Is Pasta Southern?

I had a group of friends over on Saturday night for Pasta Bar.  Of course there was a little wine involved as well thanks to my friend, Pattycake.  Ellen brought a great salad and Janice came with her famous ice cream cake dessert.  I still have 1/2 piece of the dessert left in the freezer but I only eat two bites a day so I can savor it as long as possible.

But back to Pasta Bar.  I get a lot of ingredients and cut them up and put them in bowls.  I use onions, peppers, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, capers, zucchini  chicken and shrimp.  I boil up a whole lot of bow tie pasta and then have marinara and Alfredo sauce.  Everyone tells you what they want in their pasta and you cook it up in a skillet for them individually while everyone eats as their pasta is done.  I can keep three skillets going at once.

I had to ask myself, it this really a Southern dish.  We think of  pasta as Italian food, but served as a pasta bar, I am sure it is Southern.  Especially in how we cater to each and every diner at the table or who is sitting around the bar.  This is just a wonderful way to celebrate friends and family.  You could almost do it as a pot luck and assign everyone one or two things to bring.  

Just my musings on a few random thoughts this morning.  Hope you have a good Wednesday.

New Finds

There are those that say I am Southern.  But those that really know me well, know that I am Southern to the core.  My Mama and  Daddy raised me to be a Southern lady.  I was fortunate to grow up with great parents, amazing grandparents, a brilliant and funny little sister that I really didn't like much until I was about 32 or so, and some really awesome friends.

I love to share my Southern roots with anyone who will listen, but today y'all have to hear about this.  I found the coolest website.  It's called Bourbon & Boots.  The website I found for them is located at www.bourbonandboots.com.  I am hoping some day I can join their team, be a guest blogger or even feature a product on their website.  I just took about 5 minutes to browse the site, but I've already found gifts for me, gifts for friends and great products that I have purchased that they may want to include on their website.  

If you are near a computer, don't wait......log onto the site and take a look.  For those of you Southerners like me who enjoy a good bourbon and a great pair of boots, you are going to love this amazing site.  I feel like I know them already!

Y'all have a great day.

Blessings

Blessings come in many shapes and sizes.  Sometimes we are overwhelmed at the sheer size of them, while at other times, we forget to say thanks for the little things that made us smile.  I've really made an effort the last few months to be openly thankful for the many blessings in my life.  

This is not to say that I still don't have trials and tribulations, but only to say rather than wallow in the the problems, I plan to find something every day to be thankful for in my life.  Several things come to mind that I remember I should say thank you to God for each morning that I rise.  I want to list a few of them out (and this list is by no means exhaustive) but certainly what has been on my mind lately.

1.  I am blessed to have had a place called home  with parents and family that has always been and always will be safe.

2.  I am blessed to have a son and two daughters who have good hearts, kind souls and a love for Jesus and fellow man.

3.  I am blessed to have wonderful friends that that I love and who are supportive of me and my goals and dreams and enjoy that our lives intertwine.

4.  I am blessed beyond measure to have a husband who is Godly, the spiritual head of our house and who loves me unconditionally.

5.  I am blessed to have a warm bed, ample food, a car that runs and medical insurance.

Be thankful for all that you have (and not just the tangible) and don't dwell on all that you don't have.  God's has lots in store for me and you.  I'm really glad to get up every day and see his blessings unfold.  What are you blessed by these days?