Tuesday Tip: Iron Out the Details

My husband is in the Navy. So we iron. A lot.

When I came across this tip, I jumped up right away and promptly obeyed. I’m looking forward to all those precious minutes in the morning this will save me. And isn’t that what Tuesday Tips are all about? Saving minutes, so I can languish over my breakfast and coffee a few minutes longer.

The Tip

Place a layer of aluminum foil on the ironing board under your cloth cover. This essentially doubles your heat, therefore halving your ironing work. This will also work great if you have delicates that can’t come in direct contact with the iron. Simply hold the iron a couple inches above your garment and let the foil get warm underneath. Since it doesn’t come in direct contact with the garment, voila!

Banish wrinkles (from our clothes anyway)!

Find Your Summer Theme Song

It is high time we posted something about music. 

Music, among other things, is the core of my existence.  I live and breathe for good music.  Don’t you just love hearing your favorite song on the radio? Or perhaps even better is when your iPod is on shuffle mode, the first few notes of “the song” begin to play and you pretty much could jump out of your seat, or excitedly roll down the windows and hope to share in the glory with fellow drivers.  Today, I had one such experience while driving to work. 

Ok, my Summer Theme song is not really Southern, but I simply love Coldplay’s “Strawberry Swing.”  The tantalizing intro forces me to smile and shrug my shoulders to the beat.  The song “brings me round, now my feet won’t touch the ground,” and I find myself happy, and loving every little note and second of this song. 

To list all possible summer theme songs, would be nearly impossible, but I can come up with a few southern tunes.  At least, I can come up with a few classics, and ones that tickle my fancy. Here they are in no particular order: 

1)      “Oh,  Atlanta” – Alison Krauss

2)      “Graceland” – Paul Simon

3)      “Memphis”- Chuck Berry

4)      “ Chattahoochee” – Alan Jackson

5)      “Home” – Marc Broussard

6)      “Southern Accent” – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (a bit slower than the others, but sooo good)

7)      “Tennessee” – Arrested Development (this is so 6^th grade summer camp)

8)      “Dance, Dance, Dance” – Steve Miller Band

9)      “Down in Mississippi and Up to No Good” – Sugarland

10)   “Stars Align” – Virginia Coalition

Here a few of the classics:

1)       “Ode to Billy Joe” – Bobbie Gentry

2)      “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” – Charlie Daniels

3)      “Sweet Home Alabama” – Lynyrd Skynyrd

4)      “Midnight Train to Georgia” – Gladys Knight

5)      “Deep in the Heart of Texas’ – Gene Autry (who doesn’t love to clap?)

Finding your summer theme song might be the perfect antidote to the humidity blues.  If I think of my life, there are so many songs forever connected with my memories, hopefully your song will bring good memories in years ahead. 

What is your summer theme song?

NYC: Street Scene, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1936

 

We’ve already discovered that even the New York City has great tastes of Southern art from time to time. When I was visiting the many treasures of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, we had the pleasure of viewing a collection works from the photographer, Walker Evans.

 Evans was originally from Missouri, but traveled around the South in the 1930’s, taking pictures of scenes such as roadsides, cafes, advertisements, buildings and rooms, and small-town main streets.

 This barber shop may have been a small detail in street life, but a focal point of the social community, perhaps only following the church. As the barbers await a doubtless busy day, they enjoy the early morning Southern sun.

 Most of you will be familiar with this famous work, of Allie Mae Burroughs, which has come to be known as a symbol of the Great Depression.

 Evans knew Ernest Hemingway in his days spent in Cuba. Some of these photos were available recently at the Cummer Museum in Jacksonville, Florida. His clarity, point of view, and emotion are stunning.

 Evans was also a passionate reader and writer, even writing for Time magazine in the 1940’s.

 And this isn’t the first time Evans’ work has been featured at the Met. In 1938, it was the first collection to be featured comprised entirely of photographs from a single photographer. In 1994, all his works were left to the Met, and can be viewed at the Library of Congress.

 I’d encourage all Southerners to take a moment to enjoy the beauty and simplicity of the wonderful artist’s work.

NYC: Southern Hospitality

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can Southern food be found above the Mason-Dixon line? The answer is: “Sure ‘Nouf!”

Upon our first night after arriving in the Big Apple, we were wanting some good food, but a casual atmosphere (somewhere where plane hair was a-ok thrown up in a ponytail). For an immediate taste of home, we went to Southern Hospitality, discovered because it’s our good ol’ homeboy from my town Memphis, Justin Timberlake’s restaurant.

Featuring BBQ, and Southern-bred waitresses (ours was from Knoxville, but she took care of us, so I forgave her that), this restaurant was full of Southern memorabilia on the walls, loud music, and the constant hope that Mr. JT would walk in, sit down, and share some pulled pork with us.

It wasn’t authentically Corky’s or the Rendezvous, but it was still pretty finger-lickin’ good (what else you gonna do with BBQ? Use a napkin? Please!)!

Tuesday Tip: No More Watered Down Drinks

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Is it just me, or is it hot outside?  During this sweltering heat, my poor little heart desires a very cold beverage.  You know a drink so cold that it cools your body while restoring your soul, and somehow it helps you find the strength to live through another day of the humidity.  And NO, I am not dramatic!

To ensure my drinks are cold, I often pack a glass full of ice, but sometimes ice just isn’t appropriate.  With ice, your drink ends up watered down and frankly, becomes a boring mess.  To avoid such quandaries and also spruce up any old afternoon, try freezing green grapes.  They do not melt, are not made of yucky plastic (past trend), and when you finish your drink a treat awaits you. 

Frozen grapes are wonderful on their own (I can remember summers of stealing them out of the freezer for an afternoon snack), but in a cocktail or non-alcoholic beverage they can easily become your best friend this summer.

Where in the World is This Southern Girl?

Ok, ok… no big secret here. New York City! So what happens when a confirmed Southerner goes north? Find out all this week on Sweet Iced Tea.

Bee Aware This Summer

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Pollination is something we rely on heavily to ensure fruits and vegetables are available in the grocery store and then later on your kitchen table.  However, without bees pollination can be tricky! Due to a variety of problems, colony collapse disorder, pesticides, killer bees, etc… bee populations are dropping rapidly.  With 3 bee hives currently (3 hives drowned in the flooding of the Withlacoochee River) we are doing our part to assist in the sustainability of foods.  While the work is hard, the benefits of having your own hive are endless and the simple pleasure of fresh honey is worth the effort. 

Our most recent honey harvest includes wildflower and citrus flavors, as this was the most recent meal of the bees.  Depending on the time of year Florida variations can include palm honey as well. 

My personal favorite honey treats include, wheat toast, a smidge of butter and lots of honey, as well as, wheat toast points, gorgonzola cheese, a walnut, and honey drizzled over the top.  Glorious!

Even if you are unable to raise your own bees, it is always important to be aware of such issues, as bees are a vital part of our daily food sources. 

Interested in more? Check out this program from PBS, Silence of the Bees.

Here are the pictures of our most recent honey harvest. 

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Happy Father’s Day

Here is a picture of Dad and I on our Palm Valley Tractor. 

This one is for you Daddy. Happy Father’s Day.

Palm Valley Tractor Ride

LOVE you, Becky

A Sticky Situation

I spent my college days working in the campus bookstore (heaven for me… I often joked I would work even if they didn’t pay me, just to be around all those books). We bought an endless supply of Goo-Be-Gone removing sale prices, putting new stickers on, removing those again when the item went back on sale. And on and on and on the cycle went.

So the other day, when I purchased some lovely summery glass vases, I was frustrated when those stubborn stickers wouldn’t unstick themselves from the pretty bottoms. I reached for my trusty Goo-Be-Gone, and Goo! It was gone!

With my mind on the recent Tuesday Tips feature, I figured there had to be some solution out there, so after a quick Google search (what did we do before you, beloved Google?) I found out that good ol’ olive oil (or veggie or whatever kind of oil you’ve got in the pantry) will do the same task. Lo and behold, the stickers came off smooth as can be! Guess I don’t need Goo-Be-Gone after all. Make sure to rinse off the now slippery surface with lots of soap and water (or run it through the dishwasher, if appropriate).

I also hear toothpaste will do the job as well, but I can’t attest to that this time. We’ll give it a go next time I’m stuck in a sticky situation.

Until then… give us your trusty tips!

Grab Your Gear and Get to the Beach

If you asked me to describe my perfect day at the beach, you might find yourself disappointed.  As I am paler than a white rabbit running across a green meadow, the sun is not always my friend, resulting in limited outdoor beach activities.  I do love a good day at the beach, but if you see me there, you will also see my umbrella.  The recent telling of some of my favorite beach stories to my boyfriend, made me tear up a little, as all the stories involve my family. 

Living in a coastal community, and on the water, provided plenty of beach days growing up.  There are pictures of my dad chasing me and my sister around the beach as toddlers.   We built dribble castles (taking the wet sand and letting it dribble into a castle like formation), swam in tide pools, prepared sand food, pretended to shave our legs with shells, etc…  You get the picture?  Two of our favorite beach activities included body surfing races or tandem body surfing.  Body surfing is surfing without a board. You catch a wave and just, go.  Dad is a fierce competitor, but on occasion one of us kids pulled out a win.  It was always a good moment to beat Dad.  We also rode a wave or two tandem.   Tandem included waiting for a BIG wave, jumping on Dad’s back and then holding on for dear life as the waves sent us to the shore.  I swallowed plenty of salt water on those rides. 

Pictures courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

While my favorite beach days of old were full of activity, I transitioned to prefer a more relaxed beach day.  Now, I slather on some sunscreen, put on my hat, sit under an umbrella and catch up on some reading and people watch.  As I watch the kids play around me, I am taken back to carefree days and think about how good we had it.  We play bocce now, head into the water to cool off, and on the occasion catch a wave, and think about how good we have it. 

As you head out to the beach this year, I hope you create your own memories to share in the years to come.