  Narcissus by International Silver plate -from my mom 

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday!

making memories...and donuts!!!

 Sometimes it happens...I have a coupon and I need to buy one small item in order to use the coupon...so I bought french donut mix from World Market when I needed a couple bucks added to my bill so I could get $20 off my curtains...you just add water and roll it out. 

We used mini cookie cutters in the shape of a flower and heart because it was cute and safe for my almost four year old to help!

we added cinnamon sugar on top

and a little honey on the side

you can kind of see the shapes...

my helper relaxing in his new living room

very little mess, but a LOT of fun!

I'm linking up with Smiling Sally for Blue Monday
a little blue bowl of honey and a lot of blue accents in our new living room...
and
The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays...enjoying some lazy summer nights!

Tablescape Thursday...home sweet home

My dishes are finally all unpacked. I sorted through napkins and linens the other day and the lighting was pretty good...I still need to buy a tripod. I was using my brother's months ago, but he needed it back. 

A sweet friend of mine who has traveled to Romania on summer mission trips for the past ten years gave me this beautiful tablecloth she received from a store vendor in Romania a couple years ago. She would take clothes and undergarments for the woman and in return, she gave my friend Romanian cut glass, beautiful hand crafted dolls and linens. My sweet friend gave me a beautiful red vase and bowl one year also.

I think it's linen, but it has been starched rather stiff, so I was trying to let it settle before I took an iron to it. It is stunning and she said her table was not big enough for it. She has eaten many a meal at our house, so she said she knew I would put it to good use. It came with 8 matching place mats, but I will use those on another day.

Our dining room.
The real star of tonight's table is this Romanian Linen and Lace tablecloth...a beautiful gift from a sweet friend of mine!

I used Blue Willow dinner plates and Blue Danube luncheon plates.

Some of my grandmother's silver, wedding napkins and grocery store glasses...my eclectic mix

I bought the centerpiece bowl a couple years ago on clearance...made in Italy...from Home Goods. I had it there already, so I didn't change it. We ate pork chile verde tacos with corn and black bean salad.

I'm linking up with Susan from Between Naps on the Porch for 

Tablescape Thursday