New England Trip

 

 It was our 2nd annual family trip to New England.  First stop, Salem.  This is Salem Harbor on a foggy, rainy morning.

 

 The Pickering House, America's oldest house and home to a single family for over three and a half centuries.

 The First Church in Salem.

 

 One of the houses from the movie Hocus Pocus.  

 

 The Ropes Mansion, also used in Hocus Pocus.

 

 Pioneer Village, used as the Sanderson Sisters House in Hocus Pocus. 

 The bridge that leads up to the house.

 

The super charming town of Rockport, Ma.

 

 Looking over at the houses from Rockport.

 

 One of the beautiful beach houses along the way to Rockport.

The waves crashing up on the rocks.

We had time to stop at a few antique shops, and I found a few things for my Etsy shop.

 Including some napkin rings, a couple of trophies, a cool art deco brooch.

 A breakfast plate with integrated toast rack, a wood English toast rack, and some silver.

More Victorian Serving Pieces

Victorian Cake Saw - rare and my personal favorite.  

 Tiny Pate Knife.

Sugar Cube Holder.

Bar Knife.

Olive spoon - with an open bowl.

Seafood Fork - similar to a cocktail fork.

Norwegian Cake Lift.

Master Salt Spoon - slightly larger than a regular salt spoon.

Hennessy Cognac Burning Spoon.

Victorian Ice Cream Slice - used when ice cream was made in large blocks. The ice cream slicer was used to cut pieces of the soft block off to be served in bowls or sherbet glasses.

Unusual Victorian Silver Serving Pieces

 The Victorians had a serving piece for almost every imaginable type of food.   I love to find unusual pieces, and then research what they were originally used for.  

My favorite reference book is Yesterday's Silver For Today's Table.  Anytime I am stumped, I check this book and more often than not, I am able to identify the mystery piece.  

These are some of the more interesting pieces I have found lately.  

Aspic Server or Jelly Server.  Aspic, apparently, is clear tasteful jelly that is made from broth, similar to Cranberry Sauce (the jellied type from a can).  This little knife is similar to a small cake knife. 

 Bonbon Spoon - small delicate spoon, used for scooping candy or nuts.  

 

Cake Breaker - looks like a comb with extended tines. The long tines are used to “break” into a delicate cake (such as Angel Food) before the cake is actually sliced and served. This piece is most often used with the cake knife and/or the serving cake fork.

Cake Serving Fork - used to scoop and lift a slice of cake, once it has been cut. Has extended tines that are long enough to fit under the entire slice of cake.

Ice Cream Forks (also known as Sporks) The bowl of the piece is similar to a teaspoon with small tines at the tip.

Chipped Beef Fork - used to serve chipped beef, a smoke-dried beef that has been sliced very thinly. Has tines that flare outward for the piercing and holding of the slice of meat.

 Cucumber Server - used for serving slices of cucumber.  

 Dessert Forks - small three-tine forks used for cakes, pies or other pastries. 

Butter Pick - has a spiraled end, used for lifting a pat of butter.

 Poultry Shears - scissor-like tool used to cut through the bones of poultry.  

Sardine Fork - fork with short, wide tines. Used for serving sardines, anchovies, pickled vegetables, as well as petits fours.

Sharpening Steel - used to sharpen carving knives.  

Tomato Server -  large round flat bowl is used to lift and serve tomatoes.

Easter Ideas and Treats from Pinterest

 There are some amazing and clever Easter related items on Pinterest.  Above are DIY Antiqued Vases.

 Delicious looking Easter Egg Cake.

 Italian Easter Bread.

Bunny Pancakes.

DIY Antiqued Silver Eggs.

DIY Burlap Bunny Table Runner.

 Adorable and easy Bunny Buns.

The prettiest Egg Cup I've ever seen.

Carrot Centerpiece. 

Carrot Crescents Filled with Egg Salad.

Monogrammed Silver Egg Cup.

 Antique Trophy used as an Egg Cup.

Several Trophies used as Egg Cups.