TIME OUT!!!!

It's that time of of the year again when Sue shuts down the computer and gets done

what she has put aside all year long...I will be back at the end of June with all new wacky hijinx with the family.....great photo's...

and Miss "B" tales....
Also on the agenda on June 25th. is our Atlanta Bloggers Tea Luncheon...
So you know there will be stories to tell
and ladies in hats to see...
If your a blogger in the Atlanta area and would like to join us because we
Always have fun....
and our motto is "the More the Merrier"
please e-mail me and I will forward you the information...
See you soon!!

Really Good Brunswick Stew......And I'm Not Even Southern!!

The Boss has loved Brunswick Stew ever since we moved to the South 24 years ago...

Me not so much.....

A concoction of pulled pork......"a Southern staple".....corn and

BBQ sauce....I have always found it hard to find a really good version

of this stew like dish...

My main complaint is that it's usually on the watery side.....

with more sauce then actual ingredients.... A little sweet and a little spicy we have always ordered it in

BBQ joints as a side dish more then a main course....

A few months ago while eating at

Smokey Bones

I noticed they had done something different to their version....it was thicker with

more texture then just the pulled pork...

They added big chunks of chicken...

Not being a true connoisseur of Southern Food...I'll assume that

Brunswick Stew must have been invented in Brunswick Georgia....

I didn't know what the actual true ingredients were suppose to be but

I knew this version was very very good....

I have bragged in the past that I'm able to taste something and re-create it.....

Something that will surely come in handy if I am ever on one of those

T.V. cooking challenges...

But back to the Stew...

I worked on it with a little of this and a little of that.....

And created a wonderful version of how I think it should taste...

Just the right amount of sweet to spicy seasoning...

And I have to say that adding the chicken

is the secret....

And did I say that eating a big bowl with a stack of saltine crackers

is a Must!

You can adjust the amount of heat you add to it depending on how hot you

like things....

I prefer to actually taste the food instead of having a tongue on fire....

Here is the recipe....

A touch of the South from a girl from the North!!

SUE'S BRUNSWICK STEW

1 1/2 to 2 pounds of pork

I used boneless ribs but you can use pork shoulder or pork butt....

You "Cannot" use pork tenderloin it will come too dry....

1 pound of chicken tenders cut into bit size pieces...

1/2 bag of frozen corn OR fresh corn taken off of 2 to 3 ears...

2 14.5 oz. cans of petite diced tomatoes

1/2 bottle of BBQ sauce....I used Budweiser.

Another good choice is Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ Sauce

You want to use a sweet sauce

1/8 cup of ketchup

2 Tablespoons of A-1 Sauce

1/4 cup of brown sugar light or dark

a splash of Raspberry Vinegar

1 teaspoon of garlic salt

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning to taste

1/2 large onion diced

Olive oil

Start with cooking the pork in the crock pot for 8 hours

Think putting it in first thing in the morning so it's ready for dinner...

I make mine at night while I'm sleeping so I can make the

Stew for lunch...

when the pork is cooked remove it from the crock pot and pull apart using 2 forks....

Saute' the diced onion in a heavy pan until soft...

Add the chicken chunks and cook about 4 to 5 minutes .....much like stir frying...

add the corn and all the other ingredients...

simmer on low for about 45 minutes...

thicken the sauce

I used Masa Harina that I get inside Chili mixes...

it thickens nicely and doesn't alter the taste....

Use whatever you normally thicken things with....

Add more Cajun seasoning for extra heat if desired....

Serve with lots of Saltines....

Tired of Baked Beans when you have a BBQ....Try this as your side dish instead....

Bon Apetit!! Y'all

Oh did I really say that?????????

Tea With Susie and Me.................

I love Tablescape Thursdays and I love Susan's new format on her blog......

for showcasing all the participants

with little pictures along with their links....

stop over and see all the other beautiful tablescapes....My "table" came to me today by the magic of

Facebook
After almost 45 years I was able to re-connect to an old
school friend from Jersey....
Susie and I were good buds back in the 60's
but after high school we lost touch.....


So your wondering what does this have to do with a Tablescape?
Well......Sue started reading my blog and she saw how I
Have a Love for all things
Dishes....

Being a very kind person....
she was out one day doing what we all love to do best....
flea market shopping
when she came across
a whole set
of
sandwich plates and matching tea cups.....
And guess who became of the new owner of this beautiful
Set....

ME!!!!!
Thank you Susie for thinking of me!!

How pretty is this.....

I love the scalloped edges of the plate and the

soft gray color of the tea cups...

wanting to use this wonderful set in a tablescape

I came up short on accessories....

I brought out my bent willow furniture

and then went next door to

Neighbor Necie's for her assistance....
Where she provided the cute little birdhouse.....the vase and flowers.....the goblet...

and the napkins...

I did have my little $5.00 quilt that I found while thrift shopping with

Joyce....

But Necie provided most everything else...

Thank you Necie!!

Aren't these flowers pretty...

I flipped when I unwrapped the box and found these...

Susie sent me three sets!

I think those beautiful green goblets came from

Old Time Pottery...

Denise correct me if I'm wrong....
I got the white teapot at Williams Sonoma on the clearance table...

I love the quilt.....I still can't believe I only paid five dollars for it...

the cup has a pearlized look to it...and a scalloped edge...

Friends and neighbors....

What could be better..............

Necie even provided the strawberries and brought me over a bag full....

So....thank you Necie for telling me for over 24 years that

"What's your's is Mine"

and

a Big thank you Susie for the beautiful dishes...

When I get back to Jersey we will have tea together and

talk about old times!!

OPEN ALL NIGHT.......

One of the big things we missed when we moved from Jersey

was the Open All Night diners...

Jersey is known as the "Diner State"....and there really is a diner on every corner...

Us Jerseyians love to eat no matter the time of day...

Me and the Boss often frequented the O.B. diner at the Point Pleasant Circle down the shore..

It was not unusual for us to drive down there at 2:00 in the morning

for a bite to eat......

We love diners....

We really miss the diners.....

With their bad food in the middle of the night....
Like Fries with gravy....

And our personal favorite from the O.B.

Rice pudding....

But we don't have "Open All Nite" diners down here in the South....

and if there are any we haven't found one in the past

24 years....

There is the Marietta Diner....

but we ate there once and despite what Guy Fieri said about it on

Diners Drive Ins and Dives....

it was not a Jersey diner...

So what does the Boss and Wife do when they have a

Hankering

for diner food late at night.....

We fire up the much used JennAir

can you see the clock says

"1:06"

That would be A.M.

and

we have breakfast.....

What's breakfast in the middle of the night without some bacon...

And ofcourse you have to have pancakes....

From Scratch I might add....

and even half asleep I was able to make perfect round ones....

The Boss prefers his with fresh fruit....

And so that is what we did tonight....

kitchen was cleaned by 2:30....

And I heard my father's voice saying....

"I have never seen anyone make such a mess so fast....and be able to

clean up just as fast"....

and speaking of the folks....

My mother would have been 95 today....

So Happy Birthday Millie...

Now get to bed.

OUTDOOR EYE CANDY...........with the backseat decorator

It's that time again when Sue has too much time on her hands so I looked around the

Internet and came up with picture perfect

decorating ideas....

I ran out of inside rooms so I thought I would take it out onto decks and porches

and lawns....

This is a long one so go grab yourself a cup of tea and a snack...

And I hope you enjoy and get some good ideas for your outdoor spaces.....

And as usual....all pictures comes with commentary from

"The BackSeat Decorator"...

This one had to be first.....I not only have bent willow furniture....but I

actually have it inside the house....

I love it....You can put a wet glass down on the table and nothing happens!!

Someday it will go outside when I get a patio or a porch...

loved the idea of using a galvanized bucket as a little table

striped red cushions....gives it a bit of a spark....
an old painted trunk of some sort as a coffee table...


Angel!!



If we all lived in France....
because nobody does "al fresco" dining like the Europeans...

Tea for Two in the Garden...

Oh wait....make that tea for three!!

the black rockers are a nice contrast on this all white porch....

I have 2 rockers on my porch....

Only problem the builder made the porch too shallow so the chairs have to each

sit facing each other....

Very odd....and not very eye appealing.

I thought the heavy rope between the wooden posts looked

very beachy...

I would kill off all those beautiful plants in a week...

How cute is this...

Makes you want to sit outside all day and just eat!

Neighbor Necie would love this one....

She loves her porch swings..

Pretty in Pink...

and that cake looks pretty good too!

Looks good for the picture but just how practical are big white cushions

Outside??

Very Patriotic...

Give me an American Flag and I'm happy....

I love the idea of different colored pastel chairs....

but I think I could do without that crystal chandelier....

And if you have to have one at least hang it over the table...

Party time!!

or just an excuse to have the ladies over for lunch...

Another favorite...

red and paisley what a great combination for an outdoor space...

This looks like a Lily Pulitzer creation...

very "girly"

This has to be straight out of Los Angeles....

What a great dividing wall...

Outdoor in the City

Can you tell by now that I love the country look....

Casual is always so welcoming...

Again....Let's have the ladies over for a picnic lunch...

I would say this is out in the Hampton's....But then I spotted the mountains in

the background....pretty no matter where it is...

How about a green bench in your garden....

and don't forget the banner.

Just a simple old bench to do some gardening at....

Okay ......here is the "tea for two" shot...

More Red White and Blue...

Checks and quilts....a little wicker...

This little wrought iron chandelier I like...

it's nice and simple for an outdoor space...

Flower box!!!

I love big pine tables.....The Boss pointed one out to me the other day at

Pottery Barn....it was white washed and perfect for big

family dinners....or small family dinners.

Speaking of White Washed....Look at this great ceiling....

Who wouldn't want to sleep on this beautiful porch.

a sleeping porch in the Adirondacks perhaps??

And for the grand finale'........

The coveted Big Umbrella......and green bistro chairs....

It's time for Summer!!

I hope you enjoyed this little outdoor tour of great spaces.....

If you have any ideas for future posts

Let me know !!