St. Pat's Centerpiece

How cute is this little centerpiece? My mother-in-law attended a party last week, and these were on each of the tables. Bless her heart, she asked if she could take one home! I think they would be adorable for a St. Patty's day party, with the white carnations substituted with green ones. Or you could sub the brown glass beads (the beer!) for green ones instead, and still go with white carnations. You could even use this idea for a kid-friendly BBQ, and serve root beer floats as the centerpiece look-a-likes. The possiblities are endless with this one!

P.S. Nell Hill's Briarcliff was kind of a flop, we didn't find much we liked, and decided the Atchison location is better for us. So that is the reason the follow up post never happened!

I am inspired by this idea from Martha Stewart!
It only requires embroidery hoops in varying sizes, and fabric. You can use a monochromatic color palette, or a vibrant array of colors to customize a look to your event. Just fit the fabric inside the ring, and trim the excess. Hang by tying a ribbon or mono filament to the screw which holds the rings together. You can change it out for lots of celebrations! I am thinking about a trip to the fabric store to get some inspiration for my next party! This would even be cute outside over a patio table or as a quick and simple backdrop.

Paisley Print and Sparkly Stars

We are having several guests over the next week, so I my table is set in red, white and blue. I always get inspired to entertain around the 4th, and love a good tablescape to go along with good food. Instead of going with traditional stars and stripes, I chose a paisley print for the plates and coordinating navy bandanas offset in the center. Lots of sparkly stars keep the theme patriotic and fun. Inexpensive items like the crepe paper streamers hanging from the chandelier and gift bag filler used for the centerpiece, helped make this decor economical. Happy 4th of July! Enjoy the weekend spent with family and friends.

Lemons and Zucchini

Lately, I have been all about recipes that include either lemons or zucchini. Strange combination, I know! Here are some I have collected this summer that just sound delish.

Italian Zucchini Crescent Pie

INGREDIENTS

2	tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter
4	cups thinly sliced zucchini
1	cup chopped onions
2	tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/2	teaspoon pepper
1/4	teaspoon garlic powder
1/4	teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4	teaspoon dried oregano leaves
2	Eggland's Best eggs, well beaten
2	cups shredded Muenster or mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1	can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2	teaspoons yellow mustard

DIRECTIONS

1.	Heat oven to 375°F. In 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and onions; cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in parsley flakes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and oregano.
2.	In large bowl, mix eggs and cheese. Add cooked vegetable mixture; stir gently to mix.
3.	Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 10-inch glass pie plate, 12x8-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish or 11-inch quiche pan; press over bottom and up sides to form crust. Firmly press perforations to seal. Spread crust with mustard. Pour egg mixture evenly into crust-lined pie plate.
4.	Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edge of crust with strips of foil during last 10 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Courtesy of Pillsbury.com So Easy Lemon Bars NGREDIENTS 1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies 4 eggs, slightly beaten 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel (2 medium) 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2 medium) 1 to 2 tablespoons powdered sugar DIRECTIONS 1. Heat oven to 350°F. In ungreased 13x9-inch pan, break up cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. 2. In large bowl, beat eggs with wire whisk or fork until well blended. Beat in granulated sugar, flour and butter until well blended. Stir in lemon peel and lemon juice. Pour mixture over warm crust. 3. Bake 20 to 30 minutes longer or until edges are light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. With knife dipped in hot water, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. Both courtesy of Pillsbury.com Lemon ricotta cookies with lemon glaze Ingredients Cookies: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 lemon, zested Glaze: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 lemon, zested Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cookies: In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes. Glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container. Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis Zucchini and Orange-Zest Muffins 1/2 cup softened butter 1 cup sugar Zest of one orange 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup grated zucchini 1/2 cup small diced drained canned pineapple 1 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. course salt Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fit a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. With a whisk or fork, cream butter, sugar and zest until fluffy. Set aside. Whisk together eggs and vanilla, and then slowly incorporate into butter mixture until well combined. Mix in zucchini and pineapple. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, then fold into the wet ingredients. Fill muffin cups halfway. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 12. Courtesy of Glamour magazine.

Food for Thought

Searching for some yummy breakfast recipe ideas for this weekend?
Check out foodgawker.com The photography is amazing and guaranteed to make you hungry!

Express Yourself

I found a great website today that offers all kinds of customizable stamps and stationery items. Check out www.expressionery.com
Stampable tags-perfect for tagging a bottle of wine as a housewarming gift or a bottle of your custom flavored olive oil.
Book plate labels-Never again will a book you loaned out not be returned to you!

Custom Stampers-Declare yourself a baking diva with a custom kitchen stamp and gift tag.


I can't wait to place an order....and in honor of Memorial Day they are offering 40% off sitewide. Happy shopping everyone!

Quick Cover Up

There's no reason to hide your mismatched stemware in the back of the cabinet anymore! With just a few flips of the glass, designer Annie Selke—owner of home furnishings company Pine Cone Hill (pineconehill.com)—created a modern candle-and-flower arrangement for Everyday with Rachael Ray. Her idea: Place your goblets upside down on a table, tuck large blooms underneath and top with colorful votives. It may only take a few seconds to pull together, but the elegant impact will last all night. How perfect is this centerpiece idea, now that your garden roses and peonies are in bloom?!? Set your table for an elegant (and easy!) Memorial Day party.