2010 March — A Southern Fairytale

Easter Menu Planning

12:22 AM ByRachelFiled UnderMouthwatering Monday, Recipes, Side Dishes

Do you plan your Easter Menu?

Easter Menus can be daunting, the planning.. down right frightening. Do you serve Ham or Lamb? How many side dishes do you make? Do you serve appetizers?

For my family, it’s always been Ham on Easter, Turkey at Thanksgiving and Chili on Christmas Eve.

If this is the first Easter meal that you’ve cooked it can feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Seriously y’all.. don’t let it.

I’m going to be playing with some Ham recipes this week and I’ll share them very soon, promise.

For today.. here are two side dishes that will be appearing on OUR Easter table:

Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Potato Casserole

I made this potato chip topped, creamy, flavor packed, cream cheese enhanced casserole last Easter and it was one of the first things to FLY off our table. Seriously, you add potatoes, green onions, sour cream, potato chips, sun dried tomato and basil cream cheese, cheese and more… how can you go wrong? Plus, it’s EASY to make!!!!

You can find the recipe here.

Chilled Green Bean and Potato Salad

Fresh, crisp green beans, baby red potatoes, salt, pepper, dijon mustard, red wine vinaigrette and more blend together in a dressing that adds a special zing and unique flavor to this refreshing twist on a green bean side dish. If you’re tired of the same green bean or potato salad dish, this is the side dish to add to your table. When I serve it, it gets thumbs up from everyone and requests for it to show up again sooner rather than later.

Recipe here

What’s going to be on your table this Easter? Do y’all do Ham, Lamb or something else for a main dish?

I’d love y’all to share your Easter Menus and Ideas!

Taggedbbq, green beans, holiday recipes, potatoes, veggies 18 Comments

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Spring

10:34 AM ByRachelFiled UnderPhotography

The signs that Spring is coming are starting to show up everywhere.

Sidewalk Chalk art is making appearances on driveways and walkways around town.

Blue Skies, Green Leaves, Vibrant Colors and Buzzing Bees all signs that Spring is breaking through, dusting off her flip flops and getting ready to don her crown of flowers and wave her wand that will wipe away the last vestiges of the dreary grey, cold winter and usher in the warm colors, sounds and smells of Spring.

Last, but not least, kids dressed in Sunday Best waiting to see the Easter Bunny.

What are your favorite signs of Spring?

Don’t forget… Sunday is Daylight Savings.. Time to “Spring Forward” one hour!

44 Comments

Redesigning The Morning Routine

5:08 AM ByRachelFiled UnderFamily

You know that mom? The one that you see dropping her kids off at 7:30 in the morning in her heels, pearls, matching cardigan and cami with her perfectly pressed slacks and flowing silken locks. Her kids are dressed in the latest fashions, their hair perfectly groomed and even the youngest one not in school is impeccably dressed.

Yep, that’s not me.

I had visions of being that woman. I was her for about two weeks of my daughter’s kindergarten year and then, well… then reality struck. The newness of school wore off and while she still is excited to go to school each day and loves it passionately, she no longer bounds out of bed. Now she begrudgingly inches out from her slumber cocoon after I’ve tugged and pulled and cajoled for 10 or 15 minutes.

Once I have her out of bed, that’s when the fun starts, she wears a uniform so there aren’t many options but she has a definite style and if the right knee-highs or tights aren’t available to match her twinkle-toes, well… let’s just say, another 5 minutes can fly by on the wings of frustration.

While all this goes on, nobody (me) is getting dressed and nobody (us) is eating breakfast and somebody (me) realizes that it’s 7:35 and we need to leave in 5 minutes and the 3 year old is still tangled in his sheets wearing his spiderman underwear and possibly his cowboy boots. I rush into my jeans and t-shirt, toss on some glasses, sling the blanket wrapped 3 year old into my arms and juggle my keys, purse and the 6 year old’s personality into my car and away we go.

As we pull down the driveway and the rumbling starts I realize it’s our collective stomachs and breakfast has been missed.

It was during one of those moments that I realized that I needed a plan, something to make our mornings less crazy; so the kids and I sat down together and made a plan.

The 6 year old would pick out two possible outfits, socks, tights accessories every night and whichever one felt more like her when she woke up, that’s what she’d wear that day.
She got an alarm clock and wakes up with it every morning, this was a great win because it makes her feel more grown up and responsible and I can concentrate on getting the 3 year old out of bed.
Everyone starts going to bed 30 minutes earlier at night (win).
I would set out everyone’s toothbrushes and toothpaste the night before so they could pop into the bathroom, brush their teeth, wash their faces and be ready to go, no more rummaging through drawers (I see this one evolving into their responsibility as they get older).
We each say “Good Morning” or “I love you” first thing. That just starts the day on the right tone.

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