Italian Countryside - My Mikasa Dishes

Mikasa - Italian Countryside

I have recently added to my expanding dish collection an overall beauty. I absolutely love my new Mikasa Italian Countryside dishes! I purchased two boxes of 16 pieces each with service for 4 that were on sale at Macy's. I wanted to use them for mixing and matching neutral dishes with my other service settings. I did a bit of online research before I made my decision to and found that the reviews on this set were stunning. I am not disappointed! There was however some conflicting information, so I want to share my personal knowledge of them for a wider audience.  
These dishes are a creamy white color and not pure white. This ivory color is very subtle, but if I compare it to a true white color it becomes strikingly obvious. Used by itself it looks completely white, which I really like. It has the ability to blend with my other pieces and most of the ones I have are also a little creamy anyway. If you are looking for a true white set of dishes you would be making a compromise to use these. I think the very white dishes are a little stark for what I wanted, so these work perfectly. 

Compare the true white feathers on this mask to the ivory colored mask itself and you will see the light ivory colored hue matches perfectly with the plates. The true white is much brighter in comparison. I only notice it when they are right next to each other.

According to my box they are made of porcelain. They are very shiny with a high gloss finish. They are not too heavy or to light. I saw several online places that called them a household "Workhorse." I certainly see how this is true. They are tough enough to work for everyday, but fancy enough to keep in a china cabinet for special occasions. I really wanted something that I didn't have to baby all the time and would feel comfortable actually using. Since these are readily available and extremely popular I can always replace them if they do break or chip, and they are reasonable priced so I don't need to have a panic attack if my guests want to help clear the table after dinner.  

Ralph Lauren-Italy, Italian Countryside-Mikasa, and Adelaide- 222 Fifth

I love how flawlessly they work together with my other dishes. I can't wait to use them with my Thanksgiving place settings too!I wanted to comment on the specific bowls in this collection. I choose to purchase two boxes of the service for 4 collections because I liked the bowls that were included with this set. The factory boxes that had service for 8 have different bowls with open fluted edges. They are also very beautiful, but I thought that these would be more functional for what I want to use them for. I also think that they portray the more classical Pompeii feel that I wanted in my European collection. 
The bowls that came with my set are VERY large! They are not the general bowl size that you see with most dishes. I want to show the comparison between the "Italian Countryside" and my 222 Fifth "Adelaide" dishes. The Mikasa bowls are really too large to use for cereal bowls, in my opinion, but work perfectly for a giant salad or a generous serving of hearty vegetable soup.  

I love adding a charger under them to add a little extra pop at times. They just look good no matter what I do!  

Mikasa- Italian Countryside
Ralph Lauren - Italy (unknown vintage set)
222 Fifth - Adelaide
Tablecloth - Lenox Opal Innocence, white
Teapot - Grace's Teaware

Photos By Danella McCall

Pine Marsh Salad - Jello Salad

Best Jello Salad EVER!!!

In saucepan or microwave melt:

            16 large marshmallows (160 small) 

            1 cup milk 

Pour over:

            1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese

                              softened with milk mix

            1 large pkg. lime Jell-O

            2/3  cup sour cream 

            2½  cups crushed pineapple

Whip in a separate bowl:

            ½ pint whipping cream 

                  

I will substitute 8-12oz of Cool Whip the whipping cream if necessary. It is sweeter, but it works fine. 

Fold cream into Jell-o mixture. Place in desired bowl. Cover. 

Chill until set. Keep refrigerated.      

Little Boy Blue, Baby Shower

Baby showers are a special way for family and friends to celebrate a baby. It is fun for everyone to "shower" the new baby with gifts. Creating a shower is one of the funnest activities there are, but if you have never planned one before it can be a little overwhelming. There are several key elements to a traditional shower...

• Decorations
• Activities, Games and Prizes
• Food or Dessert 
• Opening of the gifts

I will go over each of these areas to help design the perfect party. Keep in mind that a shower can be as inexpensive or costly as you choose. So don't panic! It doesn't have to break the bank. Planning ahead will help everything flow smoothly on the day of your party. 

The first thing to do is set a date and time for the event. Make a guest list and decide who will be invited. It is a long-established rule that baby showers are just for ladies, but times are changing and the guest list is entirely up to you. Plan food and activities based upon your guests and the number of people who are attending. 

Send out your invitations. I personal like stamped letters for my invites, but some people use social media to create an event. 

Little Boy Blue, Baby Shower - Decorations

DECORATIONS and Planning

Create a "hotspot" for your activity. A designated gift table of food table works well to define your theme. If you know the gender of the baby it is fun to plan everything around that. I create a special board on Pintrest to plan each of my events. If you do this be sure to set your board to private so all your friends can't see a preview of your event!   

Have a time frame set for your party. I expect a shower to be anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours. If you have guests that you know will be staying longer then this make sure all your events are completed so those that want to leave can make a composed exit whenever they want to. You do NOT want your party to drag on and on! It is your job as hostess/host to keep your events moving from one activity to another. Stay within your set time frame.  

Little Boy Blue, Baby Shower - Activities

ACTIVITIES
  These are fun things that you do at your shower that are not rewarded with a prize. 

Little Boy Blue, Baby Shower - Games and Prizes

GAMES

     

Set up each of your games. There are two basic types of games and I classify them as active and quiet. Typically I try to have two of each. If you have extra time to fill have a "back-up" game ready to go. Set aside an hour or less for the games and if it is taking more time then you planned cut one of them out. Prepare pen/pencils and paper if necessary for the game. Guest may also need something to support their paper while writing. A stack of older magazines works well for this. 

If you have a large group of guests avoid games that only one person can do at a time. An example of this might be passing a new diaper bag around the guest circle to feel in a bag for baby items to guess and then make a list. If you have 6 guests and they each take two minutes to feel in the bag it will take about 15 minutes to complete the game and that would be acceptable time frame. BUT... if you have 20 guest it will take about 45 minutes and your guest will get bored waiting for their turn. 

PRIZES

Have prizes ready for each of your games and have an extra one or two for tie breakers. I also like having a door prize and a booby prize. They don't have to be expensive. I trip to the dollar store can yield excellent results.  

There are so many good websites for baby games I am not going to take the time to make a new list of my own. Just do a web search for best baby games and have fun reading. 

A WORD OF CAUTION... (in my opinion)

Make sure that all the games that you choose are in good taste for your audience. This includes ALL of your guests! 
If you feel even slightly uncomfortable with the content of a game DO NOT DO IT! 

As delightful as that might be to enjoy the mental picture of your boss sitting in a high chair with a pacifier from her/his puckered up mouth it might be best to save that game until you are retired.  

This does not mean that you have to have boring games! There are many fun options, so evaluate your guest list and plan accordingly.  
   
It is your job as hostess/host to make your guest feel at home and have a good time. This can be achieved with many funny games that are in good taste, but it is not a good idea to take it over the top. You need to feel good on the day of your party and worrying about whether or not you made the right choice in appropriate games is something you should not have to worry about.    



Baby-Shower.com Games
TheBump.com Games
beau-coup.com Games

Little Boy Blue, Baby Shower - The Food

FOOD

   Have an assortment of simple nibble foods (nuts, mints, candy, etc.) ready for guests to snack on while they visit and wait for other guests to arrive.    Take one or two while you visit with your guests so they know they are available for eating.

 Food can be very simple. Unless you are planning a full meal and have informed your guest in advance, little finger foods are completely acceptable. 

   Make sure you serve a sweet treat of some kind. It really can be anything you want, but make sure it is something special. Most people choose cake, cupcakes, fancy cookies or something of that nature.   

Pillsbury - Bunny Butt Cookies