We like to make this traditional Italian salad using day old baguette or Italian boule. You’ll need the equivalent of one whole loaf for this, so if you don’t happen to have that much, it’s easy enough to dry out your bread cubes in the oven or on the grill. If you like bruschetta, you’ll love this. It’s got all the fresh, summery flavors of bruschetta, but all in one bowl!
1 loaf Italian bread or baguette, cubed
3 large cloves garlic, minced
6 medium, perfectly ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cucumber, chopped
1 cup red, yellow or green onion, chopped
1 and 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons dry white wine (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
If your bread isn’t already dry, spread cubes on a large baking sheet in one layer. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes or just until dry. (OR… if you have your grill going, slice the bread and lay it on the cool side of the grill until toasted. Watch closely so your bread doesn’t burn. Grilling the bread adds tremendous flavor to this salad! Cut grilled bread slices into cubes.) Set aside.
Combine bread, vegetables and herbs in salad bowl.
In a small bowl, combine oil, vinegar and wine. Pour dressing over salad and toss well to evenly coat everything. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
“Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; and garlic makes it good.” ~Alice May Brock
April feels like the month to start cooking light, simple meals that don’t require hours to prepare. It’s also nice when you don’t have to turn on the oven. This is one of our favorite spring/summer meals. It’s easy, elegant, healthy, and delicious. Yesterday we enjoyed ours with a glass of carmenere.
Bruschetta-
8 ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped into bite size chunks
1/4 cup fresh basil or parsley, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup good quality (I like unfiltered) extra virgin olive oil
a couple splashes of balsamic vinegar or good red wine
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in bowl about 1/2 hour prior to serving. Don’t refrigerate. Bruschetta tastes best very fresh. Tomatoes lose their flavor and pleasant texture when refrigerated.
While the bruschetta is resting, prepare the crostini. Thickly slice a loaf of good quality, Italian bread…the chewy, crusty kind. Butter both sides of each slice and toast in a skillet (like you would toast a grilled cheese sandwich-so both sides are golden brown.) Serve the bruschetta piled high on the crostini.
Have a beautiful weekend,
Gorgeous recipe from Chin Deep
“When weary day does shed its light, I rest my head and dream, I ride the great dark bird of night, so tranquil and serene. Then I can touch the moon afar, which smiles up in the sky, and steal a twinkle from each star, as we go winging by. We’ll fly the night to dawning light, and wait ’til dark has ceased, to marvel at the wondrous sight, of sunrise in the east. So slumber on, my little one, float soft as thistledown, and wake to see when night is done, fair morning’s golden gown.”~Brian Jacques https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmCDxY2lJAE
When a Father takes their child in his arms he takes the Mother by the heart♥
✻⁀) …((* ..“Hello,wonderful Wednesday ☯‿.•⁀✿ _ ██Ɔ_“Keep what you hold in your,❀‿❀ ☼⁀⋱‿✻Heart❥ safe and strong.
The jewel of our hearts
the joy of our lives
My golden trio at a friends house
Lots of family treasured golden moments made since March
on their mega adventure
He loves to laugh and his Daddy and Mom
At our condo this morning
stickers cars trucks and lots of golden moments shared
He loves his chocolate milk too
Children think not of what is past, nor what is to come, but enjoy the present time, which few of us do. - Jean de La Bruyere.
At last my love has come along
My lonely days are over and life is like a song.
At last..................
All good things are worth waiting for.
"Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won't tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff.” ― Catherine M. Wallace
We love you Mr. Logan Minjae with all of our hearts
As posted by my dear friend Dani on Facebook Thank you
Beautiful creation by my dear friend Dani
poem also posted by her on Facebook
Happy Birthday, America!
Original poem (1893)
America. A Poem for July 4. O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the enameled plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, Till souls wax fair as earth and air And music-hearted sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God shed His grace on thee Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought By pilgrim foot and knee!
O beautiful for glory-tale Of liberating strife, When once or twice, for man's avail, Men lavished precious life! America! America! God shed His grace on thee Till selfish gain no longer stain, The banner of the free!
O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed His grace on thee Till nobler men keep once again Thy whiter jubilee! Happy July 4th to all my American Family and friends Have a safe and happy holiday ☻/ /▌♥May today bring you many wonderful surprises♥ / \ ♥~Happy Happy Fourth of July to all my dearest family and friends!!~♥ In the USA ♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒▒♥▒
red white & blueberry-strawberry shortcake jars {4th of july recipe}
Here’s a pretty, delicious and easy dessert to serve on the 4th of July, or for any summer gathering. I used my mock devonshire cream for one of the cream layers because it’s holds up better than plain, sweetened whipped cream, and because it’s not quite as sweet. I don’t like an overly sweet shortcake dessert. Instead I try to balance the sweetness of the fruit, cream and berries so you get a little tartness in each bite too. That’s the beauty of berry shortcake, in my opinion. Lots of fresh berries, a simple shortcake that is just a bit sweeter than a baking powder biscuit, and a creamy layer that doesn’t overpower the dessert with too much sugar. However, if you’re in a hurry, feel free to just use whipped cream. Add a scoop of ice cream just before serving if you wish. The possibilities are endless, and it’s all really up to you and your personal preference.
If you’re making them exactly according to the directions listed below, your shortcake jars can be covered tightly and packed into ice for a picnic and will hold up in the refrigerator for 4 hours prior to serving. Just bring a can of real, sweetened whipped cream and add a dollop to each jar before enjoying.
for the shortcakes: (makes approximately 12)
2 cups all purpose flour or biscuit flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cups sugar + more for sprinkling the tops
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup half & half OR buttermilk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
melted butter to brush over tops
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in butter, using a fork, until coarse, uniform crumbs form. Mix in half & half and vanilla. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a large baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Brush each biscuit with a little melted butter and sprinkle tops with a light dusting of sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or just until tops are golden brown. Cool completely before assembling your desserts.
for the berries:
3 to 4 cups fresh, ripe strawberry slices
3 to 4 cups fresh, ripe blueberries
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, divided (orange or grapefruit will work too)
In one bowl, combine the strawberry slices, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Repeat with the blueberries, using a separate bowl. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble your shortcake jars.
for the berry shortcakes in a jar: (makes approximately 12 desserts)
Place the equivalent of one biscuit in the bottom of each of 12 wide mouth canning jars (you may have to break them up into big chunks to make them fit.) I used pint sized jars, but you can use whatever you have. Top the biscuit layer with 1/2 cup of the macerated strawberries, followed by a generous dollop of mock Devonshire cream and 1/2 cup of the macerated blueberries. Cover tightly and keep cold until ready to serve.
To serve: Remove lids, add a dollop of real, lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, and a sparkler (if you wish.)
Enjoy!
Recipe from Chin Deep link on the side bar
Thank you so very much for all your wonderful recipes
Happy Birthday to my dear friend Ilona
May you always be blessed with the very best♥
"May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right." ~Peter Marshall
“You’d remember drinkin’ horchata You’d still enjoy it with your foot on masada Winter’s cold is too much to handle Pincher crabs that pinch at your sandals Here comes a feeling you thought you’d forgotten Chairs to sit and sidewalks to walk on Ooh you had it but oh no you lost it Lookin’ back you shouldn’t have fought it…”
~Horchata by Vampire Weekend
After hearing my new favorite band, Vampire Weekend, sing a song about a beverage called horchata I became curious. What is horchata? So I looked it up and found out it’s a rice and milk based drink that’s enjoyed in Spain, Mexico, and southern California. I made up a batch over the weekend. It’s surprisingly refreshing and pretty easy to make. Gracie absolutely adores it! Try it for yourself!
Horchata
5 cups water
1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
1/2 cup whole milk
1 Tablespoon Mexican vanilla
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup white sugar
Pour the rice and water into the bowl of a blender. It will be quite full. Cover and carefully pulse the blender for about a minute, just to break up the grains of rice a little. Allow rice to sit in the water for 3 hours. Drain the rice water into a glass pitcher or large jar. Discard rice. Add the milk, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar to the rice water. Cover and allow to chill completely before serving over ice.
Some Hispanic bars in southern California use horchata as a mixer in a cocktail known as a
Live with kindness, integrity and spirituality. Comport yourself with grace under pressure. Be an asset in the lives of others. Put people before things and live from your heart. Be intelligent, but know it is better to be kind than smart. Be a peacemaker who values peace and takes peace everywhere you go. Learn to understand your energy and how you create with your energy. Have among your priorities the characteristics of politeness, compassion and patience. Avoid making rash assumptions. Be a believer in true love. Seek deep communication with others and with yourself. Laugh and make the best of every situation. Understand that life is not perfect. Be whole enough to love and to be loved. When you find real love — protect and preserve the sweetness and intimacy of your gift. Make your home a heaven on Earth. — Bryant McGill Kindness is the highest form of wisdom (◍•ᴗ•◍)
One Love from Change for the World "Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient will remember for a lifetime." - Thomas S. Monson
ღ ☆`•.¸¸.✻´´¯`•.¸¸.٭✻.ʚįɞ✿ღ ☆We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. ~Luciano de Crescenzo ..(¯`•¯) …·(¯`(☼)´¯)…Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵Ʒ Love, Light, Joy, Abundance•.. May Angels bless you and troubles neglect you
I am so proud to live in this beautiful Country and call myself a Canadian.
Lovely July with the evocative murmur of honey bees on the wing and the smell of sun tan cream.
Cythia Wickham
Sultry, steaming, sweltering July. Slow down or stop. It's time to shed ambition and expectation, along with commutes, clothing, cellular phones, and calendars, Now our wants seem to diminish. Is it because our needs are met? A shady nook, a cold drink, a cool breeze whether indoors or out. A respite from the rigors of the day. Time off for good behavior. Summer is not so much a season as a melody, that tune of contentment we hum as the days begin to beautifully blur. The pursuit of happiness becomes our personal priority this month. Harmony starts to be heard in our hearts.
From the book Simple Abundance A daybook of Comfort and Joy
Sarah Ban Breathnach
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.
~Max Lucado~
The best thing to hold on to in life is each other.
"Life is a series of thousands of tiny miracles." ~Mike Greenerg
Our hopes are high. Our faith in the people is great. Our courage is strong. And our dreams for this beautiful country will never die. Pierre Elliott Trudeau
