Tea time tablescape

Well, who ever said you need 5 dishes at each place setting???
Maybe that is proper etiquette but over here at ND kitchen....its about the food!
(ok, it would be about the dishes if I had more....I am slowly adding to my collection)

I had a little tea with some lovely friends.....

A Steele Magnolia Tea in honor of my love for the movie and the South. See the Southern May pop? how about the okra and the Wisteria pods and Magnolia leaves.

Food

Food

More food

Boiled peanuts anyone???

I love the simple 60's style luncheon dishes.

This piece I just found at the thrift store just before the tea for $2.00

It has a built in flower frog and holds 3 candles.

Uncle Paw Paw was assigned to polishing...

Look there....my 17 year old son at a tea party????  Only because that is his lovely girlfriend across from him at the table.

Cheers!


More from this party can be seen at my blog  A Southern Belle With Northern Roots


I am linking to Table Top Thursday with BNOTP.


See recipes for Virgin Mint Juleps
                       White Chocolate Bread Pudding
                        Cucumber Walnut Sandwiches
                        Rhubarb Tea Cakes
                        Crab Salad
                        Cream Cheese Pansy Cookies
                       Coconut Macaroons
 sorry the blueberry crumble isn't posted yet but soon will be!!

Broccoli Salad

4-5 cups fresh broccoli florets
10 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 c diced onion
3/4 c dried cranberries or raisins
1/2 c sunflower seeds, the shelled ones, salted or unsalted
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
 Mix together.
Dressing
1 c Miracle Whip
1/4 c sugar
1 Tbs vinegar
Mix together and pour over salad, stir well and refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.

White Chocolate Bread Pudding

 1 (24 inch) loaf dry French bread

6 cups heavy cream

2 cups milk

1 cup sugar

20 ounces white chocolate, broken into small pieces

4 eggs

15 egg yolks

Sauce:

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 ounces white chocolate pieces

Slice bread and arrange in sprayed 9X13 pan. 

Heat 6 c cream, milk and sugar in large saucepan over med heat until hot. Remove from heat and add 20 ounces chocolate, Stir until chocolate melts. Beat eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl. Whisk small amount of chocolate mixture into eggs, then mix eggs into hot chocolate cream mixture.

Pour 1/2  of custard over the bread and press until bread is soaked Pour remaining custard over bread. Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour, Remove foil and bake 30 min or until set and golden. Let cool slightly. While cooing bring 1/2 c cream to boil, stir in 8 oz chocolate, until smooth.  Spoon servings into bowls and top with sauce.

Note: 

Bread pudding can be baked and chilled for 6-8 hours or until firm. Loosen sides and cut into servings, rewarm in oven at 275 for 15 min, then top with warm sauce.

This is so good! I promise!!!
Stop by Foodie Friday for more recipes!!

Reuben Crescent Bake

 2 tubes (8oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 lb sliced swiss cheese
1 1/4 lb sliced deli corned beef
1 (14oz) can sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
2/3 c Thousand Island dressing
1 egg white, beaten
3 tsp caraway seeds

Unroll 1 tube of dough, seal seems and place in sprayed 9X13  pan. Bake at 375 8 min. Layer with half of cheese, and all of meat. Mix sauerkraut and dressing and spread over meat, top with remaining cheese and next tube of crescent dough.

 Brush with egg white and top with caraway, Bake 12-16 min or until heated through and top is browned. Let stand 5 min to cool, cut into servings. 8 servings

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

1 (8oz) cream cheese
2 Tbs mayonaise
3/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 c finely grated carrots
1/4 c finely chopped walnuts
1 Tbs finely chopped parsley
1-3 seedless cucumbers
12 pieces of thin white bread slices, crusts removed
garnish- finely grated carrot

In small bowl combine cream cheese, mayo, and salt. Stir in carrots, walnuts and parsley.
Using a good vegetable peeler thinly slice long strips of cucumber, with peel on.

 Spread thin layer of cream cheese mixture onto bread. slice into two smaller pieces and layer cucumber slices, slightly overlapping. Top with another dollop of cream cheese and grated carrot.

Cucumber bites

 Slice cucumbers into chunks or use remaining cucumbers from above recipe, after slicing ribbons from them.
Place remaining cream cheese mix. or use any seasoning or Watkins, Tastefully Simple etc. mix with another cream cheese base. Place 1 Tbs. on each cucumber slice and top with capers.

virgin Mint Juleps

2 c sugar
2 1/2 c water
2 handfuls of fresh mint, you can use stems too
2 oranges (rind and juice)
6 lemons or equivalent of juice (about 3/4- 1 c)
lime juice
Garnish- Lime, powdered sugar or sanding sugar, mint sprigs
7-up or similar soda

Boil sugar and water 4- 5 min. Add mint and stir until wilted down, cover and let steep for 30 min to an hour.
Strain, reserving liquid. Grate 1 Tbs orange rind and Juice oranges and lemons. Add to mint infusion. At this time you can refrigerate until needed.
 To serve, dip glass in lime juice, then sugar, fill glass 1/3 full with mint syrup and finish filling with soda. Add mint sprig and lime slice.

Yes.... we were lickin the glasses on this one!

Cinnamon Apple Pizza

Quick and so easy!!
1 tube (12.4 oz) refrigerated cinnamon roll dough
1 can (21oz) apple pie filling
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1 Tbs butter, melted

Set cinnamon roll icing aside, take rolls and separate, roll each into a 4 in flat round, place in circle slightly overlapping, on  a 12 inch pizza pan. Bake at 400 for 8 min. Spread apple filling over, mix butter and brown sugar, sprinkle over top. Bake 6-8 min longer. Cool and drizzle with packaged icing.

Rhubarb on th Rock

Crust
1/2 c flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 c cold butter
Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour and sugar, cut in butter. Press into buttered baking dish, bake for 15-20 min.

Filling
3 c rhubarb, chopped
1/2 c sugar
5 Tbs water
2 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 c strawberry jam
1 tsp cinnamon
zest of one orange
In saucepan, combine rhubarb, sugar, 3 Tbs water and cinnamon. Cook 15 minutes or until rhubarb is soft. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 Tbs water add to pan with remaining ingredients. Cook until thickened.


Topping
3 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c sugar
whisk eggs whites until soft peaks form, slowly add vanilla, then add sugar, whisk until stiff peaks form.
Layer rhubarb on crust and top with meringue, sealing edges. Bake 10-15 min or until top is golden.

winner

And the winner is......


Rachel @ The Dalai Mama 
Congratulations you have won the $25.00 gift certificate courtesy of Linda at Keep a green home!
 Thank you to all who participated!! A new giveaway will be announced soon!

Magic erasers???

Ever tried these?
They work!
If you have tough stains, or that bumpy texture on your fridge or fridge handle, that course finish on your tub, this is a great product. They still require elbow grease, but they work, it removes stains and build up. As you use it, it kind of disappears into a nothingness....weird really, kind of crumbles away. I have used off brands and they too have worked but I think they crumble easier resulting in more waste and a little annoying.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this product if you have tried it.

Flax Cookbook

The Amazing Flax Cookbook
by Jane Reinhardt-Martin

If you like to cook/bake with flax this is for you. If you have no idea what flax is..this is for you.
The book explains all the wonderful health benefits of cooking with flax and has many amazing recipes.
It is not colorful and it has no photos, but it is clear, well written and easy to read.

What is great is every recipe has the nutritional info included,
Calories, carbs, protein, fat, omega-3, cholesterol, fiber, calcium and sodium.
Plus prep time and cooking time.
Things you never imagined you could add the health benefits of flax to.
http://www.flaxrd.com/    
The book is $17.95 plus shipping.