Are We Walking to Alaska

Are We Walking to Alaska
Are We Walking to Alaska - A True Story

Monday, November 30, 2015

Mosaic Monday - Thanksgiving Dinner

Our Thanksgiving dinner was fabulous - family and good food, who could ask for more?

I tested several table settings before I settled on the final one - it was fun to see the differences.
 First were white soup pots and the centerpiece of cinnamon stick covered candles with individual pumpkin soup tureens, vegetable salt and pepper and autumn leaves

 Tablecloth from ebay - like one we had when I was a kid
 Next - leaf bowls for the soup - the rest is the same as the first setting.  Yellow handled flatware
With leaf placemats 
 And without leaf placemats 
I couldn't make up my mind

To make the candles I used a hot glue gun to attach the cinnamon sticks - the tied raffia around each one, with a bow in the front. I had to search for cinnamon sticks in the bulk section of several stores.  A bottle of approximately 5 cinnamon sticks was  $9.59 and I needed dozens of them.  Finally found them in bulk at Winco for $3.82 a pound - and a pound of cinnamon sticks is a LOT of cinnamon sticks.

I tried first with a low melt glue gun - but if the cinnamon stick had to be adjusted after the initial placement it popped right off - so out came the old "hot" glue gun - that did the trick - and I only burned my fingers 4 times - but it got the job done.
 Glasses with grape design - bought at a yard sale at a full sized thatched roof house that a farmer had built for his kids for their playhouse.
 Water goblets in palest green - placemats are velour autumn leaves
 The dinner plates - and salad plates - are Ye Old Curiosity Shop - Currier and Ives.  Each set of plates, bowls, etc. has different scene
 The salad plate has a mantle clock.  These dishes were given out as premiums at grocery stores in the 50s - for each set amount that you spent you would get a free dish - different dishes were featured each month so you could collect a complete set.
 The third setting I tried was with the individual pumpkin tureens for the soup.  Our daughter brought spiced pumpkin soup - perfect combination.
 The salt and pepper sets are cabbages and celery.  Napkins are autumn leaves 
made them last year
 At each place setting was a turkey with vegetable "feathers", made from plastic cups, felt, rafia and googly eyes.  Plus the grandsons each got a turkey cup filled with candy corn - gobble gobble.


 The final decision - pumpkin tureens
 The weekend before Thanksgiving we found the china cabinet I had been hunting for.  It was advertised on craigslist, from a new store in Lynden, WA - named Picket Fences.  I got the leaf dishes there also.  Wonderful shop.  Our son-in-law Jay delivered it in time for Thanksgiving.  In the summer I am going to paint it white - then I will finally have my white dining room.

Three different table settings
 As everyone started to arrive - bringing more food with them - we realized that we needed to set the table buffet style in order to accommodate all the food and people - our grandson Jahn did a fabulous job of arranging the buffet table.








 Delicious Spiced Pumpkin soup in a glass pumpkin - served in individual pumpkin tureens.

 Our son-in-law Jason always brings his famous cheese ball - this year it was shaped like a volcano - delicious!!!
Just some of the side dishes - everyone had a great time - and plenty of food.  I forgot to take pictures of the turkey and the desserts - pumpkin pie, mince meat pie and pumpkin cheesecake.

For my U.S. friends - I hope your Thanksgiving was as grand as ours with family, friends and good times.

Mosaics are made with fotor.com and ipiccy.com

18 comments:

eileeninmd said...

Hello, your tablescapes are all so pretty. I would have had a tough time deciding. The pumpkin tureens and the leaf tureen are both lovely. The soup and the food look and sounds delicious. Happy Monday, enjoy your new week!

Peggy said...

Wow, looks like a wonderful feast, and such a pretty table!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

everything is beautiful. I never remember to take pictures at family events. M glad you did!

Rajesh said...

Arrangements for Thanks Giving dinner is amazing.

Brenda @ Its A Beautiful Life said...

What a delightful table to sit down to. It's all so inviting and lovely. Making our tables beautiful in some way really adds to the enjoyment of any festive and even an every day, ordinary meal.

Thanks for much for sharing ... here's wishing you a beautiful week ahead!
Brenda

J said...

I've been waiting for this post since I knew I'd love it. What fun! Just like "Martha!" She tries many styles, too, before making a final decision!
That tablecloth of yours is such a treasure. I think I've seen it span the seasons now and it looks great at any table.
Your little veggie cup turkeys are something to gobble about. How cute can you get???

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Fab settings and fab food!

Candy S said...

JoAnn, I love each of the tables that you set, but I do have to say that the pumpkin bowls really kick it up a notch on the last table. The covered pumpkin bowls are perfect for serving up the spiced pumpkin soup! The Ye Old Curiosity Shop pattern is a favorite for the Holidays, the dinnerware and the glassware look perfect together. I think your new china cabinet is the perfect for displaying your seasonal and holiday serving pieces. Great job of creating a wonderfully inviting Thanksgiving tablescape.

Maggie said...

Oh my goodness you have had a busy time and you found time to photograph it! Pretty table settings.

Powell River Books said...

So many choices, but I would have picked the pumpkin soup tureens as well. I do like the white ones as well. I love the bulk foods at WinCo. It's even better than our Overwaite store in Powell River. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with our friends in Lancaster while we were on our Los Angeles sportscation. And that was after our friend Jeanne here in Bellingham made us Thanksgiving dinner before we left. We got to enjoy all the meals without any of the work. When we left Los Angeles I had a similar china cabinet that we left in the house for the new owners. We just didn't have room in our new condo for everything. I left behind some really nice furniture, even some my dad made. It was hard to part with some of it. - Margy

A Bit of the Blarney said...

What a delightful post!!! I am delighted to have been able to share this post with you!!! Wishing you a grand week!

Kay said...

What a great array of choices. I'm not surprised you had trouble deciding!
Looks like a delicious meal. I brined our turkey for the first time ever and swear I'll never go back to an ordinary turkey again.

Julie Fukuda said...

Your table settings are always spectacular. I'm sure the family time together was the icing on the cake.

Unknown said...

Wow I would have loved sitting down at that table to dine. Beautiful arrangement and that tablecloth. Many years ago when I could see better I crocheted a table cloth just like that. Over the years it has been stained and torn and I just keep mending and although it was white to begin with I stained it with tea to make it ecru. Not much left now. I use it for dollies and little touches to decorate with. I have the same green ware that you have. So glad to be back to blogging. Blessings to you and yours.

Donna said...

Wow you have fun with Thanksgiving...what a table and feast...it is a small affair here. Just me and my husband but a home cooked scratch meal giving thanks for each other....and a natural centerpiece grown from my garden.

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

What a fabulous post, JoAnn! I love pumpkin soup and the volcano cheese ball looks wonderful! Love your cinnamon candles and I adore anything Currier and Ives! Looks like you all enjoyed quite a feast. Thank you for sharing this with us and have a beautiful day.

Blessings,
Sandi

Amy at love made my home said...

All very pretty arrangements! Glad you had a good thanksgiving! xx

ann said...

HI. You had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration. I especially like the leaf shaped bowls. Very nice. So now what to you for Christmas?! No trumpeter swans here, just lots of Canada geese. I'd love to see the swans. Have a wonderful weekend.