OUR MOTHER'S DAY CELEBRATION 2025

 

Good Morning to you all....
I hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day weekend..
ours was absolutely beautiful and joyous.....
it was all made possible by my wonderful family
and we had two days of celebrating..
 as I was remembering my mother and both grandmothers.....

Mother's Day 2025...one to remember

Let's party.....

Rose' Sippin'......

This was a new favorite by all the boys...

Cheese Spread with Strawberry Preserves

Smoked Salmon Dip with Cocktail Crackers

Boursin Prosciutto with Arugula Crostinis topped
with Balsamic Glaze

A beautiful White Chocolate Strawberry Cake

So light and delicious

Then we were off to dinner at our gorgeous
historic downtown district

Downtown Saturday night where people were out enjoying
the evening and listening to music

The very best Caesar Salad

Along with delicious pizza

An evening to remember

Sunday, we had a beautiful day of porch sittin', an exciting Stars game
and dinner of Shrimp and Rice Casserole!
I could not have asked for more.....

The Divine Miss M and Luke the Duke....

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....