Fine china...pulling out your "someday best"

All of my life I have loved pretty things. These things usually revolved around ceramics, pottery and china objects.  I have a few odd china plates that just appealed to me and china cups that maybe I got for a gift and really did not appreciate them till long after they sat in a box in storage. Lately, I have come to love china dishes.  I find beauty and want to have it around me in my everyday life.  The best way I can think of to integrate this beauty into my everyday life is by owning and using beautiful china for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I am going to educate you about china through this blog in a series of posts. First I will be showing you some of  the china I have collected.  Second,  I will talk about the china markings or backstamps,  how they are used to identify what you have and then I will tell you what I know about determining the value of the china.  Lets start with sharing pictures and short descriptions of what I own. 

Haviland Bavarian China

Years ago, about 20 I think, I saved enough "points" shopping at my local food store to purchase Haviland Bavarian china at a huge discount. In the end I had service for eight in two four-piece sets.  It is vitreous china, so translucent you can see your hand through it when you put it up to the light. I already had silver plated flatware and the platinum trim around the edges of this china coordinated perfectly.  I love the fancy scalloped edging and the footed teacups with the curly Q handles. I had hoped to eventually find and purchase the teapot and sugar/creamer and salt and pepper shakers, and a complete hostess set.  Someday maybe, but for now, I am content with what I have.

Noritake

Since then I acquired other pretty china sets by some of the best china makers.  My vintage Noritake china, made in occupied Japan, has been named through hours of research as "Mystery Pattern #7".  I have service for 12, with all the pieces, the first group of this found at a thrift store, service for eight with almost all the hostess pieces, but no dinner plates for only $40.  I bought an entire set of service for 12  from someone who advertised on EBAY classified. I had to drive to Ohio 3 hours away to get them, but I did, and I did it for a song. Having duplicates of the b & b plates and all the rest is not such a bad thing..I can sell them to finance the deal or have them just for replacements! This china dates back to the 1940 according to Replacements LTD. Its coloring and shape of each of the different pieces identifies it as Noritake, although the blanks for the pieces were historically purchased by other manufacturers and their own designs decorated them.  It would be easy to get them confused without looking at the identifying markings on the bottom.

I think the prettiest thing about Noritake china is the shapes of the vessels.  I absolutely love the fact that each set comes with a tureen or covered casserole and the handles on everything is painted with gold. More recently, the quality of the china is the same, but you simply won't find such ornate decoration, so vivid in color, any longer. Anything pre-dating this set is even more beautiful, and any china made by Noritake before 1950 is hard to find in a complete unblemished set such as this.  I possess actually two sets of Occupied Japan Noritake with all the serving pieces in service for 12.  A wonderful family heirloom that my family can look forward to receiving some day.

Diamond hand painted China

One of the things I love also about vintage china is the pieces it comes with. I just recently came across a set of two handled soup bowls made by Diamond . It is labeled "hand painted" and is also very ornate in its design, footed and with gold leaf accents on the handles.  I decided after finding four of these at a more well known thrift store, all four for $14.99, I would try to find saucers.  I did find a creamer and sugar and four teacup saucers for a song on Ebay.- $14.99.  I have seen complete dish sets also for a very affordable price. But I have self control, and decided to stop at the pieces I have now.  I think I just might serve oatmeal in these on Christmas morning...just for a change of pace and to add some glitz to a special day of the year!

Homer Laughlin

Homer Laughlin made china that was highly regarded and popular for a very long time. I came to know Homer Laughlin china when I came across a set for less than $25 at an antique store. The pattern featured here is referred to as  Eggshell Georgian, and the decoration on it is named Chateau.  It was most popular during the war when American brides could little afford expensive china imported from overseas. The color of this set is the lightest robins egg blue with a floral spray and a delicate braided edging that does not show well in these pictures. This set is in immaculate condition and has a few hostess pieces with it. I have tried to find the tea pot that goes with it, but it is highly collectible, more so than the plates settings and I have seen it on Ebay fetch upwards of $75.  I also have a set of Homer Laughlin in the Aristocrat pattern.  Here is a photo of the sugar bowl which I recently purchased for only $10 on Etsy.com. Recently I sold a set of the Viceroy pattern, service for 4, and I am sharing a photograph of the cup and saucer here.  Homer Laughlin, you may know, is the manufacturer of highly collectible Fiestaware.  If you like vintage china that you can really use every day, check out Homer Laughlin.

Pope Gosser China

Recently, I discovered the beauty of Pope Gosser china.  First thing that came into my ownership was a sugar bowl and creamer, no markings on it to speak of, but beautiful enough and unique in its design. Notice the handle of the sugar bowl is a slanted rose?  The handles on each is so intricate and delicate.  These pieces fit my leanings toward the shabby chic trend. You should see the coffee pot!  I am just a few days away from obtaining that. I plan to stop with just the three pieces..it is all I need to just look at and suddenly get happy when it comes to the pretty things that I have around me in my home.  Now if this were marked on the bottom, it would say "Rosepoint".  This photo of it just doesn't do it justice.  If you like the shabby chic look of this china, go look it up on Ebay and see all the obtainable pieces there. It is bright off white, although you cannot get that from this photo. But I can promise you, --you will fall in love with it if you allow your romantic side to emerge!  Pope Gosser also makes wonderful place settings with beautiful intricate edging on the plates with 22 kt gold trim that is not to be easily dismissed.  I have just started to add to my china hoard (eeek!) with a serving set of the pattern "Florence" which I intend to acquire and give away to one of my family as a gift someday.

There are other china producers that I love. Spode made some wonderful china as does Wedgewood and Waterford, but they can be pretty pricey. I also would like to add to my small set of Royal Doulton china, and recently I bought a couple of smaller odd pieces of Shelly and Aynsley china upon a visit to the RePurpose Warehouse at a 50% off sale.  I have these odd pieces around strictly for their beauty and could not possibly think of adding to these smaller pieces collection but they would come at a very high price. I think I will wait on that for now!  

The point of my sharing this particular information is to show you all the beautiful alternatives to your old beat up Correlle (not to bemoan this fabulous every day kitchen gem), but to make you all think outside the box when it comes to showing off your culinary masterpieces to your family.  There is nothing more exciting to your children, especially to the younger crowd, then setting up the table like it is not just Wednesday, but a holiday and showing off your crystal and china and pulling your wedding flatware out of the box is your gift to your family for the day.  You simply must make memories with your beautiful things. It is a crime to keep it all locked up and demand that no one touch it.  Making memories make for strong families, ...it makes your kids feel even more special because THEY are worth celebrating.  So, open up that china cabinet, pull out the cloth napkins and crystal, and serve your hot dogs and hamburgers on your "someday best".

Love,

Kimberley

Next blog: The care and cleaning of fine china

Fall days and comfort foods.....

A big delicious pot of comforting cabbage soup!

Adding chocolate to chili give it that extra something special!

BBQ Ribs, with the secret Ingredients sauce!

Pot Roast with all the trimmings!

Golumpke, the way Hedwig always made them

Today was what fall days are about...breezes, leaves just beginning to turn, and the threat of a chilly evening when a log on the fire isn't such a far out idea. I love these days when I can pull out all the stops to prepare a meal that hearkens back to mom's kitchen..a day for actually using the oven and creating a gastronomic delight that we can refer to as comfort food.  

I decided to make Golumpke  today.  Now, while on the surface this doesn't seem like such a feat, I have to say that mine are especially tasty. I got a recipe from a neighbor past whose heritage is Lithuanian and she told me of a secret ingredient that I still use to this day.  She advises that after I have blended the fresh ground pork sausage, ground sirloin, onion, tomato paste, salt and pepper, vinegar, rice (some use barley) and other ingredients, to add 1/2 cup of brown sugar to the mix. I sometimes add more. Doing this gives my cabbage rolls a taste that has been forever a favorite of my family.

I also love to finally make a pot roast meal.  In the summer months, I wouldn't dream of turning on the oven, especially in Indian summer days that come in August.  Here is a photo of mine, with potatoes and carrots and onions roasted right along with it.  When this meal is done cooking, the meat just falls apart and melts in your mouth like butter!  Serve this with a loaf of fresh bread and butter at room temperature and it is by far the best fall meal I can think of!

Speaking of secret ingredients, as I talked mentioned in my golumpke rolls recipe,   have you ever made chili with chocolate shavings, or barbecue ribs sauce using orange or apricot marmalade and maple syrup?  Do this to taste and you will never be disappointed!  I am sharing some pictures of my dishes here.  I hope you enjoy looking at them and then maybe share some of your favorite secret recipe tips here with me.  I am always on the look out for twists in my old family favorites.  

Enjoy your wonderful fall days ahead.  Thank you for visiting!