A SOUTHERN FAVORITE...PINEAPPLE STRAWBERRY FLUFF SALAD FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

I felt like going vintage in honor of Valentine's Day..
serving the well loved fluff salad which the south
is famous for....from grandmother's to grandbabies...
we LOVE any kind of fluff salad....
my goodness, this salad, or sometimes dessert,
has been served at every holiday, church potluck
and funeral gatherings since I was a child....
and this flavor is the most lovely shade of pink,
it's perfect for your valentine's dinner...

Find your prettiest glass bowl for this salad....
Pour in one large can of undrained crushed pineapple...

Dissolve a small box of strawberry jello with the pineapple

Gently mix until the jello has dissolved...

Blend in one container of cottage cheese

Then fold in one container of Cool Whip..

lastly 1/2 bag  of mini marshmallows..

She is not only delicious and refreshing....she is so pretty

Valentine's for almost 60 years....

DINETTE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

February is a sweet month...
it's all about love and valentine's, chocolates
and treating yourself on certain days...
this brought to mind all the delicious
snack cakes that my grandmother and mother
often made!
Often, I would come home from school
and see that mother had made one of her
fabulous snack cakes for me....
She was so wonderful about that....always...

 A snack cake is a simple, single-layer cake, often baked in a  square pan, designed for casual, everyday eating as a small treat, rather than a formal dessert for special occasions. They are typically easy to make, sometimes from one bowl, with minimal fuss, and can be served plain or with a light glaze or dusting of powdered sugar, meant to be grabbed with your hands and enjoyed with coffee, tea, or milk. 

 Simplicity: Often made with pantry staples and one-bowl methods, requiring little prep.

Single Layer: Baked in a single layer, like a sheet cake, making it easy to cut and share

Casual & Anytime: Meant for everyday moments, afternoon breaks, or packing in lunches, not just birthdays.

I found this little gem the other day
and it is perfect for a smaller cake, uses basic ingredients
which are most likely in your pantry and it received rave reviews!

DINETTE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

LINK TO ORIGINAL RECIPE



We are celebrating our granddaughter's birthday this month..
y'all have a happy and delightful VALENTINE'S DAY!

RASPBERRY SCONES WITH ORANGE CURD..A SPOT OF AFTERNOON TEA

Happy Valentine's Day to you and those you love!
Today's post is a tribute to springtime party ideas..
fabulous florals and table setting...

A flowering touch...
blush toned blooms and white linen

Gilded elegance...
an afternoon tea is a perfect excuse to use your best china
and heirloom silver...
set the mood with a serene tone in mind

Worthy of being served in the finest tea rooms..
a warm glazed raspberry scone

What pairs perfectly with this scone?
Orange Curd and crème fraîche......

Now I would say this is a lovely way to impress the guests
at your next gathering of book club....

We served peach tea this particular afternoon with a tiny pitcher
of sweet cream...

Afternoon tea is what I would categorize as leisure comforts...

If you and your guests are made to feel comfortable,

you are more likely to linger longer and enjoy the day...
it's all about setting the scene and serving good food..
it can play a major role as a lovely backdrop for southern hospitality!

 

VALENTINE'S DAY BRUNCH

 

We are going to honor Valentine's Day
with a brunch for two.....at home! And
a bit early so I could share it all with each of you!
In order to make the day a little bit special,

I decided to set the farmhouse table
with a casual theme reminiscent of
the brunch we experienced while staying
down in Fredericksburg at Hoffman Haus!
If you are a guest at this Bed and Breakfast,
you will be visited by an employee
delivering a picnic basket with a lovely
hot breakfast for two.....

This was my inspiration for today's brunch.....
my little version of a Bed and Breakfast guest-worthy treat!

April, 2017
We noshed on a quiche, sausage patties, a chocolate chip scone,
fresh fruit and orange juice!
This was more than plenty before
starting off to tour the fields of spring wildflowers!

Today's brunch was pretty much a copy cat of their delightful
brunch.....I love this brand of scone mix...very easy to make,
and the scones are tender and light!

Dusted with a little powdered sugar, hot from the oven.......

Fresh Fruit with Vanilla Cream

Midnight Spinach Quiche

My go-to quiche recipe was shared by Susan
at Little Poet You Tube...best one I have ever made!

Breakfast Sausages

Nothing makes your home feel cozier than creating
delicious meals and treats in your own kitchen!

Pink Grapefruit Punch

WINTER ENTERTAIN AND CELEBRATE
2020

I hope you gathered a bit of inspiration
to host a casual brunch for your Valentine...it was fun
and indeed felt a bit special!

PREPARING FOR THE FEBRUARY FAMILY GATHERING

I try to make any family visit special for each guest....
I think people appreciate knowing that you went to a little extra effort
to put special touches around so that they know how much they mean to you!
We will have all but the Cali kids at home for the weekend, so even
though it will be a short visit, we will make the most of this time.

This has been a rainy February thus far....
gray overcast days...not very cold..just enough to
put you in a "do-nothing mood!"
But....I have been planning meals and getting the
guest bedrooms ready for their visit.....

For breakfast, I am making a delicious Breakfast Casserole
and serving this with fresh from the oven Banana Nut Muffins.
I made this casserole at Christmas and we all loved it...so it's
now on our list of favorites!

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

In honor of Valentine's Day, I have planned a dinner menu
which are family favorites that I have made for a long time.....

Honey Crisp Apple Salad

which features toasted pecans, dried cranberries, blue cheese

and a tangy-sweet apple cider vinaigrette.

My classic, Chicken Rotel

image from Pinterest

Served with hot crusty french dinner rolls......

image from Pinterest

For the sweet ending....

this Berry Cheesecake Poke Cake

BERRY CHEESECAKE POKE CAKE

Miss M is staying in the Princess Room
and I have changed the bedding to my
new Microfiber sheets....aren't they gorgeous???



I have found that I like the Caldrea Linen and Room Spray
for keeping the guest rooms smelling fresh for family stays....
they are not used that often anymore and this is a good
addition to cleaning the rooms!

For my only daughter....I always purchase new bath and beauty

products for her....it's always good to feel a bit pampered, don't you think?

Mae Mobley hears that Robbie is coming to see her....
he's the only one she likes....or tolerates, I should say.....
such a saucy minx!!

KENTUCKY CHOCOLATE PIE FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

Valentine's Day is celebrated each year when we land on

the 14th day of February.

I am SO glad when we turn the calender to February

as it's a short month and we are that much closer to Spring.

It is our day to honor those that we LOVE.

Do you prefer red or pink for Valentines?

I LOVE PINK....always!

Do you exchange cards with your sweetheart?

Do you love receiving a heart shaped box of chocolates!

Isn't it romantic!!!

When my precious children were little,

I always left them a box of chocolates on their pillow,

along with a sweet valentine card!

I hope they remember that......

It's nice to put little touches of this special day

somewhere around the house.....

And...it's a day for baking sweet endings.

Do you plan an evening out for dinner or perhaps a movie?
How about just staying home and grilling a steak.....
cooking together can be very romantic.....

And...chocolate.....don't forget the chocolate....
This is a prize winning chocolate pie that is to die for!
It takes us back to our Ole Miss days and the infamous
fudge pie served at The Holiday Inn in Oxford.


HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY LOVES!

THE FLU BUG!

THE  visit....from Atlanta....was postponed.

We waited to "turn the corner", which is coming slowly...

it's FLU season....and the darling is the unfortunate winner!

And.....I apparently caught a milder version of his.

It's the actual FLU.....Type A...

did you know there is Type A and Type B?

We are going on a week now, and still not at our best.

We could not chance giving this to our Atlanta loves,

so a wise decision was made to reschedule until March.

We are all disappointed big time!

I did actually feel I needed to prepare some homemade

nutrition today, so I made a big pot of Mother's Vegetable Soup.

I even managed to whip up some Banana Nut Muffins

from my favorite Southern Living Cookbook!

This is a keeper....it's simple and basic....

and oh so good!

Warm banana nut muffins with butter.....

A small bowl of Mother's soup made

with Spicy V-8 and lots of pepper to create a marvelous flavor!

Now it's off for more rest.....

Being the dedicated Maine Grandma that I am,

I did manage to ensure I sent Luke's Valentine's Day gift in time...

Happy Valentine's Day love....see you in March!