~Classic Rotisserie Chicken Salad √ ~Cucumber and Chive Tea Sandwiches √ ~Orange Cranberry Scones √ ~Salmon and Dill Bruschetta √ ~Lemon and Cream Trifle√ ~Applewood Smoked Ham and Havarti Ciabatta ~High Tea at Home Continuing our Series on Teatime or Anytime Treats, the feature this week is Lemon and Cream Trifle for this very special Memorial Day to honor and remember men and women of the United States Armed Forces who gave their lives in service to our country. It r

~Classic Rotisserie Chicken Salad √ ~Cucumber and Chive Tea Sandwiches √ ~Salmon and Dill on Crisp Toast Rounds (Crostini) √ ~Orange Cranberry Scones √ ~Lemon and Cream Trifle ~Applewood Smoked Ham and Havarti Ciabatta Continuing our Series on Teatime at Home: Simple Elegance, the feature this week are Smoked Salmon Crostini, which have been made by my family, in one form or another, forever. You can use a baguette and put olive oil and toast it lightly, which is supergood

~Classic Rotisserie Chicken Salad ~Cucumber and Chive Tea Sandwiches ~Salmon and Dill Bruschetta (Recipe to Come) ~Orange Cranberry Scones (Recipe to Come) ~Lemon and Cream Trifle (Recipe to Come) ~Applewood Smoked Ham and Havarti Ciabatta (Recipe to Come) Continuing our Series on Teatime at Home: Simple Elegance, the feature this week are Cucumber and Chive Tea Sandwiches, which are beautiful as well as incredibly versatile and can be served in far more settings than teatime

Chicken Salad has been as much a part of my life as any seafood that we made frequently from the Gulf Coast, be it shrimp, snapper, crabs, flounder, or catfish. Our chicken salad recipe was made by my mother, her mother before her, and eons back as far as I can remember. And this wasn’t just any chicken salad, mind you. This was a tradition for every holiday, Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Then there were the family gatherings-reunions, birthdays, baby and wedding showers

Easter, for as long as I can remember, has been something we anticipated for weeks to arrive with the first hint of spring. Growing up in the South, the air was still cool, but you could feel summer waiting just around the corner. Our home would slowly transform as plans were made, menus discussed, and small traditions carefully carried out. Fresh flowers always found their way to the table, nothing overly fancy, but always arranged beautifully. We usually picked hydrangeas f

Valentine’s Day is about doing something that you adore and making a moment in time, then sharing it with those that matter most to you. Food has always done that better than words alone. A shared meal is especially endearing, whether it’s made as a surprise or prepared together for that special occasion and served enthusiastically. This dinner was designed to feel meaningful and unfussy, the kind of meal that invites conversation and remains long after the plates are cleared

Key Lime Pie Recipe: Description: A classic, tart, and creamy pie that lets fresh lime shine, she’ll make a pie thief come out of the woodwork, so beware, and guard yours closely! Ingredients for Crust: 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs ⅓ cup sugar 6 tablespoons melted salted butter Directions for Crust: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. 3. Press firmly into a 9-inch pie plate. 4. Bake crust for 8 minutes and let cool slightl

A smooth and scrumptious margarita with fresh lime and homemade simple syrup and a little Cointreau twist. Don’t expect a drop to be left, there never is! Simple Syrup: ½ cup sugar ½ cup water Margarita: 1-ounce Cointreau 1 or 2-ounces tequila 1-ounce fresh lime juice 1-ounce simple syrup Rim: 2 Teaspoons kosher salt 1 Teaspoon lime juice Directions: 1. Simmer sugar and water until dissolved; cool completely. 2. Shake Cointreau, tequila, lime juice, and simple syrup with ice

It seems like New Year’s Eve has always been with us, and it kind of has, at least since the 1800’s, where Americans gathered and celebrated, often influenced by European traditions of partying and merrymaking. By 1907, Americans welcomed and anticipated fireworks and feasts on the eve of the new year, and the resulting New York Times Square Waterford crystal LED ball drop in Manhattan has become a mainstay that we enjoy to this day. By the late 19 th century, drinking cham

Some of my earliest memories of cooking were of making ginormous pans of dressing for us and others. Mama had a certain way of making it and it never changed, she had gotten the recipe from her parents; a recipe that was passed down for generations. The scent of homemade cornbread, sausage, turkey dressing filled our home with an indelible memory stamped deeply in my brain. It seems like the smell enveloped the air, my hair, my clothes and everything in between as it hit me

My mama made Turkey Gravy like she was a pro, and I guess she was, having made it since she was a young girl, taking great pride in it, something we were eternally thankful for. Believe or not, gravy can be one of the trickiest things to pull off, and it plays such a pivotal part of the meal. The stock is glorious, but can be difficult to find turkey necks, legs, or parts before Thanksgiving or Christmas, but once you capture them, run home and start cooking, there’s others l

Deviled eggs have always been part of our holiday table, they’re that irresistible appetizer you can grab on the go with your hands before anyone is the wiser. The bacon topper is that bit of crunch and allure that makes the whole crowd gravitate to that plate of smoky goodness. Be it Easter brunch, a Christmas spread, or a gathering in between, these creamy little bites always seem to bring smiles and familiar comfort. The moment the eggs are halved, and the centers are scoo

Ah, the glorious Christmas sugar cookies, ones that we’ve made in my family for the past three decades. Now, these aren’t just any sugar cookies, these have that deeply satisfying, rich creamy butter struck through them, that warm, smoky taste of vanilla, and fine granulated sugar with a touch of lemon zest on the inside. The outside is even better, the real secret lies here, that’s what takes it over the top. It’s that scrumptious icing that puts this little jewel in a class

Growing up, it seems like the smell of broccoli rice casserole has always been with me. There wasn’t a Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday that it wasn’t on the table and rated high, right up there with the turkey and dressing or ham and dressing. I was never sure if that stupendous smell was any one of those other dishes baking, as I sneaked a quick oven door opening while mama wasn’t looking. A waft of heaven floated out as I shut it fast, not wanting to risk getting caught.

Miss Edna's Lemon Apple Pie My little brother Donnie and I loved to go to the Café our parents owned. It was about half a mile from our house, it was the original Alta Loma Café, along Highway 6 in Alta Loma, Texas. Mama or daddy took us and picked us up from there multiple times a day. As we grew up, we often walked to and from or rode our bikes. A daily hot luncheon was served five days a week, good solid southern dishes were on the menu which was written on a hard plastic

When it gets close to Thanksgiving, or Christmas or Easter, there must be some secret smell in the air. Be it the crispness of fall, winter or spring, our family has its antenna up for the beginning of holiday grub. We always start talking about appetizers, main courses, and all things sweet. Menu planning commences and everybody is quick to get their dubs in for something they’re having a hankering for. When I grew up and started planning recipes, one of the first items in

It’s that time of year; Thanksgiving’s just days away and I’ve settled into planning what we’re doing this year for our dinner. I know the house is decorated and just how the Thanksgiving table will look . It’s just past my birthday and I’m still dreaming about the delectable chocolate cake with mouthwatering buttercream, thinking we might have that again, but the kids all shut that down. Nada, Thanksgiving is for pies and gooey bars. We have deserts and appetizers out the k

Seafood caught and cooked straight from the Gulf are delicate and sweet as can be. Living near Galveston allowed us to catch just about anything swimming in the bay and have it cooked within the hour, so it was hopping good and about as delicious as any seafood anywhere on the planet. Our little café, the original Alta Loma Café served fried shrimp and oysters, but at home we cooked whole flounder, stuffed crabs, sautéed trout in butter sauce and red fish, fried and blackened

It was a near perfect lazy October day in Galveston, Texas; we’d traveled there to celebrate a very special family birthday dinner. Motoring along the seawall, as always, we were entertained by amusing laughing seagulls, willet and sandpipers diving and running as water ebbed and flowed, supping on shrimp and crabs. The beach’s roiling waves and sand whipped into a blustery huff as we unrolled our windows, gulping briny sea air. We couldn’t wait, watching for the humongous cr

Every year, we have a Fall Costume Contest & Pumpkin Carving Halloween Party. Here, please come to ours with us. It's informal, fun and everybody gets creative about what they want to come dressed as and what their carved pumpkin at the end of the night should look like. We ordered from The Original Mexican Café in Galveston and made some dishes of our own. We often do this combo for parties, cook some and order food delivered to the house, that way it’s not overwhelming.