GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024 - 7

food and entertainment
Finding plates with a bird theme took quite a bit of
online searching. With great relief, I found the perfect
" Nature's Song " salad plates from the Wayfair site.
They also had a set of four matching canapé plates
that I would use as bread plates. The white dinner
plates and wood-themed chargers were mine from
another tablescape and worked dreamily with the
new plates. With the place settings finalized I felt like
I had a very strong start and was excited and ready to
spend time creating the centerpiece.
Attractive LED-lighted eucalyptus branches (also
from Wayfair) served as the groundwork of my
centerpiece. With their silvery-green leaves, crafted
of fabric and realistic veining detail, they brought the
look of nature to the table and served as the backdrop
for my birdhouse.
Combing the internet for a birdhouse landed me at
Home Depot. They had just the right look I wanted:
Something nature-looking and tall enough to bring
height to the centerpiece. However, once I placed the
birdhouse on the table, it appeared a bit dwarfed.
With a little more online searching I found a decorative
rustic tray riser stand on Amazon. Now my
vision for this bird-themed table was really coming
together.
With the place settings done and the centerpiece
finished it was time to add the final touches to meet
my expectations. Small birds' nests would be the footing
for my flickering pillar candles. Artificial feathered
birds were clipped onto the eucalyptus branches. The
colorful assorted foam birds added brightness to the
birdhouse, which of course, thrilled Rylan. All the LED
pillar candles had timers (which I love).
One by one and bit by bit, the added final touch
items brought the completion of this rite of spring
table.
Spring weather being unpredictable, I set this
tablescape both for indoor and outdoor dining.
Setting the patio scene outdoors provided a backdrop
of blue skies with puffy white clouds and patio
umbrellas which lightened the table look. Setting the
table for indoor dining, the use of flickering candles
brings a cozy warmth. When the early spring evenings
are likely to be a bit chilly, a feeling of warmth could
be needed.
Serving colorful ratatouille seemed like a delicious
7 GRAND SPRING 2024
choice for both the indoor & outdoor tables. It
crossed my mind that chicken seemed a bit awkward
and just not right for a bird-themed table. I found a
wonderful recipe that seemed easy enough to prepare
and looked lovely for company or a special family celebration.
Here is the link for the delicious recipe
With Rylan sharing her approval and fascination
with my table scene, I am pretty sure she'll probably
be the one to follow in my tablescaping footsteps. It's
a good thing because I sure have plenty of themes
and dish sets to pass on to family. You're never too
young to start, right? Happy spring!
Pat Burns is GRAND Magazine's celebrity
journalist, film reviewer & lifestyle editor.
Pat is co-founder of the Orange County
Children's Book Festival and founder of
S.T.E.A.M. Race to Space Reading Challenge

https://www.howtocook.recipes/homemade-ratatouille-recipe/ https://www.facebook.com/GRANDmagazine https://www.howtocook.recipes/homemade-ratatouille-recipe/ https://www.kidsbookfestival.com/ https://www.kidsbookfestival.com/ https://www.readsteam.org/ https://www.readsteam.org/

GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024