North Carolina Designer Barrie Benson

Not much time to write but thought I'd share a designer I admire from the Tarheel State! Happy Monday!

Check out more of Barrie's designs on her website.

Shop Ten 25

I'm going to Dallas in November for a wedding.  I hope this store has an real life presence in addition to its virtual one. 

I read about Shop Ten 25 in the latest issue of House of Fifty shelter mag.  You should look at both sites.

Here are a few items I'd like to add to my wish list from Shop Ten 25...I think I am feeling bright, graphics lately after reviewing my list!!

Just Peachy...

I saw some really pretty peaches at the grocery store the other day so our dinner had two peach inspired dishes.  I think I found them both in Better Homes and Gardens but I rip out so many pages from magazines and I alter all of the recipes some so I'll just give you what I did.  They were both delicious!

Green Bean Salad (serve hot or cold so it is a great year round dish!)

What You'll Need
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp fresh finely chopped rosemary
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 clove garlic, minced
1 peach, finely sliced
1/4 of a lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

What You'll Do
Heat olive oil.  Cook onion over medium heat in hot oil until browned and softened.

Add the green beans, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper and chicken stock.  Cook covered for about 10 minutes until green beans are al dente but cooked.  In a separate bowl, add the peaches.  Squeeze lime juice over peaches.

Remove green beans et al from heat.  Either serve warm over the peaches or let cool and then add.  Seriously, this was one of the best things I've made in a long time!

Cheesecake Stuffed Peaches

What You'll Need
3 peaches, halved and pitted
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 Tbsp cinnamon sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 package cream cheese, softened

What You'll Do
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.  Line peach halves on the baking sheet.

Beat cream cheese and all other ingredients with a mixer until smooth.

Remove some of the center of the fruit from each peach half.

 Spoon a generous amount of cream cheese mixture into each of the peach halves.

Bake at 350 degrees for half an hour.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.

More Pinterest

If you've got a recommendation of someone who has great design style, let me know via a comment so I can follow them too!

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Sour Cream Muffins

I spent a week at the beach with my step-grandmother and she taught me a couple of great, easy recipes.  This was one of them.

Three ingredients is all it takes for these super easy and delicious muffins.  They're more like a cross between a muffin and a biscuit but they make a great side dish for any meal and a super easy breakfast.

What you'll need:

1 stick melted butter
1 cup sour cream
2 cups bisquick

What you'll do:

Mix all ingredients and pour into greased muffin tins (I love the mini ones).  Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes or until risen and lightly browned.

Summer Veggie Tart

Those are some good looking 'maters, huh?  Thanks.  Actually my husband gets all the credit.  But I wanted to find a recipe to use up some of them.  I've made several batches of fresh bruschetta, ensalada caprese and Jack's made homemade pasta sauce but we still had an abundance left.  So, I made this summertime tart.

more roma tomatoes with fresh chives and thyme from the herb garden

What you'll need:

2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced

4 tbsp olive oil

12 ounces puff pastry, thawed if frozen

all purpose flour

5 thinly sliced romas or 2 thinly sliced larger tomatoes

9 ounces ricotta cheese

1 cup freshly grated parmesan

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

2 tsp fresh chopped chives

salt and pepper to taste

What you'll do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss onion and red pepper in half the oil, season with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes or until softened and browned. 

Meanwhile, roll out the pastry crust, sprinkle with flour and put into pie pan.  Use a fork to mash down the edges.

Scatter in the roasted peppers and onions, layer on sliced tomatoes.  Top with ricotta cheese spread evenly over the vegetables.  Freshly grate over the parmesan cheese and add additional salt, pepper, herbs and remaining olive oil.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese and pastry are browned and bubbly.  Serve immediately.

The Positive Side of Surgery...

...flowers!  Thank you to my wonderful friends and family for the beautiful bouquets!  It has made my recuperating period all the more enjoyable!