Foodie Friday--Giveaway!

Have you ever been way behind on a project, and you can't see your way to the finish line? I have not left my house this week, not even to check on the progress at Rattlebridge. We lost our internet connection, and I didn't even know--that's how crazy it's been around here. Oh, what's the cause? I'm overdue on a new book, and I'm in lock up. My family just slides candy bars under the door.

But I wouldn't miss Foodie Friday for anything. That said, I sure got a surprise tonight when I logged onto Blogger. The whole format has changed, and I feel very lucky that I was able to post tonight. My friend Becky had warned me in an email that changes were underfoot (but I thought they were optional).


I'm hosting another garden basket giveaway this Foodie Friday (see the above photo), and if you'd like to enter, leave a note, explaining what you would do with a gardening basket.

The winner of last week's basket is Yvonne at Stone Gable--her comment just touched me. Congratulations to Yvonne and thanks to everyone who entered. 

Thank you for stopping by Foodie Friday today. If you are contributing a recipe to this week's linky party, locate the blue Inlinkz frog (below, left) and follow the instructions. You might notice a red "X" on your submission--only you can see the "X." It allows you to delete your link if you'd like to edit or change your photo. 

                                   Look on the sidebar
                            for the Foodie Friday Button:

If this is your first time to participate in Foodie Friday, or if you aren't sure how to add a permalink, a short tutorial is available. If you are linking a recipe to Foodie Friday, a FF button can be found on the sidebar. If you'd like to add it, simply copy-and-paste the code beneath the button (located on the right-hand sidebar).

Please Read:

I'm happy for you to "pin" my original photos to Pinterest. However, the photographs in Foodie Friday's thumbnails belong to the bloggers who posted them. To visit these blogs, click on the Foodie Friday inlinkz icons and read their policy on Pinterest. Please pin from the source blog, not the blog that's hosting a linky party. Thanks!

Happy Recipe Hunting!

Social Bookmarking

Foodie Friday: Book Launch Party & KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway

Welcome to Foodie Friday. I'm giving away a Kitchenaid mixer to celebrate the publication of A Teeny Bit of Trouble, my ninth book (and 8th novel). It's the second installment of a mainstream mystery series, which was kicked off by last year's Gone With a Handsomer Man. The books feature the adventures of a cook named Teeny, and they're set in Charleston, South Carolina and in the fictional town of Bonaventure, Georgia (a little Savannah). The books involve bulldogs, comic situations, a mystery, a little romance, food galore, Rainbow Row, and lots of red velvet cake.


The winner of the mixer will receive a copy of the book. But I'm also giving away 6 copies of A Teeny Bit of Trouble. If you've already bought the book and would like a copy of either Gone With a Handsomer Man or one of my previous novels/cookbook, just email me. I'll send you a complimentary book, your choice.

To enter the contest, be a follower of Rattlebridge Farm and leave a comment about your favorite food memory. The contest ends Wednesday, April 18th, and the winners will be announced next Foodie Friday (more about that later).Be sure to stop by Between Naps on the Porch for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift certificate and a copy of A Teeny Bit of Trouble. My friend Susan, of BNOTP, has created a gorgeous tablescape, complete with red velvet cupcakes and an adorable vignette with a bride and groom. It's one of the most charming tablescapes I've seen, and I know you'll love it, too.

Upcoming Event:

Read about the THE TEENY TEMPLETON COOK OFF

next week for the April 20th Foodie Friday. 
You can cook one of Teeny's recipes or your favorite Southern dish--or put your party hat on and invent a wacky name for a favorite recipe (such as I'll Get You My Pretty Pralines, And Your Little Dog biscuits, too, or Butt out of my Life BBQ. The list is endless!
Of course, normal recipes are welcome, too.
Look for a second great giveaway next week!

Thank you for stopping by Foodie Friday today. If you are contributing a recipe to this week's linky party, locate the blue Inlinkz frog (below, left) and follow the instructions. You might notice a red "X" on your submission--only you can see the "X." It allows you to delete your link if you'd like to edit or change your photo. 

                                  The Foodie Friday Button:

If this is your first time to participate in Foodie Friday, or if you aren't sure how to add a permalink, a short tutorial is available. If you are linking a recipe to Foodie Friday, a FF button can be found on the sidebar. If you'd like to add it, simply copy-and-paste the code beneath the button (located on the right-hand sidebar).

Please Read:

I'm happy for you to "pin" my original photos to Pinterest. However, the photographs in Foodie Friday's thumbnails belong to the bloggers who posted them. To visit these blogs, click on the Foodie Friday inlinkz icons and read their policy on Pinterest. Please pin from the source blog, not the blog that's hosting a linky party. Thanks!

Happy Recipe Hunting!

Social Bookmarking

Foodie Friday: Herb Gardens and Herbed Vinegars

traditional landscape design courtesy of Houzz

Imagine a warm, breezy April morning. You open the gate and step into the herb garden.  The air churns with spicy, tart aromas. Bees circle the lavender. Tarragon grows in a patch of sun, giving off the poignant scent of anise, Rosemary (for remembrance) grows in spiky heaps.  The basil is blooming. You brush your hands over the mint and imagine making sweet tea and jelly. You pinch a sprig of oregano--it will be perfect for flatbread pizza tonight. Don't forget a handful of dill for the potato salad.

Courtesy of Houzz: Traditional landscape design by New York landscape architect, Deborah Cerbone Associates, Inc.

Herb gardens can be lush and formal, sprawling and weedy, or contained in pots. As my grandmother used to say, "The herbs taste the same."

Courtesy of Houzz: traditional landscape design by minneapolis general contractor John Kraemer & Sons.

courtesy of Houzz

Photo: Rattlebridge's herb garden.

No matter if you grow your own herbs or buy them at the market, you can make flavored vinegars. This is an inexpensive, easy way to enhance flavor. Imagine spiking potato salad with chive-dill vinegar. Delicious!

How to Make Herbed Vinegar

1. Place herbs in a sterilized glass jar. Use a bamboo skewer to arrange herbs in the bottle.

2. Pour vinegar into a saucepan and heat gently to 80 degrees. Do not boil.

3. Place a funnel in the top of the jar and add vinegar. Don't be afraid to mix flavors.

4. Cap bottles. Steep in a sunlit window for two weeks. Gently turn bottles every day

5. Uncap bottles, remove herbs, and strain. Return vinegar to clean bottles.

6. Add a fresh herbal sprig and recap bottles.

Ideas:

Dill vinegar--add lemon zest

Tarragon--add chives and basil

Rosemary--add garlic (spear garlic with a bamboo skewer for easy removal).

 

Upcoming Event:

Read about the THE TEENY TEMPLETON COOK OFF

on the April 20th Foodie Friday.  A great giveaway!

Thank you for stopping by Foodie Friday today. If you are contributing a recipe to this week's linky party, locate the blue Inlinkz frog (below, left) and follow the instructions. You might notice a red "X" on your submission--only you can see the "X." It allows you to delete your link if you'd like to edit or change your photo. 

                                  The Foodie Friday Button:

If this is your first time to participate in Foodie Friday, or if you aren't sure how to add a permalink, a short tutorial is available. If you are linking a recipe to Foodie Friday, a FF button can be found on the sidebar. If you'd like to add it, simply copy-and-paste the code beneath the button (located on the right-hand sidebar).

Please Read:

I'm happy for you to "pin" my original photos to Pinterest. However, the photographs in Foodie Friday's thumbnails belong to the bloggers who posted them. To visit these blogs, click on the Foodie Friday inlinkz icons and read their policy on Pinterest. Please pin from the source blog, not the blog that's hosting a linky party. Thanks!

Happy Recipe Hunting!

Social Bookmarking