Thursday, September 9, 2010

Bountiful Fruits, Part 2

Hi there everybody!  It's Tablescape Thursday and it's fresh and fruity at Tablescaping Escapades today.

A couple of weeks ago, Bountiful Fruits, Part 1 was out on the deck.  Today, Bountiful Fruits, Part 2 is indoors.  Come on in the kitchen.


In part 1, I used a smaller basket outside.  Normally, I use this basket in the kitchen.  I put books in the bottom because it sure would take a lot of fruit to fill this basket, LOL.  There are a mixture of faux and real fruit.


Ooh, Sunflowers.  Autumn is coming, but for now let's enjoy the last sweet fruits of Summer.




The four side chairs include the cabbage plates in the layers.  I need four more of those cute little cabbage plates. 


For now, I used two green flower placemats at the host and hostess seats. Instead of putting the black placemats beneath the dinner plates, I placed it under the rattan charger.




Last fruits of Summer....


I must say, this fruit salad is delish.  I adapted the Ina Garten's (Barefoot Contessa from Food Network) Fruit Salad with Limoncello to use the ingredients in my fridge and pantry.  My recipe is below for Foodie Friday with the talented hostess Michael Lee West at Designs by Gollum.


Here's the pitcher, loaded with fresh fruit and berry punch.


And to think, I almost left this pitcher at the antique mall.  Can you see the fruit impressions on the glass?


I think this grape decanter is so fanciful.  Usually, I fill this decanter with Welch's Grape Juice.  I discovered a new purple juice and I love it!  Today, this grape decanter is loaded with blueberries and Blueberry Pomegranate Juice from Ocean Spray.


I bought a new gadget on one of my recent Tablescaping Escapades ~ a pineapple slicer from Williams Sonoma.  A few weeks ago at my father-in-love's church's Summer Fest, one of the vendors served Pina Colada smoothies.  I think he made his with a non-alcoholic mixer.  For mine, I used ice cream and coconut cream.  My girls loved it, but Mr Wonderful isn't crazy about pineapples and coconut.  My mother-in-love and I enjoyed the spiked version.


In Bountiful Fruits, Part 1, I mentioned that I do not have any red plates - I know, shocking.  This time instead of the bamboo flatware, I used red flatware ~ extra pop of color.



Fruit is all over the kitchen.  Years ago for our housewarming party, my dear brother and sister-in-love gave us this cute fruit top cookie jar.


The pots and pans, I bought those for my apartment when I was still living the single life.  I keep them on top of my cabinets all the time.  I've been thinking about a change.  Do you have ideas of what I could put there besides vases and plates?



This treasure is a hand carved fruit stand that I acquired at one of the nation's largest craft shows.


See, it's an apple.


Lynns Stoneware China:  Venture
Rattan Charger and Basket:  Pottery Barn
Green and Black Placemats:  HomeGoods
Cambridge Jubilee Red Flatware:  Bed Bath and Beyond
Faux Fruit:  Hobby Lobby and Michael's
Fruit Splash Votive Holders:  Partylite
Grape Decanter:  From my decanter collection.
Fruitful Pitcher:  Antique Mall
Cabbage Plates:  TJ Maxx
Napkins:  Horchow
Napkin Rings:  Old Time Pottery

Here are the recipes.

Fruit Salad with Yogurt Topping


1 ounce of sour cream

6 ounces of vanilla yogurt

1/3 cup lemon curd (I used Sticky Fingers Bakeries)

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla (I keep the real thing from Mexico in my pantry.)

2 cups sliced strawberries (1 pint)

1 cup raspberries (1/2 pint)

1 cup blueberries (1/2 pint)

1 cup of nectarines (about 1 large nectarine)

2 tablespoons sugar

The juice of a lemon

Directions

For the lemon yogurt topping, whisk together in a bowl: sour cream, yogurt, lemon curd, honey, and vanilla. Then, set aside at room temperature.

For the fruit salad, gently toss together: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, nectarines, sugar, and fresh lemon juice. Let this fruit mixture stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.

Serve fruit in a cute dessert dish (or cup in this case) with a dollop of lemon yogurt on top.
This recipe is from Coco Goya for Pina Colada Smoothies.

Makes 3 cups

4 oz Coco Goya Cream of Coconut Creama De Coco (Instead of coconut cream, you could use coconut milk.)

1 cup of pineapple juice (or rum for libation or a split between juice and rum)

6 scoops of vanilla ice cream or vanilla yogurt (I used Edy's vanilla ice cream.)

Since I used a fresh pineapple as a glass for the smoothie, I froze the fresh pineapple  (cut into chunks) and added them to the blender with the rest of the ingredients.  You may also freeze the pineapple casing after you remove its fruit.  I also recommend using cold pineapple juice and coconut cream/milk to ensure the smoothie is cold, but don't freeze the coconut cream/milk.

Hey, be sure and stop by Susan's at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday and Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

All the Best,

Requi

13 comments:

Alea Milham said...

Bounty is what springs to mind when I look at your lovely table. I am inspired to work a little harder on my presentation after reading some of your posts.

Tricia said...

I do love this fruit-patterned china! It looks wonderful with the red-handled flatware, and I like your idea of mixing real and faux fruits. Very nice!

Barbara said...

Your china is so pretty. I love all the fruit that you used to decorate your table. It is just lovely to look at.

xinex said...

Your tablescape is so pretty but that strawberry dessert is out of this world. Your china is also gorgeous, just perfect for the pretty centerpiece....Christine

Marigene said...

That great centerpiece looks so nice with the china. The dessert is droolworthy!

Kathleen Ellis said...

Mmmmm...delicious tablescape! Love the theme and the fruit salad looks so yummie...the pina colada mixture sounds yummie, too!
Have a beautiful weekend~
;-D Kathleen

Linda (More Fun Less Laundry) said...

Pina colada smoothies! Yummmm!! i like the way you used the green plates on the side settings and the green placemats on the ends--what a good idea when you don't have enough of one. I have to remember that because I never seem to have the right number of linens for the table I am setting! I enjoyed your post! Linda

Anonymous said...

Your use of various vessels is terrific and the centerpiece, well, it's perfect!
BTW, the show was great today and there are 2 more days. Very exciting!

Decor To Adore said...

Oh boy does this look good! What time is dessert? :)

Claudia said...

Ohhh my your table is so fun and full of wonderful!

I love the desert for sure but that drink....ohhh i bet that was heaven.

You are definatly somone who could express your beauty well...stop by and join us on Fridays where we celebrate finding beauty.

Claudia

Entertaining Women said...

The bountiful fruit is perfect to pop the special colors in your dinnerware. The leaf plates really are wonderful, too. I hope that you can find your extras. Thank you for sharing your charming design. Cherry Kay

Entertaining Women said...

Thanks for stopping by! You'll love the Anchor Hocking Trio, but I should warn you that you'll find yourself shopping for the chop plate to all of your patterns...which is not necessarily a bad thing. The dinner plates actually fit better on the middle tier. I also have fun using them with assorted round silver trays. Each tray can be different, if you want, and it becomes quite the impressive accoutrement on a buffet table. Do you remember the tiered napkins for my post on the wedding reception? The trays are the base for that, too. I think that I use that trio of pedestals as much as any piece that I own. Best $20 buck investment that I've made. Cherry Kay

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

Your table is just filled with one delight after another! Love all your fruits and the recipes sound wonderful. What a pretty basket of fruit -- this is all so pretty.