Little Touches

I believe the little touches make a home special. I love birds and I found this little bird towel holder. I started with a bird napkin holder last year and now I can't get enough. Look at the beautiful tea towels I found!!! I'm so excited about ordering them. I found them on the April Cornell site http://www.aprilcornell.com/ She has a lot of Shabby Chic type of linens/towels/placemats.

Cupcakes!!!

Do you love cupcakes? Then your going love Sugar Baby's. They opened a cupcake boutique down in Houston. They serve all sorts of wonderful flavors of cupcakes. Yummy!!!

THE CORNBREAD GOSPELS

I met a woman recently that goes by the name Crescent Dragonwagon. She lives in Vermont and is an author of several cook books. She sent me this wonderful cook book filled with hundreds of Cornbread recipes. They are fantastic!!! If y'all love Cornbread this is the perfect book for you.

Spicy Horseradish Meatloaf

This is my favorite meatloaf recipe. My husband loves this meatloaf with green beans and mash potatoes. It's not your traditional loaf but it's mmmm good.

Spicy Horseradish Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground beef
3/4 c. Italian bread crumbs
1 lg. sweet onion, chopped
1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. milk
2 lg. eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp. prep. horseradish
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Topping

1/2 c. ketchup
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. prep. horseradish
2 tsp. spicy brown mustard

1.) Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl, stir well. Form beef mixture into a loaf and place in a 9x5" loaf pan.

2.) Combine 1/2 c. ketchup, brown sugar, 1 tbsp. horseradish, and mustard in a small bowl, stirring well. Spoon half of ketchup mixture over top of meat loaf. Bake uncovered at 375 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Spoon remaining ketchup mixture over meat loaf, and bake 10 more minutes. Serve with fresh green beans and mash potatoes.


Here's my secret ingredients that makes the recipe so yummy!!!

The Sisterhood

This past weekend Richard and I attended a new church. We absolutely loved it. The music was fantastic and Richard was eager to meet the music director after service. He has been desperately wanting to play and they informed him that they have been in need for a lead electric guitarist. Perfect match!!!

I was also invited to attend a Ladies Bible Study this morning. I fell in love with the group of ladies I met. They are all so sweet and funny too. The group is made up of all different ages and I find that so refreshing because each generation brings their own sense of humor, knowledge, and individuality to the table. It reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Steel Magnolias. That was a great movie about a special sisterhood between a group of gals. I consider myself very blessed to have the opportunity to build friendships with them. I can't wait to go back next week.

Cajun Cornbread Stuffing

This is the perfect side dish that will always be a big hit at any social gathering. It's a New Orleans classic. Hope y'all enjoy!

Cajun Cornbread Stuffing

2 pkg. yellow cornbread mix

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1/2 c. celery

1/2 c. bell pepper, chopped

1/2 lb. boiled and chopped hot sausage

1 lb. Louisiana wild-caught shrimp, peeled & de-veined (16-20 count)

1 lb. Louisiana crawfish tails, chopped

1/2 c. while milk1 11-ounce can cream style corn

1/2 c. chicken broth

2 whole eggs, beaten

1 c. mild cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 c. parsley

A taste of Cajun Seasoning

1.) Bake cornbread, cool, then crumble with hands in bowl. Set aside.

2.) Melt butter in large saute pan, add onion, celery, and bell pepper, and simmer mixture until onions are clear.

3.) Add sausage and shrimp and cook 5 minutes in mixture.

4.) Then add milk & creamed corn, stir will into mixture.

5.) Add this point casserole will look dry so stir 1/2 c. of chicken broth.

6.) Finish casserole by folding ingredients into bowl of crumbled up cornbread. Fold in the beaten eggs, shredded cheese, and minced Italian parsley. Season with Cajun spice.

7.) Transfer mixture to a 11x14 "baking dish" and bake at 350 for 45 minutes until deep golden brown.

Laissez les bon temps roulet!!!

A Rainy Saturday

The rain was horrible today. The sky turned almost black and waterfalls were draining from our roof. Our backyard is completely flooded and so are my flowerbeds. As soon as I think I'm making headway with my back patio the thunderstorms chase me right back into the house. Grrr!!! However, I know we need it. At least I won't have to worry about watering the lawn for a few weeks.

While Richard was dozing off watching the Sci-Fi channel (yuck); I thought I would meddle in the back room. I came across an unpainted bird house & paints. So, I thought I would do a little arts & crafts. Before we moved from Austin I just started taking painting lessons. I really enjoyed it and thought I would look for another class around our community. So, this is my first painted bird house. I thought I would stick it on the front porch. That way a little bird could find some shelter from all these horrible showers.

5 o'clock traffic

5 o'clock traffic jam! The ducks love to bath in the water ways near our house. Aren't they cute?

My New Mignon Faget Glasses

Aren't they beautiful! I absolutely love them!!! Mignon Faget is soooo New Orleans and that's why I had to get these glasses. I have about a dozen pieces from her Fluer de Lis jewelry line. My husband spoils me rotten....I'm one lucky gal.....

New Bedroom Inspiration

I’m going to start remodeling and I’m thinking of using this as my inspiration. I love it! Very Southern and I can see myself retreating here right before bed to read my favorite books. What do y’all think?

I saw Peter Rabbit today

This evening we decided to stroll through the greenbelts behind our house. It was nearly 7:30 pm and was very peaceful as we watched the strawberry burst sun begin to melt into night. We have recently relocated from central Texas to southern Texas (they look completely different). It's very lush in the southern region almost reminding me of parts of Louisiana where as the central is full of hills and dry brush. The greenbelts are full of thick brush, spanish moss, and delicious smelling honey suckle.

On our way back home Richard suddenly stopped and held his finger to his lips. He pointed out the most adorable brown bunny patiently waiting for us to cross the path we shared. I thought for sure the bunny would get scared and hop away but he was super laid back. He was chewing on some shrubs peering over the brush. At one point he hopped into the middle of the path and stared at us. I told Richard I think it's Peter Rabbit telling us it's time for Easter. Hope y'all have a fabulous Easter Sunday.

My Easter Bunnies

Are y'all ready for Easter? I've been decorating for the approaching holiday. I've got my Easter Sunday brunch menu picked out too.

~ Honey Roasted Lamb

~ Cajun Shrimp Stuffing

~ Lemon Pepper Asparagas

~ Red Wine Cinnaman Sweet Potatoes

~ Fruit Salad

~ French Bread with Oil/Vinegar
~Fig Cake with a Buttermilk glaze for dessert

Here are some pictures of my bunnies. The two antique bunnies are from a little boutique in Savannah, Georgia. They will be my centerpiece. The white bunny is from a trip to Jackson, Mississippi. I had to have him.

The Azalea's are all in bloom and the trees are much fuller this past week. I'm just hoping this terrible weather will go away. We get a couple of good days and before you know it another storm passes through. Last week up in Austin the hail storm was so bad that it destroyed several windshields. Our friends had to replace 2 windows out of their house, another a windshield of his truck, and both sustained major body damage to their vehicles. My poor flowers have truly taken a beating. I'm ready for some good sunny weather. Bring it on!