Setting the Mood for Summer

Summer plans are underway as we anticipate lazy, relaxing days spent on our favorite beach. Everyone is busy making their lists and exchanging emails, as we become inspired with vintage and blissful images of Santa Rosa. Whatever your favorite oceanside destination is, these ideas will hopefully be useful to you, as your family plans their own seashore getaway! Beach style can be fun, fashionable and simply delicious!

Perfect for a crockpot meal! The aroma of a barbecued pork roast will make hungry beach babies anticipate an easy and scrumptious oceanview supper!

Barbecue Pork Roast

1 4 lb. pork loin roast

1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. prepared mustard

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. celery seed

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup barbecue sauce

In a small bowl, combine Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt, celery seed, pepper, and garlic. Place pork loin roast in a large plastic re-sealable bag and pour marinade over pork loin. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight). Remove roast from the bag, place in a roasting pan, and discard marinade. Roast pork loin at 325°F for 2 – 2 1/2 hours, or to an internal temperature of 160 – 170°F. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Summer afternoons at the beach are that much more pleasant

dozing in a hammock surrounded by the sea breeze.

Plush pillows and a gauzy linen blanket are perfect for a comfortable nap.

Comfortable sundresses are a favorite attire for

sunny days and balmy summer evenings.

These pretty cotton and linen dresses are flowing and stylish for

 fun days at the beach or relaxed afternoons on the patio.

These roomy tote bags from Saffron Trading Company are ideal for transporting poolside must-haves: sunscreen, a towel, sunglasses,

a water bottle, and the latest best-selling novel.

The totes are fashionable enough to do double duty as a

stylish summer handbag.

This decanter from Match is formal enough to be left out on the

 dining room sideboard at all times.

The pewter collar adds a rustic touch, which makes it

equally suitable for an outdoor picnic.

 

These Jonathan Wright vintage-inspired note cards and tags

bring a bit of the beach to wherever they are enjoyed.

Use a pretty seashell-motif tag as a bookmark to remind you of

lazy days spent at the shore,

 or treat someone far away to a bright,

summery hello awaiting in their mailbox.

A Summer Salad

Now that we are able to spend a lot of time outdoors, we plan to have evening dinners on the patio. Isn't that the most wonderful thing about warmer weather, when there is a cool breeze in the night air and you are able to just relax and enjoy the last hours of the day? This salad sounded so good and fresh and looked amazing, so this is on the menu for Saturday night, after we spend the day sprucing up the new yard and finally, planting new flowers. I am so looking forward to our trip to the nursery. Speaking of the yard, I noticed Mae was rather excitedly looking out the window yesterday morning.....

Then I was able to spot little Benjamin Bunny outside the living room window! Later that afternoon, he must have hopped around to the back patio and I was able to snap a few pictures of him! How adorable is he? I know, I know, you are thinking that rabbits will eat all of the flowers, BUT, call me Mother Nature....I adore bunny rabbits!!!!

I think an ice cold watermelon may be just the perfect item to serve with this fresh and colorful salad!

Southwestern Avocado and Black Bean Salad

1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

 3 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

2 avocados, peeled and diced

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

About 3/4 cup (3-ounces) grated pepper jack cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the cilantro, oil, lime juice and hot sauce. In a large serving bowl, add the lettuce, avocado, corn, beans, tomatoes, and cheese. Add the dressing and toss well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve. Recipe courtesy of Miss Paula's handsome son, Jamie Deen.

Fantastic Brownies!

Expect to have hope rekindled.

Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways.

The dry seasons in life do not last.

The spring rains will come again.

 ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

 I don't know why everyone thinks these brownies are so fantastic. Everyone has favorite brownie recipes, but for some reason this one seems to always get swooned over! The recipe came from  Maida Heatters book called American desserts.....It's called Cristina's brownies in the book. She mentioned that the key is baking them in a 9"x13" pan so they are really, really thick. I agree!

Most Requested Brownies


3 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 2/3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
7 large eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
2-3 cups choc chips
2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips

Melt your butter in a big bowl in the micro. I do it for about 1-2 minutes stirring occasionally till melted..I cut it up into little pieces so it melts evenly.Now, stir in your cocoa,salt and vanilla. stir in the sugar and using a whisk gently beat in the eggs 2 at a time. Now, stir in the flour. I use a hand mixer to blend together only for about a minute...if you mix too much, the brownies will have air pockets. Then I stir in the chips and pecans...... that's it. Done! I pour them into a 9x13 pan that I've lined with foil that I have sprayed with Pam. I bake them at 325 for about 50 minutes, more if needed. The key is to NOT over  bake. The center should be risen but NOT totally puffed up. 

One thing to note is that these brownies don’t have a glossy top like many brownies do.
 I compensated for this with a light dusting of powdered sugar.


Greenwich Village Brownies

2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate 

1/2 pound butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2/3 cup light corn syrup

6 eggs

3 cups (10 ounces) pecan halves or large pieces

Adjust a rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease a 15-1/2 inch x 10-1/2 inch jelly roll pan. Line it with a large piece of wax paper, butter the paper, and dust it lightly all over with flour. Invert the pan to shake out excess flour. Measure the flour before sifting, then sift it together with the salt and set aside. Melt the chocolate in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Stir until smooth, remove the top of the double boiler, and set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter. Add the vanilla and the granulated and brown sugars. Beat to mix well. Add the corn syrup and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate. On low speed, gradually add the flour, scraping the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula and beating until smoothly mixed. Stir in 2 cups of the nuts reserving one cup for the top.


Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and spread to make a smooth layer. (The pan will be filled to the top.) Sprinkle the top with the remaining nuts. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean but not dry. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then cover with a large rack or cookie sheet and invert. Remove the pan and the wax paper. Cover with a large rack and invert again, leaving the cake right side up to cool completely.

A Lovely Day

What a joy to be able spend the day with family on the day in which we honor all Mother's everywhere! Of course, thoughts turned to our own Mothers and Grandmothers and how rich they made our lives. I miss them all each and everyday. It is lovely to remember all that they gave us and how much they sacrificed in order to give us a happy and rewarding life. However, we must live in the moment as God did not promise us tomorrow. These are some joyful Mother's Day moments from Estelle's and from the Atlanta Mori's!

Luke playing the rain

Nick's Baby Franz wanting his ball to come just a little bit closer

Beautiful Mother's Day Roses

Nick's Most Requested Banana Pudding

ESTELLE'S SUMMER BANANA TRIFLE

4 bananas

1 Box Vanilla wafers

8 oz. cream cheese

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 large package of instant vanilla pudding

2 1/2 cups milk

1 small carton of Cool Whip

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat together cream cheese (room temperature) and sweetened condensed milk. In another bowl mix vanilla pudding, milk and vanilla. Blend this with the cream cheese mixture. After mixed well, slowly fold in Cool Whip. Layer with bananas and vanilla wafers.

Being Home

I just received welcome back notices on facebook! Isn't it funny how all these forms of social media keep us connected? Thinking back over the past two months, we realized we had been able to see the children and grandchildren every weekend. We attended Noah's baseball game last Saturday and watched him pitch. That may not seem exciting to some people, however, considering we had moved clear across the country two years ago and only saw them once a year, it is a blessing beyond measure.

We have been able to meet in mid-week to all have dinner together. We have been shopping together and had cookouts by the new pool. We have had all of them spend the night in the new Texas house. All of this warms my heart. It does not seem real yet...more like we are just visiting.

Rob is spending the weekend with us and we enjoyed a home cooked meal last evening in the new kitchen. I THINK it is finally unpacked!!! I made meatloaf, mac and cheese, green beans and a German chocolate cake. I tell you, that meatloaf was so good, we all did a little dance at the table! Just comfort food, which he had not enjoyed in some time.

You know what all of this means, don't you? It's being a mom. It is being involved in your children's and grandchildren's lives. These are the experiences in our lives that create our memories.

The Divine Miss M keeps us up to date on little Luke's activities daily. Those funny things he says, his latest dance moves or his school projects! We talk frequently throughout the day and I am not certain what I would do without those phone calls. I think this is what I wanted to be when I grew up.....a wife and mother. That sounds rather cliche' and old fashioned doesn't it? Wishing you all a very Happy Mother's Day!

Love from,
Estelle's

Splish! Splash!

Well.....I am finding it hard to stay focused on unpacking boxes. This is the new veranda at the Texas house! WOW! We are loving this! I feel like we are on vacation somewhere, as this is so new to Darling and me. What a magnificent destressor, to walk out the back door, sit by the pool and listen to the water bubbling in the spa and discuss our day. Then we gently slide into the pool and swim for about an hour before dinner.

Hey! The Maine House Adirondacks look rather good up there!

 

My little summer Valarie Par Hill Basket...Home at Last!

A beautiful shade of lavender

Yellow daylilies....Love, Love, Love!

We have not made our way out to tend to the garden as of yet, but perhaps this will be our goal for Saturday. If we could only stay out of the pool for any length of time....chores await you know...mowing trimming and planting...the stuff our dreams are made of!! Here are two must have weekend recipes to enjoy while your enjoying the outdoors in May!

Raspberry Lemonade

1 12-oz can frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate

3 cups water

3/4 tsp lime juice

1 12-oz can lemon lime soda

1 cup crushed ice

1 cup fresh raspberries, for garnish

18 mint leaves, for garnish

In a large punch bowl, combine raspberry lemonade concentrate, water, and lime juice. Stir in lemon lime soda and crushed ice. Garnish each glass with fresh raspberries and a mint leaf! I simply love the look of a large beverage decanter filled with a beautiful punch and fresh fruit floating inside! Simply inviting!

Peanut Butter Dream Bars

20 (about 2 cups) peanut butter sandwich cookies, finely crushed
3 Tbsp melted butter

1-1/4 cup lightly salted dry roasted peanuts, chopped

1-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup flaked coconut

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl. Press into the bottom of a greased 13'' x 9'' baking pan. Layer peanuts, chocolate chips, and coconut over crumb mixture. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly over top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until coconut is golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 2 dozen bars.

Her Place in the Sun

Isn't it funny, how cats manage to claim their space rather quickly?

Mae is fond of sunbeams! She will search out a ray of sun anytime of day, throw herself down in the very middle of the sunny spot, just like a little lion, begin to arrange her fur just so, and then relax, stretch, yawn and begin her cat nap. It is absolutely delicious, just to watch her preen and bat her sleepy eyes. It is just pure contentment....she knows she is the queen of the home!

Bird Watching

I have been knee deep in boxes, but have managed to clear a little space. We had a grand family weekend with the boys, our new bride and bride-to-be....swimming and eating! I discovered a new little brunch recipe that will be great to make for those easy Sunday mornings and perfect for a Mother's Day breakfast!

Baked Eggs in Hash Brown Cups

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

3 1/2 - 4 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed

2 egg whites

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees and generously grease 6 jumbo muffin cups or ramekins. In a large bowl, toss together the thawed hash browns, egg whites, salt, and pepper. Press 1/2 cup of the mixture into the bottom and sides of each muffin cup. You will want a few pieces to come up over the sides of the cups. Bake for 15 minutes.

For the Filling

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 cup mushrooms, diced

1/2 sweet onion, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

3/4 cup pepper jack or cheddar cheese

6 large eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

While the cups are baking, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the mushrooms, onions, and peppers until the onions are just translucent, then remove from heat. Place a spoonful of the mushroom mixture into the bottom of each cup, then top with a sprinkle of cheese. Return to the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Crack an egg into each muffin cup, then return to the oven once more for 10 minutes, or until the whites of the eggs have set but the yolks are still runny.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 minute before gently loosening (a gentle twist can help) each cup with a rubber