Dining | Bohemian Cottage

Giving Thanks

Our humble Thanksgiving table

There are so many great blog posts, articles, even entire books dedicated to the biggest food event of the year, Thanksgiving. At our house we usually keep it very traditional, serving pretty much the same meal every year. With so many resources about entertaining and menu planning and recipes on Thanksgiving out there, I just wanted to share with you some of what I am truly Thankful for.

Thanksgiving Table Decor

When my grandmother hosted it at her house, she managed to make the entire meal herself and every year, it was impeccable and exactly the same. Some of it was a little…different. Like lime jello salad with shredded carrots and pineapple. Without fail, it was always on her Thanksgiving table. Along with the cornbread stuffing and turkey giblet gravy with chopped up hard boiled eggs in it and tamales. The tamales became part of the tradition over time due to living in Arizona. It was one of 2 meals of the year that were served in the formal dining room with the fancy china. Christmas was the other meal served in there. Of course my brothers and my cousins and I were all banished to the “kids” table. That is where all the fun happened I’m sure! I am thankful for those family traditions that helped to form who I am today. (read more)

Fall Tablescape Inspiration

Fall is slowly creeping up on us here in the Rocky Mountains. The air is crisp in the evenings and mornings, the first touches of changing leaves are showing on the trees and the pumpkins are getting big in the garden. We recently cleaned the back yard up really well and set a nice fall table for Sunday taco night. I made baked tilapia for fish tacos and had a bunch of different toppings cut up and ready. I also had the Shiner Bock Rubyred Summer ale to drink. It was really good!

To help get your fall table set, I curated some ideas from around the web, and also wanted to share our first of many fall table settings with you. (read more)

Whimsical Bohemian Tea Set by Nini Violette

Bohemian Tea Party Inspiration

While planning an upcoming Bohemian Tea Party, which you will see here on the blog, I have come across many inspiring ideas that I wanted to share here. When I start thinking about a party, usually I have some sort of theme in mind like last summers Midsummer Masquerade, to an Indian inspired intimate dinner for 4, it helps to plan the decor, menu and music. If you checked out the Convivial Bohemian Table post, you may have had some inspiration to make your everyday dinning special and uniquely your own, or so I hope anyway! (read more)

Winter Holiday Tablescape Inspiration

Offering of simple appetizers by candle light. Hummus, Tzatziki, heirloom carrots, smoked almonds and pretzel chips.

Have you been starting to think about company coming for the holidays? Setting a festive mood for the holidays is important for me to not get overwhelmed and sometimes downright depressed this time of year. I usually go about it my usual way of slowly collecting items that can be used to decorate around the holidays from post holiday clearance sales to my fave, thrift stores. I have recently become obsessed with trays. I found this deep red faux croc tray for a steal. Trays tend to corral your items and give the table a cohesive feel. (read more)

Convivial Bohemian Table

A romantic table lit by candle light. We only have so many heartbeats in this lifetime, and meals to enjoy, so I try to make them special.

One the best parts of cooking for me is the conviviality of coming together with family and friends. Nothing nourishes the bohemian soul more, with the exception of traveling perhaps. I think it is one of the most basic things we can to do in our world to promote peace and goodwill, starting right in our own homes. That is something that I try to point out to my girls, if everyone took the time to slow down and share nourishment and break bread with one another, no matter how humble, it might make a difference in the world one household at a time. (read more)