by Helen Kain | Jun 3, 2023 | Antique glassware, Home, Pink and Red, Recent, Summer Tablescapes, White, Yellow
The much-awaited peonies are blooming, and it’s time to celebrate. The soft pink shades go with almost anything; this year, I’ve settled on a sage green palette with peachy-coloured true Depression glass, produced from 1928 to 1940 and aptly named June...
by Helen Kain | Jun 3, 2023 | Cakes, Desserts, Holiday, Home, Recent, Spring Recipes
It’s late spring, and with spring comes rhubarb. Alleluia! The trick with rhubarb is to cook it with sufficient sugar for a short enough time to take the edge off the tartness without making the fruit mushy. In this recipe, the rhubarb is macerated (making it...
by Helen Kain | May 13, 2023 | Blue, Home, Recent, Spring Tablescapes, White
I feared for the Lilies of the Valley when we elected to plant a fledgling pink dogwood tree in the middle of the patch last year. I needn’t have worried, apparently. We had a bumper crop. Despite their delicate appearance, they are one tough plant. Mrs Alice...
by Helen Kain | May 7, 2023 | Green, Home, Pink and Red, Purple, Recent, Spring Tablescapes, Summer Tablescapes
The lilacs are blooming, the sun is shining, and I’ve just finished tucking a couple of dozen dahlia tubers into the perennial garden. It’s time to get cleaned up and have a mug of tea. The table is already set with Chelsea Porcelain from the Royal...
by Helen Kain | Mar 25, 2023 | Blue, Easter, Pink and Red, Recent, Spring Tablescapes, White
The Easter Bunny approacheth. And we’re ready to give him a great big welcome. With iced sugar cookies, baskets of treats and a whole fluffle of bunnies. Bunny Hollow by Fitz and Floyd was manufactured from 1989 to 1993. I’ve had the covered bowls for...
by Helen Kain | Mar 12, 2023 | Green, Purple, Recent, Spring Tablescapes
Our bedside clock got a jump on us. Maybe it thinks 2023 is a leap year because, unbeknownst to me, it moved itself ahead overnight on Friday. I rose Saturday morning at what I thought was 4:45 am, ridiculously early enough as it was. My decaffeinated brain did not...
by Helen Kain | Feb 25, 2023 | Beef, Recent, Savoury Pies, Winter Recipes
We are big fans of hot, savoury pies in our house. There is something deeply comforting about a gravy-laden pastry and hot buttered vegetables on cold wintery nights. They freeze beautifully, so if you are so inclined, double the recipe and make some small pies for...
by Helen Kain | Feb 25, 2023 | Green, Recent, Spring Tablescapes, St. Patrick's Day, White
We’re coming up to the end of February, and spring beckons. The days are noticeably lighter and warm(ish) enough to tempt me outside to set a bright spring table. With St Patrick’s Day around the corner, I wanted to try my hand at a suitably seasonal but...
by Helen Kain | Feb 5, 2023 | Blue, Pink and Red, Recent, Spring Tablescapes, Valentine's Day
It’s getting on for Valentine’s Day, so I thought I’d share a table all gussied up with pink flowers and a Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberries (of course). Famille Rose (“rose family”) Blue by Williams Sonoma is a modern rendition of a...
by Helen Kain | Feb 4, 2023 | Cakes, Desserts, Recent, Spring Recipes, Valentine's Day
An intensely moist and fudgy cake filled with chocolate mousse and fresh raspberries smothered in rich chocolate frosting. Could anything say “Valentine’s Day” more eloquently? The original recipe is from Sharon Kurtz of Emmaus, PA, who took top honours with it...
by Helen Kain | Jan 21, 2023 | Cakes, Desserts, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Tea, Winter Recipes
Zesty lemony, buttery cake studded with tangy blueberries—a perfect afternoon pick-me-up or dessert. It could even qualify for an indulgent breakfast at a stretch (ok, a large stretch). It would certainly fit the bill for brunch, with perhaps Asparagus, Tomato and...
by Helen Kain | Jan 21, 2023 | Black, Grey and Pewter, Recent, Winter Tablescapes, Yellow
The jumping-off point for this table was a runner I picked up from Williams Sonoma at the end of the season a few years ago. Apparently, the matching napkins had been more popular than the runner because they were all gone, and the runner was in the “get it out...
by Helen Kain | Jan 21, 2023 | Desserts, Recent, Spring Recipes, Winter Recipes
A silky smooth, tangy lemon sauce sits below a light-as-air soufflé. What could be more delightful? Easy to make, this is the perfect bright citrus dessert to finish off a rich winter meal. The boxed version doesn’t come close, so whip up those egg whites and...
by Helen Kain | Jan 3, 2023 | Fall Recipes, Mains, Pasta & Rice, Recent, Winter Recipes
Who could resist such a gorgeous display of Swiss rainbow chard? Not me! It was in my grocery basket before I had time to think about how to use it. But wait…I’ve got the Paprika app on my phone! So pull up the recipe portion and enter Swiss chard. There...
by Helen Kain | Jan 3, 2023 | Blue, Orange, Pink and Red, Recent, Spring Tablescapes, White, Yellow
It’s back to the workaday world for me this morning; some floral cheer is in order. Thank heaven for tulips. Inexpensive, long-lasting and readily available, they’re the perfect cure for the January blues. And speaking of inexpensive, I bought Pioneer...