Tapas Tuesday: Blackberry Cobbler

Blackberries are a wild Southern fruit! Sarah sees them all the time on her walks in Memphis, especially in older neighborhoods. Although messy, they are a very easy fruit to grow and make an excellent cobbler. To make it extra savory, add a cup of sugar and let sit in the fridge overnight. Southern Hostesses love to bring a blackberry cobbler to a picnic or cook-out - it's sure to delight your friends or guests! Here is the recipe... 


2 pints fresh blackberries

1 stick butter

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 tiny squeeze lemon juice

1 large egg

1 cup sugar (or more depending on your sweet tooth)

Place blackberries in a greased nine inch baking dish.  Sprinkle with sugar and dot with butter. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  

Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients into a batter and spread over baked blackberries carefully.  Raise oven temp to 350 and bake cobbler for about 35 minutes until crusty and slightly brown on top.  Serve warm ... and, if you like, with vanilla ice cream!  

Enjoy!

Party Supply Monday: Acacia Wood

Southern Hostesses love to collect dinnerware and serveware, and wood is a great option when starting a new collection. One of my favorite things about wood is that it is almost unbreakable if you drop it! The downside? I have to hand wash my pieces after I use them. They are easy to clean, though! I have the appetizer plates and platter above (from Crate and Barrel) and they are great for parties, especially outdoors when I don't want to use my McCarty Pottery pieces. The look is organic and asymmetrical, and works fantastic for wine and cheese on wine night.  Word to the wise... don't let your guests use knives on the plates because they will get scratched! Acacia wood pieces are beautiful and can be mixed with glass, pottery, or porcelain on the dinner table - love that!

Secret Source Sunday: Say Cheese! Party Props

Have you been thinking about getting party props for your next party? Party props are all the rage at weddings, but they are also fun for birthdays, showers, and holiday dinners among many other celebrations. Southern Hostesses love photo booths at parties because they keep the guests entertained "until supper is ready!" You can invest in a set and use them year round. I have a great source for quality party props (since searching on the web can overwhelming) - Say Cheese! Say Cheese will even make custom props for your celebration! Oh, and they also make banners, garland, and signs! Bonus!

Outdoor Saturday: Meyer Lemon Tree

Southern Hostesses love lemons - they are great as a garnish in cocktails and great for cooking! Why get a Meyer Lemon Tree? Meyer Lemon Trees can be grown and harvested on a patio, balcony, or a sunny kitchen. Meyer lemons are sweeter, juicier, and more fragrant than ordinary lemons. They also produce very fragrant white flowers in the winter, which is the perfect time of year for fresh flowers indoors. Depending on how you prune, Meyer Lemon Trees can reach eight feet tall by ten feet wide - now that's a lot of lemons! Meyer Lemons Trees make a fabulous gift! If space is an issue, then you could grow a Dwarf Meyer Lemon Tree, which grows to resemble a topiary. Whichever you choose, you will surely enjoy the fruits of this tree! 

Party Friday: Baby Shower Favor

In 2010, my Southern Hostess friends and I hosted a baby shower for our wild and fabulous friend Amy for her darling Baby Mila. Stuffy or dull party favors would not make sense for Amy - she is way too fun for that! Sooo... our Southern Hostess friend Whitney came up with a better idea! She created a very cool lullaby cd with Rock a Bye Baby songs from iTunes by artists like AC/DC, the Beach Boys, Bob Marley, the Rolling Stones, and U2. It was a hit - she even created precious cd labels and added a disco ball (because "that's so Amy") to give it a little something extra. Custom cd's are a great idea for a shower or really any other party you can host - who doesn't love a good song mix?!

Southern Thursday: Calling Cards

Call me old-fashioned, but I still love calling cards! A calling card, or visiting card, is "a card used socially to signify a visit made to a house if the occupant is absent." Calling cards were the precursor to the business cards we use today. What I like about calling cards is that they are social, and not business-related... a Southern Hostess always has her personal (not business) information on her calling cards.

On my last set of calling cards from four years ago (below), I also included my address. I loved these cards at the time, but I wish I had something more classic now.  Oh, and letterpress - I love letterpress cards! Calling cards are becoming more popular nowadays with moms - it's very easy to exchange info at the playground or park if you have a calling card. Who wouldn't want her children to play with yours after you hand over a fabulous calling card?!

 

Wonky Wednesday: Gold Frame Chalkboard

Southern Hostesses love to post a cocktail or dinner menu at a party and I think this gold frame chalkboard is perfect for displaying a menu! Although it's baroque in style, the chalkboard makes it more casual. This glam chalkboard can be used at a variety of parties, such as baby showers, birthdays, bridal showers, engagement parties, and weddings. It would also be fab all year round in a kitchen or office! I've searched Etsy.com for one, but haven't found just what I want so I see a DIY project in my near future - hopefully I can find a frame as gorgeous as this one!

Tapas Tuesday: Key Lime Pie

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• My friend Stephanie lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and has a beautiful lime tree right in her backyard.  This is actually a picture of the limes that we went outside to pick.  After we were through, you could not even tell that we had picked any limes at all!  In addition to having enough limes to make fresh limeade or margarita / mojito mixers, fresh limes are excellent in Key Lime Pie. Here is a quick and easy recipe to enjoy, whether you have a lime tree or not!
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• 5 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup key lime juice (or a little more)
• 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F 
2. Combine the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lime juice. Mix well. Pour into unbaked graham cracker shell.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.  Chill in the Refrigerator. Enjoy!

Party Supply Monday: Drink Dispensers

Southern Hostesses love glass drink dispensers! Why?! Drink dispensers are fantastic for entertaining - they can hold lemonade, tea, water, or specialty cocktails. Having one or multiple drink dispensers frees the Southern Hostess from running around and filling up water glasses the entire party so she can socialize with her guests. These vessels look great on stands or just directly on the table or bar. They look fabulous with sliced fruits and mint leaves floating inside the container - perfect for water and tea! Specialty cocktails are refreshing with berries in them and lemonade could also use some lemon slices for extra taste. These dispensers come in all shapes and sizes and range from casual to modern to traditional. If you are looking to add a glass dispenser (or two) to your collection, they are easy to find at places like Macy's, Pier One, and Target! 

Secret Source Sunday: Fancy Flours

Southern Hostesses love unique baking goods and gifts! Fancy Flours is the best website for baking inspiration for cookies, cakes and candy. This website and blog will inspire you to get creative in the kitchen with cake toppers, cookie cutters, dragees, Dresden trims, disco dust, glitter sugar, and wafer papers. There are plenty of ideas, how to's, and inspiration on the site as well. For the serious baker, there are great oils and flavorings from all over the world. The good folks at Fancy Flours trek the globe for their unique offerings so we can find all of them in one place- lucky us!

Outdoor Saturday: Lanterns

Do you have lanterns in your outdoor space? This is the Casablanca Lantern from Z Gallerie; I took this pic in L.A. at a movie premiere "after party," but you can purchase these lanterns online as well. I love lanterns for outdoor parties, but they are also great to have on the patio all year in your backyard retreat. You can purchase them in different sizes and colors... just make sure you put a candle inside because they set off a beautiful glow when lit. Lanterns create a great ambiance when dining al fresco, so pick up some lanterns before your next outdoor dinner party to create a magical atmosphere for entertaining!

Party Friday: Handmade Confetti

 

Have you ever made your own confetti for a party?  It's very easy with a craft punch in any shape and a stack of colored cardstock. My niece Maddie, a Southern Hostess in the making, is creating various themes of handmade confetti today. You can use the confetti in birthday cards or sprinkle it all over the table for a fun dinner with the family! I love to sprinkle bunny confetti around the house at Easter! Making handmade confetti is a fun project for kids because they can get creative with colors and come up with new ideas. Handmade confetti also makes a fun and inexpensive gift!

Southern Thursday: Abe's Bar-B-Q

Abe's Bar-B-Q in Clarksdale, Missississippi is an institution in the South. I went there a couple of weeks ago on the way to McCarty Pottery in Merigold with my boyfriend Scott. That's our deal - I get to go to McCarty and he gets to go to Abe's. What he doesn't know (until now) is that I love Abe's as much as he does, so it's a win-win for me! I didn't get a pic of our pork sandwich and cheeseburger because we ate them too fast, so here is Scott's chili cheeseburger... yes, I had a bite and it was incredible (and I don't even like chili cheeseburgers!) We eat a big lunch when we're there since it's not often enough that we get to go, so we usually order and then order again. Before you leave these sacred Southern grounds at the Crossroads (where Hwy 49 meets Hwy 61), make sure you get a quart of Abe's sauce to go - it's one of my favorites!

Scott made sure to get a quart of sauce to go!

Wonky Wednesday: Mismatched Flatware

How wonderful is this basket of mismatched flatware?! I spotted this gorgeous basket on the street outside an antique shop in Notting Hill on my 2010 trip to London. Ever since I took this photo, I have wanted to collect mismatched flatware and keep it in a basket like this one on the kitchen table or counter. This flatware was very simple (nothing fancy) and still looked fabulous! I like how casual it looks - I think a basket of mismatched flatware would be fab at a dinner party! But you don't have to go to London or scour antique shops, Southern Hostesses can buy mismatched flatware from Cake Vintage (they're based out of Nashville... love that) for $30 a set! Yay!

Tapas Tuesday: Delicious Peach Ice Cream

Photo Credit: GoodEatsBlog.com 

This is the perfect season for delicious juicy peaches.  There is a big debate over which state has the best peaches: Georgia, Alabama, or South Carolina? While I have tasted peaches from all states, I cannot make a decision as to which one wins the "best peach award."  In Memphis, the best peaches come from local farmer Jones' Orchard.  I can pick them up at Whole Foods, the farmer's market, or make a short drive to the actual orchard where they have an assortment of fruit, jams, and other home grown delicacies.  Here is my quick "no cook" recipe for Peach Ice Cream.  This recipe came from the Memphis Commercial Appeal years and years ago. Enjoy!

• 3 cups peeled peaches (about 8 medium)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 3 egg whites, beaten until stiff
• 2 quarts whole milk
• 1 drop red food coloring ( I don't think the recipe needs this, so I don't add it.)

Blend peaches in blender until fairly smooth.  Stir in sugar and condensed milk.  Beat whipping cram and beaten egg whites into peach mixture. Pour into ice ream freezer. Stir in 2 quarts of milk and food coloring.  Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.  Makes 4 quarts. 

Party Supply Monday: Monogram Napkins

Southern Hostesses love monogram cocktail napkins! Custom paper napkins are not just for weddings - they are great all year round! You can have them embossed or printed, and they make great gifts because who doesn't love to have a set on the bar cart?! You can use them for brunches, parties, tailgates, or wine night! They add that special touch to your cocktails - if you order some for your next party, make sure to order extra for after the party!

Secret Source Sunday: glassybaby

I love glassybaby! What is a glassybaby? It's a colorful glass cup, candle holder, or vase that comes in fabulous colors with names like angel, bff, first kiss, frog hunting, lady di, oz, and studio 54! These beautiful pieces of art are hand-blown glass meant to bring life and light to those who see them glow. There's a lot more to glassybaby than beautiful colors of flickering light, glassybaby also gives back to charities dedicated to "health, healing, and quality of life." Since 2003, glassybaby has donated nearly one million dollars to charity selling each glassybaby for $44 each and donating a portion of the sale. You can purchase glassybabies, and they are also available for rental. They make a very special gift for all ages, and are sure to bring light to the recipient! Oh, and they are Handmade in the U.S.A. - Southern Hostesses always love that! 

  

Outdoor Saturday: Lil' Pig Cooker

This Lil' Piggie can cook! As you know, we Southern Hostesses love our barbecue down here and everyone needs a grill and a smoker out on the back patio. I spotted this Lil' Pig Traeger Grill at Germantown Hardware in Germantown, Tennessee. If I needed a grill, this would be at the top of my list! This pink smoker makes me want to start my own BBQ Team for Memphis in May BBQ Fest. Have you ever seen anything so fun and fantastic?! I bet food tastes better when cooked in this beauty! I would name her Princess Petunia!

How cute is that?!

Party Friday: Custom Cookies

Custom cookies are a great party favor for a wedding, birthday, anniversary, or special dinner! This cookie is from my friends Amy & Andrew's wedding last December at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis and I thought it was so precious! Southern Hostesses love anything with a monogram, especially chocolate! You can also make monogram cookies at home (if you have a steady hand) in all shapes and sizes and make the same impact... this cookie was simple and elegant, but the possibilities are endless! I will have to bake some custom cookies for the next party!

Southern Thursday: BBQ Sauce

Here in the South, we Southern Hostesses take our BBQ sauce pretty seriously. We put BBQ sauce on everything from pork to ribs to potatoes to nachos. It's a Southern Hostess's condiment of choice - I have 6 bottles of different BBQ sauces in my refrigerator right now! They all have such different flavors that you can never have enough. I also love to buy BBQ sauce when I am traveling and bring it home to taste - no two sauces taste alike. So, we have come up with our favorites (in no particular order because we love all of them), but here it is:

Abe's BBQ (Clarksdale, MS) 
Central BBQ (Memphis, TN)
Corky's (Memphis, TN)
Germantown Commissary (Germantown, TN)
Rendezvous (Memphis, TN)
Rib Cage (Oxford, MS and PickWick Dam, TN)

Wonky Wednesday: Tear-Off Napkins

How did I not think of these? These tear-off luncheon napkins are FANTASTIC!!! Each perforated roll comes with 25 disposable napkins. These are great for Southern Hostesses who love the elegance of cloth napkins but enjoy the convenience of paper napkins. They would be fantastic for a picnic or tailgate! These napkins can be washed and used up to 8 times each... or you can toss them whenever you want. They come in a variety of colors and Anthropologie has them on sale for $14.95 (down from $28) right now, so hop online and order a few rolls! These napkins are sure to be the talk of the tailgate!

Tapas Tuesday: Sarah's Okra

I love okra!!! It is one of my favorite Southern veggies and you can eat it so many ways. In addition to being so versatile, it is very easy to grow organically. One of my favorite ways to eat okra is pickled. You can buy it at the store or pickle your own. I absolutely love to put it in my Bloody Mary on LSU game day- Geaux Tigers! (Lisa says Hotty Toddy!)

Of course, besides putting it in soup, I like to throw it in my pasta salad after blanching it. Fried okra is an excellent addition to a salad with a buttermilk garlic or blue cheese dressing. Here is a great recipe from A Gracious Plenty for fried okra:

1/2 cup cornmeal

Salt , pepper, and garlic to taste

1 pound of okra, washed, trimmed, and cut into 3/4 inch slices

Oil (I use peanut or canola)

Mix the cornmeal, salt, pepper, and garlic salt in a zip-loc bag. Soak okra in water for 1-3 minutes. Drain, leaving the okra wet. Shake gently in the bag. Heat 1/4 inch oil in a heavy skillet. Add   The okra and cover and fry for 2-3 minutes. Turn the okra, cover, and continue to repeat for about 6 or 7 more minutes, always replacing the cover. Drain on paper towels and enjoy! The recipe says that the okra should be "partly crispy and partly semi-chewy, some pieces in tact and some pieces a little smashed up."

Party Supply Monday: Tiered Wood Display

I love my Three Tier Rustic Wood Display from Save On Crafts. It is great for parties, especially for displaying food and dessert! It is also great for displaying favors at the end of the party. The display can be taken apart and you may use the shelves as trays, which also makes it easy to store! If you are looking to add a rustic piece to your serveware collection, this three tier wood display is a great addition!

Secret Source Sunday: Fishs Eddy

Photo Credit: FishsEddy.com

Have you heard of Fishs Eddy? Several years ago, I visited their dishware shop on Broadway while in NYC. I had been on their website before, so I was sure to find their shop while visiting the Big Apple. It was as eclectic as I expected, and I loved all of their retro and edgy dishware. Fishs Eddy opened in 1985 and are known for their eclectic and classic style. Their dinnerware collections have fabulous names like Intervention-ware, Bridge & Tunnel, and The In Crowd. If you cannot make it to their store, you should definitely check out their website to order some funky pieces for your dinnerware collection!