Setting a table the correct way...

My work on the site is done and as you might have noticed a couple of things have changed on my blog. I've been working very hard to add a few extras, update some of my labels, and change the layout with a new template. It's fairly busier than my clean layout from before, but I hope yo enjoy it nonetheless.

I'm excited about today's post because I love learning about etiquette, you know, doing things the 'proper' way. Generally speaking I can set a table correctly for informal family meals, but when I recently served up some tea and scones to work colleagues of mine, I had to go look up how to set the table for a tea party. Whilst doing my research I went the whole hog and looked up how to lay a table for all sorts of occasions. I am no expert, I'm merely trying to learn myself, so I can't claim that these images are 100% correct nor do I have all the necessary glassware, forks and spoons... but then you might not either, so I hope you find this post useful. And if you'd like to correct me on any of these, please do so and I'll update the pictures.

Let's start with laying the table.
Tablecloths look smart, but they are not essential. Instead you might want to show off your glass or antique table and use place mats instead. This is also a good option if you don't fancy ironing a tablecloth. Because, of course, a creased tablecloth looks very untidy unless you're going for a very creased linen rustic look. But saying that, it's only for formal dinners where the tablecloth needs to be immaculate IE. showing only one crease line that runs the length of the cloth. Unlike shown in my amateur photos, a white damask cloth is used only for dinner (silly me!). Prints and coloured cloths are great for ordinary home meals where you might like to re-use the tablecloth more than once (that is a clean cloth for dinner to take you through breakfast and lunch the next day).

A centre piece is not essential, but makes an occasion out of any meal. Using a simple centrepiece of picked garden flowers is elegant, and will make even the simplest family meals feel special.

Now, onto the specifics...
These are of course basic guidelines only. Place settings should be adapted depending on what is served in what order. Cutlery should always be laid with forks to the left, knives to the right with two exceptions: the fork goes on the right when there is no knife, and an oyster fork goes to the right or on the plate. All utensils should face upwards, with the sharp edges of knives turned towards the plate. Spoons go to the right of knives. The utensils that are to be used first are laid at the outer positions. Water glasses are set above the tips of the knives, wine glasses are to the right of water glasses. And if two wines will be served, three glasses should be set in a triangle. Dessert utensils are placed above the main plate, and teaspoons are placed on the saucers. Never lay out any utensils at a setting that do not have a purpouse during a meal.

Breakfast
I've only set out a bowl here, but actually, it should be a plate for hot food, a bowl for cereal on top, toast plate with butter knife on the top left. A glass for water, a glass for juice and a cup and saucer to serve tea or coffee to have with the breakfast.

Lunch
This setting is for a lunch serving that includes a small plate at the top left for salad, and a large plate for the main course. Two glasses above the knife and spoon are provided for juice and water. The napkin can of course be placed to the left of the forks as with other settings.

Morning or Afternoon Tea
I've shown a setting that would be used with serving cake and scones. The knife is for the butter, and the fork for cake. It is preferable to use a small cake fork of course, but I don't have any. Generally a smaller 6" luncheon napkin should be used, and looks ever so sweet in a neat triangle.

Informal Dinner
This setting has a small plate and knife for bread and butter, a soup bowl and soup spoon, a main plate with knife and fork and two glasses, one for water, the other for wine.

Formal Dinner
Once again, I'm afraid I don't quite have all the necessary utensils. But this setting has a bread and butter plate with knife, soup bowl and spoon. There's also a salad fork, main plate and a the teaspoon for use with tea or coffee that is served after the meal. The teaspoon can also be placed on the saucer (I have found evidence of both uses, but perhaps one is wrong?). The glasses are set so that either white or red wine could be had, and a water glass.

Extras:
With formal meals, or meals where guests are attending, try and avoid commercial packaging on a table (jars, cartons, butter tubs etc). Three things I think are essential to add to your dinner services are a milk jug (my mother-in-law is particularly oppose to having a milk bottle at a table), a butter dish or small pots to put butter into and a pretty oil and vinegar set. For serving tea, there should be an extra pot with hot water and for the sugar, sugar cubes are ideal or a pretty sugar bowl and spoon set. Remember that when serving tea, if milk is taken, it is the 'proper' thing to add the milk before pouring the tea. Also remember that water glasses are filled three-quarters full, and wine glasses half full (I'm sure that rule goes out the window as the evening progresses).

So there you have it - a quick basic course on setting the table. Have I left anything out? Do let me know. Oh, and is there anything else you as a reader would like to see added to my blog?

Speaking of which, I'll soon be starting a new weekly post alongside my normal ones about doing one odd-job around the house a week. You know, little things that might not get done normally, so kind of a reminder of one cleaning odd-job to do every week.

I've also found a new home-keeping blog called This Home Sweet Home. Pop over and say hi, there are some great informative posts there about all things home related.

Have a lovely week!
xxx

Many of my tips are adapted from Cheryl Mendleson's "Home Comforts" - an excellent all rounder weighty book for home-keeping. A favourite of mine.

Serving English tea

Photo by SixyBeast

Writing about guests in my previous posts, also got me thinking about brewing tea... since living in England I have joined in the custom of drinking a cup of tea at every occasion. I love that everyone in England offers a cup of tea as you walk through their door. You may of course have coffee, juice or water, but they will always ask "Can I get you a cup of tea". Now, the English certainly know how to make a decent cup of tea and I'm afraid it does also have to do with the quality of everyday tea here which seems to be much stronger than 'normal' tea elsewhere around the world. If you would like the equivalent to an English brew, get the tea marketed as 'English breakfast tea'.

Making the 'perfect' tea, also boils down to the use of a teapot. Of course you can use teabags in a mug, but everyone knows how to do this, I'm talking about tea that's good enough for the queen (or your guests of course). Most people agree that loose tea leaves are best, but if you can't get hold of them don't fret, unless your guests actually are the royal family, I'm sure they wont notice the difference.

You'll need:

A teapot, loose tea leaves or tea bags, thin slices of lemon, white sugar in a sugar bowl with a sugar spoon (brown sugar tastes great in coffee, not so great in tea), tea cups and saucers, teaspoons and a milk jug with fresh non-UHT milk (no cream).

This is how you do it:

• Fill an empty kettle with fresh cold water and bring to the boil.
• Whilst the water is boiling, warm up the teapot with hot water from the tap to prevent the teapot cracking when boiling water is poured in.
• Add 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves per cup and an extra teaspoon for the pot, to the pot. If you are using teabags, just us one per cup
  
• As soon as the water starts to boil, remove the kettle from the heat. Add the water to the pot, and steep the tea for no longer than 6 minutes.
  
• Before pouring the tea, add milk to the cups for those who wish to have milk, but not the lemon just yet.
• Now slowly pour the tea, if using tea leaves, pour through a tea strainer.
  Add sugar to those who wish to have it, and only once the sugar has been stirred should you add the lemon slices for those who aren't taking milk. Adding the lemon first will prevent the sugar from dissolving.
• If there is tea left in the pot that you wish to use, remove tea bags, or in the case of tea leaves, pour the through the tea strainer into a clean warmed up pot. Use a tea cosy to keep the tea warm. Leaving teabags or leaves in the pot to steep will cause the tea to taste bitter.
  

Some of the information above is from what I have been taught by my English husband and family, and the rest of the details is from the very informative The Tea Table website. This is not how I make tea on a daily basis, but it's nice to do it this way for special occasions.

Below are some practical and not so practical inspirations and finds.

I would like to add that the things I feature, are completely by my own choice, I do not get paid to feature any of these things, they are not advertisements, just things I found that I liked. The reason why many of them are from Etsy, is that I can write to the people and tell them that I've featured their items. There's little chance of a big company writing back to me ans saying 'thanks, of course you can use our image' . So please don't see them as my way of trying you to buy things, they are here for inspiration and your enjoyment.

From left tor right

Row 1: A beautiful warm knitted tea cosy from Chi-Chi Moi; Very cute little teacup earrings by Charlieccbb; a sugar and creamer set in beautiful colours with a poppy design from Alina Hayes Ceramics.

Row 2: Tea cosy fit for a queen? This classy one is from Gloaming Designs; A handy tea strainer from Sur La Table; tea strainers can be pretty like this one from Ivy Leaf Tea .

Row 3: Make tea not war tote bag by Communitea, brilliant! ; the sweetest sugar bowl ever made by Miss Pottery; Awww, a little teeny tiny teacup ring from Sypria.