Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Fall is for Footbal


Fall is certainly for football fans.....


This table is set for burgers and chips and a relaxing day by the lake to watch football.




We have a store nearby called Mystery Bins and I bought all of the paper goods (plates, cups and napkins for 20) for only $2.  I cut 4 rectangles of brown paper for placemats.  The center tray is an enamel MacKenzie-Childs Emerald Check Tray.  An old milk glass vase holds the flag as a simple centerpiece.


What's in the little canvas bags?


These were freebies at the NYS Fair last week!


Cute wooden flatware!



This was a last minute table setting and quite inexpensive, too!


Williams Park, in Cicero, NY, is the perfect place for a picnic and only a few miles away.  The view of Oneida Lake is lovely, there are small covered pavilions to reserve, grills, a gazebo, a splash pad, a beach and a playground.



Let's grill some hamburgers and have "football brownies" for dessert.  Bring your iPads so we can watch the game.



Are you ready to cheer on your team this season?



I hope your team wins!



This tray is perfect for serving hamburgers or appetizers for football games: MacKenzie-Childs Emerald Check Round Tray
Rita @ Panoply is always our "hostess with the mostess" - I hope she feels better soon!

Check out these other fall tablescapes:


Thanks for stopping by, Patti

Friday, August 28, 2026

Tomato-Peach Salad


Here's an easy delicious fruit salad recipe - perfect for breakfast or lunch or as a side dish.



Tomato-Peach Salad
Mix together:
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 ripe peach, diced
2 T chopped pecans
2 T chopped red onion
Add dressing:
1T Balsamic vinegar
1/2 T olive oil
1/2 t honey
Garnish with basil ribbons
Serves 2






Thanks for stopping by, Patti

Recipe Card:




Monday, August 10, 2026

Easy Bruschetta...

Here's a quick and easy "pick me up" snack for an afternoon break:


I whipped up a little batch of salsa with what i had available.  This one has tomatoes, green pepper, radish and a dash of salt, pepper and balsamic!


I gathered some large crostini, Boursin cheese, Sweet Fire Mango Jack cheese (any cheddar or mozzarella will do) and the salsa.


Be creative with how you make this - every time i make it is different, it always is whatever is in the fridge or garden!

Because the crostini is large, you need some "glue", so when you bite into it it doesn't fall apart.  The Boursin holds everything together!

Spread a layer of Boursin on the crostini and top with salsa and then some shredded cheese (this holds everything in place)


Put in under the broiler until shredded cheese melts and garnish with fresh basil ribbons:


This is so easy to make for a crowd, too.  Mix up the salsa the day before so that flavors meld together, buy crostini at the grocery market, grate cheese ahead of time and assemble before guests arrive - - Broil at the last minute!


Be creative, add red onion, minced garlic, chopped zucchini or cucumber, celery and so on!  Here are other ways I have made bruschetta: here and here and here.


Enjoy it with a glass of wine!

These were made a few days later with homemade peach salsa:





Thanks for stopping by, Patti



Word graphics by Susan Branch
Affiliate link to Mackenzie-Childs






Friday, August 7, 2026

Easy Veggie Casserole

Here's an easy veggie side dish to try....


Mix together 3 T olive oil, 2 T balsamic vinegar, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 t Italian seasoning, dash of cayenne pepper, saly and black pepper, 1 T chopped parsely, 1 T chopped chives and 1t basil ribbons.  Stir well to blend.


Cut a zucchini and a summer squash lengthwise and then cut into 1/2" chunks.  Toss into marinade along with 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes and let sit for 20 minutes,  Drain and pour veggies into a casserole dish. 

 
Sprinkle with 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese.


Bake @ 350° for 20-25 minutes and serve immediately. 



This is a delicious side dish, or try it served over angel hair pasta.

(Photos show 1/2 recipe)

Thanks for stopping by, Patti




Word Graphic by Susan Branch











Monday, August 3, 2026

Fresh herbs - do you dry them or freeze them?

I cut back a few herbs from my little garden (remember, I don't have a green thumb) and decided to freeze half  and dry the rest.  I picked basil, parsley, chives and thyme:


After washing and drying them, I divided into 2 piles:


This half I cut up and destemmed and then froze in a zip bag.  I will use this for soups and sauces, and will probably add to it as I pick more:


This half I dried, removed stems, crumbled it a bit and stored it in a little jar:



Do you grow herbs?  Do you dry or freeze?


Thanks for stopping by, Patti