Friday Favorites: fig jam, cheesy grits & a professional shopper...
favorite weekend jam:
This weekend is all about figs! Our two fig trees have so much fruit and I'm rushing to pick figs before the squirrels steal them (if you follow me on Instagram you've heard about this saga...) so I'm making jars & jars of fig jam. I'll be making a fig vanilla bean jam and a fig blueberry jam. I'll force my family to taste test them so I can tell you the favorite. (Also featured in this picture is my ALL TIME FAVORITE FOOTWEAR, CROCKS! at some point I'll devote an entire post to these babies & the story of how my obsession started. if you're making fun of me, you've never worn them. try them on and then tell me what color you proceeded to buy.)
favorite spoon rest:
Ree Drummond (a.k.a The Pioneer Woman) will most likely be featured in every Friday Favorites, until I've successfully bought everything she's made... how great is this "Rest in Grease" spoon rest??
favorite farmhouse coffee bar:
When it comes to coffee making, I'm old school. I just told Chase last night I can't imagine ever getting rid of my coffee pot. It's the least fancy pot you've ever seen, but I love having a hot pot of coffee on all day. You'll never see a Keurig in my kitchen! ;) Lately, I've been thinking about where I could put a coffee bar. I think I finally found a place and I want mine to look just like this one from the Gritty Porch Furniture Co....
favorite weekend DIY:
this weekend I'm FINALLY finishing the photo gallery wall in our hallway to spruce up a very dull white wall. I'm an old fashion girl when it comes to printed photos and I've painted and stained some old frames to put them in. The photo gallery is going to have some of my favorite photos from Chase's travels; like this one below from a winter season spent dredging off of Fire Island, NY:
favorite casserole:
I have a new love affair with grits after Chase spent a good amount of time in south (very south, southeast) Louisiana, this summer. This cheesy ham, corn, and grits bake is everything you'd want in a casserole...
favorite kitchen towel:
my mother-in-law is a professional shopper. really. she always brings over the BEST finds. these towels she brought over last night are definitely a favorite...reminds me of a few pups I know....
favorite way to savor the last days of summer:
Nothing says summer to me like berries in desserts. This Blackberry Gelato is the best way to hang on to summer. Eat this while enjoying a good summer read, currently obsessing over all things Dorethea Benton Frank and her book Same Beach, Next Year...
favorite weekend cooking tradition:
Every Sunday I roast a whole chicken. I'm not usually a fan of chicken (I grew up eating lots of red meat and it's always so dry!) but I love, love, love whole roasted chicken with veggies, rosemary & lemon from the garden. Roasting the whole chicken keeps the meat moist and the rosemary & lemon gives the chicken so much flavor. Bonus- it's super easy to do! I shred the chicken when it's warm and use the chicken bones and veggies to make a broth. I love having fresh shredded chicken and fresh chicken broth for the week. Next week I'm writing about my favorite week night recipes that use chicken broth!
That's it for today! I'm off to wrangle two dogs at the dog beach... wish me luck!
oxoxox