Flourish and Fancy

currently reading

I've been in a book rut lately. During the past few months, I've spent hours roaming the bookshelves of my favorite stores with nothing jumping out at me. Every summary I read sounded like a version of something I'd read before. Frustrating for a book lover. I was looking for something different... something fresh... and something that would keep me turning pages without begrudgingly predicting what happens next.

Yesterday, I stumbled upon The Gilly Salt Sisters by up-and-coming author, Tiffany Baker.

The Gilly Salt Sisters is a tale of two sisters and their inescapable legacy that's tied to the family salt farm in Cape Cod. A story touched by a hint of magic, family secrets, dreams, love, betrayals and the whispers of a small New England town, The Gilly Salt Sisters promises to finally bring something different to my bedside table.

Flourish & Fancy wants to know, what are you currently reading?

southern slam salute

When I post a recipe, it's normally something I've come up with. However, the cooking powerhouses of Martha Stewart and Paula Deen high heel kicked this meal out of the park! I made these dishes tonight and they are too good not to share...

Photo Credit: PaulaDeen.com

Paula Deen's Lowcountry Smothered Pork Chops

Served With....

Photo Credit: MarthaStewart.com

Martha Stewart's Roasted Cabbage Wedges

Also served with seasoned Orzo.

This meal takes approximately 45-60 minutes to complete and is TOTALLY worth it. I added mushrooms to my Lowcountry Smothered Pork Chops and used sesame seeds for the cabbage instead of fennel (I didn't have any on hand).

I'll let you visit each meals' respective website for the recipe (I've included links above). For the Orzo, I just seasoned it with a few different adobo seasonings while boiling.

Happy Cooking!

party punch

About a month ago, we threw a party in honor of my husband's birthday. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am a firm believer in having a signature cocktail when hosting a gathering. Since we were going to have a house rockin' full of people, I decided to make a large quantity, rum-based party punch.

Beverage container is approximately 5 gallons

I'm proud to say that it was a HUGE hit. One of my best. In fact, I had to make a second batch of it that night! It went delightfully well with the fajita bar we had catered by our friends at Amigos.

So, if you're planning a large party and are in search of a crowd pleaser, try my rum party punch.

Angelina's Rum Party Punch

Ingredients
1 handle Sailor Jerry Rum (1.75 liters)
1 89 oz Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice
1 46 oz Tropicana Farmstand Strawberry Banana Juice
1 can 46 oz Dole Pineapple Juice
4-6 blood oranges, sliced (or regular oranges if not in season)
5-8 limes, sliced
Ice

Mix all ingredients into a large beverage dispenser. Ingredients prepared make approximately 3 gallons +/-

Depending on the crowd, it might be a good idea to double up on ingredients to keep on standby in case you need to make a second batch (like I did). Your guests will be mighty happy you did.

Cheers!

roasted red pepper basil humus

Incredibly easy and insanely delicious, humus is a great snack dish to enjoy solo or with friends. At your next gathering (or TV veg night), try my homemade roasted red pepper and basil humus recipe.

roasted red pepper basil humus

Ingredients

1 can garbanzo beans

1 jarred roasted red pepper (whole pepper)

1 tablespoon basil paste

garlic powder to taste

salt & pepper to taste

splash of jarred roasted red pepper juice

Slice roasted red pepper into slivers. In a blender (or fancy food processor if you've got it), blend 1 can of garbanzo beans with sliced roasted red pepper, basil paste, garlic powder, salt, pepper and a splash of the jarred roasted red pepper juice until smooth. You may need to stop the blender periodically to remix ingredients to ensure smooth, consistent blending. Pour into a serving dish and enjoy.

I like to serve my humus with fresh vegetables, such as sliced zucchini and baby carrots.

Do you have a homemade humus recipe? Share it with flourish & fancy!

halloween hoopla

Halloween is my favorite holiday outside of Christmas. No question. I may even like halloween more than my own birthday.

I love the spookiness of it, the fall crispness in the air, the colors of the leaves against a bright, cloudless blue sky, the festive costumes, the eerie decorations and yes—even the same halloween movies revisited every year. October isn't complete without at least one viewing of Hocus Pocus, Sleepy Hallow, Young Frankenstein, The Addams Family and many more.

Halloween is almost upon us, and if you're looking for a fun way to decorate pumpkins this year without the carving tools, then I suggest using two of my other favorite things: glitter and spray paint.

Spray Paint + Glitter Jack-O-Lanterns

What you'll need:

pumpkins
spray paint
glitter glue or craft glue
glitter
newspaper

—Note: I freehanded my jack-o-lantern faces, but you can always use a stencil.

Lay newspaper outside on the ground. Spray pumpkins thoroughly with paint. Allow to dry completely. On fresh laid out newspaper, draw jack-o-latern faces piece by piece onto pumpkin and add glitter (Meaning draw one eye first, add glitter, dust off remaining excess. Draw second eye, glitter, dust off. Draw mouth, etc).
This helps ensure a sharper face with less mess and errors (you don't want your palm messing up the mouth whilst drawing or glittering do you?)

Allow to dry and marvel at your craftiness.

Looking for Some Laid-Back, Halloween Fun & Reminiscing?

Any child of the 90s remembers Are You Afraid of the Dark? A program rated Y7 because it "may be too s-P-o-O-k-Y for children under 7."

My girlfriend's and I gathered for an AYAOTD marathon party that was a complete blast!
We...

• dressed as our 4th grade selves
• ate foods fit for a 4th grader...
   - pepperoni and cheese pizzas
   - fruit rollups
   - popcorn
   - chocolate chip cookies
• popped champagne and red wine
• watched back-to-back episodes of AYAOTD

YouTube has nearly all of the Are You Afraid of the Dark? episodes. You can watch them here. We hooked it up to the TV and let the memories and tales of 4th grade roll.

What's your favorite part about Halloween?

celebrating hepburns

As students gear up to go back to school, I stumbled across a good read for any high school girl or young woman attending college. Jordan Christy's How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World is an insightful piece that illustrates why classy girls come out on top.

It's a lost art form these days—conducting one's self with style, class and grace. This entertaining, easy-to-read guide discusses everything from fashion etiquette, job interviewing decorum, social network photo faux pas, self worth and how to achieve professional and personal success. Full of activities and real-life examples and advice, How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World reveals how ladies can be today's modern woman and still have high morals and fun.

Christy's work is an attempt to reach young women in an overrun, celebrity train-wrecked society that idolizes women for outrageous, shocking behavior and barely-there attire. She encourages girls to recognize that sass and sophistication will outshine overly sexed-up and obnoxious actions any day.

This is a perfect gift for a girl who is either approaching or at the dawn of womanhood.

You can purchase the book at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. To read more about the author, click here.

flourish & fancy is an advocate of class and self-respect. So, keep your head high, your pearls shining and your heels moving in the right direction.

skydiving - u.s. army golden knights

On June 20, 2012, I had the honor and privilege to skydive tandem with the U.S. Army Golden Knights in San Antonio, Texas. It was my first time, and who better to do it with than the experts?

My Golden Knight, Noah

So excited, you have no idea. All fear was gone, and the only thing I could think was, "I'm about to be Army Strong!"

It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I understand now when people you say you cannot properly explain the rush, the fun or the feeling of skydiving. I wanted to fall forever—which surprised me very much. If after we'd landed they'd have asked me if I wanted to go up and do it agin, I would have immediately said, "Absolutely! Let's go!"

Lovin' it.

"HOOAH!"

I'm a military brat and come from a large military family. I have relatives who have served in all 4 branches of service. I take great pride in our country and in the men and women who serve it so gallantly. I can honestly say that on that day and after that experience, if I would have gotten a nick or scratch, it would have bled red, white and blue—guaranteed.

Still yelling, "WAAAHOOOO!!!!

Coming down like a bird. The Golden Knights land you so soft, it's like sitting on the couch!
He also let me steer the parachute—wicked.

I cannot praise the U.S. Army Golden Knights enough for their professionalism, humor, generosity and outright attitudes towards mixing fun and honor enough. They kept you calm while amping you up at the same time. I'll forever be proud of the moments I spent with them. HOOAH!

My dad served 22 years in the military, but was never able to take advantage of the chance to go airborne. So, I wore a pair of his old BDUs up in the air, so that I could take a piece of him with me.

Thank you to all who serve or who have served our great nation, and thanks to those who wear the uniform on their hearts—spouses, children and family.