Gather Around the Table

Sharing a meal together is where life’s magic happens. It’s where we share our hearts, our joys, our tears and our laughter. It seems like lately, that hasn’t happened half as much as we’d all like, don’t you agree?  Today I’m sharing tips for making meals at home special and memorable when you gather around the table.

 

 

 

Gather Around the Table

 

 

I’ll admit that I love listening to my favorite music, assembling all the ingredients to get dinner started, chopping up a few vegetables and cooking a meal. Being able to serve it up on a plate to people I love is always something I cherish. But those of you who really know me, know that despite all the ways I love feeding the people I love, my true joy is setting a beautiful table. Every day.

 

 

 

A couple of weeks ago Mr. FrenchGardenHouse and myself started to miss going out to eat. It had been since Feb. 29th since we went out. {!!}  We missed the ambience, the food, the whole experience of eating out at our favorite restaurants.  So we went out to eat, very carefully, in a restaurant. It was delicious, the ambience wasn’t that great because we were in the parking lot since our county didn’t have “inside dining” yet….but still.

 

 

 

Arte Italica Merletto and Bella Bianca plates

 

 

 

I guess we (make that me!) were spoiled, I’ve been pretty much cooking all our meals every single day. You too? Mr. FGH loves everything I make, thank goodness, so he didn’t miss eating out as much, for obvious reasons.

 

 

 

Luckily, we (me again!) snapped out of it, and I’ve really loved gathering around the table – distanced thought it may be – and enjoying home cooked meals again.

 

 

 

Gather Around the Table

 

 

 

Today, I’m sharing a few ways to make each meal at home special and memorable.  Any meal tastes better when you put some kind of effort into setting the scene. For you, for the two of you, your whole family, or a group.

 

 

 

For our own table here at FrenchGardenHouse, I’m using these beautiful Arte Italica dishes. They are hand made, and beyond gorgeous. More than that, every creation from my kitchen looks SO GOOD on these beautiful plates!  {win!} And, they love being mixed with our antique and vintage dishes too….each combination looks spectacular! {win. win. again,}

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOW TO GATHER AROUND THE TABLE IN STYLE.

      1. Set the table with your favorite linens. We’ve been using our favorite Linen Napkins every day.
      2. Always light candles at dinnertime. Nothing feels more special than a candlelit dinner.
      3. Incorporate one or two new recipes into your weekly rotation of meals. It’s so easy to stick to your tried and true recipes each week, but we promise that trying a new recipe from your favorite cookbook will give everyone in your household something to look forward to! This month we’re diving into
      4. Go ahead and layer larger dinner plates with smaller salad|dessert plates in different patterns.
      5. Set the table with your antique or vintage silver. No need to keep these stored away for special occasions!
      6. Listen to some classic French Songs.

     

     

     

    BON APPETIT!

    Gather Around the Table

     

     

    I hope you feel inspired to make your daily meals a special occasion.  I secretly do love that this time has made us all appreciate our homes and the people we love more. You too?

    PLEASE SHARE A WAY YOU ARE MAKING MEALS MEMORABLE THESE DAYS…WE CAN ALL USE THE INSPIRATION!

     

     

     

    A BIENTOT

     

    Shop for the best in French Antiques, furniture with the patina of age, vintage accessories to delight you and your family & friends, and French Country utilitarian pieces. Treasures that make your home fresh, beautiful, inspirational and above all uniquely yours. Visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.com

7 thoughts on “Gather Around the Table”

  1. I don’t do it daily but every Friday my family comes for dinner. I’m very blessed that a few years ago my whole family wound up in the same city, at least for now. I am enjoying every minute of that. I do have one missing grandson who is teaching English in China. Everyone who can or wants to, comes to eat at my house on Friday evening. I try to decorate my table for seasons, holidays, birthdays etc. or a theme that goes with the food we’re having. It’s so much fun for me.
    I do miss going out to eat at other times. Since I am 74 with health problems that will probably not happen for a long while.

    1. What a wonderful tradition, Nancy! I love that you can all get together, and I can imagine that you cherish every single minute.

  2. This is lovely, Lidy. I love setting a lovely table even for a casual dinner (yes, it will be a casual table, but it will be a pretty one!) Right now it’s just Rick and me — and we will not go out to eat. But I’ve really enjoyed those dinners together even more.

  3. MARY K WARBURTON

    I love this idea and tradition. I miss family time. Its been years. I do have a Tea Time tradition for myself though and always enjoy sharing that time with others.
    Lidy, your place setting is awesome, I love the plates and I have the same crystal. I always look forward to your newsletters.
    Thank You so so much,
    Mary Kathryn Driskill-Warburton

  4. Alice Genzlinger

    I’m visiting my sister in NC. Yesterday we, my sis, my niece, a friend and I, went for a fun trip to an antique/junk store. All wearing mask. I found a beautiful round tablecloth from France. Today it has been laundered, hung on the clothes line to dry in the sun, starched and ironed, and we all had a meal with a yellow pitcher filled with roadside flowers to brighten the table I picked black grapes and made a grape pie for dessert. Memories are made of these special days around the table. Thank Lidy for reminding us.

    1. Oh, that sounds so wonderful Alice! And grape pie, I have not ever had that, I don’t think. It sounds lovely.

  5. Sharon Crigger-Stokan

    As always, Lidy, wonderful tips and ideas – and beautiful table settings! Thank you!

    My family is my heart and whenever I’m with them, my heart is full!

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