Cooking Up A Storm!

  The gourmet club gathered at our house Saturday night and cooked up a storm!

Our contribution was the entree and dessert cheese plate.

Mr. A brined cornish game hens in honey and soy, then seasoned them with sea salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.

But first, we started with pomegranate martinis...

...hors d'oeuvres of fried sage leaves, kale chips and brie with apple compote. (not pictured)

Meanwhile, the hens were roasting, the homemade butternut squash raviolis were boiling...

...and the brussel sprouts with chestnuts and bacon were sautéing!

A lovely kale salad...

...was followed by the first course.  

A delicious kale soup.

Ummm, what's with kale everywhere?

The last course, a cheese, fruit and cheese platter.

I handpicked the various cheeses to go with figs, my son-in-law's fig compote and candied walnuts.

To end it all, there were pumpkin spice latte's all around!

Please email me here if you would like recipes for any of the dishes.

I think almost all of them would be perfect for Thanksgiving!

I'm joining Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday!

Let The Preparations Begin

 Yesterday, I checked lots of boxes in preparation for the gourmet dinner club tonight.

Whole Foods was my one stop shopping destination for the food we've been assigned to, as well as all the floral needs.

The first box to check:  The Centerpiece!

This is a real tablescape, so the centerpiece had to be low, and I kept it simple with a planter of herbs.

The herbs don't compete with the purple theme and they can be used later for Thanksgiving when seasoning the turkey and dressing!

 With various containers sitting empty around the house, I needed to fill them with something that would last, perhaps even into December.

Whole Foods had lovely Christmas greens which are so fragrant!

 In the living room, I used potted plants like this "antique" hydrangea in a faux wood pot.

I lined the pot with burlap instead of moss.

 Purple orchids for the prized Victorian urn, inherited from Mr. A's mother.

Notice, the curtains?  Yes, they arrived just in time!

 White orchids between the chairs.

 In the powder room, I filled the tartan urn with more fragrant holiday greens.

 Ah, they smell heavenly!

Let the preparations begin!

A Harvest Themed Tablescape

 Our gourmet club has been going strong for over three years!

Even when one couple moved to Chicago, we still managed to get together.

It's fun to meet ahead of time, plan the menu and decide who is hosting.

This time, it's our turn to host!

Silly me.  Nothing like hosting a dinner party a few days before Thanksgiving!

What was I thinking?

 Oh, I know...

I wanted to have a reason to set the table and create a tablescape.

After all, it's been awhile since I've done one.

I have to admit, I'm a bit rusty!

I started creating the "scape" with a harvest theme in mind.  That's what our menu reflects, so it makes sense to carry it through with dishes that depict a farm scene with garden tools around the rim.

The dishes sit on top of two chargers:  purple cabbage leaf and brown leather.

Grain sack placemats with a purple stripe keep the theme rustic.

Brown floral napkins keep the theme romantic.

The colored stemware echo the colors used throughout.

Purple, brown and green.

 This tablescape is not finished yet!

As you can see, I have a few more pieces of silverware to add.

And most import of all.  

The centerpiece!

Our gourmet dinner is Saturday night.

Stay tuned for the complete tablescape and the fantastic menu, including recipes.

China:  "Pastoral Davenport 1840," A.J. Wilkinson
Purple Charger:  Bordallo Pinheiro
Leather Charger:  Accents de Ville

Silverplate:  "Modern Baroque," Community Silver
Amethyst water goblet:  "Victorian," Fostoria
Tri-color goblet:  Global Amici

Placemats:  One King's Lane

Napkins:  Ralph Lauren

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

Also, Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest 

Three Years And Counting!

 It's hard to believe that three years ago, November 8th, I started blogging.

I had no idea what a blog was before that and no idea what I was doing when I wrote my first post!

It was my son, Aaron who suggested to me that I should start a blog after I told him about a great "website" my friend turned me on to called Cote de Texas.
"Mom, that's a blog," he said.  "You should have one too."

And the rest is history!
Three years and counting....

A huge thank you to all the followers and readers of vignette design.
All your comments and emails are why I keep blogging.
I truly love hearing from you, and cherish the new friendships I've made because of this blog.
It's been so much fun, and I look forward to another three years!

An Early Autumn Morning In Asti

 After being away for several weeks, we discovered that fall has officially arrived in Asti.

The first clue is the Mulberry Tree.

It's dropping its leaves and soon will be just a skeleton.

 The grapevines are just crispy leaves and shriveled unpicked grapes...

...food for the birds that are still hanging around, including the turkeys, who clearly didn't get the memo that Thanksgiving is just around the corner!

 I just love how the early morning light casts a warm glow on everything.

Especially the light in autumn.

Isn't it beautiful?

Yes, autumn has officially arrived in the wine country.

Mr. A and I are spending the weekend winterizing the house and preparing for our first Thanksgiving celebration in Asti.  

It's going to be epic!

Au Naturale Centerpiece

This wicker basket proved to be the perfect vessel for an armful of lavender.

It's like the gift that keeps on giving on the dining table in Asti, through the autumn months.

With Thanksgiving coming up though, I plan on filling the basket with found branches and nature's bounty, a la cornucopia style.
My plan for the Thanksgiving table is beginning to take shape!

The Last Of The Hydrangeas

It's early November and we're having a heat spell here in the San Francisco Bay Area!

A perfect time to harvest the last of the hydrangeas for the dining room urn before the rain begins.

Wishing you all a wonderful week and don't forget to get out and vote!