The night before, I knew something was brewing. My 16 year old son (AKA Baker Boy) was clearing off my dining room table and beginning to “re-tablescape”. He had scraps of fabric, tablecloths, candles and flowers out, arranging and rearranging. It was almost midnight. I gave him a hug and kiss and went to bed to leave him to his creativity. The next morning, with a the rattle and hum of a budding chef in the kitchen, my husband and I awoke. The pungent waft of dark, brewed coffee was better than any wake up call. I rubbed my eyes, slipped on my comfy slippers and opened the door to find the cheeriest, spring table embracing me! Baker Boy had color coordinated, layered with texture, added subtle elements of interest and had multiple bowls, whisks, spoons and spatulas stirring, mixing and baking. “Morning mom!” he greeted. I gave him a hug and said, “What is all this?” “I decided to make a huge brunch for everyone. I even called Kaya (our college kid) and invited him over this morning. He’ll be here soon. Everyone will be here sitting around the table!” He went on to share how he likes to have everyone together and because he couldn’t decide on what to make, there were homemade blueberry scones in the oven, homemade waffles giving off their steam in the waffle iron… …there was crispy bacon, scrambled eggs and breakfast sausage, so everyone could have their pick. He even made fruit salad and whipped up a batch of homemade whipped cream along with cinnamon, apple syrup to drizzle on the waffles. I’m not even kidding. This kid pulled out all the stops. He timed the food perfectly. His girlfriend showed up at our door (another surprise guest) along with his older brother. He invited us all to take a seat. He poured the coffee and had us all join hands. My heart was overflowing with joy at this moment. Not only had my teenager learned how to set a lovely table and prepare a delicious meal, but over the years he had gleaned the subtle nuances of what it really meant to gather around the table. Here he was, intentionally gathering his people for the sole purpose of being together. We lingered, we laughed and savored every moment.

You can find the gorgeous, lace embossed, porcelain plates at LoveFeast Shop, HERE.

Over the past few months, along with a few friends, we have been intentionally giving each other a weekly challenge. It’s a simple challenge, one that pushes us to think outside of ourselves and consider others. It might be as simple as, “Offer to carry groceries for someone this week,” or “Offer to clean a friend’s bathroom.” At the beginning of this exercise, everyone was invited to put a challenge into a bowl. The kids added their ideas, the moms and dads did too. This week we were challenged to, “Be open and aware of the needs of others and offer to help.”

This simple, weekly challenge has been so good for me. It has given me a tangible, intentional thing to do for a neighbor. This week, we found out that one of my husband’s new workers had a wife that went in for surgery. They have a slew of teenage boys and I can totally relate to the challenge of keeping them fed. Yesterday I whipped up a large lasagna, enough to feed their family as well as our own. It was a little thing really. I was making dinner for my crew as well. I just made a little extra.

It wasn’t a gourmet meal, but it was homemade. My husband picked up a pre packaged bag of salad and a loaf of garlic bread on his way home from work. He delivered the meal to them.

When we sat to eat our meal last night, I couldn’t help but think of them and realize it doesn’t take much to show a little love to those around us. #justonething

LoveBomb Lasagna

 

Save Print

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

 

Author: LoveFeast Table

Serves: 12-15

Ingredients

• 1 lb of lasagna noodles
• olive oil
• 1 small onion, small diced
• 6-8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb of Italian sweet sausage
• 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
• 1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 eggs
• 1 lb. of ricotta cheese
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. cracked pepper
• 4 C shredded Italian mixed cheese

Instructions

1. Cook lasagna noodles to al dente. (Approx. 10 min in simmering water.)
2. Drain cooked noodles in a colander and toss with olive oil to keep from sticking.
3. Heat 2 Tbls. of olive oil in a saute pan, add onions. Cook 4-5 min.
4. Add 3-4 cloves of garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
5. Add crumbled Italian sausage and cook until no longer pink.
6. Add jar of spaghetti sauce and can of tomatoes and cook until hot.
7. In a bowl, combine eggs, ricotta cheese, basil and salt and pepper and stir to combine.
8. In a large lasagna pan (I used a 10x15 pan) place a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then add a layer of lasagna noodles. Add half the ricotta mixture and spread evenly to cover the noodles. Add half the sauce over the ricotta. Sprinkle 2 C of shredded cheese over the sauce. Repeat the layers again.
9. Place tin foil over the pan and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
10. Serve half to your family and share half with a neighbor.

3.2.2265

I haven’t been sick in a really long time. I’m the mama of 5 kids after all and I have a killer immune system. So, when this mom goes down, it sends the house into a tail spin. The laundry begins to pile up, kids fend for themselves at meal time, my husband prepares dinner while playing guard, making sure my room stays quiet and uninterrupted. It creates as weird glitch in our somewhat smoothly run, daily routine. I know moms of all stages can relate.

Now, usually when I get sick, I can kick a bug with a few good nights sleep. But, this last one was a whopper. It was going on day 7 and my house guest said, “My mom back home in Rwanada would crush some ginger, boil it in water and finish it with honey and lemon. It worked every time when I didn’t feel well.”

Ginger tea! Seriously, it must be early in the season, because it’s one of my staple drinks in the chilly winter months. The first time I ever had ginger tea was in China. We spent 5 weeks in China about 10 years ago. When we traveled into Yangshaou County, I found I had the hardest time staying warm at night. I bought a knock off, North Face coat for the equivalent of $25, never took off my knit cap and looked for any type of drink to keep my hands warm. Ok, I have to come clean and make a confession. My husband and I carried a 5 lb bag of coffee, along with a French Press, all over China with us. It was the one thing we knew we’d have a hard time leaving back in the states. However, one can only drink so much caffeine.

Soon after arriving in Yangshaou, we discovered Ginger Tea. It took about 15 minutes to get it after ordering, but it was well worth the wait. It was always so hot and spicy and just slightly sweet. It warmed me inside and out. We tried for years to recreate that cup. We finally learned if we crushed the ginger before adding it to the water and bought Chinese brown sugar, we could get that cup pretty close to the original.

Hot Honey Ginger Tea

1 large nub of ginger, peeled, chopped and smashed

1/2 lemon

1 Tbls. honey (or 1 Tbls of Chinese brown sugar)

Fill a medium sauce pan, half full with water. Drop the ginger in and bring to a boil. reduce heat to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain tea into a mug, add honey to taste and a squeeze of lemon.

Do you have any tried and true recipes for kicking a cold?

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

                                  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson 

We hope that today as you gather with your friends and family around the table, that you will take a moment to savor the sights, feelings, tastes and memories being created. Have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving!

At the table,

Recently we were at a writer’s retreat with some friends of ours. It was a beautiful weekend with time to relax, be inspired by one another’s stories, wiggle our toes in the lake, get a little paddle boarding in and share delicious meals. The first evening we prepared dinner and the dish that was front and center, was this Early Fall Farro Salad. We used it as a bed for baked white sole. It was a dinner full of fresh, clean flavor not to mention, the best of conversations!

People talk about their love language, whether it’s a kind word, a gift, an act of service or a hug.

For us, our love language is time at the table sharing a good meal, delicious wine and great conversations that linger into the night.

In fact, it was the many meals we shared over the years, that inspired LoveFeast Table. There is something sacred that happens when you pull up a chair to a common table with a group of people. With candles flickering, scents of roasted lamb and caramelized onions wafting from the kitchen, the pop of the cork as the wine is being poured and passed…the stage is set for everyone to settle in and just be.

Back in the day, when both of our families lived in the same town in Maryland, we were a part of a progressive dinner group. Every month, a different couple prepared and hosted the dinner. The rest of us would bring wine. We were all foodies, so every meal was thoughtfully prepared with the freshest ingredients. Most of the women in the group were artists, so the table was always creative and beautiful. We were at different stages of life. A few of the couples were newly married and others of us had a few kids in tow. But, what we loved about those evenings were the depth of conversations, hearing and getting to know one another better. We heard about each other’s pasts and passions, future dreams and goals. We shared parenting tips, joys and hardships. It was a special time.

Now, when our families get together, there is always one night carved out when we go the extra mile to make a special meal, light the candles, pull out the linen napkins, set the table as we would for our guests, sketch the menu on our chalkboard and settle in for a long night that is composed by the conversation. Our children know the drill, the littlest will curl up on a grown up’s lap as the candles slowly melt down. The teenagers don’t rush but pull their chairs closer to the table to engage all the more. They’ve come to value the sacredness at the table, (even requesting five course meals for 16 year old birthday parties.) They know the value.

Today we are part of a virtual dinner party with some of our dear friends. We have all been inspired by Shauna Neiquest’s new book, Bread & Wine~A love letter to life around the table and decided to each create one of the recipes from the book. Being chocolate lovers, we volunteered to make Simplest Dark Chocolate Mousse.

5.0 from 1 reviews

The Dessert Course~Bread & Wine

 

Save Print

Author: adapted from Bon Appetit

Recipe type: dessert

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 Cups chilled heavy cream, divided
• 1½ Cups dark chocolate chips
• ¼ Cup honey

Instructions

1. Stir ¾ cup cream, chocolate chips and honey in a saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. In a separate bowl, beat ¾ cup cream to soft peaks. Fold cream into chocolate mixture in 2 additions.
3. Divide mousse among three ramekins or glasses. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
4. Whisk the remaining ½ cup cream to firm peaks. Spoon a little bit of cream on top of mousse. Top with berries, nuts, chocolate shaving, chocolate covered espresso bean or a sprinkle of sea salt.

3.1.09

Be sure to taste each course of our virtually progressive dinner party.

Blog-hop to a new table for every course, meet new friends and pick up a delicious recipe from Shauna Niequist’s new book, Bread & Wine: A love letter to life around the table, at every stop. We’d like to send you home with the gift of Shauna’s words, so be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of the party!

• Bacon-Wrapped Dates at DearAbbyLeigh.com
• Sullivan Street Bread at LeighKramer.com
• The Green Well’s Michigan Harvest Salad at theBlahBlahBlahger.com
• Annette’s Enchiladas at SarahBessey.com
• Simplest Dark Chocolate Mousse at LoveFeastTable.com
• A Bread & Wine Giveaway at HollywoodHousewife.com

Recently we were given pints and pints of blueberries. There were so many blueberries! We gave many boxes away but even then, were left with many more boxes. Teapot wanted to help me make blueberry pie. A few months ago I had picked up small, disposable pie tins. I said, “Let’s make mini pies and LoveBomb* our neighbors!” She was all over it! She got out the aprons, put one on Little Man and we all got to work. 

We made a mess, but we had so much fun!

*LoveBombing is an act of preparing and serving a meal or a morsel with a friend, unexpectedly and in unexpected ways. And if you get the chance, to pull up a chair and enjoy a bite with them, taking a moment to listen and be a friend. We’ve LoveBombed skaters, women in recovery, neighbors and strangers.

And there is nothing like LoveBombing with your kids!

Team “Blueberry Pie”

We wrapped up our pies,

tied them with a ribbon, added a personal note and headed out.

We LoveBombed Ms. Betty, our neighbor who has a house full of cats she calls, “Kitty Angels”.

We LoveBombed Ashley from Our Daily Chocolate. The pie was for her, but she said she did share a bite or two with her kids.

We LoveBombed our neighbor who had had a rough week.

We LoveBombed Little Man’s friend. It was her birthday.

And a good friend, who happened to not be feeling well.

LoveBombing is so easy to do! One of our friends even turned LoveBombing into a full blown Operation #LoveBomb. We were LoveBombed by her with homemade preserves. It is such an easy way to meet your neighbors, thank your librarians, show a moment of kindness to a stranger. It gets you out of your comfort zone and places you in the path of people who may just need a moment of kindness. And usually, the LoveBomb effects the receiver as well as the giver.

If you like this post you may also like these LoveBombs.

Unexpected LoveBomb to Strangers

LoveBomb-ing Boys @Ridge

LoveBomb Thanksgiving Dinner

We were having life long friends over for dinner and it’s been a while. These friends have known Chris Ann and I for over 18 years. They have been through the storms and triumphs of life with us and our families. They are the kind of friends that even though you only see each other once or twice a year, pick up right where you left off. They are the kind of friends we know, know matter where we are in life, if we needed them, they’d come running. To be honest, Devon and I needed them. We’ve been wrestling over some possible big life changes and we wanted to be surrounded with those friends who know us on an intimate and historical level. When thinking about making life changes, it’s so much easier to get objective advice from friends who already know your history and can look at both the big picture and the minutia. It was a wonderful evening. We wanted to recreate an appetizer we had shared with Todd and Chris Ann in December in Minnesota. The four of us had gone to The Bachelor Farmer for a celebratory dinner and had this dish. It was simple and fun!

Clean and trim farm fresh baby radishes.

Add a cube of quality butter. I used Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter.

Make small mounds of different flavored sea salts. We used (from top right corner going clockwise) Pink Peppercorn, Lavendar, Mushroom and Rosemary. Rosemary was my favorite with the radishes.

Serve them on a platter where each ingredient can be appreciated on its own.

Encourage your guests to try different combinations of radish with butter and flavored salts. It was the perfect kick off to a special evening.

Remember way back before Christmas?  Kristin and her husband came to Minnesota for our end of year business meeting.  Besides a bit of work and some meetings, we were celebrating.  We finished out the year strong!  We met our goals for 2012 here at our blog, LoveFeast Table and at our online boutique, LoveFeast Shop!

Almost any time we have together tends to be celebrated around the table.  Looking back on our stream from Instagram.  You can see as we celebrated we nibbled around town and at our own table.  Here’s a bit of our LoveFeast Weekend December 2012.  Kristin and Devon flew in late.  My husband, Todd was flying in at the same time, so they just drove home together. While they were on their way, I prepare a little treat to greet them with.

We ate dinner at the Nordic cuisine inspired restaurant,  The Bachelor Farmer in Minneapolis.

We met up with some of our Minnesota blogger friends {Kelli ~ Love Well – Allison ~ O My Family} at Icehouse.  We hadn’t seen them since our amazing sisterhood weekend in the woods last September.

And, we made a feast at home.

Or should I say, our husbands did.  We lit candles,

made a table runner {DIY Tutorial coming soon!}, and did our New Year’s Greeting Vlog while they worked their magic in the kitchen.

This. Was. Divine.  Butternut Squash Soup with bits of caramelized shallots, candied & spicy bacon and heaven.

Spinach salad with Pear & Pomegranate Vinaigrette, red onions and juicy pomegranate seeds.

It was beautiful and delicious.  Pan Seared Lamb Lollipops slathered with Black Berry Thyme Relish on a bed of Bacon Risotto served with Todd’s famous roasted Brussel Sprouts.

This is why the four of us make a good team.   Creating both the decoration for the setting and the flavors for a feast is something we’ve been doing for a long time together.  We all fall into our place.  We savor every moment.  We made memories again together.

Wondering how we met?  Check out the beginning of our Friendship Story HERE and HERE.

Thanks for joining us at the table ~ if you’d like we’d love to have you follow us on Instagram to catch our random moments of inspiration on Facebook for the conversation ~ or join our Newsletter to receive promotions from LoveFeast Shop!

It’s once again time for our Annual Cookie Exchange.  This is the third year in a row where we’ve gathered around the table to share our favorite cookies recipes.  Each year, we ask 12 Guest Bloggers to share their stories around holiday memories and baking.  We are always amazed to hear the touching stories of families baking in the kitchen together.  We are so happy to be able to share and hear the stories at our table.

TWELVE GIVEAWAYS TO WIN ~ 2012 LoveFeast Cookie Exchange

This year we’re adding a fun piece to the LoveFeast Holiday Cookie Exchange.  A Giveaway!  We though one of the new Recipe Books from LoveFeast Shop would be the perfect gift to add to the festivities.  Each guest blogger will start a giveaway on their blog for one of these books during their guest blog day here at LoveFeast Table.

LoveFeast Shop ~ Recipe Journal ~  $49.00 Retail

My memories around holiday baking begin at my grandma’s house.  My Grandma Bessie always had a mix of cookies on hand.  I remember coming in the back door of her home squished in the narrow entry between the coats of adults, the back door and the inside door.  As I stood in that in-between semi-freezing space, I spied the shiny round coffee cans lined up on an adjacent cabinet.  Later, after greetings and after the adults had settled into conversation I would tiptoe towards the back door.  Once in the entry I would reach for each can and peak open the rubbery lid to see what cookies they held.  There was always so many cans.  I think I remember counting up to 11 or so.  They would be filled with what I thought of as “adult cookies” such as Snowflake cookies, cookies with Christmas jellies and Russian Tea Cookies.  The silver coffee cans were also filled with cake-y chocolate cookies with white frosting and sprinkles, gingersnaps, sugar cookies, peanut butter with crossed forked prints and sugar sprinkles.  And, always Cameos the only store bought cookie I remember.

Visit the 3rd Annual LoveFeast Holiday Cookie Exchange:

1.  Visit the Cookie Exchange page to see who has guest blogged and the link to their cookie recipe.

2.  Visit the Cookie Exchange page to link up a recipe or two in our recipe link up.

3.  Visit each 2012 Guest Blogger’s blog to enter to win a Recipe Journal (retail $49) from LoveFeast Shop.

4.  Add the Cookie Exchange badge to your blog side bar to share the fun!  Grab a badge HERE.

5.  Share the inspiration by sharing the Cookie Exchange page with a friend.

One thing is for sure.  Cookie baking at the holidays is not just about snacking on sweets.  It’s memories warmed around the corners with carols on, favorite cartoon specials, and conversation mixed with cider.  It’s not the baking, or the treats it’s about the time you spent together creating the memories either making cookies in the kitchen or eating them together at the table.

What are your favorite holiday memories of baking and cookies?

Visit our Holiday Cookie Exchange page via the chalkboard badge on the right-hand side of our blog or click HERE.