FABBY: Pasta Dinner Tablescape

Hello sweet friends
I'll start by thanking all the sweet friends that sent me nice wishes for my new year of life; I appreciate it very much, you're all so kind.

We'll be having a small dinner with a couple of friends and we'll have an entree, maybe some chicken Marsala I love, spaghetti with pesto and salad; each in it's own plate as Italians serve their food like that. Here is my tablescape with a big bowl for the pasta and six individual bowls for each place..I bought this Italian set, several years ago on some Italian festival where they had great things from Italy in that store..course, I did buy a few things more for cooking Italian, as really, it's my fav kinda food, as growing up in Astoria-Queens, in an Irish-Italian neighborhood...now it's turned Greek. I acquired the taste from my best friend, Ann Graci, when I used to go many a Sunday to spend the day at her house, eating at her huge table, filled with great food and lots of family...but don't get me wrong, I love cooking and eating almost all foods, there's not much I don't like, lol..

Ok, here goes my table for a pasta dinner and tonight I will be joining Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen and many other terrific parties, like Tablescape Thursday at, Between Naps on the Porch too. Thank you so much wonderful and generous hostesses for having me.


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The place set with cobalt blue ceramic chargers, from our past ceramic co., reticulated dinner plate and the spaghetti Italian bowl with a cute design inside it.

The white demitasse cups and saucers were my dad's, as he loved his small expresso coffee after dinner. The teapot and sugar bowl are from my silver tea set.

The glasses I used are from my Bormiolli Rocco set and the red steams are also Italian, but from my C'mas stash.

The big serving bowl also came with the six individual spaghetti bowls.

My dear Mil gave my husband for one of his birthdays this gorgeous Italian, yellow crystal, antique decanter with six small glasses. I like to serve water in it, it's just so beautiful.

Here is a delicious Italian bread hubby makes a lot for dinner, or for any reason. This recipe was given to my Mil as her father had an Italian family of farmers that worked in his farm long ago, in the 50's and 60's.

This artisan bread is great with Italian pasta and of course, some Tavola red wine. The napkin rings are silver fall leaves from a set of eight, so I used a different one for each plaid red napkin.

Thanking you in advance my sweet friends for the lovely and generous comments you always leave me.

 

 

Italian Bread Recipe

 

 

2 cups flour

2 ml. water

1 teaspoon dry yeast

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Mix all the ingredients in your Kitchen Aid, or other mixer. Let it stand for 12 hours, in a covered bowl in a warm place.

Flour the table and knead it to form the dough into a loaf shape and place it in a loaf pan as well. Bake at 450F in a previously hot oven, for 15 minutes.

 

I love this bread as it doesn't have any grease, no butter or eggs, so it is very light indeed!

 

 

 

I will be participating on Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

 

 

 

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 The Country Homemaker Hop at,  Hibiscus House Blogs

Home and Garden Thursday at,  A Delightsome Life

Open House Party at,  No Minimalist Here

It's a Party at, A Creative Princess

Vintage Thingie Thursday at,  Colorado Lady

Share Your Cup Thursday at,  Share your Cup with Mrs. Olson

Grace at Home at,  Imparting Grace

Vintage Inspiration Friday at,  Common Ground

Home Sweet Home at,  The Charm of Home

Share your Creations at,  Kristen's Creations

Tea Cup Thursday at,  Miss Spenser's Blog

Inspiration Friday at,  The Picket Fence

Feathern Nest Friday at,  French Country Cottage

Simple and Sweet Fridays at,  Rooted in Thyme

Foodie Friday at,  Rattleridge Farm

Seasonal Sunday at,  The Tablescaper

Sunday Funday Bloh Hop at,  WTFab

 

Honoring Breast Cancer Awarnest month at Beverly's

Pink Saturday at,  How Sweet the Sound

 

FABBY: The Autumn of my Life

Hello sweet friends!

Today, October 20 is my birthday, so I decided to join Beverly's Pink Saturday. I did a small table for one..for me, that is, with my beautiful, Royal Albert October teacup, which is a heirloom from my dear Mil, as her birthday was one day after mine, the 21 of October. I did my small setting in my kitchen table, where I spend lots of time with hubby and bake cookies with our g'girls when they come to spend some time with us.

I'm also honoring this month of October, all the women that have had Breast Cancer and I'm always praying for a cure as soon as possible!! God bless us women in my family, my women friends, all of you my dear blog friends and all the women in the world.

We are invited today to spend the day at a friend's farm in the country, and they have invited many friends..not for my birthday, as it's just a coincidence, but I will have a great time along with lots of good friends, what more can I ask for? The fun it's not even gonna cost me, lol..

I got from my hero Alejandro for my birthday this year, the red English tranferware I got around three months ago, as we're still waiting for the rest, which is the dinner pieces that we ordered from the store and it's coming from Europe. I hope it arrives before Christmas. Ok, here goes, hope you like it.





 My own birthday vignette on our kitchen table. I'm still with the cloche theme, it seems, lol!

 My kitchen table with a pretty view of the avenue. There's also a beautiful river that runs down there as well and now that it's raining around here, it's nice and full of running water and it looks beautiful and serene. Check the last picture I added at the bottom of this post.

 A close up of my birthday vignette, which I chose pink in honor of Breast Cancer month.

 My heirloom Royal Albert, teacup, standing on my English brass pedestal with a mirrored base and cloche. The teacup and saucer was originally my Mil's, as her birthday was October 21, a day after mine.

The Bavarian tea set and cake plate looks so well together with the teacup and so does the table topper. The basket with flowers and some small pumpkins and gourds.

Thanking you in advance sweet friends for coming by and for your kind wishes..as I know you will, lol..

I will also join the tea parties, therefore, thanks to you all lovely hostesses for having me for October 20th. 2012 at your wonderful parties.

I also added a photo I had from a previous post with the river view out my window and I specially love the sound the water running in the river does when it crashes on some big rocks it finds on it's way..I love to sleep listening to the sounds of this lovely river. Cuenca has four gorgeous rivers that run through the town.

Happy Autumn and Happy Halloween!


LOVE,
FABBY

Beverly's Pink Saturday at,  How Sweet the Sound
Masterpiece Monday at,  Boogie Board Cottage
Sunday Funday Blog Hop at,  WTFAB
Sunday Showcase at,  The Rose Garden in Malevik
The Sunday Showcase Party at,  Under the Table and dreaming
Tea Time Tuesday at, Rose Chintz Cottage
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at, Coastal Charm
Make it Pretty Monday at, The Dedicated House
Mop It Up Monday at,  I Should be Mopping the Floor
Knick of Time Tuesday at,  Knick of Time
Tea Cup Tuesday at,  Artful Affirmations
Tuesday's Treasures at,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Wow Us Wednesday at,  Savvy Southern Style
Primp Your Stuff Wednesdy at,  PRIMP

FABBY: Cloches and a Halloween Tablescape

Hello my sweet friends!

I can't wait til I go and party with you at Marty's Fall Cloche Party! I'm sure you all have such awesome things for me to enjoy and to inspire myself, as you guys are the best!!

I also did a Halloween tablescape, along with some cloches for decoration. Everything is around my breakfast table and the two buffets that surrounds it. Lets not talk to much and get to partying!

 I used for my Halloween tablescape a new cloche I bought for our Colonial Virgin Marry this trip, while visiting our girls. I love it when they're just like domes, or clock-domes.

 I think there's a black rat running around inside this centerpiece cloche..eek!!

The ugly creeters and mouse were lended to me by the girls..children seem to love them!..lol

 Each place setting also have a small cloche I was so lucky to win at Marty's Summer cloche party,  last year from lovely Chie, that has her fabulous blog, Chubby and Chieque. Be sure to go there!

You can see a couple of small cloches too with a little gourds inside them.

I did wanted to use silver, black and white for this table. The chargers are pewter.

 My vintage Belgium buffet is with some pumpkins in the silver cloche, as they call it like that too.  I have many more cloches, but I thought this would be enough for today.

 Another cloche with pedestal and an apothecary jar with red English transfer ware cups and teaset.. for some fall tea.

 Would you like an apple?

 Some cloches in my Mil's antique English buffet.

 I'm loving my new cloche, which also has a ceramic base with feet. Can't wait to put my 200 year old Virgin Marry inside it.

My lace tablecloth with some black spider webs.

 I always keep the Chinese figurines under glass, here.

 The flowers in the oil painting seem to be the same as the real ones in the vase.

 I love these two Chinese figurines of young ladies holding birds in their dainty little hands with bracelets in their wrists. I keep them in this beautiful antique Egyptian piece, filled with brass ornamentation, and it says written in the back, Egypt 1929, hubby detected a year ago, when we painted the dining room...we have it around eight years. 

Thank you sweet Marty for yet another terrific Fall Cloche Party 2012 at, A Stroll Thru Life.

Thank you so much wonderful ladies that host such terrific and fun parties each week, I appreciate you all for having me.

Lots of hugs, as I'm very grateful to my sweet and generous blog friends that always leave me such great comments, which always make my day!!

LOVE,
FABBY

Let's Dish at,  Cuisine Kathleen
Knick of Times Tuesday at,  Knick of Time
Tweak it Tuesday at,  Cozy Little House
Tea Cup Tuesday at,  Artfull Affirmations
Tea Time Tuesday at,  Rose Chintz Cottage
A Return to Loveliness at,  A Delightsome Life

I am participating in Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch
Tuesday Cuppa Tea at,  Antiques and Tea Cups
Tea Time Tuesday at,  Martha's Favorites
Primp your Stuff Wednesday at,  PRIMP
Wow Us Wednesday at,  Savvy Southern Style
It's a Party at,  A Creative Princes
The Real Housewives of Riverton
What's It Wednesday at,  Ivy and Elephants
Open House Party at,  No Minimalist here
Home Sweet Home at,  The Charm of Home
Vintage Inspiration Friday at,  The Charm of Home
Feather Nest Friday at,  French Country Cottage
Thrifty Things Friday at,  The Thrifty Groove
Tickled Me Pink at,  504 Main by Holly Lafevre
Shine on Fridays at,  One Artsy Mama
Farm Girl Friday Blog Hop at,   Hibiscus House

FABBY: New Microwave Oven

Hi sweet friends!

I  know, I know.. I'm showing you another new kitchen appliance, but this time, not like with the new fridge, that we just plain bought it cause it was the new style we wanted to have with the bottom freezer kind. No, our old Samsung we had for 27, yes!..27 years!! The poor thing died after sooo long and we had to replace it a week ago. We bought it before leaving for our three hour drive trip to visit our girls, Alexandra, Sofia, sil and our two little g'girls for the Holiday, that was going on around here. Anyhow, here it is the new microwave and the before pics too.

Here is the new, Inverter-Panasonic with great new features, too many to name, as I had no idea there were, because as I explained at the top, our old microwave died after 27th years, so had no idea there were so many great features to the new ones, lol..!!! Here you can get an idea how well the new stainless steel fridge goes with this appliances and the new microwave, as well.

 Here is the gorgeous skylight we had made two years ago when we remodeled our kitchen. I saw something like it on an old House and Garden magazine and I kept the clip for years just in case...and who knew, I had it done for the new kitchen! I did add the hummingbirds to the red roses design myself, though.

The new microwave is a little lower, so we'll have a ledge, or a strip of wood added to fill up the slit  to finish the built in look. You can see the old one was higher..not like the new fridge, which turned out to be taller, lol.. Some of you who have not followed my post before, "about the New Fridge".. it's right at the bottom of this one.

Here is a picture with my old Samsung microwave, which served us 27th years and in the lower part my Dipiu Italian double oven. This picture is from the post I did last year for Met Monday, after we had total-remodeled the entire kitchen, from scratch. You can look for the post about it: Total Kitchen Remodeled.

A picture of the skylight many of you have asked me about. This is where it is and how it looks.
Although the picture is dark, maybe you can see a little of the stainless steel dishwasher, as now all my appliances go together well. That door leads to the laundry utility room.

I'm participating at Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.

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Thank you all of you lovely ladies who always leave me such warm and generous comments, I appreciate you all and love to you all.

Thank you to the gracious and wonderful ladies that host such fabulous and fun parties each week.

Have a wonderful week and enjoy everyday of this beautiful month of Autumn!

LOVE,
FABBY

Metamorphosis Monday at, Between Naps on the Porch
On the Menu Monday at,  Stone Gable
Mix it up Monday at,  Flour Me with Love
The Sunday Showcase at,  Under the Table and Dreaming
Make it Pretty Monday at,  The Dedicated House
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at,  Coastal Charm

FABBY: New Fridge

Hello everyone, how are you all?..hope you have a terrific week!

I'm showing for Metamorphosis Monday, my new fridge, a Panasonic-Inverter which has the freezer in the bottom, and the before was a white Frigidaire, made in the USA.. and a fridge for a long time to come! We sent it to our daughter Alexandra for her new place, as a second fridge.

Autumn Mantel in the Den

I have sixteen place settings of these pretty dishes and they are "Home Gallery- Fine China".

Fall Harvest & Pumpkin Cake Tea Table

Hi everyone!

I've missed you all so much as I've been out of blogging for a little more than two weeks. In the first place my daughter Alexandra contracted Hepatitis A and to top it all, my computed got stolen in the airport while I waited my flight back home with my daughter, because I decided to bring her home for her convalescence. I'm loving my cute computer, it's lighter and smaller. So here I am to start partying with you all. 

 The big white and blue, English ironstone bowl I used it to hold my little pumpkins and gourds, in order to continue with the color theme.

 The hand painted Blue Delft garniture set is made in Holland. I'm using it here as my centerpiece.  The center triangle is a silk-brocade that was my Mil's and it has a soft golden- brown, fall color just perfect for the season and I paired it with golden place mats.

My cake has a beautiful etched, fall pattern on top, produced from my new Nordicware pan. Hope they bring one with a Christmas wreath etching too.

 The recipe is at the end of these post. The etched pedestal cake stand is Marquis-Waterford..was given to us in our Tenth wedding Anniversary, that is, 27 seven years ago!

 Here is the pretty Fall etchings of my new Nordicwear pan I used for my pumpkin cake.

 I bought early this year this lovely antique, Bavarian tea set, made in US Zone of occupied Germany, which lasted from 1946-1948. I paired the teacups with my White Scapes, Noritake bread plates and salad plates. The cobalt blue chargers where made at our former ceramic co.

 The cake is somewhat marbled with cocoa powder. In the backdrop the creamer and sugar bowl.

The fruit basket was also made at our former ceramic co.

The water goblets are French from my dear Mil.

 I love the hand painted, peacock on the Delf garniture piece. It also has a lion figurine as handle.

Here I'm posting finally a Fall Harvest and Pumpkin Cake Tea Table. I'm using my antique Bavarian, US Zone, Germany tea set, that I bought early this year. You can see the lovely Bavarian teapot and one of the flower vases from the Delf-Holland garniture set I used as my centerpiece.

I'm happy to be back to start visiting you and inspiring myself from the beautiful posts I will be visiting. Thank you so much in advance for the wonderful and kind comments you always leave me and make me sooo happy!

LOVE,
FABBY

Pumpkin Chocolate Harvest Cake

2/3 cups softened butter, (not margarine)
2 cups sugar
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
2 1/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (15 oz.) can solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon water

Heat oven to 350F.  Grease and flower pan; set aside. In large bowl of K. Aid, or whatever you have..beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg and egg whites; mix until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin and 1/2 cup water; mix on low speed until blended, scraping bowl often. Increase speed to medium, and beat 2 minutes. 

Remove 3/4 cup of the batter and put in a small bowl. Spoon reserved batter into prepared pan.  
To reserved batter, add cocoa and 1 tablespoon water; stir to combine. Place spoonfuls of chocolate batter  on top of batter in pan. Using a knife, swirl chocolate batter, into pumpkin batter to marble. 

Bake 40 to 47 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan; remove from pan and cool completely.



Thank you lovely and gracious hostesses for having me at your fabulous and fun parties. I will be partying at:

Let's Dish at,  Cuisine Kathleen
What's It Wednesday at,  Ivy and Elephants
Tablescape Thursday at,  Between Naps on the Porch
Full Plate Thursday at,  Miz Hellen's Country Cottage
A Return to Loveliness at,  A Delightsome Life
Vintage Inspiration Friday at,  Common Ground
Potpourry Friday at,  Honey at 2805
Home Sweet Home at,  The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at,  The Picket Fence
Foodie Friday at,  Rattlebridge Farm 
Home Sweet Home at,  The Charm of Home
Grace at Home at,  Imparting Grace
Open House at,  Bernideen's Tea Time Blog
Shine on Fridays at,  One Artsy Mama
Tickled Pink at,  504 Main  
Say G'Day Linky Party at,  Natasha in Oz
Seasonal Sunday at,  The Tablescaper
Sunny Simple Sunday at,  Sunny Simple Life
Masterpiece Monday at,  Boogieboard Cottage
On the Menu Monday at,  Stone Gable
Table Top Tuesday at,  A Stroll Thru Life
Mix it Up Monday at,  Flour Me with Love