Those of you who know me are probably surprised that I did not do a Valentine’s tablescape this year with pink. I’m a little surprised myself. If you missed the kitchen Valentine’s table, it is here. I finally finished the Valentine’s table in the dining room.
I like using the red plates that were a Christmas gift from my husband when I first began tablescaping. I really like the square shape, and I also like the large size of the dinner plates for some meals which have a lot of different components.
I normally mix and match these plates. I’m not usually into matchy-matchy. But because it was Valentine’s I wanted to use both the dinner and the salad plates. So to break up the red on red, I folded the napkin long ways and put it between the two plates. These are some wonderful heart-patterned napkins from The Napkin Lady.
Because these plates have a black edge, I used the San Remo flatware again. I decided to use the platter that matches these plates as a base for my cloche display. I did not have a valentine type of item to put under the cloche, so I chose this Willow Tree angel. Then I added my red and clear colored beads.
Wanting a little something else added to the centerpiece, I remembered this pretty heart-shaped plate and matching miniature goblet. These are pieces made by Mississippi potter Pam Sharp. I purchased these on eBay. She passed away several years ago, so her pieces can only be purchased on the secondary market.
I also used my two black candle holders that you see in many of my tablescapes. Topped with red pillar candles, they continue my red and black theme perfectly. I was also pleased that I spent no money on this table; I had everything already.
Now on to the other event coming up this week, Mardi Gras. To give you part two of this post, we ended up changing the youth pancake supper to breakfast. For you purists out there, I know that Sunday is not Tuesday! But getting youth together during the week is often next to impossible, so Sunday is the best choice for us. We named the event Shrove Tuesday Pancakes on Sunday, and they liked that.
Kelsey, Joe, and Camille working on quiz.
Of course, there is no way to foresee everything that the kids are involved in. Many of them had been involved in the JA Charity Ball the night before and were out late. So our Sunday morning crowd was little slim. But the few that were there had a great time, and we adults deemed it a successful activity!
Max, Kelsey, Joe, Jayme, Camille, and Madeline collaborating on quiz.
As I mentioned in the previous post, I had put together a Mardi Gras trivia quiz for them. I struggled with how to do this with them. I did not want it to seem like they were in school. I wanted it to be fun. Finally, David and I decided to cut up all the questions and answers separately, mix them up, and have them put them together.
Working hard on matching up the questions and answers.
That ended up being very successful! It was especially fun with this small group. They had a great time and learned a lot in the process. I have put the quiz below for you to test your own knowledge.
I had to get a shot of Jayme’s pancake creation. She put whipped topping and chocolate sauce on her pancakes and made it look quite pretty!
By the way, I was really proud of the kids. When it was all over, they only missed one. Can you guess the one they missed?
Everyone fixing their creations.
Our Shrove Tuesday Pancakes on Sunday menu was quite creative. We had pancakes, sausage, and bacon, of course. Then in addition to the syrup and margarine, we added strawberries, whipped topping, chocolate sauce, and caramel sauce. They had a blast creating their breakfasts! Then they ended the meal with King’s Cake. I made it according to this recipe, and the kids loved it. So did the adults.
Lots of thought went into their pancakes.
Overall, it was a good morning. If you are ever unsure of what to do with teenagers, just have food. Everything else will follow.
Preparation of the pancakes.
The Trivia Quiz:
When does the season of Mardi Gras begin?
Epiphany, January 6
What are the colors of Mardi Gras and what does each represent?
Green: faith
Gold: power
Purple: justice
What is Ash Wednesday?
It is the beginning of the season of Lent.
Why is the day called Ash Wednesday?
During Ash Wednesday services, the minister will lightly rub the sign of the cross on a person’s forehead with ashes.
What are the ashes made from?
The burned palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration.
How long is the Lenten season?
It is 46 days long, the forty days of Lent plus the six Sundays.
When does Lent end?
The sparse and fasting time of Lent ends with feasts on Easter Sunday.
Why is Lent forty days long?
It symbolized the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness in prayer and fasting before beginning his ministry.
What is the English translation of the words Mardi Gras?
Fat Tuesday
What is another name for Fat Tuesday?
Shrove Tuesday, the word shrove derived from the word confess. The Lenten season is meant to be a time when Christians confess sins and ask forgiveness.
When is Fat Tuesday?
It is always on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
For Christians, what should they do during the season of Lent?
Christians should spend extra time in prayer and fasting during Lent to remember the gift of Jesus Christ and his time in the wilderness. They often give up some sort of vice and/or take on something that they may not normally do.
What is the meaning of the word Lent?
Spring
Why are pancakes the traditional meal for Fat Tuesday?
In preparation for fasting and lean meals during the Lenten season, all of the fats in the home must be eaten. Pancakes use up the oils, fats, eggs, and dairy in the home and are therefore a good meal for Fat Tuesday.
In Brazil, Mardi Gras is called Carnival. What does the word Carnival mean?
Farewell to meat. Many Christians choose to abstain from eating meat on the Fridays of the Lenten season.
Why is the sweet roll eaten during Mardi Gras called the King’s Cake?
The time of gluttony and feasting preceding Lent begins on Epiphany, also called Three King’s Day. It is the day the Christians historically celebrate the gifts brought to the baby Jesus by the Wise Men.
Why is the King’s Cake round?
It symbolized the circular route taken by the three kings as they went in search of Jesus. They were trying to confuse Herod and foil his plot to kill the new baby.
Why is a token such as a baby, bean, or coin baked in the King’s Cake?
The baby symbolizes the Baby Jesus. The kings journeyed a great distance to worship him. Some say that the person who finds the baby, bean, or coin is the king or queen of Mardi Gras. Some say that finding the token is a sign of good luck throughout the year.
Terry, pancake cook extraordinaire.
In case you are wondering, I did not bake any sort of token into the cake. I just have this fear of someone choking.
Sharon, David, and Terry: great kitchen crew!
Did you guess which question the kids missed?
Digging in to King’s Cake!
The first one! They put Spring as the answer rather than Epiphany. But I was thrilled that was the only one they didn’t know.
Tablescapes by Bev 
You have covered a lot of ground here. Your trivia quiz was good, and I must confess to not knowing all the answers.
What a fun event for everyone – I am sure that those young people had a great time. Love the red plates in your Valentine table – what a sweet husband to give them to you. Hope you have a great time tomorrow!
Your valentine’s table is quite pretty. Love those dishes. How great to pick up the black edge with teh flatware. The kids Mardi gras event looks like a real winner. Happy Valentine’s! xo marlis
Your Valentine table looks great, and I love the Pam Sharp pieces. Looks like the pancake breakfast was a success. Thank you for joining my party. laurie
I’m still wondering where pancake day came from!
Sorry, I meant to explain that in my post. Pancakes are the traditional meal for Fat Tuesday because they use up fats, eggs, and dairy before Lent.
Your event looked like a lot of fun! And I really like the red tablescape for Valentines day!