Subway: Eat South!

What did I tell y’all? The South is having it’s moment. Even Subway, my favorite lunch destination is on board.

"True Taste of the South" (sorry for the poor picture - another cell phone shot... oh, and don't have the "Southern" style tea... yeah, it's not the Sweet Tea we all know and love)

I tried the Smokehouse BBQ Chicken sandwich today, and while it might not replace my everyday turkey on honey oat with spinach and tomatoes, it was pretty good. The BBQ sauce was actually quite decent, and y’all KNOW how picky I am about my BBQ. I would suggest getting it on the oven-roasted chicken breast instead of the official Smokehouse Chicken, as the shredded chicken was a bit fine for my taste, but it was still alright.

So next time you forgot to brown bag it, give our South a shout at, of all places, a chain sandwich shop.

Shame on you, South!

Image from Knowledgepedia

There are so many things to love about the South. It’s easy to keep this blog positive, because it’s all about you Southerners, but for today, I have a bone to pick with y’all.

Let me begin with a story of my Christmas vacation. I got to spend two whole long weeks with my beloved family at my parents’ home in Kentucky. For the first week, it was just my parents and me and the hubs, but the second week, sister and I ditched the husbands (they had to go back to work) and just spent the last week as “the original family.”

Sis had to spend Christmas in Memphis with her in-laws, so we agreed to meet her in Nashville to pick her up, send the boys on their way (and of course, do a little shopping at Opry Mills).

But on our way, we had a flat tire.

Now those are bad enough already, especially in the winter, but it was a sunny day at least, and we did have the boys with us still, so Daddy and husband got out to change the tire.

Unfortunately, one of my parents’ friends had had a flat just the week before so they had lent him their tire iron, and somehow, that crucial part of the tire-changing process got bent. Don’t ask me who is strong enough to bend a tire iron (or what car company is cheap enough to put a tire iron made of aluminum in the trunk kit – ahem, Jaguar), but there we are, fully equipped with a jack and a spare, but no tire iron.

Well, no problem. We’re on the border of Kentucky and Tennessee. It’s the day after Christmas. Surely the most hospitable people on earth (Southerners) are in the Christmas spirit still, right?

Wrong. Since Dad and husband are busy jacking up the car, I volunteered to see if I could flag down a friendly fellow traveler to simply pull over and lend us their iron, we’ll get the lug nuts off, throw the new tire on, and be on our way.

Wrong. Even in broad daylight, with a nicely dressed (albeit freezing) family, in the heart of the South, with a GIRL waving for help, we stood there almost an hour before anyone was kind enough to pull over.

Of course we called the Highway Patrol and the AAA, but they were too busy responding to other calls. (Though they should have come right by, because all the rubberneckers caused two wrecks in the meantime.) All we needed was a little tire iron after all. Something most of us keep in our cars (or should) at all times. It didn’t warrant a tow truck. Finally, a kind couple pulled over, didn’t have the size we needed, but was kind enough to drive to the next exit, purchase us one from the auto store, and bring it back. That’s the true Southern spirit.

But still… Shame, shame on us Southerners. I hope none of you readers were one of those passersbys, but even if you weren’t, let this be a lesson to you. Show a little kindness. You never know when you’ll need some in return. My husband said had it been 50 years ago, we would have had to shoo half the people away. That’s a sad testament to how far we’ve come. Remember who we are.

Now, as most of our readers tend to be ladies, I don’t suggest you stop if you’re on your own. And even you gentlemen, use your common sense, but what a better lesson would it have been, driving down the (major) interstate with your family, to pull over and help another family in need.

So the next time you see someone pulled over, at least slow down, take a glance to see if they look alright, and if you don’t, for heaven’s sake, at least change over to the other lane, rather than go speeding past the cold little family standing on the side of the road.

I forgive you, I-65 travelers. Just don’t let it happen again.

Tuesday Tip: Doggie Bath Mat

My boss is a genius!  I mean, you are so going to thank me (her) for this idea if you have a pup. Even though we don’t (yet – possibly the biggest conflict of our marriage — I’ll let y’all decide which of us wants one and which doesn’t), I have a nephew-dog, and I’m definitely passing this along to my sister. And all of you.

So here it is, ladies and gentlemen. In order to protect your backseat, set an old bathmat on your backseat. An extra-long style can cover the whole seat. They can’t claw it to pieces like a sheet or your favorite blanket, and the rubbery bottom will keep it from sliding like plastic.

Ahem, marketers, if you’re out there… stick a cutsie tag on your plain old bath mat, sell it at the pet store, and voila!

Image From The Grand Paw

Around the South…

Over the break, I couldn’t help but stumble over a few great southern treats.  Of course, some of these goodies would make perfect gifts for those friends or family members you forgot or perhaps you are ready to give yourself a gift.  I also found beautiful, beautiful wedding invitations from Nashville. 

Normally, we do try to post original content, so I hope you will forgive the detour and thoroughly enjoy!

Death and Texas, a Dallas based company specializing in leather and canvas goods has hit the mark. I love these items.  Available for purchase via The Brook Farm General Store or their etsy page.

The Transparency Blown Glass Curly Pitchers, from The Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans are also stunning and would I love to have just one. Pretty please.

Lastly, you must relish the most beautiful wedding invitations from Perky Bros.  They are truly stunning.  Perky Bros is a graphic design and creative services company based out of Nashville. Their work is beautiful.

Enjoy the fun!

Nancy Drew

 

If I could be anyone else in the world besides myself, I would be Nancy Drew. I can still remember Mrs. Mickels, the librarian at my elementary school, introducing me to the beautiful, yellow-colored shelf in 3^rd grade, just filled with every Nancy Drew mystery story ever made. I remember starting with the one labeled #1, on that classic blue spine, and checking out two per week, every week, as per my library’s limit, until I had read through the entire series.

 

Nancy was exciting. She was a proper young lady, but she ran around town solving mysteries. She always dressed to the nines, drove that classic blue convertible, had great girl friends, and an always ambiguous, exciting boy friend – Ned. Her dad was a lawyer, they lived in a large house with a housekeeper. All the clues came together from her mystery of the moment just right in the end, and sometimes I could figure it out with her! The girl you would want to be friends with – or be!

 

While Nancy Drew’s fictional town, River Heights, was most likely somewhere in the Midwest (some speculate Iowa, Illinois, or Ohio), she epitomizes Southern qualities – hospitality, charm, smarts, humility, and of course, a well-dressed appearance!

 

So, when I pulled down my collection of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, it was no surprise to find that several of the mysteries are set in the good ol’ South.

 

Two of my favorites are The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion and The Haunted Showboat. Moss-Covered Mansion takes place in Florida, at Cape Kennedy. Depending on which version you get your hands on (1941 or 1971), it revolves around an old, spooky mansion complete with African wildlife on the grounds. The Haunted Showboat revolves around a trip to Mardi Gras, in New Orleans, where an old river showboat is being prepared to be used for an engagement party, but all sorts of strange happenings are encouraging the party to leave it abandoned.

 

If you have girls in your house, from elementary school aged all the way up to grandma’s age, they’ll love to discover, or rediscover, this classic American heroine.

 

Who were your favorite characters from fictional literature as a child, or a grown-up?

Lentil Soup for the New Year

Choking back a few tears as I sit here on the first day of the New Year watching my beloved Bobby Bowden during the last game of his career, I am comforted by the most flavorful of family traditions, lentil soup.  My grandmother taught my mother how to make this New Year treat, and now I am the apprentice. 

This is the perfect soup for a cold day, but then again I eat soup even on the warmest days of summer.  The soup is also perfect for your vegetarian palette (see Ginger’s recipe as well) or can be made with ham. I love both but prefer the latter.  Plus, this entire recipe can be made in one pot.

Ingredients:

Ham bone (optional)

1 1/2 pounds of Ham, cooked and cubed (optional)

1 white onion

5 garlic cloves

1 bag of Lentils (brown is fine)

1 bag of Carrots

5 Potatoes (perfect addition for vegetarian version)

Two 32 ounce containers of chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

Just a little over a pound of squash

Olive Oil

Bread! 

Directions:

Mis en place (everything in place)

            Dice your onion

            Thoroughly wash the lentils

            Quarter the squash

            Cut carrots in small circular shapes

            Quarter potatoes

            Cube cooked ham

In a large pot sauté your onions and garlic in olive oil, and add the ham bone. 

After the onions take on a translucent color, add your diced carrots, potatoes, squash, ham, and washed lentils.  Quickly add your chicken broth. Set on medium heat. 

The lentils will take around 45 minutes to cook thoroughly, after which you have the perfect soup.  Grab a slice of toasted bread for soaking and enjoy every last bite. p.s. It is even better the second day!

So, as I eat this family recipe, and smile about the possibility of lentils bringing me good luck for the year, I am just happy to be alive and to share bits of my southern life with you. Happy New Year!

Pictures from www.sweeticedtea.net.

Let’s Have a Toast!

Happy New Year!

We southerners are masters of fakin’ the good stuff in life. We have Texas Caviar when there’s not real caviar stashed away in your pantry.

So for the tee-totallers in your bunch, or your little ones, here’s a festive drink that we can all still toast to — Mock Champagne.

Chill 4 cups club soda, 4 cups ginger ale and 3 cups white grape juice overnight.

In a large pitcher combine club soda, ginger ale and grape juice. Serve immediately over ice.

We’ll Take a Cup O’ Gumbo Yet

I always spend New Year’s with my bestie from Birmingham. We’ve known each other for years and years and been with each other through thick and thin. But we are nothing, and I mean nothing, alike.

She’s the life of the party. I’m a wallflower. She’s the coolest, a hipster before being a hipster was cool, sporting Converse sneakers. I’m preppy as they come. She can pull of short, pixie hair. Mine’s always been long and straight. I cannot eat enough hamburgers. She’s a vegetarian.

So whenever she comes to visit, I get to try out all those yummy vegetarian recipes that I usually stash away in favor of a big pot roast. And they always end up being delicious and much healthier for my little ticker.

Whether or not you’re getting to host a veggie-eater this New Year’s Eve, here’s a great southern-style Louisiana recipe to throw in your crock pot and forget about until the reveling begins!

Then, don’t forget to add a side of pork and cabbage for good luck, turn on the Rose Bowl, and belt out Auld Lang Syne. Oh, and make those resolutions, for tomorrow, my friends, is 2010!

Happy New Year!

Picture from Nest at TheKnot.com

Ingredients

• 1 serrano pepper
• 1 banana pepper
• 1 small jalapeno chile pepper
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 green bell peppers, chopped
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon file powder
• 1 cup fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• parsnip, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup canned red beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup canned black-eye peas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups frozen cut okra, thawed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Arrange the serrano, banana, and jalapeno chile peppers on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Watch carefully and broil just until the skins blacken and blister, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the peppers and continue broiling until all sides are blackened. Remove the peppers from the oven and place in a sealed paper bag to steam. After 15 to 20 minutes, remove peppers from the bag and peel off the crispy black skin. Remove stems and seeds from the peppers, coarsely chop, and place in a bowl.
3. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat until a pinch of flour sprinkled over the oil just begins to bubble. Whisk in the rest of the flour and cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture is well blended and dark brown, about 20 minutes. Once it becomes dark brown, remove the roux from the heat.
4. Place 2 tablespoons of canola oil into a deep soup pot and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is just about to smoke, stir in the celery with half of the onions and bell peppers. Cook and stir until the vegetables are tender and the onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth into the pot. Cover, and simmer until almost all the liquid is evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Stir the serrano, banana, and jalapeno chile peppers, along with the uncooked bell peppers and onions, garlic, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika file powder, into the cooked bell peppers and onions. Stir the roux and 1 cup of stock into the vegetable mixture until the roux dissolves. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sweet potato, parsnip, red beans, black-eyed peas, okra, and remaining stock. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Citrus Season

Is there anything better than the most perfect piece of fruit?  When my parents were kids they received an orange in their stocking because fruit was so expensive.   Not much has changed, and we still appreciate citrus as much as ever.  Right now you can find perfect Meyers Lemons, and oranges.  Grapefruit still needs a bit more time to ripen, but it leaves us something to look forward to. 

Here is a bit of our harvest.  One orange makes one glass of the most delicious orange juice ever. No added sugar, not from concentrate.  The calamondin (smaller fruit) can also be popped in your mouth, skins and all. 

Adding citrus to your salads, marinades, desserts, seltzers and New Year cocktails can make your season bright. 

All pictures are from www.sweeticedtea.net.

While Visions of Sugar Plums Danced

Original Story by E. T. W. Hoffmann

As a child, I can still recall that sinking feeling as December 25th came to a close. Playing with my cousins with our new dolls. Getting to eat goodies all the day long. Lounging in fresh flannel pajamas. There was so much to look forward to. 

And now, even as an adult, I find myself fighting a serious case of ennui between December 26th, and say, January 4th, when the world gets back to “normal.” 

So this year, give your little ones, or yourself something to look forward to. Save a little holiday magic for these days when it’s still winter and bright, but Christmas is a memory. 

If you have small ones in the house (and even if you don’t – we’re all kids from 1 to 92, remember?), throw a Nutcracker party! Sugar plums, snow, twinkle lights — these are visions that should dance in their heads all winter long! And I’m guessing, unless you’re more productive than I am, you still have all those decorations up, so here’s a chance to get a little more enjoyment out of them.

Here are a few ideas to get your imagination going. Put some Tchaikovsky, and get planning your own winter party! 

• Think theme: sugar and spice! 
• Encourage wee ones to dress up — boys can come as nutcrackers; girls as ballerinas or fairies. 
• Your menu — cinnamon cupcakes, candied fruits, gumdrops, lollipops, chocolate, wassail, and of course, plums. We’re going for sugar overload here, but you might want a tray of sandwiches and tea or a pot of stew in the crock-pot and a crust of bread nearby to balance out. 
• Little ones or not, bring out the good silver and cloth napkins. It might be a little extra work, but I promise, it will bring an elegance you just can’t get from the paper and plastic stuff. If you just can’t bear to wash all of grandma’s heirloom silver, try searching for new plasticware that comes in silver or gold and cloth-like paper napkins in elegant patterns or folds. In the pictures, it will still look like the real thing. 
• Decorations: think flickering votive candles galore (perhaps placed inside white lunch bags for an extra glowy effect, lots of doilies, get your family to cut out tons and tons of paper snowflakes, sugar cubes, snow and ice, white balloons, silver confetti (if you’re so brave), chiffon, tulle, taffeta, lots of sparkles (I keep picturing the Candy Land board game come to life, if that helps at all). I absolutely love these wreaths from The Weed Patch. And I am in LOVE with this gold garland (and everything from Plum Party). 
• Favors: the kids can make “Visions of Sugar Plums” pillowcases to take home. Fabric paint and pens will keep them busy for hours 20 minutes.
• For the grown-ups or older kids, these swans are elegant for take home candies or a small gift (you can usually find these in a craft store or party store – usually in the bridal section).

Use your imagination and dream up a winter wonderland of a party. Extra time on your hands, kids out of school, possibly leftover tempting candies in the house to get rid of. Why didn’t anyone think of the after-Christmas party sooner?

P.S. – Did anyone else but me not know that sugar plums were not sugary candy versions of the plum fruit?? 

Picture from Saveur Magazine via use real butter