Halloween Party BlogHop

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Bon jour! Bienvenue à Paris, 1789.

It’s a spooky time of REVOLUTION!

Happy Hour Friday: Think Pink Drink {Melon Mojito}

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Everywhere you turn, the town is dressed in pink. Just last weekend, our little city held its 2nd annual Susan G Komen Race for the Cure and managed to get nearly 6,000 participants involved! The official fundraising numbers haven’t been released yet, but I’m pretty proud to say there has been so much local support.

Last year, this race was my very first 5k! The cause motivated me to push beyond my comfort zone and attempt something that had always seemed unattainable to me. I ran the whole thing (and did not come in last, I might add) :) Finishing that race was one of the best feelings of my life, not only for the personal goal I reached that day but also because of the bigger goal for which I was running. See, I lost my mother almost 9 years ago to breast cancer, and I know or have known so many others who have battled this beast. Awareness is one thing; a CURE is another. We were all running (or walking) for both.

Sausage, Goat Cheese & Sweet Potato Rustic Tart

True to our climate here in Louisiana, the temperature has gone from 90°+ to 45° literally overnight. Sadly, there will be no real fall for us. :( No gently turning leaves or easing into moderate, cool temps before the shock of bone-chilling cold sets in. We have gone from a long, dry, hot summer straight into teeth-chattering cold. (As some of you laugh at my overly-dramatic description of our 45° weather, please remember that only TWO days ago it was 90-something! I was still in flip-flops and tank tops!) Today I’m wearing fleece, socks and boots! Unimaginable when this week began.

But I’m not complaining. Honestly. I just haven’t acclimated yet. My morning coffee, usually sipped on the back porch while watching birds and squirrels, is now enjoyed cozily inside near some heat source. This morning, that heat source was my oven with this scrumptious tart baking inside.

Puppy Love: Homemade Dog Biscuits

On any given day of the week, you could walk into my shop and find my two fur-babies greeting customers at the door. They have become part of the scenery, part of the experience even part of shopping at Southern Chic. There are regulars who stop in just to visit Stanley and Scruffy, and most are lucky enough to sneak a quick pic of Stanley chillaxin’ on the stool behind the register. No, he isn’t working; he’s supervising. ;)

Happy Hour Friday: Orangecello Cocktails

Last week I was so busy with our continued back yard makeover that I never got around to posting for Happy Hour Friday. ((shudder)) I know! Awful, right? Well I’m back today with 3 cocktails to share!

Two weeks ago I made a batch of orangecello that has been sitting in my fridge, neglected. Apart from sipping it straight, I haven’t had much time to experiment with cocktail recipes because of all the yard/gardening work. Which, by the way, I am very happy to report I finally got one extremely large ripe watermelon from my monster vine! It is so late in the season for watermelons, but luckily it has stayed warm enough for mine to continue to grow. That won’t be the case much longer, though. The evenings are starting to dip down into the 50′s, and the monster vine is beginning to go dormant. So no more growing, and, I’m sure, no more maturing for the 8 or 9 other melons still on the vine. :( I’m sad to not have the opportunity

Pumpkin Sandwich Cake with Chocolate Icing

And the pumpkin obsession continues…

I have a group of friends (aka football fanatics) who gather every Sunday to cheer on our beloved New Orleans Saints. :) We alternate hosting this casual affair, and everyone contributes to the meal we consume whilst screaming at the television. LOL This week I was asked to provide dessert, and I knew immediately what I wanted to make.

DIY: Halloween Party Invitations

Here’s a cute idea for making inexpensive invitations that will work for any occasion. All you need is a few basic supplies and a little time to put it all together. It doesn’t require a lot of money, time or creative exhaustion either!

Fall’s Best: Apple Pie with Grapes

Years ago when I was studying abroad in London, part of my time was spent with a family in Finsbury Park. The first time my roommates and I met Graham and Julie, we were invited over for tea (or dinner, as we Americans call it). The dessert Julie made was the best apple pie I had ever eaten, and I have thought about it often ever since. But I have never tried to recreate it– until now.

Venison & Gravy: Spicehubby in the news!

Last week a features writer from our local newspaper contacted me about black pot cooking. ”Of course,” I said. ”That’s how we always cook. But my husband is better at it than I am.” She asked if he’d be willing to talk to her and have his picture taken. I said I’d ask but couldn’t promise anything.

Funny enough, when I got home that evening he was already cooking dinner–in a black pot! :) I told him of my conversation, and he sweetly agreed to an interview. His picture was printed on the front page of the Features section! Not too shabby…