Fathers Day Food: Hash Brown Potato Casserole & Fruit Salsa Dessert

 I've been making this popular Hash Brown Potato Casserole for years!
 For this Fathers Day, I doubled the recipe as there were 24 people gathered together to honor ALL the Dads in the family.



 The ingredients are few & the preparation is very simple, even for a crowd that size.

I buy the BIG bag of hash browns from Sams Club as well as their large size shredded blend of cheese. (only used 1/4th of the cheese)




 You also need an onion, real butter, sour cream & either cream of chicken or cream of onion soup. 

I used the cream of onion this time, because of the vegetarians in the family.
Oh & don't forget the crushed cornflakes for the crunchy topping! 




Some of the melted butter goes into the mixture & some gets drizzled over top of the crushed cornflake topping.  I like to use one of my Pyrex measuring cups in the microwave, as they don't get hot.



You can find the complete recipe HERE.
 
I doubled everything to make the large quantity for this crowd.



  
This HUGE bowl was a gift from my daughter & she found it at a restaurant supply house.  It is great for mixing things like meatloaf or Rice Krispie treats...anything that you need a lot of room to toss ingredients.



 We had a wide assortment of delicious foods...BBQ ribs & chicken, smoked pork, baked beans, healthy salads ... everyone contributes something to the meal.
The Longaberger baskets (made in Ohio) are for holding cutlery & napkins. 



The salad bowl, with matching salad tongs are Armetale by Wilton,(made in Lancaster, Pa...Hi Yvonne!) which does a great job of keeping things cold, especially if you chill it before use. 


  
The potatoes were a big hit...this huge pan (non-stick by Oneida) was empty by the end of the night!  I highly recommend using a non-stick pan for this dish.







It turned out to be a lovely day after some morning rains washed away the pollen.



 After dinner, everyone gathered around to watch the U.S. Open & later we enjoyed some yummy desserts!  

I made a fruit salsa that I saw on Pinterest from allrecipes.com   
It consisted of a variety of fresh fruits, cut up into rather small, bite-sized pieces then tossed with brown sugar substitute, Splenda & low sugar Strawberry Preserves.  I added the fragile raspberries at the very last minute, so that they didn't get crushed.  Everyone seemed to enjoy it.

 

The insulated bowl I used is made by Aladdin...you know, the thermos people & has a lining of material that holds a chill well.  You put it in the freezer or refrigerator for a few hours, prior to use & it will keep your food cold for hours.

I'm glad you stopped by The Gazebo House today!

I'm linking up with Yvonne at StoneGable for her On The Menu Monday as well as Cuisine Kathleen for Lets Dish &  Michael Lee over at Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday along with The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.  Lots of wonderful recipes to be found at both blogs, so stop by for a visit.

A Birthday Tea Party for Ms. C

 





  
Today, we had a little tea party at our home to celebrate Ms. C's 9th Birthday.  There is a trip to Cedar Point & an all girl sleepover planned for her actual special day, but we wanted to show her how special she is by hosting a gathering here, too.


 Every place setting was slightly different, with varying plate combinations.
HOT PINK was the main, continuous color theme throughout, with punches of teal & purple & pale yellow.
 




 I gathered the last of the pink peonies, the first of my hydrangeas, some mint & yellow ground cover as well as a few Egyptian iris for the table vases.




We had yellow cupcakes for those who might not like chocolate cake & I used them in my cupcake tower as part of the centerpiece for the main table.






 I found the adorable "Happy Birthday" stemware at Dollar Tree.  I'm going back there tomorrow to get even more, as they were a big hit with everyone, whether they had milk, soda or just plain water in them.



I served little cucumber tea sandwiches, cut in the shape of teapots, as well as egg salad on buns & ham & cheese ones for the guys.



We had fresh fruit on the side, too.  I totally spaced on taking photos of any of the food. 
 
 



 I used this cute little flashlight with a little BLING to anchor some helium balloons.  There were more Mylar balloons outside, announcing the party, but I forgot to capture any photos of them.  It got a little crazy once the family arrived!
 


 

 
  
Tradition has it that these little "pillow mints" be at every celebration in our family.
It makes all of us remember my Mom, who never forgot to put them out.  She passed away before any of my grandchildren were born, but I know she would have LOVED them all.
 


 I must have spent 2 full hours polishing the silver tea service!
Whew...what a job...my hands ached afterwards. 
 
I need to look into having it treated to prevent tarnish.

I keep it covered most of the time & have big pieces of sidewalk chalk scattered all over & inside of it, to dispel moisture.  It works pretty well to limit tarnish, but I forgot to cover it after the last time we used it.
(That is my tip for Yvonne's Tutorials, Tips & Tidbits party) 
 

I had them make the top of the cake (chocolate, for Ms. C.) look like it was quilted.
 

 

 Everyone got to pick & choose which teacup they wanted to use.  Ms. C. always goes for the one with the gold trim that my baby sister, Ruth E. gave to me when she moved to Maui.

 
 We bought a balance beam as her birthday gift & I wish I could show you the astonished look on her face when she finally got the big box open.  It was Priceless!
 






It was a lovely party but I'm exhausted!  I'm going straight to bed right after I link up with Cuisine Kathleen's party, Lets Dish tonight.
Tomorrow, I'll join in Susan's Tablescape Thursdays & Yvonne's TTT party.
I'll also join The Tablescaper for her Seasonal Sundays meme on SUNDAY, of course! 

Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House...it was fun to share my sweetheart's tea party with you!

Walker Caddy Tutorial

 

 I took some photos as I made my second walker caddie, so that I could explain a few points in the construction, in case someone else wanted to make one.


 You only need a small amount of fabric for these & either contrasting ribbon or bias seam binding to finish the edges.
 

 I cut a piece approximately 14" wide & the full width of the fabric, which is usually somewhere between 42"- 45".

If you use pre-quilted fabric, it makes construction quicker, as you don't have to do any free motion quilting to hold the top fashion fabric, batting & lining together.

I always keep an eye out for remnants of pre-quilted fabrics, since you don't need very much & it can be quite pricey if you don't have a discount coupon.
You can also make a "mini quilt sandwich" consisting of your favorite outer layer of fabric, batting & a coordinating lining fabric.  You can quilt this any way you like...diagonals, straight lines, free motion...whatever!

Have FUN & get a little practice in at the same time.


  
Decide which fabric side you want to show the most, as the front pockets & fold it up on both ends to form the 2 pockets.

Leave approximately 4-6" of open area between them, to fit over the top bar of the walker.  This type of "saddlebag" carrier is more stable than one with loops & buttons or Velcro as it doesn't pull on such connections.



 You can either hem both of the top edges of the pockets & apply decorative ribbon ties, like I did on the one below or you can use seam binding to cover the raw edges, without hemming.



 Be sure to heat seal the raw ends of the ribbon with flame so it doesn't unravel.




 If you're using seam binding, remember to fold in each open end a wee bit & stitch it closed before you apply it to the pocket so that the ends of the ties are finished nicely.
IMPORTANT:  Remember to sew your ribbon or binding onto the top of the pockets BEFORE you stitch up the sides!
(ask me how I know this)  



 Now fold in & pin your ribbons or seam binding ends onto the middle of the caddy, to keep them safely out of the way when you attache the outside seam binding all around the caddy.

I basted the entire perimeter first, just to make sure my pockets stayed square, but that is up to you.
 



 I put ties on the bottom edge of the caddy, to keep it from swinging back & forth while walking.
  
You don't want anything banging into a recent post-op knee replacement!  Ouch!

 In hindsight, I think it would much nicer if ALL of the ties were attached to the underside of the caddy.  I will do it that way next time & not extend the ribbon or the seam binding beyond the pockets on the front.
 

 This photo, above, shows how I have one lower ribbon on the front, pinned in place, at the bottom.  There is another one on the other side of the caddy, on opposite corners. 


 Either this type of seam binding or ribbon will work for the ties.  I made them approximately 12" long on each side, so one would have plenty of length to work with.
Remember, this might be an elderly person who is trying to tie the loose ends & their fingers don't work as well as they once did. 



 After you've applied seam binding all around the perimeter, just as if you were binding a quilt, you can stitch down the pockets, making them any width you want.

 
 I made a narrow divided section to hold a pen & another wider section to fit a cup or a paper back book into.  Be sure to leave one section for glasses or a cell phone, too...VERY IMPORTANT to advise them to keep a cell phone handy at all times, in case of an emergency!

It took my sister awhile to get used to putting things into the caddy so that she would have them with her when she moved about, instead of setting them on the bedside table, but it sure has come in handy, once she got into the habit of using it!!
Oh & be sure to use a BIG button on one of the pockets...easier for arthritic fingers... & just attach a loop of seam binding to hold it closed.  It is easy to just stitch that onto the inside of the pocket after you've determined where you want your button located.

You can also put an additional hidden pocket on the underneath side, for extra security, such as a wallet or Medicare card.
I applied a strip of Velcro hook & loop tape to the undersides of the caddy, just to help stabilize it a bit more. 
I hope you NEVER have to use one of these, but if you know someone who needs a walker, these really help to keep things handy for them.

Plus, if you do one with a funny embroidered saying, like this:



it becomes a "conversation starter" & a source of laughter for everyone & who doesn't need a good laugh?
I'm linking to Susan's Between Naps on The Porch for
Metamorphosis Monday as well as
Yvonne's StoneGable for Tutorials, Tips & Tidbits.
Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House today.

I hope this tutorial is helpful & please feel free to post a question if something isn't clear to you.  I'm not the best teacher, that's for sure!

My Favorite Quick & Easy Breakfast

 A toasted, whole wheat English muffin,

topped with a slice of cheese & tomatoes!

I prefer Asiago cheese,

but any type of cheese will do.  

EDIT to say:  Toast the muffin first,
& butter it if you like, then add cheese &
return muffins to toaster oven until
it just begins to melt.
Add tomatoes on top
just before eating!

It makes a fairly balanced breakfast,
with a slowly digested carbohydrate,  (muffin)
a small amount of fat that 
also serves as a dairy (cheese)
and a FRUIT for Vit. C.  & fiber.

Click here to see why 
Tomatoes are considered fruits, not vegetables. 

Until our own garden tomatoes come in, 

we like to use these "Santa Sweets".  

They are very flavorful & 

keep well just at room temperature,

on the kitchen counter, 

NOT in the refrigerator. 

 

I like to keep mine in a pretty Polish crystal bowl.

It looks soooo much nicer than the plastic

container, sitting out. 

Breakfast is eaten on our
 *everyday* dishes by "Home Trends".

I bought them because they had a 

Tuscan/Olives/Grape sort of feel to them,

which was the theme of the kitchen,

and they match the wall color as well. 

It says they are "dishwasher & microwave safe"  

BALONY!

They get VERY HOT in the microwave!

They also chip easily.

Our ancient well worn & well loved,

everyday silverware is called

 "Rose Pendant" by Oneida.  

It is so old it is no longer available.  

 

I like the mugs that go with this set best of all.

They're a pretty shape &

 hold just the right amount of liquid plus

the handle is roomy enough for my husband 

to get his arthritic fingers into.

I have several large platters & casserole dishes in this pattern & my daughter even found us the absorbent coasters to match!

 I have a hint I'd like to share with you,
regarding English Muffins.

 

If you place a Silica gel packet inside your newly opened English muffins, it will absorb moisture & prevent that yucky 

soggy edge that they sometimes develop later on.

  I HATE WET CORNERS ON AN ENGLISH MUFFIN!

It doesn't seem to dry them out, either.

Of course, you would NOT want to use this 

if you have little children around

 who might mistakenly try to eat it. 

I save all those little silica containers 

that come in medicine bottles 

or inside other packages.

"Motherrrr, you never throw anything away!"

They are great for preventing rust in tool boxes & 

for keeping other sealed

containers dry & fresh.

Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House today.

It is always nice to have you visit!

I'll be linking up to Cuisine Kathleen's

Let's Dish party,

Yvonne at StoneGable

for Tutorials, Tips & Tidbits

&
The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays &

Michael Lee's Rattlebridge Farm for

Foodie Friday.

(although this is a lame recipe,
someone might never have tried the combination)

Won't you please visit these friends & their

delightful blogs?  

I learn SO MUCH from them each week!

p.s.  If you didn't get to try Thomas'

"Cranberry English Muffins"

that only come out at holiday time,

you MUST get some next year!

They are delicious but seasonal &

only available right after the fresh

cranberries are harvested in the fall.
They are so good, I only eat them with butter,
nothing else is needed on them.

 

Where Do You Keep It All?

 

 Today is The Tablescaper's 4th Annual

 "Where Do You Keep It All?" party &

 it is also her 4th Blog-o-versary!

Congratulations, Ms A!

If you missed my first *poetic* tribute,
(I use the term loosely)

Ode To Storing Dishes,

just click on the link above
to view my main storage sites.

In that post, I failed to mention a few corners

where I keep my tea related items.

The shelf in my laundry room holds most

of my teapots, many of which were gifts

from treasured family & friends.

 You KNOW I had to have a *tennis* themed one, didn't you?

 

 Some of the more delicate ones, 

like the Haviland et Cie Limoges teapot 

(follow the link to learn a little more about it)

stays out on this little table in one of the bedrooms.

My granddaughter, Ms. C. gets to pick which 

teacup & saucer she would like

 to have tea in when she visits.

I think she has tried them ALL!!  LOL

 The floor length tablecloth is from Ballard Designs &

 the handmade cutwork lace tabletopper is one 

I brought back from Italy...

St. Marks' Square, to be exact.

You can see another post where I used it HERE. 

The BEST part about this little table is 

all the hidden storage beneath it, though.

See??

I wondered where I'd put that strawberry basket!

(note another use for rubber bands, too)

They help to keep those little plates
 safely in place during transport.  

Thanks for visiting The Gazebo House today.

Wish you could stay for a cuppa tea with me!

Won't you stop by The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays

to see how others hide store their addiction dishes?