Bastille Day

I know, I know - I didn't do a July 4th posting, but I'm blogging about a Bastille Day Party?! I promise we celebrated the 4th, but it was just in the middle of our whirl-wind summer and it didn't get documented:(

Anyway, everyone, their mother and their brother throw a 4th of july party, but who throws a Bastille Day party? Chopper, my 1/2 French Poodle + 1/2 Golden Retriever, that's who. And for those of you doing the math, yes that equals 1 Goodle. At the Haley house, we embrace our multi-ethnic roots (Scottish, Irish, French, Mexican) if for no reason other than a good excuse for more parties and holidays. We've had Cinco de Mayo and St. Patty's Day parties. Chopper has been with us for a couple years and we've yet to celebrate his French heritage. I still haven't decided if our party will be more than a couple of friends, but I'll let you know and in the meantime, here are my thoughts and finds on the idea.

To start with Bastille Day is July 14th and celebrates the liberation of the French people from the monarchy. Here's a little Bastille Day trivia to entertain your guests. It turns out that when the peasants rose up against their elite oppressors one of their campaigns was to break the political prisoners out of the infamous Bastille. They did and the scene became the symbol of the entire movement. Unfortunately it wasn't quite the scene the liberators anticipated when they got into the cells...less than a dozen prisoners were there - a couple of whom were insane. Mere details....

So here we go...

Invitations:
My first find was a set of fill-in-the-blank invitations with a french poodle. I picked these up months ago at my local TJ Maxx. Here are some more I've found online:
PrettyGirlPostcards shop on Etsy.com has several cards like this that would really set your theme - and the more you order the more freebies you get!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/prettygirlpostcards?ref=pr_shop

And if you needed an online version:
http://new.evite.com/#create:template=bonappetit&eventType=dinner_party&featured=no&page=1&position=8

Food:
French food and wine might be the best part of this party! Obviously for appetizers you're going to have to have some stinky cheese and crusty bread so let's start there.

I've been wanting to try french bread so this is my opportunity. I like this video so I'll give it a try later and let you know how it worked!
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=JTY4WJRSzY8

There's a lot of stinky cheese out there to choose from so here's a quick guide that will help you select a cheese and then impress your guest with your knowledge of the French cheese "families!"
http://about-france.com/cheese.htm

Nothing is more decadently French than a box full of beautiful rainbow-colored macaroons! More likely than not I will be ordering these for my party, but I've always wanted to be able to whip out these delicacies so I've included a recipe I've been eyeing along with some resources for ordering them pre-made:
Being an Atlanta girl, I know that anything from the famous Alon's will be perfection so I'll be picking a box up on Wednesday when I visit my father. It's been a favorite of locals since they opened their doors in 1992 with their made from scratch bakery items.

To order from Alon's: http://www.alons.geomerx.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=
For internet orders try etsy.com.

Now if I'm going to attempt to make them at some point then I think Martha knows best so I'll start with this recipe:
http://www.marthastewart.com/355759/french-almond-macaroons

A wonderful go-to dish for me is a basic quiche and this is perfect for our theme. If I end up with just another couple for dinner then 1 large quiche will work, but if I had several quests for cocktails then I'm getting a bunch of those little quiche shells from my freezer section in the grocery store and making a couple different mixes.

Whatever size or fillings you decide, here is the base you use:
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups half & half, heavy cream or whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
dash of nutmeg
2 1/2 cups of filling

Prick your chilled crust all over. Bake per recipe instructions and let cool. Reduce oven to 375. Cook meat and blanch/sauté/steam vegetables. Layer ingredients: meat on bottom of crust then vegetables topped with cheeses. Whisk together eggs, milk and seasonings. Pour over crust with filling and bake for approximately 45 minutes until set. The quiche will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven. Look for a bit of a jiggle in the middle, but not on the edges. It will puff up and turn golden. Let cool 10 minutes and serve.

Lastly I think I'm going to break in my new madeleine silicone form! Now I chose silicone for these delicate/ cookies so I could pop them out easily, but there are some really beautiful madeleine forms in a variety of styles and materials out there. I still haven't decide what flavor to try yet, but I will probably try at least these basic ones:

http://www.marthastewart.com/356451/madeleines

DECOR!!!
One of my favorite parts of a party:) Luckily France's colors are red, white and blue so we can recycle some 4th of July decorations or at least pick it up on clearance since it's just 10 days after. Just keep in mind that star motifs make it Americana - you want just red, white & blue. Bunting of any kind would look great - I might whip up this style since it's a no-sew project:

http://www.pepperdesignblog.com/?p=10041

For French specific decor, I love this decal and would keep it up in my kitchen year round! It's so cute:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/77008219/bon-appetit-french-vinyl-lettering-wall?ref=sr_list_2&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=french+wall+decal&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

Play with the theme by finding pieces you would keep in your decor like a like a throw pillow with french script on it or retro french advertisement.

Lastly all you need is a soundtrack. If you're the type to have movies going in the background then you can't go wrong with Kirsten Dunst's Marie Antoinette or the incomparable Glen Close in Dangerous Liaisons and of course netflix has a supply of Bridget Bardot or French Noir films!

Personally I prefer music so I'm grooming a Pandora station. For your own, use these seeds: Coralie Clement, Charles Trenet, Carla Bruni and Edit Piaf.

I will be sure to post pictures from whatever I end up doing and let me know what you think!

Blackberry Patch

Sorry it's been so long y'all! We've had some birthdays, our 1st anniversary (!), lots of travel and working hard. I've got a backlog of posts to get out, but I just had to get this one out right away. It's summer and that means blackberries! I was thrilled to pieces last year when I found a wild blackberry patch at the back of our property. So this morning the dogs and I took a hike through woods and picked berries and wildflowers. The dogs LOVE to go berry picking with me! All of them dive right into brambles and pluck the low hanging fruit.

Now don't get me wrong, I love an plain old-fashioned blackberry pie - crust. However this year I felt like mixing it up. Fresh grated ginger, lemon and a cardamom scented crunch topping takes blackberries to a totally different level. Try it out and let me know what you think!

* Now if you're picking your own berries you practically want them to drop off in your hand. Blackberries don't ripen after being picked and unripened berries are very tart.

Spiced Blackberry Pie
(adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/blackberry-crumble-pie-recipe/index.html)


Ingredients

1 pie crust (try Martha Stewart's fool-proof Pate Brisee http://www.marthastewart.com/254603/pate-brisee-pie-dough)

filling:
4 cup blackberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tbls fresh minced ginger

topping:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or almonds would be perfect!)
1/4 sugar
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

1.) Preheat to 350
2.) Place pie dough in 9" pie tin and bake for 10 minutes - let cool.
3.) In a large bowl, very gently mix all filling ingredients.
4.) In another bowl, mix all topping ingredients - stir in butter lastly.
4.) Pour filling into pan with crust, top with crumb topping and bake 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

* serve with vanilla or maybe caramel ice cream!

May Flowers Are Finally Here!

Well we survived our April "showers" - if you can call a tornado a shower!  We were blessed and completely missed by last weeks destructive storms.  Some of our neighbors were not so lucky so we Thank God for our very near miss.

After all the rain I'm ready for some May flowers!  Maybe they're just on my brain, but I've been seeing the most fantastic blooming of wildflowers on all the fashion pages.  You can't help, but have a bounce in your stilettoed step in a floral find like these!  I've put together a few of my finds with the almighty dollar in mind for you.  Enjoy the call of the wildflower!

Too cute and great on your wallet at under $30 from Forever 21

I have 1 word for you: BOGO.  Yes it is BOGO at Payless and these precious little flats are calling my name at just $22.99...come to mama

I had a pretty hard time choosing which bag from this designer to feature.  Check out PoppyPunch Etsy store for a whole garden of options - just $17 - $19 and oh so sweet!



This adorable poesy ring from Liz Hutnick's Etsy shop will definitely put you in springy mood!



I don't care if no one knows I've got it on - this just makes me happy!  And yes mother, the panties match:)  Pick this up for just $17.95 at H&M.

You'll be looking forward to a few summer showers with this Vera Bradley umbrella I found on Zappos.com for just $32.00

Upcoming wedding to attend?  This will look fantastic in pictures and is so figure-friendly.  You'll be able to afford shoes, bag and jewelry too since it's only 30.99 at Sears (Spense Sleeveless Floral Print Dress).

You're not going to want to hide this cute suit in pool this summer!  Get yourself a beach bag too with all the $$$ you save - it's just $24.50 per piece at American Eagle.

I never know what time it is, but I would if I had this Pedre Green Asian Floral watch - hint hint hubby!  This timepiece is a steal at just $53.23 on Amazon.com (other colors available)

This Women's Plus dress is so refined and sweet!  Another perfect dress for a wedding - or Mother's Day!  This Anne Klein dress can be found on sale for $149.00 at Zappos.com

Can a girl have to many dresses?  I think not!  This little number by Jones Wear is just $59.99 at JcPenny.  There are some yellow wedges at Payless that would make this dress sing so take advantage of that BOGO when you get flats listed here!

Easter Recipe Explosion

This week I've been all "bunny" ears for everything Easter!  I'm not much for all the cutesy stuff, but I personally have very fond memories of Easter lunches and egg hunts with my Mema.  I guess I usually view Easter as more of a kids' holiday, but this year I've felt nostalgic for those days with my grandmother.  Now suddenly everywhere I look I seem to run across great carrot recipes so I've compiled a few here for your enjoyment!  Send me your favorites too and tell me about your memorable Easters!

Carrot French Fries (recipe from Hidden Valley Ranch)

1 lb carrots (about 5-6 large, peeled and julienned into fry size)
1 tsp EVOO
1 tsp cornstarch
1 packet ranch salad dressing/seasoning mix
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, combine carrots with EVOO, cornstarch and dressing mix.  Toss until well coated.  Spray pan well with cooking spray and arrange carrots in a single layer.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until crispy.

Carrot Cake Cookies (marthastewart.com)

For the filling:

2 ounces bar cream cheese, room temperature

2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the cookies:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup packed, finely grated, peeled carrots

1/3 cup dried currants

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Make filling: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar and lemon juice; beat until combined. Cover; chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugars, and egg yolk. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until combined. Mix in oats, carrots, and currants.

Drop dough by level tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten with the palm of your hand. Bake until edges are crisp, rotating baking sheets halfway through, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Turn half the cookies over, bottom side up; dollop each with about 1 teaspoon chilled cream-cheese filling. Top with remaining cookies, pressing gently to spread filling to edges. Serve immediately.

Simple Carrot-Ginger Soup (mandyeats.com)

1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon french ginger, peeled and grated or minced (I used a one inch piece)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion (1/2 cup), chopped
s/p to taste
*optional garnishes: sour cream, parsley, chives, pepitas

In a large pot, cook onions in olive oil until tender. Add broth, carrots and ginger and bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Transfer to a blender and puree, or use an immersion blender. Season with salt and/or pepper or whatever else you choose.

Bannana-Carrot Bread (The Pioneer Woman)

1 cup Mashed Banana
1 cup Sugar
¼ cups Oil
½ cups Unsweetened Applesauce
2 whole Eggs
2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Cinnamon
1 cup Grated Carrot
½ cups Chopped Walnuts

Combine banana, sugar, oil, applesauce and eggs.
Sift dry ingredients and fold into banana mixture, then add carrots and nuts.
Pour into a greased 9 x 5″ loaf pan and bake at 350º for 55 minutes or until done.
Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan. Cool thoroughly before slicing.
NOTES : Also good with coconut or raisins stirred in. I have also used almonds instead of walnuts. Makes 1 loaf. A double batch fills 9 baby loaf pans – bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Sweet Potato Biscuits



"Smell brings to mind... a family dinner of pot roast and sweet potatoes during a myrtle-mad August in a Midwestern town. Smells detonate softly in our memory like poignant land mines hidden under the weedy mass of years." ~ Diane Ackerman

Fresh Sweet Potato Biscuits and lemonade with frozen strawberries - perfect for a Spring afternoon on the porch!

I love this quote - many of my dearest memories are tied up in things like apple pie, chocolate chip cookies...and  biscuits.  When my husband, Mike, and I first started dating I heard an ear-full about his Mema before I ever had the pleasure of meeting her.  We recently lost our sweet  Mema and I find myself thinking about her biscuits for some reason.  Maybe because that was one of the first things my husband told me about, her legendary biscuits.  Upon breaking the news of her passing to one Mike's college friends, he smiled and told us how he always looked to Mike visiting his Mema because she'd send back trays full of biscuits.  Or perhaps it's because she made her biscuits the first time I met her.  We went to her little home where she made brunch for us and we ate on the very patio furniture I have pictured above.  Whatever the reason, I've been bitten by the biscuit bug!  I have a long way to go before they're even in Mema's ballpark, but here is my start - and where better to start than with a southern favorite, the sweet potato!

This biscuit has all the buttery goodness of a traditional biscuit with a wonderful twist.  The sweet potato lends a sweet and savory element to the biscuit.  It helps make the middle fluffy and moist with a great testure on the outside.  Not to mention the beautiful color is gives the dough!  Serve this hot out of the oven and try a little honey or cinnamon (or both!) butter.  This is a traditional southern "drop" biscuit so it will be very gooey and will bake more out than up, but that's ok. 

Soon I'll be posting a tutorial on how to make your own butter with lots of yummy flavor options so stay tuned!

(This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart's http://www.marthastewart.com/281529/sweet-potato-biscuits)

 

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, more for kneading and shaping
• 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup sweet potato puree, chilled
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

• With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter into flour mixture. 

• Mixture should resemble coarse meal, with some pea-sized lumps of butter remaining.

• In a small bowl, whisk together sweet potato purée and buttermilk; stir quickly into flour mixture until combined (do not overmix).

• Knead very gently until dough comes together but is still slightly lumpy, five or six times. (If dough is too sticky, work in up to 1/4 cup additional flour.)

• Drop about a 1/4 cup of dough onto a greased baking sheet or stone and brush with butter if desired and place pan on the oven rack on lower shelf.

• Bake until golden, rotating once, 15-20 minutes.
  
  



Hit the Ground Running

Welcome to my blog - "a collection of my thoughts on living a life full of sugar, spice and all things nice."  This blog embodies a personal challenge to me.  My own philosophies towards life are always evolving, but at its core I hold to the fact that we have one life to live and it should be beautiful and peaceful.  That being said I try to fill my life with good food, all the colors of the rainbow, creative experiences, good books and music. 

This blog is going to evolve with my life, but as I begin this journey these are things that you can expect to see from my posts:

- Recipes: I'll show you how they integrate with my life, varieties of alternatives and pictures of my results with notes.

- Crafting is a passion of mine.  I'll detail my designs and give you all the shortcuts and money-savers.  I love holidays so I always have a little project going for an upcoming celebration!

- Gardening: I'm just a novice in this category, but I love to get my hands in the dirt and will share my successes and, inevitable, epic failures as well.

- Since I was a child I could usually be found with my nose in a book and not much has changed.  However, I want to offer you a bit more than a list of my current library, so as I read I like to expand my experience by adding my own soundtracks.  Most of my reading revolves around the genre of historical fiction and nothing can transport you to a time and place far away better than period music.  I'll put together my song lists when I posts my book reviews.

- I'm always prowling the internet for good recipes, crafts and party ideas so I'll pass along my choice findings with all my dear readers.

- Random musings are likely to find their way in here.

Well until tomorrow everyone have a blessed day and check back with me for Sweet Potato Biscuits in tomorrow's post!

xoxo,
Miranda