Tag: family

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Flowers @ Heath

IMG_1470 IMG_1480 {This years crocus and hellebore’s at Heath}

The cherry blossoms lining the Tidal Basin off the Potomac River tell us that spring is most definitely on the way! And after the long harsh winter, everyone is waiting for warmer weather, longer days and more time spent outdoors. The anticipation of things to come begins with the gorgeous colors of crocus, daffodils and hellebore’s sprouting around the grounds at Heath.

IMG_1424{Large bowl of daffodils in the kitchen}

My love of flowers goes back to early childhood, when I would pick blooms from my mom’s garden or even the neighbors {mostly without their knowledge}, and would decorate the rooms at home with freshly picked tulips, daffodils or lilacs. The fragrance that emanated always inspired me to sketch or paint these fabulous flowers into notebooks. I am really looking forward to the feel of spring rain and the warmth of the sun while working in the garden, where I will create my own spectacular beauty at Heath.

Garden stylishly,
K

 

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Thanksgiving Prep

IMG_0782

When I was in fourth grade our class re-enacted the first dinner the Pilgrims had with the Indians, and each student was set a task of creating hats worn by the Pilgrims or the bands with feathers that the Indians wore. We also created food; table settings, pine-cone turkeys and my job was to make woven place mats from the earth-toned construction paper. It was so cool when the teacher instructed us on how to make these mats by cutting strips of paper about an inch in diameter. Then the sheet that was to be the mat was folded in half and we marked the paper in inch slots and used scissors to cut our paper down to an inch (on the margin) at the top and bottom. Next we wove the paper strips into the mat and voila, we had a decorative mat. I was so excited about this project that my mother let me make mats for each member of the family that year for dinner.

But, this year I am looking for less labor-intensive ways of prepping our Thanksgiving meal. My mom was the true traditionalist while in the kitchen during the holidays, she would be up at 5 AM to get a 22 or 24 pound turkey with dressing along with a ham and beef roast ready for dinner with all the sides. And while she has handed the ladle over to me along with the majority of the cooking, the kitchen and responsibility are now mine.

So, I decided to tweak a bit off the traditions by changing the meal from sit-down to buffet. I will be prepping a great deal the weekend before the big day with chopping and grating, and then placing items into zip-lock bags before assembling later in the week to make various casseroles and/or side dishes.

I am drafting a menu along with a meal planner so, that I will have a step-by-step guide when cooking. I did a bit of shopping today and will go to several additional stores next week so, that I can settle down to baking and cooking a fabulous meal starting next week, and if I have a bit of time next week I will post the menu planner.

Cook stylishly,
K