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I had NO idea just how exciting this could be...how excited I would be!

Last fall I was contacted about contributing an essay for a collaborative print book project; everything about it seemed perfect:

• I've highly regarded the publisher almost as long as I could read (an arm of Guideposts).
• Through this Inspiring Voices project, author Margaret McSweeney compiled over 50 WONDERFUL essays related to motherhood from a diverse group of veteran and new authors.
• And what maybe thrilled me more than anything else, all proceeds from book sales was to help struggling women and children in true need:  
  • WINGS:  to help fund a safe house in the Chicago suburbs, where mothers and their children can flee from domestic violence; and
  •  Hands of Hope: to help build wells for school children in Uganda

Legacies, lessons and love were the over-arching themes of the collaboration, and, not only did I know I had to say yes, I knew exactly what I was going to write about--something that encompassed all three!

 

Eight months later I received my copy today...and I'm downright giddy with the end result!!  Smack dab in the center of the book, pages 80-82 to be exact, you'll find my essay.  

Is it a big surprise its title is A Princess Tale? 

As delighted as I am with a single chapter, I cannot image the joy and sense of accomplishment of writing and publishing an entire book!  Mother of Pearl: Luminous Lessons and Iridescent Faith would make a lovely gift for the mother, daughter, grandmommy or special lady in your life, and serve as a lovely mama-encouragement for you!  And proceeds from your purchase will make a difference in the lives of sweet mamas and children you'll likely never get to meet but who are grateful for strangers who care.

A little bonus I didn't expect was to see my sweet friend and Very Accomplished Grown-up Writer, Holley Gerth, with an acknowledgement on the front page.  That made all this tripley sweet.  

This seems to be a theme, too, with projects I've joined the past several months; both collaborative and related to motherhood. Before this Mother of Pearl project there was the beautifully written collaboration with another group--you might remember it:  The Mother Letters (grab that one for a steal!), brainchild of Seth and Amber Haines.

Sincere thanks to Amy Lathrop for seeking me out and connecting me with Margaret.  I'll be forever grateful to her for this beautiful milestone.  

(In case you'd like to purchase the book, I've included my Amazon affiliate link below.)

Why do YOU love where you live? (And two reasons to visit Chattanooga!)

I'm in town only a few months before heading back to the other side of the planet to continue my year of adventure, but the timing couldn't be better to be in Chattanooga.  There's something fun on tap every weekend between now and "then," and weekdays offer their reasons to love being here.

This weekend two of my favorite events take place; I plan to be at both--

Chatty Crafty is a local juried DIY/indie craft show taking place at the Chattanooga Green at Ross’s Landing today and tomorrow (April 21 & 22, 2012) from 10-6.  I'm hoping the rain steers clear.  

And on Sunday only, guess who kicks off their 2012 season?

Chattanooga Market is back!  In celebration of Earth Day, Freedom Tree Farms will be giving away 100 fruit tree saplings and Possum Creek Herb Farm will offer 100 herb plants to market goers.  Music and vendors and great food, oh my!  

Being away from Chattanooga for a few months made me appreciate it even more; who knew that absence would make my heart grow fonder for this place I call home?

Your turn:   Spring is a season when communities seem to offer festivals and events that define "who" they are.  Tell me something special or unique about your hometown and why I might want to visit someday!   

And then there's that third reason to love Chattanooga.... ~ wink ~ 

Grit(s)

Grit.

Add an "s" and it transforms into a wonderful, Southern breakfast side dish, best served with a lump of butter (never margarine), a sprinkling of salt and crushed pepper, and a smattering of crumbled bacon in every bite; and cheese, cheese is always an option.  A close second, and truthfully, my preferred dish, is wonderfully creamy shrimp and grits, spicy with a hint of heat, but not so much as to over power the dish.  The grits are delicious canvas for the rest of the meal, and they can make or break the entire thing if not properly tended.

Most people outside the South don't understand grits, as if a they were a thing to be understood.

Either you're a believer or you aren't, and I feel sorry for those who are trapped in the latter category. 

I suppose for most people, "grit" conjures images of hang-dog determination and wrestling with or through the things that irritate the mind, soul or body, but for me, right now...5,000 miles from home, three weeks without touching the skin of my babies, and away from familiar comforts, the thought of a steamy bowl of Southern comfort brings a smile.

* * * *

My bizarre response to Lisa-Jo's Five Minute Friday writing prompt...I doubt anyone else will go this route!!  Feel free to join her!

 

Photo credit:  SouthernPlate.com

 

 

The Southern Way...

Blood and marriage are reason enough to gather on the hottest day of the year to celebrate family, for no other reason than that.  It's the Southern Way.

On a canvas of conversation broad-stroked with laughter, the fizzy flit of flies joins a threatening purr of bees to fill the air with contented sounds of Summer.  I can almost hear the ants creep and crawl.  Though unwanted guests, they’re expected.  Today they will feast.

It's a crying shame my eyes are bigger than my stomach; no restaurant on the planet can match the spread covering a mile of mismatched, cloth-covered folding tables.  It's fine dining in the most fulfilling sense of the word...scrumptious and diverse and laden with secrets.  Unpretentious and under-appreciated, it strikes me that beautiful doesn't have to be fancy.

Unearthing buried treasure from their gardens, my relatives produce bowl after steaming bowl of butter beans and butter peas and baby limas and black-eyed peas--and it takes a discerning palate or being raised in the South to understand the differences...to even realize there's a difference!

There are always two or three dishes of macaroni and cheese, three or four potato salads, and one of each is always better than the rest; I wish I could remember from reunion to reunion.  Instead, I get a small spoon of each, and if Murphy is in the house, the biggest serving is my least favorite.  Regardless, I'd eat them all not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings, 'cause—good gravy!--the dish's cook could be sitting right next to me!  Graciousness and good manners are also the Southern way.

It's 96 degrees in the shade and I can hear the creak and groan of the handle as it's cranked.  Wood and aluminum, rock salt and ice, there's treasure at the end of this cream and sugar rainbow, and we covet it more than gold.  Eager to help, cousins stand in line to wait a turn to churn, not realizing it's work.  The grown-ups don't let on; they smile inwardly and cheer outwardly, knowing in the end, it'll take a pound of elbow grease to finish this frozen magic.

I don't understand how a wooden barrel and a hand-cranked mixer can produce The Best Ice Cream In The World.  This is the only time I'll eat fruit in my ice cream; strawberry is fine, but peach—ab-so-lute-ly luscious!  It’s done when just a tad thicker than a bonafide milkshake.  Perfectly spun and mixed, taste buds cheerfully applaud taste and texture.  Did you know there’s a “best” way to eat homemade ice cream?  Place a spoonful in your mouth; close your lips around it as you slowly extract the spoon; squish it to the roof of your mouth, then let your tongue “chew” the fruit.  Teeth only get in the way.

Moppin’ sweat and swattin’ flies don’t both bother a soul and talk about the weather isn’t small, it’s good conversation.  History is preserved in the oral tradition as well-worn laundry is re-aired, and embellishments aren’t just tolerated, they’re expected.  Children wear grass-stained knees and dirt-caked nails, and though mamas complain, they wouldn’t have it any other way.

A summer’s day eases into a symphony of invisible crickets and bullfrogs.  It’s music I don’t care for but in which somehow I find comfort.   It’s the perfect note to herald the day’s end.

This is my childhood legacy, a gift from my mother long lived after she was gone.  Tradition that shaped me.  Family who loved us in our presence but mostly in our absence.  The Southern Way, a banquet of savored memories and moments…not just of food on the table, but of life seasoned with people and places that forever feed our soul.  

And it's where dessert is a bowl full of magic and rainbows :).

Hugs & smooches to my BFF Paula Deen for sharing a link to this post with her followers on Twitter (Here first, then here with the correct link).  If you're visiting due to her mention, won't you come again? Subscribe to me in a reader or have PENSIEVE delivered to you with a free email subscription (see left sidebar) and I shall be forever in your debt.

Photo credit

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Originally posted in June 2009 but, oh, how its truth still lingers :).

Hugs & smooches to my BFF Paula Deen for sharing a link to this post with her followers on Twitter (Here first, then here with the correct link).  If you're visiting due to her mention, won't you come again?  Subscribe to me in a reader or have PENSIEVE delivered to you with a free email subscription (see left sidebar) and I shall be forever in your debt.  Or something like that ;).

 

When art meets light Tiffany at Biltmore

When I think of Tiffany's, there's a confluence of three simultaneous thoughts:

1. Audrey Hepburn and "Breakfast at..."
2. Little blue boxes
3. Beautiful stained glass lamps

When I think of Biltmore Estate, there's another three-tiered thought parade:

1. My honeymoon in Asheville, NC (a beautiful Southern city with a thriving arts community and a profusion of field-to-table, chef-owned, beyond-scrumptious restaurants).
2. Lavish gardens, blooming in four Seasons, floral Southern living at its best.
3. The Biltmore House, the largest private residence in America, a 250-room French Renaissance chateau.

But when you put "Tiffany" and "Biltmore" together, you can expect special ... unforgettable ... masterpiece. 

Now through October, the Biltmore Legacy is hosting  The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass in the Antler Hill Village; an exhibit of 45 lamps and peripheral items created by Louis Comfort Tiffany and The Tiffany Studios, free with Estate admission.

My husband and I made a quick trip to the Biltmore Estate over the July Fourth holiday, and while the fireworks at the Inn that night were spectacular, the exhibit's Tiffany lamps were the true show stoppers--softly glowing illuminated masterpieces, every. single. one. of. them.   

Succinctly put, the Tiffany exhibit is excellent--informative, interesting and accessible.  The companion content is easy to read and just the right amount of information.

Observers can learn about the process of creating a Tiffany lamp--

Tiffany and company channeled inspiration from nature; floral motifs and dragonflies dominate--

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some designs depict wildlife--

 

...and others Still Life...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And sometimes simple is more than enough.... I love the cozy, pleated "curtain" look of this shade.

 

And the next two have me thinkin' of Monet and his waterlilies....

 

I couldn't choose a favorite if I tried--and I did try.  This lamp tried hard to win first place with its accompanying moth lamp screen; an accessory Tiffany created to help shield glare from early light bulbs.  Isn't it darling?

 

If you're interested in seeing and reading more, please check out the rest of my Flickr set from our Biltmore trip.  

And if you have some time between now and October 23, I encourage you to beat the Summer heat and visit Asheville, NC, with a stop at Biltmore Estate; The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass exhibit is included at no additional charge.

 

Warm thanks to my Biltmore friends for putting us up for the night at the fabulous Inn at Biltmore.  Though they provided a gorgeous complimentary night's stay, I hope it's obvious my enthusiasm for this exhibit rests solely on it's own fabulosity!  

The best fried okra in the world

Fried okra is my favorite vegetable from the womb.

Before I had eyes to see or a nose to smell or tastebuds to tickle, I'm sure it was my favorite because my mama was Southern born, too.

I've made it for years, but it was only in last year's July Southern Living that I discovered the absolute best recipe for frying okra.  Wouldn't you know it--it uses the secret ingredient my grandmother always said would make any dish better:

a teaspoon of sugar

Had I just followed Dambarr's advice, I coulda been makin' okra perfection for years.

This is pure Southern delicacy.  If you've never had it, now is the time to get your Paula Deen on!

Southern Living Buttermilk Fried Okra

• 1 lb fresh okra, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 3/4 cup buttermilk*
• 1 1/2 cups self-rising white cornmeal mix
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
• Vegetable oil

1.  Stir together okra and buttermilk in a large bowl.  Stir together cornmeal mix and next 3 ingredients in a separate large bowl.  Remove okray from buttermilk, in batches, using a slotted spoon.  Dredge in cornmeal mixture, and place in a wire-mesh strainer.  Shake off excess.

2.  Pour oil to depth of 1 inch into a large, deep cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven; heat to 375°.  Fry okra, in batches, 4 minutes or until golden, turning once.  Drain on paper towels.

--> The sugar in the cornmeal coating caramelizes as the okra cooks, creating a crisp, golden crust.

God bless Southern Living.  Amen.

 

*Note:  I rarely keep buttermilk in the house so I use a substitution; to one cup of warmed milk add either:

• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice OR
• 1 tablespoon of vinegar OR
• 1-3/4 tablespoons of cream of tartar

Stir and let stand 5-10 minutes.

 

 

A Culinary Delight of Epic Proportion Banana Pudding, Southern Living-style

It has been forever-and-a-day since I've had any, and never since I made it myself, but homemade, custard-style Banana Pudding is absolute magic in your mouth.  One bite while it's still warm from the oven and your tastebuds will applaud in tonguegasmic approval.  

If it's been a while since you've had any, I promise you've forgotten how scrumptious Banana Pudding can be.  My kids thought they wouldn't like it; bless their hearts (and shame on their mother)--they've only known the Cool Whip/sour cream/INSTANT {horrors} PUDDING variety, and that, my friends, is not even in the same stratosphere as this.  We're talking apples and...snow tires!

Most of the ingredients you'll have on hand, but it's worth a trip to the Publix to pick up bananas and vanilla wafers.  

Southern Living Banana Pudding

• 3½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1⅓ cups of sugar
• Dash of salt
• 3 eggs, separated
• 3 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (12-ounce) package vanilla wafers
• 6 medium bananas
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Pre-heat oven to 325°F.  Combine flour, 1⅓ cups of sugar & salt in heavy saucepan.  Beat egg yolks; combine yolks and milk, mixing well.  Stir into dry ingredients; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened.  Remove from heat; stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Layer ⅓ of wafers in a 3-quart baking dish.  Slice 2 bananas and layer over wafers.  Pour ⅓ of the custard over bananas.  Repeat layers twice (it's dessert lasagna!!).

Beat egg whites with electric mixer until foamy.  Gradually add ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, and beat until blended.  Spread meringue over custard, sealing to edge of dish.

Bake at 325°for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Yield:  8-10 servings.

~ ENJOY!!

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If you haven't yet discovered A Southern Fairytale's Mouthwatering Mondays for tons of great recipes, it's my pleasure to introduce you!  Salivation will commence shortly :).  Also submitted for WFMW at We are THAT Family because this dessert definitely worked for us! :)

Reason #427 I love the South

Only a born-and-bred Southerner can fully 

    appreciate...

        c e l e b r a t e...

            bLoGeRaTe...

a sad, tired, pitiful excuse of snow, which of course sends the masses for bread and milk and closes schools during exams.   

{View from our kitchen window, overlooking our hilly backyard behind a brick wall.}

I'm sure those under mountains of snow are just shaking your heads and blessin' my heart, but all I know is Sunday afternoon while it flurried frozen sparkles and magic all afternoon, I lived in a snow globe.  

And for a tiny sliver of time, it was the happiest place on earth :).

 

 

Bless...her...heart...!

Marcia Brody and Bill Cosby do for "Southern" what Abbott and Costello did for baseball with their "Who's on First" routine.  If you're a Southerner, you'll relate; if you aren't, it might be even funnier!  

Enjoy the laughs...mine were out loud :).  (And I did click through to her second video...I 'bout lost it when she said, "I don't speak Jamaican...!")   

Trust and Obey Ain't Just an Old Church Hymn

"Can you follow directions--can you really follow directions?"

It wasn't so much a question, repetition and tone suggested gentle insistence.  I hesitated before responding because I know something about myself--

Sometimes I think...

I'm smarter than the directions....

or that my instinct is better...

or the directions couldn't really be right, could they?

I'll make a decision based on feelings or perception or, worse, arrogance (ouch).   

"Y-e-e-e-s," I faltered, my inner Honesty Police betraying a lack of conviction.

"If you will trust me, if you'll do exactly what I tell you to do, you won't have any problems."  

* * * * *

Ooooh, what am I talkin' about??  Please click to continue reading "Trust and obey ain't just an old church hymn" over at (in)courage to find out! 

Secret Hint:  I discovered a beautiful picture of faith while being schooled in a Land Rover Driving Experience at Biltmore!