A Southern Porch

porch in Mississippi


Hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Easter weekend. We had a beautiful day here on Saturday and then rain on Easter. I took advantage of the lovely weather on Saturday to get some work done on the porch. I’ll sit out on the porch anytime I can. We always have some days in the Winter when porch sitting is comfortable, but, when Spring comes around, it is time to get serious.

A porch is very important to Southerners. Even if we don’t have a porch ourselves, we tend to gravitate to someone who does or remember a favorite porch from our childhood. I’ve talked before about sitting on my grandmother’s porch helping her snap beans. That is a favorite memory.

To me there are a few elements that a good porch must have:

  • Comfortable seating. Your really need a good comfortable chair to sit and read a good book, watch the birds (or in my case, also the squirrels) at the bird feeder and other wildlife. You will need more than one chair so you can invite a friend or two (or more) to join you.
  • Dallas ferns. This is a personal preference for me, but, I love the look of big fluffy ferns hanging from the porch.
  • A table. Large enough to hold supper for your family or small enough to just be able to hold a cool drink, you must have a table.
  • A good fan. Ceiling fans, stand alone fan, tabletop fan, whatever you have, you need a good fan on your porch. The Summers in the South are brutal but an evening breeze with a boost from a fan can work wonders.

These are the essentials for me. I think the best porches server multiple purposes. A place to entertain, a place to read, a place to watch nature, all from one place.

My porch is always a work in progress. I am always moving things and changing things around. If you don’t have a porch, you can enjoy mine. You saw a corner of it in the Tablescape Thursday a couple of weeks ago. I’ll be sharing more of it with you eventually. I would love to hear what you think a porch must have. Let me know in the comment section and we can all share our ideas. Go out and make this a great week!

Today’s Lagniappe: Cheese Hooies
These are from a 1964 edition of A Cook’s Tour of Shreveport by the Junior League of Shreveport.

1 pound butter
1 pound sharp American cheese
7 cups sifted flour
4 teaspoons salt
Cayenne – amount depending on personal taste

Grate cheese into butter and cream well together. Add salt and cayenne, then work in flour until well blended. This takes a good while, and a lot of “working.” Knead on board until smooth. Roll into a long, thin roll and put into refrigerator and chill thoroughly. When chilled, slice in thin slices and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven until slightly brown, 8 – 10 minutes. dust with powdered sugar.

These will keep indefinitely in a tightly covered container. Rolls of dough may be frozen and sliced as needed.  – Mrs. Robert H. Nelson

Christi’s note: while it says they may be kept indefinitely, I wouldn’t advise it.

Photo by kdnxdr


Posted

in

,

by

Comments

3 responses to “A Southern Porch”

  1. Dede Avatar
    Dede

    There are two things missing. A good book and a tall glass of ice-cold sweet tea!! Other than that, it’s perfect!

  2. […] my post yesterday Southern Porch, some of my Facebook friends helped me out by telling me what they thought a good front porch MUST […]

  3. Robin Rane' ~ All Things Heart and Home Avatar

    I’m with you on the pourch and the ferns! Great photo!
    Robinn
    All Things Heart and Home

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *