With the warming weather, we love eating on the veranda. Last weekend we decided to invite our neighbors up for a springtime meal to enjoy it with us. I set the table so the couples were a bit farther apart, just to make them more comfortable. It has been a while since I had some tablescaping fun, so I took the opportunity to use what I have in a new way.
This bowl was the inspiration for the color scheme and theme. It has red and gold as the main colors, with chickens on the sides. I made a delicious salad and served it in this bowl for the meal. It had fresh crisp lettuce, fresh spinach, green onions, vine ripe tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and dried cranberries.
Building off that color scheme, I pulled out bamboo placemats, and set red chargers on them. These are topped with my gold square plates and chicken salad plates.
Red napkins are held with gold and red chicken napkin rings. Everyday flatware and individual salt and pepper shakers are added.
There are four different chickens on the salad plates. Two are white and two are brown.
Drink glasses complete the settings.
As a centerpiece, I used my chicken decorated large teacup planter I found in a thrift store. It has a bit of red, with a white chicken on one side and a brown one on the other.
We had a really nice evening, cooking on the grill and enjoying some company for the first time in months. After our salad, we had steaks expertly grilled by My Sweet Babboo, and grilled corn with herb butter. Our guests brought dessert, a fabulous banana pudding using Paula Deen’s classic recipe that was soooo good!!
Are you enjoying more social activities now? Do you like to eat outside?
From My Carolina Home 
Carole, how fun to have a couple over for a lovely alfresco meal. Love your table and the menu sounds wonderful. Happy Friday!
Yay!! Fun with friends again….and dishes!
What a lovely table. Our warmer weather has fled. 40° with rain wouldn’t feel as cold if we hadn’t been treated to a record high last week, but now it does so there’s a fire in the fireplace to take the damp chill away. Our knitting group almost got together at the coffee shop this weekend. There seems to be another surge in the area so although were all vaccinated we decided to hold off. We got together outdoors last fall, with flocks of geese flying south. If there’s a clear day this weekend we will listen to the returning songbirds.
Table is wonderful, sounds like fun having friends over for a meal.
I love your tablescape. Very pretty. I just mentioned to my other half that we need to put the picnic table and benches on the deck this year so we can be outside eating more. Haven’t done that in a few years. I think we all just want to be free of everything that has happened in 2020 and being outside in nature is good for our soul! Enjoy!
That’s a fun tablescape, Carole! I love the chicken theme – the planter is really cute! Sounds like a lovely time with your friends. I’m looking forward to more outdoor time with friends, too.
What a lovely table. How fun to enjoy a meal outdoors! We did a bit of that on our little vacation south but it is too chilly at home to bother. I am dreaming of 70 degree days, but fear we will go from low 60’s to 90’s with out those lovely in between days. We are eating out at our “safe” spots periodically, but not having anyone outside our 3 bubbles over yet. I am organizing some things for May though. Happy spring!
Much too chilly for outdoor dining here right now. And unfortunately we lost all our backyard trees a few years ago to disease, so the deck has no shade. We looked at installing an awning, but way too expensive at our ages. We are joining two other couples (all-vaccinated) on Sat evening for a BYO dinner.
How lovely to have company at your festive table!
We have a party atmosphere most days with a son and grandson living with us right now. Next week a daughter comes to stay a month. We eat on the screened porch whenever the temperature is 65 degrees or higher. We do not, however, have beautiful tablescapes like you do.
What an inviting tablescape and how nice to have friends come join you for a meal and good conversation. I love to see signs that life is beginning to return to normal, even if it may be a new normal it is better!
Your veranda is perfect for eating outside. I think that would be lovely, maybe I can score a bistro table so that we can eat out in the garden this year. That would be fun!
What a gorgeous table and delicious sounding dinner. The best part? Being with dear friends. I’m longing for outdoor dining again. (Last night the temp was down to 33 so it will be a bit — on the other hand, next week, it’s supposed to have a high of 60, so who knows?) We did invite (separately) two sets of our vaccinated friends to dine indoors with us. We felt safe with them and it was great fun to cook for someone other than ourselves again! Your planter was a great find and I love your chicken theme. It’s so cheery! I’m thrilled that you can begin to gather again.
Very pretty table scape.
Very lovely and inviting! I went to an outdoor event without masks today, it was so nice not to have to wear one!
I’ve just caught up on your most recent posts. You have some interesting projects on the go, Carole. It’s good that you are able to have drives with your car club again. I had the impression in reading your most recent posts that you are sounding more upbeat (not that you sound down in your posts, I hasten to add). Have a good week.
You do your theme settings so well…..I would be honoured to come to a meal at your place……..