Morning Ritual

My dad did it for my mom, my brother-in-law does it for my sister and as tradition would have it, my husband does it for me. What is it?

For 29 years my husband has brought me coffee in bed. Before I have even opened my eyes the aroma of the mug by my bedside sends a wake up call to my brain. I roll over and reach out, and there it is, a freshly ground, french-pressed cup of coffee. It is simply heaven and not something that I take for granted either. This ritual is one of the most treasured gifts that my dear husband has given me and believe me I cherish his loving kindness.

Call me spoiled but my dad did the same thing for my mom, well almost. Back in those days my dad would wake up early and "put the coffee on" - the language to be used when one percolates the coffee. In my mind's ear I still hear the sound of their Corning coffee pot being placed back on its holder on the kitchen counter. Back then my mom used Poppytrail's Sculptured Grape as her everyday china and I still treasure the memory of holding that coffee cup in my hand while siting at the kitchen table. Once the coffee was brewed, my dad lovingly placed a cup of coffee by my mom's bedside. Sadly, I don't think my mom ever realized what a kind gesture it was to have her coffee given to her before she even stepped out of bed. At our house we have assorted pottery mugs we use for morning coffee. My favorite mugs are the ones made by Polly the Potter, a well-known Atlanta potter (Polly Made Me is how she signs her work). You can enjoy dining or drinking coffee from Polly's pottery at Atlanta restaurants such as the Flying Biscuit, Stone Soup and Savage Pizza.

My husband has added a bonus gift to his weekend deliveries these days. Now in addition to my morning coffee, my husband has gotten into the habit of bringing me my laptop too. There are some things that husbands do that are just too outstanding for words and for me it's coffee and a laptop.

Food for thought...

OK...I have a new found respect for food stylists and photographers like Ryannan at

Sotto il Monte....and well...

Just plain ole foodies like Jain from Once in a Blue Moon and Rachel from coconut and lime.

Recently I was asked to submit a recipe

and photos for a new

online magazine, Ofifteen.cool magazine...check em' out!

Sure....no problem. I cook. Actually I love to cook.

That, apparently is one part of the problem.

I don't measure. So trying to recreate and guesstimate amounts for a real live recipe

was a bigger challenge, that I have no doubt I fumbled.

I mean, is it copacetic to say a bunch of that and a handful of this??

And pictures...are you kidding??

Do you know how hard it is to get pictures of little pieces of chicken breast cooking in a pan

to look appealing?? Hmmmmm? I was NOT born with that gene...yet people do it time and time again. And beautifully. I bow to them.

Like I said. I have major gold star respect for these peeps now.

Thankfully, they only used a couple of the pics in their article...

But because I love you...and because I believe in full disclosure...

I give you the whole shebang....with pics of cooking chicken breast, to boot.

...for your viewing pleasure.

Pasta Parma Rosa...

Or as my 13 year old calls it pink chicken...

So...Here I am trying to make the raw chicken fit in with the other cast of characters

She's just not as photogenic...raw or cooked.

but we still love her.
It is important that chicken that will be in a recipe have good self esteem.

notice the scallions and tomato picked right from our friends garden.

They grow real veggies...In abundance. We, apparently, grow squirrels who eat veggies.

and cream from said friends cow, Bessie.

naw...just kiddin about the cream...it's straight from a box marked heavy cream

OK...the cooking chicken part. Raw breast (or you can choose thighs)

sliced across the grain and sauteed in some olive oil (you could add a bit of butter to make it brown a bit more, too)

Chop an onion...or maybe 1/2. you could add some chopped garlic too...

and this ladies and gent is where I go off that slippery slope

of a little of this, or try some of that...and all the sudden we are making

chicken pot pies instead of parma rosa.

Remove the sauteed and beautifully cooked chicken to a separate plate,
and in the same oil add the onion...saute until it sweats and browns a bit.
Then add Ole Bessie's cream (about a pint...maybe less). Let it bubble and cook
(medium high heat) until it reduces to half of its amount and thickens.

sneak in some fresh ground pepper...some salt....
oh...and some vodka. A splash (maybe 2TBSP)...it'll really bubble now.
let it work it's magic.


Now....add that can of diced tomatoes that was waiting patiently.
...I won't even mention that they could be fresh chopped, or sun dried or even some
jarred tomato sauce...


Throw in a handful of grated Parmesan cheese. Then look at it, taste it
and add more...then some more vodka...then some more pepper...
see?

Chop those fresh scallions
the tomato is just hanging out making sure they are chopped
perfectly



cook some tortellini
my kids always called them tortellini bellybuttons...or maybe that was me.
I love to use the fresh kind...but in lieu of paying $6 bucks for a tiny
container of it I grabbed some dried tortellini. It was not half bad...for half price.
But, here I go, you could use any pasta you have around.
I personally like the squiggly ones that hold the sauce...just so.

I usually put the pasta on a big white tray...pour the chicken in it's lovely pink sauce
over top...then add a teensy bit more parm.
then scatter those fresh scallions all over.
Ta da.


Then, dig in, and that's where the pictures go downhill again...
fast
and that is where I really appreciate those food stylists.




It is tasty, though.
Try it...I dare ya.

I'm a Rosebud

I confess to it, yes, I am a Rosebud. I don't tell many people and in fact I am not sure that I have ever shared this with my children. My mother is a Rosie, as in Rosie the Riveter. There are lots of Rosies located throughout the U.S. and over the past several years many of these women have begun to share their stories for the first time. About eight years ago my mom got involved with the Rosies and when she affiliated she signed me and my sister up as Rosebuds (The photo is my mom in her Rosie costume). When my dad was living my mom and dad would travel around the country meeting women who had all sorts of stories to tell about their work during the war. Over the years I would get the newsletter but frankly I didn't pay too much attention to much of the happenings as it seemed more like my mother's hobby than mine. Then the convention came to town and that changed my attitude.

Summer before last, Rosies from across the U.S. gathered in Atlanta for their annual convention. My sister, neice and I decided to join the program for an evening. We got to meet a group of the Tuskegee Airmen which was a fascinating experience but the best of the evening came when a tiny elderly woman in the crowd got up to tell her story.

This woman told us that as a WAC, she had been trained for a top secret mission. She was drilled on the importance of secrecy and understood that she was never to share her secret mission. And so for more than forty years she never told a single soul, not even her husband that she was the secretary that had typed up the battle plans for the invasion of Normandy. There were two copies (of course one carbon) and this woman had prepared the notes from the meetings that became history. It was one amazing story and thankfully a Rosebud is working to help record the story before her story is lost.

On Saturday the Atlanta area Rosies are meeting and I plan to be there and if I hear any more great stories, believe me I will be sure to post.

Paradise found....

Grab a good pair of sunglasses....a tiny bag

that just fits a bathing suit

and nothing more....

...Find lush foliage, tropical rains, turquoise waters....

Cliff top swimming pools of incredible blues, that play off

the changing colors of the pacific....

Wind down the palapa stairs, where we find ourselves on the Mexican Riviera...
Sensual, Humid, extravagant.

Along the Gulf of mexico, where mayan and

Olmec kingdoms once flourished....

At the enchanting House that sings...La Casa Que Canto

it has eight pools that cascade into each other, as the

resort is built into a cliff...Overlooking the bay of

Zihuatanejo...

Sing it....

The poured concrete rooms can be private and cavelike...

and at once open and airy...

what ever you may need!

Are ya with me?

Beautiful open air structures with palmetto thatched roofing...

Sky and sea and pool collide into every shade of blue

on the color wheel...

and then some

Fresh caught shrimp,tuna and swordfish...

Tequilla with lime and salt. of course...

Quiet inlets...warm breezes....hammock swaying.

works for me

La Casa Que Canto...

priceless.

Watch dogs...

Ever feel like you are being watched....

Closely...?

Hard to get anything done around here without a
brown eye staring or a wet nose sniffin'.

Big Black Dogs.

Gotta love 'em.

Home Sweet Home

Today I realized that my oldest son will be coming home from Iraq in just a couple of weeks!!!! He left the end of August and has been counting down the days since November. It's funny but we have already been thinking about what foods we want to prepare and tossing around ideas for activities to celebrate his return. My son loves country cooking (southern food) and if you like it too and you live in Georgia, Buckner's Family Restaurant is the place to eat. I love the fact that Buckner's is located on Bucksnort Road. I don't think the name sounds appetizing but don't let the name of the road turn you off. Buckner's is most famous for its fried chicken, but the yeast rolls, creamed corn, barbeque, corn bread, peach cobbler are all hard to ignore. When you get to the restaurant, you pay a flat fee and then sit at a big round table with a lazy susan. The more food you eat, the more they bring. My guess is that Buckner's will be one of the first places we go so that my son can get his fill of southern food. I am sure that in the weeks to come there will be more postings about this big event but for now we will just keep thinking about how to make his homecoming special. Sami is the person on the left in the photo.

Sometimes love is a bit of sprinkled sugar...caramelized...

...An ode to Grandma B

Who makes THE.

Most. Amazing.

Pies.

She, with little effort...and years of practice...

creates the flakiest, lightest...most delectable crust

Ice water is a secret. Shhhh.

Sprinkles of cane sugar carmelize on top

I do not have A child nor a lucky friend who doesn't crave a Grandma B pie...

Ambrosia...Nectar of the Gods.

We are lucky, for sure.

Simple.

Homeade.

With lots of love.

Yes. I am sure that is the true secret...

Baking with love.

Find more delectable treats on Foodie Friday

at Designs by Gollum.

Find Love.

Coffee, Tea or Layaway?

Do you ever just jump in and do something and then spend days wondering "what was I thinking?" Well I have had one of those experiences this week but in the end I am excited and very thankful for layaway.

When I was growing up I loved and admired my mother's Gorham coffee service. Over the years I spent hours polishing the silver and of course my mom promised that it would one day be mine. I believed that. Unfortunately life just doesn't always turn out the way you believe it should. About two years ago following my dad's illness and eventual death, my sister recognized that my mother's service was missing. After looking around the house and trying to deal with the shock that someone would have taken it, we had to accept the fact that while my dad was sick and caregivers and others were in and out of the house the service went missing.

This past weekend I decided that I was going to finally just buy my own and we went to the antique market to look around. My son and husband went with me as they have listened to me grumble, complain and whine that I never got to enjoy the service. My son also enjoys polishing and so his opinion counts. At the market my son spotted a beautiful set that had the initial "H" engraved on it. My maiden name starts with "H" so of course he immediately decided this was the service that was meant for me. And so I put it on layaway.

I am so excited about finally getting my service!!! It may take me a year to get it paid off but after asking myself what I was thinking, I decided the real question should have been, "why didn't you do this sooner?" As soon as I get my set I will be having a girl party! Maybe it's time for me to join the Red Hat Society.

Ahhhh...

Cleaning up my picture files

I found these...

Lovelies.

Photos: Tria Giovan

Did I say lovely??

Yes. I think I did

Any speak to you???

wandering around the yard on a Sunday morning...when I should be weeding

....It's Sunday...what ever

...A Bird of Paradise. It is 30 feet tall now
Australian Tree fern...unfurling


Miscellaneous pot...we are a miscellaneous pot refuge.
yep.

...See?
um hm.
Natures paint brush at work...

well, Somebody needs to guard the blue wine bottles

right?

Ok...this is a work in progress...it is a finial to our gate

I was trying my hand at chainsaw carving

*Trying* would be the operative word.

...and this would be the mess I need to get back to weeding...

pronto!

Will be painting this area...courtyard by front door

And asking your opinions about colors soon...

Very soon

Old chair made out of Ox cart pieces....

...Back I go.

Really