Barns and Sheds

The Barn Collective 

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving Dinner

Time to set the table.

 This year we'll be using my vintage Franciscan Apple dishes - an anniversary gift in September from Don, for our 52nd anniversary.

 Crystal apple bowls complete the setting.

 Shiny silver serving spoons - see previous post for how to get your silver back to sparkling without the hours of polishing.

 A lovely apple teapot - from my collection - goes perfectly with the Franciscan Apple dishes

And crystal apple serving dishes.

 And some helpers to get the table ready - Sally Jo is arranging the silverware

 Abby likes to help with getting things in just the right order

Kyla and Poppy share their chores

 Donnie - don't sit on the plates!!!

 But the girls were standing on the table!

I'm ready for some Thanksgiving food

 Setting up for the dessert buffet - plans are afoot for pumpkin custard, cranberry nut bread, pecan tarts and sugar cookies.  What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?

And now, back to preparations, next is baking the pecan tarts and frosting the cookies.

Happy Thanksgiving from all the gang - and the little plate sitter.

Tuesday's Treasures

Friends Sharing Tea

Tuesday Cuppa Tea 

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

Lots on the list

Thaw the turkey

Bake pies

Set the table

Polish the Silver

Wait - don't polish the silver - use magic!!!

I love silver - sterling or silverplate - I love them both.  I have some lovely pieces - but I don't like to polish silver.  The old fashioned silver polish is toxic and I don't like the smell or the harshness - or rinsing it down the sink.

But I love silver - so what's a girl to do?

Magic, I tell you - plain and simple magic

Line a glass baking dish with aluminum foil - (in the sink is best) making sure it goes up the sides and ends of the pan. 

 Lay the silver pieces in it that need polishing and pour boiling water over it all - to cover the pieces.

Now the magic - add 1/4 cup baking soda - just plain old baking soda from your cupboard.

Stand back and watch the magic!!!!!

Tiny bubbles appear - and the shine begins to return to the silver.

As the pieces become shiny once again I pluck them out of the hot water with a pair of tweezers or a pair of tongs (they are hot from being in the boiling water).  Rinse with cold water and wipe dry with a clean cloth.

If there are a few stubborn spots make a paste of a small amount of baking soda and water - rub the spots and they will disappear.  

Magic - I tell you - total magic. 

And look what you get!!!

 You start with tarnished silver

Your reward for a few minutes of easy work is a nice pile of very shiny silver

 Top - Before    Bottom - After

 Ready for the table.

 I didn't think to take a before picture of this little sugar/jam spoon - it was almost totally black when I started - now it is happy and shiny

A favorite serving spoon - tarnished

 And now shiny bright - a little extra rubbing was required on the flowery part of the handle - but only a little.

 Oh - the poor "before" meat fork

 Two big serving spoons - dark and dingy 

 Before and After

 Another favorite serving spoon - rescued with magic

 Handle of the Pie Server 

 It was sad before

But was a good pie server

 Shiny and pretty now - ready for Thanksgiving pies - what kind shall we make?

 Lovely, lovely - and all done with magic.  This took me about an hour total to clean all the silverware - and everything is eco friendly.  Let's go set the table.

Mosaic Monday