by Christi on March 31, 2009
Okay, in my other life I am a tech-y and marketing girl. So, today, this Southern girl is going to give you a little tech info. You’ve probably already heard about it but, tomorrow, April 1st this awful computer virus called confliker is supposed to wreak havoc on everybody’s computers. We’ve seen these kind of threats come and go causing different levels of trouble. You may be fine but, if you’ve ever had to deal with a computer virus, you will know that it is worth it to take a few precautions. By the way, if you are using a Mac you are okay. This virus only affects Windows computers. Here is what I advise:
Not a fun subject today, but, better safe than sorry!
Today’s Lagniappe: Broccoli Salad
My little sister makes a great broccoli salad like this. Crunchy sunflower seeds and sweet raisins and a great dressing – YUM!
* 5 cups fresh broccoli florets
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
* 1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
* 1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
* 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed
Dressing:
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons vinegar
* 1/2 cup sugar
Preparation:
Combine broccoli florets, raisins, sunflower seeds, crumbled bacon, chopped onion, and peas in a large serving bowl. In a separate bowl or large cup, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Add dressing to the salad and toss to mix well; chill thoroughly before serving.
Broccoli salad serves 4 to 6.
by Christi on March 30, 2009
I visited Theresa over at Take A Sentimental Journey yesterday. She had the plot for her garden already plowed and was getting rid of the grass clumps. It was good to see that because that is what I have got to get done myself soon. My “seedlings” are now ready to plant outside whenever the weather is safe. It may already be safe but I’m always cautious. When Daddy had a grocery store they always had a greenhouse in the Spring. I remember them talking about how they always got to sell twice to people who planted too early. I’ve been know to wait until May to plant tomatoes even though I know the last frost date here has long since past by then.
It is funny how just one little memory from childhood controls my behavior still. However, I’ll have to say, I have never had plants that froze or were damaged from the cold!
It is a waxing moon again, so I’ll be starting some more seedlings this week. Already, I can almost taste those home-grown tomatoes and cantaloupes. Yum, nothing better!
Alright everyone – let’s make this a great week!
Today’s Lagniappe: Sweet Pea Salad:
This recipe calls for frozen peas but, of course, if you have sweet peas growing in your garden you will want to use them – this salad is a good way to use them.
1 head lettuce
2 med. cucumbers
1 lg. red onion (sweet)
2 sm. boxes frozen sweet peas
1 c. Miracle Whip
1/2 c. sugar
Tear lettuce, put aside. Skin and slice cucumbers. Skin and slice onion (into rings). Drain sweet peas and rinse and drain again. Mix mayo and sugar together.
In large bowl layer, starting with lettuce, sweet peas, cucumbers, onion. Top with mayo, sugar mixture last. Cover. Let stand overnight in icebox. Serve with croutons , shredded cheese and crumbled bacon if desired. Serves 6 to 8.
by Christi on March 27, 2009
With the uncertain economy, we’ve all had to cut back (if you haven’t – lucky you!). I’ve collected a few tips for saving money that I use and am passing them along. I would love to hear what your favorite tips are!
Grow a garden – this is a favorite. Save on all those great vegetables in the summer and grow some extra to put up for winter. If your neighbors or friends are growing a garden, get together with them to exchange goodies so everyone gets a great variety.
Cook at home – I do this anyway because I love to cook. We get great food that we know was cooked under clean conditions with clean hands. If you buy family packs of items, you can divide them up and freeze them. Planning menus ahead is great money saver but I’ll have to admit, I usually only plan a couple of days at a time.
Shop from a list – I’ve always done this one too – no matter what the economy is doing – just so I won’t forget anything. I rarely ever stray from the list so if my list so that really helps.
Use coupons – this one is tough for me because we read all of our news online and no longer get a newspaper. I usually end up looking for coupons online. If you know of a great online source let me know what it is.
Entertain at home – everyone can join in and it is more fun.
Use the library – I love to read so the library is an invaluable resource to me but you can get more than just books. You can check out movies, magazines, music cd’s, use their computers. Great way to save money.
Check out community events. Even in our little town their often events that are free or low cost that are great entertainment. I’ll admit, I live in close proximity to three national parks, two lakes and three rivers in the beautiful Ozark Mountains so I have a lot of options on that front.
Decorate with nature – As you saw on the tablescape yesterday, I cut some blooming redbud branches yesterday for my table. The are not in a vase sitting right here next to my computer. When getting ready to decorate I like to start in my own back yard.
Now one that I have discovered from my friends in blog-land that I haven’t done yet but I definitely will soon. Shop in thrift stores. Some of the great finds I’ve seen others get are unbelievable. Thanks for that tip.
What are your tips?
Today’s Lagniappe: Chicken Soup
I have a little bit of a cold so this is my lagniappe today. What would be even better is Mama’s chicken and dumplings. I’ll get the recipe to post another day.
* 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
* 3 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
* 1 (6- to 7-pound) chicken
* 2 quarts chicken broth or canned low-sodium broth
* 1 quart cold water, or as needed
* 4 sprigs of fresh parsley
* 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 bay leaf
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 cups egg noodles
* Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes.
Cut the chicken into 8 pieces. Add the chicken to the pot and pour in the broth. Add enough cold water to cover the ingredients by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface. Add the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf.
Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is very tender, about 2 hours.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard the parsley and thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
Discard the chicken skin and bones and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Add the noodles and cook until done, about 10 minutes. Stir the meat back into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
by Christi on March 26, 2009
Okay, here it is. My first entry in Tablescape Thursday hosted by Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. I set a table for Spring and you can find a lot of other inspirational pictures on Susan’s blog. Don’t miss her back porch transformation.
I have a little secret for setting my table. I can’t remember where I learned it but I use it every time I set my table. If you notice, all of the utinsels and main plates are aligned. The trick I use is to place the plates and utensil the distance between the tip of my thumb and the first knuckle from the edge of the table. This gives a polished, finished look to the table.
Now, I collect books on table settings and etiquette and absolutely love table settings. When I go to a restaurant that places all of the utensils on the same side of the plate the first thing I do is put them in their proper place so I feel comfortable.
I learned table setting from Mama. We always set the table for our evening meal with a placemat, knife, spoon, fork, plate, glass and napkin. I learned at an early age how to set them all in their proper places. On Sundays we would set the table with a tablecloth and nice china. That is another great thing my Mama taught me – use your good china. To this day, I never understand people who put their best china in a cabinet and never use it. So what if something gets broken? That is part of life and part of being a good hostess is taking things in stride and dealing with situations graciously.
The eggs in the crystal bowl are hand painted. I love them. Just before I snapped the pics, I went out to my redbud tree and cut off a few branches that I laid on either side of the crystal bowl. The ice storm damaged so many of our trees. I was really happy to get these. So, here it is, this weeks tablescape:
Today’s Lagniappe: Green Salad with Chicken, Strawberries and Toasted Pecans
2 cups skinned and boned roasted chicken breast
1/4 cup pecans, toasted
2 cups hulled and quartered strawberries
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup finely diced celery
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups salad greens
Combine chicken, pecans, strawberries, onion, celery, vinegar, and oil. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Serve over salad greens.
by Christi on March 25, 2009
It is storm season in the South again. We had a nice one come through yesterday. A lot of rain and wind with a little thunder and lightening thrown in. It wasn’t too bad. When I was a little girl, I was terrified of storms. I would get sick whenever the tornado sirens went off. Finally, one really stormy Spring, the sirens went off so often that I finally got where they didn’t bother me any more.
My daddy used to say “God’s stuttin’ His stuff” when we would have a big storm or a beautiful sunset or some other awesome event. Again, I am reminded how blessed I am to have grown up in my family.
Speaking of family, Mama is on Facebook now. They say the fastest growing demographic on Facebook is people over 30. If you are on facebook, come on over and “friend” me (Christi Dicus Wharton). I would love to meet you. There is also actually a page for this blog. You can search on “A Southern Life” and become a fan if you like and post comments and stuff.
Alright, off to finish my tablescape for tomorrows post. Y’all have a great Wednesday!
Today’s Lagniappe: Asparagus Two Ways
I love asparagus and Spring is a great time to get it. Here are two recipes. I love the asparagus with the lemon butter sauce and that is the way I usually make it but the fried asparagus sounds really good. I like how the recipe sounds and will try it.
Asparagus with Lemon Butter Sauce
Clean and trim asparagus and then steam until tender. Melt some butter in a small saucepan. Squeeze in some lemon juice and a little salt and pepper (add a little garlic powder if desired). Stir the sauce and then pour over the asparagus. If you would like a little thicker sauce, it can be thickened with a little cornstarch and water mixture.
Fried Asparagus
This recipe says to fry in olive oil but since olive oil has such a low smoke point, I might substitute canola or vegetable oil.
1 pound of asparagus, trimmed.
1 medium egg.
4 ounces of freshly-grated Romano cheese.
1 cup of fine dry breadcrumbs.
1 tablespoon of milk.
Olive oil, for frying.
Salt and pepper.
Instructions for Fried Asparagus:
In boiling, salted water, cook the asparagus spears until just tender.
Drain on paper towels.
In a bowl, beat the egg with milk.
Dip the asparagus in the egg/milk mix, then into the breadcrumbs.
Heat enough olive oil to cover the asparagus in a deep fryer or a large skillet.
Fry the asparagus until lightly browned.
Drain on paper towels.
Season with your desired amount of salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with grated Romano cheese.
Photo by Chrislrmo
by Christi on March 24, 2009
Yesterday, after working at my computer all day, I finally got myself out to the back porch to read a little. I saw my first lady bug of the season. This was a little bitty one. The poor thing was crawling around on my table and kept getting itself turned upside down. Then it would kick its little lady bug legs trying to get turned back over. I finally intervened and gave it a little stick to attach to so it could crawl on the topside and right itself.
I hesitated to intervene after a couple of failed attempts to help Mother Nature. There was the time I tried to run off the rouge birds that kept hanging around while bluebirds were trying to build a nest in my bluebird house. After doing a little research, I discovered that the birds I was trying to run off were juvenile bluebirds. Silly me, I felt terrible. Then there was time I was watching a spider build a web. It seemed to be struggling right at the end with attaching part of it to a branch. I decided to help by moving the branch closer. One touch and half of the web disintegrated.
After those two attempts, I swore off trying to help Mother Nature. Obviously, these creatures know what they are doing way more than I. However, I couldn’t resist helping the little lady bug and this time it worked! I didn’t get much reading done but the ladybug and I had a nice evening.
Today’s Lagniappe: Ladybug Appetizers
Try these at your next Spring Luncheon. They are from Taste of Home online
* 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 2 tablespoons sour cream
* Black paste food coloring
* 1/2 teaspoon snipped chives
* 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1/8 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
* 36 butter-flavored crackers
* 18 cherry tomatoes, quartered
* 18 large pitted ripe olives
* 72 fresh chive pieces (about 1-1/2 inches long)
Directions:
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Remove 1 tablespoon to a small bowl and tint black. Place tinted cream cheese mixture in a small plastic bag; set aside.
Add the chives, garlic salt and parsley to the remaining cream cheese mixture. Spread over crackers. Arrange two tomato quarters on each for the ladybug wings.
For heads, halve the olives widthwise; place one half on each cracker. Insert two chives into olives for antennae. Use tinted cream cheese mixture to pipe spots onto wings. Yield: 3 dozen.
photo by amateur with luck
by Christi on March 23, 2009
I started out yesterday to fluff the house for Spring. I got as far as a Spring tablecloth on the dining table and a couple of decorations featuring Easter eggs until I was compelled by forces unknown (or maybe the beautiful blue sky and the 70 something degree temps) to get outside and get my seedlings in pots.
As I sat in the sun getting my hands dirty, I was thinking how good those home-grown tomatoes are going to be and how I love the smell of basil. I was remembering harvesting okra with my grandmother. Okra is not the most fun thing to harvest but I love to eat it. Growing things give me a sense of well-being that just feels good.
I’ll get back to the fluffing as I have time and post some pics. Today’s lagniappe is from the book I am currently reading called The Isle of Palms by Dorothea Benton Frank set in South Carolina. Thanks to Mari at http://beachwalkermari.blogspot.com for the recommendation. They talk a lot about food in this book. The scene where the main character, Anna, has Sunday dinner with her neighbors is mouth-watering – fried chicken and biscuits, red rice and snap beans – Yum!
Today’s Lagniappe: Anna’s “Gourmet” Pasta
Quoting straight from the book:
First, you fry four pieces of bacon until it’s really crispy and then drain it. In some of the same grease – not too much or your heart will explode – you cook a chopped onion and dissolve a chicken cube. Then, you throw in a can of tomatoes and crumble the bacon back in. Cook and drain the pasta, throw it in the sauce, stir around some Parmesan cheese, and baby child, it’s Yum Yum Time.
Add frozen garlic bread, salad in a bag, and I’m feeling like the fastest cook in the East, or something.
Photo from Southern Living
