Men Are Worth It Too

Women aren't the only ones we go to the trouble of fixing a pretty table for, are they? Hard working men on their way to work in the morning deserve a little effort too, so I decided to see what I could come up with for my men.

Of course, you'll figure out sooner or later that I did all this mostly so I could practice doing a pretty table like so many of the amazing tables I see on blogs, but let's pretend that it was all for the men, okay?

They'll surely notice that Mom found two manly looking old brown books for the centerpiece. On the bottom is a 1910 Lawyers' Reports, Annotated. On top of it is Lorenzo Dow's Journal, 1848. The first  sentence of this book will make them know this is a page turner:

"I was born October 16, 1777 Tolland County, State of Connecticut, North America."

The cute little popsicle stick cabin was made by their little brother for a school project. And the raccoons are there just because they're cute too--just like my men.

The Clock plates are our favorite breakfast dishes, found years ago at a used restaurant supply shop.

The four-sided glass hurricanes on the twig and acorn base are from Bob Timberlake's shop in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

The squirrel is an old nightlight, the cord hidden in the brown glass jar. A pinecone is in his tummy where the light bulb used to be.

I'm sure my men are noticing all these little details. They will especially love the chipmunk mugs at their plates and the matching teapot that are marked "Japan." Well, maybe not. 

It's about time for Gurn and Zack to arrive so R.H. puts the bacon into his well-seasoned black iron skillet. It's Benton's Hickory Smoked Country Bacon from East Tennessee and someday I'll learn how to put links on my blog so you can click on them. For now, Benton 's bacon and country hams can be ordered at www.bentonscountryhams2.com.

I mixed the waffle batter early as it's even better if you let it sit awhile. All my men and womenfolk love my waffles. The recipe is from the 1966 A World of Breads by Dolores Casella. I've never had one of her recipes fail me. The recipe says to sift the dry ingredients, and it is worth getting out my old sifter.

Buttermilk Waffles

[I double the below, except for the salt]

2 cups flour [King Arthur is what I use.]

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3 large eggs, room temperature [beaten]

1/2 cup melted butter [unsalted]

Sift the dry ingredients, and stir in the liquid ingredients, adding the melted butter last. Beat until smooth. [Remember, waffle batter smooth; pancake batter lumpy.] If possible, let batter stand for several hours. [Shorter is fine.]

The setup is ready, all organized with melted butter and hot maple syrup in a little brown jug. The waffle iron is old but beautifully seasoned.

Gurn has fried the eggs for everyone, has gone first at the waffle iron, and fixed a plate of food that is a work of art. We believe in eating waffles while they're hot off the waffle iron, not keeping them warm in the oven. You fix your plate and you sit down and eat.

Zack pours his batter next.

R.H. is next in line.

They make quick work of it and are soon off to work. The house is quiet and I sit down at the pretty table to eat my hot waffle and the Benton bacon that is found in fine restaurants across the country. 

Yum! Men are worth it too. Even if they would have been just as happy without all the doodads on the table.