HOW TO MAKE THE BEST GRITS YOU EVER TASTED

 Sunday Brunch in the South
is always considered to be a special occasion
and garners as much praise as our layer cakes and homemade pies!
I am going to share a long kept secret which will help you
make the BEST EVER down South Cheese Grits you have ever tasted!



The Divine Miss M

Estelle's best CHEESE GRITS



First tip...always use REGULAR grits....
never instant....

And....yes,, the secret to creamy grits is to add
Heavy Whipping Cream.....
my mother and grandmothers taught me well.....



In a saucepan, pour in three cups water
Add one cup of heavy cream



Add one T. of salt...
bring to a simmer....

Grab a whisk and whisk in one cup of grits....
keep whisking and simmering.....

When the grits begin to thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes....
stir in one cup of cheese...I use cheddar and smoked gouda...

OH HONEY....I promise these are fall to your knees delicious....

Add this to your brunch or breakfast menu

and even better,,,,so good when serving

SHRIMP AND GRITS!

See y'all next time!

MOTHER'S DAY ENTERTAINING WITH COTTAGECORE

Hello Kindred Spirits....
We will be honoring and celebrating Mother's Day
this month so let's make the experience a delightful treat....

If you are craving the aroma of freshly baked bread, spending more time
in nature or seeing sunlight filter through the curtains, then
a cottage core way of life is for you!

Most of us love the idea of serving brunch on this special day,
and a cottage style Biscuit and Tea Bar sounded pretty delightful....



A gift idea would be this darling little cookbook...
A diverse array of recipes spanning cozy breakfasts to 
fireside desserts .
You can sip on refreshing herbal concoctions and
experience the timeless joy of slow living....

Cookbooks can take you on a culinary journey that will
encourage you to love your kitchen and utilize it to the fullest!
I am drawn to those that welcome you into the heart
of rustic charm and the simplicity style of living.
Food that will set the tone for the day and 
recipes that speak to the soul.......

In the heart of every cottage style kitchen lies a collection
of collectibles of past times...
each piece has a purpose and a history of traditions....
When decorating in a cottage motif, keep in mind, your
pieces need not match, but will compliment one another.

In this celebration, I wanted to feature rustic breads,
along with my favorite jams....what is more delightful
than a warm, flaky croissant?

In addition, I selected a rustic style round loaf of raisin nut bread..bakery fresh

There is Nantucket and Hazelnut coffee by the Keurig
and in this vignette, assorted teas which will be a
testament to bring a feeling of contentment and relaxation...
Chamomile tea offers various benefits, including improved
sleep quality, reduced anxiety, relief from stomach ailments and is
known for it's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

For a delectable sweet, Grandmother's bowl holds
Pistachio macaroons...

For the textiles, I included floral table runners
and vintage pear paper napkins

This is referred to as the "bread and spread" experience..

Enjoy a sip of nature with citrus flavored teas
which will taste even more delightful served
in heirloom vintage tea cups...

A sweet accompaniment is a little bowl of creamy butter balls.....

When creating the experience of Bread and Teas,
choose your favorite vintage plates....

I encourage you to make the most of sweet moments
by making those you love feel special and cared for...

THE BEST DESSERT FOR YOUR SPECIAL DINNER GUESTS...MARSALA ICE CREAM WITH AMARENA CHERRIES

 The spring and summer season is a wonderful time to
throw a party....
set the table with beautiful dinnerware, linen napkins,
light the candles and serve your special guests
a dinner to remember....
and I have just the dessert to put your celebration
over the top.....

This is a brilliant and somewhat sophisticated blend
of ice cream, Marsala Wine, Amarena Cherries and Biscoff Cookies....

Start with a good quality vanilla ice cream....
make sure it is a tiny bit melty from the freezer....just a tad.....

Drizzle about 2 T. Marsala wine over the ice cream.....

This smells soooo good.....

Take a generous spoonful of Amarena Cherries over the ice cream and wine....
drizzle a bit of the juice over this also....
Imported from Italy, Amarena cherries are often
used for an Old Fashioned or Manhattan's.
They are lovely used with bourbon, whiskey and brandy. 
Of course they make a delicious topping for ice cream, gelato and cheesecake!

Surround this goodness with a bit if real whipped cream and add
two Biscoff cookies on the side....absolutely heaven.....
This recipe was shared by the creator Cortney LaCorte!
Cortney used Sherry in her recipe and I chose to substitute Marsala....

EASTER 2025...A VINTAGE MENU

It's the first holiday of the year, that we can celebrate
and decorate for Spring as we honor Easter Sunday
and all the promise that it brings to each of us....

This year, I found my inspiration from others
that post on social media, along with one of my
favorite heirloom recipes from Mother and both
of my Grandmothers.....



We will come together as a family to celebrate the rebirth
and new life that comes each spring....

I came across the Ham Tetrazzini from Jamie Cooks It Up....
I have made many of her recipes which are always delicious!

One Pan Ham Tetrazzini

Next is a squash casserole recipe featured
by Brenda Gantt who resides in Andalusia, Alabama
and has authored three cookbooks.

Ms. Brenda runs her own Bed and Breakfast 
in Andalusia called the Cottle House.
I so enjoy visiting with her on Facebook and You Tube!
Her recipe is called Squash Alabama!

Now, if you are southern, you know that
those marvelous FLUFF jello salads have been
served by the best cooks for the holidays way back
from the early 1950's....
They could be found on every dining table
for special occasions served in pretty cut crystal bowls....
so, this Easter we are going to enjoy
a Mandarin Orange Pineapple salad.....

I am also including the family favorite of
Crescent Roll Loaf...
my mother-in-law served this often
which is where I learned it from!
Requires two rolls of crescent roils, a stick of butter
and a pretty loaf pan....

And, I am featuring a Chocolate Chip Chess Pie
for our sweet ending....another southern favorite
as opposed to my normal Carrot Cake or Coconut Cake...

To compliment this wonderful dinner...
a refreshing ice cold tea with lemon will be served....

We have sweet memories of the past of egg hunts
and Easter baskets full of goodies....
our group will be smaller this year, as
family is scattered...but we all will be 
honoring Easter with loved ones and 
fabulous dinners in the formal dining rooms....

Easter Day,Jackson, Mississippi 1987
in the backyard of my parents home......

EASTER SUNDAY

 

BLACKBERRY CREAM CHEESE PUFF PASTRY....PERFECT FOR YOUR EASTER BRUNCH!

Good Morning Loves....
the EASTER holiday gathering is right around the corner,
and it's the perfect time to gather up all of the
best recipes to put in your binder
and you will be ready to serve your family
and guests the most delicious of foods....
Today, I am featuring this scrumptious
fresh Blackberry Cream Cheese Puffed Pastry..
it is beyond easy and so, so delicious!!! 

Using fresh fruit is by far the best, but you could
easily substitute frozen fruits also!

You will need one sheet of Puff Pastry, thawed from frozen.
One carton of fresh blackberries
One egg
Sugar
Lemon Juice
Cornstarch
Vanilla
Cream Cheese

Let's get started.......

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Blackberry Filling
1 cup fresh blackberries
1/8 cup sugar
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. water
1 1/2 t. cornstarch

Mix gently in mixing bowl and allow
to macerate for about 5 minutes.

Roll one sheet of pastry dough out onto parchment lined baking sheet.
flatten out a bit with a rolling pin for an even rectangle.
With a pizza cutter, make cuts in both sides of pastry
leaving the middle layer as is.

Cream Cheese Filling
4 ounces of cream cheese, room temp
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. vanilla

Blend all ingredients until smooth
in a small mixing bowl.

Spoon cream cheese mixture down the center
of the puff pastry.
For the next layer, spoon berries on top of the
cream cheese down the center of the pastry.
Fold the outer layers of puff pastry strips 
in a crisscross pattern over the center.
Brush with the egg white over all sealing
the pastry together.
Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown!

This makes a beautiful presentation for a special gathering.....

If you prefer, you can drizzle a  confectioner sugar over the pastry

It's gonna be so good y'all!

EASTER FAVORITES

Easter Sunday is such  lovely time to display beauty
throughout our home....
we had a tradition to spend Easter at my parents home
in Mississippi which was about an eight hour drive for us....
Mother would have the dining table all dressed for Easter dinner
and beautiful candy dishes, which I had gifted her...
we had homemade Easter baskets for the children
and hosted an egg hunt in their beautiful backyard.....
such precious memories

I love to incorporate heirlooms into my seasonal vignettes

Tulips are my normal go-to florals for spring

This plate dates back to the early 1900's and belonged to
Grandmother ESTELLE
OLD BUTTONWOOD was the first Presbyterian Church
built in Philadelphia in 1704.
It was surrounded by a grove of Sycamore trees.

The little workstation desk in the kitchen holds
a few Easter favorites...

And I felt the kitchen bay window needed a vibrant green..

It is rather fun to pull together various pieces
to display and pull together a seasonal holiday vignette

New cottage style bunnies are on the dining table

I found these at Walmart for $5.00

This precious bunny is from the Liz Marie line

And a vintage look on the bar cart......

I hope you have a very blessed and happy Easter Sunday