Friday, August 2, 2019

Bringing the Beach to the Front Porch

Now that the busy month of July is over, the remaining summer will still be spent enjoying time on the front porch.  Until Fall arrives, the porch will provide comfort, relaxation, shade and exhilarating breezes like that at the beach.  So, at times when I can not drive to the beach, I can bring the beach to the front porch.  As the saying goes......."Welcome to the Porch - Where Wasting Time is Considered Time Well Wasted."

Come join me as we make the most of the tranquility and cool cover of the porch.   As a summer time retreat and a reprieve from the hot sun, the front porch has become the most pleasurable place to enjoy a scrumptious, mouthwatering lunch, such as some Mango Chicken Wraps, Cucumber Flip Flop Tea Sandwiches, a Flower Cantaloupe Fruit Bowl and Rhinestone Sugar Cookies with a Flip Flop Ice Cream Sandwich.  The front porch, as a dining location, does not include a tablescape, but with fresh, cool air, a bench with soft, fluffy pillows and tasty, delectable food, it can make meal time a peaceful, easygoing experience too.

So let's take a seat among the sand and sea of the porch. The use of brown, blue and cream with a splash of lime green and teal gives a perfect color combination for a soothing and pleasing waterside setting. The sea shell pillows, touches of shells, succulents and sand decor conveys a coastal retreat to the porch even though it is not any where near the water.



There is something alluring and eye-catching about the bold colors of lime green and teal paired up with a rich chocolate brown.




This dish towel pillow with a teal colored flamingo captured my attention.

























 A seahorse pillar candle holder with a fresh-scented candle is ready to use when night approaches.




My favorite coastal piece are these silver flip-flop candy dishes.  Filled with sea shells, it adds a whimsical element to a coastal theme.




























Comfy?  Hungry?  Now it is time for some Mango Curry Chicken Wraps (see recipe below).  These irresistible wraps are sweet, spicy and aromatic and makes an ideal light and flavorful lunch on the porch.







Mango Curry Chicken Wraps


1 (6 or 8 piece) tortilla wraps

1 Extra Large Chicken Breast or 2 Medium Chicken Breasts, grilled or baked with seasonings of your choice, cooled, cut and cubed into bite size pieces

1/2 medium size sweet onion, diced

1/2 C diced red pepper

1/2 C diced celery, cut into tiny pieces

1/4 C chopped cilantro

1/2 C chopped walnuts

1/2 C mayonnaise

2 T sour cream

1 tsp. curry powder or to taste

dash of red cayenne pepper or to taste

Mix together and add:

1 ripe mango, cut and cubed

or

1/2 C halved sweet grapes

1/2 C dried cranberries

or

a combination of mango, grape and dried cranberries with amounts of your choice. ( I love using them all and in larger quantities. 

Gently mix in the fruit and distribute on a tortilla wrap, roll and cut in half on an angle. Makes about 2 or 3 wraps, depending on how much is used as the filling.

Note: Adjustments can be made to the amount of mayonnaise and sour cream and spices used depending on the amount of the other ingredients. I love cilantro so I often increase this amount to my liking.




Of course, there are some crunchy Flip Flop Cucumber Tea Sandwiches packed full of dill, chives and cilantro and topped with red pepper straps and onion center roses.







These tasty little sandwiches are placed on bread crumbs that resembles "sand" on the beach.  It does look like real sand, doesn't it?










The very center of a slice of onion looks so much like a rose, doesn't it?






Having a light lunch on the front porch includes a delicate Flower Cantaloupe Fruit Bowl. It is so attractive and appealing and makes a pretty, sweet and juicy dish to help refresh and rejuvenate your day. 



In addition, it even gives the front porch a tropical element.




And look, it's my mother's rhinestone sunglasses?  Aren't they glamorous?  An over-the-top sugar cookie decorated with frosting dotted as "rhinestones" really dresses up the occasion on the front porch.  Who doesn't need a pair of those classy sunglasses for sunshine and sparkling waves?







All those rhinestones glasses just might go well with some coordinated flip-flops.  They say it is "all about the accessories," right? 



















Thank you for visiting with me on the front porch.  Please come back to visit again.

As a heads up, I want to let you know of an upcoming tablescape blog hop hosted by Chloe Crabtree of Celebrate and Decorate.  This blog hop entitled Late Summer Tablescape Blog Hop will begin Sunday, August 12 through Friday, August 16, 2019.  Please be sure to visit The Little Yellow Corner Store during that week for a complete list of participants.  Be certain to visit each and every participant of the hop for some great summer time tablescape ideas.  Summer is long from being over, so enjoy all the imagination and creativity from some talented designers.



20 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness you bring together some of the loveliest posts! How fun is this setting and the food- oh my! Loving the flip flop sandwiches on the “sand” bread crumbs and the flip flop ice cream sandwich’s!

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  2. What a pretty porch and those flip flop sandwiches and ice cream treats are so adorable!!

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  3. Wow, that has to be the most stunning wall I have ever seen. Pinned

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  4. Beautiful porch to relax and unwind!
    Have a great week,
    Kippi

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  5. OMG! This is the most ADORABLE post I've seen all day! Your photos scream SUMMER! I love, love, love the pretty porch!!!

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  6. Oh this is such a pretty scene! The blue and green keep things cool and your flip flop treats are too cute! So clever to stage them on bread crumb sand in a sea shell! Adorable!
    Jenna

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  7. I love the color combo and your little coffee table set up is pretty awesome! Yummy snacks. I am actually sitting out in the shade of one of our porches and while it is hot in the sun and it breezy right here. Hummingbirds and butterflies galore: nice and relaxing!
    www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

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  8. So many adorable little ways to bring a touch of the beach to your front porch! I especially love all of your little flip flop treats!!

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  9. Firstly the teal, blue (aqua or firozi) and lime combination is just one of my favorites. The setting purrrfect and loved the way the food is presented to bring on the beach ..... flip flops, shades et all...... tweeting you post :)

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  10. I love how you’ve decorated your porch. Lovely! Pinning the Mango Curry Chicken Wraps.

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  11. What a lovely front porch! I love those colors. Thanks for linking up with us at the #WednesdayAIMLinkParty 42. Pinned!

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  12. Thanks so much for linking up your beach themed porch post at the #WednesdayAIMLinkParty 42!

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  13. Such pretty colors on your porch make it so inviting! And all of your fun summer food looks delicious - love those flip flop shaped treats! Thanks for sharing with us at The Blogger's Pit Stop!

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  14. Our Roseann has chosen this beautiful post to feature in the Blogger's Pit Stop. Well dpne.
    Kathleen

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  15. This is just so colourful and has all the beach vibes right in place.Found you on the Bloggers Pit stop

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  16. Congrats! Your post is FEATURED at the #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 4. Party open now!

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  17. What a delightful and inviting porch! "Welcome to the Porch - Where Wasting Time is Considered Time Well Wasted" is a new-to-me saying I'll be adopting! Your cantaloupe flower and flip-flop tea sandwiches on the porch are just what I need today.

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  18. Saved as a favorite, I like your site!

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  19. Mango Curry Chicken Wrap sounds delicious! What a great setting you've created.

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