Sunday, October 30, 2011

An Easy Floral Arrangement- DIY

We hosted the first grade parent party for my daughter's school this past Thursday night.  I had such fun creating a floral arrangements for this event.  


Cut Flowers Set In a Pumpkin 


Supplies:


1 medium size white pumpkin
1 plastic floral container
1 packet flower food 
scissors
2 bunches flowers, of your choice


I selected white roses and eucalyptus.



I created a little work station right out on my patio.



Cut the top off of the pumpkin.



Scoop out the seeds and discard.



I bought this plastic floral liner from the floral department at Kroger (our local grocery store).  Place the liner inside the pumpkin, to create a "vase".



The flower food is available at the floral department too.  This really keeps your arrangement fresh for several days.



Start cutting and arranging the flowers in the "vase".  Cut the stems at the same length and, work in a circle, until the flowers are evenly arranged. 



Keep working...



So pretty!  You can also use an orange pumpkin.  Red roses would be so nice inside the orange.  Use your imagination and create away! 




Have a wonderful Sunday evening!  Use fresh flower arrangements any chance that you can...they smell so good and, your guests will enjoy their beauty.  


Hugs & Living With Flair,
Beth


Linking To:
Say Hi Sunday

The Tablescaper

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Debbiedoo's blogging and blabbing

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Toffee Bar Cake with Praline Sauce

Do you ever make a new recipe and, it is so good, you just can't believe it?  Well, this is how I feel about the following cake recipe!  SO good!  I joined an amazing organization this fall, The LeBonheur Club.   This organization serves our Memphis children's hospital.  This hospital is especially dear to my heart because our 6-year-old daughter, Brooke, underwent a heart procedure there, when she was 5 years old.  The doctors and the nurses are so amazing!   I purchased the club's cookbook two weeks ago and, have really enjoyed it.




Toffee Bar Cake With Praline Sauce


2 cups flour
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 t. salt
1 package chopped Heath bars (baking section)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 t. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 t. vanilla


Praline Sauce


1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
4 tablespoons butter
1 (5 1/2 ounce) can evaporated milk


Beat flour, sugars, butter and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on low speed, until mixture resembles course meal.  Remove 1/2 cup of mixture and combine with Heath bars and pecans in a medium bowl.  Add buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Beat until just combined.  Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.  Sprinkle toffee mixture on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean in the center.  cool completely in dish.  Cut and serve with Praline Sauce.


Praline Sauce: 


Combine sugar, corn syrup and butter in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.  Blend in milk.  Store in jars in refrigerator until ready to use.  


Makes enough for 10-12 servings.  3 1/2 cups of sauce.











This recipe is SO good...I could not stop taking pictures of it on the plate!  =)


This recipe was slightly altered, to my specifics...from the KEY INGREDIENTS Le Bonheur Club cookbook.  Please order this wonderful cookbook right away...so many wonderful recipes!  This cookbook may be ordered at Le Bonheur Club.


Linking To:
Wow Us Wednesdays: Savvy Southern Style
Weekend Bloggy Reading



Cast Party Wednesday

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Downline Summit



The Downline Summit  is quickly approaching! Less than one week away!  I am really excited about this awesome conference!  Please register soon! My dear friend Ariyana Rimson will be speaking, she is great!  Donna Gaines is wonderful....her husband, Steve Gaines, is the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church. She is a tremendous and passionate speaker.  You will also hear from well-known authors/speakers: Carol Kent and Vicki Courtney.  Awesome!  You do not want to miss Cheri Holcomb...a wonderful 'spark plug' of a speaker....Cheri is great!  


I am excited to be teaching a workshop at the Downline "Pre-Summit" this year. I will be talking about using the gift of hospitality to disciple your children and others.  Come on and join me! 


Register today!  Click on the link above and, you will be very glad you did!


Downline is dear to my heart.  The Lord has used several key women over the years to pour in to my life and, teach me Titus 2...."Let the older women teach the younger women"...I have been discipled and, discipleship has been a key change agent in my life. 


They are offering my readers a special discounted rate for the Pre-Summit.  All you need to do is enter "FLAIR4HOME" in the discount code space and, you will receive this low rate.   


I hope to see you there!!!


Living with FLAIR,
Beth




Saturday, October 22, 2011

Friendship and An Awesome Organization Tip

I have held to a certain belief about close/best friends for a very long time.  I am talking about your "besties"...the friends who are the closest "heart friends" in your life.  I truly believe that these people should not only be your closest friends, but, people that make you a better person, spurn you on to greatness, and, above all else, are friends that you admire and desire to be like.  


Why have a best friend that you don't truly admire?  Jesus spent most of His time with his twelve disciples.  They encouraged and loved one another.  They spent much life-on-life time together.  I believe that they deeply influenced one another. 


If you are blessed to have close and best friends around you....you are blessed.


My dear friend Brandi is a great example of a friend who I admire and want to be more like.  She dropped off this "happy" on my porch last week.  A wonderful color cup system for me to use with my four older children....each child has their own color and, this way, meal times and snack times are more organized.


Pink- Brooke;  Blue- Beck;  Red- Bo;  Green- Boss.  *The little orange sack is a 'happy' for me.  Sweet friend!!! 



She even took the time to write me an uplifting note.  My "Love Language" is encouraging words and, this sweet note really encouraged my day!  Ahhhh...the power of the hand written word...awesome impact! 




She placed a cute little Halloween candy in each cup, for a little surprise.  My kids loved it! 



The sweet note of encouragement.  Made my week!  



She gave me this little 'happy'.  Packets of hot cocoa and, a yummy scented fall candle.  



I love the way she placed everything in this basket.  So cute!  



This is the cocoa and candle for me....




Brandi is a FABULOUS 'systems person' and, home organizer.  Don't we all need a dear friend like this?  I have learned so much from her, over the years! 

Take time to reach out to a dear friend!  You will really be making a difference in his or her life!  Friendship is a blessed gift from God.  I am grateful for my dear friends to live life with.  

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup & A Luncheon Idea

Yesterday was such fun!  The ladies in my Tuesday Bible Study group came over for a luncheon.  I packed box lunches with chicken salad and served a creamy tomato soup.  


Here is the main thing, I prepared the lunch the night before.  You do not want to be cooking when your guests arrive.  The ladies were coming from 12-1 p.m. and, I wanted the lunch ready to serve.


1)  I always serve chicken salad on Pepperidge Farm's Cinnamon Raisin bread.  I love the taste of it!  Wrap two slices of bread in wax paper.



2)  I found this all natural wax paper at a local specialty grocery store.  The brown is a nice touch for fall. 



 3)  I packed the bread and chicken salad in these clear deli boxes.  The manager of the deli (same specialty grocery store) was so nice and, she gave these to me, at no cost.  I was tickled! 



4) For the chicken salad, boil 4 large boneless chicken breasts.  Season the water with dried rosemary, salt and pepper.  Boil for 30 minutes.  I saved 2 cups of the broth for the tomato soup and, the rest went in this storage container.  I placed it in the freezer to use in soups, as the weather turns 
cold. 




Chicken Salad Recipe ( From my Sis-in-Law, Emily Bryson Clem)


4 large chicken breasts, cooked and cut in small cubes
1 1/2 cups Hellman's Mayonnaise
3/4 cup chopped pecans
4 boiled eggs, chopped
5 slices crispy bacon, ( I use the thick sliced bacon), crumbled
Salt, Pepper and garlic powder- to taste (I start with 1/2 t. of each and add more to taste) 
1 small onion, chopped  (optional) 
Mix all together and, chill overnight.  


Easy and SO good, I love the bacon in it!  



5)  Assemble the boxes.   Rinse and dry curly green leaf lettuce.  Lay a piece of the lettuce in the bottom of the box.  Use an ice cream scooper and, place the chicken salad on top of the lettuce.  Lay the raisin bread (or bread of your choice) beside the salad and, close up. 



6)  Assemble the boxes and place in the refrigerator to chill over night.  Once your guests arrive, you pull out and serve.  No waiting and, EASY clean-up!  





7)  Assemble the Creamy Tomato Basil Soup.



CREAMY TOMATO BASIL SOUP 

(so, so easy...make adjustment as you need to - you can't hurt it)

1 Pkg. refrigerated cheese tortellini
2 cans Campbell's Tomato Soup
1 cup vegetable broth (may need more for thinning)
1 1/2 cup 2% milk
1 cup half-and-half cream
1 small jar sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Additional shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven (or crockpot), 
combine the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings.  Heat through, stirring 
frequently.  Drain tortellini; carefully add to soup.  Stir in cheese.  Sprinkle each serving 
with additional cheese if desired.

*Here's the deal...I never make it strictly by the recipe...I always seem to need to add a
 little more of this or that.  The consistency is the main thing...you may need more 
vegetable broth and less milk or cream.  It's so rich!  But yummy ;-) 

This recipe is from my dear friend, Sue Parker.  Notes:  I used chicken broth instead
of the vegetable broth.  I doubled the above ingredients.  I also added fresh 
chopped basil to the soup.  I did not add the tortellini this time.  



The color of the soup turned out so pretty!!!!   I made this the night before and, chilled it overnight.  Heat up the next day and serve.   YUM!!!!

8)  I purchased a bundle of fresh flowers and, cut the stems and arranged them in this clear square vase.  LOVE a short square vase!  


I will call this "Five Minute Flowers"....literally did not take long at all to arrange these.  One white hydrangea, a few kermit mums and the wonderful berry looking bundles....sorry, can't think of what they are called!  ....and, silver dollar eucalyptus.  So pretty! 


I LOVE fresh flowers!!!!


9)  Also completed the night before....wrap a fork in a festive paper napkin and tie with a ribbon.  I used two pieces of ribbon and tied it around the napkin.  Stack up and you are ready to go. 







Party Time!  The day of the luncheon (yesterday),  I served the soup, passed out the boxed lunches and, we sat down for a time of sweet, sweet visiting and fellowship.  Such a  lovely time!   These women are amazing!  Thankful for community and great friends in my life. 




There you go, a lunch prepared, flowers arranged, serving pieces ready...in just nine easy steps.  Plan a luncheon today and, enjoy your friends.  


Hugs & Flair,
Beth


Linking To:
This Chick Cooks
Lady Behind The Curtain
Inspired By you Wednesdays
Wow Us Wednesdays

Tea Time Tuesday
Blue Cricket Design

We Are That Family
Passionately Artistic
My RePurposed Life
Somewhat Simple
Transformation Thursday
Fingerprints on the Fridge







Debbiedoo's blogging and blabbing


kojodesigns
Weekend Bloggy Reading












The Shabby Nest

Monday, October 17, 2011

Hot Corn Dip

Happy Monday you all!  I suppose I am on a little bit of an "Appetizer Recipe Roll" the past week.  My husband and I attended a parent party for our two son's Pre-K on Friday night and, I took this easy and good appetizer.


My dear friend Brandi has been making a similar recipe for years and, I always love to eat it at her house. 


Between the World Series and all of the great college football games coming up, whip this up and serve it to your family and guests.  


HOT CORN DIP 


1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can Mexi-corn, drained
1 small can green chile peppers, chopped (do not drain) 
1 cup real mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 t. salt
1-1 1/2 t. Cajun seasoning
3 cups Cheddar cheese, finely grated


Mix all ingredients and stir in the cheese last.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until good and hot.  Serve with corn chips. 


These ingredients are easily kept on hand and you can make this any time...








 I pulled out the leftovers on Saturday....this was my lunch.  I think it tasted even better the following day.  Delicious ya'll!  


I hope you all have a wonderful Monday!
Thank you so much for reading my blog!


Living With Flair,
Beth


Linking To:
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Skip To My Lou
A Southern Fairytale
Home Stories A 2 Z
A Stroll Thru Life
Very Merry Vintage Style
Chic On a Shoestring Decorating
Foodie Friday
Comfy In The Kitchen



Dittle Dattle

Feathered Nest Friday

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