Red Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Earthy Choice Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) considers red quinoa to be white quinoa's " prettier sister." Red quinoa is a great source of fiber and protein-containing all eight essential amino acids. You can quinoa in place of rice in almost any recipe.

Mardi Gras Tablescape

When you think of Mardi Gras you think of carnival parades with colorful costumes, beaded necklaces and New Orleans and Mobile.  Many other U.S. cities have celebrations but being a southerner I think of the Gulf Coast celebrations.

  Outside the states, Mardi Gras or Carnival are held inVenice, Rio de Janeiro,  and Quebec to mention a few.
        This is the first tablescape I have done depicting a Mardi Gras theme.  The traditional colors of Mardi Gras are green, gold and purple. Green represents faith, gold represents power, and purple represents justice.

Green plates- Paula Deen
Gold chargers- Wal Mart
Flatware - Williams Sonoma
Glasses- Vintage from my MIL
Napkins- Early marriage
Masks, Hats, Beads- My neighbor. Thanks, Barbara!

It has been interesting to learn about the traditions and history concerning Mardi Gras. Mobile has the oldest Mardi Gras festival in the U.S. dating back to 1703, fifteen years before New Orleans was founded.

Vintage glasses from the seventies were my inspiration to create a Mardi Gras 

tablescape.

The glasses were hard to photograph because glass reflects and so do shiny objects.

 My neighbor is part of a supper club that hosts a Mardi Gras Ball that I have enjoyed attending. I had fun taking pictures of her festive colorful masks, hats and beads and creating a tablescape.

Mardi Gras will be March 4th this year. Mardi Gras or "Fat Tuesday" is the last day of the Carnival season as it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

The throwing of trinkets to the crowds was started in the early 1870s by the Twelfth Night Revelers.

Linking to: Seasonal Sundays, Mosaic Monday's, Inspire Me Tuesday,  The Scoop, Wow Us Wednesday, Lets Dish, Open House Thursday's,  Tablescape Thursday, Feathered Nest Friday, and Be Inspired Friday.

Garden Club at Valentine's

 I hosted my Garden Club this week in my home.

Romantic Valentine Dinner

Join me for a candlelight dinner by the fire.

A Vintage Valentine Country Home

You may remember Seven Gables Christmas tour at my friend, Maxine's country home so I know you will enjoy her home decorated for Valentine's Day. Maxine invited our Sunday School class for soup and salad last week. We enjoyed a special treat viewing her delightful vintage valentine decor all over her home.