I think I nailed it with this one! The perfect poolside/sun-is-shining beverage! The amounts listed below will make one mocktail, you could easily make 2 by doubling the recipe. I put all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a cup of ice and had a salted-rimmed glass ready to go! Another option is to pour cocktails over ice which is just as nice.
The process was long and frustrating at times, but we made it through! From signing the contract to completion took roughly 11 months. It’s a straightforward design. We opted for a rectangular shape with a sun shelf at one end and a bench with jets at the other. We had the pebble finish diamond cut for a smooth finish especially nice on the sunshelf…no bathing suit snags! The tile is beautiful blue glass and matches the pool color to perfection. I didn’t want to a tile color or pattern I would regret in time. As for the pavers, they’re shell-tumbled limestone and the best thing about these is they remain cool in the hot Florida heat, they’re amazing! Burning your feet on concrete pavers to get to your pool is no good! Cheers to the completion of our first major project at Four Palms!
There was no option, but to transform this fireplace in time for the holiday and our 1st Christmas at Four Palms! My sister and her crew are visiting for the 1st time this December and not to mention Santa needs a beautiful fireplace to come down! My lovely husband worked his magic as I dictated what I envisioned. So here it is! I’m overall very happy with it. What do you think?
Fun fact, the previous marble mantel weighed 4,000 lbs when weighed by the recycling center.
My mom started making these Mushroom Crustades in the 90s and after she passed I carried on the tradition.
What’s so great about these tasty little bites is you can make them ahead and freeze.
I start with the cups.
You’ll need 24 slices of Very Thin Pepperidge Farm white bread, crust cut and rolled thin. Then cut each piece into fours, set aside.
Mushroom Filling:
4 Tablespoons Butter
3 green onions well chopped
8 oz chopped white mushrooms (I use food processor on “chop” setting for a few pulses)
2 tablespoons flour
8 oz heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste
Chives for garnish
Preheat Oven 350
Chop mushrooms super fine of use food process (only a few pulses)
Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet and finely chopped green onion cook for 4-5 minutes (keep stirring don’t burn them). Add mushrooms and cook until water from shrooms has cooked off about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add flour, once combined return to heat and add heavy cream. Heat to boiling while stirring the entire time. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
While the mixture is cooling in the skillet I bake the cups. You’ll need a small muffin tray(s) for this. To make life easier I now spray the tins with avocado oil, press squares into each cup, and back until the edges are golden.
Once all cups are baked transfer all cups to a baking sheet and fill each with mushroom mixture. I then place the sheet in the freezer for 10 – 20 minutes. Once frozen store in containers or plastic zip bags until you’re ready to serve.
This will take some getting used to! Today’s October temperature is 85 degrees! Gone are the days of cozy Fall sweaters at least for me. So how does one add Fall Fashion to your wardrobe in warm/hot climates? I have a few thoughts. Tank tops are still a must and high-waisted jeans are a current favorite of mine. I paired this look with some awesome camel-colored clogs I found at Anthropologie. The jeans were on clearance at Target for $20! Matched the clogs to a vintage belt that was my mom’s and out the door I went for a Pumpkin Picnic with my Maisie!
One thing we promised ourselves if/when we moved to Florida was a home with a pool! Total deal breaker if we didn’t see that pool…well here we are at Four Palms with no pool! So the process started right away, I think maybe even on closing day? Interviewing pool companies and getting estimates. We made decisions as a family, but the one must-have on my list was a sun shelf! Our design is all about clean lines and maintaining a look that aligns with the architecture of our modern home.
Naming our new home was fun, we name our cars so why not where we dwell? We eventually settled on Four Palms (four of us) and Palm Trees are dreamy…nothing we’re used to seeing being from the Northeast. Endless vacation vibes! Our goal is to make Four Palms so cool our family and friends visit often.
Let’s talk about this front door! Clearly love at first sight!
