Retro envelope dishtowel

Saw this today on clearance at Anthropologie and it was an extra 30% off - it's the cutest dishtowel - and the pockets/envelopes really work!  This would look cute in a retro kitchen, or make a great gift!

Picnic Salad

Tonite we picnicked.  There was an easy preparation of a tasty salad that was easy to pack, and then toss at the table, found in Food Network Magazine - Tex Mex Salad.

• Whisk 1/2 cup sour cream with 2 T lime juice and 1/2 tsp each of sugar and kosher salt - this is your dressing - pack it in a container.
• Shred 1/2 head of lettuce and place in a salad bowl, cover to pack.
• In another container, pack 1/2 cup each of: chopped plum tomato, chopped cilantro, chopped scallions, and shredded cheese.
• Pack it all up in a cooler and head to the park!
• When you are ready to eat, toss it all together in the salad bowl and serve. (Good with tortilla chips - lime and pepper)

Strawberry-Thyme Lemonade

How about some strawberry-thyme lemonade to end the summer season?

This recipe is from Real Simple Magazine:

Boil 1 cup sugar, 8 thyme sprigs, and 1 cup water in small saucepan, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved.

Let cool and discard thyme sprigs.

Combine the thyme syrup, 1 quart strawberries (hulled and sliced), 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice, and 5 cups water in a pitcher, and chill for 30 minutes or more...

Serve over ice, and garnish with additional thyme sprigs.

Dryer sheet foil

Maybe you've heard of this, but I had not...until today. Instead of spending money on dryer sheets, did you know you can wad up a piece of aluminum foil, place it in the dryer with your wet clothes, and it will eliminate static?  Try it!  And one ball can last up to six months!

Oxfords for Fall

Half off at www.lulus.com this weekend - check it out!

These black and white oxford cutout shoes are a great price, and look cute with rolled up denim jeans.  In fact, there are lots of cute oxfords out there for fall!

Mile High

A mile high biscuit, with fried chicken, cheddar and sausage gravy - that was my son's breakfast at Hominy Grill this morning.  Here's the mile-high biscuit recipe:

4 c cake flour
2 T baking powder
2 t sugar
1 t salt
2 oz cold butter
2 oz cold veg shortening
1 oz cold refined lard
1 1/2 cups cold milk

preheat oven to 425 - sift dry ingredient together in large bowl - cut in cold butter, veg shortening and lard with fingertips - stir in cold milk quickly with about 10 strokes - place dough on floured surface and sprinkle lightly with flour - knead 10 strokes - push dough out and back on itself on every 4 strokes - pat into thickness of 3/4 inch - cut with small cutters (dipped in flour) and place biscuits close together on baking sheet (ungreased) -bake 10-12 minutes til lightly browned.

makes 16.

Gullah Rice

Tonite we had Gullah Cuisine, as we spend our last evening in the low country of South Carolina - and indeed - it was the best meal of the vacation!  Check out Gullah Rice and how to make it!

I could not find a good picture of the Gullah rice, and I forgot to photograph it when we ate it.  But believe me, my family LOVED it.

Try it out and surprise your guests!

Oreo Brownies

Tonite we stopped by a cute coffee shop/deli and they sold homemade brownies with oreos.  I searched and found a recipe and photo that looks exactly like what we ate - and they were delicious!

Sweetgrass Baskets

In Charleston, there are sweetgrass basket vendors all over - and these baskets are not cheap!  But they are one-of-a-kind and apparently are lifelong sturdy!  Check out this website...or visit Charleston yourself!  We bought sweetgrass roses that were quite affordable...to set out in a vase at home!

Sweet Tea Fried Chicken

We had this sweet tea fried chicken  tonight at Acme Low Country Kitchen in Isle of Palms, South Carolina and it was awesome!  Here's the recipe!

Street Tacos

We had street tacos in a Mexican food drive-thru tonight that were delicious!  Small corn tortillas topped with fajita chicken, cotija cheese, cilantro, and grilled onions...and avacado slices!  Squeeze a bit of lime on top and you've got yourself a meal!

Chambray for Fall

A chambray shirt is a must for fall - and here's one to buy - and a website with ideas of how to wear it!  Awesome!

Button Necklace

My daughter-in-law makes jewelry and recently added these cute necklaces to her beautiful creations!  It's vintage buttons piled in an artistic presentation and covered with felt on the back, then strung on a necklace!  If you're interested in purchasing one, contact me!  marcy@thymemag.com

Creative Wall!

What a great idea for an old mattress spring!  Lots of other cool ideas on this site, as well!

Cheese Board

Love this cheese board I saw today - and it's such a great price on this website! It's not too early to shop for Christmas, or to start your own wish list :)

Sweaters!!!

Lots of cute sweaters/cardigans at The Buckle, in stores, and on line.   Cooler weather is coming....we hope...soon!

Tarragon Chicken Salad

Have you ever used tarragon to make chicken salad?  It's a very tasty herb, and makes for a delicious option for your lunch box! Tarragon Chicken Salad - make a bowl of it and pack it up!

Summer Supper

Just bought squash, black eye peas, and okra at the farmer's market, and here's how we cooked them tonight - they made a delicious dinner!

Blackeyed peas - cover with water and boil, adding in creole seasoning and salt.  In a frying pan, fry bacon.  Serve the peas with crumbled bacon and salsa on top!

Yellow squash - cut into bite-sized pieces, along with half a sliced onion, and season with vegetable seasonings.  Saute in olive oil until tender, adding in a chopped plum tomato near the end of cooking.

Okra - slice into thin coins and toss in a bowl of cornmeal.  Fry in hot oil until brown and golden - drain on paper towels - sprinkle with kosher salt.

Strappy Idea

I'm thinking this phone organizer on a strap would be a good thing for long walks, when you want to carry your phone but not your whole purse.  Great price, and comes in three colors!

Traveling Duffel

We love to travel, and we always do a bit of shopping before heading back home.  A duffel bag is a must for those items you buy, and it needs to be not too big, include lots of pockets, and of course something you can fold and pack on your journey to your destination - then one you can pack to the max on your journey home.  And you don't want to break the bank to purchase one!

Check out this fall stripe duffel from Target!

Con Olio

Great wedding gift or a treat for yourself! A fruity sampler pack from Con Olio!

Chickpea Bruschetta

I saw this being prepared on The Chew and had to pass it along. It's definitely on my list of meals for next week!  Enjoy this Chickpea Bruschetta.

chips and salsa

Tonite we had a most delicious salsa, which was more like a salad!  It included chopped avacado and plum tomatoes, mixed with 2 Tbsp lemon juice, salt, and garlic powder, and 1 Tbsp of chopped cilantro or parsley.   Let that sit for 10 minutes and add cooked, crumbled bacon on top.  It's great with black pepper and lime chips!

5 Salads

Did you know Wendy's has five spectacular salads, with fresh ingredients?  My husband says the apple chicken pecan salad (with pomegranate dressing) is very tasty and he commented that the chicken is "really good!"  Check them out!

Pieced Sweater Blazer

What a cute blazer for fall from Urban Outfitters!  Check out the three views, and start filling your closet now with some staples when the weather starts to cool down...

The Produce Bin

What to do with all those half bags of veggies, last few carrots, lone squash and other good stuff in your produce bin?  Roast them, and then use them the rest of the week for pizza, atop pasta, or in a quesadilla!

I made two cookie sheets full of veggies I had in my fridge and tonite they rested on pizza dough, along with a bit of pasta sauce, some mozzarella, and fresh basil from my herb garden!

Also, try this great citrus spice for vegetables from the Savory Spice Shop! Colorado Plateau Citrus Pepper!

Garlic Fries

We attended a soccer game tonight and it reminded me of a soccer game in California where we got garlic fries from the concessions.  So here's a recipe - and boy are they tasty:

Awesome Watch

Altar'd State - a new store to my area - but there are many in the U.S. and they also sell online.  You'll be seeing a lot more of their stuff in our magazine.  Check out this really cute watch!

Scarves

Fall is around the corner, and it will be time for scarves again.  Here are 9 ways to wear them - found on World Market website!

\

Cross Body Bag

I'm really liking this Capelli New York Bag and it's SO affordable!

 click here

click here