Thursday, July 28, 2011

♫♫ Mile-High Coconut DREAM Pie ♫♫




Mile-High Coconut DREAM Pie

  • 2 envelopes Kraft Dream Whip® whipped topping mix- dry
  • 2 3/4 cups Fat Free Milk, (divided)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp coconut extract
  • 2 (4 serving) boxes Kraft Jell-O® INSTANT Coconut Cream pudding & pie mix
  • 1 cup coconut, (toasted in oven @ 350º for approx. 5 minutes till lightly browned)
  • 1 9" pie shell (any type or serve as mousse to save calories)



Mix both packages of dry Dream Whip® with 1 cup of milk & 1 tsp. vanilla on high for 6 minutes until very stiff peaks form (do not UNDER BEAT!)
Add remaining milk & both boxes of instant pudding mixes & coconut extract.
Blend slowly then beat on high for 2 minutes. Fold in toasted coconut (Reserve 2 Tbsp. of coconut for garnish if desired)
Pour into pie shell.* Sprinkle with reserved coconut to garnish
Chill at least 3-4 hrs. .

* To save 80+ calories per serving, use individual dessert cups with pie filling & sprinkle with toasted low fat graham cracker crumbs.



Be sure to use Dream Whip®, not Cool Whip!
Dream Whip® gives the pie a nice stiff texture & less calories.
Cool Whip makes a much softer pie & adds calories as well.


Servings Per Recipe: 12
Approx. 150 calories/slice if served in graham cracker crust.


Print recipe

I'm joining Michael Lee's beautiful blog,
Designs by Gollum
for
Foodie Friday
&

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

as well as

Yvonne at StoneGable for

On The Menu Monday




Thank you, Ladies, for providing a place to share our foodie passions
& thanks to all who participate so willingly in sharing their recipes.


fondly,


RETT




Tuesday, July 26, 2011

More Sewing!

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Lots of mysewing friends were making these sundresses for their girls.

They are SEW easy & FAST

with lots of different possibilities for embellishments.


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It is just a simple collarless, sleeveless bodice from any dress pattern

with long gathered ties sewn in between the lining & front piece.

Two buttonholes on the back are for threading

the ties prior to making a nice big bow.




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You could monogram the bodice or use rick-rack as an accent.

I kept it plain until I had a chance to see how it fit Ms. C.






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She LOVED it,

mostly because of the twirl factor.

They gotta’ TWIRL, ya' know!

Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House today.

I'm working on a mini quilted wallhanging

that has been waiting for 8-9 years to me to finished it.

I'm determined to complete some of my UFO's!

(unfinished objects)

while its still too hot to be outside.

I hope you're having fun & staying cool somehow, too.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

I've Been Sewing for Dolls


Last year, I made my granddaughter, Ms. C. this
little pillowcase dress.


She just came home from Disney World &

told me she wore it several times while there

along with her Ariel costume that I made her for Halloween.

I made a matching dress for her 18" dolls to share.


She has an American Girl doll but the doll above is

kept here at my house for her to play with & so I

can get accurate measurements.

It is from Target...only $20 & is the exact same

size as the AG dolls.

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This weekend, when Ms. C. visited,

we discovered that the dress works as a top for this MUCH taller doll.

I made the black & white polka-dot wrap around
skirt for her to wear with it.

Its GREEN with Shamrocks on the opposite side, for St. Patrick's Day.

You can find the FREE pattern for the reversible wrap skirt
HERE.


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Last week, Jan M., author of the Blog & Online store both called

"BessieMary"

showed us these DARLING little slippers for 18" dolls.

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Aren't they just the cutest little things???!!!


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I literally RAN out to JoAnns Fabric (Michael's has them, too)

the very next day to buy some &

I'm hoping to find a similar pair for Ms. C.

I want to make a new set of matching nightgowns

since she has outgrown the one that matched this doll's version.

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My fingers are itching to get back to smocking some things &

adding lacy heirloom touches.

If you need any heirloom supplies, go visit Jan's store.

She has a wonderful selection & is extremely helpful.

I like to have some handwork near my chair at night

while watching TV with Hubby.

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I miss my weekly "Smock & Talk" sewing group!

We take the summers off,

due to their children being home from school.

It nice to have help their when I pleat something for smocking.


Thanks for visiting The Gazebo House.

fondly,

Rett


I'm linking to

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

since this hot summer season has me Inside, SEWING!

Friday, July 22, 2011

Potato Sausage Casserole

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I would describe this recipe as

"Glorified Scalloped Potatoes"

I found it on Frugal Wannabe Cooks

She has lots of her family's Slovak dishes on her blog &

Her version looked so Yummy, I just had to try this one.

I was NOT disappointed!


I used my Cuisinart food processor to slice everything &

this made for a very fast, easy assembly.

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I had to cut the potatoes in half so they'd fit

into the chute, but the little 1/2 moon shapes that it created

made them perfect for tucking into the curves of this dish.

I cut back on the amount of hard-boiled eggs, due to hubby's health issues.


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I also used Mrs. Dash's Onion & Herb seasoning



instead of salt, which we're both trying to cut back on.

Thank you,
Frugal Wannabe Cooks for sharing your delicious recipe!


Printable Recipe HERE.

I'll be linking to Michael Lee's blog

Designs by Gollum for her

Foodie Friday

and

Yvonne at StoneGable for her

On The Menu Monday






Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Dinner for Two in the Gazebo

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We eat outside in the gazebo as often as possible.
Last week was WONDERFUL but not now...
its Too Dang HOT!
I prefer mornings out there with a cup
of tea & an English muffin, topped with
Asiago cheese & some freshly picked cherry tomatoes.

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However this EVENING meal last week was all shades
of purple & green, thanks to Sarah at Hyacinths For The Soul.
Sarah sent us these pretty hand towels as a 'thank you'
for the mug rug I sent to them.
"Thank YOU, Sarah!"
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I went all around the house,
looking for things that
were PURPLE & GREEN.

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Ta-Da!
I only have 2 of these hand-painted wine glasses.
I found them at Stein Mart in FL
years ago & have never seen them again.
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The bowl for our salads are the Gibson dishes at Big Lots.
My GREEN leaf-shaped under plate is "Olfaire", made in Portugal.
The white dinner plate is the "Wicker" pattern, by Oneida.
Green charger....??? too old to remember!

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I made a *new-to-me* recipe in my GREEN casserole dish,
shown below.
I LOVE those wavy edges!
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This Potato Sausage Casserole - AKA Francúzske Zemiaky
recipe came from Frugal Wannabe Cooks
I'll have a few tips to share about making it,
along with my additions to the recipe on Friday.

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Just think, I almost got rid of this dark brown ceramic planter.

A flower arrangement came in it &

it is sooooo not my colors or style!

I don't do "rustic" or "earthy" very often but

I saw where Marty's daughter had a similar one on her

patio in AZ
& I decided to use mine as a planter,

like she did, too.

My thyme is going CRAZY in it!

The candle, inked with French words

(idea courtesy of Debbie @ Confessions of a Plate Addict)

is tucked down into the dirt with a pointed candle holder from the florist.
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We attended a dinner party years ago & someone brought the hostess
a live ivy plant with a similar candle tucked inside &
a single fresh rose in a water vial, poked down into it as well.
It was a beautiful presentation that really stayed with me!

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Carrying the Purple & Green color scheme all the way

to the top of the wine bottle.

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A nice, light summery Pinot Grigio
was delightful with some crackers & ...

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Port Wine cheese.

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Even the cheese board has a little purple & green dish for dips.
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Decaf tea stayed hot in a thermal carafe.

I try to always serve decaf products after 5 pm.

I put our artificial sweetener into the cups before I bring them out.
That way, I don't have to run back & forth.

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Just a little candlelight to end the meal!

Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House.
fondly,
Rett

I'm joining
Yvonne at StoneGable forOn The Menu Monday

Monday, July 18, 2011

Marty Is Having A Summer Cloche Party!

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Dear sweet Marty, author of
is hosting a Summer Cloche Party!
She says apothecary jars also qualify so I'm including
my faux lemon filled one, with two skeleton keys from my
childhood home & a tiny little tassel on top.
A matching cookbook
(remember I told you I try to color coordinate them?) &
little vintage planter sit nearby.
(I'm rooting those basil & mint clippings to share with neighbors)

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I'm not very talented at creating lovely vignettes like some people

but I keep looking at other blogs & learning from them.

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This little grouping is on the family room coffee table
just in front of the fireplace.
The book is one of my husbands ANCIENT medical texts.


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The idea for rolling the sheet music came from Sue at
Those are my father's song sheets...he sang in our church choir
all the years I was growing up & even sang the
Ave Maria for my daughter's wedding.
There were people who wanted him to "go professional" but he declined.
After he retired, he sang for funerals held
during the daytime at our church, too.
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My granddaughter, Ms. C. does NOT like to see this bird under the glass!
It upsets her to think he's captured & "can't breathe" under there.
She is very sensitive & although she knows its artificial,
it bothers her, just the same.

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I have another little faux nest with eggs
under glass on a side table in the same room.
As a nurse, I caution you to NEVER bring a nest that you've found outside into your home.
You can pick up Histoplasmosis, a respiratory disease that may be fatal.
It results from a fungus growing in dried bird droppings.
You can also get Cryptococcosis which is caused by yeast
found in the intestinal tract of pigeons and starlings.
The illness often begins as a pulmonary disease and
may later affect the central nervous system.
There is also the risk of E.coli. Cattle carry E. coli.
When birds peck on cow manure, the E. coli go right
through the birds and the bird droppings.
Please go to Michaels or JoAnn's & PURCHASE faux nests for your decorating needs?

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I added a satin ribbon & a tiny feather, too.
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I must not forget to share the most important cloche in the house, though.
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It holds Ms. C's special stash of her favorite candies.

Strangely enough, she is the only grandchild who will

lift the lid to nibble on these.

Her brothers know they are there, but they don't

bother with them.


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I have some cheese under glass out in the gazebo
to share with you later in the week.
Please come back to see the entire tablescape then?
Thanks for visiting The Gazebo House today &
be sure to stop by Marty's place to see
all the other wonderful cloches!

fondly,
Rett

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Flag Tray from Sur La Table



Did you see Susan's tutorial on her beautiful blog

Between Naps On The Porch

on how to make a Pottery Barn knock-off flag for your wall?


She went to a great deal of effort to get this DARLING

smaller version completed for the top of her hutch on the porch.

I showed it to my husband & told him

"You could do this, ya' know"

His reply was.... "YOU could do it, too, you know!"



Instead, I went shopping here

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& found...

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THIS big tray at

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Sur La Table on sale!

Marked down from $30 to only $12.

~~BIG SMILE~~

They had lots of other July 4th items marked down 40%, too.

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I need to clear off the top of the bakers rack to

position it properly but I couldn't wait to show you how cute

it goes with all my patriotic items!

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Oh & let me share with you my cute little porcelain soup tureen.

(Found that at my favorite thrift store, not Sur La Table)

Lets take a closer look...


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Isn't she adorable?

I love all her scrolls & curves & embossed flowers!

I bought a similar, MUCH bigger, but not a twin

soup tureen that I'll show you in an upcoming post.


So, if you're not inclined to cut wood & paint strips & glue on stars,

like Susan did,

RUN to your nearest Sur La Table store & grab

a flag tray instead.

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Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House today.

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Enjoy your weekend!

I'm linking up with The Tablescaper for

Seasonal Sundays

'cus every season is shopping season!