We’re Sailing into the Summer
with Cobb Salad Boats!
Mini Cobb Salad bites of romaine leaves, with Cobb salad ingredients~ diced or shredded chicken, bacon, blue cheese, avocado, egg, and tomato.
Topping our boats with
Basil Buttermilk Dressing
and a Basil Leaf Sail!
Basil Buttermilk Dressing Ingredients
Makes about 1 cup, or 4 to 6 servings
1 small garlic clove
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
Mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt using a heavy knife.
Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, basil, and garlic paste in a small bowl. Chill, covered, 1 hour to allow flavors to develop.
To keep our boats from capsizing, I used half a grape tomato under the boats and moored :) them with a toothpick!
Wishing You Smooth Sailing. . .
and Calm Seas as You
Sail into Summer!
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Red Velvet-Berry Cobbler was in the Lazy Day Cobbler section
in last year’s July issue of Southern Living Magazine.
I was too lazy to cobble one together last year,
It was definitely on my list of summertime favorites
to make this year, so with Memorial Day
and the kick off to summer on the horizon,
I cobbled one together!
Quick, oh so good, and the star of your Memorial Day or July 4th celebration with its red, white, and blue if you top it with Vanilla or Cream Cheese Ice Cream!
Start with 6 cups of fresh berries~
whatever ratio you prefer.
Toss the berries with a mixture 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
Spoon into a lightly greased 11 x 7-inch baking dish.
Mix your batter and pour over your berries.
Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes and let stand on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
6 cups assorted fresh berries (I used mainly blackberries, blueberries, and 1 cup of raspberries)
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons red liquid food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together cornstarch and 1/2 cup sugar. Toss berries with cornstarch mixture, and spoon into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in red food coloring and vanilla until blended.
Combine flour, cocoa, and salt. Stir together buttermilk, vinegar, and baking soda in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. (Mixture will bubble.)
Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.
Spoon batter over berry mixture.
Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake topping comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes.
You can find a printable recipe from Southern Living, here.
However you celebrate Memorial Day,
remember our military men and women
who protect and serve us!
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Memorial Day kicks off the summer
boating season on the lake!
Although we generally refrain from boating on major holidays to avoid the crowds, we have been known to weigh anchor early in the morning or enjoy a late evening cruise.
In anticipation of the holiday, I’m setting sail into summer with appetizer boats and wooden buoys from Pottery Barn for a nautical and patriotic table!
A “ready-refill” at Lowe’s was proudly hailing its patriotism with a combination of white petunias, red verbena, and blue lobelia.
Drop your refill in your pot, and anchor some flags for quick decorating & smooth sailing into the holiday weekend!
I found an Americana Plaid Seersucker Tablecloth from Kohl’s to top a red quilt for the table. Baskets serving as chargers were brought ashore from HomeGoods several years ago.
Flatware, resembling rope, adds a nautical
touch along with mini glass buoys.
Red, white & blue striped napkins from World Market are casually knotted on the port side of the basket.
We filled our boats with a recipe from Southern Living’s collection of Quick & Delicious Summer Salads for an easy summer meal after watching a regatta on the lake last summer.
Shrimp Salad with a Lemon-Basil Marinade.
A refreshing summer salad and a combination I have had before, with the exception of Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette~ a surprisingly delicious addition, which added just a little heat in contrast to the salty cheese and sweet melon!
The newest ship added to our fleet,
found docked at HomeGoods~
a boat cooler for beverages.
Of course Memorial Day has a much more important significance than boating & picnics. . . it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in military service.
First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War, it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars.
A day to recognize, reflect, and remember
how fortunate we are to live in freedom.
Anchors Aweigh Table Details:
Dishes/Food Network™ Cafe Red & Blue Dinnerware, Kohl’s
Americana Plaid Seersucker Tablecloth/ Kohl’s
Goblets/ Dollar Tree
Flatware & Napkins/ World Market
Baskets & Boat Cooler/ HomeGoods
Buoys, Appetizer Boats/ Pottery Barn
Wishing you a Safe & Happy Memorial Day!
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Posted in Boats, Memorial Day, Tablescape
Tagged Americana® Plaid Seersucker Tablecloth, Enamelware boat dish, Food Network™ Cafe Red and Blue Dinnerware, HomeGoods, Kohl's, LaKe Norman NC, patriotic table, Pottery Barn wood buoys, red white & blue
We Celebrated the Red, White, & Blue
with a Memorial Day Picnic~
Stars and Stripes were the Guests of Honor!
And a little retro fun~ plaid & portable~ was provided by this metal picnic basket I found at World Market~
Mini MoonPies and vintage-style seltzer waters arrived, but unfortunately RC Colas were unable to attend :)
A galvanized bottle caddy from Pottery Barn, is fitted with jars so it can tote napkins, flags, flatware, & flowers with ease~ and gets pulled into service frequently!
You can see it Picnicking with Pumpkins here, and here, toting BBQ Sundaes last Memorial Day.
(World Market also has a 4-bottle caddy available now, you can find here.)
I found patriotic baskets at Dollar Tree~ just the right size for serving a sandwich & chips or jars of salads~ along with a side of Sparklers and a MoonPie :)
Our salads in jars are not traditional Memorial Day fare, but a little less filling so there’s room for dessert!
Tarragon Chicken Salad ~ chicken, halved red seedless grapes, tarragon, chopped pecans, celery, and mayo~ mixed to your ratio of preference, and seasoned to taste.
And pasta salad~ pasta with chopped sundried tomatoes, black olives, marinated artichoke hearts, feta cheese. Toss with vinaigrette or Italian dressing.
Patriotic Berry Trifle~
Layers of angel food or pound cake, berries, and pudding.
Instead of pudding, I like to mix a jar of lemon curd with 8 oz. of light cream cheese to layer between the cake and berries.
While we had our fun in the sun, Memorial Day is more than picnics and recreational boating~
A day to recognize, reflect, and remember
how fortunate we are to live in freedom.
Thank you to all our military men and women who protect and serve us~
We are humbled and grateful for you and your families’ sacrifices.
Celebrating the Red, White & Blue Picnic
Plaid Picnic Basket/ World Market
Checked Paper Basket Liners, Galvanized Buckets, Round Tray, RW&B Striped Napkins/ World Market
Patriotic Baskets, RW&B Straws/ Dollar Tree
Galvanized Picnic Caddy/Pottery Barn
Flatware/ HomeGoods, several years ago
Hope your celebration was happy!
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Posted in Food, Lake Life, Memorial Day
Tagged memorial day picnic, Mini MoonPie, pasta salad with sundried tomatoes feta cheese olives and artichoke hearts, patriotic picnic, Pottery Barn galvanized bottle and picnic caddy, stars and stripes, tarragon chicken salad with red grapes, World Market metal plaid picnic basket, World Market parchment paper checked basket liners
A little boating~
Some snacking . . .
These special treats courtesy of this bonnie lass, Sadie~
Sadie, whose mom Sarah, knows cinnamon & oatmeal and
peanut butter & blueberry are the best flavors
Thank you Sadie & Sarah!
Wishing you a Safe & Happy Memorial Day
with plenty of treats!
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