Feeding People

Waiting for the Ferryman

by Daniel Ridgeway Knight

I have been taking pictures for a few days to show some ways to serve meals to those who, for various reasons, cannot attend a meal with the family at the table. While everyone else got the same meals, the one on the tray always looked more appealing.

These fourth-yard pieces of fabric I have collected can be used to make the same old gray tray look a little more colorful. These fabrics are made by a  U.S. company called Fabric Traditions,  for Wal-Mart and other stores. 

Lay a piece of it in the tray first, folding the edges under, to make it fit. 

Then, to protect the fabric, cover it in a piece of shiny clear plastic. You can hardly tell  it is covered when you use this high quality type of plastic, which you can buy in small quantities from  rolls at fabric stores.

Some of these trays are meals, and others snacks. I think it is important to keep them colorful, by varying the  kinds of foods.

You can probably tell this is an afternoon tea with scones and cream.

I try to find different tea cups to use.

It is all comfort food,  prepared in different ways: potatoes, eggs, salads, vegetables, rice, sandwiches, fruit and herbal teas.

If you have no fabric, cut a piece of gift-wrap to fit the tray, or use a gift bag, all under the plastic.

These little round paper doilies are perfect for absorbing any drips in the saucer of the tea cup set. They sometimes can be found at dollar stores, or they can be hand made, just by cutting circles of paper and folding them to make cuts as in paper snowflakes.

Have a look at this cute crocheted rag pad that someone made. I use it under the little stainless steel hot water pot on the tray.

A toile print, for something different.

The roses were a dollar each at Dollar Tree this week, so I could not resist having one, since our own roses are not in bloom yet.

 I think trays like this might be enjoyable by everyone at the table together, once in awhile.

This piece of fabric has a metallic thread in it, which the photo does not show, but it looks so bright with this snack:

It helps a lot, I think, to be situated in front of a great scene, and I like the way this tree, which is viewable from the front window,  makes a lacy shadow on the grass