A Few of My Favorite Things…

Posted on by January 5, 2011

I wanted to do this post the week of my birthday, just before Christmas…but late is better than never, right?  It is that time of year…to reflect on things we want to take with us into the new year…and those we are happy to leave behind. 

For my family 2010 has been a VERY eventful year, but it just goes along with our family motto of “Never a Dull Moment”.  I am forever grateful for our good fortune this year.  It started off with my husband relocating from Arizona to South Carolina without us…we were prepared to be separated, we had done it for six months on the move out to AZ…what we weren’t prepared for was the impact on our children.  It was tough for all of us, but we made it through!  Our home in AZ, the one we brought all four of our children home from the hospital to…where they took their first steps…we sold to a couple, expecting their first child at any moment.  I told her to watch out, this house is fertile ground LOL.  I hope they are making wonderful memories there.  I wonder if our old house misses us…we miss it, sometimes.  It was definitely divine intervention that we sold our home, in one of the worst housing markets, in 7 days…for a small profit, even.  The story of my husband’s new job is even more incredible, but I will save that one for some other time.  I seem to have gone astray from my original intent…but can’t say enough how grateful I am…we are so blessed in so many ways.

So my favorite things that I am looking forward to taking along on my journey into 2011, I’m sure it will not be dull!

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day  I cannot tell you how much I love this stuff…particularly the Lemon Verbena scent…makes me (a self-proclaimed not-so-good housekeeper) want to clean!  I enjoyed the seasonal Iowa Pine scent throughout the holiday season, too!

Smith’s Rosebud Salve Lip Balm  I know I’m late to the party on this one, but Mocha Rose flavor is delicious!  It isn’t sticky…I have even used it on super dry skin on my hands…it is silky goodness!

kms sea salt spray  it is truly summer in a bottle…fabulous summer hair anytime you want it!  I get mine at ULTA.  My most fabulous BFF turned me on to this stuff, I am totally addicted!

Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee!!!!  My day just isn’t the same without it!  It is what I once thought to be my biggest vice, but a wonderful article in Southern Living explained that it is good for me…oh happy day!  I love it best with a bit, well alot, of Coffee Mate’s Italian Sweet Cream…but unless they start making it in sugar free, I’m gonna have to give it up :(.

The Nesting Place  this is one of my favorite blogs to read…I am really digging The Pioneer Woman, too!  I really procrastinated visiting PW’s blog, because I just knew that once I started…I would never stop.  PW’s blog is what I dream of mine being…if you’re gonna dream, dream big!

Wishes for a happy, healthy, & prosperous new year to all of you! 

Today’s secret revealed…I love, love, love that there is never a dull moment for us!  Bah-bye 2010…HELLLLO 2011!

Food for thought…a drink for the soul

Posted on by December 23, 2010

I have to share a blog post…as a Southern Girl, I take pride in hospitality…that is what we are known for.  Please take a moment to read this…I know she is my Mom, but I do believe you will appreciate the message.

Lessons, Angels and Hospitality 

Wishing all of you the Merriest of Christmases!  Stay tuned for a fabulous GIVEAWAY…the first here at The Secrets of a Southern Girl!

Today’s secret revealed:  DO NOT NEGLECT TO SHOW HOSPITALITY, FOR BY THAT MEANS SOME HAVE ENTERTAINED ANGELS WITHOUT KNOWING IT   Hebrews 13:2

Christmas Goodies!

Posted on by December 17, 2010

Growing up, my Mom was famous for the goodies she always gave to the teachers & office staff at our school…so I am doing my very best to follow in her footsteps.  I decided to give 3 of my favorites…they are the kind that are easy to make and you can’t eat just one (my hips are already showing the evidence!).  One of the recipes is from my mom (snowball cookies, aka wedding cookies) and 2 are from my mother-in-law (pine bark & candied pecans).  I added a 4th recipe, my favorite sugar cookies (another of MIL’s recipes), to complete the recipe card printable!

Here is the printable pdf: goodies_recipe_cards

The snowball cookies, candied pecans, & sugar cookies are all pretty straight forward, but I thought I would post pictures of each phase of the pinebark making…it is easy, don’t be alarmed!  I just think what it looks like at the different stages will be helpful to know that ‘you’re doing it right’ 😉  Not to mention that in my “Cooking in Chaos” world, this is the only one I remembered to take pictures of LOL.

      

So, if you are reading the recipe…that is each stage, in order.  I especially thought what the butter & brown sugar look like when they combine and what it should look like when it comes out of the oven would be most helpful.  Before spreading the chocolate chips, they should appear glossy…if you are as patient as I am (insert sarcasm), then you will want to stick it back in the oven for a few seconds after you pour on the chocolate chips…MAKE SURE YOUR OVEN IS OFF!!!  IF IT IS ON THE CHOCOLATE MAY BURN…ICK!  That’s why I love the mini chips…they melt much faster & are easier to spread.

                                                         

The finished goodies!  I just knew y’all were dying to see Cousin It’s twin daughters!

The jars I used are from Wally-World…only $4 and I loved the ‘vintage look’ they have…they remind me of the old Hoosier jars.  I made the little tags & used my 3 inch scalloped edge punch like this one.

Today’s secret revealed…I don’t take the Christ out of Christmas…not even in text messages.

Happy Birthday…to me ;)

Posted on by December 16, 2010

Yes, today is the day…I’m getting to the point, er…age, where I kinda want to lie about ‘how many’ I am…even sadder, that I feel like I’m too old to claim anything in the 20s (like 29)…so let’s just say this is an anniversary of my 32nd birthday.  I’m not sad, or depressed…just indifferent about the whole age thing…I am happier than I have ever been, and will not let a silly little thing like a number even try to get me down.

Having a birthday this close to Christmas was always interesting, sometimes it is awesome (like I get to combine birthday & Christmas gifts to get a really big one…like my new laptop!)…sometimes not so much, like when I wanted a pool party as a kid :). 

So, I decided I would combine my birthday with Christmas today…I’m giving away some cute (or I think they are) gift tags.  Please use them to ‘purty-up’ your gifts!  There are 3 colors to choose from…or you can get all 3!

I know I said that next would be the goodies, maybe I’ll get to that later today…I’m sure I will if my driveway doesn’t thaw out enough to go to the Christmas Cookie Exchange I was really looking forward to.

Pea-green Gift Tags

Green polkadot gift tags

Blue polkadot gift tags

I print mine on bright white cardstock (I get it at Wally-world in a 250 sheet pack…for $5ish).  I made little lines so you have guides for trimming…or use one of the 2ish inch circle punches like I got :).  I love mine I have 4 of them, 2 are plain circles & 2 are scalloped edge…so fun!

Holiday Home Tour 2010

Posted on by December 14, 2010

Welcome!  This is a mini-tour of my home dressed up for Christmas.  I have had so much fun decorating this year…I think mostly because it is the first year in our new home…back in the South-land! 

Belfie, our ‘elf on the shelf’ wanted to be the first to say ‘Hello’…this is one of his favorite spots to perch, flown back to this spot at least three times ;).  The furry wreath (thanks Nester!) does look quite comfy!  I have gone a little crazy with the left-over fur from this little project…I made a pair of trees that ended up looking much more like Cousin It’s twin daughters than trees…I also used the big scrap as the tree skirt for the tree up in the archway above our fireplace.  Belfie even made a stop up there…see he does like the fur, probably reminds him of Santa.

Now, my Christmas Cards have been my ‘signature’ Christmas item…not my decorating, so here is the front of our 2010 card, I can’t believe how big the kids are getting!  This was taken in our back yard…yep, we have a really cool, very photogenic barn right behind us…kind of a photographer’s dream!  Have I mentioned I love my new home?!?

On with the tour!  I tried to take several pictures to give y’all an idea of our home…so here we go!

My ducks…because we’re the Ducks…my Grannie’s pitcher filled with poinsetta’s (because they remind me of her)…the bells my Mom gave me that Grannie gave her, that someday I will give to Em…and that little crabby, just because I think he is so cool!

I hope you’ve enjoyed your mini-tour!  My family would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Up next…Christmas goodies!  A quick sneak peak…Pine Bark…YUMMMMM!

Thanks for hosting Nester! 

 

Today’s secret revealed…don’t forget the REASON for the SEASON (I know you’ve heard it, but I had to say it!).

Never Say Never…

Posted on by December 8, 2010

I keep telling myself this, but it never fails (oops! did I say that???)…just when you think throwing that verbal gauntlet down will mean something, it comes back at you (or me). 

So I am here to tell you that I am a mini-van driving, fake tree owning woman…hear me roar!  Yep, I swore…SWORE that I would NEVER own either of those two things.  I got them both within a few months of each other about 5 years ago.  You wonder what could have happened to push me over the edge of sanity where I desired, even begged for these things?  TWINS.  They made me yearn for those side doors that opened at the push of a button on my key fob (fob…really?), made me loathe my ‘get out of my way or I’ll run over you’-4 wheel drive-super cool Chevy Tahoe.  I loved driving that big, womanly thing…it had captain’s chairs in the second row, awesome for going to dinner with friends…or hauling my one child around in.  With the simultaneous (well, they were 2 minutes apart) arrival of child two & three, to say the dynamics of life changed is an understatement.  After about a week of climbing over the 2nd row, I was drooling over the prospect of a mini-van (after we learned we couldn’t replace those captain’s chairs with a bench)…and I convinced myself that the ‘cool’ moms all had one…I had to do something, I said I would NEVER own one.

On to the more seasonally appropriate NEVER…the tree!  I have such wonderful, fond memories of shopping…sometimes even chopping…our family tree.  In my head I see visions of the Griswolds…yeah, Clark was in full-effect “OH CHRISTMAS TREE…OH CHRISTMAS TREE”.  This was not the family tradition I had any intentions of abandoning…I would never have a fake tree…NEV-AH.  I certainly changed my tune, much to my darling husband’s dismay (he was raised on real trees, fraiser furs only…his mom may be the only person in history to return a tree, well I’m guessing she exchanged a tree).  He, under protest went out and got me a beautiful 9 foot pre-lit tree…it is the most ‘real’ looking fake tree I have ever seen (his other option was to go out, pick the tree out himself AND put the 2000+ lights on it…this was the daunting task that forced me into the boughs of the false wonder).  I have embraced this fake tree for 5 years…it brings the same joy, eye twinkles and excitement that any ‘real’ tree does.  I love to decorate for Christmas, I love the transformation, watching the kids ‘find’ all of the ornaments…which will be their favorite this year?…seeing how their little hands have grown since we made the handprint snowmen last year.  The ornaments really don’t look any different on my big, fake tree than they did on the real ones of years past…though I miss the beauty of the mega amounts of lights, I don’t miss the near 8 hour day it took to get it there.

fake tree, real wreath, sweet handprint

Last year, we celebrated Christmas at my parents’ cabin in Flagstaff, AZ.  It was so perfect…just us, the 6 of us…small space, 3+ feet of snow, and our little ‘Charlie Brown’ tree…well it was pre-lit…but ornaments were sparce.  It was absolutely perfect!  We topped it with the star that permanently resides in the window…I will never, and I’m saying never (God, please don’t plague me with memory loss to make me regret this statement) forget that Christmas. 

Today’s secret revealed:  Fake, real, green, white, flocked…whatever your tree tendencies are…they still usher in the spirit of the season…just remember what that season is all about.

One more little secret…the fragrance of a real tree can’t be faked, I remedy this with a real wreath that I hang near the tree 🙂

Post Thanksgiving Report

Posted on by December 3, 2010

Well, I must say, this was quite a success!  The food was AMAZING…and it was all ready on-cue!  We had 20 people…15 adults & 5 kiddos!  We probably could’ve fed 50…3 turkeys (roasted, grilled & fried), 2 hams (smoked & spiral), sides galore…and of course the desserts (I’m salivating all over again!).  My darling husband, who has always claimed he’d rather have Chinese take-out than the usual Thanksgiving fare, even said it was incredible!  We had enough left-overs to last for weeks…I actually still have some turkey & pulled pork (from the smoked ham) in the freezer…but we mowed through the favorites (sweet potatoes & rolls) in 2 days!  We even ended up baking a second pecan pie, because mom & I didn’t get ‘our fill’!  If you’re gonna be a bear…be a grizzly! 

In my cooking frenzy, I apparently forgot to take some pictures I had planned (or my kids deleted them LOL)…so I put together a small collage to give you a peek…I didn’t even get one of everyone eating…maybe someone else did *fingers crossed*.

Just so you know we are a fun bunch, that is Emma whipped cream that had been squirted into her mouth lol…and, in case you are wondering…yes, those are curtain rings posing as napkin rings/placecard holders!  I needed them for my master bedroom window ‘mistreatment’ (stay tuned for the details of that!) & saw something similar in Southern Living (Dec 2009).

My survival guide helped me stay focused & planned…making pulling this off much easier than I had anticipated!  Mom & I actually ‘saved’ things to cook on Thanksgiving day…I hope it helped some of you, too.  I had such fun cooking with the ladies of my family…we were like a well oiled machine.  The clean-up crew, aka Mom & Aunt Pauline, had everything knocked out practically before I had even finished eating!  I offer a big THANK YOU to everyone who celebrated with us…we love you all!

Today’s secret revealed:  planning makes perfect…for Thanksgiving, anyway!

What I am Thankful for…

Posted on by November 22, 2010

I am thankful for all of the blessings in my life…my health, my friends, my home, my husband’s job (that affords me the wonderful opportunity to be home full-time)…the Lord has blessed me in so many ways, but what I am most thankful for is my family…all of them.  Those near and far…living and in Heaven…those I talk with daily and those I haven’t spoken to in years…including those I have differences with.  I am thankful for all of you…you have helped make me who I am, given me so many memories that I look back on, especially at this time of year…Thanksgiving makes me nostalgic.

Thanksgiving always conjures wonderful scenes in my mind…the celebrations my Grandparents had are legendary.  I close my eyes and I can see it…me, my brother, and my cousin running around that big field…the men gathered around a huge fire…my Grandmother and her Aunts around that ‘cauldron’ making Brunswick stew…the Clemson vs. Carolina game blaring.  It was like it was supposed to be back then…the way books describe it…well maybe not exactly Norman Rockwell, I don’t recall any cold beers in his art LOL.  As the years moved on, there were more & more cousins running around (there ended up being 17 of us grandkids), new friends joined in…these were HUGE parties!  I wonder where I get the “the more the merrier” attitude from…definitely my Grands! 

Now it is my turn to uphold this family tradition, Grannie & Grandpa have passed on, but I hope their spirit of entertaining burns brightly inside of me. 

Today’s secret revealed…Thanksgiving is a time full of tradition…take a moment to remember where your traditions come from…enjoy the nostalgia that comes with this wonderful time of year.

**DON’T FORGET TO THAW YOUR TURKEY!!!

A Southern Thanksgiving Celebration…Part V…The Finale!

Posted on by August 15, 2012

Yes, I have saved the best for last…the finale of the feast…DESSERT!  At my family’s Thanksgiving Feasts, we pretty much need a separate, equally sized buffet for the sweets.  A single taste of each will cause any ‘dessert sized’ plate to overflow…don’t be shy, go with a dinner plate here!  Pies, cheesecakes, yummy bars, candied nuts…mmmmmm!  You cannot imagine the concoctions my brilliant Jedi-Master-of-cooking Mom comes up with!  Her cheesecakes put “The Factory” to shame!  And her pies…Lord, her pies are divine!  Talk about an amazing twist on an old-standby…classic pecan pie with dark Dove chocolates shoved in here & there…yes it is THAT delicious!

For me, I will be making 3 pies for this feast…Pumpkin (of course), Pecan (this is a Southern Thanksgiving, duh!), and an Apple (darling husband’s favorite).  My pumpkin pie recipe comes right off of the Libby’s canned pumpkin label…obviously I don’t make it from scratch…but it is delicious.  I have never made a pumpkin pie with fresh pumpkin…nor do I intend to, plenty of other things are from scratch…this is where a “Semi-homemade” approach is perfect.  The pecan pie has been in my family forever, best I’ve ever tasted…you will find the recipe on my RECIPES page.

Apple pie…the American classic…I really don’t think you can mess one of these up, ingredients wise (you can burn it, though…so I’ve heard lol).  My Aunt Michelle and I have spent many late nights baking apple pies…what we learned over the years:

  • The apple corer, peeler, slicer thing-a-ma-jig is AWESOME & a HUGE time-saver!
  • you can’t have too much butter or vanilla
  • a bit of lemon juice is a MUST

We use a mix of apples…always some Granny Smiths…and another sweet, firm apple (I love Pink Ladies).  After our thingy gets the apples prepped in a flash, we put all of the uniformly sliced apples in a mixing bowl and add all of the other ingredients in, give it a mix & let it sit while we get the crusts ready…you are gonna need a tablespoon or so of flour to thicken the filling…and some spices (cinnamon, nutmeg…whatever floats your boat) & sugars (we use granulated & brown).  Keep reading for my ‘secret’ to a great pie crust.

Now you know I like my food to be pretty…so I always make sure to have extra crust for decorating…I have these super cute little pastry cutters that are in Thanksgiving themed shapes (a couple of leaves, an apple, a turkey…I love them!) from one of my all-time favorite stores, Williams-Sonoma (I used to live 10ish miles from an outlet…I miss that!) this is the new version of mine.

Today’s secret revealed…I use pillsbury pie crusts…they come rolled up & are perfectly delicious.  There are times that there is no substitute for ‘from scratch’, for me pie crusts is not one of those.  I will add that I have tried the ‘store brand’ pie crusts, they look the same but just aren’t as good.

A few more ‘secrets’…frozen veggies ROCK!  Don’t forget about your crock-pot for sides…crock pot mac ‘n cheese is scrumptious!  The frozen yeast rolls by Rhodes…like the pie crusts, I’ve gone to the effort of making them from scratch…these are a delicious substitute, not worth the effort in my humble (but slightly food-snobbish) opinion.

Part IV

Part III

Part II

Part I

A Southern Thanksgiving Celebration…Part IV…The Survival Guide

Posted on by November 10, 2010

I am loosey-goosey about alot of things…Thanksgiving is not one of them.  If you want to have a successful, enjoyable, survivable, celebration…you MUST MAKE A PLAN…IN ADVANCE!  Whether you are cooking for 4 or 20, you will be thankful for being prepared.

PLAN…the menu and preparation.  Look at what you plan to cook, and think about what can be done in advance.  For me, I usually start on Tuesday (Thanksgiving being on Thursday 😉 )…not counting the start date for thawing your bird, if frozen.  Here is a quick glimpse of my schedule:

  • TUESDAY:  bake cornbread & sweet potatoes.  After the sweet potatoes cool, peel them & put in the fridge.  Make the cranberry sauce & refrigerate (gets better after the flavors meld for a day or two).
  • WEDNESDAY:  pies (next week’s grand finale!), assemble sweet potato soufflé & refrigerate, assemble cornbread dressing & refrigerate, prep veggies (fresh greenbeans are great in the crock pot overnight on low!)
  • TURKEY DAY:  plan your baking…the turkey can go first, it takes the longest & needs to rest…while it is resting bake the other remaining items (this is where my excitement for my new double ovens comes in!!!).  Don’t forget the gravy!

Obviously this is not an all-inclusive schedule, but you get the idea.

DELEGATE…this is difficult for me, but I have done it!  I have handed out ‘assignments’ to everyone…asking them to bring a favorite veggie, bread, beverage, etc.  This will greatly reduce your stress, and allows everyone to bring some of their tradition to you…you never know when you will adopt a new tradition.

DISPOSABLE…don’t be afraid of disposables…I have sworn off the daily usage of paper plates, and I realize that paper & plastic don’t make for the loveliest of place settings…but honestly, I don’t have enough real dishes & flatware to accomodate the crowd I’m expecting…so disposable it is!  I do intend to have ‘real’ serving pieces to make for a pretty buffet table…no foil tins for me :).

TIMELINE…have one & do your best to stick to it.  Let your guests know when the celebration begins…and when it ends.  My guests will be receiving e-vites this year that will include the time, the assignment list, and a request to respond by posting what they will specifically be bringing to share.  For me, I am unable to ‘turn off’ my hostess mode as long as I have guests.  I love, love, LOVE to entertain, but when in hostess mode, I am not as focused on my immediate family.  We have a little tradition on Thanksgiving night…we go looking for Christmas lights and watch The Polar Express together.  Obviously our overnight guests will be included in movie time, but when the feast is finished I try to have some quality time for those I am most thankful for…my husband & my children. 

Today’s secret revealed…it is really okay to delegate, use disposable, and have an ending time…these were very hard for me to realize, but I am thankful that I have done them.

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