It's a New Year!!

Being the true southern girl that I am, we ate our way through New year's Eve and New Year's Day..  never thought I would be spending the first day of a new year COOKING!!!   LOL  not one of my favorite pastimes but tradition won out and I got that traditional New Year's meal on our table for one more year...collards, blackeye peas, hog jowl and cornbread......this year we added Boudin for a little variety..I think it is one of my favorite foods....thanks to my dear husband, I have learned quite a lot about Cajun food and cooking....no, he is not Cajun..he just lived in Mississippi for a while and fell in love with the food and culture....enough about all of that..

We also ate a very elegant meal for New Year's eve....dear hubby did that cooking for that one..he has gotten to be a pro at grilling steaks and cooking lobster...

we have really enjoyed our Christmas trees this year and I hate to take them down...maybe one more week..grin..

and lately, this is my life....I am loving learning this new camera.and a new way of looking at everything......and if you get near me, your picture WILL be taken...just a friendly warning..

Do you have plans for learning something new this year?

Julia Child's 100th birthday

"Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it."  Julia Child

Julia Child rose

 Happy Birthday Julia...

She was certainly a powerful woman...tall and confident.....and she was good at what she did.....


I have her rose planted in my backyard...I have her cookbooks on my bookshelves.....I have the movie about her life, Julie and Julia on my TV stand.......and I have the memory of her PBS shows in my heart.......

I have seen some really good quotes of hers lately and just wanted to pay tribute to a woman that really actually made a difference in history......

She talked simply and made sense....and she didn't take life so seriously....believing that we should enjoy life and do what we love...and with PASSION....

I found a few more of her quotes.......I like this woman......we can learn from her and her life.....

"Drama is very important in life: You have to come on with a bang. You never want to go out with a whimper. Everything can have drama if it's done right. Even a pancake."

(love it, love it, love it....drama can be done ..if it's done right)  thanks, Julia....

"The secret of a happy marriage is finding the right person. You know they're right if you love to be with them all the time."

"Learn how to cook -- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun."

 “You'll never know everything about anything, especially something you love.”

“Everything in moderation... including moderation.” 

“Upon reflection, I decided I had three main weaknesses: I was confused (evidenced by a lack of facts, an inability to coordinate my thoughts, and an inability to verbalize my ideas); I had a lack of confidence, which cause me to back down from forcefully stated positions; and I was overly emotional at the expense of careful, 'scientific' though. I was thirty-seven years old and still discovering who I was.” 

 “Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” 

It makes me want to cook some boeuf bourguignon..in case you don't know what that is, here is the show from PBS from the 1960's..it is worth the time to watch.......

Bon Appétit!

 

 

thank you for stopping by today..I appreciate each and every one of you...

 

Mona

Nature surrounds this table...

I absolutely LOVE this time of year......for years I dreamed about having a deck and a wrought iron table and chairs and a garden where I could put all of it....well, that dream has come true...as we were sitting at the table after supper a few nights ago, I realized that all of this is mine now...my sweet husband is ever vigilent to meet my needs...maybe whims....

This round table is a joy to set...easier than the long one in the dining room..so for the next few weeks, before the bugs and mosquitoes take us away, I will be dining in blissdom....out in nature...surrounded by flowers, big sky, birds singing, and just the pure openness of it all....I could live outside...My Mama used to tell me I would stand at the backdoor and cry..and beg 'owsid'  until she let me go out....  I am still like that...needing my outside time every day......

so, come along with me to the deck..our spring and early summer dining room........what a view.....

sparkling pomegranate juice for breakfast

 this is our view from the deck..nice, huh?

red beans and rice for supper

 We had this supper on dishes that I love.... Jamie Oliver White China Tableware  The License for Jamie Oliver was previously owned by Royal Worcester.It has now been bought by Churchill China and  the backstamp reads Jamie Oliver Manufactured by Queens China.   I bought several many pieces of this at a thrift store years ago..it is my go to china for everyday..love, love it...and it mixes well with others....

and that salt and pepper mill...I received it from a family member that lived in Chicago way back in 1973...it came from Marshall Field's...and it has been on my table since then...very unique..salt on top and pepper mill on bottom...still works perfectly......

fern and barkcloth

 My daughter and her family gave me this fern for my birthday..I am in love..funny how I had stopped getting ferns every spring and can't remember the last one I had...then this one, and I have smiled more at that silly plant than you can imagine...like welcoming an old friend back....

the setting

 you can see where the deck is from the picture..right outside of the kitchen....and we can look out on the rolling hills of our backyard....

shrimp and grits supper

another supper of shrimp and grits...on Mikasa Italian Countryside dishes..our other everyday china....

well, there you have it, folks....our dining routine as long as the weather is nice and the bugs are not too numerous...

I am washing the outside tablecloths this morning so we can set some more pretty tables outside...

Thank you for stopping by..I hope to see you again soon....so fix you a plate and take it outside..no matter what your yard looks like, the food tastes better when you are outside....

Get out there and enjoy some sunshine and fresh air...

                                                                Mona


come see where I am sharing today  at   Between Naps on the Porch

Tomato Gravy

Here is a really easy recipe and one that my husband actually asks for sometimes....and it is always good with ripe tomatoes from my garden...

Maybe one day I will be an exacting cook that writes down the measurements and all, but for now..you will have to give me some grace and act like your Grandmother is telling you how to cook something good.  LOL

 Chop some tomatoes, about 2 cups will be enough for this pan......

I used half bacon grease and half olive oil..about 3-4 TBLS in all
heat this and add some flour..enough to make a paste...cook until slightly browned...slowly or it will burn and then you need to start over.  :-)
add tomatoes along with all the juice...and whisk quickly until thick...you might need to add a little water.cook until the tomatoes are like you want them..add salt and pepper to taste....turn off the heat and EAT!! 

I like to serve it over rice, along with other vegetables from the garden...Last night we had it over hamburger steak..yum, yum... it is a very versatile recipe..and very southern....

now that's a southern meal..

I hope you try this recipe, especially if you love tomatoes....this is a good one to learn how to cook...any questions, just ask and I will help in any way I can..

thank you so much for reading along this morning....see you soon..


Come and join the party this week where I am sharing

My table

Our table has many faces.....it was interesting to me to look back over the last few months and see some of the different ways I set the table...and Yes, I set the table every time we eat..which is often!  I have always liked sitting down to a table that is complete with tablecloth/placemats and napkins..  it is just part of what I do as a homemaker.

I hope you enjoy.....this is just the lazy way of choosing a table to share this morning....and I couldn't make up my mind so .....here it is...

thank you for coming to visit....see you next time.......
and....dream up a way to set your table..it will make for a more enjoyable meal...

I am sharing this week at betweennapsontheporch 

Food, food, food..on pretty dishes

When I set our table, usually the first thing I think about are the flowers..what will look the best with the plates and the food.....I bought these dishes at the Potter's House a few weeks ago and have been saving them for just the right time...they look like summer and grilled chicken needs to go on that plate.    so off I went to find the flowers..

I don't ususally use any blue, but this time is an exception...and I have just the perfect flower...blue salvia...
and then this bright orange daylily, and the terra cotta yarrow.....and of course, some Miss Huff lantana......and the colors in the plates and the flowers looked just right....

flowers from my garden

salad from my garden

yum yum

this also gave me a chance to use the Fiesta ware chop plate that I love..it reminds me of my Grandmother..she had an entire set of these beautifully colored dishes...which my parents sold at an auction..but that's another story for another time....I am happy with my few pieces of Fiesta....

so I pulled together this table from pieces I have bought from thrift stores over time....the lace placemats, the blue pottery pitcher, the silverplate place settings, the linen napkins, the candle holders, the water glasses, the plates, bowls, and chop plate, even the table and the chairs  (bought separately at different times)..all of these things have been bought at thrift stores and you wouldn't even believe how little I have spent on all of it.  I am spoiled because I have learned a way of life...that costs pennies on the dollar..I am serious...I think maybe it is time to reveal some of my secrets of how to live really well on one income and furnish your home to reflect your very own personality...all done while living within our means..it is possible to do this..to live debt free....that is what we have chosen to do...and this table is just one example of this lifestyle.....isn't it pretty?  and it fits us very well...

thank you for reading along today...and for being my cyber friends...it's a good community to be a part of...
until next time, look around your house and see what you already have and learn to use it in a different way.....we can all be debt free if we try....



I am sharing this week @ Betwee Naps On The Porch

Simple Food

In case there is someone out there that doesn't know about cucumber sandwiches, I thought I would give you a little help so you can make one and not miss out on one of the most wonderful joys of having a home garden....how is that for a run on sentence??  LOL  I have been eating seasonal and local all of my life...way before it was a hip and cool thing to do...one of the main vegetables I wait all winter for are cucumbers from the garden.  there is just nothing like the taste of a cucumber picked and eaten within minutes...especially if it is on a cucumber sandwich.  I grew up in a little south Georgia town during the 50's and 60's..one of the memories I have is that Mama had bridge club EVERY Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m...When it was her time to host it, no big deal for Miss Faye..she had us children to make the party food for the ladies...we always made cucumber sandwiches for them....it is just a southern way of life to eat them in the summer.....so I am still eating them and loving them and relishing the freshness of homegrown produce..when we cleaned out Mama's refrigerator during the funeral days, there was her cucumber mixture in there....just waiting for her next sandwich...

So, here is the way to make a very simple and good lunch this summer....

first you pick the cucumber

here are the ingredients and YES Dukes is the best to use..

make sure there is enough to taste!

then slice and sprinkle with garlic salt, liberally

then, it MUST be cut on the diagonal to taste right..LOL

I hope you enjoyed this little visit to South Georgia in the summertime...it was a good time growing up down there...lots of wonderful memories..

thank you for reading along today...maybe you can just find a cucumber or two to make a sandwich from..one more thing,  it makes them even better if you spread cream cheese on one of the slices of bread..decadent....who needs chocolate when you can have these little sandwiches????

just one daylily picture for today..

gift from Daddy