We Have Breakfast and a Winner!

Next weekend is Mother's Day.  All the mothers get treated to a special breakfast, flowers and a day of relaxation!

Really?  Well maybe breakfast?

So what would you like?

Some Pannetone French Toast?

Blueberry pancakes?

Star shaped pancakes with cherries and blueberries with a dollop of whipped cream? ( I will be having a give away for a set of star molds later this month)

Corned beef hash and toasted bagel

Stacked pancakes filled with fruit?

Or maybe just a fresh baked blueberry muffin?

A few years ago, my friend Barb, at Foley's Follies hosted a meme dedicated to our moms', we shared recipes and memories.  I think it would be fun to do that again!

There were 129 entries who were followers for the  Gone with a Handsomer Man book give away, and $100 gift certificate.

The random generator picked 88...BJ at Sweet Nothings.

Congrats, BJ, I have the book, and I will notify Michael Lee West you were the winner of the gift certificate!

I am joining Laurie for Favorite Things and The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.  Thanks for hosting, Ladies!.

Thanks for visiting, and have a great Sunday!

Teeny's Table and Tasting Party~ Gone with a Handsomer Man & $100 Gift Certificate Give Away

In this week's episode, Teeny Templeton, the main character in ML West's, Gone with a Handsomer Man, prepares some dishes for a job interview.

Jan, from the Picky Palate, wants to see if Teeny is qualified to work in her catering business.

Teeny agonizes over a table to present, but decides to go with this one, white is always tasteful.

A mix of Pier One plates, WSonoma Lions Head bowls and Waterford  stems suited Teeny , who knows how to find a bargain in the thrift stores, yet appreciates fine things.  She didn't mean to chip the antique Waterford bowl when she tossed her keys into it at Uncle Elmer's house.  Calamity is Teeny's middle name!

 

 

She hopes the weather co operates so she can serve Sweet tea and appetizers on the porch.

A savory peach tart,  chopped peaches, red onion, feta cheese and walnuts with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Next, some asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and puff pastry.

Teeny made chicken salad and stuffed it into snow pea pods.

A red pear salad, Jan was sure to like those pecans!

Recipe here

Not knowing what kind of soup Jan preferred , Teeny prepared a few.

Uncle Elmer liked to watch the home shopping channels and picked this up one night.  It is a triple burner buffet server. Free shipping and 5 flex pays!

Ever so handy for those Southern lawn parties!  :)

Teeny found a black book filled with Southern widows names hidden inside, so Elmer still had an eye for the ladies.  Just one eye though, he was blind in the other, but that's another story!  :)

I'll just share that he always serenaded those Southern beauties with, "I Only Have EYE For You!"

He had hoped to use it for his Kentucky Derby Day Soiree , but he kicked  the bucket too soon!  May he rest in peace!

She chose to have a bowl of the Creamy Leek and Potato topped with Bacon.

Moving on to desserts, first up was Strawberry and Cream Cake.

 

A moist white cake, layered with chopped strawberries and cream and iced with whipped cream.

Jan smiled as she tasted the creamy cake, a good sign.

Teeny knew that spreading strawberry preserves on the warm layers of cake gave those strawberries a burst of flavor.

Knowing her beloved  Aunt Bluette was smiling down on her, Teeny hoped her peach ice cream would seal the deal.

Jan thanked Teeny for her hospitality and said,

"Teeny, _________________________."

You fill in the blank.  Did Teeny get the job ...or does she have to accept employment at " Sal Monella's Snack Bar" or "Bad Beans and Burgers Bistro?"

What will become of Teeny?  Will she find true love, or heartburn?

I hope you enjoyed yourself at Teeny's Tasting Party, and that ML doesn't mind  that I fabricated this scene!

A copy of Gone with a Handsomer Man , and a 100 dollar gift certificate , courtesy of ML West, will be won by a follower who leaves a comment on this post. 

All those who left a comment last week, are in once, and this will be your second chance.

Give away now over.
The winner will be announced this weekend!  Good luck.

I am joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday, ML West for Foodie Friday on Designs by Gollum. , and Sherry at No Minimalist Here for her Open House Party.
Please visit as many as you can of the other entrants.

Thanks for visiting!

I got a lot of emails asking about the triple buffet. It is on special till midnight I think at HSN. $119.00 free shipping and flex pay

http://www.hsn.com/cnt/search/searchresults/default.aspx?Ntt=triple+buffet&N=0&Ntk=Std&st=1&criteria=&days=&minprice=&maxprice=&srchCatNm=&o=esearch

Be sure to sign up at mrrebates.com first, and get a % back. FYI only, I am not being compensated!
I do love mine though!

Did You Get Your Royal Mail?

I did!  It came last week.

I hadn't planned on going.

The last one didn't turn out well.  Poor Diana.

And then there was Fergie and Andrew.  Not a good outcome there either!

But this is the first time I got ROYAL MAIL, or ROYAL anything.

I have been called a ROYAL PAIN, by you know who, and the show ROYAL PAINS takes place where I live.  They closed off a block in town last week to film again.  I have only seen it once.

Have you ever seen it?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1319735/

It is about a doc who leaves the city and comes out here and becomes a doc to the rich and famous.

I have a doc here, Dr. Kot, and he takes care of many of us here in Southampton, who are neither rich nor famous!

He's cute, he could be in the show.

But, I digress!

Now to be honest, my Royal Mail was a give away from JanMary.com  I won.  An Irish Chocolate candy bar and adorable ceramic shamrock from Ireland.  She lives in Northern Ireland, thus the Royal Mail.

So I won't be going, or watching, except on the news.

But those of you who are looking forward to it, enjoy!

I promised a shot of the inside of the Easter Babka.

I'll have this slice of this Ukrainian  cheese Babka with my Irish Tea.  :)  The Royals can have their Earl Gray and Crumpets!

I hope everyone who celebrates  had a good Easter !  We were guests at my dil's sister's home.

Let the hunt begin!  That grandma is about to get scrambled!  All 90 eggs were found in a matter of minutes.

See you Wednesday for Tablescape Thursday and Foodie Friday .  It will feature Teeny from Gone with a Handsomer Man, ML West's new book and a 100 dollar gift certificate give away!  Do come back and enter!  :)

I  hear the Royals, what's his face and what's her name are coming too!  Elton can't make it!

If they come, I will have their table ready, welcome to the USA!  :)

I am joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday. 

Easter EGGS cetera! Fresh from the oven, BABKA

As I sit here doing this post, the smell of fresh Babka is filling the kitchen.

Tomorrow we will have breakfast for 2, then head to Mass.

As tired as I am from the preparations, I am sure this guy has a long night ahead of him!

Look how nicely he cleans up!

I was trying an egg method I saw last week on Seasonal Sunday.  You whip the whites, then bake them.

They didn't come out very pretty for me...

 

So I dusted them with cheese, and they tasted fine.

I decided to use this pan, and try my own method.

Much better, I think.  I baked the 2 egg whites, then dropped in the yolk for a few minutes more.  Served on a flattened biscuit. My own egg mcmuffin!

This morning I was reading my daily email from Martha.  She had a video about doing your eggs in natural things.

I only had red onion skins, so I gave it a try.  I think red cabbage would be better.  Kind of blah...I like the soft pastels, what can I say?

Don't think the gkids would get too excited over these!

Martha said go to the market and ask if you can have all the loose onions skins in the bins.  Seriously?  I think you might get some strange looks! I couldn't find my cheesecloth, so I used a white cotton hankie.

I guess if you were doing a table in non pastels it would be fine.

Debbie at Mountain Breaths did one with a silk tie, I like how that came out.

Suzy at Kitchen Bouquets showed them last year too! Very cute!

I picked up this sweet salt and pepper at the Lenox Outlet.  I wrapped it for my 4 little gkids to give their mom for Easter.

I hope she likes it!

And this cute platter from WSonoma Outlet for me.  Sometimes the bunny forgets to visit here, so I took things into my own hands!  :)

 

This is for dil too.  The Tablescaper insisted I get one at CTS, and I filled it with Just Born Jelly beans, my fave.

Do you have a brand you like?  These are nice and soft and fruity.

The Babka's done, time to go! I can't cut them to show you yet, they are still hot.  But I will, next time.

 

 

 

 

May you have a glorious Easter!  Many blessings to you and your families.

Thanks for visiting!

(If you haven't signed up for a chance to win ML's new book , Gone with a Handsomer Man and the 100 dollar gift cert. go back one post and leave a comment.  One more chance next week for Foodie Friday.  Hope you win!)

I am joining Laurie for Favorite Things, and The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.  Thank you ladies for hosting! 

A Blue Easter~Gone with a Handsomer Man Give Away for Cuisine Kathleen readers, and Teeny Talk

By now some of you have read Michael Lee West's new book, Gone with a Handsomer Man, so you know who Teeny is.  ML's blog, Designs By Gollum is having a party for the next 2 Foodie  Fridays, featuring foods that Teeny, a Southern gal, would make. 

 

ML sent me 2 books, one for me, and one for you!  She said the winner would also get a $100 dollar gift certificate to a fine store.

Followers who leave a comment on this post get one chance, and another on the 29th. 

Tonight I did a table for the grown ups.  My last few have been crayola crazy, so tonight , a pale blue.

I started with a solid blue, and topped it with a Quaker cotton lace.

I used a crystal ash tray that was a shower gift 40 years ago (you CAN find uses for those pretty ashtrays, they make great little bases for fresh flowers in oasis) to give the crystal basket some height.

I filled it with some sphagnum moss, and dried blue baby's breath.

I made this wreath and placed it around the basket.

I dyed some hard boiled eggs blue.  Pretend they are a perfect match!  :)

Silver charger, delicate blue flowered china with a silver rim.  I have had it over 40 years.  Nests from PB outlet, I painted the eggs blue.

Blue napkin with white overlay in silver Swan napkin rings.  Silver egg cups.

Robin eggs salt and pepper, silver basket votive holders, porcelain white eggs for condiments, Villeroy and Boch.

Stems trimmed in silver , wedding gift. Silver by International.

I am joining Susan at BNOTP for  Tablescape Thursday.  Please visit some of the beautiful tables posted.

Foodie Friday~Teeny Talk

Teeny Templeton is an out of work Pastry Chef.  She needs work, and she needs it now.

Miss Dora arranges for her to meet Jan, the owner of the Picky Palate. 

Jan comes for coffee to see if Teeny has the skills to work for her.

Not having much time to prepare, she makes a pear wrapped in puff pastry.

She served it with a vanilla cream sauce and a dollop of ice cream.

(Peel and remove the core, I use one of those orange tools you get free from Tupperware. Poach the pears in water, vanilla and brown sugar . Remove the pears and let them cool. Reduce the syrup down and at the end stir in some heavy cream and reduce some more. Cut puff pastry into strips and wrap the pear overlapping a bit. Bake till golden, serve with the sauce and some vanilla ice cream)
With the left over pastry, she makes some peaches and cream mini tarts.

Will Jan hire Teeny?

Does she become the next Iron Chef?

 

Will Paula and the Sullivans be the judges?

Did you know Southerners call recipes, receipts?

News to me!  Here in New YAWK, receipts are the things you save so you can return items!  Thus the origin of "Many happy returns!  "

And that they all have 6 names like Laura Wells Phillips (Mrs. John Wilkes Phillips) ?  :)

Will her fresh peach blueberry muffins  save her buns?

Her ribs tickle Jan's?

Will her peach crumb cake be peachy, so Teeny's salad days will be  over?

To find out the answers to these and other burning questions, please come back next week for a party and Teeny's Tasting Table.

Wear a big hat, and we'll  have some sweet tea on the porch and discuss the fate of Miss Teeny Templeton.  Read the book so we can get into the juicy  details!  :)

RSVP, I want to make sure we have enough food!  :)

Now y'all leave a comment so you can have a chance to win the book and a $100 gift certificate, and do come back for the party!

Thanks for visiting!

Hop over to Yvonne's at Stone Gable for a chance to win there too!
And go see what's up at Gollum's Foodie Friday!