A Little Loveliness

Strawberry Festival of Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:07:00 +0000

"Strawberries are the angels of the earth, innocent and sweet with green leafy wings reaching heavenward." ~ Terri Guillemets

Fresh strawberries have added a touch of sweetness to A Little Loveliness over the years, so today I am offering a festival of favorite recipes featuring this favorite fruit.

We have had strawberry fever at our house since picking fresh Tennessee strawberries on a recent trip to Cottontown, Tenn.

But we have always loved eating strawberries -- one of life's simple pleasures!

This week I shared our latest strawberry discovery: easy freezer jam. Find the recipe here.

Strawberry bread received rave reviews at Emma's preschool Grandparents Day last year. Find the recipe here.

For a breakfast celebrating Carson's first year on his school's wrestling team, strawberries added a burst of flavor to mini-pancakes pinned with a cupcake topper.

We enjoyed my favorite strawberry breakfast dish at an outdoor Easter brunch a few years ago: cream cheese french toast bake with strawberry topping. Find the recipe here.

And who could forget this strawberry sconecake? We got up in the wee hours of the morning to enjoy this royal treat while we watched the wedding of William and Kate last year. Find the recipe here.

For an easy indulgent breakfast, top slices of sweet bread with yogurt and fresh strawberries.

Strawberries took center stage at our Mother's Day luncheon and trip to Jasmine Hill Gardens a few years ago. Find the recipes for summer turkey salad and frozen strawberry salad here.

Summer turkey salad is too good not to share. Above you see how it freshened up a lunchbox packed for a favorite teacher.

Of course, around here we think strawberries add the finishing touch to any dessert. My sister-in-law loved her chocolate birthday cake topped with fresh strawberries and drizzles of melted dark and white chocolate. Y'all, seriously. This is delicious. Find more details here.

Strawberries perk up this easy fruit trifle. Find the recipe here.

And, of course, no springtime would be complete without a slice of strawberry pie. Find my mother's easy recipe here.

Strawberry ice cream pairs nicely with brownies and chocolate syrup in this Valentine's Day sundae.

Strawberries and cream go together like .. well, strawberries and cream. Try my recipe for frothy, pink strawberry cream here.

Or indulge with chocolate cream. Find the recipe here.

For a super-quick pARTy snack, thread strawberries on unused paintbrushes and nestle the fruit skewers in Cool Whip.

With so many strawberry recipes, it is difficult to pick a favorite. But one thing is for sure: strawberries top our list of favorite fruits any time of day!

"This special feeling toward fruit -- its glory and abundance -- is, I would say, universal. We respond to strawberry fields or cherry orchards with a delight that a cabbage patch or even an elegant vegetable garden cannot provoke." ~ Jane Grigson

Easy Strawberry Jam

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:00:00 +0000

When Mary Ashley, Emma and I visited Cottontown, Tenn., for a ladies day this spring, we were treated to a delicious breakfast Saturday morning. Sweet hostess Donna Williams introduced us to freezer jam, and we were hooked. After the ladies day, we joined Donna and her daughter for an afternoon of strawberry picking. We were eager to make our own jam when we got home, and we have been enjoying the fruits of our labor ever since.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Donna recommends the Ball Instant Fruit Pectin, available where canning supplies are sold. This is the recipe included with Ball Instant Fruit Pectin.

4 cups crushed strawberries
1 1/2 cups sugar or Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1 1.59 oz package Instant Fruit Pectin
5 Ball 8 oz Freezer Jars or
5 Ball 8 oz Jelly Jars

Stir sugar and pectin in a bowl. Add crushed fruit. Stir 3 minutes. Ladle jam into clean jars and let stand 30 minutes. Enjoy. Freeze jam up to 1 year. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks.

Strawberry jam is the perfect complement to strawberry scones from Smith-Byrd House, served yesterday with almond cream and fresh strawberries.

Homemade jam is a wonderful treat to serve at home, but also a thoughtful gift to share. To dress up this jar, I used a cocktail napkin as a pattern to trace a square onto a scrap of fabric with a blue fabric pin. Then I sewed a scalloped edge around the square and cut it out. With a pretty ribbon tied around the jar, all that is needed is a pretty label to finish off a perfect hostess gift. Have you ever made strawberry jam? I would love to hear your experience making jams, jellies and preserves.

We have strawberry fever around here, so I am rounding up some of my berry favorite recipes to share!

Across Strawberry Fields

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:13:00 +0000

If you haven't read my last post, I hope you will spend a few moments exploring The Other Side of Mother's Day. Your comments have really touched my heart, and I thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.

A few weeks ago the girls and I visited Cottontown, Tenn., for a ladies day at the Birdwell's Chapel Church of Christ. It was such a lovely, memorable weekend. I did not take pictures during most of trip -- which included an overnight stay at the home of new friends and a visit with my sister -- but I captured a few images around Cottontown. I know you will enjoy this taste of Tennessee.

I love taking the girls with me when I go to ladies days, but I wasn't sure if Emma would want to join me this time because her kindergarten class made their last field trip of the school year the day I was driving to Tennessee. She thought long and hard about it, but ultimately decided to join Mary Ashley and me. I was honored that she gave up a trip to the zoo with her classmates to go down a country road with me!

This pretty farm caught my eye on the way out of town.

The wildflowers were a sight to behold!

When I accepted the invitation to speak in Cottontown, I had no idea we would arrive at the peak of strawberry season. This was an exciting time to visit for us berry-loving girls!

During the weekend we sampled homemade strawberry jam, strawberry pie, strawberry shortcake and fresh strawberries on the side. It was a strawberry girl's dream!

When our sweet hostess, Donna, made plans to go strawberry picking with her daughter, we were eager to tag along.

So after the ladies day, we headed to Bottom View Farm in nearby Portland.

The girls each grabbed a basket. Emma filled hers with berries for Jennifer's family; Mary loaded hers with fruit to take home to the boys.

Above, Donna's daughter, Emily, showed the girls how to pick strawberries. Emily is the sweetest girl -- beautiful, accomplished, well-travelled and spiritually-minded. She blogs at Emily's Beautiful Story.

Emma counted her strawberries as she picked them. She forgot a few of the numbers, and when she asked what comes after 39, I assured her that it's 39, 39, 39.

Emma was as eager to collect pretty flowers as strawberries!

While Mary Ashley kept her eye on the prize. We don't call her Strawmary Shortcake for nothing!

Sampling fresh-picked berries warmed by the sun -- there are no words.

We left Tennessee eager to share our bounty with the boys -- both berries and memories. Our weekend in Cottontown was such a blessing, and I hope we will get to go down that country road again soon.

I hope to share some of our favorite strawberry recipes next week. Have a blessed weekend!

The Other Side of Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:12:00 +0000

Last week I read an insightful essay that gave me pause. In "An Open Letter to Pastors: A Non-Mom Speaks About Mother's Day," author Amy Young spoke about the pain many women experience in confronting Mother's Day. As a single woman in her 30s, Amy revealed her discomfort when mothers were recognized during worship on Mother's Day and she remained in her seat while other women stood: "I don’t know how others saw me, but I felt dehumanized, gutted as a woman. Real women stood, empty shells sat."

Amy's letter struck a chord with readers all over the world whose hearts have been bruised -- some by dreams of motherhood yet unfulfilled; others by memories of mothers past. Her wise words counsel us to be sensitive to those around us who may be hurting on Mother's Day.

To some degree, I can relate to the sting others have felt. Before we had Carson, I was not sure I could conceive. During the years of waiting, I remember wondering if Joe would ever be able to wish me a happy Mother's Day. Then last year marked the first year that I would not have the privilege of hugging my own mother and telling her happy Mother's Day. She died in September 2010, and the grief was still fresh as the holiday approached. Although I never considered staying home from church on Mother's Day, as some women confessed they have done, I realize that in some ways I sat alone in my sorrow and grief.

Mother's Day conjures Norman Rockwell images of the perfect day of honor: breakfast in bed delivered by adoring children who giggle as Daddy surprises Mommy with flowers and gifts; family gatherings where grown children return to the nest to bless Mother with praise and affection. But life isn't always picture-perfect.

So what do we do when we face the other side of Mother's Day?

I believe that we will find our greatest fulfillment when we explore the other side of Mother's Day.

You see, at its core, motherly love is really "otherly" love.

Edwin Hubbell Chapin said, "No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother's love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star."

The virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31 tends to the needs of her family, but verse 20 tells us her kindness extends beyond her household: "She extends her hand to the poor; and she stretches out her hands to the needy." This godly woman offers a mother's touch to all who need it.

Whether single, married, widowed, divorced, childless, child-"full" or orphaned, isn't that our divine privilege as women?

This year I experienced a dramatic shift in my view of Mother's Day. Instead of mourning it as a day about my mother, I broadened my view and celebrated all the women who mother me with their kindness. So when tears pricked my eyes at the sight of Mother's Day cards, instead of passing the greeting card aisle with a heavy heart, I stopped to find the perfect card to honor my mother's sister, who loves my siblings and me like we are her own.

And rather than closing my eyes and waiting expectantly for the honor that would come to me on Mother's Day, I opened them and looked for the honor I could give. I thought of my friend Melanie, who lost her husband to a massive stroke a little over a year ago. She is now the single parent to three children in middle school. Without the aid of a husband, she works, prepares meals, maintains the house, manages the money, services the car, makes parenting decisions and provides spiritual guidance. Without the camaraderie of their father, she watches her children grow up. And despite all she does for them, her adolescent children don't have the means or opportunity to buy her a Mother's Day gift.

This year I decided it will be my blessing to help Melanie's children give her a Mother's Day gift each year. Over the weekend, Carson exchanged secret texts with Melanie's elder son so we could fill a pretty basket with some of her breakfast favorites: English muffins, homemade strawberry jam and freshly-squeezed orange juice. I reasoned that this was an easy menu that the children could prepare for Melanie in the morning while she lingered under the covers with flowers on her nightstand and a pretty magazine in her hands. When we picked up Melanie's son on Mother's Day Eve to hang out (i.e., carry out the covert Mission MD), Seth said it meant a lot to him to be able to do something special for his mom.

And do you want to know something surprising?

Despite the heartache of missing my mother, this might have been the best Mother's Day I have ever had.

Mother's Day gives us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the gifts we received from our mothers and the ones we hope to pass on to our children. But when we feel the pain of Mother's Day -- the wounds of disappointment, the agony of grief -- we can still find joy when we seek to put others ahead of ourselves. And isn't that what mothering is all about?

Maybe, like the virtuous woman, children will rise up and call us blessed on Mother's Day. But as godly women with mothers' hearts, we won't sit idly waiting. We will seize every opportunity to reach out and bless others. Because there is a lot of heartache in the world, and we have some mothering to do.

"There is an instinct in a woman to love her own child -- and an instinct to make any child who needs her love, her own." ~ Robert Brault

Mother's Day Gift Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:10:00 +0000

Last week's Mother's Day celebration was so much fun! I was so touched reading your memories of home and family. Congratulations to these giveaway winners. Keep those comments coming!

Pink Damask Apron Winner: T. Brodie

Taste of Home Cooking School Cookbook Winner: Tatyana

Wilton Cupcake Decorating Package: Kathy

The Polka Dot Party $25 Gift Certificate: Rach

Congratulations, Ladies!

I have contact information for all of you, so I will be in touch.

"Where we love is home -- home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes

The Polka Dot Party Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:49:00 +0000

Of all the things we moms make, I think memories are my favorite! Holidays, birthdays and even everyday occasions offer us opportunities to celebrate the gift of family. Little touches go a long way to make our loved ones feel special, and mom-based businesses like my sister's Etsy shop bring all the details together.

I introduced you to Jennifer's shop, The Polka Dot Party, when she opened in February. Business has taken off, and in a few short months Jennifer has partnered with moms all over the world to create custom party goods. Take a look at a few of Jennifer's products.

Dress up your cupcakes in custom liners, like these in pink and green polka dots.

Cupcake toppers add sweet detail.

And party cones wait to be filled with special treats.

Jennifer can also design banners to spell out your well wishes.

I am excited to close out our week of Mother's Day gifts with a $25 gift certificate to The Polka Dot Party! This giveaway is open to readers in the United States and Canada. To enter, please leave separate comments for any of these entries you choose.

(1) Leave a comment below telling your favorite holiday or occasion to celebrate.
(2) Follow A Little Loveliness on my sidebar.

(3) Add my button to your blog's sidebar.

(4) Subscribe via e-mail.

(5) Follow A Little Loveliness on Facebook.

(6) Like The Polka Dot Party on Facebook.

(7) Favorite The Polka Dot Party on Etsy.

I will announce all the winners of our Mother's Day week giveaways next week! I hope you will enjoy a blessed weekend celebrating the special women in your life.

Congratulations to Kelli of Loving My Family of Five, winner of our latest book club selection! Find Home to Harmony by Phillip Gulley here.

Wilton Cupcake Decorating Package Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Thu, 10 May 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I hope you are enjoying this week of "Just Like Mom Used to Make." Please register for each prize this week!

Among my sweetest memories of childhood are the birthday cakes my mother decorated for my sister, brother and me. We had such fun choosing our birthday themes and watching them come to life through Mother's artistry. My birthday memories inspired me to take Wilton cake decorating courses as a newlywed. I practiced my skills often, looking forward to the day I would decorate my children's birthday cakes. Now a mother of four, it seems there are always candles to light and plenty of opportunities to bake memories. And it looks like the cake-decorating tradition is alive and well. Remember Mary Ashley's cupcake baking birthday party, pictured above?

Whether I am decorating a birthday cake or piping cupcakes to send to school, I always rely on Wilton decorating products. So I am pleased to offer this fun giveaway from Wilton. I hope these products will inspire you to bake some memories with someone you love!

Today's giveaway is from the leader in cake decorating, Wilton. This package includes several of their most popular products: a cupcake decorating set; one package of pink petal cups; one package of Modern Garden Party Cups and one bottle of Jumbo Daisy Sprinkles. To enter you may choose one or more of these options:

(1) Leave a comment below telling your favorite flavor of cake.
(2) Follow A Little Loveliness on my sidebar.
(3) Add my button to your blog's sidebar.
(4) Subscribe via e-mail.
(5) Follow A Little Loveliness on Facebook.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. I will announce the winner next week!

(Top photo by Allison Hilyer Photography. Used with permission.)

"When you frost a cupcake, you spread the love." ~ Author Unknown

Taste of Home Cookbook Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:22:00 +0000

"If God had intended us to follow recipes,
He wouldn't have given us grandmothers."
~ Linda Henley

I am excited to continue our Mother's Day week celebration with a cookbook giveaway. So many of our treasured family moments happen around the dinner table, so it's no wonder that family recipes become so beloved. Simply thinking about Grandmother's homemade biscuits, Dad's barbecue chicken or Aunt Sue's blackberry cobbler can make our mouths water and bring a tear to our eyes. And preparing a beloved family recipe gives us a sensory connection to loved ones far away. Just inhaling that familiar aroma takes us back in time, and in one breath we are children again, running in from school to sample Grandma's chocolate chip cookies.

Because a recipe must be really special to be written in the annals of family history, it is always exciting when a new dish meets the family's favor. Today's cookbook giveaway comes from the trusted kitchens of Taste at Home. Taste of Home: Cooking School Cookbook by Catherine Cassidy features more than 400 recipes sure to entice new and experienced cooks alike.

"Taste of Home: Cooking School Cookbook is just like having a cooking school instructor in your very own kitchen,” says Cassidy, editor-in-chief of Taste of Home magazine. “This essential cookbook captures the highlights of our cooking school lessons and presents them in a way that allows people of all skill levels in the kitchen, to create memorable holiday meal moments in their own homes with family, friends and neighbors.”

Learn fresh techniques, tips, secrets and entertaining ideas straight from the Taste of Home Cooking School team. Each chapter builds from simple, beloved classics to spectacular dishes handed down by families from generation to generation that are sure to impress family and friends. Better yet, all of these recipes can be created with affordable ingredients available at your local grocery store. As you move from one recipe to the next, you will enhance your cooking skills and discover new favorites. Find a recipe from the cookbook below.

Fabulous Taco Salad

Excerpted from Taste of Home: Cooking School Cookbook by Catherine Cassidy and Taste of Home Editors

4 Servings Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

1 pound extra-lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
6 cups torn romaine
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup salsa

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook turkey and onion in oil until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, salt and pepper; cook for 3-4 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Remove from the heat; stir in cilantro. Divide romaine among four plates; top each with 3/4 cup turkey mixture, 2 tablespoons cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving equals 224 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 55 mg cholesterol, 467 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 35 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 fat.

To enter to win a copy of Taste of Home: Cooking School Cookbook, leave separate copies for any of these entries you choose.

(1) Tell me about a favorite family recipe.

(2) Follow A Little Loveliness on my sidebar.

(3) Sign up for an e-mail subscription via the link on my sidebar.

(4) Like A Little Loveliness on Facebook.

(5) Add my blog to your sidebar.

This giveaway, brought to you by Taste of Home, is open to readers in the United States and Canada. The winner will be announced next week.

There are more surprises for Mom to come this week!

Mom's Apron Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:00:00 +0000

"Mother's apron gave you assurance.

Rushing in from school or play,

even if you didn't see or hear her,

you felt better just finding that apron

hanging behind the kitchen door

or dangling across a chair.

Her apron, smelling of cookies

and starch

and Mother.

It comforted you.

It made you feel secure.

It was part of her --

like her laugh or her eyes."

~Marjorie Holmes

There is something about an apron that speaks to me of Home.

Perhaps it is the collection of aprons hanging in my kitchen and the connection they provide to Joe's late grandmother and great-grandmother. Or the memories of sitting in my grandmother's kitchen, watching her prepare my grandfather's favorite dishes -- a half-apron tied around her tiny waist. Perhaps it is because when I invite my children to help me prepare one of our favorite recipes, they practically trip over each other as they rush to pull their aprons off the hook. Or maybe it is because the first Christmas without my mother, I unwrapped the last present she had chosen for me before she died to find a monogrammed apron.

I admire aprons for their beauty, but even more I appreciate their purpose. My dictionary calls an apron "a garment covering part of the front of the body and tied at the waist, for protecting the wearer's clothing." But my heart says an apron is more purposeful than practical. You see, the simple act of putting on an apron signifies that we are ready to work. Although the labor might be messy, time-consuming or difficult, we are ready to serve. And when I put on an apron that is beautiful, I can't help but hope that my gift of service will be as well.

So as we celebrate motherhood this week, I am so pleased to offer an apron for today's giveaway.

Target carries this adorable line of aprons from Cypress Home. With pretty damask prints and cute details like a handy pocket and stylish ruffle, these aprons provide a perfect balance of form and function. Of course, this is A Little Loveliness, so y'all can guess which one I am offering.

Today's giveaway is for one pink Cypress Hill damask apron. To enter you may choose one or more of these options:

(1) Leave a comment below telling why aprons remind you of home.
(2) Follow A Little Loveliness on my sidebar.
(3) Add my button to your blog's sidebar.
(4) Subscribe via e-mail.
(5) Follow A Little Loveliness on Facebook.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. I will announce the winner next week!

(Top photo by Allison Hilyer Photography. Used with permission.)

"A little girl, asked where her home was, replied, 'where mother is.' " ~ Keith L. Brooks

Just Like Mom Used to Make

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:13:00 +0000

At 6, one of daughter Emma's favorite pastimes is playing the "copying game." She often fixates on me, repeating everything I say and mimicking my gestures. I suppose the game is flattering momentarily, but it usually goes on long enough that I begin to feel uncomfortable.

"OK, Emma, that's enough copying," I finally say.

"OK, Emma, that's enough copying," she parrots.

"Really, Emma, that's enough," I insist.

"Really, Emma, that's enough."

[Nervous laugh.]

[Nervous laugh echo.]

I have discovered that telling Emma not to copy me doesn't work. In fact, the only effective way I have found to stop the game is to do something she can't do or doesn't want to mimic. Bringing up antidisestablishmentarianism, eating Brussels sprouts or starting a dreaded household chore are pretty efficient ways to stop Emma from copying me. You see, Emma decides not to follow me only when my choices take her in a direction she does not want to go.

Ephesians 5:1 instructs, "Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children."

Is it any wonder that scripture encourages us to imitate our Father? Children naturally want to copy their parents. Little boys push plastic lawn mowers, trying so hard to match their daddies step for step as they mow the yard together. Little girls love to plunder through Mommy's closet, hoping to look as beautiful as she does in her high-heeled shoes, makeup and jewelry. Little ones adore their parents and seek to emulate them in every way. As they grow, children seek more independence. But even into adulthood, many of our thoughts about the world and the ways we move through it are shaped by our parents' example.

As mothers, it is sobering to realize how profound our influence is. Our children will remember the cookies we make on occasion, but even more so, the choices we make every day. They will appreciate the meals we serve, but even more so, the people we serve along the way. They will be cheered to see us in the stands, and cheer when they see us taking a stand for what's right. They will watch us today with their eyes, but remember us always with their hearts.

I mentioned looking for ways to end the copying game with Emma. But really, the more significant thing to point out is the way the game begins. You see, the game usually starts long before I am aware of it. Sometimes I am conversing at the dinner table or working on a household project -- completely engrossed in what I am doing -- before I realize I am being studied. I have even awakened to find a bright-eyed Emma beside me on the bed, giggling that she has been mimicking my body positions while I slept.

We must remember that even when we are not aware, little eyes are always watching. They will pick up our little habits of daily living, but also the daily attitudes and actions that shape a life.

When playing the copying game, Emma decides to stop when she doesn't want to copy me anymore. But in life, my influence as her mother is so profound that she may not even realize how much she will grow to be like me. People will tell her she looks like me; I hope that will mean they see Jesus in her. They will say she sounds just like her mother; will that mean her words are always spoken with love? They won't believe how much she reminds them of me, so it's even more important that I remind her of Him.

At 6, little Emma is eager to slip her feet into my high-heeled shoes, ready to follow me wherever I go. And even as she grows, she will likely follow in my footsteps in many ways.

Knowing that our children will likely follow us into eternity, we must be mindful of each step. Little feet are following; let's be careful where we lead.

Join me this week as we celebrate motherhood on A Little Loveliness!

Kentucky Derby Party & Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:06:00 +0000

Last night my sister hosted her monthly cooking club, and this one was a run for the roses! Jennifer's husband is from Kentucky, so Saturday's annual Kentucky Derby provided a fun seasonal theme for last night's festivities.

Growing up, my horse-loving sister tried for years to convince my parents that we could keep a horse in our backyard. So this party gave Jennifer an opportunity to show some equestrian love with horseshoes, bits and bridles tucked into her decor.

Of course, hats were a must for Jennifer's Derby Party! My sister is the cutie in the black and white sundress and wide black hat. Some of you have gotten to know Jennifer through her Etsy printable shop The Polka Dot Party. In this group of pretty ladies, you can also spot well-known blogger Kristie Barnett of The Decorologist sporting a smart black hat on the back row.

Jennifer designed water bottle labels for a fun cooking club activity. Each bottle bore the name of a horse from the 2010 Kentucky Derby, and the girls cheered for the horse on their bottle while they watched the derby. This got everyone in the derby spirit, and the winner took home a box of dark chocolate derby mints.

Jennifer planned a cocktail menu of appetizers and desserts perfect for munching while watching the thoroughbreds. Her cooking club menu and recipes follow. These recipes look perfect for sampling during tomorrow's run for the roses.

Derby Day Cocktail Menu

Silver Cup Mint Julep (Non-Alcoholic)

Sweet Kentucky Iced Tea

Racing Asparagus Rolls

Pecan & Gorgonzola-Coated Grapes

Furlong Mushrooms in Filo Shells

Buyer’s Blue Cheese & Bacon Puffs

My Mare’s Mini Hot Brown

Back Stretch Baked Apricots

Tack Box Celery & Carrot Sticks

Kentucky Derby Pie Bars

Derby cookies

Bourbon truffles

Silver Mint Julep (Non-Alcoholic)

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
2 cups crushed ice
1/2 cup prepared lemonade
Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar and 1 tablespoon of chopped mint. Stir and bring to a boil. Cook until sugar has dissolved, then remove from heat and set aside to cool. After about an hour, strain out mint leaves. Fill 2 cups or frozen goblets with crushed ice. Pour 1/2 of the lemonade into each glass and top with a splash of the sugar syrup. Garnish each with a mint sprig and a straw. Serve on a silver platter.

Mint Simple Syrup

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring ½ cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil. Add ½ cup fresh mint leaves. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Transfer syrup to a small metal bowl and let sit until cool, about 10 minutes. Use warm, let cool to room temperature, or store, covered and chilled, up to six months.

Sweet Kentucky Iced Tea

2 large tea bags, decaffeinated or regular
16 cups boiling water, divided
2 cups sugar
Lemon slices or a mint sprig for garnish

Place tea bags in a large heat-proof container. Carefully pour 8 cups of boiling water over tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. In another container, place sugar and pour in the boiling water and stir until the remaining sugar is completely dissolved. Add this warm syrup to the steeped ice tea. Cool. Pour into tall tea glasses with lots of ice. Add lemon or mint sprig. (Serves 10.)

Racing Asparagus Rolls

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
1 loaf soft white bread, crusts removed
1 egg, beaten
4 ounces soft bleu cheese
8 ounces soft cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, melted

Cook asparagus in boiling water until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside. With a rolling pin, roll bread slices very thin. In a bowl, combine beaten egg with bleu cheese and cream cheese. Spread mixture on one slice of bread. Roll one asparagus stalk in each bread slice. Dip into melted butter. Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Freeze for one hour. When ready to bake, defrost slightly. Cut roll into 3 pieces and bake in 400-degree oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. (Serves 10-12.)

Pecan & Gorgonzola-Coated Grapes

2 cups finely chopped pecans
12 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
44 seedless red grapes

Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in a 325-degree oven. In a bowl, cream the Gorgonzola and cream cheese with a wooden spoon or electric mixer. Wrap each grape in one tablespoon of cheese mixture, shaping with hands. Roll the covered grapes in pecans and place on a serving tray. Chill for 30 minutes until coating is firm. (Serves 10.)

Furlong Mushrooms in Filo Shells

3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
6 ounces Portobello and button mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ to 1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 package frozen filo shells, thawed

In a skillet, sauté the shallots and mushrooms for 3 to 5 minutes. Blend in the flour, cream and cheese and cook until mixture is thickened. Spoon mixture into filo shells and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. (Serves 8.)

Buyer’s Blue Cheese & Bacon Puffs

1½ cups water
¾ cup butter
1½ all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
6 large eggs
8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
8 to 10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
4 green onions, finely chopped

Bring water and butter to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, salt, black pepper and red pepper. Cook; beating with a wooden spoon, until mixture leaves the sides of pan and forms a smooth ball of dough. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with a spoon after each addition. Beat in cheese, bacon and chopped green onions. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Puffs will be moist in the center. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Yield 36.)

My Mare’s Mini Hot Brown

2 chicken bouillon cubes
½ cup hot water
1½ cups half-and-half
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 French baguette, ¼- to ½–inch slices
1 pound country ham, sliced
1 pound turkey, sliced
¼ small onion, sliced thin
Parsley for garnish

In a large measuring cup, dissolve the bouillon cubes in hot water. Cool slightly before slowly adding the half-and-half. Melt butter in a saucepan and add flour, whisking until the mixture is creamy. Add the bouillon mixture while continuing to whisk until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Add the Swiss cheese and stir until smooth. If sauce is too thick, simply add water and heat to thin. Spray baking dish with cooking spray and place bread slices on the bottom. Layer ham, turkey and onion on the bread. Cover with cheese sauce and top with crumbled bacon. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned and bubbly. Garnish with parsley. (Serves 8-10.)

Back Stretch Baked Apricots

8 cups canned apricot halves, drained
1½ cups packed brown sugar
½ cup Kentucky bourbon
1½ sticks butter, melted
2½ cups crushed butter crackers

Spray a large baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread well-drained apricots in the dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then drizzle with bourbon. Combine melted butter with cracker crumbs and sprinkle over apricots. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes. (Serves 8.)

Tack Box Celery & Carrots

15-ounce jar smooth peanut butter
5 tablespoons honey
¼ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup raisins
1 bunch celery stalks
1 pound bag baby carrots

Mix peanut butter, honey, walnuts and raisins together in a medium bowl. Wash the celery and cut into 3 to 4-inch lengths. Serve carrots and celery with the peanut butter dip.

Derby Pie Bars

For the shortbread crust:
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
For the filling:
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
3 eggs
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons bourbon or whiskey (or more to taste)
1½ cups chocolate chips
1½ cups chopped walnuts 

To make the crust, combine the powdered sugar, flour, and salt In the bowl of a food processor. Add cubes of butter and pulse until it resembles coarse cornmeal. (You can also use your fingers or a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter. Whatever is easiest for you.) Firmly pat the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Bake the crust at 350 degrees for about 20 to 23 minutes until just lightly golden.

To make the filling, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour, salt , and bourbon and continue to mix until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour batter over partially baked crust. Bake until filling is set and top is light golden brown, approximately 25 minutes. Allow bars to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into 2-inch squares (or desired size).

Bars will keep in an airtight container for at least a week. (Yields 24 2-inch squares.)

Sterling Bits

My best girlfriend, Vonda, gave me this cookbook a couple of years ago, and it is a Kentucky treasure! Sterling Bitsfeatures menus and recipes for horse-themed events, like the birth of a foal. Jennifer found several of her derby party recipes in this cookbook. Non-cooks will appreciate this book for its lovely artwork and regional connection.

Thanks to my sister and her friends for letting us come along for the ride as they made a run for the roses with a fun cooking club meeting!

"Ah, steeds, steeds, what steeds! Has the whirlwind a home in your manes? Is there a sensitive ear, alert as flame, in your every fiber? Hearing the familiar song from above, all in one accord you strain your bronze chests and, hooves barely touching the ground, turn into straight lines cleaving the air, and all inspired by God it rushes on!" ~ Nikolai V. Gogol, 1842

Summer Book Club Selection and Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:16:00 +0000

Come home to small-town America in Phillip Gulley's delightful book Home to Harmony. With wit and warmth, Gulley introduces us to a colorful cast of characters in the picturesque community of Harmony, Ind. Publishers Weekly enthuses,

Occasionally, a simple book feels like home, and its characters become cherished friends. These vignettes will doubtless become favorites, not only for the quarter of a million people who enjoyed Gulley's Front Porch Tales, but also for new readers who will respond to the Garrison Keillor-style humor and pathos of fictional Harmony, Ind. The town's characters include the wise Quaker pastor who narrates the book; a childless couple who spend their life savings (and then some) to wrest their niece from the grip of her alcoholic parents; and the narrow-minded church elder who "knew just enough Scripture to be annoying, but not enough to be transformed." This book is pure joy.

Filled with funny anecdotes and poignant moments, Home to Harmonyis a slice of Americana you are sure to love. Meet affable Sam in the video clips below.

Register to win a copy of Home to Harmonyby leaving a comment in this post or on Facebook. For additional entries, let me know you follow A Little Loveliness or subscribe by e-mail. I will announce the winner next week!

"Sometimes what we think we need isn't what we need at all, and what gets thrown in for good measure is that which fills our hearts." -- Phillip Gulley

Pioneer Woman

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:05:00 +0000

Books like Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz allow us to step back into an exciting time in our nation's history. Page by page, we journey alongside pioneers who cross rivers, scale mountains and plunge into the wilderness in search of a better life. Along the way they face perilous odds -- enduring harsh weather and primitive living conditions; risking illness and starvation; threatened with attack by man or beast. As readers, we hold our breath when dangers threaten and cheer when dreams come true.

When I read stories about our ancestors -- both real and imagined -- I admire their thirst for adventure and marvel at their indomitable spirit. But I must admit that on many levels I don't relate to them. When I consider the strength, courage and resourcefulness of pioneers, I feel so timid by comparison. Could I leave everything behind to explore new, undeveloped, uncivilized frontiers? I honestly don't know. Lush green woods surround our home, yet I rarely explore them on my own because I am so fearful of encountering a snake. When I read about America's early settlers, I wonder how many blessings I might have missed by staying in my comfort zone when an exciting world awaits discovery beyond the fence.

Scripture is filled with accounts of pioneers of a different sort -- men and women who risked everything to follow God. I find a heroine I can relate to in Sarah. Sarah's husband, Abraham, was the father of God's chosen people. Genesis 17:15-16 says, "Then God said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.' "

In her book Struggle Seek Grow, Cynthia Dianne Guy talks about Sarah's journey of faith, noting that Sarah honored her husband's position by following him into a foreign land (Genesis 12:4-5). Cynthia quotes Lottie Beth Hobbs, who observed, "Together with her husband, Sarah accepted this unprecedented challenge to take a new step of faith and follow God into the unknown. She also had to leave friends and loved ones and familiar surroundings to face the perils and anxieties of an uncertain future."

Sarah is named in Faith's Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11:11, yet her spiritual struggles are chronicled in Genesis. As she waited for the fulfillment of God's promise, we see a woman who wrestled with mistrust, impatience and jealousy. In desperation, Sarah took matters into her own hands and gave her servant Hagar to Abraham -- a choice that ultimately put enmity between Hagar and Sarah. Later, when an angel told Abraham that his wife would bare a son, 90-year-old Sarah laughed at the improbability. Cynthia quotes Donald Guthrie, who noted, "It is perhaps surprising to find Sarah spoken of as an example of faith, for according to Genesis she was more conspicuous as an example of doubt."

Yet God was able to help Sarah's unbelief. Through her journey of faith, God was able to give Sarah a new name, a new home and a new role. In All of the Women of the Bible, Edith Deen surmised, "Sarah's life was one continuous trial of her faith in God's promise that she was to be a Mother of Nations. Through this trial she emerged as a woman of power, one who was a dutiful and beloved wife and who finally became a favored and venerated mother."

Today our great God leads lost, frightened sojourners out of the wilderness -- giving us a new name, a new home, and a new role. When we become Christians, God gives us a place in His kingdom and claims us as His children (Acts 2:37-41). Now that is a journey worth taking!

As a reader, I will continue to enjoy novels about early American settlers, knowing I can brew a cup of tea, snuggle into a favorite chair, and escape to a distant time and place. But when I open my Bible and meet spiritual pioneers like Sarah -- an ordinary woman transformed by the power of God -- that's when I am compelled to get out of my chair and step out of my comfort zone, knowing God can tear down the fences of fear, doubt and uncertainty to reveal exciting new possibilities. And that is when the adventure truly begins.

"And for this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline" (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

Still to come, the announcement of our new book club selection!

A Word with Author Laura Frantz

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 05:21:00 +0000

During our recent book club meeting to discuss the novel Courting Morrow Little, we enjoyed chatting with author Laura Frantz. I feel like I have gotten to know Laura over the past few months of correspondence, and with each encounter I always feel so blessed by her warm and gracious spirit. I asked Laura to share a few insights with readers of A Little Loveliness.

You write about 18th-Century Kentucky with such vivid detail. What draws you to this region and time period?

Kentucky back then was a very wild place. My family came into the area then and I've always wondered what it was that gave them the courage to leave a settled, comfortable life in Virginia where they were county magistrates, lived in a spacious stone house, and had servants to make such a dangerous trek and settle in a cabin in the wilderness. Sadly, no letters or journals exist, only census records and genealogical records and family lore, etc. They, and other settlers like them, inspired me to create a story of how I thought Kentucky might have been when untouched and pristine. I'm sure I didn't do it justice, though I tried!

Forgiveness is a powerful theme in this book. Why is this such an important journey?

I believe unforgiveness is a huge stumbling block for many believers, hindering their growth personally and spiritually, if not strangling it altogether. It certainly was this way for me. Christ is the model for forgiveness, and He expects the same of us. No matter how difficult, we must be the first one to offer forgiveness, no matter the offense. This doesn't excuse the harm done to us but releases us from its power. I had to take the first step personally, even though my offender did nothing in return. But it freed me from carrying the burden, and I no longer think of it anymore. When Christ sets us free through our obedience to Him, we are free indeed!

Many people would argue that Morrow was justified in hating, or at least fearing, Native Americans after Shawnee warriors murdered her family, yet Morrow overcomes her prejudices. How important is this to her growth?

I wanted to show a character who was weak and made strong by her choice to forgive. Daniel Boone was my character template in this respect. He had two sons murdered by Indians -- one very cruelly -- yet he refused to hold a grudge. In Morrow's case, letting go of her fear and embracing forgiveness led to overwhelming blessings in her choice of a life's mate, children, and a godly future. Oftentimes, we cannot see sin's domino effect -- or the good that comes from living a godly life. I wanted this to play out in a character's life in practical ways through a story.

Forgiveness seems to come more easily to Morrow's father, yet in some ways he seems less willing to face the past. Why do you think this is?

Elias Little was more heavenly- than earthly-minded. The past was so painful, something that he would never understand in this life, that he kept his focus forward, so to speak. I think this is true for so many of us when we lose loved ones too soon or encounter painful circumstances that alter our lives forever. Nothing can remove the hurt of it, nor explain it away, so we just go on as best we can, trusting God will fill our brokenness with His healing power and blessings till we get to heaven. Either that or we live a broken, embittered life. I think, had Morrow's father crossed the dogtrot and ventured to the other, ruined side of the cabin, he would have been tempted toward unforgiveness and a crisis of faith. Knowing this, he avoided the temptation of doing so and kept His eyes on Christ.

What a memorable leading man readers find in Red Shirt! What inspired his character?

Oh, I wish I had a clue! Red Shirt surprised me in so many ways during the writing of the novel. He became so real to me. That's the joy of writing -- when characters become larger than life. Red Shirt is my ideal hero/husband -- gentle, intelligent, careful, faithful, enduring, strong ... . I may have made him too perfect. Sometimes I forget he was a murderer (remember that dangling scalp?) saved by grace.

Do you have any upcoming projects you can share with us?

I'm so thrilled to bring Eden's story to life in Love's Reckoning, come August/September of this year. It's a mail-order groom type story that deals with rival sisters and a Scottish hero and is the first of four books spanning four generations -- or 100 years -- in one family. The series title is "The Ballantyne Legacy." I pray readers are touched and God is glorified by these books.

Thank you, Laura, for taking time to chat with us!

Laura is so generous with her time. She actually took time away from her birthday celebration to answer these questions. You will be so blessed if you visit her blog. Please join me in wishing her a belated happy birthday! I encourage you to give yourself the gift of reading Laura Frantz novels. I highly recommend Courting Morrow Little, as well as The Frontiersman's Daughter. The Colonel's Lady is next on my list, and I look forward to exploring "The Ballantyne Legacy" when it becomes available.

If you have thoughts to share about our book club selection, Courting Morrow Little, or an encouraging word for author Laura Frantz, please leave a comment below.

Courting Morrow Little Book Club Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Our ladies book club met recently for a dinner and discussion of Courting Morrow Littleby Laura Frantz. This sweeping tale of romance unfolds in 18th-Century Kentucky, so friend Missy Jones and I planned an evening fit for the pioneers we came to know in the book. We kept our centerpieces simple, gathering bouquets of azaleas and wildflowers from our yards to display in Missy's collection of antique pewter mugs. Pioneers would not have fussed over elaborate floral designs, we reasoned, so we dropped our fresh-cut flowers into the mugs and set them on the table with candles and greenery.

Blue and white seemed a classic choice for our affair, so we paired my late mother's Spode Blue Roomgoblets with friend Nancy Itson's Blue Danubedinnerware and Missy's antique linens.

Missy brought this antique milk bucket, which looked beautiful filled with baby's breath and displayed on our food table with a well-worn Bible and antique wooden cheese board. A rocking chair and quilt added to the rustic ambiance of the room.

Missy greeted guests with a delicious gourmet cheese tray and refreshingly light punch to start our evening off right. We asked all the ladies to bring a favorite spring dish and enjoyed a lovely assortment of salads and sides for dinner. I am always amazed at the wonderful balance of flavors we enjoy at our book club gatherings. I prepared our dessert and did some research on popular desserts during pioneer days. I learned that chocolate was not common to the time period. Bread pudding was a possibility, but it seemed heavy for our springtime soiree. So I decided to make a fruit-filled raspberry pound cake. I am not going to share the recipe just yet, as the cake fell after I took it out of the oven. It looked like a disaster, and I was heartbroken to think of starting over, so I gave it a taste before throwing it out. And it was delicious! So, the lesson learned was that a flopped cake is just waiting to be turned into a trifle. This turned out to be an even better option than displaying the cake because the individual trifles set at each place added a little more color to the table.

I will share more details of our Courting Morrow Littlebook club event in upcoming posts, so drop by again soon!

Painting Eggs 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:14:00 +0000

One of the highlights of our spring break was our annual visit to paint Easter eggs at our favorite pottery studio. Here are a few pictures from our afternoon of family fun.

"As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life." ~ John Lubbock

Make a Bunny Topiary

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Computer problems have made Internet service spotty this week, but I think my husband has us back on track now. I have been eager to share this centerpiece I made for our Easter table.

This sweet bunny topiary is so precious, I think I will leave it out through the spring. Following the directions in this post, you can make a shaped topiary for any holiday or theme.

I picked up this white footed bowl at a floral outlet and hot glued a half-sphere of plastic foam to the bottom and covered it with a circle of sheet moss. A trio of silk tulips added a little color to the base.

To make the bunny, I used a marker to softly draw the outline of a leaping bunny on a sheet of plastic foam. You could trace a coloring book picture or print a simple graphic, but printer issues meant I needed to draw the design freehand. I used a knife to cut out the design, then used it as a pattern to cut larger bunnies out of sheet moss. I hot glued the moss to the front and back of the bunny. Cutting the moss generously allowed me to turn down the edges to cover the perimeter of the foam, clipping curves as needed and filling in any open spaces with extra moss. I used a generous amount of hot glue to make sure the moss kept the bunny's shape. When I had completely covered the bunny, I used a knife to cut a small hole in the underside of the bunny to insert a striped straw from The Sugar Diva. Then I cut a small hole in the foam base and slipped the topiary into place. I finished off the bunny with a pink ribbon tied around the neck.

I also embellished these wooden eggs to add to the display, thanks to an idea I picked up from Martha Stewart to use the very thin, top layer of a decorative paper napkin to decoupage the egg with ModPodge. Find a tempting assortment of toile napkins here.

This sweet bunny topiary graced our table as a centerpiece for an Easter meal, but I am already dreaming of its possibility as the crowning touch for my tiered servers for a springtime tea.

"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything." ~ William Shakespeare

Easter Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:30:00 +0000

We enjoyed Easter Sunday with my in-laws in LaGrange, Ga. Here are a few photos of the children and their cousins, Hollis and Reese, from our afternoon together.

Bunny in a Jar

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I hope your family enjoyed a happy and blessed Easter weekend! Ours was full with a busy trip to Atlanta for the 2012 Lads to Leaders convention with our church family and a visit to my in-laws for an afternoon of relaxation. I will be sharing more photos and details of our Easter celebration over the next few posts, but wanted to take a moment to share the precious favor my sister-in-law made for the occasion. Aunt Shanny delighted all the children with re-purposed glass jars lined with Easter grass and partially filled with candy. Chocolate bunnies looked right at home nestled in the pastel candies. Scraps of fabric covered the lids, and Shannon added the final details with ribbon, rick rack and raffia trims. Adorable!

"For I remember it is Easter morn,
And life and love and peace are all new born."
~ Alice Freeman Palmer

Happy Easter Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Happy Easter, Dear Friend!

We celebrated the holiday this week with a special meal, capped off with these sweet bunny cupcakes. I piped each cupcake just like a rose with an angled decorating tip, but using green icing and allowing a little ruffling made the roses look like cabbages. Aren't they precious?

Wishing you a happy and blessed Easter weekend with all the little bunnies in your garden!

Easter Basket Lunch

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:18:00 +0000

This week we surprised our elementary school teachers with a refreshing spring lunch.

Wooden Easter crates from Michaels were easy for the children to carry to their classrooms.

Basket Lunch Menu

Chicken Salad with Field Greens on a Croissant
Baked Cracker Chips
Bunny Bark

I found Bunny Bark on Pinterest and followed it to this recipe on Your Homebased Mom.

Finished off with a pretty Easter napkin and fresh tulips, I hope these basket lunches gave our teachers a refreshing taste of spring!

Sample Flavors of the Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:00:00 +0000

After the girls and I visited Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga., for spring break, I was eager to share favorite garden recipes with the family. My mother-in-law gave me the Callaway Gardens cookbook a few years ago, so I poured over it to plan our bicycle party menu. These recipes can be found in Flavors of the Gardens.

Pink Bicycle Dinner

Cold Raspberry Soup

Lemon Bread

Chicken Salad with Rice and Fruit

Cold Raspberry Soup

1 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
3/4 cut hot water
4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, pureed
3 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1 1/3 cups Harvey's Bristol Cream
1/3 cups grenadine
Juice of one lemon
Sugar to taste

Soak gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes. Stir in hot water and dissolve gelatin over low heat. Combine with remaining ingredients and place them in a stainless steel container. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Garnish with a few whole raspberries, if desired. Yield: 24 servings. (Note: I halved the recipe and omitted the Harvey's Bristol Cream and grenadine. I used 1/2 cup sugar and added 1/4 teaspoon imitation strawberry extract

Lemon Bread

1/2 cups shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon peel
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Juice of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 5x9 loaf pan. Cream shortening with 1 1/4 cup sugar; mix in eggs. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk to shortening mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix in lemon extract, peel and nuts. Bake in 5x9 inch loaf pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice and pour over the top of the loaf when it comes from the oven. You can poke a few holes in the top of the loaf before pouring the juice over if you wish. If you combine the sugar and juice just before pouring you will get a crisp, sugary topping rather than a glaze. Yield: 12 servings. (Note: I omitted the nuts and baked the bread in a muffin tin, which lessened my baking time.)

Chicken Salad with Rice and Fruit

2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
3/4 cup small green grapes
3/4 cup celery, sliced
1/2 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
1/2 cup mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup slivered almonds or pecans, toasted
1 cup ranch salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss gently. May be made the night before. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve on lettuce with crackers. Yield: 12 servings. (Note: I did not realize until after dinner that I forgot to add the mandarin oranges. The chicken salad was still delicious without them, but I'm sure the oranges would brighten the flavor.)

I hope you have enjoyed our visit to Callaway Gardens over the last week. Find the Callaway cookbook Flavors of the Garden here.

"All I have done is try to fix it so that anybody who came here would see something beautiful wherever he might look." ~ Cason J. Callaway

Pink Bicycle Party

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 05:00:00 +0000

With our family going different directions during spring break, I wanted to set aside a special evening to reconnect over dinner. Pink bicycle printables, fresh flowers and a pink and yellow color scheme set the scene for a springtime celebration.

Here is a view of the table set for a spring fling. I made the pink polka dotted tablecloth for Mary Ashley's fourth birthday, so I was glad to pull that out again.

Paula Deen's Dot Crazy plates worked perfectly with our pink and yellow palette, and pink and yellow napkins tied with yellow polka dotted ribbons coordinated perfectly.

I made these reversible napkins before the break from fabric I found at Hobby Lobby. To make lined napkins, cut squares of fabric and sew rick rack to the right side of one square. Then sew the two squares, right sides together. Leave an opening to turn the napkin right side out. Turn the napkin right side out, press it smooth, and topstitch the opening closed. Continue around the napkin to give it a finished look. (Film in the Fridge has a helpful tutorial with photos here.)

White cutwork lace place mats added freshness to our tablescape.

And spray painted white, this bicycle planter added a touch of whimsy. We picked up this pretty azalea as a memento of our spring break girls trip to Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga.

I displayed the "Keep Calm and Pedal On" print on the buffet.

And these cupcake toppers urged, "Let's Ride!" I will share more details of our menu in my next post.

"Now every field is clothed with grass, and every tree with leaves; now the woods put forth their blossoms, and the year assumes its gay attire." ~ Virgil

A Stroll Through Callaway Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 05:00:00 +0000

"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden." ~ Ruth Stout

The girls and I enjoyed a quick girls getaway to Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga., to kick off spring break. We enjoyed a perfect spring day roaming the gardens, and I took so many photos that before we left I was literally having to delete photos from my SD card to capture any more images. Please join Emma, Mary Ashley and me for a stroll through this beautiful Georgia garden resort.

The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in his heaven --
All's right with the world!
~ Robert Browning

Roll into Pine Mountain, Georgia

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Lester) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 06:55:00 +0000

I have been wanting to make a family trip to Callaway Gardens in picturesque Pine Mountain, Ga., since friends talked about their outdoor adventures in this 13,000-acre resort complex. But when Joe and I looked at our spring break calendar, a family trip was not possible this year. So when Joe and the boys headed to Atlanta to watch Kentucky basketball, the girls and I rolled into Pine Mountain. Although we only spent one night in Pine Mountain, we packed so much in that I feel like we fully experienced spring in one weekend. Come along with us as we experience this Georgia gem.

The Bakery and Cafe at Rose Cottage

"Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts!" ~ James Beard

We rolled into Pine Mountain in time for a late lunch at The Bakery and Cafe at Rose Cottage. Before we left home, I researched dining options online and couldn't wait to visit this charming bakery.

There is something so warm and cozy about a bakery, and Rose Cottage oozes charm. Of course, my eye was drawn to the tea accouterments!

The girls and I enjoyed exploring the restaurant while we waited for our food.

And there were plenty of pretties to tempt us to shop.

The ambiance alone was enough for me to enjoy my visit to Rose Cottage, but the food was definitely worth the trip.

Chef John W. Makin made his mark in the culinary world, being named one of Food and Wine's top 10 chefs in America in 1987. His impressive resume includes serving as the executive chef at The Four Seasons in Los Angeles, and serving as executive chef for Sun International Hotels of South Africa, where he was chosen to cater the presidential inauguration of Nelson Mandela. Most recently, he worked as Food and Beverage Director at Callaway Gardens before opening the Bakery and Cafe at Rose Cottage with his wife. Explore Chef Makin's menu of lunch, dinner and lite-bite options here.

The Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens

After lunch we headed to Callaway Gardens to settle into our room. Thanks to Joe's frequent travels, he was able to give us a night at The Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens. We felt completely pampered in this premier luxury resort! With the girls being so young, we didn't venture into the 13,000-square-foot Spa Prunifolia. That will be something to look forward to on a future girls trip!

Every room in the hotel has a balcony, offering beautiful views of the lush landscaping.

After lounging in the room for a bit to settle Emma's tummy after lunch, the girls were ready to explore our new home away from home.

The girls were eager to find bike trails, but first we wanted to stroll the grounds of the Lodge.

Surrounded by towering pines, the heated pool beckons just beyond this gate. We looked forward to taking a dip after our bike ride. I wanted to snap a few pictures of the girls before we headed out on our bicycles.

My sweet girls!

And finally, after days of build-up and anticipation, it was time to ride.

Emma learned to ride a bike last year during spring break, so it was fun to plan this trip, knowing we could all participate.

"It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills or coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle." ~ Ernest Hemingway

We explored just a portion of the more than 10 miles of bike trails the gardens have to offer.

I so enjoyed glimpsing the cabins and cottages that dot the landscape. Doesn't this look like a wonderful retreat?

Robin Lake Beach

The girls were delighted to discover Robin Lake Beach, a man-made, one-mile, white-sand beach near our hotel. On this cool afternoon, we had it all to ourselves.

Emma and Mary Ashley dipped their toes in the water, skipped, twirled and sang to their hearts content.

I loved watching my sweet Mary Ashley embrace the moment.

"A lake carries you into recesses of feeling otherwise impenetrable." ~ William Wadsworth

We arrived in Pine Mountain with rain in the forecast, but my little Emma always brings sunshine.

"A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature." ~ Henry David Thoreau

"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride." ~ John F. Kennedy

After a restful night at the Lodge, the girls and I spent a perfect spring day exploring Callaway Gardens. Join me next week for a breathtaking explosion of spring!

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." ~ Charles Dickens