table talk

...cloth napkins with individual rings to identify and (hopefully) reuse from one meal to the next...

Since my father came to live with us, we are eating more meals at home than we did over the past few years.  I am REALLY enjoying planning, shopping, and serving a variety of economical and healthy meals.  I'm thankful for the circumstances that resulted in our at-home mealtimes.

Gary and I don't eat breakfast, so my father fixes his own.  Gary makes our coffee and we gather around the breakfast table to share a devotional time - Bible reading and prayer.  We are generally able to eat our lunches together as well as the evening meal.  After cleaning up in the evening, we linger at the table to play table games.  More than usual, we are also inviting friends to join us around our table.  These times, too,are so pleasurable and rewarding.

After reading some Wendell Berry essays, I realize that community is happening around our table in fresh ways for us in this season of life.  It set me to wondering if there are any ways I can make our table experiences even more delightful.  So, I googled it and found these two paragraphs that encouraged me to keep up my quest. The article also suggested a few ways to perk up an ordinary meal.

All our senses are involved when we eat. When a plate of food is appealing to the eye, has a wonderful aroma, and a variety of flavors and textures, we take note. And we usually rate those meals as not only more pleasant but more satisfying, too. 

If your eating has become routine—and your meals look the same, day after day—that could spell trouble. In an attempt to get more satisfied, you may find yourself eating more but enjoying it less.

Before we find ourselves eating more but enjoying it less,  I'm adding a couple simple, small touches - beyond the foot itself - to our table.  I'll let you know what those "touches" are, if the men I share the table with notice, and how our table experience is affected (if at all).

***

 Meanwhile, what are some of the ways YOU make YOUR ordinary table experience a special one?

a smple grill

Purchased several years ago for $15 at a garage sale,

this simple grill is getting a workout this spring.  

We're using it more than ever now that my father has come to live with us,

and we're eating more meals at home!

Last night (in spite of cooler temperatures), Gary grilled leg quarters -- 3 large ones.

Enough meat left over for at least another meal for three!

I tried something new to me.

Employing a small, old cast-iron skillet, I sliced some golden Yukons

and added onion and garlic salt.  

I poured a bit of melted butter over them 

(probably should have used olive oil), 

covered it with foil, and put it on the grill.

We will definitely do this again! 

And next time, I'll slice one more potato!

So simple.  So delicious.

potting benchless

Good-bye to this.

We brought it 'round from the side of the house

to repaint and sturdy up.

Gary made it years ago from recycled wood.

It LOOKED great

and occasionally we used it to hold picnic buffets.

We decided to see if it would sell on a local Facebook sale site. 

It did within hours of being posted!

So we are potting benchless now (and a few dollars richer)!

No complaints.

sort of....

 Transforming some mismatched frames 

 into a set.

 Sort of...

Now to find a place for them!