Mardi Gras scenes from home capture the purple, gold and green goodness of this mid-winter fête Louisiana turns out for in grand laissez bon temps rouler fashion.
Celebratory jollification comes to call and we answer “throw me something, mister” with the accent mark placed over family and furry friends small town revelry to match our larger counterparts.
Parades O’plenty line streets and sidewalks, balls and beads fascinate and decorate, a neighborhood block party fais do-do invites new traditional to the party, and coiffed and costumed furry friends proudly parade in mutt strut second line regality.
Homes adorned in colors of Carnival greet and treat revelers to a krewe of house floats exhibit.
Crawfish boils give plenty of reasoning and seasoning for passing a good time.
Mudbug in Blue by Dave the Builder garners Mardi Gras scenes from home attention.
Our version of a King Cake party looks something like a late afternoon tea party but with Community Coffee dark roast served black and strong.
Considering how much we do love our King Cakes, I thought a spin on a classic a delicious deviation.
Fluff pies whip up super easy and delicious.
Purple, gold and green sparkling sugars and a plastic King Cake plastic baby completes the decoration portion of this Mardi Gras dessert creation.
Giving thought to fluff flavor, the hands down choice was as obvious as the powdered sugar on your beignet.
White chocolate it is!
Mardi Gras White Chocolate Fluff Pie
Ingredients
1 9″ graham cracker crust
1 8 oz container whipped topping
1 3.5 oz box white chocolate instant pudding & pie filling
1-1½ cup cold milk
sparkling sugars in purple, gold and green
plastic King Cake baby
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, add white chocolate pudding mix and milk. Whisk until pudding reaches thick consistency. Gently fold in the whipped topping to incorporate.
Spread fluff mixture into the graham cracker crust; cover with plastic wrap.
Chill covered pie for at least 4 hours to set.
Before serving, decorate by dusting top of pie with purple, gold and green sparkling sugars. Garnish with a plastic King Cake baby and enjoy!
My holiday treasures and tastes snapshot asks the question, if you love this time of year like so many of us do, why wait until after Thanksgiving to holiday it up?
Decorating one season at a time traditions, like rules, are made to be broken in favor of a richer experience.
Mix, mingle, layer, and jingle the best of the Thanksgiving into Christmas holiday season with treasures and tastes of the ho ho home for the holidays kind.
Letters To Santa Painted Metal Mailbox Copper Finish
Well deck the halls- I just heard the Hershey’s Kisses commercial with the bells ringing ♫We Wish You A Merry Christmas.
It’s official- the holidays are here!
Folks, this recipe for Pumpkin Coconut Fluff Pie is easy to make and impressive to serve.
Pumpkin Coconut Fluff Pie
Ingredients
1 9″ graham cracker crust
1 8 oz container whipped topping
1 3.5 oz box vanilla instant pudding & pie filling
1 15 oz can 100% pure pumpkin
½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, add pure pumpkin, vanilla pudding mix, coconut, ground cloves, ground nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice. Using a wooden spoon, stir ingredients until combined.
Next, add vanilla and whipped topping. Fold until incorporated.
Spread the pumpkin fluff mixture into the graham cracker crust; cover with plastic wrap.
Chill covered pie for at least 4 hours to set.
Before serving dust the top of the pie with additional pumpkin pie spice.
Things are beginning to get busy as it does at the holidays.
Temperatures have dropped to baby, it’s cold outside numbers, family is on the holiday road heading home, and my kitchen cabinets and countertops runneth over with holiday dinner fixings to which I am most grateful.
Enjoy the process and the holiday treasures and tastes, dear friends.
Creature comforts of the season go a long way in setting a cozy scene.
Nestling in with a hot cup of cinnamon spice tea, a hint of pumpkin wood in the air, and this month’s Country Living is the best of fall.
Two darling nephews and one picturesque pumpkin patch delights little ones and this Auntie to no end.
Cooking remains my diversion of choice.
Honing in on the flavors best known to the season and putting your stamp on a recipe to make it your own is a delicious way to create a house favorite.
Apples and spices, fresh lemon and rum extract, refrigerated pie crust (easy is the name of the game) and sprinkles of sugar mix and mingle in a flavor gala befitting a recipe you’ll label a must make.
Pie crust will roll out better if allowed to be at room temperature for ten minutes. Roll pastry out onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
In a large bowl combine apple slices, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour, allspice, nutmeg, almond extract, granulated sugar and salt.
Lightly dust center of pie crust with flour mixed with allspice and nutmeg.
Pour filling into the center of the crust.
Gently fold the border up over the edge of the apple filling.
Pleat crust with fingers to create a border design.
Brush border with egg.
Next, sprinkle border with coarse sugar.
Bake for 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Tradition beckons the baking of the first Apple Nut Cake of the season.
Trying out a new recipe or whipping up one tried and true celebrates the taste of the season and dishes cozy toasty fall happenings.
On a personal note, I would like to ask my dear readers to please be patient with me as I slow the frequency of postings at this time due to devastating health news received over the last two weeks. Prayers for comfort and strength are most appreciated.
Today makes it official, friends. I am so excited to greet the season with accents and accessories, tastes and scents that welcome fall home.
One would not know today is the first day of fall by the current weather in the Deep South.
Hot and humid with temperatures rising lands us in full-on fallsummoween.
High heat and humidity zaps the feel of fall, but apples paired with pears, cloves, and cinnamon offers the taste of fall refreshment.
Fall Fruit Facts:
Did you know there are 7500 varieties of apples grown throughout the world with 1oo varieties grown commercially here in the United States.
Cinnamon (also called quills) is the perfect spice compliment to sweet and salty drinks and dishes.
Pears are members of the rose family (no, not the Rose family of Schitt’s Creek fame). Origins of the pear date back to 1000 B.C.
Autumn Apple Pear Cinnamon Water
Ingredients
6 cups water
2 Gala apples cut into thin slices
1 Granny Smith apple cut into thin slices
1 pear (I used Bartlett) cut into thin slices
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
Directions
Fill pitcher with water. Add apple and pear slices, cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Give a quick stir to mix; cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend.
Why stop there?
Crisp mornings, afternoons, and evenings go splendidly with a warm beverage or warming cocktail.
Simple syrup or spiced concentrate added to your favorite fall hot or cold beverages amplifies the spice which in turn brings out the flavors so closely associated with fall.
Vanilla Simple Syrup
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
In a small saucepan over medium heat bring all ingredients to a soft boil; cooking until sugar dissolves making sure to stir the entire time.
Remove from heat and allow to completely cool. Transfer syrup to a heat safe jar or container and store in refrigerator.
Autumn Spiced Concentrate
Ingredients
2 cups water
3 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
Directions
In a medium saucepan bring water, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves to a to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Your house will smell amazing during this part of the process!
Remove from heat and allow concentrate to cool before transferring to a heat safe jar or container. Store in the refrigerator.
Seasonal touches here and neutrals there decorate the dining room.
Faux stems and bushes usually don’t tickle my fall decorating fancy, but this Japanese Maple bush from JOANN is absolutely lovely.
Never underestimate the visual impact of the simple yet elegant seasonal décor accessory.
DIY wreath project success means I like the way it turned out and find it too pretty to hang on the front door just yet, so it calls the foyer welcome fall home for now.
Don’t you love when an item you’re sure will work does just that.
Our welcome fall home 2022 wishlist is almost complete.
Vintage or in the style of vintage prints never fail to catch my eye.
Tennessee has really been on my mind and heart of late.
I purchased my first Anton Pieck print from an antiques shop in East Tennessee thirteen years ago, and last week I purchased this vintage Anton Pieck 3D Paper Art print of “The Ship” to add to the collection.
Hunting dog prints hung throughout my grandparent’s house, and the vintage porcelain figurine immediately took me back so in the cart it went.
Between lawn and garden this and whipping up holiday eats and treats that I found I spent a hunk, a hunk of burning love of the holiday watching movie trailers and sneak peeks from the soon to be released Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis.
Note to self: Add Burning Love by Elvis Presley to your Spotify summer grooves and tunes playlist.
Once the candle was lit, it burned at a measured rate. When the flame met the clip and went out, time was up! Candle by the Hour™ brings back this novel concept as a worry-free way to illuminate and decorate your home.
To use, just feed up to 3″ of the pliable eco-friendly beeswax coil through the clip and light the wick. The natural beeswax will melt at approximately 20 minutes per inch, providing up to an hour of light at a time.
Casual defines the theme of the summer entertaining season just as casual means a host of ways to set a casual summer scene to many a host and hostess.
“It’s important how we feel in our homes, because feeling good makes us more gracious.
And that makes it easier to welcome others
not only into our homes but into our lives.”
—Nate Berkus
Where one prefers to zhoosh up the look with the good stuff place settings and serveware, another prefers to lay down newspapers, set out paper goods, and let the good times lobster roll.
Incorporating the traditional aspects of horse racing into my Kentucky Derby party ideas such as riding boots, horseshoes, and a riding helmet or two is not as difficult as one would think.
Scatter about tabletops, prop and position around serving trays, centerpiece embellishments, cake toppers, monogram with party attendees initials as take home favors- you get the idea.
8 fresh mint sprigs for garnish or more to desired taste
Directions
In a large saucepan, bring, water, sugar, lemon juice and mint leaves to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until sugar is completely dissolved.
Allow mixture to cool.
Strain cooled simple mint syrup and discard mint leaves.
Fill your mint julep cups with crushed ice, ½ cup Ginger Ale soda, and ½ cup mint syrup. Stir to incorporate flavors.
Adding a dash of Creole seasoning or Louisiana hot sauce along with a handful or two of chopped walnuts to store bought pimento cheese brings the c’est si bon to the party.
Encore presentation worthy for sure, I feel confident in suggesting the use of vintage beauties such as this one for Kentucky Derby party pieces.
The Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich, a Kentucky original recipe created in 1926 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, is a perfect Derby Day menu choice.
This recipe from SheKnows plates turkey, bacon, Parmesan cheese, tomatoes and a heavy-handed dollop of bechamel sauce together in all its delicious, rich and Kentucky tradition glory.
If baking does not fit into your party schedule or itinerary, consider picking up your favorite cake at a local or grocery store bakery and adding embellishments of choice.
Super Bowl get together ideas drive the ultimate game day excitement down the proverbial field.
Current times require a bit of thought regarding to mingle live and in person or to keep your Super Bowl soiree an “in house” family only gathering.
Whichever way you go, Super Bowl entertaining rules of fun, fan, and food revelry remain the same.
“It’s ridiculous for a country to get all worked up about a game— except the Super Bowl, of course.
Now that’s important.” —Andy Rooney
My tried-and-true Super Bowl get together ideas entertaining formula consists of three basic components:
Casual.
Comfortable.
Easy.
Regardless if your favorite team is in or is out, as tradition dictates most of us will be joining in on the Super Bowl merriment from the comfort of home- the favorite party zone.
LSU fans proudly rise to the occasion in support for “our” Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Lest we forget, the New Orleans Saints Who Dat Nation cheering on the Cincinnati Bengals Who Dey loyal.
In Louisiana go, Joe, go translates to geaux, Jeaux, geaux.
Even Decoristas who aren’t exactly wild about football excel in seizing the game day to bejewel and bedeck.
Great retail prices at this usually slow time of year following the holidays make picking up an accent here and an accessory tops the Super Bowl get together ideas list.
Samsung 2.1 Ch Soundbar with 290W with Wireless Sub
The next best thing to experiencing the sounds of the Super Bowl live and in person is watching the game in enhanced audio quality.
Cylinder drum accent tables placed in strategic areas in and around Dave the Builder’s man cave serve a stylish purpose for game day and beyond.
5pc TV Tray Set
Tossing it back to the heyday of the TV tray with an updated color choice is is this 5 piece tray set.
Set up, serve, and store away.
Excellent call.
These bronze finish resin figurines from Hobby Lobby can be used over and over again which makes it a super affordable Super Bowl decorative accent.
In this neck of the woods where mild winters allow magnolia trees, Ligustrum’s, and your basic garden variety greenery to maintain color and growth, cuttings and clippings are readily available for centerpiece arrangements.
The cuttings and clippings make a nice showing on their own, but really kick the look up a notch when mixed with a couple of fresh bouquets from the supermarket floral department.
Another inexpensive decoration involves glass cylinder container(s) from the dollar store and a couple of packages of decorative accent gems with just enough blue to contrast and complement the Rams team color.
Fill containers with crinkle cut paper shreds in team colors.
Top it off with a football and there you go.
It’s not about how much it cost, but the wow factor it creates.
Pick up a pack of coaches/referee whistles for this next idea.
Feed black and white ribbon through the whistle ring and tie around the handles of these black and white ceramic soup mugs in referee fashion.
Serve on black melamine plates or plate charges or ones associated with your team’s colors.
An artificial grass table runner can be used on Super Bowl Sunday as well as springtime gatherings, Easter eggstravaganzas, and bridal showers.
The idea behind the Super Bowl party nosh is to pair good times with good eats.
From a drop by the supermarket spread made for good times and gathering friends to an instant pot-slow cooker feast, easy yet impressive dishes make a taste touchdown.
Boiled crawfish, potatoes, and corn- Louisiana required Super Bowl seafood eatin’.
Throw in lemons, whole onions, and smoked sausage and laissez les bon temps rouler, cher!
The ever popular cheese platter and charcuterie board goes into the Super Bowl snack hall of fame.
Variety is the spice of life and the rule of the cheese charcuterie board. Work with what is available, on sale, and in season.
Here’s the items that make the tray:
One sharp, one mild, one soft, and one blue cheese.
Next, I select a trio of in season fresh fruits such as grapes, dates, berries, and apples. Dried apricots and dried cranberries round out the category.
Good olives and pepperoncini complement well, too.
Creole pecans and mixed nuts bring the kick and the crunch.
Place pecans on a baking sheet. Drizzle melted butter over pecans, hit them with a generous sprinkling of Creole seasoning, and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Let cool and serve.
Dates, figs, honey and hot pepper bacon are my jam.
An assortment of crackers and breads of your preference.
Pick up a bag of crostini in the bakery department at Walmart, a box or two of the house brand of entertainment cracker selection (good crackers!), and complete the pass me some of those picture with the crowd pleasing trifecta- pretzels, corn, and tortilla chips.
Prosciutto, salami, and thin sliced smoked turkey enter the field as power proteins.
Dip is the official unofficial food of the Super Bowl soiree.
Four quarters, four dip recipes.
Copycat Chili’s Queso (Slow Cooker Version) from Creme de la Crumb is a Super Bowl appetizer tour de force.
This baby is easy, slow cooker easy, and a crowd pleaser.
Carnival season is in full swing with all the fun included and the calories consumed from King Cake parties a conversation for another day.
Standard fare such as grilled or pan fried hamburgers is simple goodness widely received as a Super Bowl party must have.
Pickapeppa Bloody Mary
Ingredients
1 cup Clamato juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1½ teaspoons Pickapeppa Sauce
3 drops Worcestershire Sauce
½ tablespoon ground celery seed
2 ounces vodka, optional
Directions
Fill glass half way with ice. If adding vodka, pour 2 ounces into the glass. Add Clamato juice, lemon juice, Pickapeppa sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and celery seed. Stir well to mix.
Optional spice: kick it up a notch with a generous splash of hot sauce
Garnish with spicy beans, celery stalk, or spicy okra.
Crank up the oven, follow the package directions, mix up dipping sauces in sweet and savory flavors, add to individual ramekins (COVID safety practices and general double dipping penalties), and serve.
Good old fried chicken from the deli department of your local grocery store qualifies as a can’t go wrong choice of game day offerings.
Games people play before, during, and after the game-
Count out the candy pieces, do the same with plastic football beads you can find at hobby stores, throw it all together in a big jar, and let guests guess how many is in the jar for a prize.
Show a classic football flick on the big screen TV post game entertainment.
Options rule the field and Super Bowl get together ideas.
If the jar idea fails to score, load up a football pinata for an outdoor activity.
Whatever works for you works best for your Super Bowl get together.
That’s the winning point of these Super Bowl get together ideas.
Happy first day of fall, fellow fall loving friends! Along with the elation over fall’s arrival, the inspiration it offers, and the seasonal colors on parade fascination associated with the third season, homey seasonal decor finds in rich hues and flavorful tastes frame this picture perfect season.
The excitement surrounding the first day of fall compares to Christmas day in my book.
I’m selecting songs for a fall into autumn playlist, and the big blue gumbo pot is ready for the c’est si bon celebration of the season and its cornucopia of seasonings.
Y’all know my affinity for taking a photo and replicating it with in the style finds. Well let me just say how taken I am with this bountifully beautiful display created by event designer Keith Robinson as featured in Flower Magazine.
Wood Cake Stand – Hearth & Hand with Magnolia
I can’t locate a recipe for pecan pie from Mr. Robinson, but I use the Homemade Pecan Pie recipe from Karo Syrup, so classic it is.
Homemade Pecan Pie
Ingredients
1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-½ cups (6 ounces) pecans
1 (9-inch) unbaked OR frozen deep-dish pie crust
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.
Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.
Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet.
High Altitude Adjustments: Reduce sugar to 2/3 cup and increase butter to 3 tablespoons. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Cozy is easily achieved when the emphasis is placed on inviting- the main ingredient in the recipe for putting together a fall fête for a party of two or intimate gathering for friends and family.
Crisp notes in the late afternoon air, tole serving trays, cake domes, and fall themed loaf pans stirs up all the fall feels, finds, and flavors.
Apple nut cake is set for the cake stand come Wednesday, but first, whipped maple pie.
Maple is among the taste of fall favorites, and is the featured flavor in this super easy to make dessert.
Whipped Maple Pie
Ingredients
1 deep dish pie crust
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) vanilla instant pudding
1½ cup cold milk
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. maple flavoring
1 container (8 oz.) thawed whipped topping
nutmeg for dusting
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove frozen pie crust from package and allow to thaw for 20 minutes.
Using a fork, prick the bottom and sides of the pie crust with to help reduce shrinkage and bubbling. To ensure the crust bakes off properly, place an empty pie pan the same size inside the crust.
Place pie crust on baking sheet and bake on lower oven rack for 12-15 minutes, allowing to cool once removed from oven.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together instant pudding and milk until firm. Add maple syrup and maple flavoring; mix well. Fold in whipped topping; mix until incorporated.
Spoon mixture into cooled pie crust. Dust top of pie with nutmeg and top with nuts.
Grab a jar, tumbler, or goblet and working in layers begin with crushed cookies (vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, graham crackers- all delicious choices).
Next, add a generous tablespoon of the maple pudding mixture.
Repeat with another layer of crushed cookies and complete the dish with a final addition of the maple pudding mixture.
Top with a dollop of whipped topping, a drizzle of pure maple syrup, and walnuts or fresh Louisiana pecans.
The delicious proof is in the pudding.
Gorgeously anticipating fall’s color rich-seasonally tasty arrival on this blog post writing afternoon makes for perfect blog post writing conditions.
That and streaming The French Chef with Julia Child featuring three French favorites:
Tarte aux Pommes Classique
Tarte des Demoiselles
Tarte Tartin starring apples, cinnamon, and butter- the fall baking trinity.
Julia Child is a classic, her personality endearing, and her recipes favorites in the Places In The Home test kitchen.
Between the show, recipes, and hint of crisp in the air I’m inspired to add her Tarte aux Pommes to my must make for fall recipe file.
Tarte aux Pommes
Ingredients
10-inch partially cooked pastry shell
4 pounds cooking apples
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup apricot jam/preserves
1/3 cup Calvados, rum or cognac (or 1 tablespoon vanilla)
2/3 cup granulated sugar for topping
3 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 375F. Quarter, core, and peel the apples. Cut enough to make 3 cups into 1/8-inch lengthwise slices and toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice and sugar. Reserve them for the top of the tart.
Cut the rest of the apples into rough slices. You should have about 8 cups. Place in a pan and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Beat in apricot jam, Calvados, sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Raise heat and boil, stirring, until applesauce is thick enough to hold in a mass in the spoon.
Spread the applesauce in the pastry shell. Cover with a neat, closely overlapping layer of sliced apples arranged in concentric circles.
Bake in upper third of preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the apples have browned lightly and are tender. Slide the tart onto a serving dish and paint over it with a light coating of apricot glaze. Serve warm or cold with whipping cream or a scoop of ice cream.
Apricot Glaze
½ cup apricot preserves, forced through a sieve
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Stir the strained apricot preserves and sugar over moderately high heat until thick enough to coat the spoon with a light film, and the last drops are sticky as they fall from the spoon (225-228 degrees on a candy thermometer). Do not boil past this point or the glaze will become brittle as it cools.
Apply the glaze while it is still warm. Unused glaze will keep indefinitely in a screw-top jar.
Homey seasonal decor finds frame this picture perfect season and welcome the best of the season to home and hearth.
This is how we welcome fall home.
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