I hope everyone has had a beautiful day! I am sharing with you a few of my favorite places.
I hope you all have a wonderful day! Full of peace and love wrapped in the warmth of of family and friends,
xoxo, mama bird
Bake & skin potatoes; Place in large bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix with hand or stand mixer until smooth & creamy.
Topping:
1 c brown sugar
1/3 c flour
1/3 c butter, melted
pecans halves
Mix sugar, flour & butter sprinkle 1/2 of mix lightly on top of potato mix. Place pecan halves on top of that and sprinkle remaining mixture on top. Bake at 350 for 25-35mins until hot & bubbly! Enjoy!!
xoxo, Mama Bird
I have been working on the “perfect” Thanksgiving dressing for about 5 years and I am so pleased as I think I have finally got the perfect combo of savory, sweet & tart! I tell you this is a winning side dish and everyone will love it! It isn’t hard to make doesn’t take too much time and is so forgiving you can make it the day before, in fact I think it is better that way!
Today we participated in a 4th of July Parade at the library! It was so great to see all the strollers, wagons, bikes, trikes and big wheels! I made a quick trip to the dollar store and voila the Decked out Hooptie Radio Flyer!!
The HIGH POINT of Jack’s Day…
meeting a FIREMAN!!
How are you celebrating Independence Day?
Friday~ Pool, Baseball Game & Fireworks!
Saturday~ Family Cookout & Pool Party
Sunday~ Lake, FRIENDS, Cookout & FIREWORKS!!
Monday~ REST by the POOL!!
Have a wonderful holiday!!
xoxo, Mama Bird
For our Memorial Day Cookout and Pool Party I thought I would do a bunch of different salsas and lots of fun chips to have out all afternoon while we swim & smoke the pig! I found some great salsas that I thought I would try from some of my favorite Foodie Friends!!Here is what I did.
Katie’s Watermelon Salsa & Crippen’s Country Inn in Blowing Rock inspired my NEW Fav
Watermelon Salsa
2 cups diced watermelon
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced red onion
sea salt & pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 oz feta cheese
I make a wonderful salad that uses many of the above ingredients and thought that the salt of the feta and the twang of the balsamic really pushed this over the top!!
My Carolina Salsa this is always a hit and was the first gone!
Ninfa’s Green Sauce THIS IS A MUST TRY!!! It really deserves a post all it own. Coming soon!
Mango Salsa
2 mangos, diced
1/2 pineapple, diced
1 jalapeño, diced super fine
1/2 red onion
1 T fresh cilantro
2 T fresh lime juice
1 T lime zest
sea salt
The Mango/pineapple Salsa was by far the least eaten, it was good I am not a cilantro fan but those who are enjoyed it, those who are not didn’t! It would be really good with fish.
This is one of Hubs all time favorite Memorial Day traditions. For the past 10 or 15 yrs he has spent this holiday at the in-field of Charlotte Motor Speedway and this is the 1st year since I have known him that he and his buddies are not going. SO, I think they decided to “smoke” the meat in honor of CMS and the Coca-Cola 600! I make up a rub and really like to do a wet & dry combo. I use equal parts of apple & grape juice and soak the butt overnight, towel dry and then do the dry rub.
Dry Rub
Please note, I do not really measure this I use a tablespoon and just wing it.
Sea salt
black pepper
crushed red pepper
brown sugar
cumin
paprika
garlic
Wet Basting Sauce
1 c apple cider vinegar
1 T each; dark brown sugar, crushed red pepper & salt
BBQ Sauce
1 c cider vinegar
1 c ketchup
3 T brown sugar
1 T molasses
1 T mustard
salt
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 stick butter
Melt butter and add everything, bring to low boil, reduce heat and sauce will thicken a bit. Serve warm or room temp.
Everyone is bring a side dish since we are doing the “main” course. I am also going to do a salsa bar! I will share those recipes tomorrow!
How are YOU celebrating Memorial Day? What’s on your menu?
Brussels Sprouts immediately make most people tum up their noses. This recipe will change your opinion on these little green balls of goodness. I promise!
1 1/2 lbs Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half or quartered based on size
3 Tb olive oil
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Preheat oven to 400 In large bowl mix the above ingredients. Pour out onto a foil covered rimmed cookie sheet cut side down (key to a perfect roasting!) Bake 25-35 mins shaking pan every 7 mins. Cook until deep brown. Can be served hot or room temp. Serve with balsamic vinegar. DELISH!!
Hey Tip Junkie!! I wanted to share with you a wonderful easy and simple app that is not the same ole same ole! I hope you and others will enjoy!!
Artichoke Bottoms
Mozzarella Balls (mini ones)
Pesto Sauce
Sun dried tomatoes, chopped or sliced
Place the artichoke bottoms on a rimmed cookie sheet. Put a cheese ball on each one, a dollop of pesto and a tomato. Place in 350 oven for 7-10mins. so pretty and colorful!!
Check out http://www.orgjunkie.com/