A Southern Life

One of the great blessings in life is to have a wonderful mother. I enjoy visiting with my own mother and I also enjoy hearing her talk about her mother, my grandmother. I was fortunate enough to have my maternal grandmother on earth until I was in my early 30’s.

It is wonderful to have a mother and grandmother who love the Lord and teach His ways.

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Proverbs 31:10-12 and 25-31(NIV)

It is  Sunday so we will join Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday favorites and Charlotte and Ginger at Blogger Spirit for Spiritual Sunday. Enjoy your Sunday and Happy Independence Day!

Today’s favorite post remembers my grandmother, Johnnie Lloyd – from July 20, 2009

Southern Memories

I was talking to my Mama about recipes that were handed down to her from her mother. Grandmother was a great home cook. Nothing complicated but a lot of goooood food. Grandmother knew how to stretch a dollar but still create flavorful meals.

Here are a couple of our favorites:

Hamburger Steak
Breaded and fried=down home goodness

Form ground beef (also known as hamburger meat) into thick patties. If you want to add chopped onion and Worcestershire sauce before you form the patties that is also good.

Mix together an egg and some milk in one bowl and put flour seasoned with salt and pepper in another bowl. Dip the hamburger patties in the egg mixture and then the flour mixture.

Fry the breaded hamburger steaks in hot oil until done.

Grandaddy Potatoes
These were Grandaddy’s favorite potatoes. We always call them Grandaddy Potatoes.

Boil small potatoes (either red or small russet) in salted water. Serve the boiled potatoes whole. Serve with butter and sour cream. You can mash them with your fork at the table and add the butter and sour cream and salt and pepper. Simple and good.

Plum Dumplings
My mother tells me that when grandmother canned plums that she saved the juice from canning to make these plum dumplings. Just in case you don’t happen to be canning plums, you can use this recipe.

Make the dumpling batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup milk

Stir flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients, using a pastry cutter or fork. Add milk to form dough. Set dumpling dough aside.

Prepare Plums:

1 lb of plums pitted and diced
1/2 cup sugar
spices to taste if you like (such as nutmeg or ginger)
2 cups water

Combine all of the above and bring to a boil. Drop dumpling mixture by tablespoons into the boiling plum mixture. Cover the pot and cook for 20 to 30 minutes.

Actually, grandmother rolled out her dumpling dough and cut it into squares. You could always do that if you like as well.

I love recipes that are passed down. My grandmother loved to cook for her family and I remember many happy times at her table. No, none of these recipes are fancy or complicated. They are just simple and good.

Join Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday favorites and Charlotte and Ginger at Blogger Spirit for Spiritual Sunday and enjoy your Sunday!
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! You have seen my favorite post for today many times. I was thinking this past week that I need to write another “Daddy-isms” post. My dad had a lot of great things to say that have stuck with this daughter even now, nearly 18 years after he died.

One that keeps coming back to me is:

“If your problems can be solved by money, you don’t really have problems.”

This has been going through my mind this week as I watch the tragedy of the oil spill on the Gulf Coast and after our local community lost a wonderful lady who was a leader and who gave very generously of her time and talent.

It is true, lost lives and a lost way of life can’t be recovered by any amount of money. Money problems are tough, no doubt about it! But, life and health are very precious and are worth more than gold!

Okay, on to my Sunday Favorite. One more time for Southern Daddy-isms – originally posted January 26th, 2009:

Since I posted Mama-isms, one of my two beautiful sisters requested that I give equal time to Daddy-isms. My Daddy died in 1992 at the age of 54 of cancer. Daddy was a big, lovable man, full of integrity and loved by all who knew him. He laughed a lot and smiled a lot and I am very blessed to have had such a great Daddy. He was a very optimistic and positive man who had sayings that deserve equal time as well as a few funny memories.

When asked how are you his response was invariably, “If I was any better I couldn’t stand it!”

You can’t go through life looking in the rear-view mirror.

About anyone who was a good cook – You’re a good cooker.

About Marriage – Love is important but commitment is equally important.

The Bible is a book that is meant to be understood by reading.

When we were kids, my younger sister had a slumber party on March 31st one year. The following morning, my Daddy woke all of the sleeping girls and told them to be calm but to hurry outside because the house was on fire. When they were all safely outside he called to them from the door “April Fools.” He loved to pull April Fools jokes but that was one of the best.

Daddy loved to swim and he made sure we all had swimming lessons. He would take us to the pool and delight us by throwing us high in the air. We would wear him out by begging him to throw us again.

He would wake us up in the morning by turning on the light and singing (loudly)

Good morning to you,
Good morning to you,
We’re all in our places
With bright shiny faces.
For this is the way,
To start a new day.

If we didn’t wake up after the singing, he would stand at the end of the bed and say chop, chop, chop (as he was falling forward) to give us time to get up before he said TIMBER and fell on top of us. To my recollection, he never actually fell on top of any of us.

I could go on and on. As you can see, Daddy was a fun guy.

Today’s Lagniappe: Recipe for Spinach Madeleine or Crawfish Spinach Dip

I spent the afternoon yesterday with my friend Darlene planning our upcoming Mardi Gras party and it put me in mind of something with a little New Orleans’ Flavor. This is copied from Chef John Folse & Company Website. If you don’t have the River Road Cookbooks, look for them, they are great.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Yields: 5-6 Servings

Comment:
This traditional Louisiana recipe was first presented in River Road’s cookbook from the Junior League of Baton Rouge. It is safe to say that this single recipe made the book world famous. In the late 1990s, Kraft foods did away with their jalapeño cheese roll which was originally used in the recipe. Recently, an alert customer informed us that Kraft’s Velveeta line introduced a similar Mexican cheese.

Ingredients:

* 2 packages chopped spinach, frozen
* 4 tbsps butter
* 2 tbsps flour
* 2 tbsps chopped onions
* ½ cup evaporated milk
* ½ cup reserved spinach liquor
* ½ tsp black pepper
* ¾ tsp celery salt
* ¾ tsp garlic salt
* 6 ounces Velveeta Mexican cheese, sliced into ¼-inch cubes
* salt and red pepper to taste
* 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Method:
Cook spinach according to directions on package. Drain and reserve liquid. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add flour, stirring until blended and smooth, but not brown. Add onions and sauté 3-5 minutes or until wilted. Add evaporated milk, spinach liquor and Worcestershire sauce slowly, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook mixture until smooth and thick, stirring constantly. Add seasonings and cubed cheese. Stir until melted and combine with cooked spinach. This may be served immediately or put into a casserole and topped with buttered bread crumbs. The flavor is improved if the latter is done and kept in refrigerator overnight.

This traditional dish can be spruced up for the holidays by adding ¼ cup diced red bell peppers when the onions are sautéed.

There are other great dishes that can be made with this versatile recipe, such as:

Crawfish Spinach Dip: Add 1 pound of Louisiana crawfish tails when you add the cheese and serve warm with tortilla chips or crackers

It is another beautiful Sunday here in my neighborhood! I’m so thankful for a day of rest. Things have been so crazy busy around here, it is good to rest and re-charge. It is also time for:

with Chari at Happy to Design. Hope you have a great Sunday morning. This is a favorite from last year called

Southern Retro

Back in the late 80’s my little sister got married. Before her wedding, my Grandpa’s wife, Betty, hosted a beautiful bridesmaid luncheon in their home. Betty is a wonderful person and a most gracious hostess. For this luncheon, she served this unbelievably delicious chicken dish. Recently, I asked my sister if she still had the recipe. She told me she had made it many times and she sent it to me with her notes.

CHICKEN DELIGHT

4 chicken breast, cooked and cut into small pieces (I usually use 5)
1 2oz. Jar pimientos
1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts
½ cup slivered almonds
¼ tsp. Celery salt
dash of pepper
2 TBsp. Lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cream of chicken soup (or mushroom)
1 3 oz. Can onion rings

Mix chicken, pimientos, water chestnuts, almonds, celery salt, pepper, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and chicken soup. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with onion rings and bake for another 20 minutes. (Serves 4)

This is a really good recipe if you are cooking for a luncheon.

Here are some pics from the shower (remember, this was around 20 years ago!).

Here I am (on the left) with my little sis

And here with both my sisters (from left to right: me, Linda and our big sis' Tammy)

How do you love the big hair?!

Alright, I’m outa here. Headin’ to Vicksburg, Mississippi this weekend. My husband attended All Saint’s Episcopal School there and we are going to meet with some people about a reunion planned for the fall. Happy Weekend everyone!

Want to find some great recipes? Head on over to Foodie Friday with Designs by Gollum!

Today’s Lagniappe: Linda’s Holiday Chicken Salad
My sister, Linda also sent me the recipe for this casserole that she says is wonderful. Haven’t had a chance to make it yet, but, trust me, if she says it is good, it is!

Stew 4 chicken breast ( I usually do 5) reserve broth

Combine ½ cup melter butter
seasoning packet
2 Stove Top Stuffing mix ( I use wild rice)

Combine 2 cups sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup
1 ½ cups broth

In 9 X 13 dish:
1. put layer of crumb mixture
2. chicken
3. liquid mixture
4. remaining crumbs
5. top with slivered almonds (don’t add until ready to cook, if your freezing)

Bake at 350 30 minutes

It has really gotten HOT around here. Summer my not officially start until June 21, but in my mind it is already officially SUMMER! Below is a favorite post for Sunday Favorites from June 19th, 2009 about one of my favorite summer memories.

Join Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday favorites  and enjoy your Sunday!

This coming Sunday, summer is officially here! Nothing says summer to me more than watermelon. I remember, as a kid, eating ice cold watermelon on hot summer evenings. We always ate it outside since it can get kind of messy. Every time I eat watermelon, it brings back good memories of those simpler times and makes me feel a little bit like a kid again.

Many years ago, my father owned a grocery store in Norman, Oklahoma. Daddy was a master at picking out produce for the store. I remember, one time, for some reason, one of his refrigeration trucks full of watermelons was parked in front of our house. The truck had two small doors over the cab, in addition to the back door. My older brother and sister, Jay and Tammy, climbed up on the cab, through the small windows and dropped down into the truck. Once inside, they proceeded to eat watermelon.

Come to find out, getting in the truck was a lot easier than getting out. They couldn’t get back up to the doors to get out. Fortunately, my parents found them and they got out safe and sound and full of watermelon.

Daddy could give classes on how to pick out good watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries and on and on. Here are some of his tips on watermelons:

• Choose a watermelon that is uniform in size.
• Look for the light yellow side of the watermelon. This light color forms as that side of the watermelon is on the ground while it is ripening. Watermelons do not continue ripening once the are cut so you want to choose one that ripened as it was on the vine, in the field.
• Look for a watermelon that is blemish free and has a hard rind. Many people check the hardness of the rind by thumping on the watermelon. A thump that makes a hollow sound means the rind is hard. Personally, I just kind of knock on them to see if the rind feels hard.
• Choose a watermelon that is a deep green and dull in color. Hopefully, your store will not polish their watermelons so you will be able to see the dullness.

Refrigerate the watermelon or ice it down in an ice chest for several hours to get it really cold before slicing it.

Join Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday by clicking on the logo.

Today’s Lagniappe: Watermelon Basil Vinegrette
Use this yummy vinegrette over greens and garnish with sweet chunks of watermelon.

4 cups fresh watermelon, chopped and drained
1/4 cup red onion, diced small
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
3/4 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp fresh basil chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine watermelon, red onion, champagne vinegar, canola oil, basil, and parsley in a blender. Pulse on and off about 30 seconds until combined. Add pepper to taste.

Thanks for stopping by this Sunday. My favorite post for this week is appropriate for the Memorial Day weekend. It is about my father-in-law, Dr. Joe B. Wharton, Jr., who was a wonderful man who loved the Lord. This is the quote, my husband, Joe B. Wharton III is reminded of when he tells about his father:

May the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be amongst you, and remain with you always.

I love the phrase “peace of God, which passeth all understanding.” The peace of God is what gets you through the rough stuff, huh? From May 24th, 2009:

Southern Memorial Day

This is my first time joining the Blue Monday posts at Smiling Sally’s. Can’t wait to see what everybody is doing this Monday.

In honor of Memorial Day, today, I am posting Navy Blue.

Specifically U. S. Navy blue.

I want to tell you about my father-in-law, Dr. Joe B. Wharton Jr. Dr. Joe B., as he was known, was a Navy doctor during World War II. He served in the South Pacific. One of our treasures is the letters that he and my mother-in-law, Iola Holt Wharton, exchanged during his service in the South Pacific.

During Dr. Joe B.’s service, John F. Kennedy was injured on PT109. Dr. Joe B. was the doctor who attended him. John F. Kennedy and Dr. Joe B. had become friends before Mr. Kennedy’s injury and continued corresponding for many years after the war.

In 1961 The Saturday Evening Post wrote an article about John F. Kennedy’s adventures during the war. They ran the picture below.

Below is the full picture.

That is Dr. Joe B. on the left with John F. Kennedy. The dog had been adopted by JFK and the cat had been adopted by Dr. Joe B. As you can see, they were holding the pet that belonged to the other in the picture. The Saturday Evening Post contacted Dr. Joe B. for permission to use the picture with him in it. At that time, Dr. Wharton had a busy medical practice in El Dorado, Arkansas and never got around to getting back to them with permission to run the picture with him. They cropped him out and ran the picture without him.

There are several letters of correspondence between Dr. Joe B. and JFK during JFK’s presidency. These are archieved at the JFK Presidential Library.

On Memorial Day, we remember. This is just a small story from World War II that I wanted to share with you.

Hope you are all having a wonderful Memorial Day. Don’t forget to take time to honor those who have and continue to keep us safe!

Today’s Lagniappe: Red, White and Blue Salad

* 1 package (3 ounces) berry blue gelatin
* 2 cups boiling water, divided
* 2-1/2 cups cold water, divided
* 1 cup fresh blueberries
* 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream
* 6 tablespoons sugar
* 2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 package (3 ounces) raspberry gelatin
* 1 cup fresh raspberries
* Whipped topping and additional berries, optional

Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve berry blue gelatin in 1 cup boiling water; stir in 1 cup cold water. Add blueberries. Pour into a 3-qt. serving bowl. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Add the cream and sugar; cook and stir over low heat until gelatin and sugar are completely dissolved. cool to room temperature. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla. Spoon over the blue layer. Refrigerate until firm.
In a large bowl, dissolve raspberry gelatin in remaining hot water; stir in remaining cold water. Add raspberries. Spoon over cream layer. Chill until set. Garnish with whipped topping and additional berries if desired. Yield: 14-16 servings.

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

Happy Sunday! I am remembering a past post where I just took a stroll around the yard and enjoyed God’s majesty!

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the
glory and the majesty and the splendour,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours,
O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
1 Chronicles 29:11

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

From June 16, 2009

Southern Stroll in the Yard

We have had a lot of rain lately. This afternoon after the rain, I took a stroll through the yard and snapped a couple of pics for Outdoor Wednesday with A Southern Daydreamer.

Click on the logo to see some great outdoor pics.

Okay, so here we go for the stroll.

Here is another pic of the little robin teenager looking for worms. We are so glad that they have stuck around. Apparently, they will stay within 1/4 mile of the nest.

Here is the garden. A little soggy,but loving the rain.

Can’t wait to harvest some of the vegetables out of the garden. They are growing really fast. I usually already am able to harvest by this time but got a little bit of a late start this year.

I've had this for a long time. I just moved it to the veggie garden.

You can see the clover, as well as the veggies, love the rain.

She Who Loves A Garden
Has A Very Special Treasure
For She Has Found Her Private Paradise.

Today’s Lagniappe: Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
This recipe is very similar to the Lemon Thyme Cookies, only with Rosemary. Hmmmm!

By the way, a friend asked what a lagniappe is – it is “a little something extra.”

What a beautiful Sunday this is! I’m itching to get out to my porch. We saw some beautiful yellow birds at the feeder this morning as well as cardinals and our ever present doves and blue jays. It is a very colorful world at the bird feeder! I’m reminded of a post from the porch last May.

For

Join Chari at Happy to Design.

From May 4th 2009:

Southern Porch

Today, I’m joining Barb at Grits and Glamour for her porch and patio party. You may be wondering what happened to the series on Southern food. Well, it’s still here. You see, porches and Southern food go together like greens and ham hocks.

Back in the day, they didn’t have air conditioners. So, Southerners would often gather in the shade of the porch on Summer evenings after supper to enjoy the relative coolness of the evening. Remember, it gets blazing hot and very humid down South; so we are always looking for cool spots.

July and August are traditionally favorite times for church socials on the grounds, community barbecues and other outdoor gatherings that centered around food. The crops were already in the ground, and it was a good time for everyone to take a little bit of a break.

Some of the favorites at these gatherings were fried chicken, deviled eggs, potato salad (a true Southerner knows to steer clear of potato salad that has been sitting out in the Summer heat). There would always be desserts and lots of sweet tea.

One year, when I was growing up, my Mama and Grandaddy, decided to get some chickens to “process” in Grandaddy’s backyard. Now, the chicken I always ate came from the grocery store, and I really didn’t want to have anything to do with the actual “killing” of the chickens. When I told Mama this, she informed me that the dead ones were the only kind you could eat! Well, she’s right about that.

Here are pictures from one of my porches. I still love to sit on the porch in the evenings, listening to the birds sing and enjoying the world. Of course, there will be recipes at the end!

View from the yard. That's a bird feeder in the fore-ground.

Lobelia and white petunias. There will be morning glory growing up that rail soon!

That is an old salvaged window fitted with mirrors and then decorated with gallery glass. This is my 2nd time around entry. Love how this worked out. Click on pic to see more 2nd time around entries.

A place to sit and watch the birds.

A place to pot flowers.

A place to sit and eat that good Southern food or read a good book.

A closer look at the table. I like to change this out.

Some greenery. See the nest at the top. More pics of that tomorrow!

One more view.

Thanks for coming to the party on the porch. Now for some food!

Today’s Lagniappe: Mama’s Southern Fried Chicken
Mama tells me that to get it really crispy you need to fry it in shortening or lard.

shortening or lard
1 chicken, about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds, cut up
2 cups flour
salt
pepper
seasoning salt

Salt the chicken. Heat the shortening or lard in a large skillet. Combine the flour with seasoning salt and pepper. Roll each piece of chicken in flour and place in the hot fat (about 370° F). Put the largest pieces in first, in the hottest part of the skillet. Arrange the chicken pieces in the fat, making sure not to overcrowd. Fry the chicken until outside is golden brown and crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes, turning once to brown both sides. Reduce heat and fry until cooked through golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Turn once. Drain chicken on brown paper or paper towels

The fat should be deep enough to cover the pieces when it boils up, but make sure you use a deep skillet, preferably one made for frying chicken, and watch carefully.

Recently I posted pictures of the steep hills that I encounter on my daily walks. These steep hills and long walks are made much more bearable by the beautiful scenery that I see as I pass by. Our lives are like that. Sometimes, we encounter steep hills but they are made bearable by trusting in God’s goodness!

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us — they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5: 3-5 TLB

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

From April 13th, 2010:

Southern Ramblings

I’ve been “rambling” a lot lately. By rambling, I mean walking. Generally, I spend my day at my desk, creating websites, blogs and social media as well as other internet marketing activities, so my daily walk is very important!

I thought I’d show you a couple of the more challenging parts of my walk. This hill is a real leg burner. At the top, you turn left and continue to climb!

This is another favorite hill:

Oh well, at least I have lovely scenery to distract me! The wisteria, azaleas and iris are blooming now and they are gorgeous!

a little baby wisteria bush.

I loved seeing the pretty red azaleas and dogwoods blooming at the same time.

Snowballs and purple iris.

I have to avert my eyes from the crepe murder that is going on. I also saw a redbud being cut down today – horrors! I am quite proud of myself for refraining from yelling “STOP” to neighbors who are committing these crimes 🙂 Of course, I can always tell all my blog friends about it and we can be suitably horrified together. What’s going on in your neighborhood?

A few outdoor pics for Outdoor Wednesday with A Southern Daydreamer and Rednesday! with It’s a Very Cherry and today’s lagniappe is a great idea for Crockpot Wedneday with Dining with Debbie.

Today’s Lagniappe: Cheesy Corn Dip
Serve this with corn chips.

1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup creamed corn
1/2 cup fresh OR frozen corn kernels
1 can (4 ounce) diced green chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker and mix thoroughly. Cover; cook on high heat setting about 1 hour.

Everywhere I look, new life is beginning, the trees and flowers have bloomed, the birds are busy building nests for new life. New life is everywhere. Thank you Lord for all of your blessings! Thank you for the new life we can have in you through your Son, Jesus!

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new
~2 Corinthians 5:17

Look around and see how the Lord has blessed us with so much abundance!

This post is from June 9th, 2009:

My neighbor across the street recently made a discovery. She was watering a little garden area in her front yard and these little baby bunnies hopped out. They weren’t too happy about getting wet!

Aren't they adorable?

My husband put his hand in the pic so you can tell how small they are!

This one got a little wet.

They weren't real happy about being disturbed.

This one is ready to get back to the nest.

So, we shooed them back under the tree. We didn’t want any neighborhood cats to find them! What a fun treat to get to see these little ones!

Today’s Lagniappe: Summer Tomato Sandwich
With fresh tomatoes available, you gotta find ways to use their yummy goodness!

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

Soon, it will be time to put in the garden. Gardening is an act of faith. Planting a seed and watching it grow is always miraculous to me. Man first met God in a garden.

“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in in the east, in Eden;
and there he put the man he had formed.”
Genesis 2:8

Jesus prayed in a garden.

Entering the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go yonder and pray.” Taking with Him Peter, James, and John, He went deep into the garden, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then, He said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here and watch with Me.” And going a little farther, he fell on His face and prayed,
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me;
nevertheless, not as I will but as Thou wilt.”

A garden is a very special thing! This post is from April 24, 2009:

This is the weekend I put in my garden – starting today. I’ve planted my seeds, tended the seedlings, transferred them into bigger pots and now, I’m ready for the real deal.

I will be tilling the plot, getting rid of the grass and weeds, amending the soil, making rows, then TA DA!!!, planting the vegetables and flowers. This is a pretty labor intensive way to save money, but, it is a labor of love. And, it is well worth it.

Nothing tastes better than home-grown vegetables that you have tended with your own hands. Not only do I get to have yummy veggies and lovely flowers, I get to have the pleasure of accomplishment, the gratitude for the blessing of the earth and a connection to generations and generations going back forever who have planted seeds to grow food and flowers for their homes.

Here is some gardening wisdom from Mary Anne Potter of Herban Renewal Farms of Ponca City, Oklahoma. She is an herbal gardener who wrote a lovely book called Herbal Pleasures. Her words of gardening wisdom are wise words for life as well.

Gardening Wisdom

1. Begin early. But it’s never too late to start.

2. If it doesn’t work, try something else.

3. Life is fragile. Protect it.

4. Life is enduring. Trust it.

5. Life is daily. Water it. Weed it. Prune it.

6. Life is indescribably beautiful. Enjoy it and say thank you.

7. Growth takes time. Be patient. And While you are waiting, pull a weed.

8. There’s something for everybody – different blooms for different rooms.

9. Pruning hurts. Pruning helps you grow.

10. Recycle. Reuse. Restore. Repair. Reduce. Redo.

11. Sometimes the tiniest flowers smell the sweetest.

12. To everything there is a season.

13. Dream big. But try not to let your joy turn into drudgery.

14. Grow what you love. the love will keep it growing.

15. Remember, never kiss by the garden gate. Love is blind, but the neighbors ain’t.

Isn’t that lovely? My mother gave me this lovely little book. Okay, off to the garden. I’ll take pics to show y’all next week.

Have a wonderful and blessed weekend!

Today’s Lagniappe: Garden Veggie Quiche

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 cup sliced mushrooms
* 1/2 med. zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
* 1/2 small onion, diced
* 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
* 1/3 cup shredded carrots
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 5 eggs
* 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 9-inch pie crust

1. Heat olive oil in medium size pan.
2. Add veggies, garlic, and salt and saute until soft.
3. While veggies are cooling a little, mix together eggs, ricotta, and Parmesan until fully combined.
4. Stir veggies into egg mixture and pour into pie shell.
5. Cook at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

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

Spring has finally “officially arrived!

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

After a long and cold winter, it is wonderful to see Spring again.

“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow,
nor reap nor gather into barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not worth much more than they?
“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
“And why are you worried about clothing?
Observe how the lilies of the field grow;
they do not toil nor do they spin,
yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory
clothed himself like one of these.
Matt 6:26-29 (NASB)

From April 28, 2009:

It is Outdoor Wednesday at our friend A Southern Daydreamer’s blog. Here is our entry in the post. These are pics from where I used to live. Spring in the Ozarks.

A sunrise like this makes it worth it to get up really early!

Redbuds and tulip trees.

This was the view from the deck. See the lake in the background?

Beautiful view!

More of the redbuds.

One last shot.

I loved living in that house. The view was great and the sunrises were greater!

See the other Outdoor Wednesday posts.

Today’s Lagniappe: Pasta Primavera

12 ounces pasta, bowtie noodles
2 yellow squash, thinly sliced
10 ounces asparagus spears, cut in 2″ pieces
8 ounces baby carrots, cut lengthwise, half
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup sour cream, light
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Add pasta to a large pot of boiling water and cook 10 minutes. Add squash, asparagus and carrots and cook 8 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender. Drain and place in a large serving bowl.

Meanwhile put flour in a large skillet. Slowly whisk in milk until blended, taking care to get into corners of skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat, whisk in sour cream, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Pour over pasta mixture and stir to mix and coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

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

It is 13 days to SPRING! Along with all the beautiful color that spring brings also comes the spring storms. That is the way it is in life as well. Sometimes we experience the storms in life, but eventually, the sun will shine again.

..Weeping may endure for a night,
but Joy Comes in The Morning.

Psalm 30:5

I love how my dad looked at the strong storms as I tell in this post from March 25, 2009:

It is storm season in the South again. We had a nice one come through yesterday. A lot of rain and wind with a little thunder and lightening thrown in. It wasn’t too bad. When I was a little girl, I was terrified of storms. I would get sick whenever the tornado sirens went off. Finally, one really stormy Spring, the sirens went off so often that I finally got where they didn’t bother me any more.

My daddy used to say “God’s stuttin’ His stuff” when we would have a big storm or a beautiful sunset or some other awesome event. Again, I am reminded how blessed I am to have grown up in my family.

Speaking of family, Mama is on Facebook now. They say the fastest growing demographic on Facebook is people over 30. If you are on facebook, come on over and “friend” me (Christi Dicus Wharton). I would love to meet you. There is also actually a page for this blog. You can search on “A Southern Life” and become a fan if you like and post comments and stuff.

Alright, off to finish my tablescape for tomorrows post. Y’all have a great Wednesday!

Today’s Lagniappe: Asparagus Two Ways
I love asparagus and Spring is a great time to get it. Here are two recipes. I love the asparagus with the lemon butter sauce and that is the way I usually make it but the fried asparagus sounds really good. I like how the recipe sounds and will try it.

Asparagus with Lemon Butter Sauce

Clean and trim asparagus and then steam until tender. Melt some butter in a small saucepan. Squeeze in some lemon juice and a little salt and pepper (add a little garlic powder if desired). Stir the sauce and then pour over the asparagus. If you would like a little thicker sauce, it can be thickened with a little cornstarch and water mixture.

Fried Asparagus
This recipe says to fry in olive oil but since olive oil has such a low smoke point, I might substitute canola or vegetable oil.

1 pound of asparagus, trimmed.
1 medium egg.
4 ounces of freshly-grated Romano cheese.
1 cup of fine dry breadcrumbs.
1 tablespoon of milk.
Olive oil, for frying.
Salt and pepper.
Instructions for Fried Asparagus:

In boiling, salted water, cook the asparagus spears until just tender.
Drain on paper towels.
In a bowl, beat the egg with milk.
Dip the asparagus in the egg/milk mix, then into the breadcrumbs.
Heat enough olive oil to cover the asparagus in a deep fryer or a large skillet.
Fry the asparagus until lightly browned.
Drain on paper towels.
Season with your desired amount of salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with grated Romano cheese.

Photo by Chrislrmo

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

This post about planting garden seeds is from last January. As I mention in this post, planting a little seed and watching it grow into a real garden is always a miracle to me. God performs miracles in our lives every day, but so often we don’t see it. It is so good to take a break from all of the distractions of our modern age like TV, cell phones, etc. and watch a miracle in the form of a garden.

**

The time to plant seeds indoors to get a jump on the season will be here before you know it. Many seeds should be planted 4-8 weeks before the last frost inside and then transplanted outside when danger of frost has passed. If you don’t know your last frost date, check your state’s extension service. You may have to search around a little bit, depending on your state.

I also like to plant according to moon phases. You can check the moon phases here or check planting dates with the Farmer’s Almanac here. My grandmother was good about telling the weather by looking at the sky or the trees or the sun. She grew up on a farm and they didn’t have the methods we have now. I learned that she was usually right and it gives me a sense of peace to watch nature to see what it is trying to tell us.

Anyway, if you plan to plant anything from seed the time to order is now, if you haven’t already. If you haven’t ever grown anything from seed, try it. It is very special to put a seed in soil and watch it sprout into a full grown plant and then into something that actually bears fruit. It happens in gardens and fields all over the world every year, but to me it is always a miracle.

Gardening can really be a great source of therapy. Watching the cycles of nature. Nurturing plants and seeing them grow. It’s downright addictive.

Today’s Lagniappe: A Pepper Tidbit

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking. Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

This is my first time joining the Blue Monday posts at Smiling Sally’s. Can’t wait to see what everybody is doing this Monday.

In honor of Memorial Day, today, I am posting Navy Blue.

Specifically U. S. Navy blue.

I want to tell you about my father-in-law, Dr. Joe B. Wharton Jr. Dr. Joe B., as he was known, was a Navy doctor during World War II. He served in the South Pacific. One of our treasures is the letters that he and my mother-in-law, Iola Holt Wharton, exchanged during his service in the South Pacific.

During Dr. Joe B.’s service, John F. Kennedy was injured on PT109. Dr. Joe B. was the doctor who attended him. John F. Kennedy and Dr. Joe B. had become friends before Mr. Kennedy’s injury and continued corresponding for many years after the war.

In 1961 The Saturday Evening Post wrote an article about John F. Kennedy’s adventures during the war. They ran the picture below.

Below is the full picture.

That is Dr. Joe B. on the left with John F. Kennedy. The dog had been adopted by JFK and the cat had been adopted by Dr. Joe B. As you can see, they were holding the pet that belonged to the other in the picture. The Saturday Evening Post contacted Dr. Joe B. for permission to use the picture with him in it. At that time, Dr. Wharton had a busy medical practice in El Dorado, Arkansas and never got around to getting back to them with permission to run the picture with him. They cropped him out and ran the picture without him.

There are several letters of correspondence between Dr. Joe B. and JFK during JFK’s presidency. These are archieved at the JFK Presidential Library.

On Memorial Day, we remember. This is just a small story from World War II that I wanted to share with you.

Hope you are all having a wonderful Memorial Day. Don’t forget to take time to honor those who have and continue to keep us safe!