I do not know where I saw it (probably Facebook, as I'm not on Instagram, and I rarely scroll Pinterest), but a recent recipe caught my attention that inspired some fun with food and flowers: egg salad filled 'carrots'.
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Friday, March 26, 2021
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Easy Dessert: Jam Pinwheels
When I received my July- August Country Living issue on Father's Day weekend, I saw this recipe on page 20 for Jam Pinwheels (photo below):
I had all the ingredients to make them, so mid-morning on Father's Day I did just that. I know a recipe is a keeper when Mr. P. likes it. It's an easy and oh, so good recipe!
Giving credit where credit is due, Country Living was good to mention the blog, Handmade Charlotte, for this recipe's publishing, so I searched that website to bring it to you in its original form. Jam & Cream Cheese Pastry Pinwheels actually appears to be the recipe of Kayley McCabe.
I had Blackberry Jam and Orange Marmalade already open in the fridge, and I had a small jar of Lemon Curd in the pantry. The Pepperidge Farm frozen pastry shells yield eighteen of these pinwheels, so I prepared an even mix of each flavor. Mr. P. loved the blackberry, so I left those for him, but my [first] favorite was the lemon, followed by the orange marmalade.
The cream cheese is mixed with a tsp of lemon juice and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract (I always add more vanilla), along with 1/4 c of confectioner's sugar. Click on the recipe link above, or see the CL printed instructions for details and for proper pinning, please. They're easy to copy with yummy results. The pinwheels make for a fun display when serving, too.
A great anytime dessert, but they'd be especially good for a breakfast dessert. Or, just skip the breakfast and go straight for the dessert with coffee, tea or milk. ;)
Sharing: Amaze Me, DIDI, BNOTP, Show & Share, The Scoop, Celebrate Your Story, SYC, Delightsome Life H&G, TOHOT, Foodie Friday & Everything Else, FNF
Giving credit where credit is due, Country Living was good to mention the blog, Handmade Charlotte, for this recipe's publishing, so I searched that website to bring it to you in its original form. Jam & Cream Cheese Pastry Pinwheels actually appears to be the recipe of Kayley McCabe.
I had Blackberry Jam and Orange Marmalade already open in the fridge, and I had a small jar of Lemon Curd in the pantry. The Pepperidge Farm frozen pastry shells yield eighteen of these pinwheels, so I prepared an even mix of each flavor. Mr. P. loved the blackberry, so I left those for him, but my [first] favorite was the lemon, followed by the orange marmalade.
Rita C. at Panoply
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Do You Want to Build a Hot Drink Stand?
Do you want to build a hot drink stand? Come on, let's go and play!
Add a cute mug (below, Williams Sonoma, a few years ago) and fabric coaster, and you've got yourself a gift set! Keeping a festive water pitcher nearby will assure no one running short of water for heating. These cuties are being added to my hot drink bar, and there's more!
Using another mason jar, simply epoxy glue a favorite ornament atop the lid (deer head, Lowe's), and you have a marshmallow (and/or chocolate chip) canister. A bit of baker's string tied around the lid makes it festive and gift worthy.
Oh my, it looks as though it's beginning to snow! We better grab a thermos to take with us!
Feel free to pin any of these images for building your own hot drink stand.
As always, your visits, comments and loyal
readership are welcome, and much appreciated!
Rita C. at Panoply
Sharing with any given number of these fine hosts:
Common Ground & Cozy Little House: Christmas Open House
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Casual Spring Buffet Ideas, Recipes
Any meal for a crowd takes planning and hard work. I prefer my plan to be time-saving, organized and served buffet style, in order to enjoy the maximum time together with my company. I'm sharing one of my spring family soirees I hosted (Easter) - from tablescapes to main meal to dessert - that outlines my go-to, casual approach. Our home easily accommodates a crowd, and a casual approach always wins the day. Perhaps you'll find some inspiration in some of these ideas, whatever your spring meal celebration is.
One of the easiest things to do to make the atmosphere festive is to purchase grocery store flowers. I then shop the house for vintage decor to create various vignettes around the flowers.
An easy, two-for-one idea that I like to take advantage of is purchasing potted perennial flowers that will bloom with my event, and then later plant in the yard afterward.
Asiatic lilies are my favorite plants to purchase and place around the sunroom in spring time, then later plant en masse in the garden. It's always a nice surprise when the perennials return in subsequent years.
I set my tables in the sunroom and breakfast area with casual, vintage duck cloth napkins edged with various pastel stripes, and move the vintage decor pieces around until the look pleases me.
Plates, additional utensils, and glassware are stacked and placed on nearby counter spaces where the buffet will be served. Doing this well in advance allows easy, self-serve access, keeps the layout organized to ensure all dishes and beverages will fit and have a good flow, and saves time with last minute multi-tasking.
For the meal itself, the following is a relatively easy buffet lineup I've used, with time-saving advantages built in. Most of these items can be prepared ahead of time and/or left heating while numerous preparations are in progress. This lineup also allows choices for the various picky eaters preferences of guests. Links, recipes and other relative information are provided with the outline of the meal in three sections: appetizers, main meal, desserts.
Appetizers:
Main Meal Selections:
Dessert Bar:
The buffet meal outlined here certainly proved a winner for my crowd, and could easily be a repeat performer. I prepared this meal entirely by myself, but it is certainly conducive to being delegated among other family members who would like to contribute to the preparation. Just point them to the links or recipes within this post.
I hope you'll find some time-saving, inspirational ideas in setting a casual buffet from this post. It's my go-to approach for hosting a crowd. With my family, it's always a crowd!
Do you have a go-to approach when you're hosting a gathering?
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| Grocery tulips in Blenko vase, vintage items including ceramic Peter Rabbit basket with Cadbury chocolates, fork as easel for antique postcard, eggcups with marble eggs, metal rabbit. |
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| Asiatic lilies brighten the space, alongside robin's eggs in upcycled mason jar lid nest |
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| Asiatic lilies in galvanized bucket sit alongside other vintage items on bench at back of sunroom. |
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| Casual Easter table #1: in the great room - utensils, napkins at the ready for guests. Blenko basket with glass & marble eggs, grocery tulips in Blenko vase, vintage rabbit. |
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| Casual Easter table #2: in the sunroom - utensils, napkins at the ready for guests. Grocery floral arrangement of tulips, daisies |
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| Organizing wet bar prior to dessert service |
Appetizers:
- Fresh fruit tray with Marzetti's cream cheese dip (available in refrigerator section). I prefer to select and prepare my own fruits, but you can purchase a ready-made tray.
- Veggie 'shooters' (with a Peter Rabbit theme for Easter). I purchased clay pots from the Dollar Tree, lined them with plastic shot glasses from the grocery. I placed a teaspoon or so of Marzetti's ranch vegetable dip in the base, and 'planted' cucumber, carrot, and celery sticks inside. My Mariposa wheelbarrow holds additional veggies.
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| Veggie 'shooters' and wheelbarrow, fruit tray, seven layer salad |
- Seven-Layer Salad - I generally follow the recipe from Cooks.com.
- Crockpot Ham - carefree recipe from AllRecipes.com. This was so easy! However, I reduced the cook time to 4 hrs on low (warmed for 2 hrs thereafter). I coated the inside of the crockpot with vegetable spray (Pam) first, and covered the ham with a teepee of aluminum foil so moisture would not escape. Mine was a spiral ham, about 9 lbs, so I turned it on its side to fit in my 6 qt crockpot.
- Scalloped Potatoes - my sister's recipe, found at bottom of post
- Sweet Potato Casserole - family recipe, found at bottom of post
- Dinner Rolls - I loved Rhodes brand yeast rolls (freezer section)
- Green Beans, Southern style, seasoned with bacon grease and pepper
- Corn
- Devilled Eggs
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| Meal Buffet: Beverage Service at far back counter, dinner plates and meal on island. Fruit is moved to end as dessert choice |
Dessert Bar:
- Lemon Flower Tarts - Recipe from Stone Gable's blog
- Sugar Cookie Fruit Cups - Recipe from Banner Boutique's blog
- Pina Colada Icebox Pie - Featured in Southern Living's March 2013 issue - outstanding!
- Cadbury Chocolate Eggs - store bought
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| Dessert choices, clockwise: Pina Colada icebox pie, Cadbury's eggs, Sugar cookie fruit cups, lemon flower tarts |
The buffet meal outlined here certainly proved a winner for my crowd, and could easily be a repeat performer. I prepared this meal entirely by myself, but it is certainly conducive to being delegated among other family members who would like to contribute to the preparation. Just point them to the links or recipes within this post.
I hope you'll find some time-saving, inspirational ideas in setting a casual buffet from this post. It's my go-to approach for hosting a crowd. With my family, it's always a crowd!
Do you have a go-to approach when you're hosting a gathering?
Thanks for your visit!
Rita C. at Panoply
Sharing with any given number of these fine hosts:
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Super-Easy Game Day Snack Foods
Okay, this isn't one of those healthy food blogs, nor are these recipes anything original. This is just a quick post with some tried-and-true, super-easy recipes for game day (or any day you're having people over) and need some snacks.
The first is my favorite late summer-through-fall treat, and it couldn't be simpler! Take a bag of your favorite brand of Indian corn candy, and mix a nearly equal amount of your favorite brand of peanuts and BOOM!
You get PayDay snack mix - it mimics the taste of the old-fashioned PayDay candy bars. So good! We just happen to buy the big containers of peanuts, but I mix an amount nearly equal to the size bag of candy corn I use (mix to your preference).
The second recipe is also very simple, Armour appetizer meatballs, with just three main ingredients:
Finally, the last quick and easy recipe is a twist on Rotel's Famous Queso Dip.
The original recipe calls for simply cutting 16 oz of Velveeta cheese into cubes, heat to melt, and stir in one can of Rotel chilies. For those guys who simply can't go without their meat, adding some cooked and drained sausage to the mix kicks it up a notch in both staying power and taste. Serve from a crockpot with nacho chips or crackers and you have yourself a winning combo.
There you have it - three super-easy game day snack foods!
Sharing:
The first is my favorite late summer-through-fall treat, and it couldn't be simpler! Take a bag of your favorite brand of Indian corn candy, and mix a nearly equal amount of your favorite brand of peanuts and BOOM!
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| PayDay Snack Mix |
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| Pay Day Snack Mix |
The second recipe is also very simple, Armour appetizer meatballs, with just three main ingredients:
- Armour brand original flavor meatballs, 14 oz package
- 1 jar grape jelly (I use jam if that's what's on hand) - 12 oz
- 1 bottle BBQ sauce, 12 oz (your choice, I use Jack Daniels honey smokehouse)
Finally, the last quick and easy recipe is a twist on Rotel's Famous Queso Dip.
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| Classic Rotel Queso Dip with Sausage |
There you have it - three super-easy game day snack foods!
Sharing:
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Unsuspecting Hummingbird's Predator
It's that time of year again here in the eastern part of the US.....the hummingbirds are migrating to our backyards. Perhaps you've already spotted them in your neighborhood, but it's usually mid to late April before they're seen here in West Virginia. The hummingbirds are my favorite fair weather visitors, the only birds I feed in warmer months. I also try to plant flowers and bushes that I know hummingbirds love, such as pentas, bee balm, butterfly bushes and hibiscus. Did you know one of the hummingbirds' worst enemies is the praying mantis? It's true.
When I snapped these photos in my garden three years ago, I thought the sight was 'cute', but it's not!!
The fact is that praying mantis will patiently wait, as in the case of these photos, for the opportunity to snatch and devour an unsuspecting hummingbird. No birds were harmed in this scenario, and I am now much more knowledgeable on the subject. Nowadays, I would shoo the praying mantis, instead of trying to make a photo opportunity of the situation.
I posted the top photo of mine on my Pinterest Garden board in 2012, on my Hometalk page in 2013 and, to date, the latter has received over 51,000 views, along with many comments. It seems many folks were/are unconvinced of the predatory capabilities of the praying mantis, but there is definitely documented video evidence out there of the natural process if you want to research it.
I posted the top photo of mine on my Pinterest Garden board in 2012, on my Hometalk page in 2013 and, to date, the latter has received over 51,000 views, along with many comments. It seems many folks were/are unconvinced of the predatory capabilities of the praying mantis, but there is definitely documented video evidence out there of the natural process if you want to research it.
While praying mantis can be a beneficial insect against moths, mosquitoes, aphids and flies in the garden, please be watchful of them around your hummingbird feeders!
Each year in my garden, it seems I end up hosting a family of praying mantis in my containers, typically in my courtyard, which usually have pentas planted in them. Hummingbirds love penta flowers, so I suppose nature has its way in that praying mantis take up residence there, waiting for their opportunity. Praying mantis have a natural ability to camouflage themselves in the plantings, so it's not always easy to spot them. I typically only spot them as I'm watering containers, and they jump out after I've unknowingly sprayed them.
So, as you're readying your feeders for those sweet little hummingbirds this year, I hope you'll take heed and shoo the praying mantis from the hummingbirds. It wouldn't be fair to feed the hummers and trap them simultaneously. Besides, there are plenty of insects in the garden for the praying mantis to feast on.
Below is a quick and easy recipe for feeding your hummingbirds. I typically buy a gallon jug of water to start the season. There's no need to buy the pre-made stuff, nor is there a need to add red food coloring to the homemade feed.
Hummingbird Feed Recipe:
1 gal water
4 cups white sugar (the ratio is 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water (or 32 oz)
Place water and sugar in a large boiling pot (at least 6 qt size). Heat water to boil or near boiling, continuously stirring the sugar until dissolved. Be careful, as the sugar will stick easily to bottom of pan if not attended.
After sugar is completely dissolved, turn off heat and let cool on stove (about 45 min). Fill feeders(s). Return unused feed water to seal-tight jug (I re-use the water jug initially purchased). Feed can be stored in fridge for up to 3-5 days. Be sure to label your jug as "HUMMINGBIRD FEED - DO NOT DRINK!" so no one in your household will mistake the jug for drinking water.
When refilling feeders, be sure to clean them first. Mold can grow easily on the feeders' spouts, especially during hot, sunny days. If your feed gets cloudy, change it. I keep an old toothbrush on hand for cleaning the spouts on my feeders, and wash them with water and a drop of liquid dish soap like Dawn® if necessary (be sure to rinse well).
Here's another great tip for taking care of the hummingbird feeders: keep those pesky ants off the feeder with the Perky Pet Brand ant guard. It is, hands down, the best remedy I have found, and I have tried several other remedies including vaseline and vegetable oil wiped on the pole.
As you can see in the photo above, the ant guard easily slips onto an S hook, which is slipped onto the end of your shepherd's hook in your garden. Then, the hummingbird feeder will slip right onto the ant guard. I buy one for each feeder at the start of the season, and they last all summer long.
I have yet to spot a hummingbird nest in my yard, which would be my own personal hummingbird garden nirvana. I have only seen photos of their nests, and they are about the size of a quarter, as seen in this link: www.rubythroat.org. It is said the best way to detect the nest is to let the female direct you to it, but the nest can be nearly a mile away from the food sources. Can you imagine the energy these little creatures expend on a daily basis? They never cease to inspire and amaze me, given their size. I don't get flocks of them as some folks do, where they all feed harmoniously together. It seems the 'city' hummers I have like to dive bomb at each other, keeping one from another on each feeder very jealously (even though I have four feeders plus plantings throughout my garden). Sometimes it sounds like mini airplanes buzzing by, as their wings dart from feeder to feeder. Take a listen to the hummer's wings at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's audio of the ruby-throated hummingbird and you'll see what I mean by the sound of mini airplanes.
Do you spot hummingbirds in your area? Do you work to attract hummingbirds? How successful have you been in doing so? Did you know the praying mantis is its predator? I'd love to hear from you on this subject. In the meantime, here's a link to a great article from Birds and Blooms that identifies nectar flowers you can plant in your garden to naturally attract these welcome backyard visitors. Enjoy!
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Sunday, February 16, 2014
Book-Inspired Buffet, Baby!
(Thank you, Alison, at Nancherrow's Fridays Unfolded , for featuring this post.)
My sister, M, and I hosted a baby shower for our niece (sister J's daughter) this past weekend at my house. As an alternative to cards enclosed with gifts, a popular trend right now is suggesting guests bring a book and sign it in lieu of the card. I took the idea a step further: I built the midday food buffet around children's book titles for the shower's theme. It was so much fun! This served a few purposes: it created baby's first treasured library, it still provided a memento from the gift-givers (less likely to be put aside as cards may be), and it made food fare simple.
A tower of baby necessities, made to look like a 3-tiered cake, was made by my niece's sister, and replaced the sunroom's center table flowers once guests arrived.
We didn't really play games, but we did have a lot of fun trying to "help" our niece and her husband come up with names for the baby (they don't know the sex). Everyone wrote down at least one girl's and one boy's name, and we let our niece choose her favorite - something to go with the very Italian surname, Samuele (pronounced Sam u ell e). One sister-in-law came up some very humorous names, such as Antipasto, Linguini and Anchovie for a boy, and Marscapone and Rigatoni for a girl, lol. The picks were Mario Nicholas and Collette Marie. At the end of the shower, we got a group picture of all of us present, taken by my husband (who hid out in our master bedroom the entire time we gathered).
My sister, M, and I hosted a baby shower for our niece (sister J's daughter) this past weekend at my house. As an alternative to cards enclosed with gifts, a popular trend right now is suggesting guests bring a book and sign it in lieu of the card. I took the idea a step further: I built the midday food buffet around children's book titles for the shower's theme. It was so much fun! This served a few purposes: it created baby's first treasured library, it still provided a memento from the gift-givers (less likely to be put aside as cards may be), and it made food fare simple.
Taking on a cheerfully spring-like theme, this was the beginning of the buffet line. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" was the appropriate start to the buffet line.
Variously collected, vintage duck cloth napkins were used, along with several other of my collection of serving pieces - some new, some vintage - all collected. I coordinated a mix of vintage dishes: Noritake's Reverie, Fire King Jadeite, and some Fiesta ware. I'll share the tablescape I created in a separate post soon.
"The Tale of Peter Rabbit" headed up the veggie station. "Single Shooters" were created in the mini clay pots (Dollar Tree, 3 for $1) lined with colorful, plastic shot glasses (Wal Mart, 12 for $2). I put a base of Marzetti's ranch dip and "planted" celery, carrots and green & red peppers in the pots. The remaining veggies were served in my Mariposa wheelbarrow.
The shower guests were entirely family members, so as a nod to my mother's presence, I placed a little porcelain bird trinket box on the buffet. It belonged to my mom, and inside was the angel brooch used most recently at my daughter's wedding. (You can see the angel brooch in my post here).
The mainstays of the food fare were sparked by "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" and "Strega Nona".
"Strega Nona" means Grandma Witch in Italian, and the story is about a boy who gets into pasta trouble trying to mimic Strega Nona's magic spell she casts on her pasta pot. My orzo salad complemented the book, and the book complemented my family's and my niece's husband's Italian heritage.
The setup for the remainder of the buffet was sparked by a couple of Dr. Seuss books, along with "Baby Cakes".
"Green Eggs and Ham" inspired the deviled eggs, enhanced with a couple drops of green food coloring, alongside a plate of finger sandwiches made with ham salad.
"One fish two fish red fish blue fish" inspired the bowl of Swedish gummy fish, a favorite snack of the guest of honor.
"Baby Cakes" was the inspiration behind the sugar cookie fruit cups served (recipe here), as well as the petit fours brought from Servatii's, an Italian bakery in Cincinnati. Yum! Vintage Silvercrest serving pieces were used for the desserts.
Our sunroom is just off of the kitchen, a perfect place for entertaining. We have a stand-alone heating and cooling unit for the sunroom, so it serves us year-round, no matter what Mother Nature tries to bring on (this day was 25°). I added a touch of spring (come soon, please!) with a few bright colors in the form of quilts, wrapping paper, and flowers.
I love the bright colors! Several gifts in the corner also have bright and cheerful colors.
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| L to R: my sister J (Nana), my pregnant niece, me, and my sister M |
It's always fun to share our home, centered around a fun event with food fare and family. And happy events.
Sharing again with:
One More Time Events
One More Time Events
Dwellings' Amaze Me Monday
BNOTP Met Monday
SL's Sunday Showcase
Make It Pretty Monday
A Stroll Thru Life's Inspire Me
The Scoop
We Call It Junkin'
Inspiration Exchange
Savvy Southern's WOW
Ivy and Elephants
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Imparting Grace
Common Ground's Be Inspired
Nancherrow's Fridays Unfolded
French Country's FNF
Craftberry Bush Inspiration Gallery
Fabulously Creative Friday
BNOTP Met Monday
SL's Sunday Showcase
Make It Pretty Monday
A Stroll Thru Life's Inspire Me
The Scoop
We Call It Junkin'
Inspiration Exchange
Savvy Southern's WOW
Ivy and Elephants
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Imparting Grace
Common Ground's Be Inspired
Nancherrow's Fridays Unfolded
French Country's FNF
Craftberry Bush Inspiration Gallery
Fabulously Creative Friday
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