The official tree of New Hampshire is the White Birch, or Paper Birch.
Although we don't live in NH, the Adirondacks in NY are loaded with white birches...
...so when I saw these pretty dishes at Pier 1 Imports, I had to buy them!
The table is set for a fall dinner of beet salad (recipe below), mashed potatoes and roast pork...
A few small pumpkins center the table...
...and the birch plates are anchored with MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check enamel dinner dishes and chargers from the Christmas Tree Shoppe...
...the flatware is from Pottery Barn...
...there are also a few dried leaves, scattered around, from our trip to the Adirondacks last week...
BEET SALAD:
1 cup diced beets (8 oz can), drained, save liquid
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 t horseradish
dash salt
Mix together and add a bit of liquid if too thick
Pour dressing over 4 lettuce wedges.
“I’d like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate willfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:
I don't know where it's likely to go better.
I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree,
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.”
― Robert Frost
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate willfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:
I don't know where it's likely to go better.
I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree,
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.”
― Robert Frost
For birch bark craft ideas on Pinterest: HERE
I saw those plates Tuesday, Patti, and I almost bought them. Wow, they look great with your chargers and tablecloth! So pretty. I was thinking about getting them for Christmas, but I ended up buying some salad plates for Thanksgiving since I'm hosting this year. We have a new Pier 1 store here in Birmingham that is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
xo,
RJ
Wow I love how you connected the birch trees in the photos with the dishes. I have to go look at those at Pier 1. I love things oriented to nature. I like the dish mix you put together. I feel so lucky that I managed to get two MacKenzie Childs pumpkins on sale last winter and finally got to put them out. I did a post with them a few days ago. :-)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful table, Patti and the menu sounds delicious. Your new plates are gorgeous, and I like the way you have stacked the plates. Everything seems to go with our Courtly Check. I need to stop in Pier 1 today. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI was drawn to those gorgeous plates when I saw them in Pier 1, but resisted. When we first planted our landscape and I had three white paper birches. They all succumbed to birch bore, boo hoo, but I kept the logs. They're beautiful trees. Your table is beautiful too.
ReplyDeleteI just went back and took the time to read the poem thoroughly, and the recipe (I love beets). This is a really great post, Patti.
DeleteI love birch trees...altho I don't get to see them often down here in the deep south. So, it's a special treat for me when I travel...and I loooove to photograph them!!
ReplyDeleteGonna make your beet salad this weekend!
Oh---grrr...I just lost my comment. I said I about had a meltdown when they had to cut down a stand of three birches to put our driveway in at this house. We did get lots of birch firewood out of it though so all was not lost.
ReplyDeleteI have ALWAYS loved Robert Frost---one of my favorites.
Hope you have a great weekend- xo Diana
Love birch trees and those plates! My neighbor on the corner has a huge one that hangs over the street, and Joe has to trim it on a regular basis :-) The beet salad sounds good.
ReplyDeleteLovely! Of course Pier 1 would have something like those dishes. I actually bought 4 logs of birch at a yard sale this summer. I was so thrilled because we don't see them around here much and they are pricey when you do.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been in Pier 1 lately but I think I need to go. Those birch tree plates are gorgeous and I love how they mix with MacKC, beautiful. Dinner sounds delicious.........
ReplyDelete