Flags around my House
The Fourth of July is almost upon us…I love this holiday for so many reasons. This year, more than ever, I find myself wanting to go back to the roots of what this holiday represents and I invite you {if you are so inclined} to do the same.
U.S. History.org has so much information including the Declaration of Independence to read for yourself. I will be doing that with my children this Saturday taking the time to appreciate this truly beautiful document.
If you want to have some fun with the kids and maybe even learn a little yourself, River Songs has a Fourth of July Trivia Quiz.
And of course, if you are looking for recipes and crafts, Martha Stewart has so much inspiration. {all pictures below are from Martha Stewart.com}
thankful for freedom hugs, mb
I have linked this over at Hooked on Houses-Hooked on Friday! Be sure to head over there for a veritable library of inspiration!
When I was younger my mom would occasionally make a “poke cake”. It was one of my favorite desserts…light, fluffy, pretty to look at, nice and refreshing in the summer, and….heck, it had a funny name. This can be made quickly the night before or the morning of your celebration. {I LOVE anything that can be made ahead of time!}
I don’t have my mom’s original recipe, but this one from AllRecipes.com will do just fine! I used strawberry jello for one layer and berry blue for the other in keeping with the “Red, White and Blue” theme for Independence Day!
Ingredients:
2 baked 9-inch round white cake layers, cooled
2 cups boiling water
2 pkg. {4 serving size-3 ounces} Jell-O brand jello {again, I used strawberry and berry blue}
1 {8 ounce} tub Cool Whip Free whipped topping, thawed
Directions:
1. Place both cake layers, top-sides up, in clean 9 inch round cake pans. Pierce layers evenly with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.
2. Stir boiling water {1 cup for each package} into dry gelatin mix in medium bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved {if using 2 distinctly different flavors, mix separately}. Pour evenly over cake layers. Refrigerate 3 hours.
3. Dip one of the cake pans in warm water for 10 seconds; unmold onto serving plate. Spread with about 1 cup of the whipped topping. Unmold second cake layer; carefully place on first cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Decorate as desired. Store in refrigerator.
Patriotic hugs, mb
MB caveat-This tastes so good-so much better than my pictures would lead you to believe so go ahead and try it-really, yours will be so pretty…just don’t let a 4-year-old keep smiling at you while you’re trying to make it and asking every 10 seconds-Is it done yet??? Can I have some cake NOW? Can I poke the holes here…poke, poke, poke…well, you get the idea!
While grilling is the preferred method for picnic meats, sometimes I like to have a “back-up” food in case it rains and a little extra food on stand by so no one ever leaves hungry. This recipe is so easy and is a family/guest favorite. You can start it in the morning or even the night before in a crock pot therefore making it a stress free food!
Now…when looking at the picture above, imagine it in a nice tasty bun {can you picture it?}…at this point you may ask, “Why didn’t mb just take a picture of it in a bun?”—-well, I made this while some house guests were here and I didn’t want to chase them down snapping pictures of their plates and I was distracted so didn’t take one in a bun separately-sometimes I have the attention span of a gnat…but I digress…now, what was I saying? hmmmm oh, yes….here is the recipe….enjoy!
Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwiches
7 pound pork shoulder blade roast
1 large onion coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
2 cups of water
2 18-ounce bottles of barbecue sauce {your favorite or whatever is on sale-no need to be picky here}
2 dozen sandwich rolls
1. Cut pork into chunks-I use kitchen shears for this cutting off any extra fat during this step {the chunks should be about 3 inches each}.
2. Place pork, onion, salt, pepper and water in slow cooker. Cover with lid and turn on low if cooking overnight or medium if starting on the morning of your picnic. {I tend to cook pork too long – undercooked pork-another one of my many fears. I usually cook this for at least 6 hours at medium}.
3. When pork is tender, let cool in juices. Remove and shred using two forks.
4. Discard juices from crock pot. Place the shredded pork into the crock pot, add the barbecue sauce and heat on medium for approximately 1 hour.
Yields: approximately 24 sandwiches.
Serve! saucy hugs, mb
I will be linking this recipe to the great sites below:
I love romance and all things romantic-vintage pins, linens, lace, crystal fobs…well, you get the idea! I have a simple-less than 1 minute-and absolutely free lampshade update. I pulled out my doilies and found one that was long but not very wide and a blue crystal pin from my jewelry box. I wrapped the doily around the lampshade and secured it with the pin….and…that was it. All done.
Chic, Simple…and FREE…romantic update for lampshades.
{I like this lamp surrounded by the vintage hankie garden!}
hugs, mb
I linked this today (July 2nd) at the great DIY sassy site below-run over there (or skip if you prefer) for some wonderful DIY ideas.
A few days ago I went to a local antique store. This particular store always has the best vignettes and displays and is a wonderful place to get ideas for decorating at home. One of the prettiest little scenes I came across was a table with an antique vase with a handkerchief “stuffed” in it. It gave me the inspiration for a “Gardenful of Hankies!”. I starched some of my favorites, gathered my vases and “stuffed” the hankies inside…simple and easy!
hankie hugs, mb
I am linking this to Julia blog carnival at Hooked on Houses-Hooked on Fridays! I hope to see you there.
My mom’s mom was a tiny little woman who I rarely saw eat-but boy….could she cook and I was happy when she did. For any function we had, Grandma was always called upon to make the “potato salad”-hers was, in my opinion, the BEST! Her potato salad always got raves and seconds were always in order.
Grandma’s Potato Salad
5 pounds of red potatoes
One dozen eggs-hard boiled
celery to taste {usually one fresh-crisp stalk} chopped fine
onion-again to taste but usually one medium and chopped fine
1 32 ounce jar of mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
1. Boil potatoes with the skins on until soft but not too soft-you want some give but definitely NOT the consistency of a potato for mashing.
2. Once the potatoes are cooked, allow to cool. Peel potatoes {the skins will for the most part slide right off}. Cube potatoes into pieces bigger than bite size but not too big {I sound like Goldilocks-don’t I?-not too soft-not too big-not too hard}.
3. Peel and slice hard boiled eggs and add to large bowl with the potatoes.
4. Add the celery and onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Add mayonnaise and stir gently incorporating all of the ingredients.
6. Chill overnight or for several hours before serving. This is always better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to mingle.
Grandma’s tips:
Always use red potatoes and cook with the skins on.
Use one dozen hard boiled eggs for every 5 pounds of red potatoes.
Use one 32 ounce jar of mayonnaise {not Miracle Whip, etc.} for every 5 pounds of potatoes.
Make ahead and chill overnight.
{please excuse the lack of any colors, centering, or other-I upgraded my WordPress on Saturday and many of my site functions/editor functions disappeared-Ugh!}
picnic/party/salad hugs, mb!
I am linking this over at the ever wonderful Blessed With Grace-Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays!
Usually, I make banana muffins with mushy, overly ripe bananas, but today I was feeling a little cakey and no so much muffiny so I pulled out an old cookbook, the Land O’Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes, and found this great recipe. Mine is not quite the fancy one from the cookbook, but a little bit of an easier version. I knew I didn’t want to make a layer cake because this one needs to be refrigerated so I chose a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with a lid for ease of storage.
Cake
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup {2 medium} mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Heat oven to 350°. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter and 2 tsp. vanilla. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until light and fluffy {1 to 2 minutes}. Continue beating, adding eggs one at a time, until creamy {1 to 2 minutes}. The cookbook calls for the rest of this to be done by hand but I continued to use my mixer set at the lowest speed. By hand, stir in 1 cup bananas and sour cream. Fold in flour and baking soda. Pour into a greased and floured pan. Bake for 28 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
Chocolate Cream
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
3 tbsp. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
In chilled small mixer bowl, beat chilled whipping cream at high speed, scraping bowl often, until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla; continue beating until stiff peaks form {1 to 2 minutes}. Add melted chocolate; continue beating until well mixed {1 minute}. {Do not overbeat.} Frost cooled cake. Refrigerate or freeze cake 2 hours or overnight. Serve!
mushy hugs, mb
Some of what’s blooming in the garden this week.
Peonies
Roses
Shrubs and “What Not”
hugs, mb
I will be linking this post over at Hooked on Houses-Hooked on Fridays/stop over there to see what others are hooked on this week!
I love lavender! It all began when I bought my house and decided to put in an herb garden. Lavender was one of the first herbs I planted. Once I planted it and it grew, I didn’t know what to do with it next.
I was shopping in a local gift shop and found the book The Scented Room by Barbara Milo Ohrbach.
I had forgotten about that book for quite some time, but this year, in an effort to return to my creative, homey desires, I pulled it off the bookshelf and it was like visiting an old friend. There are directions for making lavender bath bags, bottles, water, potpourri, and sachets.
I like to keep “loose” lavender on hand to add to sachets as quick gifts to tuck into birthday cards or gift bags and it looks so pretty in a recycled bottle {iced coffee bottle} with a vintage hankie and office store “label” atop the bottle.
Lavender is an extremely versatile herb and can be used in baking and cooking as well as in soaps and creams. The uses are endless!
Pennsylvania has a lavender festival coming up June 19th to 21st. {additional info can be found by clicking on the picture below}
lavender hugs {don’t I smell fresh!}, mb
I will be linking this over at Hooked on Houses-Hooked on Fridays later this evening. Be sure to visit Julia for some great links!
The Vintage Moth
Mind Wide Open
The Inspired Room