DOWNTON ABBEY

 Oh, how I loved that show.   Julian Fellowes, the creator/writer of the series, has an amazing imagination and flair for dialogue.  I was inspired by the series to design jewelry which I refer to as the Black Line. After a bit of research and finding photos of a few of the ladies with their fabulous dresses and jewelry, I came up with the pieces in the collage below.   The tasseled pieces are lariats and can be worn in different ways.

THE BUTTERFLY AND THE STORM

Butterflies are special to me.   They evoke a fond childhood memory of standing in my Grandmother's back yard, arms outstretched, palms to the sky with a nickel in each hand glimmering in the sunlight.  My brother and I would do this to attract the beautiful blue and black swallowtail butterflies that would flit from flower to flower in my grandmother's garden.  Occasionally one would land on my little hand to check out the nickel.  It was so gentle and tickled my hand before it gracefully took off.  It was a thrilling experience for a five-year-old.

There are many monarchs this time of year in the area where I live.  Lovely and graceful, they flutter through our yards.  To my dismay, I found one on my porch last evening upside down with its wet wings pinned to the ground.  I gasped and carefully picked it up.  To my surprise, it started moving.  It was still alive!  Not sure what to do, and with a hurricane raging through our region, I found a dry protected spot in our yard, but it didn't want to leave my warm hand.  Finally, it settled in the sheltered spot.  I reluctantly left it there wondering if it would survive the night. 

This morning the storm had passed and the sun was out, so I looked for the Monarch.  It had moved from its shelter and was clinging to a wall.  I urged it on my hand and marveled at its beautiful wings and delicately spotted body then took it over to a high sunny ledge in the garden.  When I nudged it onto the warm bricks, it stood there for a moment, flexed its wings, and suddenly was in the air darting around effortlessly.  It easily soared over our high fence and disappeared.  What a miracle that this delicate creature survived the storm.  

Don't lose hope, you never know what tomorrow will bring.🙏

DIA de los MUERTOS (DAY OF THE DEAD)

I am working on a Mexican-themed tablescape, and a sugar skull will be part of the decor.   Sugar skulls (calavera) are traditionally used during the Day of the Dead celebration which has its roots in pre-Columbian mesoamerican cultures.   The use of skulls during this celebration date back to the Aztec empire.  The Aztecs used real skulls for their celebration, but the Spaniard explorers introduced "Sugar" skulls which were made from a paste of sugar, lemon, and hot water. In more recent times, the skulls are made from a multitude of materials such as plaster of Paris, polyresin, or even paper mache. The sugar skulls symbolize the sweetness of death.   Note that sugar skulls are smiling, as they also represent the smiling face of death.   Unlike Halloween which evokes fear and is rooted in Celtic traditions, Day of the Dead is a joyful celebration of the relationship between the living and the deceased and has evolved from the traditions of ancient native Mexican and Central Americans.

The Day of the Dead is November 2nd but is celebrated from October 31st to November 2nd. November 1st celebrates children, and November 2nd celebrates adults. Families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion that includes food, drink, and celebration.  The Nahua (the Aztecs were Nahua) rituals honoring the dead family members provided food, water, and tools on altars (ofrendas) or gravesites honoring the deceased and aiding them in the difficult journey from Chicunamictlan (Land of the Dead) to their final resting place of Mictlan.  The deceased traveler must pass through nine challenging levels before reaching Mictlan which takes four years to achieve.

Traditional foods for the celebration are pan de Muerta, or bread of the dead, which is a yeast-based sweet egg bread.  Other food and treats may include calbaza en tacha (candied pumpkin), Calaveras (sugar skulls), tamales, atole (a sweet drink), and spicy Mexican hot chocolate.

Orange and yellow marigolds (flor de Muerto) are used during the celebration. The Aztecs believed the colors and scent of the flowers would lure the dead from their resting places.   Also, the rose crown, a headband of red roses is worn by women or placed on the sugar skulls during the celebration.  In many of Frida Kahlo's self-portraits, she is wearing a floral crown.

I'm a native Californian and remember seeing the highly decorated, smiling skulls in the Mexican markets, but it wasn't until my interest in incorporating Mexican decor on my table that I understood the celebration of Dia de los Muertos. 

SOMETHING'S FISHY

 Every Summer I create a "fish" table.   The star of the show this year is this colorful triggerfish creamer, and she's hanging out on a colorful tablecloth I purchased on ebay last year.  I set the kitchen table with the idea of having an ice cream party.   

With all this fishy stuff going on, I got the urge to make a trifle.  Don't know why because I never made or even tasted a trifle, but it's a beautiful dessert and has all good yummies in it. Trifle is served in a certain type of bowl.  It's a straight-sided bowl, often footed, but the original trifle bowls were not footed.  I happened to have a non-footed trifle bowl, so I placed it on a cake pedestal, and it looked awesome.  I moved the table setting to the dining room and set it up for trifle and tea.  I decided to make a banana split trifle and invited our good friends, John and Rosemary to join us for dessert.  We had a lovely time, and I was pleased with how the trifle turned out since it was my first attempt.

Banana Split Trifle

Traditional trifle uses a sponge cake soaked in sherry or some type of alcohol and is a must for Christmas dessert. I didn't use the alcohol, as it's not to my liking. I used Godiva White Chocolate Pudding, and I wouldn't go that route again.  I think vanilla pudding would taste better which is what I'll use next time. It took me almost an hour to make it.

My trifle was layers of the following starting from the bottom up. (Serves 8)

        Marble cake cut into cubes (optional:  white or yellow cake)

        Sliced banana

        Vanilla pudding 

        Bananas, strawberries, and crushed pineapple (drained)

        Marble cake cut into cubes

        Vanilla pudding

        Topped with a thick layer of whipped cream, Hershey's Chocolate syrup, and toasted walnuts.

I made it 3 hours ahead and kept it in the refrigerator, and it held up perfectly.  Beware, your kitchen will look like a bomb hit it, but I rinsed and quickly stashed the prep dishes in the dishwasher.

Enjoy!