Usually, I like to made visits to A Southern Life happy and uplifting. Today, I’m just kind of sad. Last week I posted about the terrible consequences of the oil rig explosion on the beautiful Gulf Coast. Today, I am shocked at the pictures coming out of Tennessee of the horrific flooding. I have many friends and followers from Tennessee and I’m not seeing a great deal of coverage of this on the news. Here is what is happening to the wonderful people of Tennessee:

Downtown near the river.

Grand Ole Opry

Hard Rock Cafe - Nashville

Here is a picture inside the Gaylord Opryland Hotel before the flood:

Check out the inside after the flooding:

Please pray for our friends in Tennessee!

Today’s Lagniappe: Tennessee Sin
This is a wonderful and delicious recipe. Enjoy!

2 loaves round sourdough bread
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup chopped cooked ham or bacon
1/3 cup chopped onions or green onions
1/3 cup chopped red or green bell pepper
1/3 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Slice off top 1/4 of bread loaf. Hollow out bottom, leaving a 1″ shell. Cut bread top and other loaf into cubes. Bake shell for 12 minutes.

Beat cream cheese at med. speed with mixer until smooth. Add sour cream and beat until creamy. Stir in Cheddar cheese and next 4 ingredients. Spoon into bread shell. Wrap in foil and place on baking sheet.

Bake 30 min. Wrap bread cubes in foil & bake 15 minutes.

Outdoor Wednesday with A Southern Daydreamer

I’ve been looking back over past posts and came across one I wanted to share with you. It is from February 27, 2008. Just a little less than two months after I started A Southern Life.

I had no idea the impact blogging would have on my life or how many wonderful people I would get to come in contact with. I just thought I would share a little about my life and my thoughts about life and living and entertaining, etc. What has happened instead is that while I still share, I feel like I get so much more from everyone who visits here than I could possibly offer in return.

In this post, I share a story of a visit to Steven’s Point, Wisconsin. Every time I think of this story, I am reminded of the wonderful Bible verse from Hebrews 13:2

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

A Southern Life is now read in all 50 states and 103 countries/territories around the world! I am honored and humbled by that. Happy Sunday to all and a wonderful week to follow!
From February 27, 2008:

Southern Friends

I was looking at my blog statistics this morning and am happy to tell you that we have readers from 42 states and 12 countries reading this blog. Y’all are wonderful. The 3rd most visitors are from New York! Thank you to all you readers everywhere.

In my previous life, as I traveled for business, I found that there are wonderful, warm people all over the United States. I remember being at a little shop in New Jersey (where I bought my husband a big coffee cup that he still uses every day) talking to the store clerk. She asked me where I was from. I guess from my accent she surmised that I wasn’t from around there. We visited a little and I told her that the people from New Jersey had been very nice. She said “You’re kidding!” She was surprised that the people from New Jersey had been nice.

Now, you know, I love the South and don’t want to live anywhere else but I love visiting all over and meeting people from everywhere. I was surprised that we don’t have any readers from Wisconsin. Since they are not here, I’m going to tell a story on them. If you know anyone from Wisconsin, you can share this story with them.

I traveled to Stevens Point, Wisconsin to do some work for the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. I don’t remember the month but it was very, very cold. If I recall correctly, I was staying at a Hampton Inn. Because there was so much snow and it was so cold, I decided to walk across the street to a little pub for supper. Because I traveled alone so much, I was used to eating out by myself. I was seated and had ordered a drink when two ladies approached my table. They asked if they could visit with me a moment. Intrigued, I agreed. After being seated, they told me that they were local school teachers. They had traveled in Europe the previous Summer and remembered how the Europeans would invite traveling strangers to dine with them. They had discussed it among themselves when they saw me come in alone and had decided to do the same. They invited me to join them and their friends to share a meal. I was so surprised and pleased. I joined them and we shared good food in a warm place on a cold Wisconsin evening. Now, wasn’t that nice of them. I will always think of Stevens Point, Wisconsin as a warm and hospitable town thanks to those dear ladies. Who knew, Southern hospitality in Wisconsin?

Thank you to everyone who reads this blog. Although, I don’t know many of you personally, I count you as friends.

By the way, my husband is telling me I ought to write on weekends. I’m thinking about it, maybe just on Saturdays so I’ll still have a day off.

Today’s Lagniappe: Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup
I know it’s not Southern but telling the story made me think of it

4 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chopped green onion, green tops and white base.
1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped cabbage
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup good Wisconsin beer
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cups half and half (“half and half” is half heavy cream and half milk), heated
2 cups shredded aged Wisconsin Cheddar cheese (use aged cheese for better flavor)
(if you wish, one pound cooked sausage in bite-sized chunks)

• Melt butter in large, heavy pan
• Add onion, carrot and cabbage
• Cook and stir over medium-high heat until onions and vegetables become translucent
• Stir in flour, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly
• Add broth, beer and mustard. Stir well until mixture reaches a boil.
• Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• Add hot half and half and cheese, and if you wish, cooked smoked sausage.
• Stir and warm gently until heated through and cheese is melted.
• 8 servings.

Join Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday favorites and Charlotte and Ginger at Blogger Spirit for Spiritual Sunday and enjoy your Sunday!

My friend, Linda Howell, is a true Southern lady. She is warm and gracious and funny. Linda is an actress. She is a National Chautauqua Scholar who performs as Laura Ingalls Wilder and gives stunning performances as a part of the We the People Players who perform War Letters by Andrew Carrol.

I attended a meeting with Linda where a woman started pretty much telling us how she thought Southerners were uncultured. Oh my stars, that was funny. Miss Linda smiled and told her she was sorry that was her experience and then went on to tell her about several of the talented, successful people from our small town. I’m not sure that the other woman got it, but she had just been told off in the quintessential way that only a true Southern lady can do.

Linda is fun. After going to lunch together one day in January, she was saying that we needed to have good luck this year. She said “I know where there is a buckeye tree! – Let’s go get some.” She said this as she was passing the turn off to my street. She continued to her friend’s house and there, sure enough, was a buckeye tree. We got out and found a few to keep for good luck. Unexpected little side trips like that are not unusual when you are riding with Linda.

It’s good to have good friends.

Today’s Lagniappe: Mediterranean Salad
The weather is warm this week and it puts me in the mood for a good salad.

1/2 lb. small new red potatoes
1/2 C. olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 crushed garlic clove
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
6 C. mixed salad greens
1 large tomato, cut into thin wedges
1 green pepper, cut into thin rings
1 small purple onion, cut into thin rings
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 C. feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water about 25 minutes or until they are tender. Drain well, and cool to warm. Thinly slice and place them in a serving bowl. In a jar or measuring cup combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, basil, oregano, pepper and salt. Mix well with a whisk or place the lid on the jar and shake. Pour over potatoes and marinate for 1 hour. Drain the marinade off into a measuring cup, and set aside the potatoes. Place the greens in a large salad bowl. Arrange the potatoes, tomato wedges, green pepper, red onion, cucumber, and Feta cheese over the greens. Serve with the marinade on the side for a dressing.