Bella Rustica

Huh, what's that? 

It started with an email from Southern Architecture and Antiques in Cullman saying they were going to Bella Rustica...outside of Pulaski, TN.   Well, that's just up the road! 

With a few quick clicks I learned that Bella Rustica is a vintage marketplace fundraiser held in a real barn, The Milky Way Farm outside of Pulaski TN.

I was curious and wanted to go.  A few bloggers that I happen to follow were going to be there too, Funky Junk Interiors, My Blessed Life and Southern Hospitality.  Maybe I'll meet them too!   It sounded like an advendure that my long time friend at Rose Street Reflections would enjoy too! 

So it was a done deal and soon we were there. 

It was like a huge vintage store or antique shop in a stately stone horse barn.  Yes, complete with dirt road in and out, dirt floors and no air conditioning.  It's true.

I bought a charm (that I hope to make into a bracelet) and vintage camp stools.

Yes, stools that I don't want anyone sitting on! 

Maybe I'll put a tray on top, they'll be perfect for side tables.

Although we didn't see any of the blogger demos, I did make a point to speak to Myra of My Blessed Life.   Her blog is one of the first ones I followed...hmmm was that 3 or 4 years ago?

I had a great time and will watch for this event for a wonderful cause again next year!

Linking to:

Andouille Sausage and Corn Chowder

The Bassman loves his new smoker/grill that he got for Father's Day.  

Whenever we use it, we try to fill it full.  If you're going to smoke or grill one thing, you might as well throw on another item or two!  And one of those is usually andouille sausage.

Our favorite andouille sausage is made by Tim's Cajun Kitchen in Huntsville.  But when we don't have that, we choose some from the grocery store which doesn't even compare!

We usually add the andouille to red beans and rice, jambalaya or gumbo.   Anyway, we had some of the "doesn't compare" kind of andouille and I decided to try something different.

This is Andouille Sausage and Corn Chowder with cornbread.

It is "clear your sinuses" spicy!   We loved it! 

Do you have a favorite andouille sausage to recommend we try?

Linking with:

Sweet As Pie Cooking Club
All My Bloggy Friends Party at Love Bakes Good Cakes

Fall Shawl

The fall colors in the yarn section of the Hobby Lobby are just too hard to pass up!  But could I actually get something "completed" before fall was gone?   My list of unfinished projects seems to be growing...including my fall mantel.  It has one item on it...sad, I know.  But that's another post for another day.

The target date for completed afghans was this past Sunday when we prayed for those who will receive these.    We pray for healing and that somehow our God given talents and works of our hands could be used to comfort them and let them know they are being thought of whatever their situation.

This shawl was delivered today to a special lady named Mary.

God bless Mary!

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PW Pasta With Pesto Cream Sauce

This Sweet As Pie Cooking Club selection is the perfect recipe for the last of my basil plant. 

For half of this recipe, I made the entire amount of pesto and then froze half of it to use later.   I substituted walnuts for pine nuts.  The butter-y, cream-y, pesto-y sauce poured over the pasta was looking and smelling so good too!

It made a good side with grilled chicken.

Unfortunately, half the recipe still calls for the full amount of pot and pans and food processor to wash.   And some recipes only get one photo, the one of my plate!

Now excuse me, I'm going to get a breath mint.  That pesto is kicking!

PW Crash Hot Potatoes

This recipe was my pick for the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club.   Thinking back, I have been cooking potatoes most of my life.  Seriously, since I was about 10!  Coming from a family of 8, we had potatoes almost every night.   They were mashed, stewed or fried.   We never had baked potatoes that I can recall.  I'm not sure why, except that maybe the oven was busy with the roast or the oven-fried chicken.  And this was before microwave ovens.  It seems weird saying that!

So I chose Crash Hot Potatoes in honor of my all my potato-fixin' years.  And this recipe didn't disappoint! 

Some days I'm not a fan of recipes that require being "cooked" twice.  This one does, and I didn't know that before I chose it, it wouldn't have mattered anyway.

While the potatoes boil, start looking through the drawers and utensil places for the potato masher.  It never gets used in my kitchen but it's around here somewhere, just gotta look!

So mash to the left and mash to the right.  Brush on the oil.  Season with salt, pepper and the best part, rosemary, fresh from it's pot.  Other herbs can be used instead.

Bake about 25 minutes until toasty.

These are good.  The kids and picky people will probably like them too, even with that green stuff sprinkled on top!

PW BBQ Jalapeno Poppers

We're always ready to eat jalapeno poppers.  We love them!  We even like 'em nekked.   I was excited to see one of the September picks in the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club was jalapeno poppers!  Perfect for gameday...or any day for that matter!  The game is only the side attraction, right?

Leave some seeds and membrane because we like 'em hot.

Fill them with cheese and secure the bacon wrap with a toothpick.  After wrapping the bacon around several peppers, it occured to me this step was more time consuming than I wanted it to be.  After all, where do we think this bacon is going anyway?   I guess the toothpick is a help when it comes to grabbing one when they're done.

A friend recommended Blue's Hog BBQ sauce and we tried it on smoked ribs.  It's pretty sweet, which is not our preference, but it's what I had on hand.  I brushed it on a few and left some plain.

One of the variations was to spread on some preserves.  So I tried that too.

Isn't the pan going to be swimming in grease with half a slice of bacon on each popper?   I cut back on the bacon, laying on just enough to cover the top.

Bake them for what seems like forever at 275 degrees or until the bacon is crisp.

Well, it never got crisp and the longer they baked the softer the jalapenos got.

I turned the broiler on and toasted the tops until the bacon started browning.


With jam





Plain




With BBQ sauce

Although the peppers are too soft, they still taste ok, just mushy.  After all, how can you mess up jalapenos, cheese and bacon? 

With some adjustments, basically less bacon and higher oven temp, I would make these again.  It was a good variation on a family favorite!

Little Miss Tutu

Little Miss Tutu ....

turned ONE last weekend... 

...what a par-tay it was!

This is our sweet grandaughter.  Yes, time goes by fast and yes, we can't believe she's one and yes, they grow up too fast!