Petticoat Junction

Lemon Basil Steak Cranberry Walnut Salad & Watermelon Lemonade

Did I tell you that I love basil?  I really do.  I eat it on everything.  Did you know that there is such thing as basil sugar?  There is!

I pick fresh basil a few times a week and throw it into this vintage strainer in my kitchen to let it dry.

 

When I am ready to use it I just rub it around in the strainer and it falls through the holes. 

For this steak I simply slathered sirloin steak with extra virgin olive oil then sprinkled basil and kosher salt on it.

 

Papa does the grilling but I know he sears it first on high and then turns it down a bit and cooks it on medium.

Once your steak is done cut a lemon in half and squeeze the lemon juice on it!

Yum! 

Now for the salad.....

Cut up a Romaine heart add dried cranberries, walnut halves, peppers in several colors and fresh tomatoes.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and grate some pepper on it.

For dressing I used

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

jucie from one orange and a little zest

kosher salt and pepper

So simple but so yum.

Finally for the most refreshing drink I have ever had

Watermelon Lemonade

 6 cups seedles watermelon

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

Put the watermelon in a blender until smooth.

Pour into your lemonade pitcher, add other ingredients and stir!

Ahhhhhhhhhh!

Happy Father's Day all of you daddyos!

Sweet Iced Tea!

Somebody brought to my attention that some Northern girls don't know how to make Sweet Iced tea like us Southern girls do!  She wanted me to share how I make it.

So here is how I make it

12 cups of water with 6 tea bags (not family size the other size)

Put it in a pot and bring it to a boil.  Remove from heat  immediately.  Let it steep (just leave it alone!) for 15 minutes.

I use 1 1/2 cups of sugar which I pour in the bottom of the pitcher.  Then you pour the hot tea on top and stir it up.  Then fill the pitcher to the top with cold water.  This makes 1 gallon!

You may want to adjust the sugar to your taste. 
Believe it or not I used to use 2 cups of sugar!

Get yourself a pretty goblet, because you deserve it, fill with ice and add ice tea. Top with fresh mint that you planted in your back porch garden. Yum there is nothing better on a hot day!

ENJOY!

Backporch Garden!

We have a beautiful garden spot with dirt in it hauled in from the river.  RICH DIRT. 

All we are growing in our garden this year is GRASS!

We had it plowed and then did what we do every year.  I go to hoe a row and there goes the back.  Papa works all day in the heat and I don't expect him to take care of the garden.  He doesn't enjoy it anyways.   It happens every durn year!  Well this year I got stubborn.  I decided ok if I can't work in the garden I am just going to plant my garden in pots all over my back porch and that's what I did!

 

So here we have some plants that I started from seeds I collected from some sweet peppers that I bought at Sam's.  They were the best peppers and they we small and cute and come in red, orange and yellow!  Probably by late summer I will have more peppers than I will ever ever need!  Also a couple of squash plants in the hanging basket.

 

Here are my bell, gypsy and Big Jim New Mexico peppers.  Notice my garden has grown from the back porch to the sidewalk!

 

Here are some of my tomatoes, herb mixed in with some flowers and one pitiful little pepper plant.

 

Herbs!  Oregano, basil, pretty dainty little flowers.

 

More herbs!  Rosemary, Parsley and more pretty little flowers!

 

Basil!  I love basil........

on everything.

After taking care of my little back porch garden then I get a glass of sweet ice tea and go here.....

 

So even if you don't have a garden you can always just create one in POTS!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Diane

 

Shabby Cottage Chic Porch Using Rachel Ashwell Fabric Pillows!

I have been sewing up a storm and creating these lovely cottage chic porch pillows or anywhere pillows.

Nothing looks more inviting on your front porch than big ol' cushy pillows.  Something else I like to have on my porch swing is a vintage hand crocheted throw.  Every porch needs a vintage rocking chair as far as I am concerned!

 

These pillows are made with combinations of different fabrics to give you that oh so cottagey look!

 

And of course they are for sale!  IF you would like to purchase any of these pillows please contact me and I will send you a paypal invoice.

 

Discontinued Rachel Ashwell Rosalie, Urbangardens barkcloth as the focal point with pink lil' ruffles and vintage hobnail bedspread fabric!

Measures 21" x 15"

$35

$8 shipping in USA

Please inquire for International shipping.

 

Urbangardens barkcloth surrounded by a sweet ruffle and then vintage white matelasse!

Measures 19" x 17"

$30

$8 shipping

 

This sweetie is another Urbangardens barkcloth with sweet pink fabrics and white matelasse.

Same back as above.

Measures 17" x 14"

$30

$8 shipping

 

A gorgeous Rachel Aswell fabric is the focal point trimmed with BIG ric rack trim!

Measures 18" x 19"

SOLD

$8 shipping

All of these pillows have an extra fluffy soft insert that can be removed.

The inside of the pillow sham is lined with muslin where needed.

All raw edges have been serged for an heirloom quality pillow!

 

Anybody need some Shabby Cottage Chic Chair Cushions?

Coming Next!

 

 

 

Another Baby on the Way!

My son and his wife are expecting!  I can't wait to see my son with a baby! LOL!  He is this huntin, fishin, kinda guy and I just can't wait to see him holding his first child.  He is very excited as is my daughter in law.  I am excited too.  Dylan will finally have a cousin here in Arkansas.

This is my boy holding a 4lb smallmouth bass he caught here in a creek.  Won't be long til that fish is gonna be replaced by a baby, let's just hope he doesn't hold his youngun by the lips like that!

Vintage Becker Babies Fabric Squares! Pillows, Quilts, Sachets and more!

Hi all!

Tonight I have these sweet 5" x 7" fabric squares with vintage Charlotte Becker babies on them.  You can just let your imagination run wild with these.  You can make quilts, pillows, sachets.  The possibilities are endless!

 

 

 

9$ each y'all!

$2 to ship in the USA.

Let me know if you want some and I will send you an invoice.

xoxo

Diane

Sweet 4th of July Vintage Postcard Image Accent Pillow

 

I am really having so much fun making these 4th of July pillows!  I originally intended for the first one to be for myself and then I sold it so I made another one and now another one.

This one fits perfectly in front of some of your larger pillows.

It measures 14" x 11" including the ruffle.

On the backside a pretty red white stripe fabric.

A pretty little ribbon made from gingham and one with red rick rack topped off with a beaded ribbon rose graces on corner.

The image is printed on fabric.

It is stuffed and handstitched shut.

$20

SOLD

$4.50 shipping

If you want it email me and I will send you a paypal invoice.

Hopefully, I wil be offering several more 4th of July pillows over the next few weeks! 

xoxo

Diane

Another 4th of July Porch Pillow Vintage Tablecloth & Darla Fabric! Porch Decor!

 

I have another 4th of July pillow made from a vintage tablecloth and fabrics from Tanya Whelan's "Darla" collection of fabrics!

I love these fabrics.  They look like fabric from years gone by but they are brand new.

This pillow is another big whopping floppy pillow.

22" x 21"

If you want to stop traffic this is the pillow for you!

It is bright and cheerful and RED WHITE & BLUE!

On the backside you will find a pretty red stripe fabric.

Tucked inside the envelope opening on the backside is a cushy soft pillow insert that you can remove when the cover needs a washing.

On the inside of the cover the seams have been serged and the pillow has been lined with muslin.

Truly a heirloom pillow made to last!

SOLD

$30

$7 to ship in USA

International buyers welcome!

Contact me if you want it and I will send you a paypal invoice.

Next day shipping.

DISSAPOINTMENT

Don't ask God to do what you want. Ask God to do what is right.

When God doesn't do what we want, it's not easy. Never has been. Never will be. But faith is the conviction that God knows more than we do about this life and he will get us through it.

Disappointment is cured by revamped expectations.

I like that story about the fellow who went to the pet store in search of a singing parakeet. Seems he was a bachelor and his house was too quiet. The store owner had just the bird for him, so the man bought it. The next day the bachelor came home from work to a house full of music. He went to the cage to feed the bird and noticed for the first time that the parakeet had only one leg.

He felt cheated that he'd been sold a one-legged bird, so he called and complained.

"What do you want," the store owner responded, "a bird who can sing or a bird who can dance?"

Good question for times of disappointment.

Max Lucado

 

Vintage Barkcloth Red White & Blue Porch Pillow 4th of July!

 

Gorgeous Vintage Barkcloth Red White & Blue Pillow!

I framed this pretty vintage barkcloth with a few Darla fabrics from Tanya Whelan

I understuffed the insert to give the pillow that slouchy, lazy kinda porch swing look.

Ralph Lauren striped linen on the backside.

Measures a whopping  22" x 21"!

  

 

$30

EMAIL ME IF YOU WANT IT!

I will send you a paypal invoice.

xoxo

Diane

I can't take it anymore!

Life just seems a little empty without blogging.  Letting go of as much of the pressures of life as a I could was a good thing though and I can feel the prayers of everyone working in my life everyday.  Taking the last 3 weeks to self reflect and get my priorities straight has been so wonderful.  Making time to spend in God's word has been so uplifting too.  I feel all new and refreshed, like spring rain!    I have even been sewing this week!  Hallelujah!  I doubt if I can give up blogging or sewing altogether but just having more balance in life is what is important.  No more staying up until 2 a.m. blogging or sewing!  Just can't do it and get up early with the little MAN. 

I still have the creative mind of an artist and lay in bed at night sleepless because of everything building up in my head!   I came up with a great NEW idea of something to make that will really set off my porch swing...........

I am making it today and will hopefully get pictures on my blog soon.  Maybe I will sale some of them too! 

Since school got out Dylan has been much better about SELF entertaining.  He actually does it now! LOL!  So that means I have a little time during the day to do a little sewing.  As long as it doesn't feel like work I can do it.  When it starts putting pressures on me then OUT THE WINDOW it goes! 

I found this IL Divo video on You Tube. 

Not sure how often I will pop in but sometimes I just have to share!

blessings

Diane