Blue skies smiling at me!

Weekend plans dashed in Delaware

due to hurricane weather.

Stay safe east coasters!

State of Delaware

Gov. Markell declares state of emergency

Coastal evacuation of visitors ordered; decision on mandatory evacuation of residents will come Friday. "We're looking at wind damage throughout the state. We're looking at roads becoming impassable, rivers and streams flooding and power outages."

Traditional Hurricane Recipe: 2 oz light rum 2 oz dark rum 2 oz passion fruit juice 1 oz orange juice ½ oz fresh lime juice 1 Tablespoon simple syrup 1 Tablespoon grenadine Garnish: orange slice and cherry Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice.

Ye Olde Tavern's Cheese Tray

I don't worry about "rules." There is only one as far as I am concerned: "try ...try ...try." It is primarily a matter of personal tastes. Keep it simple. Remember, the goal of tasting with wine is to find a balance between the two and not "allow" one to overpower the other.

Serve full-flavored selections, such as creamy washed rinds with medium to full-bodied wines, such as Merlot, Zinfandel, or Syrahs.

Pair lighter ones with light wines such as Rieslings, Pinot Gris ,or Pinot Noirs.

Blues go well with dessert wines such as late harvest Viogniers and Rieslings and Muscat wines. Creamy ones pair well with sparkling wines and Champagne.

Taste selections based on their sources of milk. Fresh goat cheeses are mild and lemony in flavor and creamy in texture. They go well with white wines, such as a Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris, Rieslings. Aged sheep milk cheeses pair well with Gewürztraminers and fruity Zinfandels.

You can even pair these two products according to the area of origin, even local areas.

Remember that wines aren't the only beverages that go well with cheese! There is a growing number of artisan and craft beers, as well as craft ciders available that provide interesting and fresh flavor combinations.

Drink in a universe of stars today...

Happy, Glorious,

Summer Weekend!

How beautiful a day can be

When kindness touches it!

My Garden - like the Beach

by Emily Dickinson

My Garden -- like the Beach --

Denotes there be -- a Sea -- That's Summer --

Such as These -- the Pearls She fetches -- such as Me

Mushroom Corn Patties

3 ears of corn (1 cup frozen corns)

1 large egg

1/4 cup milk

2-3 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 large mushrooms, stems discarded and caps cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/4 cup diced onion

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt/ As per taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp red chilly powder

2 tbsp bread crumbs

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1. Thaw the corn, if using frozen. Place half of it in a blender and puree it along with milk and egg.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook on high heat, stirring occasionally, till lightly browned. Add rest of the corns and stir for 1-2 mins. Remove the mixture on a plate and let it cool for 5-10 mins. You can also cool it in fridge.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt & pepper in a bowl. Add the corn puree, then the mushroom, onion, corn mixture. Now add the red chilly powder, bread crumbs and parsley and mix it well.
4. Lightly oil your plams, and make balls of this mixture. Flatten the balls. Complete making balls of all the mixture. Set aside
5. Heat a non stick pan on high heat. Spray with cooking oil. When the skillet is really hot, then place 3-4 patties on the centre (depending on size of your skillet). Let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium high and let it cook well. Flip and let the other side also turn golden in color. Alternately you can deep fry the patties to make it crunchier. But that wouldn't be that healthy.
6. Place on paper tissues and serve hot with dip of your choice.

PEACH 'CELLO LIQUEUR

12 to 18 (depending on their size) fresh, very ripe peaches, peeled and pit removed

1 750-ml bottle grain alcohol (Everclear or Graves brands)

4 cups water

About 2 1/2 cups sugar

Peel and pit the fruit. Cut into large chunks and toss the fruit into an airtight container, Tupperware or something similar, with a lid. Use a potato masher or your hands and squish up the fruit. Pour in the alcohol so it completely covers the fruit. Put on the lid. Let it sit in a cool, dark place for 12 to 18 days, checking and stirring every few days. Put the lid back on.

When the fruit has finished macerating, put the water and sugar into a 5-quart pot on the stove and bring to boil, stirring, for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat to a counter. Place a colander lined with two or three layers of cheesecloth over the pot. (Candace says she has even used one leg of a pair of pantyhose!) Strain the alcohol into the pot, leaving behind the fruit. Press on the fruit and squeeze the cheesecloth in a ball to remove all the liquid. Throw away cheesecloth and fruit. Stir the liquid in the pot. Using a funnel, pour the liquid into decorative bottles. Store in the freezer or in a cool, dark place. Serve icy cold.

Thank you JT!

"In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful."

White Sangria

1 orange, thinly sliced 1 green apple, thinly sliced 1 red apple, thinly sliced 1 bottle sparkling white wine 450ml apple juice 330ml orange-flavoured liqueur 250ml soda water ice cubes mint leaves Place the fruit in a large jug or bowl, top with sparkling wine, apple juice and orange liqueur. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the fruit to soak. Top with soda water, ice and garnish with mint leaves. Serve in simple glass tumblers. Recipe from Donna Hay