Monday, January 21, 2013

TABLESCAPE TUESDAY! Winter Woods With White!

Hi all!

Welcome to my first "TABLESCAPE TUESDAY"!

This past Sunday, we had yet another wonderful "Sunday Family Dinner".   This is our third in our new tradition of weekly special meals with my family.

If you're new to my blog, one of my New Years Resolutions was to start a weekly tradition of a "formal dinner" with my family every Sunday that we're in town.  

We eat dinner together almost every night at our kitchen table, but it's mostly casual food that is easy and cheap!   

With this new Tradition, every Sunday, I'm decorating our Dining Room Table with a fancy tablescape, making a more formal-style meal, and we're dressing up and sitting down as a family to dine "in style"!  =D  

I'm hoping that this is a tradition that we will continue for many years, even after the kids are grown and have their own families. 

So far the kids have really enjoyed it, and I'm trying to have them help with this special meal so they really feel like they're a part of making it happen!


Sooo...for the table, I went with a "Winter Woods and White" kind of theme. Cuisine Kathleen was having a tablescape challenge of sorts, to create a wintery tablescape for her link party "Let's Dish".  This was a fun one to put together...I was trying to make it feel like a snowy wooded path in the winter. 

I even filled some of the table space with some decorative rocks I got on clearance at Target last month.  I also lined the inside of the tea light candles as well as a pillar candle on the buffet with these rocks.



I found these cutie pie bird cages at Ross for $2.49 that were filled with woodsy potpourri that I thought would be really cute to add to the table.  I then found some cute greenish/brownish pedestals at Goodwill that the bird cages could fit perfectly on to give them a little height!   I decided to empty the potpourri elements and then put a candle and a few potpourri pieces in there with the candle.




This centerpiece is made from a few great finds...The brown wire basket at the bottom and the green candleabra were both Goodwill finds. I got the greenery liners from our trees outside. The potpourri from the birdcages lined the inside . I really like how it came together and the potpourri smelled very woodsy and nice!


These little winter birdies were a great find from Pier 1 in their Christmas clearance area. Less than $2 each and they were so cute! I just got two and they'd actually fit great into the birdcages too!!  For this table, it's almost like they escaped their cages and were roaming freely through the "wooded path"  complete with decorative ROCKS and everything...haha!




Each place setting had a dark brown charger plate, (Michaels had these on sale for $1.50 last week!) Ivory colored dollar store plates, multi color brown salad/dessert plates from Goodwill, brand new cloth napkins from the Dollar Tree, a place setting with their names, and a few washed leaves from outside. The stemware was inherited from my grandmother.  I love how it all came together!


This beautiful wooden bowl at the buffet was a garage sale find years ago.  $20, but I believe it must have been worth a lot more because it's real wood!  I put it up on a Candle pedestal for a little height



This tray is actually a wooden lazy susan that I used to have in the kitchen before I de-cluttered.  I put it on candle pedestal and added a dark brown charger to cover some of those lighter wood tones.



On to the Menu!

I took my daughter to her friend's Birthday party earlier in the day on Sunday, so I needed to have my table all set up the day before and a very easy to make, yet special dinner.

So I got out my handy Crock Pot and I made a "RUSTIC ROAST DINNER!"   I found a great new roast recipe on Pinterest recently, so I thought I'd try it out!   (the link turned out to be bad, so I'm not sure who to credit this recipe to...if it is yours, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due!)  =)

It turned out really good...I loved the flavor!  I modified it slightly...Here's what I did.....



For the ingredients I had a rump roast, a package of baby carrots, two cans of canned potatoes, (I would have used fresh, but they were actually SPROUTING, so I thought it might be best NOT to include those...haha!)  1/2 cup of water, one packet of ranch dressing mix, one packet of Italian dressing mix and one packet of brown gravy mix.   That's it!!!

 I put the carrots in the bottom of the Crock Pot.   I seared the roast for a few minutes on each side in a pat of butter and a little olive oil...just to get the edges of the roast a little brown (a little trick I learned from my mother to keep the juices in!) then put it in the crock pot and put the potatoes around it.



In a separate bowl,  (a princess bowl of my daughter's, to be exact...haha) I mixed the 1/2 cup of water, and the three seasoning packets...it made a flavorful sauce with just a hint of a "tangy" flavor to it!   


Then I poured the mixture over the top of the roast and potatoes.  


Eight hours later, THIS is what I had!   I sprinkled some parsley on it for a garnish and I love how it turned out!!!  The potatoes and carrots had such a delicious flavor from the roast and seasonings as well!  It was wonderful!!!




Here is our whole spread....The "Rustic Roast Dinner", some Four Cheese mashed potatoes (the instant kind from Aldi...shhhh...don't tell the kids!!!)  And some pan-seared Green Beans with slivered almonds.  Also a super easy recipe to make and it turned out yummy!

The kids enjoyed helping with the table setup, and other than having them continually asking, "Mommy, why do we have ROCKS on the table??"   I think it went over really well!   

Hope you enjoyed this week's Tablescaping Tuesday!  Thanks again for stopping by!  I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you think!  

Were the rocks on the table too much?  haha!

~The Home Girl


This post is being added to:
Tabletop Tuesdays
Love Makes Good Cakes
The Creative Spark
Wow Us Wednesday
Tablescape Thursday
Let's Dish
TUTORIALS, TIPS AND TIDBITS
Seasonal Sundays



43 comments:

  1. Oh wow, what a wonderful tablescape and the roast looks sooooooooooooo good. I also love your wire cloches are part of your centerpiece. Beautiful. Thanks so much for joining TTT. Hugs, Marty

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    1. Thank you so much Marty! And thanks for hosting such a great Tabletop Tuesday! It's so fun to look at all the creative ideas there! I'm a big fan! Have a great rest of the week and thanks again for stopping by!!! =D

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  2. You are starting a wonderful tradition that I'm sure will have lasting memories for your family! Such a pretty t'scape too - love the idea that is like a walk in the woods. You found some great deals on some lovely items. I've just discovered the joy of crock pots and hope to try a roast sometime soon - yours looks delish!

    DD

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    1. Hi DD!

      Thanks so much for your comment and for paying my blog a visit! I just LOVE your blog and the beautiful tablescapes you create! They are such an inspiration for me! I hope you enjoy your crock pot. I have just started using mine more in the last year and I don't know why I don't use it every day, it's so easy! haha! Thanks again for coming to visit! Come on back anytime! =D

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  3. How wonderful to start this tradition!!! How important for the family to be together on a Sunday, with a fancy table, best manners and of course, great food!!! You are making beautiful memories!!!

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    1. Thanks so much Sweet Violets! I have to say I'm so happy that we've started this tradition! I pray that the kids will look back on it when they're grown as such a special time! Thanks for your sweet comment! Have a great week! =D

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  4. I am definitely pinning this, I lovelovelove my crockpot and this looks like an easy and impressive dinner, thanks!

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    1. Hi Katie! Thanks so much for coming by, for your nice comment, and for pinning this recipe! Aren't Crock Pots the BEST???? I just love them! That roast was so easy and it really was yummy! I hope you enjoy it when you do make it. We had some of the leftovers yesterday and they were still really good. Have a great day! =)

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  5. What a wonderful tradition! Setting the table for a beautifully plated meal with the family is a lost art. So many families eat on the run and rarely sit down to a beautiful meal with a table that is beautifully set! What's even better is that you made it beautiful in a frugal way but it looks really divine! Your table rocks!

    Thanks for stopping my place today!

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    1. Thank you so much Sandy! I really appreciate that! It is a fun tradition! I'm so glad we started it! And it's so much fun to try to create tablescapes that the kids will enjoy! My son asked on Sunday what we were going to be doing NEXT week already! I love that they are (almost) as excited as I am about this new tradition! Thanks again for stopping by! I love your blog! =D

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  6. Your table is so pretty. The wintry feel is just perfect! Love your finds, the birdcages, birds and the rocks.. The recipe looks great too.. yummy. xo marlis

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    1. Hi Marlis! Thanks so much! I loved your table too! It was fun to kind of have a challenge like Cuisine Kathleen put together, isn't it? Thanks for your sweet comment, and for coming by! =D

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  7. Love your woodsy winter table...your meal looks delicious!

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    1. Hi Marigene! Thank you so much! It was a wonderful meal together as a family! Thanks for stopping by! =D

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  8. What a wonderful tradition you have started, and congratulations on posting your first table. I chuckled at the kids' comments about why you had rocks on the table. I probably would have asked my mom that question too. But now I understand :-)

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    1. HAHA! I guess I would have done that same thing. The rocks were a little unorthodox, but it was fun to make it feel like a wooded path...and to get good use out of those clearance sale rocks...haha! Thanks so much for reading this post and for your nice comments! Hope you have a blessed day! =D

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  9. Visiting from Kathleen's Let's Dish. Love your table and your dinner. I miss big Sunday dinners with my family. They were the best. Great tradition. I am also now following you. Welcome to Blogland. xo

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    1. Hi Barbara! Thanks so much! I am hoping my kids will feel this way one day! They are 9 and 5 now so still young, but I'm hoping that the years of doing this consistently will really give them a love for it, and that they'll want to do it with their families! Thank you so much for your nice comment and for following me! I look forward to checking out your blog as well! =D

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  10. This is a wonderful tradition you are starting for your family. I suspect that your children will treasure the memories of these special meals, especially if they are involved in creating the atmosphere. Learning to set a beautiful table and then enjoy a fine meal together as a family is a valuable asset. Your children are fortunate to have a mom who cares. Kudos to you!

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    1. Hi Sarah! Thanks so much for your nice comment! That is truly my hope...that this will create wonderful memories for many years to come. I hope you have a blessed day! Please drop on by this little side of the Blogosphere ANYTIME! =D

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  11. Lovely table with the touch of love.Beautiful ....Thank you for this share....:):);0

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    1. Thanks Crystal! Your compliment really means a lot! Have a great day!!! =D

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  12. I am a very big believer in family meals! So much is accomplished during those times! Also long car trips with a bunch of kids in the back--just be like a fly on the wall! Your table is beautiful. I can see you are hooked on tablescaping now! Linda

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    1. Hi Linda! Oh yes, the long car trips are a lot of fun...especially when they have their friends in the car with them. I just love listening quietly to their little conversations with eachother!!! So much fun! Thanks for the sweet comment! Yes, I'm definitely HOOKED! I just love it! Have a great day! =D

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  13. I also posted a pot roast recipe that is very similar to yours - Isn't it a great meal on a cold winter day? Very pretty table you have set!

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    1. Hiya Patti! Yes, the pot roast is such great comfort food to me too! Isn't that Pot Roast awesome?!?! It just has such a great flavor! =D Thanks so much for stopping by! I'll go look for that post, if it's the same one I saw on Pinterest, I'll definitely go back and update it to link back to your site! Have a wonderful day and thanks so much again for stopping by! =D

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  14. I guess I need to add Goodwill today to my list of errands. Maybe I can find something as cute as what you've shown here. I love your idea of establishing a family tradition with a formal meal. Great post!

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    1. Hi Jennie! Thanks so much! I'm definitely a fan of the Goodwill! We have a few great ones in our area...a lot of really nice stuff...I have to go there a lot to be able to find it sometimes, but I just love going! Thanks so much for stopping by and for leaving a comment! I really appreciate that! Have a great evening! =D

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  15. I love that you are involving your chldren in setting a pretty table. Years from now, they will in turn, teach their own families....and the art of gracious entertaining will continue to the generation! Fantastic! Your table is so well designed. I really enjoyed reading about each element. Thanks for inviting us for a peak. Cherry Kay

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    1. Thanks so much Cherry Kay! It has been fun getting them involved, although I do sometimes have a mini-heart attack when they're picking up some of the breakables...haha! I really appreciated you stopping by! I really enjoyed your tablescape as well! =D

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  16. Stopping by from Cuisine Kathleen... How wonderful that you're starting a new family tradition. You are making great memories (and teaching lessons) that will stay with all of you for many years to come! I hope your family notices your attention to detail. :-)

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    1. Hi Susan! Thanks so much! I think they are really liking the new tradition so far. My son (who HATES dressing up)actually VOLUNTARILY goes in and puts on something a little nicer before we eat dinner together! I love that! =D Thanks for stopping by and for your nice comment! Have a great evening!

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  17. How pretty your table looks -- like a fun winter walk --- you've found some wonderful things. And your roast looks very tempting!

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    1. Thanks Martha, for visiting and for your kind words! I really appreciate that! Have a great night! =D

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  18. Your table looks lovely, and you don't have rocks in your head! :)
    I like to use rump roast for my pot roast too!

    Thanks so much for taking the Winter Challenge at Let's Dish!

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    1. Thanks so much Kathleen for the nice comment and visit! And thank you also for setting up such a fun "tablescape challenge!!" I loved seeing all the great entries, including YOURS...and even mentioned you and one of the entrants in my "Five Fabulous Finds Friday" post on Friday. Hope you'll check it out! Thanks again for stopping by and come on by for a visit anytime!

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  19. I really like how your table looks. Your roast looks delicious, as well. I'm going to have to try that recipe for a special (or quick and easy) dinner for our family as well.

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  20. Thanks Lady Jane! I appreciate that! I think you'll like that roast. It had a slight tangy flavor that was really yummy, we thought! Thanks so much for stopping by and for following my blog!!! I will check yours out and follow you right back! =D Have a great week and come on back anytime! =D

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  21. Your table is so pretty. My favorite item is your grandmother's stemware. It is lovely. But more importantly, is your time spent with family and the now traditional Sunday family dinner. That is priceless. Keep it going Home Girl..

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    1. Thanks so much! Yes, I'm actually kicking myself because when I was younger, I didn't appreciate all the beautiful things that were passed down to me, and got rid of quite a few things....some really lovely things! But fortunately, I did keep a few of them, and this set of 4 glasses were some of the things I kept. Thanks again for your visit and your sweet comment! I love your blog! =D

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