by Christi on June 30, 2009
This past weekend was the Red, White and Blue Festival here. What better thing to post this week for Outdoor Wednesday?
It was really hot so we had a fire truck that sprayed us to help cool us off.
There were lots of free activities for kids.
If you couldn't dunk 'em with a baseball, there is another way!
Kids had a great time.
There were bands.
And then the fireworks!
There were Civil War re-enactors there that shot off a cannon every hour, on the hour beginning at 5 p.m. Once it got dark, a choral group sang The National Anthem and then the cannon was shot and immediately the fireworks started. They were choreographed by computer to music. It was spectacular and everyone had a fabulous time!
Wish you could have all been there!
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Today’s Lagniappe: Independence Day Trifle
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon almond flavoring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 pint whipping cream
- 1 angel food cake (store bought is fine)
- 1 quart strawberry
- 1 quart blueberries
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons almond flavoringDirectionsCream together cream cheese and confectioners sugar.
Add sour cream, vanilla and 1/4 tsp almond flavoring.
Set this mixture aside.
In separate bowl whip the whipping cream and add to cream cheese mixture.
Tear up angel food cake and mix in with cheese mixture.In separate bowl place strawberries and blueberries 3/4 cup sugar and 3 Tbsp almond flavoring.
(You can mix the berries together or keep separate, for a pretty red, white and blue look,if separate divide sugar and almond flavoring between the two bowls).
In a clear glass bowl alternate layers of the cream cheese mixtures and the berries.
Garnish the top with berries.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours.
by Christi on June 29, 2009
I found this bird cage a few years ago. I used crackle base coat and finished it in red, white and blue.
This will hold a candle in the tablescape I will show on Thursday. Love the red, white and blue! It worked out really well that this little bird cage already had stars on the roof.
It was really, really hot for the Red, White and Blue Festival here last week but it was really fun. How about a preview of some of the fireworks?
Hope you are all having a great Independence Day week!!
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Today’s Lagniappe: Blueberry Summer Salad
Hope you enjoy a little something blue this week!
8 cups salad greens
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup chopped and toasted pecans
Bottled or homemade raspberry vinaigrette
Toss together first 4 ingredients; drizzle with desired amount of vinaigrette. Toss gently to coat.
It’s a four-for Tuesday! Join these great blogs for more recipes and great ideas.
Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday
Blessed with Grace’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
The Gypsy’s Corner’s Three or More Tuesday
2nd Time Around with A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words
by Christi on June 28, 2009
This week I’m posting about our local Red, White and Blue Festival here in Mountain Home, Arkansas. It started off with a vintage car rally. This car rally attracts drivers from all over the world. They stopped here for lunch.
These old cars have been restored and are driven through this rally. It was really, really hot and I don’t know how these drivers took it.
One car was all the way from Australia.
We welcomed these drivers by waving flags and cheering for them. They had lunch here and visited with our local residents.
It was a fun way to start off the Red, White and Blue Festival here.
Here’s to the Red, White and Blue!
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Today’s Lagniappe: Grilled Corn on the Cob
Something to have for the fun Independence Day weekend!
Corn on cob with husks on
Butter (stick works best)
Aluminum foil
Pull back small amount of husk. Put small amount of butter on corn. Put husks back over again. Wrap in foil. Put on hot grill turning once in a while. Leave on grill 15-30 minutes. Corn won’t burn too fast. Be careful very hot when husking corn.
Visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday and Smiling Sally for Blue Mondays. You will find wonderful and talented women with fantastic posts!
by Christi on June 26, 2009
Nothing fancy today. I was inspired by this beautiful Arkansas tomato and the basil growing in my garden.
I toasted some thin white bread and added some good mayo and a couple of slices of avocado (since I had it I may as well use it!) and voila!
A tasty little lunch! Added some cold iced tea and I was set. I love summer tomatoes! Anytime I can use tomatoes and basil that I have grown myself, it just really makes me happy. Am I strange because a tomato can make me happy?
See some really great recipes today on Foodie Friday with Designs by Gollum
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Today’s Lagniappe: Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream
With the hot weather we are having, ice cream really sounds good.
- 1 quart fresh strawberries, washed, stemmed and quartered
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 6 egg yolks
In a food processor or blender, combine the strawberries and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Process until smooth.
In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the half-and-half and sugar and vanilla. Bring to a simmer.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Add 1 cup of the hot liquid to the egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
Add the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan of liquid and whisk until blended.
Bring the liquid back to simmer and continue to cook for 4 to 6 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the strawberries. Whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into a glass bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture. This will prevent a skin from forming while cooling.
Cool the mixture completely. Process the mixture according the ice cream machine instructions.
by Christi on June 24, 2009
It’s time for Tablescape Thursday once again with Susan from Between Naps on the Porch.
You’ve seen these dishes before but today, I wanted to bring out the purple in them.
A purple runner on the table.
Dishes with a little purple.
See the purple in the butterfly?
And in the flowers?
These little guys like the purple candles.
Isn't she sweet?
purple in the napkin rings.
This one has more pink.
A purple glass charger on the bottom.
Three plates with some purple.
The flowers have some purple.
I really enjoyed the bit of purple. Hope you did too. Go see Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for more tablescapes.
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Today’s Lagniappe: Rosemary Pork Tenderloin
Rosemary is growing very well right now. Here is a great way to use it. Sorry, you have to turn on the oven for this one but it is worth it. It is so hot here, I’m trying to avoid adding any heat by turning on the oven.
- 3 pounds pork tenderloin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons dried rosemary
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Rub the tenderloin liberally with olive oil, then spread the garlic over it. Place it in a roasting pan and sprinkle with the rosemary.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 160 degrees F.
by Christi on June 23, 2009
Yesterday, I showed you the blueberries that I got at the local farmer’s market. For Outdoor Wednesday with A Southern Daydreamer, I wanted to show you some more of the farmer’s market.
Our farmer's market is in the town square.
Farmers back in and sell their wares around the court house.
Lots of umbrellas to protect them from the sun.
Organic lettuce and herbs.
Fresh local produce!
And, of course, those blueberries that we talked about yesterday.
Hope you are enjoying fresh local produce from your garden or farmers market or your local grocery store!
Go see some great outdoor photos at Outdoor Wednesday with A Southern Daydreamer.
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Today’s Lagniappe: Blackberry Avocado Salad
A great way to use that local produce!
10 to 12 ounces fresh blackberries, washed and drained
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup pecan halves
6 cups torn mixed greens
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
3 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
Dressing:
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Cooking Instructions:
In small skillet, melt butter. Add pecans and saute until lightly browned.
Cool and set aside. In small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, honey, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper, and set aside. In salad bowl, combine salad greens, blackberries, pecans, avocado and goat cheese. Pour on dressing and toss.
Serves: 4
by Christi on June 22, 2009
It’s a three for one Tuesday. Check out the fun blogs with great recipes and ideas that we are joining with today at the end of this post!
I went to the farmer’s market recently and ran across these beauties:
These were grown locally and looked and tasted wonderful. Blueberries are known as a “super food” because of their outstanding antioxidant qualities. I ate a lot of them just plain, which, seems to be a good way of getting all that good for you stuff in you. Of course, another way is to bake them in a recipe (more on that to come).
I learned from my Daddy to ask where produce comes from at the farmer’s market. The vendor next to these lovely blueberries had some strawberries. I asked where they were from and the vendor admitted that she had purchased them at a grocery store and had extra that she brought to sell at the market. They were not grown anywhere near here.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Just because something isn’t local doesn’t mean it is not good. However, during the summer months when fresh local produce is abundant, I like to support our local farmers. I bought some local tomatoes from the strawberry lady, but, not the strawberries. My rule of thumb at the farmer’s market is to always ask!
Okay, back to baking those blueberries in a recipe. That brings me to . . .
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Today’s Lagniappe: Blueberry Shortcake
A delicious way to use this delicious berry.
- Biscuits:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 stick butter, chilled
- 2/3 to 3/4 cup half and half, milk, or cream
- Filling:
- 1 quart blueberries
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream for topping, or non-dairy whipped topping
Preparation:
Rinse the berries under cold water; drain well. Sprinkle with the sugar, if desired; cover and let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour. Whip the cream (sweeten with 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar, if desired) until it holds a soft peak. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Set rack at center level.
In a food processor (you can use a pastry cutter or fingertips) combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and pulse to mix. Cut butter into about 8 pieces and add to the mixture. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, but with few pea-size chunks of butter left in the mixture. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and make a well in the center. With a fork stir in the cream or milk, just until dough is moist. Be very careful not to overwork. The dough doesn’t have to hold together well at this point. Let the dough stand for a minute. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over on itself (knead) 2 or 3 times, until it is holding together and is less sticky.
Gently pat the dough into a 6 by 12-inch rectangle about 3/4-inch thick and cut into 8 (3-inch) biscuits with a floured round cutter. Transfer to a buttered foil-lined cookie sheet. Brush on a little milk or cream and sprinkle tops with some sugar, if desired. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Remove to a platter and split each biscuit horizontally with a serrated knife. Butter the hot buscuits then top with about 1/3 cup of berry mixture. Replace the tops and top with a tablespoon or so of berries. Serve with whipped cream for topping.
Serves 8.
It’s a three-for Tuesday! Join these great blogs for more recipes and great ideas.
Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday
Blessed with Grace’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
The Gypsy’s Corner’s Three or More Tuesday
