Yea!! Tablescape Thrusday - Red Checkered Day

Hello everyone and welcome to Tablescape Thursday brought to us by Susan http://betweennapsontheporch/ make sure you go there to see all the other tablescapes awaiting you. And Foodie Friday hosted @ http://dsignsbygollum/ Make sure on Friday you stop by and see all the good eats.

Today I decided to combine Tablescape Thursday and Foodie Friday together. Since I will be out of town on Friday. My tablescape is Red Checkered Day - and Foodie Friday Salisbury Dinner.

I just love the summer with all it's color, all the bright yellow's and red's, so that is why I decided to do my scape in these colors.

The dinner plate and saucer are Southern Living at HOME it is there Hospitality line of dishes and the color is called butter.

The saucer is called the swirly plate. The way it looks here you can't tell that it is two dishes but it is. Click on the pic to see a bigger picture. The dinner plate has a little bead all around the outside of the plate.

This candle holder is a Gail Pittman, and any one from the South collecting pottery will know of her. She has some of the most wonderful pottery pieces so full of fun. This one came from her store in Destine. Her store is at the big outlet mall.

The candle is battery operated and it flickers just like a real candle. You can buy these in different scents. This is vanilla and it looks so nice and you get no smoke. Love that!

This is a bubble glass. It has different sizes of bubbles in it and when you put any color drink it makes it look so festive. I just have water in mine.

This serving/baking dish is a Southern Living at HOME piece, it's in the senna style with the red an yellow's. It bakes up really nice and also makes your table look very pretty. This is one of my favorite pieces. They have it in Province which are the blue and green's.

This next piece is one of my favorite little red vases. This is also Southern Living at HOME and
at the top it has a ruffle that is hand painted in brown. Very cute vase short and squatie very sassy looking.

The flowers are 3 bunches of silk summery flowers that I bought at Everything is a dollar.

I love that store.

This polka dot cereal/soup/serving bowl can just about hold anything with it's big shape. I just love the big red polka dots. It gives everything a fun look.

And my cotton red checkered table cloth which makes everything come alive and fun.

Now this is on the menu for the Red checkered Foodie Friday.

Salisbury Steak , Lima beans, buttery chive potatoes.

This is my dinner and we are just about to sit down and dig into a very tasty meal. Yummy and Mr B is home from work and very hungry.

The mushroom gravy

1 - 14oz can of beef broth

1 - 10oz can of cream of mushroom

1 - 4 0z can of sliced mushrooms

2 - Tb spoons of corn starch

Combine first 3 ingredients together on medium low heat and then stir in corn starch.

When the gravy comes to a soft boil turn it off and it will thicken.

Sirloin Patties.

In a non stick skillet add 1 Tb spoon of oil and fry on medium heat till you get them a little pink inside. about 10 minutes.

Buttery Chive potatoes. (if you don't care for chive sub thyme instead).

6 medium potatoes peeled, cubed and rinsed

add garlic salt to taste about 1/4tsp
add 1/2 stick of butter (cut in slices)

sprinkle parsley

Minced chives sprinkle about 1/4tsp

pepper to taste

combine all these ingredient's into a microwavable corning dish with lid

microwave 5 minutes. Stir and microwave about 4 minutes more.

Stir and leave lid on to rest for 2 minutes before serving.


Lima beans with a twist:

1 can of Lima beans with juice

add garlic salt to taste 1/4tsp

sprinkle parsley

basil 1/4 tsp

pepper to taste

cook on medium heat till boil then turn down and cook on low for 10 to 15 minutes.

I hope you like what I had on my menu and if you try any of these please drop a line and let me know what you thought of the dishes.

I want to thank all of you for stopping by and I hope you will stay a while and check out all the other past post of mine. Click follow so we can stay in contact with each other.

Don't forget to stop by Between naps on the porch for some wonderful tablescapes

And Design By Gollum for some outstanding recipes for Foodie Friday.

Now it is time for me to check out some tablescapes.

Have a great Day.

The Big Feast "EASTER"

"Easter" going to church and thanking Jesus for forgiving all of us. Teaching the small children all about Jesus and what the true meaning of Easter is all about. Families joining together for a dinner and hiding the Easter egg's for the little one's to find.

Every year we have Easter at our house and invite our family to come and share in the fun. As my grandson puts it into his words it is the "BIG FEAST"

This year he asked me if I was going to cook kid food. I had to laugh and then proceeded in telling him yes we were having ham, mac-cheese, sweet corn, broccoli & cauliflower salad, slaw, green bean casserole, devil eggs and potato casserole. He made faces at the last five courses.

My daughters each bring a covered dish and candy to fill the Easter eggs, that the kids hunt for.

We put candy and money in them and we have one big egg that we put a $20.00 bill in. Then the hunt begins. Last year we had 140 eggs that we hid , there are 4 grandchildren that do the hunting. To say the least they made out like bandits.
It's so much fun watching the kids hunt and we get creative. We hide them in the tree's down a garden tube and in watering cans and so forth. We always have to count afterwards to make sure there are not any hiding in the grass, so that my husband "Darrell" won't mow over them when he cuts the grass. This is what I am cooking for the "FEAST"

The Menu

HAM

I will bake the ham at 325% degrees in my secret sauce. It contains 1 cup of brown sugar, 2 tsp dry mustard and one 160z can of coke.

I slit the top of the ham from side to side making a diamond shape. Then I pour the mixture over it and baste it every 25 minutes. This gives it a salty & sweet taste and makes it very moist.

Broccoli & cauliflower Salad

I cut the broccoli and cauliflower into tiny pieces, 1 small head each. I add 1 diced red onion, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup of real bacon bits I use Hormel, then I make up a dressing, a 1/4 cup of sugar or 6 pks of Equal, 1/4 cup of sour cream, 1/2 cup of miracle whip, 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar, salt and to taste. You mix it all up together and refrigerate to chill. (Hold the bacon bit's until your are ready to serve, so they won't get soggy).

Mac-Cheese

I boil some water in a pot and add salt and oil to the water. When the water boils I put my macaroni in it about 2 cups and boil for about 10 minutes, then I turn down the heat to simmer and put the lid on for about 10 minutes. I drain and rinse the macaroni. I then put about 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 stick of butter into the pot and put the macaroni back into the pot. I then add cube square pieces of Velveeta cheese about 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Put the heat on medium low and just stir often until cheese is melted. My grand kids love this!!!

Deviled egg's

In a pot I put water and salt and 1 doz eggs. I bring to a boil and boil for about 7 minutes. Then I turn off the heat and cover the eggs and let them sit for about 5 minutes. Then I rinse them with a cold bath. ( This stops them from cooking), I cut the egg's long wise and carefully take the yolk out and put it into a mini chopper. After I get all the yolks in the chopper, ( your can smash them up by hand make sure no lumps).I put in 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoon's of milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and blend all this together. I then add 2 tablespoons of miracle whip and 1 teaspoon of dry mustard. keep adding miracle whip if it is to dry. Stuff into the egg. Cover and refrigerate. You may sprinkle with Paprika if so desire.

Oreo Banana Pudding

2 large box's of vanilla instance pudding. Mix in a bowl using pudding instructions that is on the box. 1 package of Ore's , You will crumble into pieces , 3 banana's

sliced, And cool whip. You will layer these starting with crumble cookies on the bottom, then a layer cool whip, then a layer of banana's then you will pour vanilla pudding over the top and then you will start over with the crumble cookies. On the very top you will put cool whip and some crumbled cookies with some cherries or jelly beans since it is Easter. This is Sooo good and a real crowed pleaser and it doesn't take that much time.

The rest of the food my daughters will bring and they have their own recipes that they have not disclosed to me. " We all have our secrets". I am very eager to try their recipes.

I am a very lucky mother to have all three of my daughters live in the same town as I do. And get to visit my grand kids as often as I like. I know there are other mothers that have to travel to see the children and grand kids so I thank God for giving me this wonderful gift and I pray to all the other mothers out there that they get to spend time with there children on Easter.

I am wishing you all a very nice Easter. Now just get out there and cook something!!!!!!!!!