Jasmine Tea-Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Berry Sauce

Sometimes a special snack is needed to encourage students during Exam Week.  :D  This week I made Jasmine Tea-Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Berry Sauce from Southern Living.  I love Southern Living recipes.  They've never let me down!

Jasmine Tea-Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Berry Sauce

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 (3-inch) orange peel strip, white part removed
3 regular-size jasmine tea bags
1 vanilla bean
2 cups whole buttermilk
1/8 teaspoon table salt
Berry Sauce (recipe follows)

Preparation:
1. Sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine cream and next 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Split vanilla bean; scrape seeds into cream mixture, and place bean in mixture.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or just until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat; immediately stir in gelatin mixture until smooth. Let stand 5 minutes.
4. Discard tea bags and vanilla bean. Stir in buttermilk and salt. Strain into a heatproof glass measuring cup. Divide among 8 (6-oz.) glasses. Cover and chill 24 hours. Serve with Berry Sauce.

Berry Sauce

Ingredients:

6 ounces fresh raspberries
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Preparation:

Coarsely mash 3/4 cup raspberries and next 4 ingredients in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes. Stir in remaining raspberries just before serving.

NOTE:  I used Twinings jasmine tea, caster sugar, and a Meyer lemon.

from:
Southern Living 
MARCH 2013

Do you have a go-to special after school snack for your kids?

Until next time...

Blessings!

Ricki Jill

We Want to Know Wednesday: Loves and Technology

- - QUESTIONS - -

{no. 1} How connected are you to your phone? Do you always have it on you?  Very connected (?)  Yes.  I do always have it on me.  I wasn't as bad until my oldest daughter started driving!  :/ But I hate it when people mess with their phones at the dinner table, especially in public.  It's rude!  I won't let my kids have their phones at the table.

{no. 2} Would you be able to be away from your computer for an entire week?  Absolutely!

{no. 3} If you had to get rid of one of the following, which would it be and why? Cell phone, computer, or TV? Definitely TV.  I watch TV on my computer all the time.  Would that be cheating? :/  But it would be difficult to part with my iPad.  I have our whole life on it....calendars, schedules, recipes....That would be difficult.

{no. 4} Do you think you could ever live off the grid? I suppose anything is possible, but I'd probably move to Texas first.  it's the only state with its own grid.  :D


{no. 5} Tell us about a time you disconnected from technology/the world and how you dealt with it. Was it good or bad?  A few years ago we went skiing for a week during Christmas.  (Well to be fair we do that almost every year.)  I didn't mess with any devices.  It was so nice to get a break!  I didn't even ski with an iPod....I listened to nature!

So now you know one of my pet peeves!

Now on to some of my *loves*

[1.]   Lately I've been loving Goodreads.  If you want, please follow me over there and I'll follow you back!  Click on the yellow G icon under the Connect With Me heading at the top of my sidebar!

[2.]   Lately I've been loving Panna Cotta.  It's been very hot this week, and Panna Cotta is such a creamy and yummy dessert.  Stop by tomorrow for a recipe!

Martha Stewart's Coffee Panna Cotta

Doesn't it sound yummy!

[3.]   Lately I've been loving aloe vera.  I got a nasty burn on Saturday!

[4.]   Lately I've been loving BB creams.  Clinique's CC Cream is my favorite!

[5.]   Lately I've been loving my iPad.  I know.....in spite of today's questions for WWTKW, I do love it.  And I love its little stand that makes it so easy to use in the kitchen!  :D

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

My Happy List: Fun (out of the) Sun and Rain

Sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate when you want to spend time outdoors.  We've had several events cancelled due to inclement weather lately.  Here are three fun things to do with the kids this summer inside for very little money.

Gettin' *happy* indoors

My Happy List

1.   Visit the library or bookstore.  Since this is the last week of school (for our daughter) it's time to discover some wonderful reads just in time for Summer Reading.  Most libraries have Summer Reading Programs, and we sign-up every summer.

Here are three summer releases I'm looking forward to reading:

Released today!

Will be released June 18th

Will be released July 23rd

New book releases make me so happy!


2.   Take a class at a DIY Pottery Studio.  Recently Shanley Belle and I painted pottery at All Fired Up in Tuscaloosa during her sorority's Parents' Weekend.  I painted a tray in a retired MacKenzie-Childs pattern.  I found the costs to be very reasonable!

This is painted in the Perpignan pattern by MacKenzie-Childs.

All Fired Up even offers summer camps for kids.  Fun and creative activities make me happy!

Pottery class at Fired Up

3.   Here's an idea:  Send your child with dad to a Cooking With Dad class at Sur la Table.  The menu sounds great:  Pizza Bar: Make Dad a Pizza – Grilled Sliders Stuffed with Cheddar – Oven-Roasted Corn with Honey Butter – S’mores Sundaes.  Wow!  And just think:  they can practice what they've learned and cook dinner for the family.  GENIUS, I tell ya!

Martha Stewart's version of a S'mores Sundae

What is your go-to activity when you can't play outside?

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Musical Monday: All American Girl

Shelley rode in her first association horse show Saturday.  She rode very well, and wasn't expected to place in any of her classes.  She placed third, fourth, and sixth out of seventeen riders.  Awesome, Shelley!  We're so proud of you!

But before you read the rest of the post, please listen (and watch) the following video, Carrie Underwood's All American Girl.  I kept thinking of this song at the Horse Show, and Shelley said she wanted me to post this song today.

Carrie Underwood

All American Girl

Mr. Art @ Home is so proud of his girl!

It's nice to see the kids put up the iPads and enjoy the day regardless of the mud!

An academy rider....love the ribbons!

Picnicking on the boulders

Shelley riding Elmo

What did you listen to over the weekend?  Link-up to Musical Monday!

Until next time...

Blessings!

Ricki Jill

Lightening-Up the Master Bedroom for Spring and Summer

It's been a long time since we changed anything in the master bedroom. Here is our bedding before:

LOTS of pillows!  I wanted a simpler bed for summer.

This is how it looks today:

Our antique marble top bedside table is new to the room, too. 

I used a plain white ruffed dust ruffle.  You can see it on the left.

I bought the honeysuckle branch embroidered lumbar pillow from Pottery Barn as our one throw pillow.

The yellows in the quilt are brighter than they appear here in these photos.

Resources:

Lumbar pillow:  Pottery Barn

White quilt and shams:  Simply Shabby Chic Ruffle Quilt @ Target

Patchwork quilt:  Vintage/Family Heirloom

We are off to an association horse show.  Our daughter has moved from paddock boots to tall boots.  It should be an exciting day unless it pours rain!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Until next time...

Blessings!

Ricki Jill