Biscuits at the Country Queen Cafe
Y’all . . . I am not lying, not even a little bit. When I bit into the biscuit at Country Queen Cafe on Bishop Road in Fairhope, I suwannee . . . I got a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat. They...
View ArticleWelcome Baskets
A few decades ago, after a series of particularly harsh winters, there was a significant migration of residents from the Northern states down to Dixieland. These frozen refugees filled our communities...
View ArticleMagnolia Grandiflora Mania
When the bright white magnolias appear on the dark green trees every May, they remind me of my Mississippi cousin, whose birthday is in May, and as a teen, performed a dramatic reading from Steele...
View ArticleMother’s Day with a Southern Mama
I’ll be taking off a few days to spend some time with my two favorite children for Mother’s Day. Here’s a replay of a previous post about things our Southern Mamas said . . . or Mothers anywhere, for...
View ArticleWinner winner chicken . . . cake?
I want to tell you about a fun prize I won, but first, this has been making its way around the internet, and for those of you who haven’t seen it, I thought I’d start your weekend off in an interesting...
View ArticleHarrison Scott Key
Perhaps it was in the Oxford American I first discovered Harrison Scott Key’s work, or maybe it was on his (late but great) blog, but I do remember that right away, I knew I had found a writer I...
View ArticleBack in Black
A few months after a cheerful parade celebrating her 100th birthday, complete with a ride in a convertible Corvette, my Great Aunt passed away, and I was thrown into a tizzy trying to find a dress to...
View ArticleSalt Water Cures the Itch
During the last weekend of August, we met friends at the beach for dinner, and upon seeing the Gulf, I recalled how the salty blue-green waters had soothed both our souls and bodies this past summer....
View ArticleNew-ish exhibits in Fairhope
We have some new -ish exhibits in two of our favorite Fairhope museums. I say “ish” because they’ve been on display for a few weeks, but I’ve been so busy quilting, churning butter and puttin’ up the...
View ArticlePicnic Time in Fairhope
Picnics!!! I just love them! Even though the weather in Fairhope has passed “warm,” and has officially soared into “hot,” it’s still so beautiful outside, we continue to move our meals outdoors in the...
View ArticleThe New Wave of the South
Readers of my blog who live in other parts of the United States have asked how I feel about the recent controversy over the Confederate flag and the senseless killings at Emanuel AME Church in...
View ArticleGo Set a Watchman
“Since Atlanta, she had looked out the dining-car window with a delight almost physical.” – first line of the new, “Go Set A Watchman” by Harper Lee If the rest of the world is excited about Harper...
View ArticleFirst, you make a roux . . .
A church to which I once belonged assembled a cookbook and asked all members to contribute their favorite recipes. Knowing the longevity of such books, my Mother wisely warned me not to submit recipes...
View ArticleA Lovely Alabama Wedding
There’s nothing happier than a beautiful girl on the day of her wedding, and Elizabeth showed her Southern charm as she dealt calmly with the summer storms that blew through the area moments before her...
View ArticleThe Greatest Love of All
It’s often said that food equals love, and there’s no more powerful proof of God’s love and downright favoritism for the South than in his ultimate gift of “Dinner on the Grounds,” but half the...
View ArticleBiscuits and Gravy — CHIPS?
Here’s a very important message: No. Uh-uh. Don’t do it. I’m partial to Golden Flake anyway, since they are made in Birmingham, Sweet Home Alabama, but I was tempted to stray with Lay’s promise of the...
View ArticleElvis gets my stamp of approval
I know y’all have been busy shopping, cooking and decorating in preparation for the 2015 Elvis Week. Things around here have been crazy with all the company in town, parties and gift giving, and of...
View ArticleHospitality lives on and on
This past week, I delivered not one, but two 7-Up Cakes to friends who were suffering from one kind of affliction or the other. Now, in and of themselves, 7-Up Cakes have no proven healing qualities...
View ArticleDonald Trump visits Alabama
I have my own personal opinions about politics, but I also like to listen to what others have to say. It’s fun to figure out why someone believes what they do. Where are they from? What is their...
View ArticleA Tour of Charming Benulee
Crepe Myrtles line the long winding drive that leads to Benulee, which is a derivative of the name, “Benu,” the Egyptian version of the Phoenix, which rose again from the ashes. Benulee in Fairhope...
View Article
