4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to get together with friends and family and try out some of those recipes you've been pinning.  Just in case your file is empty...here a few ways to kick things up a notch.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Herb Butter

Patriotic Fruit Salad

No Bake Cheesecake

Homemade Baked Beans

Summer Decorating

So Saturday was the official start of summer.  In order to give every season it's due, I love switching up the routine a little.  Check out some of these EASY but fun touches for the home to remind you that it's summer and time to get going to the beach, pool, picnics, sporting events, you name it.  Little reminders will help you get the most out of the few months.

Lighten up the Linens (or if you have white...add a colorful light weight throw)

Inject a pop of color...even if you add some green plants or floral arrangements

Brighten up your workspace. Could be your desk, bedside table or kitchen.

Bring in special lighting.  Anytime you add a strand of lights you naturally want to hang out in that area, might turn a night in front of the t.v. to a night dining with wine and great conversation.

Easy Peasy Sandwiches

I won't lie guys this 9 to 5 thing is taking some getting use to.  Don't get me wrong, I worked very hard with hip hostess but it wasn't on a solid schedule.  I usually had a planning day where I could sneak a few of my own errands in.  If I needed to schedule around a hair cut or dr's appointment I could make that happen.  I'm so loving my new job but in order to get all the errands taken care of without sacrificing my weekends...I'm going to have to eat a few sandwiches.  I've been bringing a salad everyday for lunch so I'm entitled to a little bread.  On the plus side, look at these babies.

Tequila Lime Chicken with Guacamole and Chipotle Mayo

Balsamic Blueberry Grilled Cheese

Fried Chicken and Waffle

Egg, Arugula and Proscuitto

Link Love

Cookies and Cups
Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Homey Oh My
DIY Fireworks drink stirrers for the 4th

Dering Hall
I like the matching backsplash and countertop

Honey and Figs
SKINNY oreo cheesecake pops...could it be?

Summer Entertaining

I love this photo from What Gabby's Cooking...it looks beautiful, gives plenty of options and makes me want to jump right in.  If you want super easy summer entertaining , bruschetta is where it's at!  Throw this on a table for people to pick and choose their favorite brushetta combo.  If you feel like you need to round it out a bit more you could have some petite filet's for the bbq with a side summer salad.  Nice and light but still flavorful and fun.

P.S. I used to serve the spring pea pesto at hip hostess as a summer appetizer and everyone loves the fresh taste and bright color.

Bruschetta Bar

Ingredients

• 1 large loaf of bread, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• olive oil for drizzling
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 recipe Basil Vinaigrette
• 1 recipe Saffron Tomato Confit
• 1 recipe Red Pepper Sauce
• 1 recipe Spring Pea Pesto
• 1 handful fresh arugula
• 1 cup charred corn (you can take an extra shortcut and grab a bag of frozen charred corn at Trader Jpe's)
• 1/2 cup caramelized onions
• 1/2 cup sautéed mushrooms
• assorted cheeses
• assorted meats

Instructions

1. Heat a grill over medium high heat.
2. Generously drizzle the bread with olive oil on both sides. Using a pair of tongs, transfer the slices of bread to the grill and grill for a few moments until grill marks are present. Flip and continue to grill the bread on the other side for a minute more. Remove and set aside.
3. Remove the garlic from it's paper and carefully rub the garlic on the toasted bread to give it an extra layer of flavor.
4. Arrange the toppings on a large platter or table and serve with the grilled bread.

Design by what Matters

So lately as everyone knows me and the hubby have been shopping for houses.  We've been outbid a couple of times and finally put in an offer that I'm crossing my fingers on.  BUT it's a total fixer upper with great bones,  which gives me a chance to put on my junior designer hat and see what I can do.  I think the thing I find most overwhelming is it's an open plan and the rooms all need to flow together but have enough differences to make them each interesting.  Long story short, I've been concentrating on what elements make a good design.  Then I ran across this fun website called Design by what Matters by Benjamin Moore.  It's a bit of fun...but interesting how by choosing elements I liked my room turned out exactly what I would like to see.  Give it a whirl.

Summer Foods

Look at these cute little summer morsels.  Who wouldn't love to eat one of these strawberry caprese brushetta.  This could be great as a light appetizer to a full meal because they look beautiful and can be prepared about 15 minutes before guests arrive.  Personally, I would prepare a few for a girl's gossip night with a couple bottles of sparkling Rose.  How would you use them?

Link Love

Shop Girl
My dad loved oatmeal pies and I would love more than anything to be able to share these with him.

Wit and Delight
Gin and Tonic bar

A Subtle Revelry
This is to cool!

Emily A. Clark
Love these bold colors together.

Churro Ice Cream Sandwich

"What is that?" you may be asking.  That is vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two churro cookies.  I know it's hard to believe but it is happening in L.A. right now.  Now this is just kinda cruel if you don't live in L.A. and have no access to those light and crispy, sugar-coated spirals of goodness that make this sandwich possible.  However, I've been putting a lot of thought to it and for regional purposes, I think you could achieve the same succcess with a regular churro which you can sometimes find in the frozen section of your grocery store or at a Mexican restaurant.

It would go a little something like this. Line these little babies up on the bottom of a loaf pan top with a layer of ice cream and then another layer of churros.  Pop in the freezer and then take out and cut into squares.  Just a different spin on a still tasty treat.

Things I'm Lovin

I'm having a great time exploring all Savannah has to offer.  I've had some great meals, fantastic beach days and general giddiness over the last couple of weeks.  Here are just a few of the things I'm lovin' right now.

Beach days that are only 20 minutes away

After a day at the beach this low country boil is waiting for us at The Crab Shack which has great atmosphere and the food is delicious.

My new favorite snack is boiled peanuts.  I seriously cannot get enough!

Check out these cool light fixtures at one of our favorite lunch spots...Blowin' Smoke.

Planter Makeovers

I think a big reason that I've never really been into plants is because it's so difficult to find a decent planter.  First of all there is not a lot out there and just regular run of the mill pots are by no means inexpensive.  That is why this tutorial from The Sweet Escape really caught my eye.  Check out what she does to cheap planters to take them from dull to chic.

Before

After

Fresh Summer Produce

Last Saturday the hubby and I headed out to the Forsyth Farmer's Market.  It was a beautiful day and you couldn't ask for a better setting for a market...a breath taking park surrounded by Victorian homes.  Our goal when we go to the farmer's market is to come away with one complete meal and it must have one ingredient that we have never cooked before. After checking out the produce we decided we would make a salad with roasted veggies and lamb kebabs.  Our wild card ingredient was baby turnips.  We purchased the kebabs at Hunter Cattle which also had some homemade Guanciale that I couldn't resist.

For the turnips I rendered down some of the guanciale then gave them a good carmelization and finished them in the oven along with baby carrots and baby beets.  We tossed this all with a homemade vinaigrette (olive oil, balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard).  I must say I would buy the turnips again they kind of taste like a cross between a potato and a radish but the crisp outside with the salt from the guanciale was delicious and easy.  Next time your at the farmer's market give them a try.

Link Love

Sulia
Brioche french toast with fruit syrup and meyer lemon marmalade

Buzzfeed
This is a great solution for a make shift table.  Easy to assemble and move around where needed.

Life, Love & Sugar
You know what you need on the above table...a Triple Lemon Cake.

Kalyn's Kitchen
Butter Beans are a Southern specialty and I'm going to try this as a main with a little grilled chicken.

Sweet Grass Dairy

One of the first things the hubby and I always do when arriving somewhere new is check out all the local specialties.  Barely upon arriving in any new city I search local cheese and charcuterie.  Georgia isn't flush with cheese but I believe they are gaining some ground.  It seems the easiest fromage to score in this area is Sweet Grass Dairy.  I have sampled the Thomasville Tomme which is smooth, rich and buttery and covered with truffle honey...addictive.  But that wasn't all, there was also a mild blue called Ascher Blue which is one of only 3 true blue's made in the U.S.  Both of these cheeses were definitely something worth using their mail order store called The Larder to get your hands on for your next event.  I haven't been very lucky as of yet with the charcuterie but I did see some Georgian made Guanciale that I have my eye on.

Savannah Settled

Sorry for the hiatus but I've been busy learning to do everything Southern Style.  I must admit that I expected the transition to be a little more difficult than it has been.  I think it's because the hubby and I were truly ready for the change, and so we mainly feel happy, instead of overwhelmed even though there is quite a bit each day to get accomplished.   I'm having so much fun with Southern Hospitality and learning to add some extra time into each errand for chit chat.  I don't think I will ever say y'all but learning to make a mean shrimp and grits that I look forward to mastering.  We are still trying to figure out a more permanent living situation and the interviewing process is still underway, so please bear with me and I will try to resume posts as normal very, very soon.