scrumptious Summertime When the Living

is Easy-peasy

Served at small gatherings, shared before main courses, or offered smallplates style as main meals, easy-peasy appetizers are perfect for summertime living! We love recipes touting summer’s fresh herbs, spices, and vegetables rounded out with a selection of our favorite meats like salami, bacon, and sausage. Some of these may become your favorites!

Antipasto Skewers

These eclectic appetizers can be as creative as your selected ingredients. We'll suggest a few, but use what you can find. The skewers can be long or cut in half for compact short-bites presentations. These also can be served as salads with grilled meats for a light summer supper.

12 fresh cherry tomatoes

12 mozzarella or bocconcini balls (marinated overnight in Italian dressing)

12 pieces marinated roasted red peppers (from jar or marinated and grilled)

12 pieces marinated artichokes

24 slices salami, or other Italian flavored meats

12 marinated olives, stuffed with blue cheese, garlic, or pimento, Kalamara olives, or black olives

24 fresh basil leaves or pieces

Balsamic Reduction Sauce (See recipe below.)

Italian herbs

12 wooden skewers

Marinated or roasted asparagus pieces, optional

Layer the skewers with the above ingredients, place the skewers on a platter, sprinkle them with Italian herbs, and lightly drizzle with the Balsamic Reduction Sauce.

Balsamic Reduction Sauce

Add 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until it thickens, stirring often so the vinegar does not burn. As the vinegar cools, it will also thicken. Once the sauce has cooled, drizzle it over the skewers.

Bacon Wrapped, Smoked-SalmonStuffed Sweet Peppers

This fabulous appetizer is inspired by the Paleo diet. Salmon is a popular menu item, and popping pieces of salmon into small sweet peppers wrapped in bacon offers a surprise to your palate and a dash of color on your table. Easy and delicious, these soon disappear!

10 strips bacon

20 sweet peppers (2 packages)

1-2 packages smoked salmon (either regular or smoked)

Paprika

Preheat oven to 350˚. Cut bacon in half lengthwise and widthwise so you have 3 pieces of bacon per each strip. Cut peppers in half lengthwise; remove the excess seeds. How much salmon you use depends on how big or small the peppers are. For each pepper, take a small piece of smoked salmon, roll the salmon up, push it into the pepper, and then wrap a small piece of bacon around the sweet pepper. Tuck the sides of the bacon under each pepper to keep it in place as it bakes. Place all baconwrapped peppers on a parchmentpaper-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until bacon is crispy. Be careful not to let it burn. A baking rack can be placed on top of the parchment paper to keep the drippings away from the cooking bacon. Let cool slightly before serving.

Sausage Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls

This popular appetizer offers a bite-size, hardy, meat-andbread option. To this easy appetizer, we like to add a touch of seasoning (your choice) to the sausage and cheese mixture to give it a nice “bite.”

8 ounces Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dough sheet

1/2 pound pork sausage (mild or spicy per your taste)

1/2 cup jalapeño cream cheese spread

Heat oven to 375˚. Cook sausage in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes until brown. Drain. Unroll dough and press into a 12 x 9-inch rectangle, firmly pressing any perforations to seal. Slice into 6 rows of 4 to make 24 squares. Place 1 pounded teaspoon of sausage in the center of each dough square. Top with 1 teaspoon of cream cheese. Bring together the 4 corners of each dough square, overlapping slightly in center at the top of each bundle. Twist and pinch to seal, leaving small gaps between seams. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake at 375˚ for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and dig in.

Onion Soufflé Dip

A staple among our recipes for appetizers, this dip is a hit when served. Watch your family members or guests devour this familiar, tried-and- true dip. All you need are four simple ingredients plus a pretty, ovenproof dish plus Fritos (dip size) or your favorite crackers. Yummy!

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese

2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup mayonnaise (Duke’s preferred)

1 (10-ounce) package frozen diced onions, thawed

Soften cream cheese. Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Place mixture in a greased baking dish. Bake at 350˚until lightly browned on top, about 45-50 minutes. Serve hot with Fritos or crackers of your choice.

THE socialSCENE BROOKHAVEN, MS

Sarah Bridge’s 40th Birthday Celebration

A 40th birthday celebration was held for Sarah Bridge at Bett’s Eat Shop in downtown Brookhaven, Mississippi, on February 17, 2023. Friends and family gathered to celebrate her milestone birthday. Photos by Bill Perkins

Sarah Bridge and Nick Bridge

Kaylin Rushing, Sarah Bridge, and Liana Bass

Kim Bridge, Cathy Bridge, Doug Boykins, and Tyler Bridge

Sally Ogden, Sarah Bridge, and John Ogden

Ron Donegan, Josh Iles, and Sharyl Donegan

Sarah Bridge, Sally Ogden, Charlie Bridge, and Nick Bridge

Sally Ogden and Adam Ogden

Jimbo and Mary Williams

Darrin and Suzanne Hirsh

Christy Lee, Kristi Bridge, and Lillie Bridge

Mary Williams,Tonya Bairfield, Suzanne Hirsch, and Carrie Garrett

Christy Lee, Sarah Bridge, and Paxton Lee

Reeves and Carrie Fernald

Sharyl Donegan, Tonya Bairfield, and Nick Bridge

Sarah Bridge, Bill Perkins, and Shelia McFadden

Adding Beauty with Ferns

ARTICLE | Dr. Eddie Smith PHOTOS | MSU Extension Service

One of the best ways to highlight ferns is to plant them in hanging baskets or pots. Many varieties of ferns grow as a bush of green foliage, so lush that the fronds spill over the sides of the container. Raising this display up to eye level where it can be properly admired is one of the best ways to showcase its beauty.

Fern hanging baskets thrive in our Mississippi heat and humidity if they are kept in partial to full shade. They do best in filtered light although a little morning sun is permissible.

If ferns sound like something your house or yard needs, there are many different varieties to choose from. A really popular but classic fern is the Boston fern. Its gracefully arching, rich green branches are lush. You see these used all over the South in hanging baskets on front porches.

The Kimberly Queen fern, also known as the Sword fern for its lush, sword-shaped fronds, is gorgeous with both upright and sprawling growth habits. The leathery and toothed dark green foliage provides great texture. It also is a good choice for our hot and humid summers. The Kimberly Queen tolerates sun better than the Boston, and it can grow an enormous amount in a year. It also handles indoor conditions well for those who want to overwinter them.

Many gardeners don’t realize that, if it is planted in the ground, a Kimberly Queen has quite a bit of cold tolerance, frequently enabling it to return from ground level in the spring. Mulching, of course, is mandatory.

Living up to its name, the Macho fern is a big, brawny fern that sports bright green fronds with bold, broad leaves. Before the name Macho became attached to this fern, it was most commonly called the broad sword fern. Growing up to three feet tall and wide, this plant makes a statement hanging on the porch. Despite their size potential, Macho ferns are commonly sold as large baskets that look great.

Feed ferns every month during spring and summer using a water-soluble fertilizer, and they will look great all season long. Indoors, ferns require very little fertilizer until you get ready to bring them outdoors in the spring.

Ferns do require frequent watering during the spring and summer. Give your ferns a good, deep soaking and then let them dry lightly before the next watering. Be careful not to overwater your ferns. More ferns are harmed from overwatering than underwatering.

During the winter, you can bring your ferns in hanging baskets and pots inside. When growing ferns indoors, choose a spacious area that will allow their fronds plenty of room to shoot out in all directions.

Visit your local garden centers to see what ferns they offer to add some beauty to your landscape or home. Dr. Eddie Smith is a gardening specialist and Pearl River County coordinator with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. He also hosts the popular Southern Gardening television programs.

James B. Hall, MD

Our clinic focuses on hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and chronic kidney disease prevention. As a hypertension specialty clinic, we also focus on difficult-to-control blood pressure, secondary hypertension, and reno-vascular hypertension. Our full-time and covering physicians are nephrology-fellowship trained and board certified in nephrology. Dr. Hall is also trained and certified as a Hypertension Specialist. Our clinic fosters a compassionate and friendly atmosphere, and our main objective is to delay the progression of kidney disease through community outreach, peer education, kidney screening seminars, and health promotional classes. Remember, “Your health is the most important thin you own, second to your soul.”

THE socialSCENE FERNWOOD, MS

JA of McComb Spring Luncheon

The Junior Auxiliary of McComb, Mississippi, held its spring luncheon on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at Fernwood Country Club in Fernwood, Mississippi. During this event, new officers were installed and provisional members were presented.

Provisional Class 2022-2023: Front— India Warshauer, Parliamentarian Mallory Robinson, and Heidi Brent / Middle—Amber Magee and Kristen McBeth / Back—Simmons Copeland, Becky Simmons, Brittany Raybon, and Darion Fortenberry

JA of McComb Executive Board

2023-2024: Row 1—Kandace Hart, Rachel Marrs, Ashley Stovall, and Michelle Cooksey / Row 2—Robin Bonds, Kaitlyn Cooksey, Melanie Wentworth, and Candi Reid / Row 3— Laci Godbold, Jenny Richmond, and Courtney Richard / Row 4—Valerie Turner and India Warshauer Carla Stringer (Life Member), Parliamentarian Mallory Robinson, President Rachel Marrs, and Lynn McInnis (Life Member)