The Homes of Savannah

Tybee Island

Atlantic Ocean, here we come!

We couldn't leave Savannah without visiting Tybee Island, so we made a brief stop to play on the beach before heading home.

The beach was a shell collector's dream. Besides the band of shells near the water's edge, the children were amazed to find so many just beneath the surface of the sand.

My dainty girl dips her toes in the Atlantic.

The sun was too bright, but I had to attempt a photo with all four.

Mary Ashley loved playing in the sand.

And Christian loved exploring the dunes until Joe pointed out a sign that said they were off limits. Oops!

After our trip to the beach, we stopped for lunch at Paula Deen's brother's restaurant, Uncle Bubba's. Sitting outside, we had a beautiful view of the marshlands.

A little wooden boat at the water's edge offered a perfect vantage point for one last look at the Low Country. It was time to say farewell to Savannah!

Pit Stop

With beautiful orchards like this, we must be in Peach County, Ga. I admired the peach trees as we drove through Fort Valley on our way to Savannah. So on our way back home, I convinced Joe to make a "pit stop" at Lane Southern Orchards, a fifth-generation peach and pecan farm.

Homemade ice cream in the visitors center was a great way to break up our drive home, and the fresh peaches we brought back from the orchard gave us a sweet reminder of our Georgia trip.

A berry good time was had by all on our pit stop!

Up, "Up" and a Cupcake!

Mary Ashley's balloons pop -- but she's still smiling -- thanks to photographer Becky McCoy.

If you need a lift this week, I suggest you see the new Pixar movie Up. I took the children this week, and we loved it! There were a few scenes that scared 3-year-old Emma, but overall I was very pleased. Entertainment Weekly movie critic Lisa Schwarzbaum opined, "As buoyant and richly tinted as the balloons that figure so prominently in its story, Up is also thoroughly grounded in real emotion and ideas of substance. ... The result is a lovely, thoughtful, and yes, uplifting adventure (in 3-D where available) about an old guy, a kid, and a house that sails through the air, opening up new routes in life to people who thought they were stuck in their loneliness."

I would echo that sentiment. And add that it made me want to make cupcakes. So I did!

Photographed outside on a mirrored tray, my balloon cupcakes look like they are floating in mid-air as the camera catches the reflection of the sky. They must be very light -- even downright healthy.

You don't have to travel to Paradise Falls for these cupcakes. Make them by placing thin lengths of ribbon and rickrack atop cupcakes before frosting with a star tip. Cluster the balloon cupcakes on a serving dish, gathering the ribbons to make a balloon cupcake bouquet.

You just can't help but feel lighthearted when surrounded by balloons!

Hang them from the kitchen chandelier to make any meal a party; surprise a birthday boy or girl with a bouquet tied to the bed; or make a rainy day fun by blowing up a few balloons and letting children bat them around, trying not to let them touch the ground. (Keeping several aloft at the same time always results in lots of laughter!)

Whether you take in a movie, indulge in a cupcake, or share some giggles with someone you love, I hope your weekend is looking up!

Feta Chicken Bake

This easy chicken dish is quick to put together for a summertime meal. Paired with a fresh green salad and crusty bread, dinner is on the table in no time.

Feta Chicken Bake

6 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese with basil and tomato
1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken in a 9x13 baking dish, and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon lemon juice over chicken. Top with feta, then drizzle with remaining lemon juice. Sprinkle with red pepper and parsley. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Crossing Our Tees

The boys are enjoying T-shirts we picked up at the annual Lads 2 Leaders convention in Atlanta. In chatting with the owners of Shine With Him, I was surprised to learn these Christian tees are made right here in Wetumpka. Check out their web site for design options for the whole family!

The Hydrangeas Are Here

I have been delighted to discover the first blooms on our hydrangeas this summer.

I took 3-year-old Emma outside with me Sunday to collect the blooms, and I couldn't resist taking her picture.

It seems like it was just yesterday that 3-year-old Mary Ashley joined me to admire our hydrangeas.

I gathered our blooms into a pretty bouquet Sunday, and each time I see them I am reminded of an incident that happened last spring. You can find the post "Expecting Blooms" here.

Lemon Cheese Squares

At my recent ladies day in Newnan, Ga., I enjoyed meeting Martha Sue McCain, who operated a tea room in Newnan for many years. I was delighted to receive a signed copy of her cookbook Favorite Recipes from Something Special and Friends. Over the weekend I tried her recipe for lemon cheese squares -- the perfect accompaniment for a cup of tea, a leisurely summer afternoon and a new cookbook.

Lemon Cheese Squares

These freeze well, so I plan to save some for an upcoming tea party.

1 box Pillsbury Plus lemon cake mix
1 stick margarine, melted
1 egg

Mix in mixer and press into greased sheet cake pan (10 1/2" x 15 1/2"). In the same bowl, mix:

3 eggs
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 tablespoons lemon flavoring
1 pound box powdered sugar

Mix well and pour over the above layer. This mixture will be soupy. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Cut into squares immediately while still hot, then let cool.

Let me know if you are interested in ordering a copy of Favorite Recipes from Something Special and Friends, and I will put you in touch with Martha Sue McCain.

Baked Ziti

I was introduced to this easy recipe years ago by a friend in Tennessee who served it for a church youth devotional. A great dish for teens, baked ziti is easy to prepare and stretches to feed a crowd. It freezes well, so I usually divide the recipe to make one ziti for my family and one to save. Baked ziti is perfect for delivering to a shut-in, but it's also a great go-to for my family when I would rather craft than cook.

Baked Ziti

Cherie Dempster from Morristown, Tenn., shared this recipe with me.

16-ounce box ziti, cooked and drained
2-3 cups shredded mozzarella
2 packages sliced mozzarella
1 large jar spaghetti sauce with 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 pound ground beef browned with chopped onion
1 pound ricotta cheese
1 egg

Mix shredded mozzarella with cooked ziti and put in a lasagna pan. Mix ricotta with egg and spread over noodles. Pour sauce mixed with beef over ricotta. Place slices of mozzarella on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

(Note: In typing out this recipe, I realized I omitted the sliced mozzarella from the top of the ziti. The dish was still good, but I would recommend using it.)

Little Ladies Day Laughs

The quaint southern town of Newnan boasts many beautifully restored historic homes like this one.

I admit that I had romanticized the idea of taking my sweet daughters, Mary Ashley and Emma, with me for my recent ladies day at the Downtown Church of Christ in Newnan, Ga. My mother-in-law planned to accompany us for the morning, and I was eager to share a day of worship with three generations of Lester girls. I looked forward to visiting the historic downtown area of Newnan, smiling as I packed pretty summer dresses, pink bows and sandals for our girls weekend.

I am still trying to figure out who slipped a stomach virus into Emma's suitcase. She got sick in the wee hours of the morning Saturday, then again just as we pulled into Newnan. Although her illness brought a little more drama to the weekend than I had anticipated, adding the girls to the weekend brought a lot of humor as well. Here are some of our lighter moments:

• Mary Ashley noticed that some of the ladies day participants bought copies of my book. So after the ladies day she pulled one out of her little straw purse and said, "I got one of your books. I want you to sign it." I was touched that she would want one and gratefully signed her copy. A beginning reader, Mary Ashley was so proud of her book! She carried it around all afternoon, intently focused on the pages. That evening she showed me that she was already almost halfway through. "I've been reading it silently," she announced proudly. I praised her efforts, then she asked sheepishly, "Mommy, what does it mean to read silently?" I explained to her that in preschool she learned to sound out words aloud and that reading silently just means that you see the words in your head rather than saying them. "Oh!" she said. "Well, when I was reading your book, there was not a thing in my head. Not one thing!"
  
  
• The ladies in Newnan prepared goodie bags for all the guests at the ladies day, and Mary Ashley and Emma were so excited to discover their take-home treats. "Mommy, is this a credit card?" Mary Ashley asked when she found a little calendar in her bag. A little later she entered the room, beaming with pride as she called, "Look at me, Mommy!" She was delighted to show me that her nose was running because it meant she could open her package of pocket tissues. (What a blessing to find such joy in life's little surprises!)
  
  
• The girls eagerly sampled the lotion in their goodie bags, then offered to share it with their brothers when they got home. Ten-year-old Carson declined their offer, then looked at me quizzically. "What is lotion for, anyway?" he asked. When I told him it makes your skin soft, he balked. "Why would a boy ever want to do that?"

Despite Emma's stomach troubles, we had a lovely visit to Newnan and appreciate all the smiles that day brought us!

Photo from Flickr

If the Shoe Cookie Fits ...

Now that school is out, we are exchanging our ballet slippers ...

and soccer cleats ...

for a summer of flip-flops!

I loved our Nutter Butter ballet slippers so much, I thought I would try a couple more varieties.

• For directions on making ballet slipper cookies, see this post.
  
• To make soccer cleats, sprinkle mini-chocolate chips on the wax-paper covered plate before setting the dipped cookies on top. Follow the directions for making ballet slippers, then place a dab of melted chocolate (or the bottom of a Hershey's kiss) on one end of the cookie. Pipe laces and stripes on the sides to complete this athletic shoe.
  
• To make flip-flops, pipe a V of icing onto bare Nutter Butters and finish them with sprinkles if desired.

School Daze

The last few weeks have brought a flurry of activity with end-of-school parties, plays and programs. Here are a few of the highlights.

We watched Carson at play.

Carson's class performed a play about Alabama history for all the fourth-graders in Elmore County. His teachers, Stacey Williams and Gigi Hankins, won an award last year from Alabama's First Lady Patsy Riley for their production. We were so impressed with the show and very proud of Carson's performance!

We saw the writing on the wall with Christian.

Christian was proud to show us his hand print tile outside the elementary school during his end-of-year party. At the party he received recognition for All-A Honor Roll and praise from his teacher for being a great reader. We joined his class for lunch, and he took Mary Ashley through the cafeteria line. He is such a sweet brother and promises to walk her to her kindergarten class each day next year.

We stopped to smell the flowers with Mary Ashley.

I snapped this photo outside Mary Ashley's preschool before her end-of-year program. I can't believe she is a preschool graduate! On her last day of school, my heart was in my throat as I held her hand walking out of the preschool for the last time.

And we cheered as Emma climbed.

This has been such a big year of development for Emma! She made her debut onstage this spring in her preschool end-of-year program, then dazzled us in her ballet recital. We celebrated her rise to stardom with a trip to the park for the end-of-year ballet party.

Carson, Christian, Mary Ashley and Emma, we are so proud of you!

Grillin' and Chillin'

For an easy holiday dessert, scoop vanilla ice cream into a waffle bowl and top with sweetened strawberries and blueberries.

Before you fire up the grill today, I invite you to watch my brother-in-law's entry in Lowe's Spring Dream Challenge. David is a Top Five Finalist in this nationwide contest, and if his video wins, he and my sister will win some great prizes for their backyard. To see his hilarious video, visit http://www.youtube.com/lowes and click "Vote." Choose the category "Relaxing Outdoor Retreat" and the video "TheOldFlame14." Don't forget to vote!

Happy Memorial Day!

On My Toes

I am headed to Georgia for a ladies day tomorrow at the Downtown Church of Christ in Newnan. Please join us if you can! To close out this week, I invite you to read one of my all-time favorite posts, a poignant moment I observed at last year's ballet recital. You can find A Bouquet of Blessings here.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!