Friday's Favorites ~ We are!

This is my Friday's Favorite~Can you see the resemblance?

Now that's a friday's favorite for sure :-)

What is your favorite today?

~I've decided not to do the linky thing on fridays due to lack of excitement on everyone's part.

I still wanted to play :-)
Y'all post your favorites!
Sandi

Some wedding photos

I promised pictures of the beautiful wedding. Here is the cute couple.

Christy and Doug should do a toothpaste commercial with those smiles! Here is Rob walking the mother of the bride down the aisle. . . what an honor!This is the proud papa with the maid of honor. Beautiful girls!
Here is our happy family ~ you have to look closely for Bill.
He is taking the picture!
What a fabulous weekend!
Y'all enjoy~
Sandi

Traveling Tuesdays ~ Cape Cod!

Last week we were on CapeCod for my beautiful niece's wedding. (I promise. . . tomorrow I'll put some pictures up of that)
I love the laid back way of life
. . . but, I have to tell you that these beaches don't hold a candle to our beaches in the Gulf.
"The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea" Isak Dinesen
A beach is a beach. It is good for my soul.
It was the end of the hydrangea season, but they were still beautiful. I guess that means fall's a comin'.
Now where are y'al traveling this tuesday? Join the blog hop and the links will appear on your blog too.

Y'all enjoy the ride~
Sandi

Photohunt ~ Yellow

The PhotoHunt for this week is 'Yellow'.My yellow is the fresh eggs used to make pasta in Italy! So fresh and so yellow!

Happy hunting y'all~
Sandi

~Flavors~

Y'all know that I spent more than a year as a part of a group called Pomodori e Vino, we cooked and blogged our way through Marcella Hazan's cookbook . . . The Essentials of Italian Cooking. In each recipe we were guided by Marcella's experienced hand, and followed her recipes to a T. My favorite part of the whole challenge was the interaction we had with the Queen of Italian cooking. More than once she called me her talented Southern cook~ Here is my final post on the Pomodori e Vino blog. It was a great experience.
So.
Now . . . What am I getting myself into?
I got the call from my pomodori friends. We have picked up another challenge. This one is built around building recipes.
Flavors!
We are using The Flavor Bible as our guide. Over the next 52 weeks, we will build our own recipes. Every Thursday I will join my friends and post my recipe following the flavors guide. I will do my best to stay true to my 'good home cookin' southern roots. We will blog and post on Facebook.
Join us for the ride.
It should be exciting.
Happy Cooking y'all~
Sandi

Traveling Tuesdays ~ Let's Go!

We have planned our trip in May of 2012 to Italy! This year we are including the Italian Riveria; Santa Margarita Ligure and the Cinque Terra. We will be there for the annual Sagra del Pesce in Camogli ~ a Huge festival of seafood and vino. This area is full of beautiful coastal villages . . . and best of all, trains will eliminate the cost of a rental car.
In another one week trip, we will also be going back to Tuscany, an area that Gail lives in a part of the year. She loves to share her Italy with friends. Click on the links for more information.
Now let's see where everyone else is taking us this week on our Traveling Tuesday blog hop. (If you copy the code the links will also appear at the bottom of your blog)

Y'all enjoy the ride~
Sandi

Photohunt ~ Wooden

The PhotoHunt for this week is 'Wooden'.
It happens to be perfect timing . . . We are on the Cape for my niece's wedding.
So you know what that means~
Fresh Lobsta~ Strait out of the lobster trap.It is fun to have to 'kids' all together again.. . . and I am the one with a bib.
Happy hunting y'all~
Sandi

Friday's Favorites ~ ♥ is in the air...

We are headed to Boston for my nieces wedding.
Cape Cod will be a beautiful place for a wedding. Of course I have a happy couple to take along . . . I can't wait to show you!

What is your favorite today?

Y'all enjoy~
Sandi

Traveling Tuesdays ~ Andiamo

We are working on our next trip to Italy.
We are planning our next Great Escape to Tuscany in May...
and this year it will include a week in the Cinque Terra!

Stay tuned for the details!
Now let's see where everyone else is taking us this week on our Traveling Tuesday blog hop. (If you copy the code the links will also appear at the bottom of your blog.)

Y'all enjoy the ride~
Sandi

Life changed for all of us~

This is a photo from Life

It has been 10 years.

Our lives were changed forever on that day.
~God Bless the USA~

Photohunt ~ Greasy

The Photo Hunt for this week is 'Greasy'. This is not something I use often... but I keep it in the pantry for old time's sake. Just because I am a good southern cook.

Did y'all love Minnie's opinion of Crisco in 'The Help'?
“Ain’t just for frying. You ever get a sticky something stuck in your hair, like gum? That’s right, Crisco. Spread this on a baby’s bottom, you won’t even know what diaper rash is. Shoot, I seen ladies rub it under they eyes and on they husband’s scaly feet. And after all that it will still fry your chicken.”

Happy hunting y'all~
Sandi

Cooking Light ~ Breakfast

This month we are have a breakfast club supper... Our Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club is havig breakfast. YuM! I knew right away that I had to make something with grits. I found my recipe on Cooking Light.
Grits Souffle with Ham and Spinach
1/4 pound lean country ham, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (13 1/2-ounce) can chopped spinach, drained and squeezed dry
4 large egg whites (at room temperature)
Preheat oven to 375°.
Place a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add ham; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; set aside.
Combine milk and broth in pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in grits; reduce heat, and simmer 7 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Combine grits mixture, ham, cheese, garlic powder, pepper, and spinach in a large bowl. Stir well; set aside.
Beat egg whites at high speed of a mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold one-fourth of egg whites into grits mixture; gently fold in remaining egg whites. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart casserole or soufflé dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until set and lightly browned.

Now let's see what everyone else has brought for our breakfast!
Jerry has made Breakfast Cookies with figs and nuts.
Jamie is bringing a platter of Ham and Swiss egg Sandwiches.
Val is making a favorite of mine Blueberry and Maple-pecan Granola Parfaits
MaryAnn has baked a Fig swirl Coffecake
Roz has made a Casserole of Hash browns, with bacon, onions, and cheese.

Don't forget, that y'all are welcome to join in our virtual supper with the blog hop! Y'all enjoy~
Sandi

Traveling Tuesdays ~ it's a WhistleStop Tour

We have had a ton of rain across the Southeast.
This reminds me of a day we spent in the Piazza del Campo in Sienna.
It started as a beautiful day at an outdoor cafe . . .When the skies opened up . . . we (of course) took refuge inside.

Which just goes to show . . . a rainy day in Italy~
Is still a day in Italy !


Y'all enjoy the ride~
Sandi

Photohunt ~ Wrong

The PhotoHunt for this week is 'Wrong'.

"To sip a cappuccino after lunch is a direct and major violation of an Italian Food Rule.

Italians believe the fresh whole milk that makes up over half of the contents of this drink plays havoc with digestion. To order a cappuccino after 10am, unless you are breakfasting after said hour, is seen as suspect behavior worthy of at least a slight frown, advancing to a worried shake of the head, and can escalate to outright ridicule."
The Tuscan Traveler

So now you know right from wrong!
Happy hunting y'all~
Sandi