Meals are a daily ritual. Just because they happen every day doesn’t mean they can’t be a welcome break and an enjoyable experience that we look forward to. Setting a pleasurable, relaxing scene, and taking time to thoroughly enjoy has been linked to good digestion that supports your health as well as your mental well-being.
Some of these meals you may not be able to do every day because of work. Some are a cultural or family choice such as whether you eat supper or dinner. You do not have to eat all of these meals every day, although eating more frequently, but in small portions is better for health. We just don’t all have that luxury. With that in mind, take what you can use, and do what you can with it.
Meals for Every Time of Day
We are going to look at daily meals and consider setting the scene for a moment to look forward to. Let’s start at the beginning …
Breakfast
Breakfast is supposed to be exactly that -a little something to break the 8 hour fast you just came out of. When we first wake, we need to hydrate. Many people choose to hydrate with a glass of water right after waking up. After that first morning hydration many people drink coffee or tea. Then we are ready for a bite to eat. There are different breakfasts and our bodily needs vary with culture and lifestyle.
European Breakfast
Don’t go to France and expect anything that an American might call a breakfast. This is best for those who like to get going slowly- including slowly starting their digestion. A simple cup of espresso and a single croissant is all there is. It will wake you up and get you started. For some people, this is all they take all morning. Just because it is simple and brief does not mean you have to rush it.
By making espresso and croissant intentional, you can enjoy the moment and set the tone for your day. A designated place to sit such as a coffee table, a kitchen table, breakfast nook or at the kitchen island bar near your coffee bar makes it easy to set the habit.
Invest in a professional quality espresso machine for a cup that merits savoring every sip. Make the mood count with curated espresso cups and saucers. Croissants are available at patisseries, bakeries, and farmers markets (if you don’t make your own). If you don’t have a croissant, a slice of toast with butter will do.
Make it feel like it matters with a tablecloth or a placemat and a cloth napkin. A miniature vase about 4” to 5” tall with a sprig of mint or rosemary is perfect with that “wake me up” aroma.
If you keep your morning coffee spot set up or set it up the night before morning flows without thinking about it.
Others might like to follow this with a bigger breakfast.
Continental Breakfast
This is a light breakfast, for those who don’t like anything heavy in the morning. Enjoy your espresso, coffee, or a cup of tea. A good quality coffee & espresso machine can brew any kind you like. You can skip the Starbucks line and have a latte made at home.
Along with the morning brew, enjoy a muffin, pastry, or bagel with some fresh fruit and yoghurt.
Set-up your breakfast space the night before. A breakfast table or nook is a good choice. Set a positive morning mood with a tablecloth, runner, or placemat, and cloth napkins. Include any extra you like such as some cinnamon sticks, clove buds, or sugar and cream for coffee or tea, and flatware.
American Breakfast
If you like a fuller breakfast to sustain you this may be your choice. In addition to an American coffee (sugar and cream provided but optional), a typical American breakfast menu includes: eggs (scrambled or omelette), bacon, pancakes or waffles with syrup, and a glass of orange juice.
The table setting for an American breakfast requires a little more space and more tableware and utensils. A basic setting of one plate with fork, spoon, and knife can work just fine. A casual setting featuring two plates, one plate for eggs and bacon and one plate for pancakes or waffles makes a lot of sense. An extra fork and knife are also helpful, one set for each plate.
Table linens always make a meal feel like it comes with that extra touch and that makes us feel warm inside. Treat yourself with beautiful linens and thick cloth napkins, pretty china or ceramic plates and a lovely juice glass (4o to 6oz) for your orange juice. Start your day with a simple vase with a flower on the table.
Country Breakfast
A country breakfast starts off like an American breakfast but adds to it. Americans grow up being told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day with the understanding that this means a big meal.
The origin of this tradition is in rural areas where families worked in agriculture. Days start early and work is physical and hard. Coming off of an 8 hour fast, people doing this kind of work need fuel. People sitting in a car, driving an hour to an office to sit in a chair all day, don’t need this kind of fuel.
I remember visiting the family farm in the country in rural Georgia weekends and summers. I had 4 big tall strapping farm boys who were my first cousins. My aunt was up before dawn cooking and put all the food on the big table family style. Everyone passed the food around and by dawn the boys were out the door to work on the farm.
Let me show you want a real country breakfast looks like:
Roast beef, sausage links and patties, ham, corn cakes, fried eggs and grits, scrambled eggs, waffles or pancakes, toast, biscuits, gravy, butter and jam.
Decor for a country breakfast is simple, but present. In may family the table cloth was always red checkered and vinyl so it could be wiped clean with soap and water. Serveware was crockery: stoneware or earthenware and wooden bowls. There was usually some sort of decorative ceramic napkin holder and salt and pepper shakers that always looked like chickens.
If I were to host a country breakfast today I would decorate either modern farmhouse rustic or French Provencal, just because that is how my taste runs and I am in the city.
If you host a big country breakfast for several people, it can be a lot of fun. I know that people in the city are not going to get up and be at a breakfast at 5:00am, but later would do. Decorate to your preference.
Any style casual, rustic, and earthy works well for country style. Instead of formal place settings, a basic place setting with a table knife in addition to a dinner knife. I recommend some large cotton country napkins. In the country people may use two at a time, tucking one under the chin and that is just fine.
Now, back to the city for brunch—a meal designed for a different pace altogether.
Brunch
Brunch is more of a city meal designed for people who don’t wake and eat so early or so heartily. Brunch is thought of as more of a social event more than a home meal although I typically skip breakfast or have a European breakfast, then have brunch.
Brunch is typically around 10:00am give or take. The fare is light, but elegant. A typical menu might include quiche, eggs benedict, and a scone. Mimosa is a classic drink served with brunch or a glass or wine. If you prefer non-alcoholic, a glass of orange or grapefruit juice. Coffee, Tea, or Latte can also be served after brunch with a dessert.
The setting and style for brunch is typically semi-formal with the eggs vs pastries being served at the same time or in courses. Brunch is served plated, not self-serve. Silverware is based on what is served with a separate utensil for each dish served.
The table linens and decor reflect the semi-formal setting with the more uplifting mood that makes you feel just a little special. Set your breakfast nook, breakfast table or patio table when the weather is nice with fresh, pretty linens that lift the mood. Florals, patterns, solids or a combination looks festive with solids or jewel tones anchoring a fresh design.
Decorating the table with fresh flowers and a runner or placemats gives us that uplifting mood. Bone china or ceramic tableware with artisanal glassware for the water glass, juice glass, and wine glass make the table sparkle and who wouldn’t feel special?
Lunch
Lunch is light fare and the feeling is carefree and breezy. Soup and salad are mainstays of a lunch menu. A sandwich or a grilled panini can be added for a more filling lunch. Potato chips are a popular addition. Sodas, water, sparkling water, or sparkling juice are good beverages for lunch.
In keeping with the airy, casual, and leisurely feel of lunch a wood table with a short table runner elevates the look while keeping the vibe. A small bottle with a wildflower in it adds charm.
Supper
Back in the country, supper is a mainstay, as hard working hands have no time for a light lunch. Around 12:00 people get out of the run and put things away and take care of sheltered chores and get ready for mid-day break. Around 2:00pm everyone is hungry and ready for a big meal.
Supper is like dinner, but is earlier in the day. It consists of a few meats, several vegetable dishes, a couple of casseroles, and a couple of breads such as biscuits with gravy, and cornbread. Iced tea is the staple beverage and plenty of it is consumed. Keep a few large pitchers of iced tea on the table and large iced tea glasses.
The look and feel of supper is country casual. A cotton tablecloth in pretty colors with large cotton country napkins makes for a pleasurable break in the day and leisurely meal after which people rest and digest rather than rush back to work.
The tone of this table is leisurely. It is mid-day after hard work, people are tired and need to rest, knowing they will be going back out again. Fresh cut flowers are not obligatory, but are always appreciated.
Afternoon Tea
Tea time is a small snack to tide people over until dinner. It is a leisurely time to take a break, connect with people, and enjoy some tea and dessert. Afternoon tea is a smaller, more intimate affair. If you host more than a couple of people have a dessert table prepared on a buffet server or sideboard table.
Serve a small variety of desserts. It is good to have a cake, a pie or tart, finger foods such as macarons, biscotti, or madeleine. In addition to the desserts, a bit of savory food is also provided, though not a meal like lunch, a few bites such as mini quiche or hors d’oeuvres.
Set the dessert table and the tea table with bone china, ceramics and metals. The look is festive and gay. Table linens reflect florals and botanicals in pretty colors. Artisanal dessertware and glassware is perfect for afternoon tea. We want to enjoy the beauty and artistry of the world.
Dinner
Dinner is considered the main meal of the day by most people. The components of dinner vary widely from a single casserole to a single plate of meat, vegetables, and a starch or a meal with soup and salad or more courses.
Whether a meal for yourself, your family, or a dinner party, set the table to reflect mood, to engage the senses, to relax, and enjoy the comforts of the experience.
In keeping with your meal, event, or personal style take the time to choose table linens and decor. Consider options like casual chic, modern farmhouse, art deco, or French Provencal. If you are unsure how to style, look through pictures in magazines or online for ideas. A few key pieces can change the whole look and feel - which is what you want for seasons, holidays, special occasions, or just to get out of a rut.
Read up on Table Decor, Table Place Settings, and Serving Styles to tailor your dinner experiences.
Choose quality tableware, serveware, and glassware to add polish and style to your table to make every dinner a pleasurable experience. Artisanal pieces really let you feel the moment and appreciate the water, the wine, the foods even more when they look enticing in curated wares. Never settle for just eating.
After Dinner Dessert
Dessert is the highlight of dinner that everyone looks forward to. Play on that anticipation with the presentation of the desserts. Some ways to present your desserts are dessert table, dessert cart, or plated desserts on a serving tray.
No matter how to present the desserts to guests or family, make sure dinner is completely done and cleared away. If you choose to serve dessert at the dinner table, start afresh. Removing all dinnerware and start with a completely clear table resets everyone’s mind so they can fully appreciate what’s to come. It’s a new chapter in the evening.
I personally prefer a more emphatic reset - moving everyone to a new location for dessert. A smaller, more intimate gathering place around a tea table, coffee table, or in a sitting room or salon.
Decorating the new space like it is something special with beautiful semi-formal linens, candles, and flowers really sets the experience apart from the dinner. When guests see the dessert plates or bowls and special dessert utensils anticipation flows. Depending on the size of your dessert serving table, you may place the whole desserts there or on a dessert buffet, or you may have the desserts plated when you bring guests into the room.
After dinner dessert can be served with coffee, tea, or dessert wines, dessert cocktails and liqueurs.
Make Every Meal Special for Everyone-Even Yourself
I often speak of guests in this article, but remember that guest for my purposes, can mean immediate family, and the same suggestions apply even if it is just for yourself. You are special and you deserve to be treated as such - with every meal.