Wednesday, May 13, 2009

A Spot of Lunch

Today, Chloe and I set up a little luncheon out on the patio. We are suppose to have rain for the next few days, so eating outdoors would not only be taking advantage of the calm before the storm, but it is always fun. We are also listening to The Wind in the Willows on Librivox, so "luncheon" is just the right word for out little picnic. More about Librivox at the bottom of the post.



Something I've learned over the years, is that everything doesn't have to be over the top to be a delightful moment or memory with my children . Just a simple sandwich, chips, and a little fruit is just the right thing for a picnic.

Chloe decided to make egg salad, with farm fresh, free range eggs from my parents chickens, sliced apples and some chips. Egg salad is one of those foods that people either love or hate. The key to delish egg salad is to grate or rice the eggs. Until I started grating the eggs instead of chopping, it was just ick! Add salt, Kraft mayo and lots of freshly ground pepper. A small bit of sweet relish is optional.



A tin container bought at a thrift store for .50 holds yellow daisies that Chloe gave me on Mother's Day.


A black Tiaria bowl that I paid $5.00 for at a yard sale, holds extra fruit. It is very heavy and beautiful. I also have a few other pieces of Tiaria to show you at another time.

Love this heavy glass candle holder. There were three of these and they were .50 each at a yard sale. They are perfect for holding candles on the patio because they are so heavy and would be very hard to knock over. I may also hang them from a tree branch on an outdoor evening.


My French Countryside plates paired with a small octagonal plate with small black flowers. I have had these for years and paid something like a dime each for them at a Methodist children's home sale. The black goblets are a favorite of mine that my husband and I bought in a junktique store while on our honeymoon.


Just a perfect little luncheon on a cloudy day.


More about another thrifty delight; Librivox:

If you girls like audio books, make sure to check out Librivox. They offer free audio recordings and can be listened to online or you can download them to discs or your players. These are older books that are in the public domain. There are some real jewels.

Because Librivox is a website where the narrators volunteer their services, some narrators are much better than others. We are huge audio book fans around here. We purchase, check out of the library and use librivox constantly. It is such a delightful way to spend the hours while doing housework, crafts, riding in the car, cooking supper, and while the kids hang out in their rooms playing. This also has allowed my kids to hear fantastic books way above whatever their reading level was at the time, but not above their comprehension levels. So I guess you could call Librivox a thrifty find too.

Make sure to join with us over at Leigh's for Thrifty Thursdays




and over at Holly's place for Thrift Store Thursdays


There are always great links to some great blogs and all of their thrifty finds.

Christina

25 comments:

Unknown said...

I think Noah and I will eat out on our patio tonight you have inspired me!

Amelia said...

Picnic - nice way to start the summer ...bet the sandwiches were great tasting - I love egg salad on toast...simple, yet so satisfying - real comfort food.

We have had rain for the past two going on three weeks every day...finally the sun same out today - husband was able to mow some.

Enjoy the rest of the week and then do something exciting on the weekend.

Meredith said...

That is just lovely! I'm amazed at how vibrant the fruit looks in a black bowl. I never would have picked that off the shelf but I love it!

Shannon said...

What a great set-up! So pretty!

Love your finds you found at yard sales!

Darlene said...

I LOVE everything about your picnic. Egg Salad...YUM!! I haven't had that in a while, sounds GREAT!

Love those heavy glass candle holders. I have bought some cheap old quilts to use a tablecloths on our outdoor table.

We actually had some sun today after 15 days of rain. It stormed last night and is supposed to storm again tonight. We complain now but then once the rain stops we will probably end up in a drought condition again. We can't win!!!

Susan @ A Southern Daydreamer said...

Looks like a wonderful lunch!
Susan

cherry said...

Sooo fun! Love how you set everything up. cherry

Cindy said...

It all looks lovely and I'm sure those are memories that your daughter will treasure! :D

-c
yapping cat

jen said...

Beautiful photos!! Egg salad is my favorite. I could eat a bowl full with a spoon. Seriously!

We had a rainy day here today. Keeps everything looking nice a green!!

Have a good night!

Jen

Holly said...

You set a very pretty picnic table! Thanks for the info about Librivox; we will definitely take advantage of that.
Um, is that Harmony House Federalist Ironstone I spy? I've got a story about that on my blog.
Thanks for joining TST!

Holly said...

Oh, wait, I see that you called the white plates French Countryside. It's extremely similar.

Victoria said...

Ooooh can Sweet Girl and I come next time? What a beautiful table setting!

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

This is the most delightful and charming picnic! And I love the menu. And that the eggs are form free range chickens-which I have been reading up on lately(free range), that's the way to go.
Delgithful, charming, perfect! I just adore it! Thanks so much for participating in Bloggeritaville Thrifty Thursday!

BMX wallpaper said...

OMG! mouthwatering....

Carrie said...

Very attractive setting and the food looks delectable!

Mrs. Petrie said...

Those black dishes are the bomb! Love them. Librivox sounds great. We're big readers, but I haven't listened to audios since my little one was born. Your lunch looked delightful.

M.L. @ The House of Whimsy said...

What a deliciously fun idea! Great job with the table setting.
And...LOVE your "fun finds" below. Especially the gum ball machine!

j said...

The luncheon looks completely charming! I love the black and white table setting with the splash of yellow.

Denise said...

I love to eat outdoors. My grandkids and I have "picnics" a lot in the summer.

XXDenise

annies home said...

how sweet to enjoy a wonderful lunch on such great looking tablescape

Empty Nest Full Life said...

Sounds like such a nice time. It is very overcast here today, so I am in hope of some rain. Cherish those days as I have said before. They will be grown before you know it. Jackie

Unknown said...

Librivox is great, isn't it?! Love the little glass jars--I have to try that!

Barbara Jean said...

Christina,
Thanks for coming by.
Love you little black plates with the flowers, and the whole little picnic idea.

Yes, The glasses are thick. That way i do not have to worry about the glass breaking when the candle is burning.

blessings,
barbara jean

PS love the tin with the yellow daisies too. =0)

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stevenjared0853 said...

The food is looking super delicious and I am also in love with this beautiful table setting. Next week, I am also planning a small brunch for my friends and for that I need to search nice and feasible venue NYC. Can you tell me about some good places to go for?