Sweet Summer Fruit

The heat, humidity and high cooling bills are a few things I do not like about summer.

The abundance of sweet fresh fruit is one of the delights!

Last week's plans included joining friends for an evening of discussion and nibbling.

I was all set to take a plate of strawberries, cantaloupe and blackberries, dressed up with a sweet dip on the side.

Unfortunately, our local skies and weather had something else in mind.

The storm warnings and wailing sirens had me heading toward the closet for shelter, instead.

We survived the storms just fine, and I enjoyed all the lovely fruit myself!

The dip is a variation on a strawberry dessert that I often served for brunch.

I discovered it is just as delicious with other types of fresh fruit.  For ease in serving, fruit kabobs can be made using small skewers, or small picks can be used for dipping pieces of fruit.

For me and my leftover fruit, a bowl and spoon was just fine!

I did sprinkle a little brown sugar on the fruit pictured, but that step can be skipped when the fruit is being skewered and dipped.

Rose Hill Strawberries

8 oz sour cream

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 pints whole strawberries, washed and hulled

2-1/2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

Combine sour cream and maple syrup, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Arrange strawberries in 8 dessert bowls.  Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over strawberries and chill.

Pour sour cream mixture over strawberries and serve.

~From Junior League of Jackson, Mississippi's cookbook, "Come On In!" ~

Hope your summer is off to a sweet start!

Storms, Salad and Friends

Photo via wfaa

Much of yesterday was spent with an eye on the sky, and an ear tuned to weather forecasts.

Seems like we are doing a lot of that these days.

Finally, the sun began to peek through and the clouds cleared.

I quickly threw together a salad, and scurried off to enjoy a monthly gathering with friends.

 I started with a package of spring mix salad greens, to which I added a package of baby spinach leaves.  Tossed in a handful of dried cranberries, and a can of drained mandarin oranges.

Next, was some yummy crumbled feta cheese.

I was planning on toasting some pecans or almonds, for a little crunch.  With time short, I was not sure the nuts would cool sufficiently before being added to the greens.

Instead, I happened to have a package of these.

A few sprinkled on top was perfect!

I made a salad dressing from this Junior League of Birmingham cookbook.

Guess it was a good thing to snap that photograph before serving.

I returned with an empty bowl!

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine ingredients in a jar with tight-fitting lid and shake to blend.  Chill in freezer for 10 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Add dressing to salad, mix well.

Serve immediately.

~Contributed by Lori Johnson Goodson~

This does make a sweet dressing, and I might reduce the amount of sugar next time -- or maybe not!

I just wish I had some of the salad for lunch today.

There could be more storms this afternoon, so guess I better go check that sky!

Hope everyone else is staying safe and dry.

It has been a rather wicked Spring thus far.

 

Southern Cooking and Reading

I own more cookbooks than I will ever possibly use.

However, that does not stop me from purchasing more.

My latest purchase is A Southerly Course, Recipes & Stories Close to Home by Martha Hall Foose.

This is her second cookbook.  Her first, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea, also resides in my kitchen and has actually been used!

For those of us in the smocking and heirloom world, these are more than just cookbooks by some unknown author.  Martha's mother, Cindy, is a well known and much loved teacher of sewing and smocking.

Creative Needle, November/December 1999

Her beautiful designs often graced the pages of Creative Needle.

Students in Cindy's classes were not only treated to her vast knowledge of sewing techniques, but also her talent as a great storyteller.  Her daughter inherited that same skill.

Martha's latest cookbook is filled with mouth watering recipes, and tales of her life in the South.

The book is also full of wonderful photographs.

Many are all about the food,

and very much drool worthy!

It is obvious much thought and care went into each photograph.

No detail was too small.

For instance, this photograph of Grilled Frog Legs is presented by a lovely lady wearing what?

A frog printed housedress, of course!

Such humorous and endearing details are sprinkled throughout the pages.

I am not sure the recipe for frog legs will be the first thing I try.

Chocolate Chiffon Pie may win that honor!

Yum, yum, yum.

The photographs are not only about food,

but also heartwarming illustrations of Martha and her family's life in the Mississippi Delta.

Martha's knack for combining food and tales make this more than just your average cookbook.

I recently shared with a group of friends an article about Martha from the current issue of Garden & Gun.  Many were not famliar with this magazine about life in the South.

I would not have known about it either, except a very sweet customer told me about it last year.  It has now become one of my favorite magazines.

You may read more about Martha Halls Foose, her coobooks, personal appearances, and her role as food stylist for the movie, The Help, at her website.

Additional information for Garden & Gun is available at their website.

Happy reading, cooking and eating! 

Happy Hippos for Hungry Humans

Ever since Santa managed to slide down our chimney with Henry* for our son's very first Christmas,

hippopotamuses have held a special place in my heart.

It wasn't just a three foot tall plush hippo that kept us entertained during those childhood days.

 

There was also the Milton Bradley game, Hungry Hungry Hippos!

Seems to me there were several stories read over and over, too.

Nor can we forget the holiday song, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas"!

Now, I understand that hippos can be one of the most aggressive creatures in the wild, but you would never know it by the cute and humorous representations in toys and literature.

So, speaking of cute . . . . 

 

I could not help but smile, when I recently spied these on a stroll through our neighborhood World Market!

See?

I told you they were cute and could prompt smiles!

They are actually quite delicious!

The outer covering is a thin and crispy wafer.

Inside is a combination of a creamy white filling and a rich chocolate filling.

Did you know that most female hippos reach their maximum weight

around the age of 25 years, and are not believed to grow much beyond that?

Sadly, that is not true of humans.

Too many of these Happy Hippos for this hungry human, 

and I will be bigger than any real hippopotamus! 

*Henry still remains a part of our family, patiently awaiting a day to be loved by other little people in our family!  The Hungry Hungry Hippo game is long gone, though.

On a side note,

thank you so very much for the many kind and thoughtful expressions of sympathy during

our family's recent loss.

Your prayers and care were felt and very much appreciated.

Spoonful of Sugar Cupcake Style!

Today's schedule included some rather frustrating medical tests.

Fortunately, the doctor's office was only a hop, skip and jump from Sprinkles -- home of my favorite  cupcake.

After a certain age, it seems doctors quit rewarding patients for good behavior with stickers, crayons and a lollipop!  So, I convinced my chauffeur (aka "Husband Dearest") that I needed to provide my own reward!

Yum-O!

That's three Red Velvet, two Black & White, and one Dark Chocolate.

Can you guess which is my favorite?

Red Velvet, without a doubt!

With each bite, the day's frustrations faded a little farther away.

In the words of a certain umbrella wielding English nanny:

For a . . .

Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.

The medicine go down-wown.

The medicine go down.

Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,

In a most delightful way!

Very wise words!

Thank you for all the kind messages and prayers.  There are a few more appointments and tests that will be necessary, before all questions are answered.

In the meantime, I still have cupcakes calling my name!

Orange Roofs and Green Nuts!

Almost sounds like a line from a favorite children's book!
If you are of a certain age, you might remember a chain of restaurants named after their founder, Howard Johnson. They always had orange roofs.   Many were crowned with a cupola and weather vane depicting  the company logo of Simple Simon and the Pieman!

I especially remember dining at the Ft. Worth location when visiting my paternal grandfather.

One of their specialities was fried clams - a rare treat for landlocked North Texas.

Their other claim to fame was the ice cream:  28 flavors!  This was long before Baskin-Robbins or Ben and Jerry.

Mother's favorite was pistachio, hands down.  I remember sharing many scoops of that light green confection.  I was mostly enchanted with the fact that each scoop came with its own little Howard Johnson logo-bearing cookie.  A cookie that you did not even have to request. 
How sweet!

The other night, as I went dashing through the grocery store, I spied a display of these:

Nothing at all like a dish of Howard Johnson's pistachio ice cream, but they still conjured up some sweet childhood memories.

I might add that I am now totally addicted to this rather unique salt and pepper flavor and can't stop eating them!  Wonder what Mother would think?

Speaking of green, please visit Laurie to participate in her St. Patrick's Day Give-away!