Introducing Sail to Sable Spring and Summer 2013 Collection

My celebration of Women's History Month continues as I highlight a clothing line that came about as the dream of a woman who is one of my favorite fashion visionaries. Jennifer Stocker is the founder of Sail to Sable and with a successful career at Conde Nast Publications, has been recognized for her distinctive style-fusion of preppy, classic and chic. Those qualities are truly encompassed in the Sail to Sable line. 

Her goal was to create a lifestyle brand that is connected to the sun and sand, and that she has certainly done with the fabrics and delightful colors designed to coordinate by mix and match. I immediately noticed that the STS models emanate warmth and poise in their showcasing of the collection. The Spring and Summer 2013 collection has wowed me with the bright colors, fun designs and beautiful detailing in the trim. I love that each piece has detailing that allows for both casual and evening wear.  I also love their sizing system. Sizes start at 00 and are grouped together in size ranges through size 4. 

Their take on the classic maxi dress took my breath away. This is the Wanting Watermelon style.   

I love this stripe design with perfectly-placed detailing.

For my favorite color combination of pink and green, I have seen the color done well in clothing and then I have seen it done not so well by some companies. Sail to Sable does pink and green so right with their elegant trims and classic styling.

I was honored and elated to receive a dress from Sail to Sable from their newest collection to review for you on the blog. You will see me wearing this dress in the weeks to come, but today I would like to show it to you so gracefully presented by the STS model who so gracefully showcases it on the STS website.

This is the Patriotic Pride style, in a gorgeous red hue paired with a classic navy trim. It is such a perfect color pairing for me with my American Legion Ladies Auxiliary activities and support of other organizations honoring our nation's heroes. 
  
I must get ready to swoon now, over their absolutely gorgeous take on eyelet detail. This is the Eyes on Eyelet style.  

For more information about Sail to Sable, you can visit their website here and their Facebook page here.

Disclaimer: I received a dress from Sail to Sable's newest collection for the purpose of my honest review. I was not financially compensated for this blog post. All opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.      

Book Review: "Meanwhile, Back at Cafe' Du Monde"

March is Women's History Month and today I am sharing my review of a compilation book that came about as the vision of one of my favorite Southern ladies: Peggy Sweeney-McDonald. After a Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends several years ago, she tells of being inspired to bring people together to share their stories about Universal language, food, and how our lives revolve around it. From that vision came "Meanwhile, Back at Cafe' Du Monde". 

Peggy coined the phrase when she lived in New Orleans and her husband would say, “Everyone has their own “Café du Monde” as a metaphor for the place you always go to – your own comfort food place”. I count this amazing NOLA treasure among my favorite places in the world, so I was over the moon to see Peggy's homage to this one-of-a-kind place in the book title. What began as a series of stage monologue shows in 2010 and 2011 has become this beautiful book  from Pelican Publishing that is not only a wonderful cookbook, but an eye-catching coffee table book thanks to the photographic artistry of Troy Kleinpeter. I love that he captured many candid photographs that perfectly illustrate the spirit of the stories.

The book is filled stories of heartwarming and humorous memories, special times with family and friends along with the common bond of true comfort food at the heart of every story and there are 67 of them, each one just as delightful as the one before. I didn't read a single story without my dear late grandmother, Grandma Cleva coming to mind and one of our many precious memories together as I turned page after page of the stories. That sense of invoking precious memories with loved ones is a hallmark of this book. The recipes shared along with the stories are just as wonderful.  

During my recent trip to New Orleans, I saw this book displayed in a  French Quarter shop and I gleefully told the other customers in the store just how wonderful it is.

You can purchase the book through Amazon here.

Disclaimer: I was provided with an e-book copy of this book by Pelican Publishing and Peggy Sweeney-McDonald for the purpose of my honest review. I was not financially compensated for this review. All opinions stated in this blog post are my own.

Happy National Peanut Butter Lover's Day! "Pleasin' Peanut Butter Cup Pie"

Happy Friday! Did you know that today is National Peanut Butter Lover's Day? I learned some fun facts about this holiday from party supply website punchbowl.com including the fact that no one actually knows who invented peanut butter but it became popular in the early 1900s. Today, it is an $800 million industry and brand names such as Jif, Skippy, and Peter Pan are common household names. Can you believe the average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before he or she graduates high school?

This jelly girl loves peanut butter! Chunky is my personal favorite. I like to whip up this fun and easy peanut butter ice cream pie with some lightened up ingredients.  

"Southern Fried Bride's Pleasin' Peanut Butter Cup Pie"

1 quart vanilla reduced fat ice cream or frozen yogurt, softened

1 cup light frozen whipped topping, thawed

2/3 cup peanut butter, crunchy or creamy

1 (8 oz.) ready-made chocolate pie crust

Garnish: ¼ cup chocolate syrup

¼ cup peanuts, chopped

In large bowl, combine first three ingredients. Beat with mixer at medium speed until well blended. Pour mixture into pie crust. Cover pie and freeze at least 4 hours or until firm. When ready to serve, remove from freezer and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish, if desired, by drizzling chocolate syrup over pie and sprinkling with chopped peanuts. Enjoy!

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Now you tell me: crunchy, creamy or neither?  

Granma's Birthday Cake: "Southern Sensation Coconut Cake"

Ever since I was old enough to watch my Granma Cleva handcraft tasty delights in her kitchen, I was hooked on the tasty, light and fluffy texture of a coconut cake made by her hand. Her February birthday always brings thoughts of this cake. As I grew older, she began teaching me her from-scratch techniques for the ins-and-outs of baking a coconut cake and whipping up the accompanying frosting. As her second birthday since she passed from this life nears, so many "sweet" memories come to mind. When I grew up and would ask her what kind of birthday cake she wanted and her answer would be, "Those bakery cakes are nice, but no one makes a cake as good as yours!" So I made it, and here we are pictured with my first-ever coconut cake. She loved it, so my mission was accomplished.

I lost her in 2009. I had the honor of making her this coconut birthday cake for on so many February 27ths and today I continue that tradition to celebrate her life on this day. I hope you will make this recipe for someone you love.

"Southern Sensation Coconut Cake"
 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
 2 teaspoons baking powder
 1 1/2 cups sugar
 1/2 cup coconut oil
 4 large egg whites

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and dusting of flour. In medium bowl, add flour, baking powder and sugar; set aside. In separate large bowl, add oil and egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry flour mixture in one-thirds to the creamed mixture until all of dry mixture has been added. Pour batter evenly into baking pans. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick in center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Frost cooled cake, if desired, with "Southern Sensation Coconut Frosting".

"Southern Sensation Coconut Frosting"
 1/2 cup butter
 1/2 cup shortening
 4 cups powdered sugar
 1 teaspoon cream of coconut
 1/4 cup shredded coconut

 In mixing bowl, add first four ingredients. Beat with mixer 1 minute. Add coconut to mixture. Beat with mixer 5 minutes. Frost cooled cake. Use reserved ½ cup of coconut to coat top and sides of frosted cake. Serve and enjoy!

Presidents' Day: Facts, a Recipe and a Giveaway

Today is Presidents' Day, the American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. My husband and I are big fans of the History Channel programming and they have some interesting facts about this holiday on their website. It was originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington and it is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government. Traditionally celebrated on February 22—Washington’s actual day of birth—the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays this month honoring the birthdays of Presidents Washington and Lincoln, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present.

I make these fun cherry white chocolate chip cookies to celebrate Presidents' Day. In the words attributed to young George Washington, "I cannot tell a lie" -these cherry treats are a hit with my husband and I hope you or someone you love will enjoy them, too! 

"Southern Fried Bride's White Chocolate Cherry Cookies"

1 stick butter, softened 
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet or line with parchment paper. In large bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to creamed mixture. Stir in dried cherries and white chocolate chips. Place by rounded tablespoonful onto baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges start to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies onto wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

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Speaking of holidays, I recently received a wonderful surprise in the mail when a fabulous footwear company sent me their year-round holiday socks collection because they know from reading this blog that I love to celebrate holidays. Snappy Socks have snaps so when you wash them, they stay together in the washer/dryer. I loved wearing the valentine socks and I am wearing the red, white and blue socks today for Presidents' Day. :)

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I recently won a giveaway prize from the wonderful toleware company Jayes Studio. I love that every piece they make is made by hand and painted one at a time. They use only lead-free paint and each item is powder coated for durability. This red, white and blue beauty is one of their fun and stylish Catch All Trays valued at $39.00 and in the spirit of today's holiday, I choose to pay it forward to one of you!  

To enter, leave a comment below and let me know your favorite U.S. president or presidents. Giveaway closes tonight at 10:30 pm EST. Winner will be announced immediately. Good luck! 

Our 2nd Valentine's Day as Mr. and Mrs.

I woke up this Valentine's Day morning to find this adorable Precious Moments little boy kneeling down on my nightstand. He will hold my engagement and wedding rings, pictured here, at bedtime. ♥

I came downstairs to find this on our dining table. Craig keeps a tradition that is one of my most precious memories from my childhood: Valentine's Day when I was in 2nd grade, my Mom picked me up from school and took me to Grandpa A.D. and Grandma Cleva's house. When I came through the back door, I saw the "Pink and Pretty" Barbie I dearly wanted on their dining table along with some chocolate chip cookies. They had gone in together and bought me the Barbie doll. Funds were tight and it wasn't easy for them to be able to do it, I see that even moreso looking back as an adult, but they always put me before their own self and that lesson made a lifelong impression on me. This is Breakfast at Tiffany's Barbie with Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly wearing one of my most favorite movie outfits EVER: the Givenchy pink cocktail dress with matching coat and a tiara. 

He sent me these flowers that arrived later in the morning, delivered to our front door by Sherwood Florist (Sher-wood Florist, ha!).

Before dinner, I came back from delivering valentine treats to our next door neighbors to find this amazing sight in our living room. My squeals of surprise and delight came first, followed by tears. Valentine gifts from my husband: Kate Spade's Wellesley "Quinn" handbag in pink, Lilly Pulitzer "Maddie" fleece jacket in pink and green (Thank you to The Pink Door, the Lilly store in Memphis for helping him pull off this surprise!). Lilly Murfee scarf in "First Base", Lilly pink and green print makeup bag from the new Estee Lauder collaboration, Valentine Marshmallow Peeps, a chocolate-covered heart Peep and a bottle of NY Finger Lakes Moscato with a pink label, pictured with "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Barbie in pink. He blew me away with these amazing surprises! 

The new bottle of Moscato wasn't displayed in my wine bottle holder long, because it was opened pretty quickly, but I did think it was a perfect "fit" in this wonderful gift from my treasured Delta Zeta sister Emily. 

Instead of eating dinner out and dealing with the crowds and, in most cases, loud restaurants, this year I'm making our dinner and we will have it in the comfort of our own home. It's a surprise dish for Craig. I am aspiring to recreate our favorite dish from our honeymoon in New Orleans (that I also enjoyed with my DZ Little Susan several times over in December): Shrimp and Grits Napoleon, a tower of fried green tomatoes and seasoned creamy southern grits surrounded by gulf shrimp drizzled with a Cajun cream sauce. I had to go to five local stores to find some of the ingredients for this Southern dish! As another fellow Oklahoman who now resides here tipped me off about, I found one Southern ingredient in the "Foreign Foods" section of a local grocery store here in New York! My husband loved my version of Shrimp and Grits Napoleon. For dessert, I made a raspberry wine pound cake and topped it with a scoop of local-made Port wine ice cream. The dinner was a hit with my husband! We enjoyed a wonderful 2nd Valentine's Day as husband and wife. 

Review: "The Taste" on ABC

I'm a huge fan of TV chef Anthony Bourdain and sad when the run for his last show ended recently. I love the way he brings his matter-of-fact opinion with an edge all his own to all of his endeavours and I looked forward to what his next project would be. I was excited to find out he would be taking part in ABC's new cooking competition show "The Taste" as one of 4 culinary star judges and mentors.

The Taste pairs 16 culinary competitors who range from professional chefs to home cooks who were chosen by the panel of judges from a large field of contestants. I always love seeing the preliminary round or rounds of any competition first and I found the premiere episode presented a very good picture into the prospective contestants and those who ended up in the top 16 mixed in with feedback from the judges on each prospect's competition dish, plated in a hearty spoonful size portion for each judge to taste.

The format is 4 judges who then serve as a mentor to 4 contestants serving on their team. The judges chose contestants they hoped to be on their team and invited them at the judging table with the other 3 judges. In some cases, a contestant was requested by two judges and had to decide between the two. When the 16 contestants were divided up into teams, not all 16 ended up on the team of a judge who had hoped for that particular contestant to be on their team. It will be an interesting component to watch how those situations play out in the competition kitchen this season. I have to say that my personal favorite among the contestants is a home cook who won her slot in the top 16 with a chocolate cake.    

The premilinary competition was in the same format as the top 16 competitions, done in a blind taste testing format. I love the dimension the blind taste testing brings to the competition. It also creates the possibility that a mentor judge will end up voting off their own team member from the competition. The spoonful portion only of each dish for tasting is a fascinating component.

The first contestant competition episode aired last week and I love the intensity of this one hour cooking competition format each week as contestants are shown during the preparation process for their designated competition dishes. I recommend this show for fun cooking competition show viewing. The Taste: Tuesday at 8|7c on ABC. You can watch the most recent episode here.