We are excited to be kicking off summer with all of you today. We have some great features from last week that will sure get us started. We had a great weekend here and hope you did as well, it is always good to start a new season with lots of old and new friends. Come join us on the back porch for some iced tea while we enjoy all the wonderful dishes that you are bringing to the party today. Lets start this party I can't wait to see what you are bringing!

Chicken Spread in our family is a real classic. I remember when my Mother attaching the hand grinder to the end of the cabinet and grinding up the left over chicken to make a delicious chicken spread. I still have that old grinder of hers but I sure am glad that I don't have to use it today, I have a much easier way of making it today along with a few of the ingredients that are different. Our family still enjoys this recipe as much today as they all did in the day of the food grinder.

When I was a young girl I remember going to my Mothers pantry and there would always be a can of Tuna and a can of Salmon. She said that was her emergency food in a can, and so it was. More than once I would see her go for those cans when unexpected company would stop by or when she needed to make a nice meal in a hurry. One of the recipes that I loved and still do to this day is the Tuna Salad. Although I have changed the recipe through the years to meet our families taste it is still the basic recipe that was passed on to me. So when you go to my pantry today there will always be a can of Tuna and Salmon and this is one of the recipes that I use. Sometimes we enjoy the Tuna Salad on a Lettuce leaf and then there is nothing better than a delicious Tuna Salad Sandwich.

We are in the middle of the Memorial Day Weekend here at the cottage with lots of activities around our lake area. It is always a big weekend for the beginning of the boating and swimming season with lots of friends and family coming out to begin the summer. I love planning the picnic food for the weekend some of my favorite foods of the summer. Please Join Us In Remembering The Brave Folks Who Have Given Their Life In The Service Of Our Country, To Their Families We Say God Bless You For The Sacrifice That Your Family Has Made With The Loss Of Your Loved One

The cottage is all a buzz we are getting ready for the memorial day weekend which is really a big holiday here at the lake. I am so happy that you can join us today with some of your awesome recipes that we look forward to every week. Here in the USA we celebrate memorial day to honor and remember those who have given their life in service of our country. To their families I say thank you for your loved one's service and thank you for the sacrifice you have made, may God bless you.  Thanks so much for coming to the party today and lets get it started and be sure and check out our Top Ten Views from last week!

Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable, that we really have enjoyed in so many recipes. This is a very simple recipe to prepare and takes very little time, it is a great recipe to fix when you need a last minute appetizer. If you are expecting a crowd you might want to double the recipe because it will go really fast. If you should have left overs just serve it in a wonderful salad the next day, it is a real winner.

In the summertime the living is easy and we do love our sweets. There is really nothing better than sitting on the back porch enjoying a nice glass of iced tea and a lovely summertime sweet for an afternoon treat or an evening dessert. Today we want to share some of our favorites with you. Some of these recipes have been handed down through generations but for sure they have been kitchen tested in my kitchen by family and friends for many years.

One of my boys will be coming home this week for a visit so you can guess from the menu what he has requested and of course I will be delighted to make that special meal for him. I love it when family and friends request their favorite meal or a dish that they saw on the blog. I am happy to be a meal planner so I can spend more quality time visiting with family and friends and not running to the store at the last minute to get the meal together. Don't you just love making special meals for family and friends?

It is so good to see you today at Full Plate Thursday. We are having the most beautiful weather and I am so glad that you can enjoy it with me. We are having our party on the Herb and Vegetable Garden Patio today, we actually have green tomatoes setting on the vines. I just love the seasonal recipes for this time of the year, always so fresh and delicious. Of course you'al are truly the greatest cooks on the planet and I can't wait to see what you are sharing with us today!

We grow Heirloom Tomatoes in our garden and we even save our seed from one year to the next to ensure the purity of the seed. If you are ever able to try a Heirloom Tomato then you will never forget the distinctive flavor. Today I have combined a great dressing along with some other vegetables and a farfalle pasta to make this delicious salad. This salad could be a great luncheon entree and no doubt I will be taking this one to a covered dish event very soon. We really enjoyed this salad and sure hope you do.

We are close enough to the gulf that we are able to get some beautiful gulf coast shrimp. One of the recipes that we enjoy for these delicious shrimp is Pineapple Shrimp Ka Bobs. The combination of the fresh pineapple and the spicy seasons in the marinate make this recipe one of our favorites. We like to grill the Ka Bobs then transfer them to foil packets to keep warm for our guest. This will feed a crowd or a special dinner for two.

Happy Mothers Day To All The Awesome Moms On Mothers Day weekend I am reminded of all the Moms out there who every week try to make the very best meals for their families with their meal plans. I am reminded of my own Mother and Grandmothers who left a southern legacy of good food for me to follow. I am looking forward to having a great Mother's Day Weekend and hope that you are as well. Enjoy Your Day Mom's!

I am so excited to see you today at Full Plate Thursday!  We have reserved special tables for all you  Wonderful Moms that will be celebrating  Mothers Day this coming weekend  Happy Mothers Day! We are enjoying being outdoors this time of the year, working in our garden and sitting on our new screen porch.  It is always very special to have friends over to share the table with us and enjoy some wonderful food. I always look forward to the amazing recipes that you share with us each week and can hardly wait to see what you are sharing with us today.  Thanks so much for being here today and lets get the party started!

Sometimes on Tuesday afternoon some of my friends will drop by and have tea with me. I really never know who will come for sure, it is a very informal tea, just some old friends stopping by to share a cup of tea and a little life. I always make a pot of tea and a few little sandwiches or cookies to enjoy with our tea. Today I have made some cucumber sandwiches to go with our tea, I have a very special spread recipe that I use for my cucumber sandwiches, they are delicious.

When I think of a Pavlova dessert, I imagine a very delicate dessert that will be a ladies delight. I have made this dessert for many of my lady friends but my guys love it every bit as much as they do. The Pavlova is such a wonderful dessert cup for any number of fillings, but the one we like the best is just a simple mix of berries in a nice sugar glaze. When my husband found out I was making this dessert, the last thing he said before going to work was be sure and save me a couple of those little desserts, well of course I did.

Since the weekend we have been very busy here at the cottage, helping our neighbors about 5 miles down the road from us. I have been involved with a group of very caring people in cooking a lot of food for folks who lost their home in the horrible storms. Last Saturday we had 5 tornadoes roar through our area. One of them was a F4 and it started about 5 miles from here. The tornadoes were on the ground for about 50 miles and lasted a little over 2 hours. There is complete devastation for miles and miles around us. We are so grateful that our cottage was spared and we have no damage. I am very grateful be to making my meal plan for the next week and that we have a home to enjoy it in. Please join me in prayer for all the folks who will be rebuilding their homes and lives.

I sure am glad to see you today for our first party of May. Once a month we have our Top Ten Views From One Week Of The Month. Today we have our Top Ten Features from the last party of April, be sure and visit these great bloggers, they have some awesome recipes. I always look forward to your special recipes that you share with us at the table each week. This week we will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo on Friday, one of my favorites with delicious Tex Mex food, I can't wait so lets get the party started!

This cake is so moist and with a layer of creamy cheese and we top it with a wonderful mix of berries in a delicate glaze. Our Italian Lemon Cream Cake is a beautiful slice of cake on the serving dish, with the delicious berries on top. We have served this cake for for special occasions, ladies luncheon's, teas, graduations, weddings and anniversaries. Then sometimes we make it for a "Just Because Day" for someone special in your life.

May is such busy month with spring in full swing,wild flowers blooming, garden vegetables being harvested and planted. The seasonal foods that we will be talking about this month are being harvested in farms and gardens in our area, and will be available in most markets everywhere. We have a special basket full of fun celebrations where we will find some really great fresh food.