I had added a link to utube and a video of Ricky Nelson singing Garden Party to my blog post, but it won't let me do that here. So, just remember that wonderful song as you view. Click on the video and enjoy Ricky Nelson as he welcomes us to The Garden Party. We love fresh vegetables and fortunately live in an area where they are plentiful throughout the summer months. I even have a perfect set of dishes with a vegetable theme, but I used those last week for Tablescape Thursday. So, I went digging through my stash of dishes looking for something for a Garden Party. I almost went with some china and an elegant theme. However, the weather has cooled somewhat and the late evening hours we are able to enjoy the outdoors for dining. So, I went for a more practical garden meal on the screened porch. I decided that these plates with a birdhouse would work for the party this weekend. I tried to snag photos of the birds in the backyard, but since I was looking for them, they didn't show up. I have a male cardinal (red)and an occasional white female that visits my back yard area . I just love to watch them as they flitter from branch to branch. There is also a mockingbird that returns every year to make a nest in the spring. She is very territorial and has chased my husband up under the covered porch on several occasions when he was working under the tree that held her nest. We also have a couple of small rabbits that frequent the yard and many, many squirrels. All of them have been missing since I have manned the porch with a camera. However, I decided that this rugged looking little birdhouse was an appropriate centerpiece for my Garden Party table for the evening. I used round beaded placemats as chargers. I found these at a Salvation Army TS after Christmas for 99 cents each. They were new and still had the tags from Horchow! I couldn't believe the price. I used a set of dark green handled flatware on top of red napkins and a red tablecloth. Glassware used includes four amber wine goblets that I found recently for half price at a thrift store. They ended up being only 75 cents each that day. The other glasses were found last week at GW for $1 each and are green Coke looking glass. I love the shape and size of them for iced tea. The menu for the evening was peel and eat shrimp that was cooked with Old Bay Seasoning served with cocktail sauce, Hoppin' John and a loaded baked potato. Iced tea and an assortment of white wine was served. A Merlot was out for DH after meal time. He prefers the Merlots and enjoys them with most foods or as an after dinner drink. This particular Cap Rock chardonnay is a Texas wine that I enjoy. I always have to laugh at the piles of shrimp peelings that are left behind and tell their own story. Dessert for the evening was homemade vanilla ice cream. I made this last weekend for one of the ice cream socials and froze several big bowls of it. Since it is not as hot this weekend and we are actually able to enjoy eating outside, the ice cream was a nice treat. However, I scooped it into the bowls and placed it inside the freezer for a few minutes before serving. If you aren't from the South, you might not be familiar with Hoppin' John, so I looked up a little info for you. Hoppin' John History Eat poor that day, eat rich the rest of the year. Rice for riches and peas for peace. - Southern saying on eating a dish of Hoppin' John on New Year's Day. Hoppin' John is found in most states of the South, but it is mainly associated with the Carolinas. Gullah or Low Country cuisine reflects the cooking of the Carolinas, especially the Sea islands (a cluster of islands stretching along the coats of south Carolina and northern Georgia). Black-eyed peas, also called cow peas, are thought to have been introduced to America by African slaves who worked the rice plantations. Hoppin' John is a rich bean dish made of black-eyed peas simmered with spicy sausages, ham hocks, or fat pork, rice, and tomato sauce. This African-American dish is traditionally a high point of New Year's Day, when a shiny dime is often buried among the black-eyed peas before serving. whoever get the coin in his or her portion is assured good luck throughout the year. For maximum good luck in the new year, the first thing that should be eaten on New year's Day is Hoppin' John. At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, many southern families toast each other with Champagne and a bowl of Hoppin' John. If it is served with collard greens you might, or might not, get rich during the coming year. There are many variations to traditional Hoppin' John. Some cook the peas and rice in one pot, while others insist on simmering them separately. Most food historians generally agree that "Hopping John" is an American dish with African/French/Caribbean roots. There are many tales or legends that explain how Hoppin' John got its name: * It was the custom for children to gather in the dining room as the dish was brought forth and h op around the table before sitting down to eat. * A man named John came "a-hoppin" when his wife took the dish from the stove. * An obscure South Carolina custom was inviting a guest to eat by saying, "Hop in, John" * The dish goes back at least as far as 1841, when, according to tradition, it was hawked in the streets of Charleston, South Carolina by a crippled black man who was know as Hoppin' John. Although not from the Carolina's, a variation of this dish is a favorite of mine. However, I use jalapeno peppers in it. These pepper are one thing that I do have growing in a small garden tub. We eat lots of these peppers. I cooked fresh black eyed peas and used fresh tomatoes and our own jalapeno peppers. I also usually leave the rice out, so in some circles it wouldn't really be Hoppin' John!

I made pastry today for the first time since the "vodka version" was discussed last Thanksgiving. Or was it Christmas? Anyway, I forgot to add the vodka, even though we have wayyyyyy too many bottles of it in the house and no one we know drinks it.... I used water/lemon juice, and it worked fine, but I still have too much vodka. My 15 yo DD wanted to make apple pie, but her friend dropped in unexpectedly. I had the two of them peel, core and slice the apples while I pastried. I can't believe how slow they were! Was I ever that knife challenged??? I also made her some chocolate chip cookie pies to take to school tomorrow.

Mtn: Ever since you first mentioned making Spring Rolls and posted that recipe, I've been making them myself . . . but not with beef. I use either shrimp or pork. I tried tofu, too, but didn't much care for it like that. I was having a bit of a time because the first batch of "spring roll skins" stuck to my quartz counter, then to a thin cotton towel, then to waxed paper (LOL). I also had difficulty getting the rolls tight enough. But, they turned out delicious. The next day I was having my nails done and mentioned to the Vietnamese guy who always does my nails about my making them. He's a great guy and a good cook (better than his wife by far, so he does most of the cooking). He and the other nail technicians gathered around me, all giving me helpful hints . . . and all were horrified that the original recipe called for beef (LOL)! And so, I'm getting better and better. I was coached to not let the skins set in the warm water for the advised time, as they continue to soften once out. And to make them on a wood cutting board. I do use cooked quinoa in place of the rice, as we don't eat rice. They all shook their heads at the quinoa, too. I tried at first making the rolls without rice, quinoa or the like. Bad move! Now, though, with the quinoa, shrimp, shredded carrots and greens, etc. they almost look restaurant worthy. Thanks again for the recipe!

My son went to the parade. It was completely amazing. The Eagles had more fans than the Pope. The crowd was well behaved. The biggest problem was not enough bathrooms, which is the main reason I didn’t go. Our schools were open but some classes had only two or three kids attending. Everyone managed to get in and out of the city without any problems. Here’s a video my son took at Broad and Ellsworth in South Philly. He rode his bike so he got to see a lot of the parade. well, looks like GW won’t let me post the video. Too bad. And yes, I heard on the news that the Phillies are packed up and heading south for spring training.