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Friday November 3, 2017 – Friday November 3, 2017

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Hi Friends!

Here it is… as promised. The recipe for the best chocolate chip cookies on the planet! The chocolate is key.. and you can find the recipe HERE. Happy baking!

XOXO,

Jenny

Hi Friends,

I served this amazing, “perfect for summer” salad at my dinner gathering in Utah. It has layers of amazing flavors that will have your guests palates soaring… and it’s beautiful as well! I am sharing the recipe with you all.. so go get some stone fruit before the season is over!

Happy Cooking!

Jenny

Hi Friends,

I don’t know anyone that would disagree with my “free is better” philosophy! I used to go to my local store for all the greens and flowers for my dinner table scapes. Get this…. I  had one lady at a local florist shop ask me where I lived before she would quote me a price for some branches of greens. What?! And the price she quoted me was ridiculously high! I didn’t buy them. On my drive home, I noticed all the beautiful trees and blooms in my neighborhood and in my yard. That got me thinking outside of the box!

The other day I went for a walk in my neighborhood and took shots of different tree branches, greens and blooms that I have used or would use. I want to share these examples of different tree branches and flowers (during the spring and summer seasons) with you all . If you’re lucky, you may have neighbors that are kind enough to let you clip some of their blooms. .

This is a birch tree that is in my front yard. I not only love these trees… the delicate leaves and branches are perfect for most table scapes year round!

Our neighborhood has a lot of Weeping Willows. These soft branches are beautiful on the table. I especially love the winter months when red berry like stems grow on this tree.  Two for one… win!

Eucalyptus trees have amazing branches! And I love the lemon scent this trees gives off. Another favorite of mine.

Jacaranda trees have beautiful blooms. I wouldn’t use the branches… they are too stiff and spikey but just look at those beautiful flowers! We have a lot of these trees in our region.

I am not sure of the name of this tree but look at those beautiful brilliant pink stems that grow off this tree! How stunning would those be in vases on your table?

I found this Melaleuca tree in my neighbors yard. Those little round purple puffs would be perfection in little vases!

Another shrub in my front yard. I have used stems of these little purple blooms intermixed with greens many times on my tables. Love it!

After we built our home, we planted a ton of these white Ice Berg roses in the front and back yard. These are like my “go with everything” white dinner plates. They go with almost any look anytime of the year. A great staple! Another huge favorite of mine are Hydrangeas. The grow abundantly here in a variety of colors…. don’t ask me how I forgot to take a picture of them!

You don’t always have to use flowers with your greens. Fruit is another great option. Apples, lemons, pomegranates, oranges, pears….. you get the picture.

When you look for branches or greens for your table, look for ones that will lay nicely. A lot of branches are stiff… those tend not to look great as part of a table scape. And don’t be afraid to mix different varieties of greens together… I love that look!

I live in Southern California so I realize you may not have these varieties where you live, but I am certain you have other great varieties I don’t have. Open your eyes to what’s in your area and experiment!

Make sure you place your branches and blooms in some water when you get home to keep them fresh until you need them.

It’s a beautiful world… and bringing some of that to your table may just be all the decoration you need… and all for the price of “freeeeeeeee”!

XOXO,

Jenny

Hi Friends!

I am on a roll… three weeks of table scapes for you! I hope I am able to help you conquer any fears or intimidation of putting together your own beautiful gathering. I’d love to hear from any of you that have done so!

Sunday dinners are a tradition and a much looked forward to time for our family. It’s typically the one day of the week that our family can consistently be together and “break” bread around the table. We love to invite friends and other family over. This week, we invited our son’s (who moved back for a short 6 weeks for an internship in our local area) friends and some of their wives from college over as they are all here for the summer. A mini reunion of sorts… a happy time for sure!

By the way.. I wasn’t sure if I would be home on Sunday (dance competition in Las Vegas for our daughter) but things worked out last minute. So this post can show you how this can be done on the fly! I got home early Saturday evening and planned this very impromptu dinner.

Tonights look is all about neutral texture and layering. I started with these crocheted pieces and laid them width wise.. definitely creates interest on the table.

Next… the second layer…. the old barn wood pieces that are one of my very favorite tabletop pieces. You will see these a lot on my different table scapes!

Step three…. If you’ve been following me and reading my blog posts, you know the drill with my cake pedestals and wooden bowls.

Branches clipped off of my Birch tree is just the look I was looking for. Lay them down the boards and around the base of the pedestals and bowls. Greens are always a good idea!

Another tip… start by draping the first branch on one side of the table and place the other branches in the same direction until you hit the middle spot of the table (there should be a candle or pedestal in the middle of the table). Then drape a branch on the other end of the table, and continue laying down the branches on the opposite side of the table in the same direction until you hit the middle of the table. Make sure to wrap some greens around the base of the table or candlestick holder. Be careful not to have anything close to the flame of the candles.  I may or may not have had experience with that!

I sometimes buy flowers the day before and keep them in water until I need them. I absolutely love these simple, “mini daisy looking” flowers. Aren’t they the perfect look for a summer table?

Last week I showed you how I love to use mismatched napkins. This week, it’s all about mismatched plates! Once again…. easier on your time and budget. Buy one plate at a time when you see one you love! I love this casual, fun and unexpected look. To keep the same theme…. they are all ceramic plates. You have to have some consistency in your look to keep it classy!

Once again, don’t underestimate what a great glass, cup or goblet can do for the look of your table. I have a lot going on with the different colored plates so clear glass cups were the ticket for tonight. These glasses have such a beautiful design on them.. they too are some of my very favorites! I have them in clear and one other color. I would love them in every color they offer!

This is just a shot to show you the beautiful setting and feel you get when you dine al fresco! I mean.. come on.. does it get any better than that?

Next come the candlestick holders and candles. Sometimes I do this step before I set up my plates, but with the mismatched plates, I wanted to see what would look best after I set my plates on the table. I decided on a very natural and rustic look. Two tall wooden candelabras and some old, antique maple syrup catching cups. When I saw these cups, I immediately pictured tall candles in them. Such a great and different look… don’t you think? A change from tea lights.

The final step… the food….. glorious food! Yes… steaks again (actually a variety of three different kinds of steaks.. yum!), I can’t get enough of a nice, juicy steak lately! And seriously… grilling them on our Traeger Grill takes them over the top on tenderness and flavor. Cant be beat! The perfect summer main dish.  Oh… and let’s not forget the truffle butter stuffed rolls… to die for! And before you ask (because I know you’re wondering), the salad is my Un-Waldorf salad. Everyone was in love!

And as always… the cherry on the top… our dear family and friends feasting, visiting , feasting, enjoying and feasting some more!

There you have it….  Another Sunday dinner with the Evans!

XOXO,

Jenny

This week we celebrated my son’s 16th birthday and we celebrated as a family with a special BBQ dinner. I wanted to keep the table scape simpler than the usual and definitely free of frills. So I am sharing with you another step by step of my table scape so you can see how do able it is.

Many of you ask where I bought a lot of the items I use…. Some of my things I’ve had for a while and have no recollection where I got it so I won’t be able to help you there. But I linked some of the items… or where I bought it so you can find it or find something similar if it’s no longer available. And right now, most of the items are on sale due to the fourth of July… how perfect is the timing of this post! I also went back to my recent posts to link the items that are still available for you all. I hope that helps!

First, I wanted to show  you my “before” prep. The more organized you are… the easier your dinner will go. Do as much as you can beforehand so you don’t feel rushed at the dinner hour.

I start with a list… always. Make a list of all the dishes you will be serving… down to the butter on the table and any sauces you plan on serving. From that list, I pull out the different platters, bowls, butter dishes and condiment servers that I will be using for each particular item served. I then place the serving utensil in each bowl/platter so it’s ready to go when the dish is ready to be put in it. If you need an extra reminder, you can write the particular dish that will be going in the platter on a small piece of paper and place it in the platter as well.

I also, choose what dishes, flatware, glasses and water pitchers I want to use and place them with everything else. And lets not forget the decorative items… candlestick holders, votives, candlesticks, vases with the flowers arranged in them… or anything else you plan to use on the table. As you can see here… I picked out the cake pedestals and wooden bowls I want to use to elevate my food. Literally… everything I plan on using on the table (with the exception of the table runner, or tablecloth and greens) is placed together in an area together. You can place you table runners and greens here too.. I always choose and have them outside before this process.

As I mentioned, I wanted to go simple and “no frills” for my son’s birthday dinner… so I decided to use this natural fiber table runner.

The next step is to place the greens. Earlier that morning… I went on the search in the common areas in my neighborhood for greens… and I chose weeping willow tree branches. Soft and interesting. During a part of the year.. this tree also has red berries that grow on the branches. I love that look… but this works.. even simpler.

For those of you that have been following me.. you know I always elevate my food with cake pedestals, wooden platters and wooden bowls that I turn upside down. Not only does it highlight your food.. which is part of your table decor…. you’re able to fit more food on your table to serve “family style”.

Next…. come any candlestick holders, votives, or hurricane lamps you’d like to use. As I’ve mentioned.. I wanted to keep it simple… so these little votives were the perfect touch. And when the sun went down.. the little light that streamed through the little holes were kind of magical.

 In keeping with the natural look, I decided to use my green plates that look like they are handcrafted. They really look like they are from a plate artist… and you’ll never guess where I found them. Target! I couldn’t believe it myself when I saw them. Gotta love a great find for a budget price! Each one is slightly different from each other in color variation. Amazing!

This evening, I chose my gold toned flatware. I am in love with these ones! And I love cloth napkins. They add a nice touch to any table and who doesn’t prefer cloth over paper? They also can add so much to your table decor. I needed just a touch of color and interest, so I used a variety of cloth napkins instead of using matching ones. This people… is the easiest way to collect napkins. Buy a napkin at a time when you find one you love. So much easier… and friendlier on your budget. Isn’t it a great look? Its one of my favorite looks and one of them has “Happy Birthday” weaved into the design…. guess who sat at that spot?

The glasses/ cups you use also add to your decor. I love to buy beautiful glasses and cups. I know your guests will also love that extra nice touch. As you can see here.. they can also add a touch of color and interest to the overall look. I have beautiful clear glasses, colored glasses such as these beauties, and different metal cups in different tones. Another beautiful item I love to collect!

And the final touch.. the food! Along with the water pitchers. Another thing I love to buy… in a variety of colors and textures. Now my table is complete… well almost.

No table is truly complete or beautiful without the lovely people gathered around the table. Time to feast!

When you set a beautiful table, you create an atmosphere that makes people want to stay and connect. I always love the look of a table that was “loved” by being used. Makes any effort so worth it… and this table took very little effort. This is an “after” shot when all the food was cleared and we were sitting and having an “after” meal visit. Gatherings are my favorite and I hope my newest 16 year old felt special.. surrounded by those he loves.

By the way.. summer nights are my fave.

XOXO,

Jenny