This year, I am hosting a Cinco de Mayo party, and to help me get into the right mood for my party, I have re-watched the movie McFarland USA, starring Kevin Costner and several other champions. As in previous years, I wept, as I recalled that indeed– “Champions Can Come from Anywhere.” In my opinion,…
Month: April 2025
The Tradition of Flowering the Cross at Easter
Image Credit:Wikipedia “Flowering the cross is a Western Christian tradition practiced at the arrival of Easter, in which worshippers place flowers on the bare wooden cross that was used in the Good Friday liturgy, in order to symbolize “the new life that emerges from Jesus’s death on Good Friday”.[1][2][3] The result is a flowered cross that is set near the chancel for Eastertide.[4][5] History “The Christian custom…
How to Fertilize & Treat Roses for Bugs & Disease – All-in-One Rose & Flower Care 3-in-1
Image Credit: Bioadvanced Rose & Flower Care Allow me to preface this post by acknowledging that I deliberately purchase roses with very few issues with diseases. That being said, I occasionally find Black Spot on a few of my rose leaves, and I admittedly treat the problem with Bioadvanced 3-in-1 Rose & Flower Care. My…
How to Make Margaritas
I’ve said this before, but I am preparing to host a Cinco de Mayo party for some of my friends. As soon as I announced my plans, everyone wanted to know if we were having margaritas, and before I knew exactly how, I answered: “Yes!!!!” To my delight, one of my friends owns an event…
Recipe Knorr Spinach Dip
Image Credit: Knorr Image Credit: Knorr Ingredients 1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, cooked, cooled and squeezed dry 1 container (16 oz.) sour cream 1 cup Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise 1 package Knorr® Vegetable Recipe Mix 1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained and chopped (optional) 3 green onions, chopped (optional) Instructions…
Recipe Apple Pie from Vintage Betty Crocker Cookbook
When I was a child, I loved to bake, and I cherish the memory of the Christmas I got two cookbooks to start my own collection of cookbooks. I was 12 at that time, and that year would have been about 1962. It seems that the cover of that old book was red and white…
Recipe Chocolate Cream Cheese Marble Bars – A Dessert You Can Bake Ahead and Freeze
Marble Cheesecake Brownies Recipe by Wilton Ingredients Cheesecake Batter 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Brownie Batter 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/2…
Recipe Lemon Bars – A Dessert You Can Bake Ahead and Freeze
Lemon Bars I am planning a Cinco de Mayo Party, and in Mississippi, May 5 may be a bit warm. I’ll serve enchiladas and all other things Mexican — along with liberal splashes of frozen Margaritas. For a soft landing, I’ll serve French-pressed coffee, and I decided that Lemon Bars would be an excellent dessert. …
Papel Picado: How to Make a Cut Paper Decorative Flag for a Mexican Fiesta Garland
I am planning to have a Cinco de Mayo Party, and I hope that my friends will do some Mexican Paper Crafts while they are there. Use Colorful Tissue Paper to Create Papel Picado. I ordered the following rectangles of tissue paper from Amazon: Simetufy 360 Sheets 36 Multicolor Tissue Paper Bulk, 11.5in x 8…
Amethyst Falls Wisteria – The Mannerly, American Wisteria that Blooms the First Year
Image Credit: Biltmore Estate biltmore.com At least 50 years ago, I sat in the shade of the majestically vining wisteria plants that had been trained to cover a pergola at the Biltmore Estate. I had never before experienced anything more enchanting than that, and I vowed that one day I would have my own wisteria-covered…