Come Sit with Me...

You know that I love the South and, to me, rocking chairs on the porch are a perfect way to reflect Southern charm. For years, we have had sturdy white resin wicker furniture on our porch and that provided a good feel, too, but I decided that we were due for a little change.  This picture, obviously from Christmastime, shows the chairs. There was a settee on the other side of the porch.

Last week I ordered four white rockers and we (and when I say "we", I mean Randy)  assembled them and put them in place last weekend.

Last summer we replaced our porch latticework with stone and I think that got the wheels-of-change in motion.

This picture was taken before last spring's cleanup. 

We can't wait until these beds look alike with color again!

I switched out our swag early in March, so it's set for the season.

I used this same blend of forsythia, hyacinths, dogwood and tulips  last year, but the wired spring ribbon was a dollar store purchase this year. 

The rockers are, by the way,  part of the Mainstays line from Walmart. Made of acacia wood, they are already painted and are easy to assemble. Although they are rated for outdoor use, it is recommended they be kept on covered patios. I am hopeful they perform as well as advertised. At this point, I am happy with them and their Southern look, so I guess I should ask...

would y'all like to come sit with me? 😉

Tuesday's Tablescape

Today's table is in honor of Thursday's home-opener. Seeing the St. Louis Cardinals begin a new season is considered a local holiday with so much fanfare and celebration. It's said that we are a baseball town and it's true. Go, Cards!

We have a table for two fans set in the office. That was the perfect spot with its plentiful Cardinal décor. I tried to capture the rim of the St. Louis hanging lamp above the conference table. Every other white glass panel is decorated with a red bird on a bat. In the photo, you see the design from the inside of the lamp. 

I used an old wooden Coca Cola case and filled it with team memorabilia and baseball concessions.

It was easy to find a few Cardinal books in the office bookcase to incorporate in my centerpiece. 

We have a stack of game-giveaway rally towels collected over the years, so I decided to use them as napkins!

 I borrowed the mugs from our office coffee station.

Very often, the flatware looks crooked in my pictures and I dont know why! 

I always line up the pieces, but they still appear wonky!?!

Unfortunately, it's supposed to rain in two days, but we are hopeful that the forecast will change and the game will take place. 

Go, Cards! ⚾

Crustless Asparagus Quiche

Happy April Fools' Day! I am not kidding around when I tell you that I love the fresh asparagus springtime brings and this recipe is a great use for them. I clipped this recipe from a newspaper years ago and find this quiche not only flavorful, but simple to prepare.

Crustless  Asparagus Quiche

 1 1/2 pound fresh asparagus  (trimmed and snipped 

into 1/2 inch pieces)

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 T flour

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. black pepper

dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch pie plate.

Arrange snipped asparagus and Swiss cheese in bottom of pan.

Beat eggs, milk, Parmesan cheese, flour garlic powder, pepper and salt in bowl. Pour egg mixture over asparagus and cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, making certain the center is set. 

Click here for a printable version.

As we prepare for Easter, perhaps you'd be interested in this quiche for Sunday brunch. If you like asparagus, I am sure you'd enjoy this easy dish...and that's no 'yoke'! 🥚

Spring Porch Ideas

It's time to get out your rain boots for springtime showers! This is a decorating idea my mother uses on their porch. It just requires cute boots (adult or child size) and long stemmed faux spring flowers. My mother picked-up her pair at a yard sale a few years ago, but I'll bet you could find some at a thrift store, too. We have found good flowers on sale at both Michaels and Hobby Lobby. A couple of real branches add texture and interest when mixed in with my mother's artificial lilac, dogwood and tulips. This arrangement is protected from the wind by being in the corner, but if it weren't we could have dropped rocks inside the boots for weight and stability. 

Another spring touch is this tulip wreath that my mother hung on their front door this year. If you're interested in making one like it, you can click here to see the directions highlighted in a post a few years ago.  

This stuffed guy is an oldie, but goodie who sometimes hops out on my parents' porch. He is making an appearance this spring. 

Some'bunny' wishes you a blessed weekend! 

Butterscotch Pie

I recently made mini butterscotch pies for my dad's birthday, since that's a favorite flavor of his. I used Keebler mini graham cracker crusts and the following filling:

Butterscotch Pie

2 T butter

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 

1 large egg yolk

1.5 T flour

1 1/4 cups milk

1/2 tsp. salt

 1 1/2 T cornstartch

1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter in a saucepan, add brown sugar and combine well. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix together egg yolk, flour, milk, salt and cornstarch. Slowly add this mixture to the hot butter/brown sugar. Stir continuously over medium heat until butterscotch filling  becomes thick. When you remove the pan from the fire, stir in the vanilla. Spoon contents into four or five mini graham cracker pie shells. Refrigerate; garnish with whipped cream. Obviously, you could double the recipe to make one pie, rather than minis.

For a printable version, click here.

If you like butterscotch, I think you will enjoy this recipe.

Sweet dreams! 

Tuesday's Tablescape

Happy Tuesday! Today's tablescape features my faux forsythia. You have seen them in the past as I enjoy using them each spring somewhere around the house!

Good quality artificial stems make a huge difference. I like these because they even have a few random green leaves to create a more realistic look. When you make an arrangement, you can emulate nature by scattering a few blossoms on the table as though they had just fallen from the branch.

My glass bowls were a gift from my cousin a few years ago and they pair nicely with yellows, greens, reds or blues, depending upon your table. 

Real forsythia have not made their appearance yet, so we will enjoy the faux in the meantime. Either way, I always associate them with sunshine. 🌞

Lemon Pancakes

A few weeks ago when a friend and I went to breakfast, we each ordered scrumptious pancakes. Afterward, I began thinking of out-of-the-ordinary hotcakes I could try making at home and that's when the idea of making them lemon popped into my head. I decided that I could make it easy on myself and begin with boxed pancake mix and then just jazz it up a bit! I planned that I would add the juice from a whole lemon and definitely some zest. What about a splash of lemon extract? Sure! I was excited to execute my  concoction and was feeling proud of myself for thinking of it when I happened to be reading some pancake recipes online. Guess what I came across?  I saw directions for lemon pancakes! Even though I had not personally tried them, it turns out that I did not invent this breakfast food afterall! 🤣

Still, I will share my simple directions with you. You can use your favorite pancake recipe or do as I did and get out your favorite boxed pancake mix. Add the juice of a freshly-squeezed lemon along with water until you reach the specified amount of liquid called for in the directions. For me, it was just about 50/50. Add a tablespoon of lemon zest and a few drops of lemon extract. You could add a smidgen of yellow food color, if you desire. I added all of this lemoness along with fresh blueberries and oatmeal (both of which I regularly make). The results were the desired hint of freshness without being overpowering. If lemon is not your thing, perhaps you'd prefer cinnamon pancakes. You can click here for the recipe I use and shared back in '16. If you're up for a citrusy addition to your breakfast, you might try my version of lemon pancakes because they are easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy! 🍋