I Love a Crafty Day.....Marshmallows

I know many of you heard about our crazy weather that we had in the south last week.  I made my trip to the grocery store and thought that when the weather got icy, I would make some homemade peach fried pies.  My mom made them for us on cold snowy days when I was a little girl. 

Well, it never happened. 

Sometimes, cooking can be like crafting...only better, because you get to eat your project.

THIS is what happened instead.... 

HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS!!!

Now I've made marshmallows in the past with a recipe from M. S.  It was a recipe I got from her magazine about 8-10 years ago....long before gourmet marshmallow confections became popular...before blogging....before Pinterest.  I decided to try my hand with a new recipe and boy am I a happy lady!

Aren't they just beautiful???



PERFECT

A cup of hot cocoa on a frigid day with the delightful addition of a delicious and perfectly plump homemade marshmallow.  So easy to make and a fun project, too!   ENJOY!

Here's where I got the recipe: marshmallow recipe

Adult Grilled Cheese

We had a wonderful visit with friends at Seaside and Seagrove, Florida this summer.  Everything is fun and exciting when you go to the beach!  Especially when you share it with friends.

Another thing I love about visiting this area are the Airstream food trucks of Seaside.  I had the opportunity to eat at the Airstream food trucks two times during our visit.  Both times, I got a sandwich at The Melt Down on 30A.  Who wouldn't love a day at the beach, sunning, shopping and then a delicious grilled cheese sandwich?  AND have it served to you in a brown paper bag--just like a kid's sack lunch from years ago.

I knew I wanted to make these delicious sandwiches

 at home, so here is my first sandwich from The Melt Down.

The Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil grilled cheese.

Oh my goodness!  Such fresh and simple favors of summer all in one delicious sandwich!

Here's what you'll need:

2 slices Italian bread (I used Publix's 5 grain Italian)

fresh mozzarella

fresh basil leaves

fresh tomato slices

butter

 

I used a non-stick skillet with a little pat of butter in it.

Then, I placed in the pan one piece of bread topped with a generous slice of fresh

 mozzarella cheese so it could start melting.

I heated the bread and cheese low and slow and got the other

 ingredients ready at the same time. 

I prepped my fresh basil-washed it and patted it dry.

I sliced the tomato.

Here's the menu of delicious sandwiches at The Melt Down.

When the first side of the sandwich was golden brown,

 I put the basil leaves on top of the melting cheese.

  I placed the other slice of bread on top and gave it a little pat of butter, too. 

 I flipped the sandwich so the other side could start to brown. When the other 

 side of the bread was brown, I removed it from the pan and placed it on my plate. 

 I opened the sandwich up and placed the tomato slices

 inside and gave them a dash of salt and pepper.

I then returned to top slice of bread to the sandwich. 

 And, to make sure everything was extra gooey,

 I microwaved the sandwich for 20 seconds.

Here are the results!



Yummy Summer Goodness--

An adult grilled cheese!

Fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato grilled cheese.



The Post Office at Seaside, Florida.

The different Airstream food trucks at Seaside, Florida offer ice cream,

grilled cheese, hot dogs, bar-b-que and delightful raw offerings.

I think I've brought home a

 great souvenir from our summer vacation.

Joining the party:

Rattlebridge Farm: Foodie Friday

Going for the Gold-Cheese Straws

I love to cook and you might think with the title, that this post will be about hosting an Olympic Party.  Sorry--but it isn't about the Olympics.  It is about gold, though.  It's about CHEESE STRAWS--cooked to golden perfection.                                                               

It's about a favorite party goodie that we southern folks just love. 

If your having a tea, a coffee or a wedding here in the south,

you're going to want to serve your guests some cheese straws.

I have always admired the perfect cheese straw.

  A nice lady here in my town named Dorothy used

 to make the BEST cheese straws.  Hers were

 beautiful and perfect-tasting every time.

You could actually be at a social event and eat a cheese straw

 and know if Dorothy had made it.

Over the years, I have used her recipe and the recipe of

another sweet lady named Mary Lovett.  I have taken both of their

 recipes and combined them for the recipe I use today.

My sweet niece is getting married next Saturday and I am making the cheese

 straws for the reception.  I'm making a thousand.  That's right.  I want to make sure

 that every person who attends this event has several of my yummy cheese straws.

Here's what you'll need to make the cheese straws

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature

24 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon red pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

4 dashes hot sauce

(This recipe makes 200)



First, grate the cheese. 

 Yes, grating the cheese does better in the recipe

 than the pre-grated packages.

Cream the butter and add the cheese.

Mix the cheese and butter together.

Add the flour, baking powder, garlic salt, red pepper and hot sauce.

You can taste the dough and see if you want you make it with a little more spice.

Mix well.

You will need a press to make the cheese straws. 

I use a star tip to make the 2 1/2 inch long straws.

I eye ball it--and they seem to turn out pretty well.

Place the cheese straws on a greased cookie sheet.

Try to arrange the straws on the cookie sheet so they are nice and straight!

I make forty on each cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes.  Bake on the top rack in the oven, one sheet at time.  Test for desired crunchiness at 12 minutes.  Return to oven if you want them to be a little crunchier.  

Cool on a rack. 

Store in air-tight containers.  Cheese straws may be frozen.

The perfect cheese straw is at home on

 pewter, a silver tray or a paper napkin. 

 I hope you'll try this recipe.  Let me know if you do!

Joining the Party at:

Rattlebridge Farm

Foodie Friday

Our Christmas

I have not posted all the things that I had envisioned posting for the month of December.  I got off to a great start with two posts and then I'm not really sure what happened*.

I am a new blogger and I had dreamed of cozy posts of my Christmas decorations and seasonal events. I had dreams of joining blog link parties and reading everyone else's fun posts....but it didn't happen.

So here is a quick and belated tour of our home for Christmas.

This is my coffee table in my family room.

This is the view from our sofa in the family room.

The details of my mantle.

I got this sled last year on etsy. I love it.

Part of my Santa needlepoint pillow collection.

The desk in my family room.

The tree in our family room.

A table in my family room.

My German chocolate mold on my kitchen counter.

This is the table in my kitchen.

I found the Santa's Diner plates at Hobby Lobby last year and I couldn't resist!

My table in my dining room.

 The tree in our living room.

The foyer.

Our backyard fireplace.

It was warm many days in December, but we had a fire outside on Christmas Eve.

 I love to entertain, so I took a few pictures of my table,
plates and set ups during different occassions.

I love these little milk bottles.

My Mom and I had a coffee and invited friends over for a morning of fellowship.

My favorite Christmas ornament.

 An appetizer plate for Christmas Eve.

A cookie tray for a friend.

*I know what happened.  Life.  Our high school football season ended on December 2 and we attended the out-of-town game (my daughter is in the band).  WE WON the State 6-A Championship!  I took friends to the Montgomery Curb Market.  I volunteered at two schools. I decorated our home.  I helped decorate our church.  I helped with the poinsetta sale at church-unloading the truck and organizing orders. I delivered fruit from the band fruit sale.  My daughter was in the Christmas parade.  I attended the Girl Scout Leader's Meeting.  I got our Christmas cards ready and in the mail. I attended the Girl Scout Cookie Training Meeting.  I attended a Christmas luncheon. We attended our Sunday School Christmas Auction to raise money for our Christmas Family.  I had my Scout troop over to our house to decorate cookies.  I made extra cheese straws for a wedding.  We had our Sunday School Christmas party at our home.  My daughter had mid-terms.  We helped deliver Christmas presents and food to our Christmas Family. 
We went on a three day trip to celebrate our 19th anniversary.  My Mom and I had a coffee for friends.  My daughter had a Christmas Concert for band.  I made cookies for my daughter's teachers.  Oh, and I had a terrible headache and had to get a shot (I lost most of that week).  I cleaned house, cooked meals and took my daughter back and forth to school every day.  I made Christmas goodies for family and friends...all from scratch.  I shopped for presents and wrapped them up.  But I had a WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS and hope to do it all again next year.  I wouldn't do a thing different except BLOG ABOUT IT!!