Sunday Southern Days

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas .... Well at least at our house it is! And as the resident Greeks on our street, our neighbors rely on me to supply them with some annual Greek treats. So while the rest of you are whipping up Peanut Butter Blossoms and Gingerbread, we're making Melomekarona! Here's what you need to get started: Ingredients Zest of 1 orange 1 c sugar 7 1/2 c all-purpose flour 2 t baking powder 1 t baking soda Pinch of salt 1 c orange juice 1 c olive oil 1 c vegetable or canola oil 1 c sugar 1 c honey 1 c water 2 Dashes of cinnamon Zest of 1/2 lemon Place the sugar and orange zest in a bowl. Massage them together like you are playing in the sand to release the zest oils into the sugar. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a Kitchen Aid, mix together the orange juice, olive oil, and vegetable oil. Add the zest and sugar mixture. ...

So so so in love with this sweet girly pink first birthday spread! The top photo has a great backdrop make of ruffled fabric, with hanging paper fans above in hot pink and white. Tiered white platters and trays are perfect for pink and white pastries and sweets. Some pink and white strands of beads draped around give some visual interest. Little pink and white gourmet cookies decorated with variations of first birthday cakes, initials, and more are great favors. Every first birthday needs a smoosh cake! Pink rosettes and they best pink tutu keep the theme, only second to that fabulous cake face (Seriously, that's the same face I make when I see cake ).

They do exist.   These are my favorite cookies right now, hands down. The combination of salty, sweet and peanut butter is heavenly. I originally came across this recipe on Pinterest and have adapted it. Yield: Makes 24 cookies Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour 1/2 tsp. of salt 1/4 tsp. of baking soda 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature 1/2 cup of tightly packed light brown sugar 1/3 cup of granulated sugar 1 egg (beaten) 1 tsp vanilla extract  1 package Tollhouse mixed Peanut Butter Chips and Chocolate Chips 3/4 cup broken up pretzel pieces Preztel Salt or Sea Salt Directions: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda , and salt. Set aside. In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla extract. Beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat just until there are...