Mango Pineapple Sorbet

Yesterday in line at the market I noticed the young lady in front of me had several mangoes."Oh, I missed the mangoes!" I said. She pointed me over to the next aisle and saved my place while I grabbed one large, ripe fruit. "Have you ever made mango sorbet?" she asked. "It's so easy, go home and Google it." So I did. The recipe I found called for 4 mangoes,  but since I had only purchased one I needed to improvise. I had some leftover pineapple from the day before and decided to combine the two for a frozen tropical treat. 

She was right, it was so easy!

Here is what I did

Mango Pineapple Sorbet

Make a simple syrup of 

1 cup water and 

1 cup sugar (bring to boil to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat to cool.)

1 large mango, peeled and cubed

1 cup canned pineapple chunks, drained

Juice of  1 lime

In a blender or food processor combine the mango,  pineapple and lime juice. Process until fully pureed. While blending add the syrup and blend another minute.  The original recipe said to freeze using a traditional ice cream freezer, but it's too hot outside and I was too lazy. I simply poured the puree into a plastic container and placed in the freezer. Every hour or so I stirred it up a bit to make it frothy and light. This will make 6 generous servings.

Perfect for a hot Summer night!
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Faux French Grainsack Tablecloth

Many of us are loving the way burlap and vintage grain, coffee and feed sacks have worked their way into home decor. They have a nice earthy feel to them and are being used as pillows, drapery, upholstery and table linens. I have purchased just a couple of authentic pieces and 

they can be very pricey!

 So I came up with this alternative...

Do you know that you can buy large pieces of burlap at Home Depot in the gardening department? That's right, and less than $5  for a 80"x80" yard cloth! The first thing I did was spread it out on my lawn and hosed it off to remove excess dust. Then I put it in my dryer with a fabric softener sheet. Yes, it did fill up the lint tray!

Next I used painters tape to mark off lines,

 and then simply filled in with a red Sharpie. I thought about using paint but this was so easy and 

no bleeding under the tape.

I first used my new "vintage" tablecloth out on my patio for a barbecue with friends. Perfect for Summertime!

 And now I'm experimenting with a Christmas look for my women's club Christmas Idea House 

(yes, we're already busy at work on this year's event!)

This was so easy and inexpensive I plan on making several!
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10th Anniversary!

This weekend marks the 10th Anniversary of the antique store Merchant Square in Chandler Arizona. I have had a space there for two years. Coincidentally I celebrated 10 years of being in the antique business in May! I have had such a good time scouring flea markets, estate sales, thrift shops and auctions to find treasures from around the world.

I have a particular fondness for silver, ironstone, vintage linens and French furniture.

Here is just a sample of a few items I currently have for sale.

Come say hi and celebrate with us July 13, 14 and 15th! 

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Potpourri Friday

Time Travel Thursday

Atlanta Antiquing 2012

After our daughter's wedding last month we traveled to Atlanta where the groom's family hosted an open house for the newlyweds. Atlanta is a wonderful city with a fabulous downtown, beautiful neighborhoods, and of course, lots of shopping!While time was tight I did manage to squeeze in a little thrift shopping. Here are some of the goodies I found...

 My favorite find was this Wedgwood creamware vegetable bowl.

 Isn't this a darling piece of pottery? Look at the cute little bird's nest nestled in the handle! 

 I found a set of 4 Pimpernel placemats, and this little Italian lady is actually a bell. The clapper is hidden under her skirt.

 I love transferware! This red and white Staffordshire plate has images of Salt Lake City where much of my family is from.

 Lots of silver!

 My mother collects Mary Hadley pottery. These are a couple of pieces I know she doesn't have. Look at the cute little mouse in the bottom of the kitten's milk dish, yum!

And a few Christmas items for the store.

I also found some lovely vintage linens that I'll be turning into lavender filled sachets. 

I wish I had had more time to shop, but hopefully I'll be visiting frequently! Come check out my booth #20 at Merchant Square Antiques to see what other treasures I found!

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