Mrs. Gridiron

Food

5 Things to Know About Peaches

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August 24th is National Peach Pie Day and to celebrate we thought we’d share five things to know about peaches (compliments of Foodimentary).

  1. Did you know?  Peaches were once known as Persian apples.
  2. “You’re a real peach” originated from the tradition of giving a peach to the friend you liked.
  3. Peaches were mentioned as early as 79 A.D. in literature.
  4. Most peaches are cultivated by grafting different combinations of rootstocks to scions; not raised from seed.
  5. There are over 700 varieties of peaches – some Chinese varieties are even flat like hockey pucks.

Who knew? Hope you indulge in a slice of peach pie or a glass of peach sweet (see Monday’s post) today!

Happy National Peach Pie Day!

Love,

National Sweet Tea Day

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I’ve always believed a cold glass of sweet tea can make almost anything better. Down here in Texas, they say “our tea is sweet, our words are long, the days are warm and our faith is strong.” I couldn’t agree more! And since tomorrow is Eat a Peach Day (we have some fun peach-themed posts coming this week!) I thought it would be fun if we all made a pitcher of homemade Peach Sweet Tea. This recipe is so easy to make and we should all enjoy a glass before peach season comes to an end! Grab your cutest straws and I’ll see you by the pool.

Peach Sweet Tea 

Happy Birthday Julia!

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Today would have been Julia Child’s 105th birthday and we join the rest of the culinary community in honoring and celebrating one of our beloved icons today! Her recipes were classic and her fearless attitude has inspired us all. Maybe we can all commemorate her birthday by making one of her signature recipes this week. We’ll be sharing a few of her best dishes this week  – stay tuned!

Mrs. Gridiron’s Favorite Things

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This Saturday is my birthday! I believe life gets better every year, even with all of its ups, downs, twists and turns. We are so blessed this year with Baby #2 on the way – family is the most precious gift. I’m grateful for another year to learn, to grow and live life to the fullest. So in honor of my birthday, we decided to celebrate Oprah style with a list of my favorite things from over the years.  I have so many moments and memories but these are a few that stand out.

1. Getaway trip to Kuai – Coach and I spent our 1st anniversary in Kuai, HI and we completely fell in love with the island. It is not as commercialized as some of the other islands and the locals are so friendly. If you visit I highly recommend The Merriman’s Fish House for dinner. It is where we spent our anniversary and we had the most magical evening including spectacular views and amazing food!

2. A cookbook to treasure – I have my mom’s copy of Necessities and Temptations (The Junior League of Austin) with her notes and changes. As such it is one of my most prized items I inherited from her. What I love about this cookbook is its terrific blend of savory and sweet all with a homemade Southern flair.

3. A restaurant we love  – I adore risotto and Taverna has the best in town. They always have a risotto special so I get to try different flavor combinations every time I go!

4. Football season – I love football naturally being a football coach’s wife, but specifically I love college football and my LSU Tigers. 

5. Entertaining – Here’s a great entertaining tip. Keep an entertaining journal. It helps you to remember what you served to whom, what your guest’s favorite food and drinks are, what worked well and what you need to change for the next time. 

Love,

Tuesday Tip: Back-to-School Lunches

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It’s back-to-school time, and we’ve got some tips to keep your school lunches creative and fun! Start the new school year off with some cute and quirky ideas for your kiddos lunchbox. 

1. Get creative with those sandwiches! 

2. Fall in love with bento boxes – here’s one of our favorites! 

3. Don’t forget some healthy veggie options. 

4. We love using silly skewers and food picks to make it fun. 

5. Lunchbox desserts to make the kids smile.

Love,

National Watermelon Day.

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The beautiful fruit of summer has its own day. And to celebrate, we wanted to share a unique recipe. Usually, we think of a fresh watermelon salad with feta and mint…and that is a delicious idea! But one recipe I love to consider is grilled watermelon. You might not think of putting fruit on the grill but it makes for a great summer snack! Try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Grilled Watermelon With Mint, Lime, Honey and Yogurt

Mom MVP: Cassie McGregor

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You guys are going to love this month’s Mom MVP! We’re taking a closer look at local milliner, Cassie McGregor of The House of MacGregor. If you aren’t familiar with the term millinery, think hats! Oak Cliff-based Cassie McGregor knows the language of hats. Cassie has been creating hats using traditional millinery techniques since 2002. Raised in Dallas, Cassie began taking evening hat making classes for fun at the Fashion Institute of Technology while living in New York City. It was love at first hat! After many years of running her own label on the side, Cassie decided to hang her hat in Dallas for good. She owns and operates her own atelier near the historic Bishop Arts District. When Cassie isn’t at the studio or chasing her three adorable daughters around, you might find Cassie and her husband Rob cooking up a storm in the kitchen or dining out in the city.

“Hi! My name is my name is Cassie MacGregor and I own The House of MacGregor over in Oak Cliff.  We are a custom hat shop and we make men’s and women’s straw and felt fedoras plus special occasion hats for horse races and weddings.  We also have a wide selection of other designer’s hats in our studio located above Bolsa Restaurant.  I am also kept busy by my four kids, three of whom are five and under!”

What is your favorite meal? I love a good green chile stew on a cold day. I am currently day dreaming about being cold enough for that to sound good.

What is your favorite kitchen tool?  My Le Creuset red dutch oven.  It was my first present from my husband and I use it more than anything else in our kitchen.

What do you do to recharge your batteries?  I take yoga classes at SYNC Yoga 2-3 days a week and I don’t think I would be very livable without it!  We have 4 kids and it is the main way I squeeze in self care time.

What is your go-to hostess gift? You can never go wrong with wine or flowers.

What is your entertaining must-have? I have a very colorful, striped Missoni table cloth that was a present from my mom.  It makes any dinner party look cheerful and happy plus the stripes cover up food stains well.

What it your favorite holiday to host? Thanksgiving is a big deal in our house.  We start the day by hosting a neighborhood Turkey Trot in our front yard that ends with mimosas and homemade goodies from all our friends.  Then we have to cut ourselves off from the mimosas so dinner will be ready before 10:00!

Visit www.thehouseofmacgregor.com to learn more about the hats and be sure to pop by this sweet mama’s shop – I know I’ll be making a visit soon!

Love,

Tuesday’s Tip: 5 Ways to use Beer in Summer Cooking

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Beer isn’t just something you crack open after a long, hot day in the Texas sun. Brews of all kinds can be used in your summer cooking, too! Here are a few ways you can use beer in recipes:

1. Use the can – We’ve all heard about beer can chicken. The steam from the brew adds so much flavor to the meat! Here is a great recipe for a beer-filled bird.

2. In marinades – A simple marinade loaded with flavor from your favorite beer can transform your everyday grilled steak into Dad’s new favorite recipe! This Beer and Brown Sugar Marinade sounds so tasty.

3. Add a dash to soup – From Beer Cheese Soup to Stout French Onion Soup, there are so many fabulous soup recipes out there that can be enhanced with a dash of beer!

4. For braising – Just imagine slow-cooking your favorite ribs in your favorite dark beer. Voila! These Stout-Braised short ribs  sound just right.

5. In cake – What better therapy than a great beer PLUS your favorite cake? You can use a delicious IPA to make the filling and the frosting and select a lower hop beer for the cake. This Lemon Beer Dream Cake is on our list!

Happy Cooking!

Love,