My Mott-ley Crew

Life's Journey of Faith, Family, and Fun with Tammy Mott !

It’s What’s for Dinner !!!!! April 27, 2011

Filed under: The Garden — tmott @ 2:30 pm
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This is the bounty from the Garden this afternoon!  It’s going to be salad for tonight!  A wonderful Raspberry Vinaigrette sweetened with splenda will add a little flavor, but the flavorfulness of the veggies is what is sought after.

Gardening is so rewarding when what has been toiled and sweat over produces something that can be eaten and shared!  (But not shared with the birds!)

The lettuce is at the end of it’s growing season….it’s just too hot.  And it’s going to be bitter because it is “bolting”.  A new term learned.

 

 

 

Raspberry Vinaigrette:

1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 Cup White Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Splenda (or to taste)

1/2 Cup Olive Oil or blend of salad oils that are a favorite

pinch of salt and pepper

a few frozen raspberries if desired

Put all ingredients except oil in blender, then slowly drizzle in oil until emulsified.

 

 

Now, help is needed with the Roma beans.  They are getting crispy around the leaf edges.  And the leaves are turning from green to mottled with rusty colored areas.  Is it too hot?  The Texas sun has been brutal, along with the wind.  If it’s fungal, it’s been sprayed with no success or change. No fertilizer has been applied.  Beans don’t need much fertilizer, but if it must be done use a 5-10-10.  This particular bed may be a better area for okra, only time will tell.   

 

Easter Season Beauty! April 20, 2011

Filed under: Event Planning Tips,The Garden — tmott @ 3:07 pm
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Easter is almost here, and setting up for this very special holiday is a favorite.  Many native flowers are in bloom, and the selection is wonderful at local nurseries.  Add Easter lilies and it’s splendor indoors!
The wreaths are made with deco mesh ribbon to add color and texture.

 

 

 

 
 
This year’s inspiration was the pink glitter ribbon!  Just think, it all can start with one inspiration piece, item, or idea…….Cycles loaded with color in the foliage and knockout roses that do the same is a sensory feast!

 

 

The water wall on main street is ready to receive guests for a beautiful day celebrating our risen Lord!

 

The Difference is in the Dirt! April 13, 2011

Filed under: The Garden — tmott @ 8:43 am
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What a surprise to see the progress of the corn in the 444 Triple Grow Bucket!  It is three times the size of the corn that is planted in the regular garden bed.  The stalks in the yellow bucket are greener, larger, and much taller than the stalks in the brick lined bed. The bucket  is located next to the brick lined bed where the other corn is planted and it gets the same amount of sun and water as the other.  It looks a little crowded, but that is what the instructions said it could handle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This brick lined bed was prepared with premium soil mixed with compost.  The bed is watered every day via a timed watering system, so it is getting consistent watering.  It’s not doing bad, but it could be doing much better.  This bed has been fertilized with an organic fertilizer – Microlife Ultimate -once so far.  It will get another dose in three weeks.  The next product to go in the buckets are tomato plants that I ordered online.  Two will go in the bucket together and the rest will go in a prepared raised bed.

 

Spring Outdoor Picnic April 11, 2011

Filed under: Event Planning Tips,Tablescapes — tmott @ 9:19 am
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Outdoor events are always a little tricky when planning because weather is an unpredictable factor. Even though the sun may be shining, wind can affect the prettiest of tables. Recently, at an outdoor ministry event, a spring picnic was the fare of the day. A walled EZ Up tent provided the necessary protection from the wind and a place for prepping the meal.  The burger patties were pre-cooked so that smoke and grease wouldn’t be a distraction, but warmed onsite in a 1/2 chafer pan on the grill. Hot dogs were cooked onsite, and the chili was warmed in a deep pan on the grill.

 

 

 

 

 

Everything was warming so now it was time to set up the buffet. Nothing says picnic like a checkered table cloth, and geraniums are a favorite of summer, so red is the color of choice. A platter of cookies for dessert are an easy set-up and the perfect finger food.  Add in a red ceramic lemonade urn and the fun begins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A plant tower was re-purposed to display the silverware at the buffet’s beginning. The burger station (which was bought last summer at Sam’s Club) also included homemade pickles for topping.  A few white daisies sprinkled about add another layer of interest.  It’s time to picnic!

 

Breakfast, The Most Important Meal of the Day! April 7, 2011

Filed under: Event Planning Tips,Tablescapes — tmott @ 11:16 am
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We’ve always been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so when the opportunity arose to plan a breakfast buffet, hearty and healthy came to mind. It’s the perfect time of year to emphasize farm to table goodness, and a farmer’s market is the place to start. Our area’s farmer’s market was filled with so many beautiful fruits, it was hard to choose. Saving the packing boxes from the fruit and using them with the orchard baskets helped our guests to feel that they were getting the freshest produce in town!

 

 

 


 

Breads that emphasize whole grain goodness, along with jellies that are put up at their peak of freshness, add to the farm to market experience.

Wheat chaffs as decor reflect the amber waves of grain! (And they can be re-used on the fourth of July!)

 

 

A special way to add to your buffet theme is to include the guests tables in on the fun!  These dollar store lanterns were a great purchase for multiple themes, such as chuckwagon, rodeo, and farm.  They can be used over and over again for a small investment.  For some interactive fun, a 2 oz mason jar was filled with corn kernels and tied with a bow (so no one could cheat) and each table guessed how many corn kernels were in the jar.  A little ice breaker fun is always a plus!


 

 

My First Video April 4, 2011

Filed under: Tablescapes,Video — tmott @ 2:41 pm
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Here is a little hint for your Spring Buffet!

YouTube Preview Image
 

A Spring Buffet April 3, 2011

Filed under: Event Planning Tips,Tablescapes,Video — tmott @ 3:35 pm
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It’s time for the big luncheon for this month and Spring is the theme!  Every detail will reflect the season with color, vibrancy, and light.  When thoughts move toward planning such an occasion, it is best to find one thing as your inspiration and flow from there.  (That keeps you from chasing too many rabbits.)  My inspiration was a pair of french birdcages.  ( A new spring addition from The Roundtop Collection-   www.thertc.com)  They are to be used at the head table with the other tables reflecting the same color-Citron.  There is no hard and fast rule that says every table must look exactly the same.  In my opinion, variety adds an extra layer to the depth of the final look. Usually in the planning process,  two different, yet complimentary table linens are chosen.  This can be done for any size group, but is especially true for larger groups. (six or more tables)  One can be a higher end fabric that makes your statement, and the additional can be a more moderately priced compliment. Psst, no one will ever know!


Also, an easy way to add color to your table is by using paper placemats.  They add a lot of pomp and circumstance without the price tag.  A package of 50 are less than two dollars.  Mingle them in with fabric napkins and table linens and they can be that extra attention to detail that adds to the final touch of elegance.  They can be found online, just google paper placemats and an array of choices will pop up.  In the Houston area, Arne’s Warehouse off of I-10 and Studemont are a great resource for paper products.

Enjoy the video addition of a “tricks of the trade” moment for your spring buffet set up! Buffet Display Tip for Spring

 

It’s the Weekend, Time to Garden! April 2, 2011

Filed under: The Garden — tmott @ 9:30 pm
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It’s early, there is a light mist on the ground because the sun’s not quite up and the garden is beautifully quiet. This is one of my favorite times to come out and look at all my little greenies that are popping up out of the soil. Our goal for this year’s spring garden is to learn……how much garden do we need for sustaining our family, which organic sprays, fertilizer, etc work best, and how do we keep the critters from feasting on our dinner? We are in zone 9, so it took some homework to find out which fruits and vegetables thrive here best, which varieties of fruits and vegetables are preferred, and what to expect during the growth process with fertilization and pest control.

When preparing the garden earlier in February, I tried to do everything right and a few things wrong, just to see……..A couple of beds are done with leftover landscape timbers (a big no-no in the organic world) and two beds are done with leftover brick.

 

 

 

 

 

Two baby pools are host to my peppers, and I have 2 gallon bright yellow buckets of a secret recipe (for dirt that is) that I am testing for a friend for the purpose of triple yielding my produce.  As far as dirt goes, there is one bed with very expensive organic dirt, there is the secret recipe dirt in the 2 gallon buckets, and the rest have a combination of a premium garden soil and compost that we had delivered by big truck. (4 yards to shovel and distribute with much thanks to my teen boys for their hard work.)

Plants were chosen from premium gardening nurseries as well as local big box stores…. organic heirloom or non-hybrid seeds were ordered and have now been planted. (by the farmer’s almanac, of course, with the exception of the okra) It promises to be an exciting adventure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

There has already been a harvesting in the garden!  The starfruit is the first of the fruits to ripen and we took full advantage of all it’s splendor.  It tasted good, too!  Citrus-y and smooth, not grainy.  The kumquat and mint joined in the fun!  The vintage citrus fork has been saved for such an occasion as this!  This success has spurred us on and led us to believe we can do great things!  Funny how one little success can do that!

 

Put a Spring in your Step! April 2, 2011

Filed under: Event Planning Tips,Tablescapes — tmott @ 3:30 am
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Spring has arrived in Texas, which signals a time of new beginnings……A new garden for planting, vibrant colors that pop, and a chance for all the drab of winter to go away.  As a signal of spring and of new things added to life, I have decided to blog about what I do as my profession and what I do for fun, relaxation, and enjoyment.  And I will have to say that all that co-mingles at times!

Let’s  start off with a photo of a gorgeous hydrangea to kick-off spring! It was part of a tablescape that was planned for a luncheon that took place last week. (event planner by day-Mom, gardener, painter, knitter, and chef by day and night)

When planning an event, I love to take a theme and just go with it, and this luncheon’s theme was “putting a spring in your step!”  We focused on healthy menu options and exercise/movement  in the workplace with a pedometer as the take-away.   Bright spring colors served as the palette and the buffet centerpiece was the focal point.  The giant watering can made the grand statement that spring had arrived …~T