Tuesday's Tip

Happy Terrific Tuesday! The week is moving right along. Chez Mama Henley we're excited about BUNKO tonight! Woo Hoo! Don't you know we all want to win the pot?!
This weekend I made Sunday lunch (or dinner as we grew up calling the mid-day meal on a Sunday) for a dear friend and her parents. We had a lovely time. Making lunch before church can be tricky. Things need to be cooked as you walk in the door, but certain foods cannot be prepared in advance. I made a delicious tomato tart, but I was a bit worried about the tomatoes making the tart too soggy if I prepared it in advance. Thankfully God gave me two brilliant sisters-in-law, and one of them had the perfect solution!
A suggested that I slice my tomatoes and lay them on paper towels to dry. Then, you sprinkle them with salt. The salt soaks up the excess water! I let them sit on the counter for about 20 minutes. The paper towels were soaking wet and I was able to assemble the tart before church. When I cooked it, it was perfect! Enjoy your Tuesday's Tip!

Elegant Beef Tenderloin

If you want to make your Manic Monday Marvelous, try this recipe!!! It is fantastic. It is delicious served with rice casserole, creamy cheese grits, or mashed potatoes. The leftovers are perfect on a salad or on a Sister Schubert roll as a sandwich! Bon Appetit!

Elegant Beef Tenderloin
1 5 lb. beef tenderloin, trimmed
1 1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 cup red wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup butter
1tsp lemon butter seasoning

Preheat oven to 425*F. Place meat in a highly greased shallow roasting pan & sprinkle w/ garlic salt. Bake for 10 mins. At the same time, combine wine, soy sauce, butter, & lemon pepper seasoning in a sm. saucepan. Cook until mixture is thoroughly heated. Pour over tenderloin. Bake an additional 30-40 minutes or until a thermometer registers 140*F (rare), basting occasionally w/ pan drippings. (Bake until thermometer reaches 150* for medium rare or 160F for medium). I bake it until 140*F as it continues to cook a little once it is out of the oven. If desired, garnish with grapes, celery leaves, and lemon zest. Enjoy!

Saturday

I hope everyone in blogland has had a wonderful Saturday! Ours has been filled with fun family memory making in the pool, a fabulous birthday, time with friends, and a couponing class for Mama Henley! I have been using my binder and I save a great deal thanks to Money Saving Mom, Southern Savers, True Couponing, Fiddledee, and I Heart Publix, among other great bloggers. Today I learned about a different system of buying multiple papers and then filing away the entire flyer until it is needed. Now I have much to contemplate! I was thrilled to buy some fabulous Blue Diamond almonds for only $1 a can tonight at Walgreens! They were BOGO and I had 2 $1/1 coupons, so they were just $1 a can! I patted myself on the back and then proceeded to back into another car in the parking lot. YIKES. Thankfully, neither car was hurt. I then spent way more than my $2 savings at Fresh Market where I bought some goodies for Bunko and some good antibiotic free-range chicken. We love to have grilled chicken and veggies as often as possible.
DH had the children in the pool while I ran to the store. We enjoyed a family dinner followed by lots of piano playing and reading. It is fun to watch the children learn and grow. Everyone is fast asleep, and I am preparing for our Sunday lunch. A dear friend who lives in NYC will be joining us, along with her parents! We're all very excited. I am making a "Southern Sunday Spread" of pimiento cheese, chicken salad, rosemary and sea salt bread, deviled eggs, a tomato tart, and a green salad with Julie's roasted almonds. Julie makes her delicious almonds by putting them in a pan with a little sugar and letting them cook slowly until they caramelize and have a delicious sugar coating. They are fantastic sprinkled on a good green salad with cranberries or dried cherries or fresh blueberries and a good cheese like goat cheese or blue cheese. I hope it's a good lunch!
The children are excited to see their Sunday school teachers in the morning, so we'll be up early and ready to go! DH and I are learning about "When Helping Hurts". It has been a wonderful study of how to give most effectively. We have learned a lot! Happy Sunday!

Fat Friday

GOOOOO Dawgs!!! Sic 'em!! Football season is almost here and hubby can't wait for me to boil some Georgia peanuts for him. Football games remind me of dressing up in my best dress, sometimes donning a hat, and heading to the game where we were squished through a gate while the smell of Jim Beam filled the air. I never could see that little ball down on the field from my nosebleed seat, so I just enjoyed socializing. I went to college at the University of Georgia, as you might have guessed.
Athens is a wonderful college town. It parallels Chapel Hill, NC. Broad Street is the main street in downtown Athens. It is filled with wonderful restaurants and shops and bars. When I visited UGA for the first time, my parents took me to a charming Italian restaurant called DePalmas. The parentals always rate a town based on its Italian restaurants, and Athens was no exception. DePalma's fit the bill perfectly and even raised the bar for us on what it takes to be a really great Italian restaurant. DePalma's is the perfect place for dinner because penniless college students can afford a slice and a coke, while parents can come to town and treat their dear ones to a fabulous meal without breaking the bank. People LOVED their breadsticks as a starter, and all of their salads have delicious homemade dressings. The homemade breadsticks were braided with spinach and onion or meatball and onion and then baked with mozzarella. Can you say, "YUM"? They are so delicious and so homemade that you must allow 20 minutes for them to bake. So, sit back and have a glass of chianti while you wait for this goodness!

One of their old favorites is Pasta DePalma, which is angel hair pasta baked with rosemary cream, mushroom, mozzarella, and your choice of artichoke, ham, sausage or chicken. At just $12.00, it is priced well. They also have Chicken Parmigian which is served with a side of spinach angel hair marinara. All of the pasta dishes are fresh and delicious. A grilled angus flat iron steak will set you back $19, and it is one of the most expensive entrees on the menu. DePalma's is priced right!
Their pizzas are all amazing with a great traditional as well as speciality pizzas like the Italian with prosciutto, roasted peppers, and mozzarella and asiago cheeses. You just can't go wrong at DePalma's!
If you find yourself with the good fortune of being in the great city of Athens, Georgia, head on over to DePalma's Italian Cafe'; you will not be disappointed!

Settlers of Catan

Dear friends recently introduced us to the game "Settlers of Catan". What a fun and interesting game!! It takes a while to get it all set up, but once you do, it is such an intriguing game. It's too difficult to explain, but if you want to play a game with 4 people, try it!!

It's the Dad Life

I thought you'd enjoy this cute You Tube Video on Dads!! Which one is your man?!

Tuesday's Tip

Good Morning, Y'all! Have you ever broken the glass in a picture frame? Unfortunately, it happens at Mama Henley's house more than it should. Just last week a pillow flew across the room and broke a frame. If you take your frame to a framing store, it will likely cost you a good bit to have a new piece of glass cut. However, Mama Henley has learned a good trick. Simply go to your local Dollar Store and buy a frame with glass that is the same size that you need. You can throw away the frame and use THAT piece of glass to replace the one you broke! Brilliant, isn't it?! You will replace the glass for just $1! Enjoy your Tuesday!