Junking in Georgia

Good bye June

O What a Beautiful Morning .. the very last day of June is here in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia.  It is in the 60's feels like the AC is on outside.  The month has gone by so rapidly.   High summer ... the time of a Mid-Summers Night Eve will follow the 4th of July in the weeks ahead of us.  Have you seen a firefly the sure sign of Summer?  I've yet to spot one.  I'll add that to my "to do" list.

Southern Cooking : 4th of July week

Paula Dean has made a good living with Southern cooking.  Food in New Orleans is something really special.. it simply tastes different there.   People who visit the South look for and want to taste real Southern food.  What is real Southern food?  I have been lucky enough to eat it most all of my life, but an answer to that question isn't easy.   I know it when it is in front of me or in my mouth, it is easy to tell when it misses the mark.  This week with the 4th coming I plan to post a few Southern cooking tips ..not that I am a Paula or anything :

tip #1 : Duke's mayonnaise   this is the mayonnaise of the gods I kid you not  don't fool yourself that it isn't that important.. chicken salad? potato salad?  the Duke's mayonnaise + a big fat South Georgia tomato + crispy bacon+ a little lettuce+ toasted wheat bread= a divine BLT sandwhich

tip #2  Southern Living magazine's recipes ... never, ever disappoint a true resource for Southern food.. usually simple with the reward of something special... Hummingbird layer cake is kitchen magic one of their most popular recipes 

tip# 3 Okra..ok, I heard you say yuck... African slaves brought this plant to the new world.. it is a member of the cotton family... some one sliced it up and coated it in flour and fried it.. that was genius   fried okra: the ultimate summer vegetable .. select only pinky finger size pods that are soft to the touch.. you can grill it or roast it as well.. my Grandmothers would boil it that is where the slimy legend comes from.. add it to gumbo or vegetable soup for flavor that is delightful

here's how to grill or roast it:

start with the small tender pods trim off the tops 

to grill :  toss the pods in canola oil salt and pepper thread them on skewers and grill on each side

about 2 to 4 minutes

to roast: leave pods whole trim off the tops toss with olive oil salt to taste roast on rimmed baking sheet @ 400 for 30 mins.. shake the sheet now and then 

BON APPETIT Y'ALL  a busy week lies ahead ... packing and outfits no closer to being together ... food to plan for the 4th ... you think some red bull would put my butt in gear?  no it might jolt me too much.. no need to make for difficulty for myself ......

Swearing in then the weekend

Happy Friday!  My son will be sworn in to the Bar of the State of Georgia this morning then we are off to North Carolina in search of some cooler weather.  I wish you a great summer weekend.  We are all most into July ... time flies doesn't it?  

A vintage family photo of a summer weekend long ago on Pudget Sound in Washington.  My husband and his Dad built this boat and got a lot of fun out of it.  Hope you find your own summer fun.

June in Georgia

It is hot.  I got an email from a friend at her lake house on Lake Whitewater, Wisconsin... she said it was 97 there.  We are able to water and to wash a car things that seem ordinary, but when you have been under strict restrictions for three years you enjoy the freedom.  I made a limited junking outing yesterday with not much luck.  I did find a designer handbag a Lily Pulitzer ... I love her fabrics and colors.. this one is a tote style bag.  Looking inside I spotted a tag with care instructions.. it said hand wash.. so I did.  The purse had some slight wear which disappeared with some tide and cold water. It now looks great.  A little research on ebay made me feel good about my find.. the same purse is listed with a starting bid of $99.  I have the same one for only a $2.00 investment and a little work.

My outfits for my trip are not much closer to coming together. I do have a new purse to take.   This trip includes a costume party.   The theme is the roaring 20's ... so I going to be a flapper for the evening.  

Got to Get it together

clothes, outfits for a trip that is two weeks away.. not just tee shirts and shorts but real clothes that grown ups wear to events.. have to focus and work on this ..  check the shoes and the underwear that sort of things.. ok, I can do this ... here goes... have a great week.. it is going to be a hot one here in Atlanta......

UPDATE  1:33 P.M.  outfits put together?  0

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL DADS

A tribute to my husband ....a Dad who makes it all happen and who holds it all together ..it isn't magic just hard work and lots of love.. thank you

The Longest Days of the Year

Last evening I suddenly realized that the next four days ahead will be the longest hours of daylight in the entire year.   We were driving through the mountains in the long twilight and it was beautiful.  The Scottish word for twilight is gloamin it is a great way to describe the long shadows and the fading light.  Plodding around doing every day things it is easy to miss what is going on in front of us.  The solstice and Father's Day are combined this year on Sunday, June 21.  Take yourself out in the gloamin and enjoy the best twilights of the year.  I am going to look for some good white wine to chill and toast the coming of Summer and all the Fathers ......cheers.

Green

Here is hoping the road you'll travel this week will lead you somewhere interesting.  It is a birthday week here with plans that will take me away for a few days.. take care

We need to realize Hate talk is out of control

The people who spew right wing hate talk need to own the fact that while they enjoy the money and the attention and the power of what they are doing, it is very dangerous.  What happened yesterday in Washington is all the proof we need that hate and violent attacks are on the increase.  Domestic terror is something we cannot ignore.  Hate talk can inspire any of the hundreds of hate groups ( reported to be close to 1,000 in number) to act.  The rumors of gun control as a result of the current President's election increased the numbers of guns in hate groups hands.  When the office of Homeland Security expressed concern about the level of hate group activity and warned it could increase, it was ridiculed.  The threat is real.   It is possible to disagree without the hate and it is time to do so. 

Home office

We converted a very dated wet bar in our twenty something year old home into a small home office.  The walls are deep brown and decorated with photographs we have taken. Each photograph is framed in a simple black frame.  It is a great little space not always very neat but spending time in it and seeing the pictures is always fun.