BLACK BEAN BURGERS AND SOME FRONT PORCH LIVING!

Our summers are pretty short and sweet here in the Great Northwoods of America, so we try to spend as much time as we can outside. Black flies, be damned! We usually eat dinners (unless it's raining) on our back porch, where the barbeque grill lives, and we like to sip our wine, iced tea or coffee on our covered front porch. So sweet to chat with passing neighbors and just watch the world go by. This year, we really worked hard on sprucing everything up, front and back....I know I showed you a few "before" photos a while back...now let me show you the fruits of our labors; kinda went for a green, black and white vibe this year, instead of my usual Patriotic red, white and blue thing......

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Care to join us in a little front porch rocking session?

 I white-washed these little houses.....

  The big Boston ferns do so well here, with our warm and humid summers....

I just love Potato vines, but unfortunately, so do the deer!.....

Our old wheelbarrow.....with yet another fern. Check out the funny little pets to the right, just waiting to be let out for the 19,456,082nd time that day. Just so you know, that pretty much IS my full-time job, letting cats and dogs in and out, in and out.......`

Don't forget to wipe your feet before you come in now! And yes, those are MY toes, the world's ugliest toes, doncha know...................

Doesn't Margaret the cat look DEAD? All of our cats just love to roll around on the gravel on warm summer days.....

We don't have a doorbell, but we do have this cute and gardeney door knocker.....

I planted this Boston Ivy when we first built the house....NOTHING will kill it! In the fall, it turns the most glorious shade of crimson red.....

Made this wreath by my little ol' self...pretty cute, no?

Before I get to the food, I have a little reminder for you:

Willow House Kickoff Partaaayyyyy:

My house--call (315)369-5210 for directions

Thursday, June 16th, from 7-9

Wine! Food! Fun!

Hope to see you there, and bring a friend!

So, Big Daddy fired up the grill the other night, and I put together a fast and easy dinner for my family (and one friend)--girlfriend Patty J's Black Bean Burgers. We make these ALL the time--you really don't miss the beef / ground turkey, and they are very filling and delicious--just ask this girl....

Just so you know, Patty's version of this recipe is Vegan, but we are not, so there are eggs in this. But of course, you can always use an egg substitute, if you want. First thing to do--rinse your black beans well........

Then mash them up with a fork.....

Add onion, bell pepper, cayenne, eggs, bread crumbs and cilantro. Blend well....

For into 4-6 patties.....

 Usually, I fry these in olive oil in my kitchen, but because it was such a nice night, we decided to grill them, which worked out beautifully. Just be sure to use a little bit of Pam on your grill......

Fry or grill until crispy on each side.....

Serve on whole wheat rolls  with any condiment you desire...Patty suggests salsa, alfalfa sprouts and / or guacamole. If avocados aren't available or in season, I always use this brand of guacamole, with great success.....definetely worth the expense.....

Enjoy! Here's the recipe...

PATTY J'S BLACK BEAN BURGERS
Serves 4-6

1 large can black beans
1 / 4 cup diced yellow onion
1 / 4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 / 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1-2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tblsp. fresh cilantro
2 tblsp. olive oil

Rinse black beans. In a large bowl, mash beans--add onion, pepper, cayenne, eggs or egg substitute, bread crumbs and cilantro. Blend well. Form into 4-6 patties. Heat olive oil in pan. Fry burgers until crispy on each side. Serve on whole wheat rolls with desired condiments.

TODAY I'M SO THANKFUL FOR.....

*My pharmacist, neighbor and friend Deb, who rushed my anti-nausea drugs through the other morning, when I was pretty much hating life. Thanks, Deb!

*The guys who help me at the club I'm gardening for this summer--they take pity on this almost 50-ish old lady and do a lot of my heavy work for me, like watering over 48 hanging Boston ferns twice a week! See, getting old DOES have its advantages!

*George's nursery in Kirkland, NY--the best selection of plants I've ever seen, and a super-knowledgeable staff that is always there to help.

BIG BIG NEWS AND SOME PEACH MELBA SHORTBREAD BARS!

Where to begin, where to begin? I have so much to chat about with you today, but before I show you how to make what you really want......

(because I know my blog audience....you're all a buncha sweet freaks!), I want to tell you all about my new business venture.  And it all started with, big sigh, this......

That's right, a bowl! A gorgeous green bowl. A gorgeous green bowl with the prettiest scalloped edges and oh-so functional handles. A gorgeous green bowl with the prettiest scalloped edges, and oh-so functional handles that also acts as a colander, and was made is Portugal (what--not China??) A friend let me borrow a catalog from a company I'd never heard of, called Willow House, and I'm here to tell you I wanted every single stinkin' thing in that book! Gorgeous, fresh and functional home decor that everyone will love. So now I'm selling for Willow House, and it all started here.....

Like you, I'd never heard of Willow House, but soon learned that it is a spinoff company from Southern Living At Home, which is part of Southern Living Magazine. Which I totally adore, more than any other magazine, for their gorgeous photography and no-fail recipes (in fact, the recipe I'm preparing today is from the April issue).

Anyone who knows me knows that it's been a dream of mine for ions and ions to open my own home store, once again. But alas, due to some really debilitating health problems, I have to put that dream on hold for awhile. So what's a dreamy / sickly girl who wants pretty stuff to do, in the meantime? Why, open her own store in her home and on-line, that's what!

I promise promise promise that I will not turn this blog into a selling blog....I love it too much, just the way it is, to ever do that. BUT, once or twice a month I would love to show you some of the products that I've fallen in love with around my house, and give you the opportunity to buy them for your own home, if you so desire. You don't even have to call me to order...my website is listed in the top right-hand margin of my blog, for your internet surfing pleasure.

Also, if you live in my area, I would like to invite you to my big Kickoff Party at my home, on Thursday night, June 16th, from 7-9 p.m. There will be food, wine and lots of Willow House samples for you to check out. If you need more deets or want to RSVP, give me a call at (315)369-5210. Please come, and bring a friend!

If you like the bowl I've featured here today, here's some more info...............

The Verde Berry Bowl is $36.96, and measures 10 inches by 7 inches by 5 inches tall. It is a functional colander and, since draining holes are on the bottom, you can use it on the countertop as a fruit bowl....holes help prevent spoilage. You can order it, lickity split, at my website, located HERE.

***A note about comments on this blog lately:  you might have had some trouble posting comments, and I understand that Blogger (the Google blogsight so many of us use) has fixed the problem. I love your comments so very much!

Now onto the best-ever bar cookies from Southern Living magazine! These are fun and easy to put together--a great recipe for kids to help with. I doubled the recipe, as I had multiple people I wanted to treat (that's how I get people to like me) so your amounts won't look as large as mine, just so you know. Start by combining flour, sugar and salt together in a food processor (or you can use a pastry cutter):

Cut in butter until crumbly in texture (I know, I know, this is a lot of butter, but it IS shortbread!)......

Lightly grease an 11 x 7 inch or 9 inch square pan, and press all but 1 cup of mixture onto bottom of pan......

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or just until LIGHTLY browned. Spread peach preserves over crust in pan (okay if pan is still hot). Dollop raspberry preserves over peach preserves.......

Sprinkle remaining 1 cup flour mixture over preserves, then sprinkle with slivered almonds..........

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool, then cut into bars. Pour yourself a nice cold glass of iced tea.......

And enjoy these! C'mon, you know you want a bite........

Here's the recipe.....

SOUTHERN LIVING'S PEACH MELBA SHORTBREAD BARS

Makes 1 1 / 2 to 2 dozen bars

2 cups all purpose flour

1 / 3 cup granulated sugar

1 / 4 tsp. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter

1 cup peach preserves (or more)

6 tsp. raspberry preserves

1 / 2 cup slivered almonds

Garnish: powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or food processor) until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of flour mixture. Lightly grease an 11 x 7 inch or 9 inch square pan. Press remaining flour mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30  minutes, or until lightly browned. Spread peach preserves over crust in pan. Dollop raspberry preserves by 1 / 2 teaspoonfuls over peach preserves. Sprinkle reserved 1 cup flour mixture over preserves . Sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool 1 hour on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Garnish with powdered sugar, if desired.

Today I'm So Thankful For......

*My "new" redesigned kitchen--so much more counter and cupboard space. A big thank you to Roger Parent and Mike Risley for their beautiful work.

*My upcoming Willow House Open House.....very exciting!

*The beautiful flowers my wonderful wonderful neighbors hang on their front porch, every single summer. A true  treat for the eyes--thanks, Deb and Dave!

SPECTACULAR SUMMERTIME SALAD, A LITTLE BIT O' SHOPPING AND SOME BACK PORCH LIVING!

Before I start chatting about salads and such, I thought I'd just show you a few of the treasures I pickup up during my shopping excursion with BFF's Lynn and Diane, during my recent trip to Omaha. The ladies who lunch took me, after we lunched, of course, to the most amazing shop, called "Voila!", that was a combination gift shop and flower shop. If you're ever on Dodge Street in Midtown Omaha, be sure to check her out! Anyways, here are a few of my treasures..........
   
Had so much fun finding a spot for this guy....like I really NEEDED another rooster!

I just cherish this antique looking little plaque, with a birdie on her nest.....

Guess I'm on a bird theme lately.....COVET this little nest, and found the perfect spot for it in our master bath......

That's about all my carry-on would allow....Note to self:  Next time, bring an empty suitcase!

Well, we are in the throes of summer here, finally finally finally! Kind of hot and humid, and so for us that means lots of enjoying dinners outside, on our back porch. LOVING the screen door Big Daddy just installed........

This is the scene out there, most days in the summertime.....hungry girls hanging out, waiting to be fed after swimming in the lake.....

These towels will hang here all summer long.....

I love to set a pretty table for supper, complete with a Citronella candle, of course!......

Everything just looks so lush and green, after such a snowy winter and wet spring......

Since Big Daddy hadn't fired up the grill yet this year (and just what is he WAITING for???), I decided to make nice, big salads for dinner. I had a beautiful wedge o' bleu cheese in the fridge, some red grapes, green apples and red onion, too......

And because we just love that sweet and salty combination, I decided to candy some pecans to sprinkle.....so easy to make! First thing I do is spread raw pecan halves onto a baking sheet, then mix together a little melted butter and brown sugar.......

Pour the brown sugar mixture over the nuts, and mix well with your hands. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes (do NOT overbrown), then let cool on the cookie sheet. Separate nuts when cool, and nibble on the little bits of caramel left on the pan.....

I also like to make my own salad dressing....I thought a good Honey Dijon would be in order here. I use good olive oil, rice wine vinegar, a little lemon, honey and some   Dijon mustard.

I always measure my oil and vinegar in a glass measuring cup, then transfer all ingredients into an empty mustard jar to shake:

For this salad, I used about 1 / 3 cup olive oil, about the same amount of rice wine vinegar, about a tablespoon of honey, juice of 1 / 2 lemon and a heaping teaspoon of Dijon. Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge. I also like to wash and shred my own salad greens (when I have the time!)--in this salad I used red leaf and iceberg lettuces, for crunch:

I tossed the salad with the dressing, then placed the greens on the dinner plates, and topped with diced apple and onion, halved red grapes, crumbled bleu cheese and, saving the best for last, those addictive candied pecans. I served the salads with wedges of foccacia bread......

Yummy and so good for you! Of course, you can always add grilled chicken or fish to this salad--we are just "forced" Vegetarians, for the summer at least!

I tried in vain to get a good photo of Big Daddy enjoying his salad, but he's gotten a little bit camera shy in his old age, and even threatened me with his fork!.....

Sheesh, do I need a restraining order???

In the end, because we only had SALADS for dinner, for gosh sakes, we all thought we deserved a little of this, for dessert......

That's right, baby, vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce! The perfect end to the perfect meal.

TODAY I'M MOST GRATEFUL FOR.....

*My energy level lately--I've been able to get done what I need to get done, and STILL have some fun!

*My friends Sharon and Leslie, who keep me walking on a regular basis.

*The smell of fresh basil, rosemary, mint and Nastursiums....the scents of summer, to me,anyways!