Friday, October 15, 2010

Solo Dining

The trick to solo dining is to treat yourself.
Even though this is OJ, coffee and granola, the non healthy kind,
"Pecan Sticky Bun", you must elevate
the experience if you wish to dine and not scarf it all down.

The beautiful Italian dishes Vietri are my new favorites,
long admired at a friends house. Recently she offered to swap these
for working hours on my part and I jumped at the chance, knowing I
could never afford them otherwise. I staged her home for sale,
and I now own these sage, saffron and cream beauties.
( The house sold in three days.)

This morning I decided that a nice relaxing breakfast using my
beautiful new dishes was just what I needed to chase away a disturbing
dream from the night before. The kind of dream that finds you
weeping as you come up from it's depths. The kind that knocks the wind
out of your sails, the first few hours you're awake.

Damn straight I deserved a pretty breakfast.

That's the thing about food. Not only life sustaining,
but nurturing as well. Yes, I have "nurtured" myself into
another size, but my alternate choices were unappealing.
"Give me pecan sticky bun instead!" she cries. "I will go on
to face another day, and kick those bad dreams to the hills."

I'm thinking if grilled cheese and cereal can look delicious
in these, maybe some beautiful pasta tonight would be
a good idea. I hope your dining this weekend nurtures you
and feeds your soul.

Suzan


Please join Chania at Razmataz for another
Friday photo challenge.

23 comments:

retha said...

He he he.
You are not too far out, biltong has something to do with sport and drinking but only the spectators use it. Closest will be your jerky I think.

What a wonderful friend to barter with you like that. And that those beauties could help you past the worse after the nightmare.

Char said...

oh - i love those dishes too. i stop and gaze lovingly at them at a store that i cannot afford to go into...but i do.

yay for barters!

hope the bad dreams go away.

Olive said...

That is a clever way to get dishes. I imagine you stage so finely! I have never believed in eating in a measley fashion because you dine alone. ♥O

gail said...

I hate dreams like that, but your breakfast sure is pretty!
gail

Molly said...

I love those dishes too. I think you both had a good bargain!

Razmataz said...

No solo dining when I come to Vegas! we aill find a lovley place to eat.

Have a great weekend.

Chania

Tanya said...

So glad the KILLER dishes made up for the bad dream! I hate when that happens...you know, you should never tell a dream like that before breakfast, either - ya', my husband is a bit superstitious, and I guess it's worn off...

SCORE on the dining ware, Z! I'm pretty sure you earned them that day.

Rachel Noelle Pallas said...

Lovely cozy looking meal!! ;)Rachel

Unknown said...

Definitely Suzan. Food is expensive, time consuming and labour intensive...it should darn well be pretty and delicious!

The Boston Lady said...

I love your philosophy about treating yourself well and starting your day out in such a delicious and lovely way. Sorry you awoke after unpleasant dreams - hope they stay away. Your dishes/staging swap was genius! Ann

erin's art and gardens said...

love the dishes! i do set a pretty table...it's the least i can do since hubby does ALL the cooking. hope you have sweet dreams tonite..........
e

Jane said...

Congrats on the successful staging of the house. To sell a house in 3 days in this market is amazing (I know who to call if I ever need a stager).
Breakfast looks delicious and the dishes are lovely.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Jane

Kit said...

Oh I soooo agree. Even a simple meal in beautiful dishes can make for a very lovely dining experience. I will have to remember that when I am eating my next plate of peanut butter crackers. Enjoy! Kit

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Hey Suzan, loved your post about followers and blogging. I never understood why people get wrapped up in that. The follower button is there so that folks can follow along if they like. But the comments and the numbers don't bother me at all. I do have faithful blogger friends who visit nearly every day. I do love honest bloggers who share their real life, passions, interest, creativity. Those are the folks I connect with most. I have been so inspired by so many. :) Breakfast most days around here is rushed to get out the door for school. On the weekends, I start with two big cups of coffee and that makes me happy. dinner is always a big bowl of cereal! Have a great weekend. Tammy

Karmen said...

Awww, I hope those bad dreams stay away. You have a good plan for beating them! Your friend got a good exchange for her dishes! Karmen

Jillayne said...

What a great idea; you both got exactly what you wanted! I like the idea of bartering more and more. And I hate dreams like that - they can leave you feeling unsettled for the rest of the day. Sometimes when I have a particularly disturbing one I feel as if I am looking over my shoulder all day long. You were smart to banish it with a yummy breakfast in pretty dishes - that granola sounds awfully good!

Carole said...

It's all in the presentation as they say. When I see that booth at the show I often think maybe I'll buy them for myself but then I remember what am I really here for? for my peeps...haha
Hope dinner was yummy! my soup lunch was great in our microwaveable bowl! lol

Congrats on Hannah!
xx
C

the old white house said...

I had an aunt who even late into her life set her table with a candle, her best china, and flowers of some sort, all for herself. She once told my mom that she would never stoop to using paper plates just because it 'was only for her' and that if she didn't deserve special treatment, well who did! I have always loved that attitude! I hope your dreams are sweet tonight with nothing to upset you. Theresa xoxo
p.s. gorgeous dishes, and I love that you swapped for them!

Pooch Purple Reign said...

this happens everyday in my world. i make sure of it. i think its critical. those dishes are beauts.
good medicine
~laura x

Susie~From My Home To Yours said...

Love the Vietri dishes. I threw pottery a few years back, thinking surely I could make myself a set...ha! I love a good swap.

I'm just glad to be back home this morning, having my 'real' coffee in my fav mug, rather than the stuff they call coffee in the hospital served in plastic....

Life is good...we gotta take care of yourselves and treat us good!

Blessings,
Susie

Gigi Thibodeau said...

Oh, Suzan, you and I have even more in common than I love of good writing; we both love Vietri! I have wanted a set for years, but it's out of my price range. Your barter was a brilliant idea. I agree about treating oneself to a special meal with pretty dishes and even the good linens. Here's to sticky buns and pretty plates! xo Gigi

Romeo said...

Why am I not even slightly surprised that the house sold in three days?!? You my dear have more talent in your little finger than a whole herd of people. Purrhaps even with all their dogs and cats! Seriously!

And to get those dishes in trade?! Seems like a wonderful deal to me! So why would you NOT have a beautiful solo breakfast with them?! See my point? That's right - you deserved and earned them fair and square.

As for the "nuturing" into the next size? You are so NOT alone on that one ;)

Hoping you had a good weekend without any more of those horrid nightmares....dogs (and cats) are good bed buddies for keeping away ugly things such as those. No Howie didn't bride me to say that. I'm simply just saying....

Purrs!

Romeo

kitchu said...

time to change up my dishes. these are lovely!