Autumn! Kansas Fowl And The Milo Fields!

Autumn! Kansas Fowl And The Milo Fields! I have had this Spode dinnerware for years and like to bring them out in the Fall as it reminds me of Kansas, my home state. The Salad plates feature Pheasant, Grouse, Ducks and Quail, all of which are hunted in the Milo Fields and on ponds during hunting season.

If you don’t know about milo fields, let me explain…Milo fields are agricultural acres of land planted with milo (which is a regional and slang term for grain sorghum) which is used to feed livestock, such as cattle, hogs and poultry. Hunters, on the other hand plant fields of Milo to attract doves, deer, and other wildlife for food and bedding. The plants look like tall grass with large seed heads at the top. The heads start out yellow, but as they mature they turn a pretty burnt orange-ey brown…perfect Fall color. They resemble corn during early leaf stage…but only grow about 3-4 feet tall, although if it is a good year the milo can reach 5 feet tall. Milo survives on very little water. It has a much higher chance of success in dry weather than corn. These fields are common in hot, dry US regions like Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, You can see why pheasants, quail, turkeys, ducks and grouse love to hide (and eat) in the milo fields. Another Kansas Fall reminder for me is the sunflower. Kansas is known as the “Sunflower State” because wild native sunflowers grow abundantly across all 105 of its counties. Long before statehood, Native American tribes in the region cultivated sunflowers for food, oil, and medicine. Later, suffragists in Kansas adopted the flower as a symbol of growth and freedom in 1867. Early settlers and modern residents viewed the tough, sun-tracking plant as a reflection of the pioneering spirit, strength, and endurance of the local people. You may not know this, but as children we used to run through the sunflower fields and they have a sticky substance (which attracts ants, etc) and they have a texture on their stems that can sometimes feel scratchy or prickly against bare skin, but they are not true thorns or spines….even tho it can hurt like they are.So now that we have discussed the Autumnal colors of Kansas…lets talk about setting a table using some of these elements….such as the different Kansas fowl, such as the pheasants, quail, ducks, turkeys, and grouse. They are not hiding or dwelling in the milo, wheat or sunflower fields.

These fowl are on the plates, for this tablescape… and they bring back many memories of warm, Autumn days turning into cooler evenings in the Midwest.,

Pheasants, grouse, ducks and quail who love to inhabit the milo, wheat, sunflower and other grain fields of Kansas and other Midwest states are featured on my plate stack. Many states have wild pheasants, but I do believe they are more prevalent in the Midwest…and on my tablescape. I must say I do love the brown transferware of this dishware. Plus, so many of my blogger friends seem to like it too. I don’t actually remember how long ago I bought my set…but it has been in my dish pantry a very long time.

I started my place setting with a rattan charger and I used Spode brown transfer-ware for the dinner plate. The Spode Salad Plates are the matching plates that feature fowl from the milo and wheat fields. I adore them. The chocolate brown handled flatware pick up the browns of the dinnerware.

I used a double napkin with a shear rust napkin tucked over a rust napkin. The rusty color make me think of the milo fields. I anchored the napkins with a rustic brown wooden napkin ring. I believe the amber goblets were a Libby find many years ago and you have seen them in several of my table settings.

This tablescape is so simple and I love that about it. The centerpiece is a small, wood based dome with a flower pick of Fall fruits and a little owl. I do remember I bought it at Pier 1…oh, how I miss that store. I recently purchased a much larger wood based dome that matches the smaller dome perfectly. You could use anything under this dome from food to candles, etc. That is the simplicity of this tablescape. Use whatever you have sitting around your home. (The newly purchased dome will house a 4 layer coconut cake. There is a story to come later.) 🤗

I added a simple garland from Hobby Lobby or Michaels of beautiful Fall leaves to tie in all the colors of Fall. It is another of my ‘finds’ that I did not take the time to record when and where I found it. (Years ago I did not have the foresight to realize someone might be interested in where I purchased things such as this). But in my defense, since it was so long ago, most likely some items have been discontinued, but luckily we now have Amazon!

As I have said many times, you do not need a lot of pieces for a simple but attractive tablescape. This tablescape proves that for sure. Shop your home for items to make an ordinary dinner seem special. OR perhaps you can go out of doors to local fields to find your elements for a table setting. A stalk of milo here…a sunflower there or wheat stems in a pretty vase. Believe me you will find inspiration where you least expect it.

How about a food tip for your special table?

My friends, this may not seem like an appropriate time to talk about cooking poultry…chickens particularly, since we have been looking at such beautiful colored plumage on the dinner plates…but here goes. Perhaps you have heard about this method of deboning a rotisserie chicken. Yes, I sometimes buy one or two at Sam’s Club, ($4.98 each), Costco ($4.99 each) or my Publix super market ($7.99 each)…. I bring the warm chicken home and put it in a gallon baggie, seal it and start massaging. It will be deboned in just a few minutes with no messy hands. I remove the cleaned bones from the bag and put them in a stock pot of water and make broth. I then label the bag and put in the freezer or fridge or make something with it right away. However, I do have one tip…I tried to do this with a ‘chilled in the fridge chicken’ and it did not work as well as a warm chicken straight from the store. I ended up removing and deboning it the old fashioned way. Have you tried this method with a warm rotisserie chicken? I have been doing it for quite some time now and it works like magic. (I have also found a new way to shred the chicken and no, it is not the kitchen aid mixer…much less to wash with my new plastic shredder). Isn’t Amazon amazing? 🥴🥰🤗

Enjoy your week my dear readers and check out the Inspiration below.

Blessings Always…

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” – Matthew 6:25-26 (ESV)

Our dear Rita of Panoply, has provided a wonderful blog hop for the month of September….she is always so organized and prepared even in the eye of adversity. 🥰Thanks dear friend!

1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.