What we've been up to at Cafe Chatelaine

Spending a relaxing evening at home on a Saturday. I love it. I love to have no plans and just unwind every once in a while, don't you?

Earlier I took photos of the Wyoming neighborhood in Melrose. The trees had flowered. So pretty!

The building ahead is so cool. Condos upstairs with rooftop decks and retail space below. The building is quite old.

The commuter rail station or the T station as it is called in these parts, is always gorgeous this time of year.

Has a bit of an Asian feel with the tree in full bloom and all the windows in the waiting area.

I used to watch the comings and goings at the station from the bakery across the street. Sadly the neighborhood bakery closed last year.

The area can be bustling depending on the time of day. Not so around 7 PM on a Saturday.

Apple blossoms were fragrant and plentiful near my friend's house today. I got a nice whiff as I walked by.

We gathered for a Kentucky Derby Party. My horse didn't even place or show.

Earlier, I watched people sitting in the sun outside Starbucks. It was exciting to see the Sun. It so rarely appears anymore.

The Sun was out on Friday morning when I took this shot from my dining room window.

I had lunch with my sister at Aroma Café on Friday and I discovered caramel cappuccinos. Bad, very bad!

Oscar was finally ready for his close up last week. I don't know why he is so shy around the camera, he is such a handsome boy!

Molly with her beautiful eyes and magnificent whiskers is happy to oblige the paparazzi.

This happened on Monday. It was cold and my upstairs neighbor's heat kicked on. Her radiator was leaking and the water came through to my ceiling. She has agreed to pay for the painting of the ceiling so I can't complain.

Percy inspected my new mug. I bought it at the Melrose Arts Festival last Saturday.

Molly pretends she is under a sun lamp. It was the only sun she was going to get pretty much all week.

I bought my cat mug from Julie Fox, a local potter. I really like her work.

Thom Ciulla, a photographer from Melrose, made this art piece. The base is an old wallpaper roller and he added vintage sheet music to ceiling fan blades. It is a steampunk dragonfly. I had a nice conversation with him about steampunk and photography.

My friend Lisa O'Connell of Snap Kick Studios had lots of cool items for sale. I bought a digital print of a Provincetown Shack from her. I love it.

My sister and I had been invited to our friend Jolie's for dinner. You may remember Joie as the person with the killer Christmas parties. She is a fantastic cook as evidenced by these cream puffs.

Poor Buddy was waiting for me to drop some of my dinner. Sorry Buddy, no chance I was sharing anything. It was too good!

Chicken with lemon extra virgin olive oil, panko, thyme, oregano. Mini raviolis stuffed with gorgonzola.

Oh my, oh my. Jolie said she just threw it together. I don't even want to discuss when I try to just throw something together.

This was the salad. This could have been the meal. Fresh and absolutely yummy!

I had friends over for dessert Easter evening. This has become a tradition for the last few years.

Everybody brought something for dessert. Mary made a cream cheese pie. To die for! My lustreware kitty pitcher made an appearance.

I bought a Easter Bunny chocolate pound cake and put him in a vintage crate.

Oh yeah, I served my favorite cheese, white stilton with mango and ginger. Everyone loved it.

 

Here's a shot of the tablescape. If I don't take a photo before the guests arrive, I often forget.

Oscar was preoccupied with the birds outside the window. That bookcase turned window seat works perfectly for the kitties.

Easter Mass was beautiful at Saint Patrick's Church in my hometown.

I've been using my Boston Strong wine bottle as a night light in my kitchen. The loving cup I bought a few years ago is a vase turned utensil holder.

Now you are all up to date with the goings on at Café Chatelaine. Hopefully the weather will turn warmer and drier and I can do a few daytrips. Then I'll really have something to blog about!

Easter Recap

I'm sure you all had a busy Easter Sunday. Mine was busy too. It started with Sunday morning Mass then we had Easter Brunch at the condo.

I had the good folks at Pondview Florist in Winchester fill my Harney Tea tin with a spring arrangement to match the tablecloth. White tulips with one blue hydrangea. They did a great job!

The tablecloth was a recent purchase at an estate sale. The photo doesn't do it justice.  It is a lovely shade of pink and definitely from the 50's

My sister made a couscous salad with tomatoes, garlic, basil, and lemon juice.  It was yummy!

I made overnight baked french toast. I make it for Easter and my Wimbledon Breakfast.

A mix of old and new at each place setting. New plates used as chargers and the smaller plate is vintage and was purchased at Brissonte in North Reading.

For dessert, we had a chocolate Easter Egg cake.  It was filled with chocolate cake and chocolate mousse layers. Delish!

Next, my sister and I went to the nursing home to visit my Mom and to take her to the dessert buffet. We didn't eat much. I had a few chocolate dipped strawberries.

They do a really nice job with variety and presentation. The residents at the nursing home looked like  they enjoyed it.

Too bad I wasn't hungry. I would have enjoyed the key lime pie or the caramel cheesecake.

I changed the entire tablesetting for the evening crowd.  I had friends coming over for dessert and coffee and tea.  This time I used a white tablecloth with the lavender table runner with the little LED lights running down the center.

Everyone got a Lindt chocolate bunny to take home. I am so OCD that I replaced all the ribbons on the bunnies' necks.  They came with red ribbons but that would clash with the purples and pastels of the tablescape.  So I used white and pastel colored ribbons instead.

Here's another view of the floral arrangement with tea tin. The beautiful sugar pot was a gift from my friends Mary and Don.

Yes, I did stand on a chair for this shot. I wanted you to have an aerial view of the table and of the lit runner. I wasn't sure I would like it but I do like the white plates on the white tablecloth. Another estate sale find.

Linen napkins from Pier One and violet china was purchased at various antique stores.

Petit fours in pastel colors. These would be so beautiful on a tea tray. I found these at La Patisserie in Winchester.

My friends all brought desserts.  Mary made a cream cheese pie and lemon cookies. Ellie brought brownies on a 100 year old plate that was her mother's. Debbi brought pistachio salad and flowers.

I also made up a fruit and cheese plate to offset all the sweets.  We had multigrain flatbread, water crackers and Triscuits plus red and green grapes for color and herbed goat cheese, a sharp white cheddar and a wedge of brie.

With all that entertaining yesterday, it was tough to get up for work this morning. I was a little tired but it was worth it. I had such a wonderful time with friends and family.

Easter Festivities

Today I had my Father and Sister over for brunch. First, there was church and then we went to my condo for Easter Brunch. We started with a salad of baby spinach, goat cheese, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, and slivered almonds with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing.



Orange juice was served from my hydrangea pitcher.



A daytime view of the table setting.



I made the same french toast recipe I used for last year's Wimbledon Breakfast. It's an overnight baked french toast with maple syrup and cream cheese. So yummy and so easy. I got the recipe from the Angel of the Sea Bed and Breakfast cookbook.

My Sister made a Swedish Apple Pie and we had it for dessert.



In the evening, I invited my Sister and 4 friends over for dessert. Everyone brought something. We had fruit salad with blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries and a sweet cream dip. Also, brownies, lemon cookies, more Swedish apple pie and a chocolate mousse layer cake. That's it pictured above.



It really was quite spectacular looking. We couldn't wait to cut into it.



It was just as spectacular on the inside. And delicious too!

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter.