Happy Memorial Day y'all!

We are celebrating Memorial Day all weekend here at 'The Roost'!

I'm still thinking about the message at church yesterday...about honoring those who serve or have served our Country in the Armed Forces and remembering those who have given up their lives to protect us.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
John 15:13

There are over 2,700 crosses planted in the ground up at the Village Square where I live in Tradition, Florida. Each cross represents an American soldier in the Armed Forces who lost their lives engaged in the fight for freedom between World War 1 and today, who resided in Florida. You can visit Take Time to Honor to read more about this memorial.

Last night, I made a simple dinner of Sate Chicken and served it over white rice. I served a bowl of fresh greens with Vidalia Onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and some french bread. Oh...and iced sweet tea!

I used my Taste of Gourmet 'Great Grilling Marinade' and it was wonderful. This Marinade is inspired by the flavor of Indonesian Sate grilled at street markets in the Orient and now served in fancy Thai restaurants. I marinated the chicken in the 'Great Grilling Marinade' for about 3 hours, then threaded the pieces onto the water-soaked skewers. I baked these in the oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Easy peasy y'all!

The Marinade is also great to serve as a dipping sauce for the cooked meat! The 'Great Grilling Marinade' is the Taste Of Gourmet Product of the Month. A $1.00 donation will be given to the St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee for a every bottle you purchase. A 12-oz bottle is only $8.95 and one tablespoon of the Marinade is enough to marinate 2 chicken breasts:) You can order the Marinade from me here.

I'm still obsessed with the 'Sweet Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette'. It is soooo delish y'all!

I chopped up some cucumbers, tomatoes, and Vidalia Onions...then poured the 'Sweet Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette' over it and served that over the mixed greens. Yum, yum y'all! You can also order this vinaigrette from me here. It's $8.95 for a 12-oz jar and is must-have for the Southern hostess!

Well, Miss Coco is decked out for the day! We are probably gonna stay home and have some vege burgers, vege baked beans, and potato salad...with some iced sweet tea, of course!

Hope y'all have a wonderful day!

Weekend Wardrobe

Well, it's been a fun week...and I'm just now getting over "Television Finale Fatigue"! Apprentice, DWTS, Oprah, Biggest Loser...husband makes me watch 'em all. Of course, I'm a HUGE American Idol fan and sooooo happy that my favorite Scotty McCreery won. I can't wait to buy his music and see him in concert, 'cuz I LOVE HIM THIS BIG!!!!!

Thought y'all might like to see "WHAT I'VE BEEN WEARING"...

Friday, I had errands to run and did a little shopping and stopped for lunch at Bob Evan's. Hmmm, I think I've decided to only eat breakfast at Bob Evan's...no more lunch:) However, I did like their biscuits and apple butter. Anywho...I wore the 'Frisky Business' skirt by Lilly, with a white tee and green cardigan by J. Crew.

Love the pink and green print print of this skirt!
The lace trim has a palm tree motif!

I wore my orchid pink Revas, by Tory Burch, a silver monogrammed choker necklace with the matching bracelet and earrings, my rollring wedding band by Cartier, and my 'Chameleon' watch by Rolex with the green watchband. My ponytail was adorned with a hot pink grosgrain ribbon and I covered my diet caffeine-free coke with a 'Frisky Business' koozie by Lilly. My iPhone cover was green and my nail polish was 'Lovie Dovie' by Essie. My fragrance of choice for the day was 'Wink' by Lilly and lipstick was 'Laser Pink' by Chanel.

I carried my hot pink 'LePliage' pocketbook tote by Longchamp.

This morning I went to church and wore the 'Cabana Banana' shift by Lilly with the Marilyn Raspberry cardigan also by Lilly.

This is a real cute Lilly shift in the style that I love with the bows at the bottom...gotta have the bows y'all:)

I accessorized with a darker pink to accent the colors of the pattern...

I wore my magenta pink Revas, by Tory Burch and carried my Queen Bee Studio basket-style pocketbook with the magenta ribbon bow. I wore a pearl necklace, bracelet, and earrings and of course my rollring wedding band by Cartier. My ponytail was adorned with a magenta pink grosgrain ribbon bow and I used my hot pink iPhone cover. My nail polish was 'Lovie Dovie' by Essie and my lipstick was 'Laser Pink' by Chanel. My fragrance of choice for the morning was 'Wink' by Lilly.

This afternoon husband MADE me go see Hangover 2 with him. Lord have mercy, I must admit it was hilarious! Keeping it casual...I wore this green gingham skort by Lilly with a white tee.

Y'all know I love gingham...it just says "Summertime"!

The ric-rac trim makes it even cuter!

I wore my white mules by Lilly and carried this darling basket-style pocketbook with the Lilly-fied pattern on the top. I wore a silver monogrammed choker necklace with the matching earrings, my 'Return to Tiffany' bracelet by Tiffany, my rollring wedding band by Cartier, and my 'Perpetual Oyster' watch by Rolex. My ponytail was adorned with a green grosgrain ribbon bow, my nail polish was 'Lovie Dovie' by Essie, and my lipstick was 'Laser Pink' by Chanel. I used a green iPhone cover, wore my Chanel sunglasses, and my fragrance of choice for the afternoon was 'Wink' by Lilly.

Look at this darlin' pocketbook. I saw a photo of this cute thing that someone posted on the Re-Lilly site on Facebook. I commented on how much I liked it. The top is just decoupaged with a Lilly print and the green grosgrain ribbon added to the handletop and around the top of the purse. The owner said she would sell it to me if I wanted it and voila...it's mine! Isn't it cute for the summertime?!

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I do hope y'all are having a fantastic Memorial Day weekend! Now I must rush and prepare our dinner for tonight!

A Staple to the Preppy Wardrobe...Bermuda Bags

The Bermuda Bag, one of the most favorite accessories of 70's, is a staple to the preppy wardrobe. It's a round or oval-shaped pocketbook with a wooden handle and a removable cloth cover. What a relatively inexpensive way to have a pocketbook to match every outfit! I'm always on the lookout on the Re-Lilly site or Ebay for these bags. Here's my collection...

Solid and cute Lilly print covers...

Adding your monogram makes them extra cute and real Southern!

A few of mine are reversible. After they are monogrammed, obviously you cannot use the reverse side:)

One of my blog readers recently asked me about my Bermuda Bags. She was curious about 'What's inside my Bermuda Bag'. Well, I never leave home without my Chanel lipstick and there's no way I could live on a deserted island, 'cuz I'd just die without my Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm...so the lip balm is never left behind either! My iPhone is pretty much attached to my hand {so, I'm either holding it or it's in the bag} and just recently I had to start wearing readers, so the Lilly 'Beachy' readers are a must-have as well. I always carry a sample size of Lilly 'Wink' cologne and Hall's mints--which are another addiction of mine:) My Cartier writing pen is a must and of course I don't leave home without my debit card and ID card in a Gucci card case. My keys to the BMW are on my Lilly 'shift' keychain.

You really don't want to put large items {like a big folding wallet} inside, 'cuz you don't want these bags to be bulging with stuff!

This is a photo that is also on my sidebar...it's me in Bermuda in the early 80's...dressed VERY preppy and carrying a pink Bermuda Bag, probably just like the one in the photo above...and monogrammed of course!

Thank you for visiting with me today! I'm very nervous about the American Idol Results Show tonight. Lauren Alaina did a fabulous job last, but ...I still hope Scotty wins!!!

Weekend in Lilly

This morning I visited yet another church...I kinda liked this one and it's close to home--think I'm gonna visit again. I enjoyed the Pastor's message and...it did not hurt me one bit that he addressed the congregration as "Y'all" during his sermon!

After church, I stopped in at my usual Sunday Brunch spot...Panera Bread.

"HERE'S WHAT I WORE." I LOVE this shift by Lilly in the 'Havannah a Good Time" pattern.
Pink and green cuteness...yes it is!

The pink monogram takes the cuteness up another notch! Thanks to Monica at The Pink Monogram for the monogram job!

ADORE the pattern and the scalloped edge at the hemline!

I wore a pink cardigan by Lilly and accessorized with a white Bermuda Bag, white Revas, pearl necklace & earrings & bracelet, Cartier rollring wedding band, 'Parfait' by Chanel lipstick, 'Wink' by Lilly cologne, and 'Lovie Dovie' by Essie pedicure {oops, y'all can't see that because I wore my closed-toed church shoes}, and a white monogrammed iPhone cover. My ponytail was adorned with a light pink grosgrain ribbon and I wore my Lilly 'Beachy' readers, just so I could read the church bulletin:)


Friday, I went to the movies to see "Bridesmaids." Absolutely *LOVED* this movie. It was hilarious!!! *LOVED* all of the girls in the wedding party!


"HERE'S WHAT I WORE." Friday was a hot day...so early in May! After working in the garden all morning, I wanted to wear something cool. This skort by Lilly in the 'Worth Avenue' pattern was perfect! I paired it with a simple white tee...Large Diet Coke and Small buttered popcorn in hand, I sat down to enjoy the movie...*LOVED* it y'all!

Cute little skort...perfect for the hot days in Florida!

Love the 'Worth Avenue' pattern and I love the color also!

I carried the coordinating blue Bermuda Bag by Lilly, monogrammed of course! I wore my white Jack Rogers, rollring wedding band by Cartier, gold choker with my monogrammed charm & the matching monogrammed earrings. My nail polish...'Lovie Dovie' by Essie, lipstick was 'Laser Pink' by Chanel, my ponytail was adorned with a matching blue grosgrain ribbon, and my fragrance for the day was 'Wink' by Lilly. My iPhone cover was white w/pink monogram and I wore my Chanel sunglasses!

Yesterday, I cleaned the cottage out back ALL afternoon. Ugh! Now, I will tackle the main house:) I'm looking forward to American Idol Finale Week!!! Of course, I'm happy that my favorite Scotty McCreery has made it this far and hope that he wins. I'm also happy that his competitor is Lauren Alaina...also a Southerner. I love them both and wish them the best.

Vidalia Onions

The Vidalia Onion is a sweet onion which was first grown in Vidalia, Georgia in the 1930's.
It has the distinction of being called "the world's sweetest onion." It is also the official State Vegetable of Georgia.

And...did y'all know that you can't grow Vidalia Onions in your backyard? No ma'am, there is a legally definied region of South Georgia where Vidalia Onions can be grown or sold.

Available from late-April to mid-November, these sweet onions are a great source of vitamin C and dietary fiber; they are fat-free and low in calories, with no sodium and no cholesterol. They taste fabulous when served with salads, sandwiches, or burgers. You can bake the Vidalia Onion* and I have included a great recipe below.

Southern Tip: It's Vidalia with a long "I", pronounced "VI-dalia" not "ve-DAY-lia".

Last night I made a fresh salad with mixed greens, cucumber, tomatoes, and vidalia onions. I served the salad with the Taste of Gourmet Sweet Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette and french bread and olive oil dip. This creamy and slightly sweet & lightly peppered Vinaigrette is an old-fashioned favorite for salads and dipping vegetables. It is also a perfect topping drizzled over sliced fresh tomatoes...oh-so Southern!

You can order the Sweet Vidalila Onion Vinaigrette online at my Taste of Gourmet site here.

Of course, there is a Vidalia Onion Queen! The pageant was held on April 16, 2011 in where else?...Vidalia, Georgia. Here's the Queen and her Court...

(L-R) Junior Miss Vidalia Onion Angela Robertson, Miss Onion Seed Nora Grace Mercer, Miss Vidalia Onion Amanda Lawler, and Miss Spring Onion Calista Brogdon.

I love a Southern beauty pageant y'all!!!

Remember, you can order the Taste of Gourmet Sweet Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette here. Every Southerner has their favorite recipe for a dish with Vidalia Onions...this one is mine and I can't wait to prepare it!

Recipe for Vidalia Onion Pie:
1 cup crushed saltines
1/4 cup melted margarine
2 cups thinly slicled Vidalia onions
2 tbsp margarine
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs slightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
3/4 tsp salt

Mix saltines with the melted margarine. Press into 9" pie plate. Saute the onions in 2 tbsp margarine until tender, but not brown. Pour into crumb crust. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over onions. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Thank you for visiting with me and I hope that y'all are enjoying this Vidalia Onion season!

My Best Friend's Kitchen

When I was in Georgia last week, I stopped off in my hometown of Augusta to visit with my best friend Teresa Jane. Well, actually she lives in Evans, Georgia, which is just outside of Augusta. Teresa has been my best friend since we met as young girls while working at what used to be J.B. White's Department store. She owns her own business, a website design company and designs awesome sites...take a peek at her site TheWebDept. She designed my website, Miss Janice, for my etiquette business...yes, that would be the business I don't spend a lot of time on these days:)

Recently, she had a kitchen makeover and I thought y'all might like to take a peek. Here's her "Chateau at the Tracks"...

Before the Makeover:

AFTER THE MAKEOVER:

Teresa decided to keep her cabinets white, which I love. The printed wallpaper is gone, the countertops are now granite, with a tile backsplash, new tile floor, new hardware and faucets, and black appliances.

The Breakfast Room...

When Teresa was deciding on colors and a 'theme' she told me "I'm not getting into that rooster stuff like you do." Well...I see a plate rack on the wall with rooster plates and a rooster dish towel hanging on the oven door. I love her choice of black appliances. She considered going with stainless and changed her mind at the last minute. I have stainless in my home in Mississippi and really would rather have black!

Hmmm, a porcelain rooster on the countertop...

Rooster rug, which I LOVE!

New tile...

Love the faucet and the granite countertops...

Another rooster rug in front of the frig:)

Rooster rug under the kitchen table:)

Her kitchen table...love the table, the dinnerware, and the centerpiece!

That's Miss Teresa's kitchen! Thank you for visiting with me today. I'll be quite nervous all day in anticipation of the results show on American Idol tonight. My favorite is Scotty McCreery...the cute Southern boy...LOVE Scotty!