Week 1: Dinner fit for a Queen

You are the queen of your household, unless you live with a parent/guardian, in which case you are a princess of your household.  And as a Queen or Princess you deserve to sit down to a meal as though you were one. 

So for this week.  I want you to set the table as though you are preparing for a royal guest, yourself.  You don’t have to go out and buy fancy things, use what you have got.

Here is my royal table setting:

Please take not of a few items (clockwise from 12 o’clock).

• A bottle of wine – If you don’t feel like alcohol with the meal or you don’t drink alcohol then some cranberry juice in a wine shaped bottle is great to pretend with!  I don’t know if anybody else played restaurant as a child, but I did.  A bottle of wine (make-believe of course) was always at the table from the time I was 10-12 years old.
• A pitcher of fresh water – add some lemons and fresh mint leaves for a little something extra special.
• The water goblet
• The wine goblet
• A soup spoon
• A bread / butter knife
• A dinner knife
• A soup bowl (which I used for pasta on this occasion)
• A dinner plate underneath (which I didn’t use on this occasion)
• A placemat – notice how it is just one of those cheap plastic placemats, I don’t have better than that so I make do with what I have.
• A dinner fork
• A linen napkin
• A bread plate
• Salt
• Pepper (I don’t have salt and pepper shakers, I use the ones I bought salt and pepper in from the shop)
• A butter bowl (with butter in it)

I was only feeding myself on this occasion, so I only set the table for 1 person, but I recommend doing this for yourself and your family.  If you are the Queen of your household, then your husband is the King and your children are Princes and Princesses.  It is a treat to you and them to dine like royalty.

Some extra notes:

• If you are single:  Do not do this for a man until you have been exclusive with him for some time.  He is not the king of your household until you have said the wedding vows, however that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat him as though he is a royal guest… just don’t give pearls to pigs.  And don’t treat him like a King, he is only the royal guest (like a duke, knight or a lord) you are the Queen.
• If you have a husband who won’t appreciate this:  Then don’t expect him to do it with you, but do it for yourself and the children.  I am sure that over time he will realise what he is missing out on and join you at the table… do not try and force him, just go ahead and do it for yourself, even if it is just once a week.  The Queen does not force the King’s hand.
• Haven’t seen the surface of your table in months? I recommend that you set a timer and spend 15 minutes a day clearing the table.  Then on the day that the table is clear celebrate by doing this, and doing it every meal from there on.