A Southern Life

Whew, we made it through Christmas, Carnival, Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day. Now, I feel like “resting” my eyes (and body) for a few weeks before Easter and the festival season. The Carnival/Mardi Gras decorations are all down (although, I did find a bit of tinsel that I missed this morning).

You may remember how the mantel looked for Mardi Gras:

All tinsel, glitter, lights and sparkle. I loved seeing this every day. However, now it is a bit more serene:

Green plants, the doves that have appeared in so many places in my home (and on my table and porch . . .) and a couple of colored candles. I did opt to leave the “JOY” letters in place that were added at Christmas. I just really like them there. Read more…

Carnival parades start in earnest this weekend, so I figured it was about time to decorate the house.  Purple, green and gold (especially purple) tends to clash with my décor, so the challenge is to achieve a festive look that you can live with for a couple of weeks.

Here is the dining room centerpiece, using ceramic masks that were favors at a formal dinner we attended, and beads in a cut glass bowl.  The gold “dubloons” are parade throws that typically reflect the year’s theme.  These are from Rex.

I did the pillow years ago to display pins given as “krewe favors” by maskers after a “callout” dance at a carnival ball.  Now, every king sends his lady friends a custom designed pin to mark his reign, and I have a whole drawer full of memories of various big nights.

Read more…

New Orleans is in for a busy holiday period, with Valentine’s Day coming just two days after Mardi Gras.  My friend Sherry, a talented designer, gave an inspiring presentation today on festive table ideas.

Sherry had great advice for us novice decorators.  Don’t be afraid to experiment.  Shop from your closets and attics first, and think of new uses for your old objects.  Discount stores such as Target and Tuesday morning – or even drugstores – can be inexpensive sources of novel accessories.  Let’s look at some of her tablescapes to get the creative juices flowing.

Mardi Gras décor does not have to be gaudy – astromania and lilacs combine to provide a pleasing purple theme for this table.

The same principal is seen here, where pastels carry out the purple, green and gold theme.  Note the crown, one of our favorite carnival symbols. Read more…

I was very late in getting my Fall wreath up this year.  We were doing work on the house – a necessity for old homes, but I wouldn’t trade for the world.  I brought my camera on a recent coonhound walk to document what the neighbors were featuring.  There were a number of Halloween decorations still up, but lots of seasonal presentations.  Take a look – fall décor, sports teams, life announcements.  In New Orleans we love to broadcast on the front door!

I tried to zoom in to focus on the wreaths.  This is not doing justice to the inviting front door presentations offered by so many of the homes – a topic for another column!

Click to enlarge

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Partying today with A Southern Daydreamer:

Outdoor Wednesday with A Southern Daydreamer

You’ve met my friend Donna of the fabulous Donnadots before. Now she is redoing her bathroom. Here are the before pictures.

I kind of like that octagonal window. She is planning on painting the walls tan and replacing the light fixtures. I will post “after” pics as she gets finished with the project. What do you think? Any suggestions? Check out what metamorphosis’ are going on at:

Metamorphosis Monday with Between Naps on the Porch

Today’s Lagniappe:  Muffuletta Pinwheels
An appetizer version of a New Orleans favorite from All Recipes.

1/3 cup finely chopped pimento-stuffed
green olives
1/3 cup finely chopped black olives
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
extra virgin olive oil
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese,
softened
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch garlic powder
5 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1/4 pound thinly sliced ham
1/4 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
1/4 pound thinly sliced salami
1/4 pound thinly sliced mozzarella cheese

Combine green olives, black olives, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and oil in a small bowl. Set aside. Beat together cream cheese, pinch of oregano, and pinch of garlic salt. Spread the mixture onto tortillas. Sprinkle olive mixture over the top of each. Starting at the top of each tortilla and about 1/8 inch down place a slice of ham, provolone, salami, and mozzarella slightly overlapping each slice.

Roll the tortillas up and wrap in foil. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Remove the foil and slice on a 45 degree angle into 1-inch pieces.

My friend Darlene’s husband got these wonderful shutters for the Salvation Army Thrift Store.

They had a couple extra that they gave to me. What they did with them was such a good idea. They have a dining area with a window in the middle and then a corner on either side. They used the shutters to make corner cabinets.

Right now, I have the shutters “casually leaning” against the wall in the living area, hiding a plug and cable connection. Clever, no? Well, I’m not that impressed with my cleverness, or lack thereof. Maybe, I should try to find a corner to make a cabinet with the shutters.

Here are some ideas of ways to use salvage pieces for cabinets.

What would you do with salvaged shutters? Looking for ideas.

Metamorphosis Monday with Between Naps on the Porch

Today’s Lagniappe: Mama’s Cherry Cream Meringue Pie
Mama came up with this recipe that is like one her mother made for her when she was growing up.

It is that time of year. Time to bring in some of the branches from your forsythia and quince branches and force them to bloom inside!

I love the early Spring when the first blooms begin and bringing in a few branches to get an early start just gets the fun started sooner.

The quince and forsythia are fabulous for some January color:

Quince

Forsythia

So, how do you force these pretties to bloom a little early?

On a day when the temperature is above freezing, cut a few branches from your forsythia or quince.  Bring the branches inside and put them in water.

Remove a branch from the water and re-cut the end. Pound the end of the branch with a hammer so that it will be able to get enough water.  Place the branch in a vase with water. Repeat this for each branch.

Change the water every couple of days for lasting color. In about two weeks you will begin to see the buds about to burst on the branches. Before long the shrubs branches will be blooming and there will be beautiful spring color in your home. The forced branches should last several weeks inside for your enjoyment.

That is all there is to it. A wonderful glimpse of Spring in the middle of Winter! Need some more pink?

Pink Saturday with Beverly at How Sweet the Sound

Today’s Lagniappe: Quince Liqueur

Quince is a late Fall, early Winter fruit. This recipe is from the French Farmhouse Cookbook

2 large quinces
1 cup sugar
2 cups vodka

1. Cut the quinces lengthwise in quarters, then mince or grate them (skins and seeds included) in a food processor. Place them in a jar with at least a 2 ½-quart capacity-you need room for shaking. Add the vodka, then the sugar, and shake vigorously. Keep the jar in a cool, shadowed place.

2. Shake the contents of the jar every other day for 10 days, then when you think of it after that, about once a week for at least 4 additional weeks. Strain the eau-de-vie through a sieve lined with a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth, into a sterilized bottle. Seal with a cork.

3. The ratafia de coings will keep indefinitely. A sediment will form on the bottom of the bottle over time. Don’t be concerned, just pour carefully so it doesn’t cloud the individual glasses of eau-de-vie.

About 3 ½ cups

A note: Work quickly to get the grated quince in the vodka, as the flesh turns brown very fast!

Come on in, take a tour of the house with it’s fall decorations and have a bite to eat. It’s time for Hooked on House Tours with Hooked on Houses and Foodie Friday with Designs by Gollum.

What is that eerie thing glowing through the window?

This is a little more welcoming.

Good thing that scarecrow is there to keep the crows out of the house plants.

Our friends Eve and Nancy at The House of Realty provided us with this big pumpkin with the pretty decorations. They gave these to their customers and vendors. We did their real estate website so we were the lucky recipients of this pretty pumpkin.

You've seen the top of the TV cabinet before, decorated for fall.

And also the coffee table.

Even the table on the back porch.

I love decorating for fall. After a long hot summer, it is nice to welcome some cooler temperatures and warm things up on the inside with beautiful fall colors, just as the colors are changing outside as well.

Now, for some refreshments:

Today’s Lagniappe:  Pumpkin Dip
Serve this in a small hollowed out pumpkin with spiced wafers, apple slices or gingersnaps – yummy and pretty.

Combine sugar and softened cream cheese until well blended. Beat in remaining ingredients. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

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

1 day until Spring!

Okay, now that St. Patrick’s Day is over, I’m ready to decorate for Spring. I’m going to try to get to that this weekend. Today, I have meetings and tomorrow I have meetings and then am leading a seminar. The seminar is over at 4 p.m. so I’l be ready to start the weekend after that and . . . the next day is the first day of Spring!

March 21 is also my husband’s birthday. How great is that to be born on the first day of Spring? Anyway, back to decorating, I’ve got to get out in the garage and look for what I’ve got and decide what I might want to do different. I love the switch from winter to Spring. It feels like the house is taking off an over-heavy coat and jumping to shorts and flip flops.

I put my seedlings outside yesterday (in the shade) to start hardening them off. I had planned to move them inside last night but, forgot. I woke up in the middle of the night and thought about going out and moving them back in but it is really hard to get me out of bed once I’m asleep. Oh well, I think it only got down to around 50 last night so all is well. Can’t wait to get them in the ground.

Today’s Lagniappe: Hummingbird Cake
The ultimate Southern cake

* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 cups granulated sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 3 eggs, beaten
* 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* 2 cups chopped firm ripe banana
* Cream Cheese Frosting:
* 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup butter, room temperature
* 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon together into mixing bowl several times. Add eggs and salad oil to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are moistened. Stir in vanilla, pineapple and 1 cup pecans. Stir in the bananas. Spoon the batter into 3 well-greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes,or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Combine cream cheese and butter; cream until smooth. Add powdered sugar, beating with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

Frost the tops of all 3 layers, stack and then frost sides. Sprinkle top evenly with the 1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans.

Photo by Timothy K. Hamilton

11 days to Spring!
On one of the boards I frequent, someone asked the question. What low-cost decorating solutions are you using during the recession? My first response was recycle!

My sofa needs re-upholstering. I had a beautiful king-size matelasse bedspread that I was not using. Voila. I used the spread as a sofa cover, changed the pillows and I love it.

As I have written previoulsy, I love to decorate with houseplants. I’m always cutting from one to start another. I even have a lovely houseplant that I started from an avocado seed. My grandmother was always rooting plants and she had several in her home. Of course, she was also a very talented seamstress and also made beautiful crochet afghans. I don’t do well with crochet and my sewing skill leave much to be desired. I can sew in a straight line if it doesn’t have to be too straight.

Tough economic times are challenging. However, it is possible to live graciously with less. Good manners are always in style and a kind word is free. What are you doing to make your world beautiful today?

Today’s Lagniappe: Shrimp Butter
Serve this to guests with crackers – yum!

* 3/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 2 (4 ounce) cans shrimp, drained
* 1 tablespoon chopped onion
* 3 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the butter and cream cheese into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Add the shrimp, onion, lemon juice, garlic salt and mayonnaise; beat until fluffy. Cover and chill for several hours before serving. Allow the butter to come to room temperature before serving.

What is the solution to stale indoor air in the Winter? Occasionally it will get warm enough to open windows but, when you can’t, a great way to clean the air in your house is with . . . houseplants. NASA scientists have discovered that many houseplants and blooming potted plants fight indoor air pollution. They’re reportedly able to scrub significant amounts of harmful gases out of the air, through the everyday processes of photosynthesis. Some pollutants are also absorbed and rendered harmless in the soil.

In addition to their health benefits is the beauty that plants add to a home. Plants add a sense of coziness and put people at ease. I love houseplants and I also have plants that I bring indoors for the Winter that look great inside. Soon I will be begging friends and neighbors for forsythia branches to force into bloom inside. Forced blooms suffice while I am waiting for the real show outside in the spring.

Here are some pictures of some of my indoor plants and instructions on forcing forsythia:

How to Force Forsythia Indoors

On a day when the temperature is above freezing, cut a few branches from your forsythia (or other favorite spring blooming shrubs like Quince). Bring the branches inside and put them in water.

Remove a branch from the water and re-cut the end. Pound the end of the branch with a hammer so that it will be able to get enough water.  Place the branch in a vase with water. Repeat this for each branch.

Change the water every couple of days for lasting color. In about two weeks you will begin to see the buds about to burst on the branches. Before long the shrubs branches will be blooming and there will be beautiful spring color in your home. The forced branches should last several weeks inside for your enjoyment.