A Tablescape Thursday Sit-Down- a new adventure is coming...

Happy Thursday All!

It is HOT here in NC- I mean brutally, the- streets- are- barren, HOT! And tomorrow is supposed to be hotter. Oh, yay. Thank heavens for central air!

Today's table is for you parents out there. Those of you with children all understand the need for some grown-up time now and then. Time to connect, time to catch up, and sometimes- like tonight- time to discuss.

As it happens my parents, who share our home, had a dinner tonight and all the kids were scattered at various friends and babysitting jobs. I've been hinting to you all about some changes at Casa Bramasole, and tonight Mr B and I took advantage of the "alone time" to do some brainstorming.

The study seemed like a nice quiet spot...

I did some mixing and matching...

a little Noritake...

a little Haviland Limoges...

the white dinner plate is a simple English ironstone

Waterford- cased and clear...

my favorite orange roses

my favorite old crystal bowl holds the roses

on one of my favorite vintage hand embroidered supper cloths

such beautiful crisp linen

this cloth came from a dealer in England that I worked with in NY- he'd probably die if he knew we were eating on it! :)

I love the look of old brass and gold

the sun stays bright till much later in the evening these days, but I wanted candles

so I lit candles (they help me think!)

a simple Caprese salad...

and some garlic cheese bread to start

I just noticed that one of the candles was out here- oops...

decisions, decisions....

so rare to have a quiet house (it didn't last long!)

Well folks, it's not set in stone yet, but it looks like  the time has come for a change. We're looking at putting our home on the market and making a move. We have so loved our time here and many forever friends have been made. Our Miss Allie isn't too happy with us right now, but sometimes parents have to make decisions for the long term good of a family that just aren't very popular. I trust completely that our wonderful children will adapt well and understand. The translation for "Bramasole" is to yearn for the sun- it is a state of mind and a state of the heart. We will carry Bramasole with us and hope you'll come along for the ride.

The reality is, unfortunately, that houses are sitting on the market for some time, so we're not anticipating that this will go very quickly (though it would be nice). I am NOT looking forward to keeping a house "show ready" with kids, parents, clients, and sundry children constantly in and out, so you may hear a few raging vents here and there :)

With everything going on today I simply didn't have time for a recipe, so I thought I'd repost one from a few months back. As it happens, I did make it this week with the wonderfully sweet strawberries I got at the local farmer's market. Enjoy!

Strawberry Risotto

3 cups of milk 

1 cup of coconut milk from 13.5 oz can 

1/2 a vanilla bean, scraped

zest of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoon of butter

3/4 cup of sugar 

1 cup of  arborio rice

1/2 cup of heavy cream

3 tablespoon of orange liqueur 

1 cup plus 1/2  cup sliced strawberries 

Toasted sliced almonds for garnish

 Heat the milks, sugar, vanilla and lemon peel in a largish saucepan until the liquid is simmering. Blanch 1 cup of berries in liquid for 30 seconds and remove.

Reduce the heat and keep liquid hot.

 Meanwhile in  another saucepan melt the butter. Add the Arborio rice and saute for a minute or two till coated and translucent.  Stir well.Add orange liquer and stir till absorbed.  Add 1/2 cup of hot milk  mixture at a time waiting till each ladleful is absorbed before adding the next and stirring well.

   The process takes about 45 minutes to complete. I've noticed that it seems to take longer with the milks than with broth- I'm guessing due to the lactose and thickness of the coconut milk. Meanwhile puree the blanched berries in a blender or food processor

When done, add the heavy cream, half at a time. Stir well to completely incorporate. Remove from heat and add the puree and sliced strawberries, stir slowly, cover and set aside for about 15 minutes.

Add some more strawberries for garnish and sprinkle with almond slices.

We're linking up with Between Naps on the porch for Susan's fabulous Tablescape Thursday party!! Come join us for some fun and inspiration. And join us tomorrow for Foodie Friday at Gollum's.

As Always,

Buon Cibo, Buon Amici,

Pattie and Allie