I Heart The USA - Happy July 4, 2013

 

Happy July 4th to everyone! Have a safe and happy holiday.

 

Lots of traditional American foods are associated with this holiday - 

anything on the BBQ or grill or from your picnic basket - hot dogs,

burgers, great salads, pie and ice cream.

 

For me, I always want to find a big bowl of German Potato Salad!

Nothing better to go with all the other great food served on big long

brightly colored tables. The recipe I use is at the end of this post!

 

A Close To Authentic German Potato Salad
Cover the potatoes with water, bring to boil and cook for approx 10 min,
only until easily pierced with a fork.  Drain and gently rinse in cold water, set aside.
Fry bacon until brown and crisp, remove from pan and set aside.
Add onion to bacon grease, saute until until browned.  Ad vinegar, water, sugar,
celery seed, salt and pepper.  Bring to gentle boil, add potatoes and parsley.  Crumble
in 1/2 the bacon, heat through and place in serving dish.  Crumble remaining bacon over
the top and garnish with parsley sprigs.  Serve warm. Makes 4 generous servings and 
can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd.

3 C diced potatoes (I like small red potatoes)

6 slices bacon

1 sm onion diced

1/2 c white vinegar

4 T water

1 T sugar

1 t celery seed

1 t salt

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

1 T chopped fresh parsley

Other Red White and Blue Tablescapes found here on The Little Round Table

work nicely for July 4th also!

Inaugural Tablescape

Presidents' Day Tablescape

Tammis Keefe "Beef" or "Cow Parade - BBQ"

Just added to the Tablecloth Database

Heavy cotton, printed name Tammis Keefe, no tag.

There is at least one additional "cow" themed

Tammis Keefe cloth, called "Cattle Futures" on

the tammiskeefe.com site which is maintained by

a collector of Keefe designs.

Look for the "Cow Parade - BBQ"  tablecloth in a future tablescape.

Since Mr. TLRT had his heart attack in 2011, NO beef has crossed our threshold.  Boy I sure miss it! Here is some interesting information about beef in the US.

Beef Industry Statistics

2011 Cattle inventory:  92,582,400 (USDA NASS)

• Economic impact:  $44 billion in farm gate receipts (USDA NASS)
• Number of herds: 742,000
  • 30.9 million beef cows
  • 26.7 million feeder calves
  • 90 percent of cow herds have less than 100 cows (avg. 44 head)
• 2011 beef exports:  $4.08 billion, 2.35 billion pounds (USMEF)
  • Top export markets:  Mexico, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan 
• More than 50 percent of the total value of U.S. sales of cattle and calves comes from the top 5 states: (USDA 2007 Ag Census)
    1. Texas
    2. Kansas
    3. Nebraska
    4. Iowa
    5. Colorado
• Cost of production:  from 1990-2003, feedyard cost of gain was $261/head; in the past four years, feedyard cost of gain is $494/head
• Average producer age:  58, up from 56 in 2002 (USDA 2007 Ag Census)
• US productivity advantage:  Domestic cattle inventory = 7 percent, Domestic beef production = 20 percent
• 33.5 million head of cattle harvested under USDA inspection; 26 billion pounds of beef harvested under USDA inspection
  • Average weights at slaughter
       Steers – 830 lbs
       Heifers – 769 lbs
       Bulls – 893 lbs
       Cows – 617 lbs
• Total livestock production costs:  $54.8 billion (USDA 2007 Ag Census)
• Per capital spending on beef in 2009:  $261.90 (47.8 percent of per capital spending on all meat)

Just Added to the Tablecloth Database - The Delineator Tablecloth

Authentic Margaret Bourke White Tablecloth as shown in the Delineator article of 1936.

At the time I wrote my article for The Dish and the followup blog post

I had only managed to locate a "similar" design, shown HERE
 Tablecloth Database

This is the real deal, same size and design, 

as shown in the 1936 article, with image by Margaret Bourke White.

At some point in the future, I'll be updating my original article using this cloth. No tags and no ID as yet.

As shown in the Delineator 1936 article below.

Black and White and Red All Over - Spring

Originally posted April 28, 2010

Prior Black and White and Red All Over Posts:

Valentine's Day

Halloween

This vintage tablecloth design by Victory K and B is called "Leaves"

and  also appeared in another colorway for Easter: Royal Rabbits Hold Annual Luncheon

Here it is shown in Red with Black, White and Scarlet Post86 Fiesta.

The striped salad plates, teapot, canister and flatware are from Home Goods.

The stemware is vintage crystal in a very deep burgandy that looks

black except in very bright light.

The roses are 'Iceberg'

The votives came from Michael's.

Cups and saucers are 'Medallion' by Rosenthal.

Christmas Geese by Vera

This vintage tablecloth seems out of character for Vera's tablecloths, but it is indeed a Vera with the typical Christmas geese so popular in the '80s.  I've never made a Christmas goose, perhaps this is the year to give it a try!

Hunter green chargers, White Post 86 Fiesta dinner plates, Scarlet Fiesta salad plates.  Candy cane glassware is from Pfaltzgraff, flatware from Home Goods, salt and pepper and peppermint bowl from Pier 1.  The cake stand is Fitz and Floyd, napkins from Tuesday Morning.

How To Cook My Goose - A Recipe For Disaster In The Making

After doing some research on the roasting of a goose, I think I will wait for a less visible dinner party to make my first goose.  It would take 4 geese to feed our Christmas dinner crowd! Apparently the bigger the goose the less likely you will end up with a tender result.  Small 8-12 pound geese are the recommended size to roast. So I will have to wait to "cook my goose" ....have you ever wondered where that expression came from? I will admit that at this early hour of the morning I can just about taste the wonderful dark full flavored goose that is in my future.  And apple plus plum stuffing or sausage stuffing ..... sounds like heaven! There is a goose in my future, just not for Christmas dinner this year.  Have a merry old time whatever you serve up on your table.