Foodie Friday - Recipe Repeat

It's time for Foodie Friday - another week of sharing recipe favorites. This week I'm bringing back a recipe that Susan of "A Southern Daydreamer" shared with us -- Zesty New potato Salad.



Now, I normally wouldn't make a different potato salad than the one I've been making for 34 plus years. I really like my potato salad and I could almost make it with my eyes shut -- I don't have to measure a thing, just put it all together by habit. But when I saw this I thought "I'm in a potato salad rut! Time to try something new". How about you? Are you in a rut too? Well here's a great recipe to try!

Here's what you need:

2 lbs of new potatoes cut into quarters
1/2 cup Miracle Whip lite
2 Green onions sliced
4 teaspoons Grey Poupon Savory Honey Mustard
2 teaspoons honey
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Bring potatoes to a boil and cut back to medium low and cook for 20 minutes. Rinse and drain.

Mix all the next ingredients in a large bowl - add potatos, mix and cover. Refrigerate overnight.

Now I don't usually use Miracle Whip but I used it and since that's not the strongest flavor, I really didn't pick up that taste here. Also I couldn't find that particular flavor of Grey Poupon so I substituted Ingleboffer sweet hot mustard (with honey). This had a real zip to it - sort of like a chinese mustard only milder -- not your knock your head off, clear your sinuses, watering eyes, grab the water bottle kind of hot! I really did like this and I'm planning to make it again -- I think it would be a really good compliment to the bar-b-que recipe that I shared last week. I might add just about a 1/4 cup of shredded cabbage next time just to give it a little crunch. So if you're in a potato salad rut - give this one a try -- I think you'll be glad. Thanks Susan for sharing this.

Now it's time to see what everybody else is cooking up this week over at Designs By Gollum!

See ya.

Tablescape Thursday - Rose Cottage Look

It's Tablescape Thursday!-- that day every dishaholic in blogland comes out of the china closet and plays with their dishes! Then we go to see and admire all the other tablescapes at "Between Naps On The Porch" hosted by the lovely Susan. Susan's blog is "the" place to be to be inspired by pretty, fun and whimsical tablescapes -- but caution - it's highly addictive!


This week's tablescape is all about roses. I'm a June baby and the flower of the month is roses - so for all you other June babies with birthdays coming up - this table's set for you! Here's a picture approaching our rosey table.


A couple of weeks ago I told you about finding this tablecloth at Target -- I didn't get a picture before showing the pretty lace edge. Layered over the Target cloth is a vintage tablecloth I found years ago that looks like it had been stenciled with roses.


My vase is basket shaped and looks victorian to me with the roses on it. I found this at Ross's Department Store in Atlanta back in the Spring -- it's probably a good thing that there is not one near me - that and a Home Goods could probably get me into big trouble!

A closer picture of the vase with my grocery store roses. I don't know if you can see - the outer color of the petals is pink and the inner color is red. My favorite color for roses is pink, but I thought these were very pretty as well.


A close up of the roses.


Here's a close up of the detail at the center of my vintage rose tablecloth. I didn't realize until I was putting this tablescape together how well the blue color of the ribbon on this tablecloth matched the blue in the napkins I found several months ago at Tuesday Morning. Don't you just love it when a theme starts pulling together?


A closer look at the layering of the two tablecloths.


Here's a corner of the table and shows the stenciled look of the vintage cloth.


Now we have a close up picture of a place setting. The "silverware" is from Target -- 99 cents per piece - but I love the vintage look. The first napkin is a paper one. I like to use two napkins - paper for the mouth, cloth for the lap. Probably not totally "proper", but very practical! Now we'll begin our place setting "strip tease".


Next we have our salad plate I found on eBay. I got 6 of these for $2 each.


Here's the back - Gibson china -- they actually have several styles of rose china.


Here are the blue rose covered napkins I got at Tuesday Morning back in the spring.


Last, we have a pink dinner plate that also has a rose motif.


Now I'm calling on all my tablescaping sisters to help me out here. These are crystal glasses, part of a set that belonged to my husbands grandmother. I love these, but have never used them because I believe they are parfait glasses. (we also have some wine glasses, champagne glasses and cordials - some of these, I have used before). Now I have decided, by George, I'm using these glasses one way or another! Do you think that they're ok to use for water or iced tea - or do they just scream "They're parfait glasses you silly woman!" Here's what has emboldened me to use them as drinking glasses ....


I was looking through this lovely tablescaping book by Phyllis Hoffman, editor of "Southern Lady" magazine -- now if anyone would know proper tablesettings, I would think she would be the one.


Here's a picture from her book - I know it's a bit dark - but I think you can barely see some glasses very similar to mine used for pink lemonade (can you see them?) So I ask you -- shall I set the table with these glasses? Or use them as flower vases? Give my an honest answer, not just being "nice" - what do you think?


Here's an overview picture of our tablescape.

And lastly, a view of our tablescape by votive light. I hope you've enjoyed this collection of old and new, vintage and vintage look, heirloom and bargain bin -- all coming together for a rose cottage look on my table. Be sure to wander on over to Susan's blog for more wonderful tablescapes - you'll find one that inspires you to play with your dishes too!

See ya!

Foodie Friday - Pulled Pork Barbecue

It's time for Foodie Friday hosted by Designs By Gollum - I love to see what everybody's cooking up. I've been doing recipe reviews the past couple of weeks - but every so often I have something too good not to share. I don't know about you, but I had never tried to make barbecue until this week. Somehow it always seemed to be a mysterious process of cooking -- with wood chips and special pits - hours of smoking the meat and heavily guarded secret recipies. I just figured it would be too difficult and time consuming to attempt. Maybe you thought so too -- but I can assure you -- I'll never think that again, and hopefully neither will you.

First I'm going to give you a recipe I found in Southern lady Gracious Tables by Phyllis Hoffman (she's the publisher of "Cooking with Paula Deen" and "Southern Lady" magazines - two that I adore! Then I'll give you my modified version.

1 (2-lb.) boneless pork loin, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 cups chicken broth
Bottled hickory smoked barbecue sauce
Dill pickle chips
4 to 6 hamburger buns

1. Cut pork loin in half length-wise; season with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add pork loin, browning all sides. Remove pork loin and in the same pan, cook garlic for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Return pork loin to pan; reduce heat to medium low and add chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until tender, turning meat every 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes. With two forks, shred meat into bite size pieces.
2. To assemble sandwiches, layer pork, barbecue sauce and pickles on buns, which can be steamed or buttered and toasted first if desired.

Now here's my modified version.


The first thing I did was to break out the crockpot. Not only are they great in the winter and cold weather -- they're great in the summer too, for not heating up the kitchen (and the cook!). Of course, I lined my crockpot with a liner for easy clean up. Then I used a pork tenderloin of about 1 1/2 lbs. I seasoned the tenderloin with salt and pepper and put it in the crockpot with 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic. Let that cook on low for about 7 hours.


This is the tenderloin right out of the crockpot.


With two forks I shredded the tenderloin.


We like eastern North Carolina style barbecue sauce the best and this is the best I've found. Uncle Yammy's. My husband uses this brand of rib rub for his ribs too.


I've poured on some sauce and chopped the meat somewhat finer. Between pulled and minced.


And here's the finished sandwich with fresh corn on the cob and slaw. Easy and not at all mysterious! I think we'll be having barbecue quite a bit this summer! Now I'm off to see what everybody else is cooking up this week. Be sure to check out Designs By Gollum and find something yummy to put on your table!

See Ya!

Tablescape Thursday - Cowboy Birthday

Once again it's time for Tablescape Thursday and here at the bunk house we're planning a Cowboy Birthday dinner! Our son-in-law Brett, will be celebrating his birthday at our house with a cowboy theme since he loves horses and all things western.

Here's the table set for celebrating our favorite cowboy.


A "rooftop" view of our table.


A close up look at a place setting. Bandanas make great napkins.


This salad bowl is hard to describe. It's sort of a metalic pewter color with a bit of a bronze colored cast to it. No name on the back. I got these this past fall at Tuesday Morning. We used these at my husband's birthday dinner as well so I guess they're official "Birthday bowls".

These are my red plates from Marshall's - right after Christmas they were reduced to $3. It's funny how you find everything red on sale right after Christmas, like you wouldn't use it any other season.


Here's a close up of the centerpiece. The flowers are "faux" for this practice scape. We won't be having the real dinner until the week after his birthday - then I'll get real ones. I think of sunflowers and black-eyed susans as being good flowers for an old coffee pot. Hope I'll be able to find some real ones.


A closer look shows some rusty old horseshoes and a rusty star. I remembered to keep the horseshoes turned up so the good luck doesn't pour out!


My first layered tablecloth is a red and white checked one from Walmart.


I have looked and looked for several years for a vintage cowboy themed tablecloth. They're hard to come by and if you do find one they are terribly expensive. I guess lot's of tablecloths haven't survived cowboy chow! Those messy old cowboys must have wiped their hands and mouths on the tablecloths! Anyway, this year I just gave up and found one that's new, but "vintage style". Hope it survives cowboy chow!


Here's another view of the tablecloth showing the old chuck wagon all ready to cook up some vittles!


Here's my "get along little doggie" Spunky, helping out.


One more view of the table. Brett will be taking his favorite cowgirl Katy and their two little fillies to the river for a much deserved week's vacation. He'll be trading horse rides for jet ski rides! Yeeeee Hawwwww! Ride 'em cowboy! But when they get back - the birthday bash is on with his birthday request of a lasagna dinner with all the fixins.


And as the sun sets slowly in the west....the stars (tealights) come out as we have coffee and birthday cake around the "campfire". Happy Birthday Brett!

Be sure to check out the other fun tablescapes this week hosted by the bestest of all tablescapers, Susan of "Between Naps On The Porch".

See ya!

Weekend Treasures Of A Different Sort

Usually when I post on my treasures of the weekend I'm talking about thrifting at the Goodwill or shopping at the local antique shops -- but this weekends treasures are about something priceless. Time with my daughter Katy and her twins, Kendall and Keelyn. Right after Church, we packed up the van and headed to Colonial Williamsburg where my son-in-law Brett works with the horses for the carriage rides and his dad, Gerry, works as a colonial costumed actor.

First order of business when we got there was lunch for the girls. You can see their sweet smiles -- sweet potato smiles that is! And I wonder who gave them those bibs that says "I Love My Nana"?


After lunch Keelyn looks ready to roll, Kendall says that she'll just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

Kendall says, "This guy sure sounds like Gramps but what's up with the powdered wig and hat?"

Keelyn just hanging out with Nana and playing in the grass.



After a full afternoon it's time to pack up and head back home. The girls say "Bye-bye ya'll."

Nana says "See ya!"

Foodie Friday - Recipe Repeat and a Share

It's Friday! Time for an invite over to Gollum's to see what every body's cooking up! Last week was Food disasters - so I decided not to try and duplicate any of those - I can manage those all on my own! Although they were quite humorous!

One of the recipes that caught my eye a couple of week's ago that I thought I would bring back for "Recipe Repeat" was Marty's Korean Fried Rice. Marty says this is a family favorite and I can see why! This is sure to become a family classic if your family, like mine, loves chinese food. Be sure to visit Marty at her blog "A Stroll Thru Life"

Marty's Korean Fried Rice

1 large onion
6 slices bacon
3 eggs
5 cups cooked white rice
soy sauce

Dice onion and saute in a little oil until clear. Cut or tear bacon. Remove onion and cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and beat eggs and scramble in the same pan. Add onion and bacon back into pan. Salt & Pepper and mix. Add cooked rice and stir until mixed. Add soy sauce to taste. Serve as a side dish.

Marty says that her family prefers this as a side dish, but I added peas and carrots and three small (already cooked) chicken tenders and made it the main dish. We loved it. You could add lots of those leftovers that were too much to throw away, but too little to make another meal. In fact, I had put aside some of this to have again the next day for lunch - but it was a midnight snack for my husband! It certainly got our stamp of approval. This is a great recipe for those times you're looking for something quick and simple. Thanks Marty for sharing this!


Now this recipe is not a "Foodie Friday" repeat -- but it is from another blogger friend that many of us know and love ... Dot from "Picket's Place". This is her blackberry cobbler recipe and another standard to add to the recipe box.

Dot's Blackberry Cobbler

1 stick butter
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup self rising flour
1 Cup milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 can blackberry pie filling (this could be any fruit pie filling you would like)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray Pam on baking dish. Melt butter in dish. Drop fruit in big spoonfuls. Mix sugar and flour in mixing bowl. Add milk and whisk. Add vanilla and mix. Pour over blackberry (or fruit) mix. DO NOT STIR. Bake 45 minutes.

Cobbler usually does not make a "fancy" presentation like a pie or cake would. But when somebody bakes a cobbler for me it sort of says, "I just love you like family!" It's the sort of dessert for coming in the back door, sitting at the kitchen table, having a cup of coffee and catching up on all the family news. Just like visiting Dot at "Picket's Place". This is good old comfort food, speaking of which, Dot's feeling pretty low this week, because her 16 year old furbaby Maggie crossed Rainbow Bridge on Saturday. So if you get a chance, stop by and give her a cheerful hello!

I took this cobbler to work and it was all gone within half an hour! It got all thumbs up!

Come on over and I'll bake you a cobbler - 'cuz you know I just love you like family!
Be sure to check out Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum to see what everybody's cooking up this week.

See ya!