Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!

Scenes from last night at The Roost...Peppermint Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Fudge Balls.  'Tis the Season for peppermint y'all!

We are experiencing rainy, dreary weather here in Middle Georgia and hot chocolate with some peppermint goodies is the perfect comfort beverage!


I made fudge balls and added crushed peppermint for nibbling and everyone loves them.  

We are definitely trying to be Merry and Bright in this gloomy climate.

I haven't been very creative this Christmas season, but when I saw these bags of peppermint hot chocolate at TJ Maxx, I grabbed tons of them.  They are my "Friendship Gifts" for December and January.


Thank you for visiting with me today.  Now I'm off to do some last-minute shopping!

Merry Little Christmas

I'm a bit behind with posting on my blog.  These are some photos of a tablescape I did the other night...

My family loves red velvet cake and I always buy mine from The Fresh Market.  They have the best!

I love to pair Harney Tea's Chocolate Tea with this cake...their Valentine Blend has the perfect chocolate flavor!

I do love MacKenzie Childs' Courtly Check...it meets all my gingham/buffalo check obsessions y'all.

Oh how I want a little red car again!

Thanks for visiting with me today.  Hope y'all are having a Merry Little Christmas season!

Peach Juleps

It's happy hour and I decided to prepare refreshing Peach Julep cocktails using some of the ripe peaches I got in Georgia.  Okay, honestly, I used the peaches as a garnish for Martha Stewart's recipe.

Martha Stewart's Peach Juleps:
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 cups store-bought peach juice
1 can (12 ounces) club soda
1/2 cup bourbon
Crushed ice, for serving
Georgia peaches

In a medium bowl or pitcher, combine mint and sugar.  With a wooden spoon, mash leaves until bruised. Stir in peach juice, club soda, and bourbon.  Serve over crushed ice, garnish with mint, and add a mint julep straw/spoon.  Of course, I added a Georgia peach wedge.  Serves 6

If you have never used a mint julep straw/spoon, there is etiquette to be followed:
It is considered proper to drink mint juleps with a sterling mint julep straw/spoon.  Simply use the spoon to stir the julep and sip your beverage through the tiny hole at the end.  This is one of the very few times a lady should use a straw to drink a beverage.  It is also acceptable to use a straw when you are drinking a coke out of a can or when you've "taken ill and are in the bed."

A sterling mint julep straw/spoon...stir with one end and sip from the other...Could you possibly get more Southern?

Entertaining on Tybee Island

While visiting my friend Tybee Joy, she hosted a casual luncheon for one of her team members who is leaving to spend more time with her family.  Joy decided to serve some Southern favorites from Paula Deen. 

Miss Janice, Joyce, and Tybee Joy

Menu:

Fresh Fruit

Pimiento Cheese on French Toast Rounds

Hoe Cakes with Black Eye Peas

Southwestern Avocado and Black Bean Salad*

Ham Biscuits

Key Lime Pie

Iced Tea

This is Joy's kitchen table before we put the leaf in to serve 8.

Paper products are perfectly acceptable for a casual luncheon...especially at the beach!

Fresh fruit was provided for those who didn't want to indulge in the comfort food.

Pimiento cheese and french toast rounds...

Simmering black eye peas in a Paula Deen pot...a turquoise pot, of course!

Joy served black eye peas with Paula Deen hoe cakes.  Oh my goodness y'all, Paula's hoe cakes are unbelievably good!

This is the Paula Deen Southwestern Avocado and Black Bean Salad*.  Y'all simply must try this recipe below.  It's fabulous!

Ham biscuits...with Paula Deen's fabulous biscuits!

Paula Deen's Key Lime Pie was beyond delicious.  The crust was devine!

Joy's beach cottage is decorated in all coastal colors...turquoise, white, lime green, and pink...I love the turquoise mason jars she provided for the iced tea.

*Recipe for Paula Deen's Southwestern Avocado and Black Bean Salad:1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 or 3 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)

4 cups chopped Romain lettuce

2 avocados, peeled and diced

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

About 3/4 cup (3-ounces) grated pepper jack cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the cilantro, oil, lime juice and hot sauce.

In a large serving bowl, add the lettuce, avocado, corn, beans, tomatoes, and cheese.  Add the dressing and toss well.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Serves 4.

Thank you for visiting with me today.  I'm enjoying my time in Georgia...it's always good to be home.

Red Velvet This and That

As far back as I can remember, Mama always made me a red velvet cake for my birthday.  I grew up loving the rich taste of the red velvet with the cream cheese icing.  It seems that in the past few years red velvet is all the rage.  All you have to do is click on Pinterest under "Red Velvet" and all kinds of sweet delicacies come up! Of course, I had a red velvet groom's cake long before Shelby in Fried Green Tomatoes--except mine was not in the shape of an armadillo! When I entertain, I love to serve anything red velvet-whatever.

Correction:  Oh good Lord, y'all must know I meant to say Shelby in Steel Magnolias!

Red velvet cupcakes for Valentine's treats several years ago...

Red velvet cake at a Christmas soiree...

The red velvet doughnuts from Krispy Kreme are delicious any time of the year!

The red velvet cookies I made for my February "Friendship Gifts" are moist and delicious.

Last week I prepared red velvet hot chocolate to sip while we watched the Olympic ice skating...

This was so good y'all!  It's hot chocolate {homemade or packaged}, a tablespoon of red food coloring, whipped cream, and chocolate morsels on top.

Last week I served red velvet pancakes, topped with lite syrup, powdered sugar, and the chocolate morsels.  The chocolate tea from Harney Tea was the perfect morning beverage!

Lord have mercy, of course I love the red velvet wine, by Cupcake.  It's not expensive and it is very smooth.

Red velvet wine...perfect for Merlot Hour!

On Valentine's Day I prepared a red velvet cheese ball*.  I didn't want to have too much before dinner, so I only had a couple of bites, along with some champagne.  It it fabulous!

*Recipe for Red Velvet Cheese Ball:

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups red velvet cake mix, dry

2 tblsp brown sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips

Vanilla Wafers

In a large bowl, add cream cheese and butter and mix until smooth.  Add in the red velvet cake mix, the brown sugar, and the powdered sugar.  Continue mixing until everything is mixed well and looks smooth.  Pour the mixture out onto a large piece or saran wrap.  Wrap and shape the mixture into a ball and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours.  Pour the mini chocolate chips onto a plate (use more if needed).  Remove the cheese ball from the refrigerator, unwrap, and roll the ball into the chocolate chips until the ball is covered. Place on a serving plate and garnish with cookies of choice.  Serve immediately or keep chilled until you are ready to serve.

Super Bowl Party

Today I'm entertaining a group of my husband's friends for Super Bowl XLVIII.  I set up the spread on the gaming table in his man cave...

He has a cottage above the garage with a studio area, full bath, and full kitchen.  It's the perfect spot to entertain a bunch of rowdy men!  So I spent Friday night and Saturday afternoon cleaning the place up...stocked the frig with beverages, dusted off the sports memorabilia, and cleaned the kitchen & bath area.

We are not fans of the Broncos or the Seahawks, BUT I do want to see Peyton Manning and his team win the Super Bowl!  So, today I'm wearing Broncos colors...J Crew Factory colored denim pants and matching cardi, Tory Burch 'Revas' and the 'Robinson' crossbody bag, and the orange gingham blouse is from LL Bean.

Super Bowl Party Menu
Deviled Eggs
Spinach Dip in Bread Bowl
Taco Cheese Ball
Guacamole Dip
Crab Dip
Caesar Pasta Salad
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Pigs-in-a-Blanket
Gridiron Chili
Chicken Wings
Sliders
Fit Sandwiches
Chocolate Cake

Last night I put the chili in the crock pot and let it simmer overnight.  It's delish!

Little green onion strips football-fied my deviled eggs.

Of course I had to serve the obligatory football-shaped cheese ball.  This taco cheese ball had quite the kick!

Wings, guacamole dip, and pigs-n-a-blanket...I definitely can't eat much tomorrow!

This Caesar Pasta Salad is delicious and was made in the deli at Publix!

I tried my first sliders out in Vegas last summer and they are now my go-to party food...all in moderation right?

I hear about these "Fit Sandwiches" all the time on The Biggest Loser show.  Well, they look good and taste even better!  

My Super Bowl cake looks so litttle...kinda hokey too.  Whatever.  I'll be having some of this chocolate cake later with my coffee!

Even though none of my favorite teams {Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints} made it to the big game, I'm still very excited to watch the game.  LET'S GO BRONCOS!

Southern Praline Pie

During the Christmas season, give the gift of food...everybody's gotta eat y'all!

Southern Praline Pie...oh how Southerners love this sweet pie.  Imagine the taste of fabulous praline candy found in the French Market of New Orleans.  That's the flavors found in the Southern Praline Pie!  The Praline Pie has a rich, dark, sugary, crunchy flavor and texture that is just delicious!

I love serving this pie to my guests...it is such a Southern favorite!

You can call it by the Mississippi-Louisiana name and pronounce it PRAW-LEAN or you can say PRAY-LEAN...either way, it tastes great!

You can order the Southern Praline Pie mix here.  One box of the mix is only $7.95 {makes 2 pies} and is great to have in your Entertaining Pantry.

The Southern Praline Pie mix is the Taste of Gourmet "Product of the Month" during December.  Taste of Gourmet has a "Product of the Month" each month...a fundraising product to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  Purchasing the Southern Praline Pie mix during the month of December will generate a $1.00 donation to St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.  The hospital is devoted to research and treatment toward eliminating chronic childhood diseases like leukemia and is the only childhood cancer research center designated by the National Cancer Institute.

The Taste of Gourmet Southern Praline Pie mix doesn't have nuts, but I added chopped pecans to the recipe...

Recipe for Southern Praline Pecan Pie:

1 box of Southern Praline Pie mix

2 eggs

1 stick butter

1/2 cup milk

1 cup of chopped pecans

1 unbaked pie crust

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Follow the directions on the box of the Southern Praline Pie mix.  Add the eggs and butter as directed.  Stir in the milk and pecans and pour into the unbaked pie crust.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream or serve cold and it's just a good!  Oh-so Southern y'all!

This Southern Praline Pie mix makes an awesome gift!  Wrap it up on a dish and tie it up with a festive bow...presentation is everything!

National Flip Flop Day

It's the first day of Summer and it's...

"National Flip Flop Day"...a perfect day to wear your flip flops and show off your pedicure!

It's also "National Wear Your Lilly Pulitzer Day"

Today, I served lunch on the porch with a summer setting...

Pink Flamingos!

Trying to get back to a my "Clean Living" diet!

"Here's What I Wore"  Of course, I wore Lilly today...the 'Dark and Stormy' shift, with white Bonanno sandals and pearls.

Happy Summer to all y'all!