Football Kickoff Weekend!!

It's the first game of the season on Saturday!! Here in Georgia, we take SEC football very seriously.  I thought I'd show you a few ways that we're getting ready for the big game.

\

This big "Dawg" is supposed to be for Halloween, but he's on my porch year-round.

On the side entry.

Flying proud.

A warm welcome to all who visit!!

Now I just need the food!! Can you guess who our team is?

Happy Saturday Football everyone!

On The Side.

I don't know about you, but coming up with new and interesting ways to create side dishes can be a real task.  There are so many ways to create wonderful dishes with broccoli, beans, etc., but I don't want to spend a lot of time on them on a daily basis.  I though I'd share with you a couple of sides I made last night that were easy to do and did not take a lot of effort---oh, and they really were tasty.

Mushroom and Onion Rice with Parmesan Cheese and Dijon Broccoli

The rice was a great dish and it had a bit of crunch with the lightly cooked onions and mushrooms.  I'm not going to do a recipe--just tell you how to do it.  Feel free to add your own variations.

First, I started cooking the rice.  I always use brown rice and I like to cook it in chicken broth for extra flavor.  You can use the broth starters that they now sell in the soup section to save pennies.  While the rice was cooking, I cleaned the mushrooms and cut them up along with the onions.  I placed them in a microwave dish and cooked it on high for about 2 minutes.  When the rice was finished, I added the vegetables along with salt and pepper to taste. Then I added in about 3 tablespoons of  Parmesan cheese. Very good.

The broccoli was even easier.  I used the pre-cut broccoli you can find in the produce section.  I still clean them off a bit and place them in a microwave dish with a little water (about 2 tablespoons). Cook for 5-6 minutes in the microwave on high.  After cooking the allotted time, drain off the water, spritz with some olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste and about 2 tablespoons for Dijon mustard.  Mix well.  That's it!  I don't love broccoli, but I really liked it cooked this way.  This is also great for brussel sprouts.

Visiting Home.

You can tell from my last post that I was recently visiting Richmond.  My parents live outside of Richmond and have made their home really beautiful place to visit.  My Mom's decorating is always welcoming and comforting, a style that is always "in." I've also included some pictures from my Father's garden, really beautiful this year! Enjoy!

Welcoming Front Porch.

A great place for reading.

 Beautiful Sun room.

My parents live in the middle of about 50 acres.  You can't get better scenery.

The glass French Doors just remind me of open arms. 

A cozy alcove at the top of the stairs.

Another great nook.

My parents took out a Roman Tub and put in this awesome shower for them to use as they get older. Great idea and very impressive bathroom.

It's all the little touches and decorated corners that feel so warm.

My niece loves to lay here and read. Now out to the garden.

I love these moon flowers on the fence.

Trip To Richmond, VA.

I just returned from a visit to see my family in Richmond, Va. I have always loved going downtown and seeing all the beautiful Traditional older homes on and off Monument Avenue.  If you ever get the chance to visit or ride through Richmond, these are some of the treats you won't want to miss.  

Sonewall Jackson Monument

Crepe Myrtles are gorgeous in August!

Sorry that all the pictures of the monuments are from the back, but they were my best shots.

I love all the old apartment homes, and check out the brick street.

My Little Eden, this year.

Last year we added a porch to our house and a "2 month" project lasted six! Needless to say, I didn't have much of a backyard and not much of a garden.  As a gardener, I was so excited for this year and all that I was going to get done and have blooming.  Not my luck. This has been the rainiest summer ever in Georgia and the deer and rabbits have really enjoyed feasting on whatever blooms I had.  I will not be discouraged however, and decided to find some pretty areas of my garden that I liked and share them on my blog.  There is always next year!

On my porch, no rabbits or deer there!

 A wooded path.

Lemon Herbs.

About 20 years ago I became enamored of herbs, specifically lemon scented herbs.  Many people as what you use them for, but my main joy is in growing them.  Here are a few pictures of them from my garden.  It hasn't been the greatest growing season in Georgia this year with all the rain, but here are a few of my sturdy favorites. 

Pelargoniam or Scented Geranium

This is Robert's Lemon Rose

Scented geraniums are not prolific bloomers like the generic red and pink varieties you see all around.  They have pretty pink or white small blooms.  They are know for the scents of their leaves.  Most people are familiar with the citronella version of scented geraniums, but almost all lemon scented herbs can also help keep mosquitoes away.  These plants were used to scent rooms, their leaves dried and used in sachets and you can also put a clean dry leaf in a container with some sugar to use in baking. Click here for more information on scented geraniums.

Lemon Verbena

These are very fragrant. I had read that this plant was used in Victorian times in the homes so that when the ladies' dresses would brush by the plant, it would scent the room.  You see lemon verbena a lot in lemon fragrance products.  Here's a recipe for lemon verbena lemonade that I'm going to try soon. Click here for the recipe.

Lemon Thyme

My Favorite.

This is easy to grow, looks great in your garden, and can be used in so many recipes.  Use it whenever you would use thyme in your recipes to add a little special flavor to summer.  A great plant to grow in pots too!

Lemon Basil

This lemon herb has become quite popular in the last few years. It really has a great fragrance and is great in so many recipes.  Here's a few: 

Lemon Basil Orzotto

Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

Lemon Basil Pesto.

Lemon Mint

This is also a great plant to have for so many recipes.  Here's a few I found for you:
Lemon Mint Risotto
Lemon Mint Cooler
Lemon Mint Vinaigrette.

The one lemon plant you will no longer find in my garden is lemon balm.  I know a lot of gardeners love it, but it quickly took over my entire garden.  Don't let me discourage you though, you may gave a larger garden.

Please check out my Pinterest Board, "Herbal Treats" for more great recipes with herbs.