A Southern Life

This one red rose bush is still hanging in there and producing some blooms. This is my knock-out rose bush. It is really a trooper. So glad I planted this one.

A sweet red rose bud.

It has been dark and dreary here today, so that had to be taken with a flash. Hang on little roses, it is supposed to be sunny tomorrow!

A "mature" bloom

Like so many things, this rose is so pretty as it matures 🙂

It is always inspiring to me to see those last blooms that tough it out until the very last. I do still have zinnias blooming that I showed you last week.

A few notes:

What you can do for the victims of the terrible shooting at Fort Hood:

Christmas donations for Fort Hood Victims

1) We are hoping to make Christmas a bit brighter for the families and injured heroes who were involved in the Fort Hood tragedy a few weeks back. For this Christmas initiative, we are collecting monetary donations, gift cards, new stuffed animals, and letters/notes of encouragement. These donations may be sent to:

Soldiers’ Angels
Fort Hood Support
4408 PanAm Expressway
San Antonio, TX 78218

Please make sure to make a note that your donation is marked for Fort Hood.

If you would like to make a monetary donation, you may also follow the “Donate” link on the Soldiers Angels homepage. To make sure that your donation goes specifically to this project, please type in ‘For Fort Hood’ in the comment box that pops up when entering your donation.

Also, another urgent need:

Support/encouragement for a soldier who is currently looking for work as he is having a tough time of it.  This soldier was deployed until February 2009 when he then returned home due to injuries he received in Iraq.  His injuries consist of TBI post-concussive syndrome, hearing loss, knee injuries, and back injuries.  To make his situation worse, he is also separated from his wife.

This soldier lives in Titus, Alabama, so if there are any Angels in that area that may be able to help this soldier out with some job leads that would be awesome. If you know of any job leads, please let me know and I will forward the information christi@asouthernlife.com.

Hope you are all having a WONDERFUL pre-Thanksgiving week!

Today’s Lagniappe: Easy Pumpkin Pie with Shortbread Crust and Crockpot Pumpkin Pie
This first recipe is a great one that was in the November issue of Martha Stewart Home. Check out the Martha Stewart web site for this and some other great Thanksgiving pie recipes

Easy Pumpkin Pie with Shortbread Crust

Makes one 9-inch pie.

• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Press-In Shortbread Pie Crust
• Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together pumpkin, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and eggs in a large bowl. Pour filling into prepared piecrust.
2. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, rotating halfway through, until filling is just set and slightly puffed but still a bit wobbly, 65 to 70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 6 hours. (Pie can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.) Serve chilled, topped with whipped cream if desired.

Press in Shortbread Crust

Makes one 9-inch crust.

• 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

1. Stir together butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in yolk. Add flour and salt, and stir until mixture is dry and crumbly. Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Bake, rotating halfway through, just until crust turns golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack.

And then something to add to Debbie’s Crockpot Wednesday

Crockpot Pumpkin Pie

• 15 oz. can solid pack pumpkin
• 12 oz. can evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 pie crust (not placed in pie pan)
• 2 Tbsp. sugar

Preparation:

A little outdoor red for Outdoor Wednesday with A Southern Daydreamer and Rednesday! with It’s a Very Cherry and today’s lagniappe is a great idea for Crockpot Wedneday with Dining with Debbie.

Tags: Southern Living

15 Responses to “Southern Trooper”

Leave a Reply