My blog dress and header has changed! As a newlywed, I am excited to present a whole new theme.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Foodie Friday/Tomato Pie

Welcome to Foodie Friday! This is a weekly event sponsored by Gollum at Designs by Gollum.

I recently tried a new recipe that I found in the latest copy of Country Living magazine. I don't often cook, but this seemed easy enough, even for me! Doesn't this tomato pie look yummy? I posted about it on Facebook, and had several requests for the recipe.


It was called Tandi's Tomato Pie in the magazine. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
4 medium plum tomatoes
1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie shell, baked
1 cup(s) chopped white onion
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup(s) mayonnaise
1/2 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup(s) grated Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1)Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut 6 tomato slices for garnish; set aside. Halve remaining tomatoes, remove seeds, and cut each half into about 6 wedges. Place half the wedges in bottom of baked pie shell. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup onion, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and 1 tablespoon basil.

2)Stir mayonnaise, Parmesan, and Cheddar together in a small bowl, then spread half of mixture over onion layer. Repeat with remaining tomatoes, 1/2 cup onion, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and 1 tablespoon basil. Add remaining mayonnaise mixture.

3)Place reserved tomato slices in pinwheel design in pie center. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. If piecrust starts overbrowning, cover edges with aluminum foil. Allow pie to cool 20 minutes before serving.

Here is how it turned out for me. It was so good!


I baked up some tilapia from a box. My daughter said that the fish looked like barf on the plate, but I thought it was good and was a nice dish to serve with the tomatoe pie.


We finished off our dinner with some strawberry shortcake. I could eat strawberries every day!


Bon appetit!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Pink Saturday/ Goodwill and Antique Store Finds

Sorry that I am so late getting this posted today! In order to download pics, I have to do it on my son's computer, and he wasn't home last night. I also fell asleep before I got any pics taken. Oops!

Anyhow, Pink Saturday is a weekly event hostessed by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. She works hard sending out emails every week and getting the list posted.

Even though this is not a Tablescape Thursday post, I haven't done one in a few weeks, so this should satisfy those who are missing my tablescapes, as well as being a Pink Saturday post. Just look what I have this week! I sure do love Goodwill, and most of these finds are from there. Here are a couple views of the table set for one. I am using the antique white linens that I found at the antique shop in Elmore. I also found the pretty painted porcelain plate there as well. My pink tablecloth was a Goodwill find a couple years ago.




Here is a close up of the rose plate. I just love this. I think it only cost me $8 at the antique shop.


I couldn't resist this pink ashtray for only $2. Although I don't smoke, and would NEVER let someone put their ashes in this, it is perfect for holding my jewelry.


I have wanted a porcelain rose figurine, and finally found this treasure at Goodwill for only $3! I have it sitting on one of the cheeseboard stands that I made.


And here it is under glass. This lives on a shelf in my bedroom.


Here is a closer view of the table setting. I found it stacked together just like this on the shelf at Goodwill. That was a sign for sure! The pink plate was $.55, and the two flower plates were $.35 each. In this setting, I added the napkin from the white linenes, and have a napkin ring from the Claremont collection of dishes that I found at Big Lots. There is a LOT more to this set, but I will tell you more about it at another time.


Here is another view.


You can see the cute flowers on the smaller plate a little better from this view.


Here is an alternate setting using one of the Claremont salad plates layered under the smaller flowered plate.


I get so happy when I find bargains like these! It makes it possible to put together a lovely setting at such an affordable price. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I do!

Happy Pink Saturday, everyone!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Part 3, Visit to Elmore, Ohio: antique shop and a scenic river

Please be sure to check out my two previous posts! Our day started out with a visit to Schedel Arboretum and Gardens. We then visited the town where the gardens were located, Elmore, Ohio. Elmore is just a little bitty town, but full of charm. I wish we had time to drive around town and take some pictures of its beautiful old houses, but we did have time to visit its lovely downtown area.

See, there really isn't much to the downtown at all!




I found this bank interesting though. Look at the glass in the window and around the bank's clock. Very cool!




As you can see, these buildings are pretty old. The date 1895 is part of the top of this building.


They had pretty olden style streetlamps.


There were pretty flowers.


Even the cop shop sign was cute!


More flowers.


A few years ago when I came through Elmore after visiting Lake Erie, I stopped here at the Red, White, and Brew. I really wanted to stop in again for a bite to eat, but they were closed for the day already!


Isn't this just too cute though?




I soon found something to catch my attention. The words "antique shop" is like ambrosia to me! Can't wait to see what we find.


This shop is called Once Upon a Tyme and is located at 354 Rice Street, Elmore, Ohio, 43416. If you see something you want that I have pictured here (and I didn't buy it already), you can call the shop at 419-862-3803.


Let's go inside. Oh, I am going to LOVE this!


One of the first things I saw was this beautiful dish, just the sort of thing I dearly love, however, the $45 price was more than I was able to be spending.


If I had over a hundred bucks handy, I would have been sorely tempted to purchase this little pedal firetruck. My brother and I had something very similar in the early 1960s when our father was a fireman. I wish my parents had never thrown out those firetrucks, but who knew they would someday be collectibles?


My daughter really liked this lamp.


I was intrigued by this white dress. Made me wonder if it was a silky nightgown, or a wedding dress back in the day.


I love love love me some Roseville Potter, but its a little above my means at $175. This pottery is made in Ohio and is a popular collectible.


My daughter liked this punchbowl too. We didn't look at the price.


I thought these antique schoolhouse lights were very cool. They were starting out at around $50. I liked the quilt behind it too.


I have always thought that antique lightning rods were neat.


Here is a sign from the village's sesquicentennial.


Let's head upstairs. I thought the sign in the stairwell was interesting.


I was tempted to buy this framed pic, also in the stairwell.


There was a beatiful big light hanging from the ceiling. Here are a couple views of it. Take a look at that incredible tin ceiling!




This little architectural feature was very interesting. See the face on the chimney? Not sure of the significance.


Here is a pic of the upstairs part of the antique shop, two more big rooms of goodies! This time temptation would get the better of me.


I had already found a beautiful hand painted porcelain plate and an antique blue handkerchief (for my daughter when she gets married), and I had them waiting for me at the counter. Since I now have a job, I wanted to be able to get a few special things, and the prices were fantastic!

Though I thought this apron was adorable, I passed on it.


Also passed on this sweet collage. Don't you just love it?


But when I saw this set of placemats and napkins for only $5.50, I gasped and said, "These are going home with me!"


I said the same thing when I found this sweet little creamer for $3.50. I'm thinking "tablescape" with the linens and the creamer.


My daughter was amused when I shrieked, "she's coming home with me!" when I saw this doll from India. When I was a child, my mother would buy me dolls from foreign countries through the Shopping International catalog. Has anyone else ever heard of it? They are no longer in business, but I used to pour over it every time a new catalog came to the door. I still have my foreign dolls and horses in a case in my living room. I will show it to you all one day.


We went back downstairs to pay for our purchases. Tara found some old postcards that she thought were interesting, but a little pricey for her.


I love pottery and blue spongeware. These crocks and pottery pieces were above a display case behind the register.


This is a pretty stained glass window we saw above the door as we exited the antique shop.


When we got outside, this sight of a vintage car greeted us. I love old cars.


We were still hungry, so found a little diner nearby. Somehow forgot to get the name, but they had the most delicious chicken pitas on the menu. My daughter and I both had one. Doesn't it look good?


After our yummy lunch, we decided to visit the local park before we left town.


The park is on the banks of the Portage River. Isn't it pretty?




There were some birds relaxing out on the rocks. Click if you want to enlarge the pic.


There was a lot of this grass on the banks.


It made me want to go down to the river's edge to see if I could find Moses among the bullrushes.


The bridge is on a state route that will take you toward Port Clinton and Marblehead, where I visited the lighthouse.


I wanted to go on top so that I could see the view of the river from a different angle.


This is looking toward a railroad brige. My daughter would not get up on the bridge with me. She says it is a height thing, but I am terrified of heights and could handle this.


It was worth it to see this view.



There was also this pretty gazebo in the park.


My daughter took one last pic of me before we headed home for the day.

What a great trip we had! Despites its frigid, snowy winters and broiling humid summers, sometimes I just LOVE Ohio!

This was just about a perfect kind of day, and it was wonderful to have spent it with my daughter.