What's for dinner?

Hi, folks,

Hot as the weather is, it's hard to get excited about cooking. That's why we're having salad for dinner. This was first encountered in a restaurant and truly delicious. Before long it occurred to me to try and duplicate it at home, where is is a great favorite now.

First, start with some greens:

This is Romaine lettuce, but it would probably equally good with another variety, if that's your preference.

Add some dried cranberries. Alter the amounts to fit the number of people being fed. A couple of heaping spoonfuls does fine for two.

Add Gorgonzola cheese crumbles, also to taste for the amount of greens/people.

Add a handful of chopped walnuts.

Here is where I deviate from the original recipe. It had prosciutto in it, and that's what was used when I made it, too, until the day there was no prosciutto in the house and bacon was substituted instead. M. B LOVED the change, so that's the new norm now.

Toss all ingredients with a vinaigrette dressing, and you will have:

The contrasting flavors are wonderful together, salty, sweet, crunchy, rich--it is definitely a keeper!

Have you ever tried to reproduce a particular dish from a restaurant? If so, were you sufficiently successful to add it to your regular family menu?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Michele

Oops!

Sudden migraine aura. See you tomorrow.

Michele

A Sunflower Table

Hello, folks,

I am continuing my theme sunflower theme for August starting with a tablecloth bought not long ago. The cloth is paired with some blue and gold plates from Pier bought at a thrift shop years ago, wooden napkin rings and yellow linen napkins. The glasses are blue, bought recently, and the flatware belonged to my in-laws.

 This is a pretty cloth that certainly is a perfect fit for the rest of the August decor.

 Here is a picture of the center with the birdcage moved out of the way.

I  hope you enjoyed my modest effort in tablescaping; now it's time to go figure out what will appear on these plates tonight.

Have a  great evening!

Michele

Sort of a centerpiece . . .

Hello, all,

I hope Tuesday is going well so far for you. Mine has been all right, except for the triple digit temps today. After finishing this post I'm going to a room with two fans, in addition to the air conditioning. It's that brutal.

As you know, I'd nothing for the dining room table, so today made a feeble attempt to remedy that. In a container with small objects scrounged and found there were three of these:

I don't recall where these were picked up but they're sweet, with the pale green border and dainty flowers.

With a few artificial succulents and my trusty birdcage, we now have:

 

It  gives a bit of interest to the middle of the table, even if fake plants are lame. Our cats try to eat all foliage and flowers, live or artificial, hence the metal protection. 

Have a wonderful evening, and for goodness sake, stay cool!

Michele

R.I.P.

Hi, everyone,

I hope your weekends were relaxing or productive, whichever goal you had in mind.

Ours was pretty humdrum until Sunday afternoon, when a crash came from the living room. The noise went on and on. Mr. B was firmly planted on the sofa as witness, but no help at all. Remember those trinket and treasure candlesticks I made? The one in the header of this blog? It is just a sad memory now, thanks to Freddie the bad cat. He tried to jump onto some stacked picnic baskets in one corner with this result:

Even the little bird votive from the top was broken. The one below was broken in the sense that parts separated, but nothing was smashed:

I've got some more bits and pieces to make more when it cools off some and there is energy for a time consuming effort like this again, so stay tuned.

Have a good evening!

Michele

Sunflowers, the sequel

Hello, Friends,

I hope you're winding down your work week with a fun weekend ahead to anticipate.

Today is more sunflower decor for the next two months. First, in the living room:

Two bunches of sunflowers in that cute pail picked up a few months ago, saved for now, plus a pretty  votive holder bought on sale cheap at Big Lots a couple of years ago.

By the front door:

A neat tin sign from a thrift shop; also:

 

Straw hats on a primitive chair and a little ceramic wall pocket full of smaller ones.

Still to go: something for the dining room table. Also, if there is cat interference, as is always possible, the birdcage might have to go on top of the bucket on the desk.  I'm looking at you, Trixie Troublemaker! Or perhaps your able intern, Freddy, aka Mr. Baby.  The display is too big to fit under the large cloche.

Okay, weird messages from Blogger are popping up. I'm going to get out of here asap.

Have a good one!

Michele

August 1--really?

Hi, friends,

How did it get to be August already? You know a cat person like me doesn't want to see the dog days show up, but here they are anyway.

Today I started working on switching out the decor inside. There seem to be some things missing or else my memory of last year is completely wrong. Here is the small bookcase at one end of the living room:

A few sunflowers in the suitcase, a bottle and on some of my little chair collection.

The terrarium on the buffet in the dining room has a basket full too.

The revolving book case end table has a seasonal tray and a twig chair.

The camera decided to be coy after these were taken, so this is to be continued.

It is 99 here today. I hope you're able to stay cool wherever you might be.

Later, Michele