topic Re: Do you remember... in Home

Do you remember...

Nonametoday — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 03:26:54 GMT

...when your grandmother or great grandmother, maybe even your mother served vegetables from a similar bowl? My grandmother had many vegetable bowls, some with covers, others without. Most were China, some from occupied Japan and others from England.

Now all our plates and bowls and so forth match or nothing matches at all or we serve in what we cooked in. It was so elegant to see Sunday Dinner (which was lunch) on our dinner table with Army-Navy tablecloth, a full setting of wedding band China, real silver serving pieces including our flatwork. We don't do that any longer except at Christmas or Thanksgiving. I miss it. Mother always had fresh flowers on the table. We owned a nursery as well as restaurant so we ate well and had fresh flowers seasonally.

Re: Do you remember...

beach-mom — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 03:40:15 GMT

@Nonametoday - Yes, I remember! I have my paternal grandmother's Limoges china, and there are two casseroles with covers. I also have my mom's Army-Navy tablecloth. She gave it to me early in my marriage.

I used to use tablecloths because our first table was not in the best of shape! I have my two grandmothers' hand crochet ones, and one DH's grandmother made for us in cross stitch with matching napkins. I don't know what I will do with them. I just hope my children will take them because of their family significance. I doubt if they will use them.

Re: Do you remember...

Desertdi — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 04:12:58 GMT

I don't remember my grandmother's dishes, but she made tea in a samovar...

Re: Do you remember...

spumoni99 — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 04:21:19 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
I don't remember my grandmother's dishes, but she made tea in a samovar...

That is beautiful!

Re: Do you remember...

Nonametoday — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 06:06:21 GMT

@beach-mom wrote:
@Nonametoday - Yes, I remember! I have my paternal grandmother's Limoges china, and there are two casseroles with covers. I also have my mom's Army-Navy tablecloth. She gave it to me early in my marriage.

I used to use tablecloths because our first table was not in the best of shape! I have my two grandmothers' hand crochet ones, and one DH's grandmother made for us in cross stitch with matching napkins. I don't know what I will do with them. I just hope my children will take them because of their family significance. I doubt if they will use them.

@beach-mom

You have some treasures, some lovely treasures. I fear my children will not want mine. I hope the grandchildren will want them if for no other reason than family heirlooms.

Re: Do you remember...

Nonametoday — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 06:07:12 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
I don't remember my grandmother's dishes, but she made tea in a samovar...

@Desertdi

How very elegant. That must give you sme great memories.

Re: Do you remember...

Lilysmom1 — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 07:04:02 GMT

@Nonametoday I do remember the large dinners on formal occasions but then our dinners were always large because I am one of ten children.

My MIL was crazy about stuff like this and spent years gifting me dishes and fine table cloths and linens from all over the world. I have already given most of that away to others in her family as I have little use for it and her style is not mine.

It is still nice to see a well dressed table on special occasions but our lifestyle is much more simple.

@Desertdi , that is quite the showpiece!

Re: Do you remember...

Desertdi — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 08:17:42 GMT

@Lilysmom1 wrote:
@Nonametoday I do remember the large dinners on formal occasions but then our dinners were always large because I am one of ten children.

My MIL was crazy about stuff like this and spent years gifting me dishes and fine table cloths and linens from all over the world. I have already given most of that away to others in her family as I have little use for it and her style is not mine.

It is still nice to see a well dressed table on special occasions but our lifestyle is much more simple.

@Desertdi , that is quite the showpiece!

@Lilysmom1 My grandmother was Russian. I think the only reason she had it was "tradition". di

Re: Do you remember...

lynnie61 — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 08:28:29 GMT

My sister gave me a similar vegetable bowl when her MIL passed several years ago. Her MILs tables were always quite beautiful. Every holiday was extra nice at her MILs. Life is much simpler today. I'm almost glad I don't have several sets of family good China. I do have several beautiful pieces, but not full sets. I still use Corelle that is probably 35+ years old. It's in Lace Bouquet, and it still looks brand new. Cream with small blue flowers. I bought 4 extra dinner plates on EBay a few years ago for almost nothing!

@Nonametoday That is very pretty!

Re: Do you remember...

FranandZoe — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 12:37:13 GMT

That's a beautiful covered veggie dish.

Yes my grandmother and great-grandmotheer were "dish nuts" lol and my Mom inherited the gene. I have a lot of of their serveware and other dishes and glassware.

My Mom always set a nice table but she went all out on holidays.

I have two Limoges covered casserole dishes with a platter on my hutch along with a tureen and platter from my other grandmother. I have some of the other stuff displayed in a corner cabinet and a curio but most of it is put away in the garage.

Re: Do you remember...

We rescue cats — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 13:01:09 GMT

What lovely pieces @Desertdi and @Nonametoday .

I remember helping my gram setting the table on Sunday dinner days, at noon. One piece that stands out is our celery dish, it was always part of the table setting, and often the 'cracker bowl' was included as well. I have the cracker bowl tho it is in the cabinet and no longer holds crackers I used to bring it out to hold biscuits or buns on holidays.
One thing that stands out to me is that every night before we went to bed we set the table for breakfast. Every night without fail.

Re: Do you remember...

Nonametoday — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 15:08:05 GMT

@Desertdi

I totally understand about formality with the Russian women. I had a good friend who was from Russia, very intelligent and very honest to a fault. She believed in the very formal tablesettings and real life formality. She did not understand the casual way we Americans live, for the most part. She did not understand being invited to someone's home for dinner and the table not being a completely formal setting. Fortunately, she never had dinner with me because, at that time, when we lived close together, I was still working and we only met for dinners or lunch as it was never convenient for me to have her for dinner with my schedule. She and her husband were both college professors.

Re: Do you remember...

Marsha2003 — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 18:10:08 GMT

Yes, we often served dinner out of that type of serving bowl when I was younger. That's a pretty one, @Nonametoday I continued the practice although I no longer put them on the table, but set up a counter for buffet-type serving to accommodate the large groups of people we would have at the holidays.

I don't have dinners with a large number of people any longer, so I'm more likely to plate the meal in the kitchen and serve it that way. I do still like to set a pretty table with china, silver and crystal. I'm a firm believer in the practice of using my nicer items for everyday. It doesn't take that long to wash up when there are less than four people eating.

Re: Do you remember...

Sakuya — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 19:00:04 GMT

I have no idea if my grandparents had those things. One probably not and the other probably did but we didn't eat there.

I think it would be quite nice to have regular dinners on a fancier table setting. I wouldn't have the energy, though, to work, take care of family and home, AND do a big spread every day. I like the idea of it though.

I don't have name in front of me, but whoever said they set the table for breakfast the night before---That sounds so nice.

Re: Do you remember...

haddon9 — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 19:07:55 GMT

My mother had a set of beautiful china made in occupied Japan. When we sold her condo in FL, I had quite a few items shipped back to my home in PA.

However I couldn't ship the set of china and though we tried to sell items no one was interested. We ended up giving away the china along with many other collectibles to the building's cleaning woman and a few things were donated to Goodwill.

I did however keep four crystal bowls that were my grandmother's. She had gotten them as wedding gifts. She was married in 1918 so the bowls are now over one hundred years old.

Re: Do you remember...

Sooner — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 19:10:20 GMT

I have vegetable bowls, covered or not, tureens, coffee and tea pots, platters, and all manners of serving pieces. I bought them myself.

I used them last week.

Re: Do you remember...

lynnie61 — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 19:36:46 GMT

@haddon9 I have a bowl that was one of my grandmothers very few wedding presents. They were married in 1934, so it's 90 years old. It's brown and not very pretty, but growing up, my mom had it. We would have to very, very carefully handle that bowl. Right now it's packed away. We were so careful, I surely didn't want to be the one who broke it!

Re: Do you remember...

Nonametoday — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 22:08:54 GMT

@Marsha2003 wrote:
Yes, we often served dinner out of that type of serving bowl when I was younger. That's a pretty one, @Nonametoday I continued the practice although I no longer put them on the table, but set up a counter for buffet-type serving to accommodate the large groups of people we would have at the holidays.

I don't have dinners with a large number of people any longer, so I'm more likely to plate the meal in the kitchen and serve it that way. I do still like to set a pretty table with china, silver and crystal. I'm a firm believer in the practice of using my nicer items for everyday. It doesn't take that long to wash up when there are less than four people eating.

@Marsha2003

That is a long-held belief of those who advise on etiquette and manners, that we use our good stuff because our families are the ones for whom we care and we teach them as we use it for them, not only that we love them but they are worthy of the nice things in life. Thank you for your response.

Re: Do you remember...

Q-Checker — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 01:18:17 GMT

@Desertdi- My grandmother was also Russian and I have her very large samovar. I had it restored and it is now the original brass color without the chrome (?) overlay. I cherish the fact that she immigrated and brought this with her -- along with the rest of my family!

Re: Do you remember...

AuntG — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 01:25:45 GMT

Never saw anything like that. We had a gravy boat and a cake plate on a pedestal that got used for special occasions.