Delta Dish
Volume 5 Issue 6
*** Random Thoughts
Let’s call this the June-July issue. Or, I got it: the summer issue! I didn’t mean to skip an entire month and half of another month. We got married at the end of May and got back from the honeymoon in Charleston, South Carolina several days later and the next thing I knew, it was the end of the month and I wasn’t quite sure where June had gotten away to.
We’ve been cooking, quite a lot, and organizing and doing laundry and going to work and just being. We’re old married folks now!
Best,
Keetha
There’s a new feature on the blog. You can follow it! Just click “Follow This Blog” to sign up and you’ll receive alerts when new posts are up.
*** Great Quotes
Katydids sing like a symphony
Porch swing swaying like a Tennessee lullaby
Melody blowing through the willow tree.
-- Pam Tillis
I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string. -- Lucy Maud Montgomery in Anne of Green Gables
*** Fun Food Idea
Have we been doing some grilling lately. And by “we”, I mean Jeffrey. My job is to help chop things and tote them from the kitchen to the grill. He is the griller in the family. I guess every family has one designee.
One of my favorite things to do is cook one thing and make several meals from it. Jeffrey grills a marinated chicken and we make chicken salad with it for lunch and dice the rest to go with pesto on pizza. Over the Independence Day weekend we grilled (notice that generous use of the word “we”) sliced squash along with shrimp and vegetable skewers. We had a few pieces of squash left over. The next day when we had chicken quesadillas for lunch, there were a few slices of grilled squash tucked in the tortillas
Cooking once and eating twice or three times means a little time planning but saves time in less trips to the store. Less money spent at the grocery, too.
Jeffrey came up with this shrimp marinade:
2 pounds of jumbo shrimp (16-20 count)
1/4 cup white wine or chicken stock
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
juice of one lemon
juice of one lime
zest of one lime
1 bunch green onions, with a few inches of green, thinly sliced
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
Shrimp kebabs:
Peel and devein shrimp and set aside. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients but shrimp. Add shrimp and stir well. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
Remove shrimp and thread onto skewers. Grill over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes being careful not to overcook. Serves 4.
Leftovers can be used for quesadillas (quesadillas are a great way to use up leftover entrees) or to top a spinach salad. To make a spread, mince shrimp and combine with cream cheese and/or sour cream. Add a few chopped green onions and serve with crackers.
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. Email me at kudzuuu at gmail dot com to subscribe.
*** Hit the Highlights - a sampling of blog posts
I keep opening the kitchen cabinet just to look
Country living
Photographs
Wedding posts:
Rehearsal dinner
Wedding morning
Ceremony
Reception
Be the first in your neighborhood to know when fresh blog posts are up! Visit and click on “Follow This Blog” to the right, about midway down the page. You’ll be alerted when a new content is posted. It’s fast and no cost, of course.
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
“Keetha DePriest Reed's "More Culinary Kudzu: Recollections and Recipes from Growing Up Southern" is part cookbook, part collection of wonderful essays on food, family and growing up Southern and altogether great fun… I would very highly recommend "More Culinary Kudzu" to anybody who enjoys good food and good writing as well as to anybody who wants to find out more about the South. As for me, I only have one question left - how do I get invited to one of their family reunions?” – review by ReaderViews.com
*** Recommended Reading
On the plane home from our honeymoon in Charleston, South Carolina, I finished “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie,” a grand mystery in the old tradition. It was such fun to read. I’d never heard of the author – Alan Bradley – but I’ll be on the lookout from now on. Apparently this is the first in a series and I’m already looking forward to the next one.
More book recommendations and book talk.
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
We left church and were walking across the street.
“What did you learn today in Sunday school?”
“Nothing,” he said.
“Nothing?”
He clarified: “I don’t know because I wasn’t paying attention.”
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year.
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
The August issue will go out around August 5th, which, believe it or not, is back to school time around these parts. Lunchboxes and plaid and sharpened pencils and that new notebook smell!
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2009 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
Friday, August 7, 2009
May 2009
Delta Dish
Volume 5 Issue 5
*** Random Thoughts
I feel calm, the type that is usually preceded by the word “eerie.” The wedding is less than a month away and things have gone/are going relatively smoothly. The wedding bands are ordered, the cakes are set, the photographer lined up. I say that with fingers crossed so that I don’t jinx myself.
Approximately 30 seconds after I wrote that, I began typing up a quick little list of what we have left to do before the wedding. That list is now two pages, single-spaced. So let’s talk about something else.
For a variety of reasons, including longevity and old-fashioned vanity, I’ve been trying to live a healthy lifestyle – eating fresh foods and exercising five days a week. Turns out all that stuff I’d heard for years is ALL TRUE. I feel better, have more energy, and a positive outlook. Who knew?
It makes me want to garden. Our community doesn’t have a farmer’s market though I wish it did. I’d like to try to start one, but have no idea how. And probably the month I’m getting married is not the best time to take on such a project. I hear about Community Supported Agriculture groups, wherein you can pay a subscription fee that goes to farmers and in return get a crate of fresh, locally grown, seasonal fruits and vegetables. I’d love that. Why doesn’t someone around here do that?
My grandfather was a gardening enthusiast. He grew everything, he grafted different varieties of fruit trees. When he got home from the furniture and appliance store he and my grandmother owned, he didn’t go inside first; he winded down by walking the gardens, the trees, the vines.
I don’t have a green thumb but I love the idea of planting, tending, and harvesting our very own food that we grew our own selves! It seems so remarkable. My grandfather would have chuckled at that notion; he and his family grew vegetables growing up because that’s what folks did. It wasn’t a charming hobby; it was a necessity if they wanted to eat.
I like the idea of revisiting that notion, of my son watching vegetables grow. I want him to know and understand that produce isn’t born at brightly lit grocery stores. We don’t have the yard space for an actual garden but surely we can put something (peppers? Cucumbers?) in pots. Big pots? Right? See, I don’t know anything about horticulture, which is all the more reason I want my son to know, as I did because of time spent at my grandparents, that work – hard and rewarding – and grit, time, care, and patience go into growing food.
Best,
Keetha
There’s a new feature on the blog. You can follow it! Just click “Follow This Blog” to sign up and you’ll receive alerts when new posts are up.
*** Great Quotes
Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment. – Ellis Peters
*** Fun Food Idea
It’s summer, never mind what the calendar reads. I know this because A) I’ve been to a family reunion and those are summer events and B) I’ve made pimento and cheese, also a summer event.
I like my pimento cheese made with sharp cheddar or extra sharp or a combination of the two, and with a little bit of white onion in it. I like it with a little bit of bite. That pimento and cheese reminds me of the sound of shelled peas falling in an enamel pan, the smell of fresh corn on the cob, fireflies in mason jars, my grandmother’s screened in back porch, the smell of chlorine, and that particular tired that comes only from playing in the sun all day. I really like pimento cheese. It packs a lot of flavor and a lot of memories in each bite.
I make pimento cheese like this: grate an 8-ounce package of sharp or extra sharp cheddar. I grate a bit of onion – about a tablespoon or so. Add one small jar of diced pimento, well drained. Add mayonnaise, a spoonful at a time, until it comes together. Season with black pepper and a bit of salt. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Pimento cheese
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Check out the food blog!
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. Email me at kudzuuu at gmail dot com to subscribe.
*** Hit the Highlights
I could have sworn I was still young and hip.
This month’s photos.
Contrast or Irony – A trip to New York made me realize how much I loved the big city yet I know I want to live only in a small town.
Be the first in your neighborhood to know when fresh blog posts are up! Visit and click on “Follow This Blog” to the right, about midway down the page. You’ll be alerted when a new content is posted. It’s fast and no cost, of course.
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
“Keetha DePriest Reed's "More Culinary Kudzu: Recollections and Recipes from Growing Up Southern" is part cookbook, part collection of wonderful essays on food, family and growing up Southern and altogether great fun… I would very highly recommend "More Culinary Kudzu" to anybody who enjoys good food and good writing as well as to anybody who wants to find out more about the South. As for me, I only have one question left - how do I get invited to one of their family reunions?” – review by ReaderViews.com
*** Recommended Reading
Last weekend I finished “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” and it’s incredible. I’ll have a full post on it at the end of the month but I feel certain it will be one of my favorite books of the month, and probably the year.
Books I read in April.
http://writekudzu.blogspot.com
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
I tried on the dress for the rehearsal dinner. My son touched the baby blue silk shantung fabric. His eyes were wide. “You look like a princess.”
My fiancé was standing nearby. “She is one.”
Sigh of bliss.
BLESS THEIR HEARTS. So sweet.
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year.
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
The June issue will go out sometime next month, although I can pretty well assure you it won’t be the first Wednesday of the month as I’m getting married a few days earlier.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2009 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
Volume 5 Issue 5
*** Random Thoughts
I feel calm, the type that is usually preceded by the word “eerie.” The wedding is less than a month away and things have gone/are going relatively smoothly. The wedding bands are ordered, the cakes are set, the photographer lined up. I say that with fingers crossed so that I don’t jinx myself.
Approximately 30 seconds after I wrote that, I began typing up a quick little list of what we have left to do before the wedding. That list is now two pages, single-spaced. So let’s talk about something else.
For a variety of reasons, including longevity and old-fashioned vanity, I’ve been trying to live a healthy lifestyle – eating fresh foods and exercising five days a week. Turns out all that stuff I’d heard for years is ALL TRUE. I feel better, have more energy, and a positive outlook. Who knew?
It makes me want to garden. Our community doesn’t have a farmer’s market though I wish it did. I’d like to try to start one, but have no idea how. And probably the month I’m getting married is not the best time to take on such a project. I hear about Community Supported Agriculture groups, wherein you can pay a subscription fee that goes to farmers and in return get a crate of fresh, locally grown, seasonal fruits and vegetables. I’d love that. Why doesn’t someone around here do that?
My grandfather was a gardening enthusiast. He grew everything, he grafted different varieties of fruit trees. When he got home from the furniture and appliance store he and my grandmother owned, he didn’t go inside first; he winded down by walking the gardens, the trees, the vines.
I don’t have a green thumb but I love the idea of planting, tending, and harvesting our very own food that we grew our own selves! It seems so remarkable. My grandfather would have chuckled at that notion; he and his family grew vegetables growing up because that’s what folks did. It wasn’t a charming hobby; it was a necessity if they wanted to eat.
I like the idea of revisiting that notion, of my son watching vegetables grow. I want him to know and understand that produce isn’t born at brightly lit grocery stores. We don’t have the yard space for an actual garden but surely we can put something (peppers? Cucumbers?) in pots. Big pots? Right? See, I don’t know anything about horticulture, which is all the more reason I want my son to know, as I did because of time spent at my grandparents, that work – hard and rewarding – and grit, time, care, and patience go into growing food.
Best,
Keetha
There’s a new feature on the blog. You can follow it! Just click “Follow This Blog” to sign up and you’ll receive alerts when new posts are up.
*** Great Quotes
Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment. – Ellis Peters
*** Fun Food Idea
It’s summer, never mind what the calendar reads. I know this because A) I’ve been to a family reunion and those are summer events and B) I’ve made pimento and cheese, also a summer event.
I like my pimento cheese made with sharp cheddar or extra sharp or a combination of the two, and with a little bit of white onion in it. I like it with a little bit of bite. That pimento and cheese reminds me of the sound of shelled peas falling in an enamel pan, the smell of fresh corn on the cob, fireflies in mason jars, my grandmother’s screened in back porch, the smell of chlorine, and that particular tired that comes only from playing in the sun all day. I really like pimento cheese. It packs a lot of flavor and a lot of memories in each bite.
I make pimento cheese like this: grate an 8-ounce package of sharp or extra sharp cheddar. I grate a bit of onion – about a tablespoon or so. Add one small jar of diced pimento, well drained. Add mayonnaise, a spoonful at a time, until it comes together. Season with black pepper and a bit of salt. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Pimento cheese
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Check out the food blog!
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. Email me at kudzuuu at gmail dot com to subscribe.
*** Hit the Highlights
I could have sworn I was still young and hip.
This month’s photos.
Contrast or Irony – A trip to New York made me realize how much I loved the big city yet I know I want to live only in a small town.
Be the first in your neighborhood to know when fresh blog posts are up! Visit and click on “Follow This Blog” to the right, about midway down the page. You’ll be alerted when a new content is posted. It’s fast and no cost, of course.
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
“Keetha DePriest Reed's "More Culinary Kudzu: Recollections and Recipes from Growing Up Southern" is part cookbook, part collection of wonderful essays on food, family and growing up Southern and altogether great fun… I would very highly recommend "More Culinary Kudzu" to anybody who enjoys good food and good writing as well as to anybody who wants to find out more about the South. As for me, I only have one question left - how do I get invited to one of their family reunions?” – review by ReaderViews.com
*** Recommended Reading
Last weekend I finished “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” and it’s incredible. I’ll have a full post on it at the end of the month but I feel certain it will be one of my favorite books of the month, and probably the year.
Books I read in April.
http://writekudzu.blogspot.com
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
I tried on the dress for the rehearsal dinner. My son touched the baby blue silk shantung fabric. His eyes were wide. “You look like a princess.”
My fiancé was standing nearby. “She is one.”
Sigh of bliss.
BLESS THEIR HEARTS. So sweet.
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year.
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
The June issue will go out sometime next month, although I can pretty well assure you it won’t be the first Wednesday of the month as I’m getting married a few days earlier.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2009 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
April 2009
Delta Dish
Volume 5 Issue 4
*** Random Thoughts
At this time of year, I try not to mind the schizophrenic weather, how it’s sunshine and pink fairy dust one day and gloomy, stormy cold the next. Before we know it, full on summer will be here and you know how moody that season is, with its heat and fury and lightning storms.
Sunday afternoon we out the big purple bin of Easter decorations. It’s not all that much – it’s not like decorating for Christmas - and didn’t take but a few minutes to get out but it made my son so happy. I love the look on his face when he pulls something out and recognizes it. You can see the memories coming back, the wheels turning and he is always so darn delighted by it all. I guess I need to begin appreciating it more before he gets too cool to show any interest.
I have a couple of cards a friend made and sent a couple of years ago. I display them each year because they’re pretty – bright and chipper.
There is panoramic sugar egg my mother and I made years ago. When we first started, it seemed like a fun idea. By the time we finished I think we were both were like, “Now who’s idea was this? And why did we do it?”
I have big plans for this weekend: a couple of hours playing tennis (believe me, I use the word “playing” loosely), baking and decorating Easter sugar cookies, dying Easter eggs, Palm Sunday service at church, and an Easter egg hunt afterward. It would appear that I think this weekend is going to have an extra day. Or two.
Wish us luck with that!
Best,
Keetha
There’s a new feature on the blog. You can follow it! Just click “Follow This Blog” to sign up and you’ll receive alerts when new posts are up.
*** Great Quotes
The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring. - Bern Williams
April hath put a spirit of youth in everything. - William Shakespeare
*** Fun Food Idea
Easter dinner means honey baked ham, a basket full of dyed eggs nearby, and pineapple cheese casserole. When my mother first mentioned the dish to me a few years ago I crinkled up my nose; cooked pineapple? With cheese? Nothing about that sounded good.
Then I tried it and it’s been a staple on the holiday table ever since. This is an old-school southern casserole, meaning it’s rich, rich, and rich.
Pineapple Cheese Casserole
3 (15-ounce) cans pineapple chunks
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
8 tablespoons pineapple juice
8 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
30 round crackers, such as Ritz, crushed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine pineapple chunks, cheddar, juice, flour, and sugar. Pour into prepared dish and sprinkle with crushed crackers. Dot top of casserole with butter, if desired.
Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Check out the food blog!
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. Email me at kudzuuu at gmail dot com to subscribe.
*** Hit the Highlights
Thank goodness you can go home again
Cracker Jack of a guy
Boots are made for walking
Be the first in your neighborhood to know when fresh blog posts are up! Visit Write Kudzu and click on “Follow This Blog” to the right, about midway down the page. You’ll be alerted when a new content is posted. It’s fast and no cost, of course.
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
“Keetha DePriest Reed's "More Culinary Kudzu: Recollections and Recipes from Growing Up Southern" is part cookbook, part collection of wonderful essays on food, family and growing up Southern and altogether great fun… I would very highly recommend "More Culinary Kudzu" to anybody who enjoys good food and good writing as well as to anybody who wants to find out more about the South. As for me, I only have one question left - how do I get invited to one of their family reunions?” – review by ReaderViews.com
*** Recommended Reading
The Wedding Machine by Beth Ann Hart: "Welcome to Jasper, South Carolina. A place where Southern hospitality thrives. Where social occasions are done right. And where, for generations, the four most upstanding ladies of this community ensure that the daughters of Jasper are married in the proper manner.
Friends from school days, "the gals" have long pooled their silver, china, and know-how to pull off beautiful events. They're a force of nature, a well-oiled machine. But the wedding machine's gears start to stick during the summer their own daughters line up to tie the knot. In the lowcountry heat and humidity, tempers flare, old secrets leak out . . . and both love and gardenias bloom in unlikely places."
The Wilde Women by Paula Wall: “Five Points, Tenn., has been brought low by the depression, but the residents retain their interest in the Wilde sisters' feud, which began when Pearl caught her younger sister Kat inappropriately entertaining Bourne Cavanagh, Pearl's fiancé and the heir to a whiskey distillery empire. Pearl disappears and travels the world, sending Kat a tersely worded postcard every month. Sassy and brash Kat stays behind and toys with the town's menfolk, including Mason Hughes, whose wealthy family owns the shirt factory where Kat works. Pearl sashays home after a few years and opens a high-class bordello that caters to the rich and powerful, while Kat continues to entice and evade Mason..."
All the books from last month.
http://writekudzu.blogspot.com
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
“What if you were made of peanut butter?”
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year. To learn more, visit www.mississippiwritersguild.com or http://greenwoodareamwg.blogspot.com
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2009 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
Volume 5 Issue 4
*** Random Thoughts
At this time of year, I try not to mind the schizophrenic weather, how it’s sunshine and pink fairy dust one day and gloomy, stormy cold the next. Before we know it, full on summer will be here and you know how moody that season is, with its heat and fury and lightning storms.
Sunday afternoon we out the big purple bin of Easter decorations. It’s not all that much – it’s not like decorating for Christmas - and didn’t take but a few minutes to get out but it made my son so happy. I love the look on his face when he pulls something out and recognizes it. You can see the memories coming back, the wheels turning and he is always so darn delighted by it all. I guess I need to begin appreciating it more before he gets too cool to show any interest.
I have a couple of cards a friend made and sent a couple of years ago. I display them each year because they’re pretty – bright and chipper.
There is panoramic sugar egg my mother and I made years ago. When we first started, it seemed like a fun idea. By the time we finished I think we were both were like, “Now who’s idea was this? And why did we do it?”
I have big plans for this weekend: a couple of hours playing tennis (believe me, I use the word “playing” loosely), baking and decorating Easter sugar cookies, dying Easter eggs, Palm Sunday service at church, and an Easter egg hunt afterward. It would appear that I think this weekend is going to have an extra day. Or two.
Wish us luck with that!
Best,
Keetha
There’s a new feature on the blog. You can follow it! Just click “Follow This Blog” to sign up and you’ll receive alerts when new posts are up.
*** Great Quotes
The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring. - Bern Williams
April hath put a spirit of youth in everything. - William Shakespeare
*** Fun Food Idea
Easter dinner means honey baked ham, a basket full of dyed eggs nearby, and pineapple cheese casserole. When my mother first mentioned the dish to me a few years ago I crinkled up my nose; cooked pineapple? With cheese? Nothing about that sounded good.
Then I tried it and it’s been a staple on the holiday table ever since. This is an old-school southern casserole, meaning it’s rich, rich, and rich.
Pineapple Cheese Casserole
3 (15-ounce) cans pineapple chunks
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
8 tablespoons pineapple juice
8 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
30 round crackers, such as Ritz, crushed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine pineapple chunks, cheddar, juice, flour, and sugar. Pour into prepared dish and sprinkle with crushed crackers. Dot top of casserole with butter, if desired.
Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Check out the food blog!
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. Email me at kudzuuu at gmail dot com to subscribe.
*** Hit the Highlights
Thank goodness you can go home again
Cracker Jack of a guy
Boots are made for walking
Be the first in your neighborhood to know when fresh blog posts are up! Visit Write Kudzu and click on “Follow This Blog” to the right, about midway down the page. You’ll be alerted when a new content is posted. It’s fast and no cost, of course.
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
“Keetha DePriest Reed's "More Culinary Kudzu: Recollections and Recipes from Growing Up Southern" is part cookbook, part collection of wonderful essays on food, family and growing up Southern and altogether great fun… I would very highly recommend "More Culinary Kudzu" to anybody who enjoys good food and good writing as well as to anybody who wants to find out more about the South. As for me, I only have one question left - how do I get invited to one of their family reunions?” – review by ReaderViews.com
*** Recommended Reading
The Wedding Machine by Beth Ann Hart: "Welcome to Jasper, South Carolina. A place where Southern hospitality thrives. Where social occasions are done right. And where, for generations, the four most upstanding ladies of this community ensure that the daughters of Jasper are married in the proper manner.
Friends from school days, "the gals" have long pooled their silver, china, and know-how to pull off beautiful events. They're a force of nature, a well-oiled machine. But the wedding machine's gears start to stick during the summer their own daughters line up to tie the knot. In the lowcountry heat and humidity, tempers flare, old secrets leak out . . . and both love and gardenias bloom in unlikely places."
The Wilde Women by Paula Wall: “Five Points, Tenn., has been brought low by the depression, but the residents retain their interest in the Wilde sisters' feud, which began when Pearl caught her younger sister Kat inappropriately entertaining Bourne Cavanagh, Pearl's fiancé and the heir to a whiskey distillery empire. Pearl disappears and travels the world, sending Kat a tersely worded postcard every month. Sassy and brash Kat stays behind and toys with the town's menfolk, including Mason Hughes, whose wealthy family owns the shirt factory where Kat works. Pearl sashays home after a few years and opens a high-class bordello that caters to the rich and powerful, while Kat continues to entice and evade Mason..."
All the books from last month.
http://writekudzu.blogspot.com
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
“What if you were made of peanut butter?”
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year. To learn more, visit www.mississippiwritersguild.com or http://greenwoodareamwg.blogspot.com
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2009 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
March 2009
Delta Dish
Volume 5 Issue 3
*** Random Thoughts
Don’t get me started on daylight savings time. I have enough trouble getting to sleep without the time being CHANGED.
Nonetheless, I don’t object to the sun still being in the sky when I get home. That is welcome. (Although it being dark at half past six in the morning is not. But I wasn’t going to get started.)
I need to spend more time outdoors. I think there’s something wrong when I notice the passing of the seasons in displays in store. That’s just not right. I should note spring’s approach with the brave daffodils and jonquils, in the pink quince blooming in our yard, not by the mammoth display of color-coordinated Easter grass and candy at the big box store.
Last year at this time I vowed to do the same thing - spend more time outdoors, to plant things. That didn’t so much work out. Maybe this year.
Best,
Keetha
There’s a new feature on the blog. You can follow it! Just click “Follow This Blog” to sign up and you’ll be sent alerts when new posts are up.
*** Great Quotes
“Let me say to you that to do nothing at all is one of the most difficult things in the world, and the most intellectual.” -- Oscar Wilde
*** Fun Food Idea
I’m big on seasonality. I like tulips and jelly beans and pastels in the spring, homemade ice cream and sliced fresh peaches in the summer, baked sweet potatoes and pumpkins everywhere in the fall.
March is in between. It is still cold as the dickens one day (like last weekend, when it snowed) and a few days later, temperatures are in the upper 70s.
Cookies are the answer. That’s my unqualified response. Cookies.
The weekend of Valentine’s Day I mixed up some chocolate mocha cookie dough. Man alive those are good cookies. I bake them year ‘round. I was picturing heart-shaped cookies, loving frosted and decorated in red and pink.
Yeah, well.
After making coconut cupcakes and homemade tortellini, I was kind of over being in the kitchen.
We shaped the cookie dough into a log and froze it. I love this. Then all you have to do is slice and bake, which is what I did.
I have probably shared this recipe before – like every year at Christmas – I like them a whole bunch.
Chocolate Mocha Cookies
2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cocoa
4 tablespoons instant coffee
heaping 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream together sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.
If you’d like to make your very own slice and bake cookies, after dough is well chilled, shape into a log shape, about two inches or so in diameter. Wrap in aluminum foil and place in a freezer zip-top bag.
When ready to bake, slice off rounds about 1/4-inch thick and place on ungreased baking sheet. No need to thaw first.
Preheat oven to 375°.
If you’d like you can decorate cookie rounds with sugars and other edible embellishments before baking.
Bake for about 8 minutes or until set. Cool slightly on baking sheet; remove and cool completely on wire rack.
Tender, flavorful pork tenderloin
Homemade pasta: easier than you may think
Check out the food blog!
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. Email me at kudzuuu at gmail dot com to subscribe.
*** Hit the Highlights
Old school truck stop
Snow Day
If it’s old and rusty and interesting looking, I’ve probably stopped and taken a picture of it.
Be the first in your neighborhood to know when fresh blog posts are up! Visit Write Kudzu and click on “Follow This Blog” to the right, about midway down the page. You’ll be alerted when a new content is posted. It’s painless, fast, and totally no cost, of course.
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
“Keetha DePriest Reed's "More Culinary Kudzu: Recollections and Recipes from Growing Up Southern" is part cookbook, part collection of wonderful essays on food, family and growing up Southern and altogether great fun… I would very highly recommend "More Culinary Kudzu" to anybody who enjoys good food and good writing as well as to anybody who wants to find out more about the South. As for me, I only have one question left - how do I get invited to one of their family reunions?” – review by ReaderViews.com
*** Recommended Reading
“Very Valentine” by Adriana Trigiani was described by one reviewer, not altogether flatteringly, as a frilly valentine. It is that, which I think that’s a GOOD thing. It involves a third-generation family business that makes custom wedding shoes, with lots of lush descriptions. I liked that the main character, while feeling powerless in her circumstances near the beginning, by the end she thought of herself as the talented artisant she is, and chose her art over a romantic relationship that she had doubts about.
“Astrid and Veronika” by Linda Olsson is a beautiful story of friendship between two women. They share their stories – many of them heartbreaking, staggering, and painful. The ending had me in tears, but it was a happy-sad kind of tears, if you know what I mean.
Mini reviews and commentary about all the books I read last month.
http://writekudzu.blogspot.com
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
Sunday afternoon a friend of mine took my son shopping and he came home with a set of walkie talkies. These are fancy and need be charged.
Monday morning when he woke, he sat straight up and said:
“Mommy! I bet my talkie walkies are charged now!”
I said, “Yes, son, I bet those talkie walkies are charged now.”
Talkie walkies. Bless his heart.
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year.
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2009 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
Volume 5 Issue 3
*** Random Thoughts
Don’t get me started on daylight savings time. I have enough trouble getting to sleep without the time being CHANGED.
Nonetheless, I don’t object to the sun still being in the sky when I get home. That is welcome. (Although it being dark at half past six in the morning is not. But I wasn’t going to get started.)
I need to spend more time outdoors. I think there’s something wrong when I notice the passing of the seasons in displays in store. That’s just not right. I should note spring’s approach with the brave daffodils and jonquils, in the pink quince blooming in our yard, not by the mammoth display of color-coordinated Easter grass and candy at the big box store.
Last year at this time I vowed to do the same thing - spend more time outdoors, to plant things. That didn’t so much work out. Maybe this year.
Best,
Keetha
There’s a new feature on the blog. You can follow it! Just click “Follow This Blog” to sign up and you’ll be sent alerts when new posts are up.
*** Great Quotes
“Let me say to you that to do nothing at all is one of the most difficult things in the world, and the most intellectual.” -- Oscar Wilde
*** Fun Food Idea
I’m big on seasonality. I like tulips and jelly beans and pastels in the spring, homemade ice cream and sliced fresh peaches in the summer, baked sweet potatoes and pumpkins everywhere in the fall.
March is in between. It is still cold as the dickens one day (like last weekend, when it snowed) and a few days later, temperatures are in the upper 70s.
Cookies are the answer. That’s my unqualified response. Cookies.
The weekend of Valentine’s Day I mixed up some chocolate mocha cookie dough. Man alive those are good cookies. I bake them year ‘round. I was picturing heart-shaped cookies, loving frosted and decorated in red and pink.
Yeah, well.
After making coconut cupcakes and homemade tortellini, I was kind of over being in the kitchen.
We shaped the cookie dough into a log and froze it. I love this. Then all you have to do is slice and bake, which is what I did.
I have probably shared this recipe before – like every year at Christmas – I like them a whole bunch.
Chocolate Mocha Cookies
2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cocoa
4 tablespoons instant coffee
heaping 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream together sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.
If you’d like to make your very own slice and bake cookies, after dough is well chilled, shape into a log shape, about two inches or so in diameter. Wrap in aluminum foil and place in a freezer zip-top bag.
When ready to bake, slice off rounds about 1/4-inch thick and place on ungreased baking sheet. No need to thaw first.
Preheat oven to 375°.
If you’d like you can decorate cookie rounds with sugars and other edible embellishments before baking.
Bake for about 8 minutes or until set. Cool slightly on baking sheet; remove and cool completely on wire rack.
Tender, flavorful pork tenderloin
Homemade pasta: easier than you may think
Check out the food blog!
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. Email me at kudzuuu at gmail dot com to subscribe.
*** Hit the Highlights
Old school truck stop
Snow Day
If it’s old and rusty and interesting looking, I’ve probably stopped and taken a picture of it.
Be the first in your neighborhood to know when fresh blog posts are up! Visit Write Kudzu and click on “Follow This Blog” to the right, about midway down the page. You’ll be alerted when a new content is posted. It’s painless, fast, and totally no cost, of course.
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
“Keetha DePriest Reed's "More Culinary Kudzu: Recollections and Recipes from Growing Up Southern" is part cookbook, part collection of wonderful essays on food, family and growing up Southern and altogether great fun… I would very highly recommend "More Culinary Kudzu" to anybody who enjoys good food and good writing as well as to anybody who wants to find out more about the South. As for me, I only have one question left - how do I get invited to one of their family reunions?” – review by ReaderViews.com
*** Recommended Reading
“Very Valentine” by Adriana Trigiani was described by one reviewer, not altogether flatteringly, as a frilly valentine. It is that, which I think that’s a GOOD thing. It involves a third-generation family business that makes custom wedding shoes, with lots of lush descriptions. I liked that the main character, while feeling powerless in her circumstances near the beginning, by the end she thought of herself as the talented artisant she is, and chose her art over a romantic relationship that she had doubts about.
“Astrid and Veronika” by Linda Olsson is a beautiful story of friendship between two women. They share their stories – many of them heartbreaking, staggering, and painful. The ending had me in tears, but it was a happy-sad kind of tears, if you know what I mean.
Mini reviews and commentary about all the books I read last month.
http://writekudzu.blogspot.com
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
Sunday afternoon a friend of mine took my son shopping and he came home with a set of walkie talkies. These are fancy and need be charged.
Monday morning when he woke, he sat straight up and said:
“Mommy! I bet my talkie walkies are charged now!”
I said, “Yes, son, I bet those talkie walkies are charged now.”
Talkie walkies. Bless his heart.
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year.
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2009 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
February 2009
Delta Dish
Volume 5 Issue 2
*** Random Thoughts
How is everybody? Surviving winter? Barely?
I think the secret is good books and a new coffee mug. That’s what works for me, anyway. That and playing.
I used to love to make stuff. I think most children do. Creating, coloring, making stuff. The school I attended was so small there were no art electives in high school. It didn’t occur to me to take any crafty things in college because…I have no idea. Too busy making plans for Thursday nights out, probably.
Here lately, I’ve been playing more; having a child around helps. Creating is so satisfying. I’d forgotten how much fun it is to make something, to create. Most people probably have supplies. I know I do – acrylic paint, brushes, stencils, rubber stamps, paper, fabric paint, ribbon, decoupage medium, thread – and on and on. Sometimes I want to get out this stuff and play with it and sometimes I take it all out, look at it and think, “Now what?” I’m not good enough to make something really good. Then I box it all back up, put it away, and do something practical and grownup.
With a child around, though, anything and everything becomes worthwhile and beautiful. What’s the word? Oh, yeah, FUN. Who cares if you wouldn’t hang it up and give it as gift? Who cares? Making it was a blast. That’s what matters most.
Best,
Keetha
There’s a new feature on the blog. You can follow it! Just click “Follow This Blog” to sign up and you’ll be sent alerts when new posts are up.
*** Great Quotes
“The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.” - Allan K. Chalmers
“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” – Pablo Picasso
*** Fun Food Idea
Is it just me or does everyone think of Red Velvet Cake in February? Love. It. My mother used to make a heart-shaped two-layer red velvet cake around Valentine’s Day. I believe this recipe was her mother's.
Red Velvet Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8- or 9-inch cake pans.
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring
Mix together and set aside.
Cream together:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Add 3 whole eggs and the paste of cocoa and food coloring. Beat for 10 minutes.
Add:
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups cake flour that has been sifted three times with 1 teaspoon salt.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Add that to the mixture.
Whew. Pour all that in the prepared pans and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool on wire racks for a few minutes before turning out to cool completely.
Icing
Cream together:
1 stick butter
8 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
Add 3 tablespoons flour, one at a time. Add 2/3 cup sweet (whole) milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat with mixer for 12 minutes.
Enjoy and indulge; you've earned it.
Rosemary and Red Wine Tenderloin
*** Fun Idea Although Not Food
A couple of Valentine’s crafts:
(First buy up a bunch of cheap crayons.)
Remember sharpening crayons, sprinkling the shavings between and betwixt wax paper, and ironing it? I love that.
Chop more crayons and melt them together to form heart-shaped rainbow-swirled chunky crayons.
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. You’re welcome to comment here with your email address to subscribe or send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com.
*** Hit the Highlights
Math and me – this is why successfully balancing a bank statement feels like a victory.
Turns out Moms do know best.
How one birthday can actually be two weeks.
Be the first in your neighborhood to know when fresh blog posts are up! Visit www.keetha.com and click on “Follow This Blog” to the right, about midway down the page. You’ll be alerted when a new content is posted. It’s painless, fast, and totally no cost, of course.
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
“Keetha DePriest Reed's "More Culinary Kudzu: Recollections and Recipes from Growing Up Southern" is part cookbook, part collection of wonderful essays on food, family and growing up Southern and altogether great fun… I would very highly recommend "More Culinary Kudzu" to anybody who enjoys good food and good writing as well as to anybody who wants to find out more about the South. As for me, I only have one question left - how do I get invited to one of their family reunions?” – review by ReaderViews.com
*** Recommended Reading
It depends on what you’re in the mood for. For mystery and intrigue, along with a bit of history, I recommend both “The Lace Reader” by Brunonia Barry and “The Savage Garden” by Mark Mills. Both excellent.
For an all-around great read, “I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith. It is wonderful.
The books I read last month, along with witty and insightful comments, are listed here.
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
"What would a cross between a chicken and a teacher say?"
???
"Bak, bak, do your homework! Bak, bak, do your homework!"
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year. The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Calendar of Events
Saturday, February 14th – St. Valentine’s Day
Tuesday, February 24th – Mardi Gras
One year ago this month, I first read “Lonesome Dove,” which is incredible and you should read it. Yes, you. Even if you don’t like Westerns or cowboys or historical fiction. It’s that good.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to keethadreed@yahoo.com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2009 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
Volume 5 Issue 2
*** Random Thoughts
How is everybody? Surviving winter? Barely?
I think the secret is good books and a new coffee mug. That’s what works for me, anyway. That and playing.
I used to love to make stuff. I think most children do. Creating, coloring, making stuff. The school I attended was so small there were no art electives in high school. It didn’t occur to me to take any crafty things in college because…I have no idea. Too busy making plans for Thursday nights out, probably.
Here lately, I’ve been playing more; having a child around helps. Creating is so satisfying. I’d forgotten how much fun it is to make something, to create. Most people probably have supplies. I know I do – acrylic paint, brushes, stencils, rubber stamps, paper, fabric paint, ribbon, decoupage medium, thread – and on and on. Sometimes I want to get out this stuff and play with it and sometimes I take it all out, look at it and think, “Now what?” I’m not good enough to make something really good. Then I box it all back up, put it away, and do something practical and grownup.
With a child around, though, anything and everything becomes worthwhile and beautiful. What’s the word? Oh, yeah, FUN. Who cares if you wouldn’t hang it up and give it as gift? Who cares? Making it was a blast. That’s what matters most.
Best,
Keetha
There’s a new feature on the blog. You can follow it! Just click “Follow This Blog” to sign up and you’ll be sent alerts when new posts are up.
*** Great Quotes
“The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.” - Allan K. Chalmers
“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” – Pablo Picasso
*** Fun Food Idea
Is it just me or does everyone think of Red Velvet Cake in February? Love. It. My mother used to make a heart-shaped two-layer red velvet cake around Valentine’s Day. I believe this recipe was her mother's.
Red Velvet Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8- or 9-inch cake pans.
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring
Mix together and set aside.
Cream together:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Add 3 whole eggs and the paste of cocoa and food coloring. Beat for 10 minutes.
Add:
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups cake flour that has been sifted three times with 1 teaspoon salt.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Add that to the mixture.
Whew. Pour all that in the prepared pans and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool on wire racks for a few minutes before turning out to cool completely.
Icing
Cream together:
1 stick butter
8 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
Add 3 tablespoons flour, one at a time. Add 2/3 cup sweet (whole) milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat with mixer for 12 minutes.
Enjoy and indulge; you've earned it.
Rosemary and Red Wine Tenderloin
*** Fun Idea Although Not Food
A couple of Valentine’s crafts:
(First buy up a bunch of cheap crayons.)
Remember sharpening crayons, sprinkling the shavings between and betwixt wax paper, and ironing it? I love that.
Chop more crayons and melt them together to form heart-shaped rainbow-swirled chunky crayons.
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. You’re welcome to comment here with your email address to subscribe or send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com.
*** Hit the Highlights
Math and me – this is why successfully balancing a bank statement feels like a victory.
Turns out Moms do know best.
How one birthday can actually be two weeks.
Be the first in your neighborhood to know when fresh blog posts are up! Visit www.keetha.com and click on “Follow This Blog” to the right, about midway down the page. You’ll be alerted when a new content is posted. It’s painless, fast, and totally no cost, of course.
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
“Keetha DePriest Reed's "More Culinary Kudzu: Recollections and Recipes from Growing Up Southern" is part cookbook, part collection of wonderful essays on food, family and growing up Southern and altogether great fun… I would very highly recommend "More Culinary Kudzu" to anybody who enjoys good food and good writing as well as to anybody who wants to find out more about the South. As for me, I only have one question left - how do I get invited to one of their family reunions?” – review by ReaderViews.com
*** Recommended Reading
It depends on what you’re in the mood for. For mystery and intrigue, along with a bit of history, I recommend both “The Lace Reader” by Brunonia Barry and “The Savage Garden” by Mark Mills. Both excellent.
For an all-around great read, “I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith. It is wonderful.
The books I read last month, along with witty and insightful comments, are listed here.
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
"What would a cross between a chicken and a teacher say?"
???
"Bak, bak, do your homework! Bak, bak, do your homework!"
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year. The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Calendar of Events
Saturday, February 14th – St. Valentine’s Day
Tuesday, February 24th – Mardi Gras
One year ago this month, I first read “Lonesome Dove,” which is incredible and you should read it. Yes, you. Even if you don’t like Westerns or cowboys or historical fiction. It’s that good.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to keethadreed@yahoo.com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2009 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
January 2009
Delta Dish
Volume 5 Issue 1
*** Random Thoughts
Fresh and new and shiny and clean – isn’t the new year grand? Everything seems possible now, like it does each January.
I won’t bore you with what I’m working on; it’s the same thing everyone is – eating healthy, exercising, getting organized, and more challenging, STAYING organized.
While there are some people who count the days until spring and beach vacations, I enjoy winter. I like cold mornings and wearing sweaters, wrapping my hands around a mug of coffee to keep warm. The highs for the next week are forecasted not to reach above the 50s. Perfect.
Best,
Keetha
*** Great Quotes
“There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you… only in the winter, in
the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself.”
- Ruth Stout
*** Fun Food Idea
In the spirit of the healthy eating bandwagon that everybody and their brother is on, I’ve been focused on side dishes lately to make healthy-for-you yet average-tasting entrees more palatable.
It’s not all that easy. People who are health foodies say fresh food is best, that high quality, healthy ingredients really are good. While all that is true there is no way I will be convinced that steamed broccoli tastes better than baked potatoes stuffed with cheddar cheese, crisp bacon, and chopped green onions. I don’t care how organic or whatever the broccoli is. Just. No. Way. The reason fattening foods generally taste so good is because they’re flavored with FAT, which tastes good.
Although I have found two side dishes that are quite tasty and if not out-and-out healthy, at least they aren’t FRIED.
Again with the Sautéed Spinach:
Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet. When it’s melted and warm, add some chopped onion and two cloves of garlic, minced. Cook on low heat until the onions are caramelized, about 30 minutes. Add a bag of fresh spinach, cover, and cook until wilted, which will take no time at all – just a few minutes. Serve immediately.
If there are any leftovers, which I doubt, but if there are, you could use it as a filling for stuffed chicken breasts or mushrooms.
Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
I’m operating on the theory that if it’s green it must be healthy, so healthy that the greenness cancels about the fatty bacon. Makes perfect sense to me.
Start with a pound of brussel sprouts, which need to be rinsed, the tough bottoms cut off, and cored. Then chop them roughly. I first tried grating them but it didn’t work too well.
Saute 4 or 5 pieces of bacon. (You can use turkey bacon) Remove from skillet and set aside. Pour off all but one tablespoon of bacon grease, unless you used turkey bacon in which case there will be no grease to pour off and you’ll need to add about 1 tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter to skillet and heat over medium heat.
Add about one-third cup of nuts – I’ve used walnuts, I’ve used almonds, the recipe called for pine nuts – and sauté a few minutes. Then add the shredded brussel sprouts and about 2 green onions, chopped. Cook on medium for 10 to 15 minutes.
Top with crumbled bacon and serve.
The older I get, the more I appreciate things that taste good and are good for me, although the term “tastes good” has gotten much broader. Much.
A few recipes from last month and in complete disregard for the eating healthy business:
Grits: They’re not just for breakfast, especially if they have a ton o’ cheese and garlic.
Brown Sugar Pound Cake – perfect for enjoying with friends over a cup of coffee.
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. . You’re welcome to comment here with your email address or send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com.
*** Hit the Highlights
If you’d like to know when fresh blog posts are up, visit and click on “Follow This Blog” to the right, about midway down the page. It’s painless, fast, and totally no cost, of course.
I don’t make resolutions.
Everyone should have a Mrs. Ellard.
Shopping Malls R Us
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
“Keetha DePriest Reed's "More Culinary Kudzu: Recollections and Recipes from Growing Up Southern" is part cookbook, part collection of wonderful essays on food, family and growing up Southern and altogether great fun… I would very highly recommend "More Culinary Kudzu" to anybody who enjoys good food and good writing as well as to anybody who wants to find out more about the South. As for me, I only have one question left - how do I get invited to one of their family reunions?” – review by ReaderViews.com
*** Recommended Reading
I gravitate toward books set in small towns, especially southern ones. I like the main characters to be women. And if food is involved in some form or fashion, all the better.
Well.
I have a found a new favorite author and she is Sarah Addison Allen. I read “Garden Spells” first, which was the 2008 Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance book of the year. I finished it in less than two days and was sorry when I was done.
I promptly ordered Allen’s next book, “The Sugar Queen” as my book club pick for January. I heartily recommend both books.
The books I read last month, along with witty and insightful comments.
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
Last Monday was the first day of a regular plain old workweek, the first one in two weeks. It was cold and rained all day. After we got home, my hands were full and I was unlocking the door. He stood next to me on the steps and said, “Mommy, how was your day at work?”
I don’t think he’d ever asked me that before. Bless his heart, he seemed genuinely interested.
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year. Learn more.
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Calendar of Events
Wait – what’s this – it appears that SOMEBODY has a birthday this month! Oh, wait – that’s me! January 21st.
February Delta Dish will be delivered around February 4th. Or possibly February 11th. On a Wednesday, though. If it’s not a Friday.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to keethadreed@yahoo.com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2009 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
Volume 5 Issue 1
*** Random Thoughts
Fresh and new and shiny and clean – isn’t the new year grand? Everything seems possible now, like it does each January.
I won’t bore you with what I’m working on; it’s the same thing everyone is – eating healthy, exercising, getting organized, and more challenging, STAYING organized.
While there are some people who count the days until spring and beach vacations, I enjoy winter. I like cold mornings and wearing sweaters, wrapping my hands around a mug of coffee to keep warm. The highs for the next week are forecasted not to reach above the 50s. Perfect.
Best,
Keetha
*** Great Quotes
“There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you… only in the winter, in
the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself.”
- Ruth Stout
*** Fun Food Idea
In the spirit of the healthy eating bandwagon that everybody and their brother is on, I’ve been focused on side dishes lately to make healthy-for-you yet average-tasting entrees more palatable.
It’s not all that easy. People who are health foodies say fresh food is best, that high quality, healthy ingredients really are good. While all that is true there is no way I will be convinced that steamed broccoli tastes better than baked potatoes stuffed with cheddar cheese, crisp bacon, and chopped green onions. I don’t care how organic or whatever the broccoli is. Just. No. Way. The reason fattening foods generally taste so good is because they’re flavored with FAT, which tastes good.
Although I have found two side dishes that are quite tasty and if not out-and-out healthy, at least they aren’t FRIED.
Again with the Sautéed Spinach:
Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet. When it’s melted and warm, add some chopped onion and two cloves of garlic, minced. Cook on low heat until the onions are caramelized, about 30 minutes. Add a bag of fresh spinach, cover, and cook until wilted, which will take no time at all – just a few minutes. Serve immediately.
If there are any leftovers, which I doubt, but if there are, you could use it as a filling for stuffed chicken breasts or mushrooms.
Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
I’m operating on the theory that if it’s green it must be healthy, so healthy that the greenness cancels about the fatty bacon. Makes perfect sense to me.
Start with a pound of brussel sprouts, which need to be rinsed, the tough bottoms cut off, and cored. Then chop them roughly. I first tried grating them but it didn’t work too well.
Saute 4 or 5 pieces of bacon. (You can use turkey bacon) Remove from skillet and set aside. Pour off all but one tablespoon of bacon grease, unless you used turkey bacon in which case there will be no grease to pour off and you’ll need to add about 1 tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter to skillet and heat over medium heat.
Add about one-third cup of nuts – I’ve used walnuts, I’ve used almonds, the recipe called for pine nuts – and sauté a few minutes. Then add the shredded brussel sprouts and about 2 green onions, chopped. Cook on medium for 10 to 15 minutes.
Top with crumbled bacon and serve.
The older I get, the more I appreciate things that taste good and are good for me, although the term “tastes good” has gotten much broader. Much.
A few recipes from last month and in complete disregard for the eating healthy business:
Grits: They’re not just for breakfast, especially if they have a ton o’ cheese and garlic.
Brown Sugar Pound Cake – perfect for enjoying with friends over a cup of coffee.
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. . You’re welcome to comment here with your email address or send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com.
*** Hit the Highlights
If you’d like to know when fresh blog posts are up, visit and click on “Follow This Blog” to the right, about midway down the page. It’s painless, fast, and totally no cost, of course.
I don’t make resolutions.
Everyone should have a Mrs. Ellard.
Shopping Malls R Us
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
“Keetha DePriest Reed's "More Culinary Kudzu: Recollections and Recipes from Growing Up Southern" is part cookbook, part collection of wonderful essays on food, family and growing up Southern and altogether great fun… I would very highly recommend "More Culinary Kudzu" to anybody who enjoys good food and good writing as well as to anybody who wants to find out more about the South. As for me, I only have one question left - how do I get invited to one of their family reunions?” – review by ReaderViews.com
*** Recommended Reading
I gravitate toward books set in small towns, especially southern ones. I like the main characters to be women. And if food is involved in some form or fashion, all the better.
Well.
I have a found a new favorite author and she is Sarah Addison Allen. I read “Garden Spells” first, which was the 2008 Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance book of the year. I finished it in less than two days and was sorry when I was done.
I promptly ordered Allen’s next book, “The Sugar Queen” as my book club pick for January. I heartily recommend both books.
The books I read last month, along with witty and insightful comments.
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
Last Monday was the first day of a regular plain old workweek, the first one in two weeks. It was cold and rained all day. After we got home, my hands were full and I was unlocking the door. He stood next to me on the steps and said, “Mommy, how was your day at work?”
I don’t think he’d ever asked me that before. Bless his heart, he seemed genuinely interested.
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year. Learn more.
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Calendar of Events
Wait – what’s this – it appears that SOMEBODY has a birthday this month! Oh, wait – that’s me! January 21st.
February Delta Dish will be delivered around February 4th. Or possibly February 11th. On a Wednesday, though. If it’s not a Friday.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to keethadreed@yahoo.com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2009 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
December 2008
Delta Dish
Volume 4 Issue 12
*** Random Thoughts
The other day I was at the grocery store and I tripped and bumped a rack and somehow or another a Christmas magazine landed in my cart. (Maybe because I stood in front of the rack and perused Christmas issues for ten minutes before deciding, “Yes, I have to have this.” and carefully placing it in my cart. Details)
I am one of those annoying people who genuinely love the holidays. To me, the stretch between October and early January really is the most wonderful time of year.
Often I have big plans and big ideas (big! huge!) yet when December arrives, it comes with a whole bunch of other activities and obligations, so that a few days after Christmas, I think, “Now, wait a minute. I didn’t make gingerbread waffles. Or put together a photo collage of those old Christmas pictures. Or make that recipe I saw. Or drink hot chocolate and look at Christmas lights. Or watch the Charlie Brown Christmas Special while wearing pajamas. Not fair!”
This year I aim to take things slower and lower the bar a bit. I want the holidays to feel richer and less frantic. I hope to enjoy more the things we do even if I get none of those things done.
Merry Christmas!
Best,
Keetha
*** Great Quotes
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good - will to men!
- Longfellow
*** Fun Food Idea
Toffee
My grandmother makes this candy each year at Christmas. She does it ahead of time and it freezes it and it’s always delicious.
It makes a great gift, too.
1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped blanched almonds (or coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts or whatever kind of nuts you prefer)
1 cup unsalted butter (do not substitute) (No joking about that.)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup coarsely chopped chocolate
Butter a pan. The recipe calls for 9x13 pyrex dish; I’ve used that and I’ve also used half baking sheets. Anything heatproof works fine.
Sprinkle half of nuts in greased pan and set aside. (You can leave out this step if you don’t care for nuts.)
Melt butter, sugar, and water together over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often until temperature reaches 300 degrees. Remove from heat and quickly stir in baking soda. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and let harden.
(If you’re going to freeze the toffee, stop here. Let toffee get completely cool and hard, break into pieces, and put in a freezer zip top bag and freeze.)
Sprinkle chocolate over the top and let stand for 5 minutes. Spread chocolate over the top and sprinkle with additional chopped nuts while chocolate is still warm.
Let cool completely and break into pieces.
Keeps well in an airtight container.
When ready to serve or give away, take toffee from freezer and let come to room temperature and thaw – a few hours or so.
Melt chocolate – dark chocolate, milk chocolate, whatever you like – and pour over toffee, smoothing with an offset spatula.
You can play around with different combinations – white chocolate and toasted macadamia nuts, bittersweet chocolate and hazelnuts, milk chocolate and peanuts.
The back story.
If you’d like to make your own homemade marshmallows.
A few recipes from last month:
My new favorite side dish.
Chicken entree easy enough for weeknights, tasty enough for company.
Everybody loves these appetizers.
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. You’re welcome to comment here with your email address to subscribe or send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com.
*** Hit the Highlights – a few blog posts from last month
‘Cruciatingly embarrassing photos from the 80s. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Spiral bound
November photos
Home office tour
Check the blog often!
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
To see what people, who I didn’t pay (really!), say about More Culinary Kudzu, visit here.
*** Recommended Reading
I recommend these books every year around this time. They’re great Christmas reads:
Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg (Have your tissues handy for this one.)
The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
My take on all the books I read last month.
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
So much cuteness. He is in love with the holidays, the pageantry, the lights, the warmth. Seeing it through his eyes is enchanting. So much so that my brain is addled and I can’t think of a single adorable thing he said.
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year. To learn more, visit here.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2008 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
Volume 4 Issue 12
*** Random Thoughts
The other day I was at the grocery store and I tripped and bumped a rack and somehow or another a Christmas magazine landed in my cart. (Maybe because I stood in front of the rack and perused Christmas issues for ten minutes before deciding, “Yes, I have to have this.” and carefully placing it in my cart. Details)
I am one of those annoying people who genuinely love the holidays. To me, the stretch between October and early January really is the most wonderful time of year.
Often I have big plans and big ideas (big! huge!) yet when December arrives, it comes with a whole bunch of other activities and obligations, so that a few days after Christmas, I think, “Now, wait a minute. I didn’t make gingerbread waffles. Or put together a photo collage of those old Christmas pictures. Or make that recipe I saw. Or drink hot chocolate and look at Christmas lights. Or watch the Charlie Brown Christmas Special while wearing pajamas. Not fair!”
This year I aim to take things slower and lower the bar a bit. I want the holidays to feel richer and less frantic. I hope to enjoy more the things we do even if I get none of those things done.
Merry Christmas!
Best,
Keetha
*** Great Quotes
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good - will to men!
- Longfellow
*** Fun Food Idea
Toffee
My grandmother makes this candy each year at Christmas. She does it ahead of time and it freezes it and it’s always delicious.
It makes a great gift, too.
1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped blanched almonds (or coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts or whatever kind of nuts you prefer)
1 cup unsalted butter (do not substitute) (No joking about that.)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup coarsely chopped chocolate
Butter a pan. The recipe calls for 9x13 pyrex dish; I’ve used that and I’ve also used half baking sheets. Anything heatproof works fine.
Sprinkle half of nuts in greased pan and set aside. (You can leave out this step if you don’t care for nuts.)
Melt butter, sugar, and water together over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often until temperature reaches 300 degrees. Remove from heat and quickly stir in baking soda. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and let harden.
(If you’re going to freeze the toffee, stop here. Let toffee get completely cool and hard, break into pieces, and put in a freezer zip top bag and freeze.)
Sprinkle chocolate over the top and let stand for 5 minutes. Spread chocolate over the top and sprinkle with additional chopped nuts while chocolate is still warm.
Let cool completely and break into pieces.
Keeps well in an airtight container.
When ready to serve or give away, take toffee from freezer and let come to room temperature and thaw – a few hours or so.
Melt chocolate – dark chocolate, milk chocolate, whatever you like – and pour over toffee, smoothing with an offset spatula.
You can play around with different combinations – white chocolate and toasted macadamia nuts, bittersweet chocolate and hazelnuts, milk chocolate and peanuts.
The back story.
If you’d like to make your own homemade marshmallows.
A few recipes from last month:
My new favorite side dish.
Chicken entree easy enough for weeknights, tasty enough for company.
Everybody loves these appetizers.
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. You’re welcome to comment here with your email address to subscribe or send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com.
*** Hit the Highlights – a few blog posts from last month
‘Cruciatingly embarrassing photos from the 80s. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Spiral bound
November photos
Home office tour
Check the blog often!
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
To see what people, who I didn’t pay (really!), say about More Culinary Kudzu, visit here.
*** Recommended Reading
I recommend these books every year around this time. They’re great Christmas reads:
Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg (Have your tissues handy for this one.)
The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
My take on all the books I read last month.
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
So much cuteness. He is in love with the holidays, the pageantry, the lights, the warmth. Seeing it through his eyes is enchanting. So much so that my brain is addled and I can’t think of a single adorable thing he said.
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year. To learn more, visit here.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2008 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
November 2008
Delta Dish
Volume 4 Issue 11
*** Random Thoughts
Like last year and the year before, I am happy to see November. Last month was a whirlwind. November seems kinder and gentler. The hubbub of Christmas hasn’t quite begun and the promise of autumn has arrived – cool temperatures, flannel pajamas, warm soups for dinner.
My fiancé and I are hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. I’ve been thinking about the menu lately. Okay, that’s a lie. I’ve been thinking about the menu for close to two months. In early October, I wrote out the menu. OH YES I DID. I looked online for ideas for inventive table décor and came across an article on Martha Stewart’s website wherein you take acorns and use an awl and attach hooks and something, I don’t know. I remember thinking if I had to do a dozen of those, I would not be sane and then what fun would Thanksgiving be.
Our families will be here for Thanksgiving. We’ll have smoked turkey and honey baked ham and my grandmother ‘s dressing and I’m almost beside myself, I’m so looking forward.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday.
Best,
Keetha
*** Great Quote
“There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.” -- O. Henry
*** Fun Food Idea
Does it seem to you that many magazines, in their November issues, have recipes that are invariably for a new twist on traditional Thanksgiving dishes? Or the articles encourage readers to try something new this year?
Me, I encourage you to not try anything new this year. I like the traditional holiday dishes. I like having on our Thanksgiving table what we always have, forever and ever, amen.
Having said that, though, if you ARE in the market for something newish to do with sweet potatoes, you may want to try baking them twice, like so:
Preheat oven to 350.
Scrub 6 potatoes and bake until tender, probably 45 to 60 minutes, depending on their size. Let cool.
Scoop out insides and place in a large bowl. Add a few tablespoons of softened butter, one small can crushed pineapple, drained, a teaspoon or two of orange zest, a teaspoon of almond flavoring or a splash of Amaretto, and a sprinkling of nutmeg. Stir well and put back in potato shells. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Another easy dish to try:
My fiancé, Jeffrey, introduced me to this dish and it's been a standard in our kitchen ever since. It came from a cookbook from his hometown of Hollandale, Mississipi. Rice Dressing can be a side dish, not unlike traditional cornbread dressing (only it’s, you know, RICE) or a meal-in-one.
1 cup rice, uncooked
1 can Cream of whatever soup (you can use cream of mushroom, cream of celery, cream of whatever your heart desires)
about half that empty soup can of water
1 can French onion soup
1 pound ground turkey (or beef), uncooked
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
(Or you can use one package of frozen chopped onion and bell pepper.)
About 3 ribs stalks of celery, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Stir well and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake for about one hour.
Note: Smells crazy good while it’s cooking.
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. You’re welcome to comment here with your email address to subscribe or send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com.
*** Hit the Highlights
The blog has a shiny new look. Check it out!
For the third year, I’m participating in National Blog Posting Month, wherein I will post every day for the month of November.
A few choice blog posts from this past month:
A tribute to my high school history teacher on election day.
Photos of things that caught my eye
Fall goodness
Our trip to Charleston
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Check the blog often!
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
To see what people, who I didn’t pay (really!), say about More Culinary Kudzu, visit here.
*** Recommended Reading
My take on all the books I read last month:
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
He and I are looking at a Christmas magazine together, oohing and aahing over the cookies. He says:
Mommy, can we make these at Christmas?
Oooh, what about those?
Can we make this one?
And then he says: You can take pictures and put it on your blog.
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year. To learn more, visit here.
*** Calendar of Events
Saturday, November 15 – Christmas Open House in Winona. My head really may explode from all this goodness.
Thursday, November 27 – Thanksgiving
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2008 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
Volume 4 Issue 11
*** Random Thoughts
Like last year and the year before, I am happy to see November. Last month was a whirlwind. November seems kinder and gentler. The hubbub of Christmas hasn’t quite begun and the promise of autumn has arrived – cool temperatures, flannel pajamas, warm soups for dinner.
My fiancé and I are hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. I’ve been thinking about the menu lately. Okay, that’s a lie. I’ve been thinking about the menu for close to two months. In early October, I wrote out the menu. OH YES I DID. I looked online for ideas for inventive table décor and came across an article on Martha Stewart’s website wherein you take acorns and use an awl and attach hooks and something, I don’t know. I remember thinking if I had to do a dozen of those, I would not be sane and then what fun would Thanksgiving be.
Our families will be here for Thanksgiving. We’ll have smoked turkey and honey baked ham and my grandmother ‘s dressing and I’m almost beside myself, I’m so looking forward.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday.
Best,
Keetha
*** Great Quote
“There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.” -- O. Henry
*** Fun Food Idea
Does it seem to you that many magazines, in their November issues, have recipes that are invariably for a new twist on traditional Thanksgiving dishes? Or the articles encourage readers to try something new this year?
Me, I encourage you to not try anything new this year. I like the traditional holiday dishes. I like having on our Thanksgiving table what we always have, forever and ever, amen.
Having said that, though, if you ARE in the market for something newish to do with sweet potatoes, you may want to try baking them twice, like so:
Preheat oven to 350.
Scrub 6 potatoes and bake until tender, probably 45 to 60 minutes, depending on their size. Let cool.
Scoop out insides and place in a large bowl. Add a few tablespoons of softened butter, one small can crushed pineapple, drained, a teaspoon or two of orange zest, a teaspoon of almond flavoring or a splash of Amaretto, and a sprinkling of nutmeg. Stir well and put back in potato shells. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Another easy dish to try:
My fiancé, Jeffrey, introduced me to this dish and it's been a standard in our kitchen ever since. It came from a cookbook from his hometown of Hollandale, Mississipi. Rice Dressing can be a side dish, not unlike traditional cornbread dressing (only it’s, you know, RICE) or a meal-in-one.
1 cup rice, uncooked
1 can Cream of whatever soup (you can use cream of mushroom, cream of celery, cream of whatever your heart desires)
about half that empty soup can of water
1 can French onion soup
1 pound ground turkey (or beef), uncooked
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
(Or you can use one package of frozen chopped onion and bell pepper.)
About 3 ribs stalks of celery, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Stir well and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake for about one hour.
Note: Smells crazy good while it’s cooking.
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. You’re welcome to comment here with your email address to subscribe or send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com.
*** Hit the Highlights
The blog has a shiny new look. Check it out!
For the third year, I’m participating in National Blog Posting Month, wherein I will post every day for the month of November.
A few choice blog posts from this past month:
A tribute to my high school history teacher on election day.
Photos of things that caught my eye
Fall goodness
Our trip to Charleston
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Check the blog often!
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
To see what people, who I didn’t pay (really!), say about More Culinary Kudzu, visit here.
*** Recommended Reading
My take on all the books I read last month:
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
He and I are looking at a Christmas magazine together, oohing and aahing over the cookies. He says:
Mommy, can we make these at Christmas?
Oooh, what about those?
Can we make this one?
And then he says: You can take pictures and put it on your blog.
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year. To learn more, visit here.
*** Calendar of Events
Saturday, November 15 – Christmas Open House in Winona. My head really may explode from all this goodness.
Thursday, November 27 – Thanksgiving
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2008 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
October 2008
Delta Dish
Volume 4 Issue 10
*** Random Thoughts
Let me ask you something: are you busy these days? I thought so.
Did you feel so busy when you were a child? Were you days this full? Mine weren’t, not that I remember.
My son plays soccer Tuesdays and Thursdays. He has children’s activities at church Wednesday nights. He begged to join Cub Scouts. I think Cub Scouts is a great thing. But Scouts meets on Mondays. That would have him not at home, busy with activities, FOUR weeknights out of five.
I told him maybe next year. What I didn’t tell him is that he would probably have to choose between soccer and scouting. He loves soccer. I think it’s great that he plays; he’s part of a team and is getting good exercise while he has fun.
A few weeks ago the school sent home something about art lessons offered after school, one or two afternoons a week. I briefly wondered if I could figure out a way to make that work. Then I came to my senses; I don’t want him over-scheduled.
As it is now, Monday night is pretty much the only night we have to sit down at the table and eat a meal.
The best I can remember when I was a child, we did that every single night, except Wednesdays when we ate at church. (It seems like it was spaghetti most Wednesdays. We’d also have salad with the spaghetti – iceburg lettuce dressed with Italian dressing in white Styrofoam bowls, which has nothing to do with anything. I just hadn’t thought about those salads in years. See what it’s like in my world? The most random things take me down memory lane.)
Maybe I didn’t have the opportunities kids these days have. Children today have so many options to be enriched and well-rounded. Then again, I was home with my family at least three nights out of the week. Which is more valuable?
Why are there no easy answers?
At least there’s this: Oh, happy day, fall has arrived. I’m looking forward to all this golden goodness ahead of us: brisk mornings, football games, the State Fair, trick or treating, and turning leaves that usher in Thanksgiving. Before we know it, it’s time for tree trimming and hall decking and then New Year’s Eve and then my birthday and then Valentine’s Day and then… Wait, we were talking about October, right?
Best,
Keetha
*** Great Quote
October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
-- George Cooper, "October's Party"
*** Fun Food Idea
Now that temperatures are below 90 degrees (most days) I’ve enjoyed getting back to the kitchen, the one night during the school week that we’re at home, anyway.
We’re busy. We’ve covered that. If you need a little something to take to the office or to the tailgate or to the couch to munch on, this is just the thing.
Take some chocolate – whatever you have in the cabinet, such as milk or semi sweet or whatever – and melt it over low heat in a medium saucepan. You can do this in the microwave if you know your microwave very, very well and if the two of you are on very, very good terms.
When the chocolate is melted you can add a spoonful of peanut butter or Nutella if you’d like.
Remove from heat and stir in any or all or any combination thereof the following:
Pretzel sticks
Crisped rice cereal
-- Note: this is an ideal way to use up those sorry, broken pieces left in the bottom of a bag of cereal or pretzels.
Nuts – I prefer peanuts but any kind at all will do
Chow mein noodles
Dried fruit, you know, if you’re just that healthy
Add these things a handful at a time and stir after each addition. The melted chocolate will take on more than you can think it can. When you think you have enough doodads in there, drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper or in miniature cupcake papers, if you’d rather.
They’ll harden up at room temperature or if you’re in a hurry, stick them in the refrigerator for a bit.
Step by step instructions and photos are here (scroll down a bit past the home tailgating photos):
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. If there’s someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. You’re welcome to comment here with your email address or send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com.
*** Hit the Highlights
A few choice blog posts from this past month:
Three cheers for fall
Are you ready for some football
How The Fiancé and I met
Check the blog often!
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
To see what people, who I didn’t pay (really!), say about More Culinary Kudzu, visit here.
*** Recommended Reading
Bones to Pick by Carolyn Haines. Sixth in a series about private investigator, Sarah Booth, Bones to Pick opens with a young woman’s body discovered in a cotton field; she was drowned in a mug bog. The victim had recently written and published a racy, scandalous tell-all book where she dragged many prominent Delta families – including her own – names in the mud.
Cornbread Nation 4: Best of Southern Food Writing. With essays about boudin, low country cooking, Frank Stitt, red velvet cake, New Orleans before, during, and after Katrina, the Waffle House, poke salad, and barbecue, it’s one of the better reads – about anything – I’ve come across in a while.
My take on all the books I read last month:
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year.
*** Calendar of Events
October 1-12 – Mississippi State Fair, Jackson, Mississippi
October 11 – Miss. State v. Vanderbilt, 1:30 in Starkville, Miss.
October 25 – Miss. State v. Middle Tenn. State, Homecoming
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2008 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
Volume 4 Issue 10
*** Random Thoughts
Let me ask you something: are you busy these days? I thought so.
Did you feel so busy when you were a child? Were you days this full? Mine weren’t, not that I remember.
My son plays soccer Tuesdays and Thursdays. He has children’s activities at church Wednesday nights. He begged to join Cub Scouts. I think Cub Scouts is a great thing. But Scouts meets on Mondays. That would have him not at home, busy with activities, FOUR weeknights out of five.
I told him maybe next year. What I didn’t tell him is that he would probably have to choose between soccer and scouting. He loves soccer. I think it’s great that he plays; he’s part of a team and is getting good exercise while he has fun.
A few weeks ago the school sent home something about art lessons offered after school, one or two afternoons a week. I briefly wondered if I could figure out a way to make that work. Then I came to my senses; I don’t want him over-scheduled.
As it is now, Monday night is pretty much the only night we have to sit down at the table and eat a meal.
The best I can remember when I was a child, we did that every single night, except Wednesdays when we ate at church. (It seems like it was spaghetti most Wednesdays. We’d also have salad with the spaghetti – iceburg lettuce dressed with Italian dressing in white Styrofoam bowls, which has nothing to do with anything. I just hadn’t thought about those salads in years. See what it’s like in my world? The most random things take me down memory lane.)
Maybe I didn’t have the opportunities kids these days have. Children today have so many options to be enriched and well-rounded. Then again, I was home with my family at least three nights out of the week. Which is more valuable?
Why are there no easy answers?
At least there’s this: Oh, happy day, fall has arrived. I’m looking forward to all this golden goodness ahead of us: brisk mornings, football games, the State Fair, trick or treating, and turning leaves that usher in Thanksgiving. Before we know it, it’s time for tree trimming and hall decking and then New Year’s Eve and then my birthday and then Valentine’s Day and then… Wait, we were talking about October, right?
Best,
Keetha
*** Great Quote
October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
-- George Cooper, "October's Party"
*** Fun Food Idea
Now that temperatures are below 90 degrees (most days) I’ve enjoyed getting back to the kitchen, the one night during the school week that we’re at home, anyway.
We’re busy. We’ve covered that. If you need a little something to take to the office or to the tailgate or to the couch to munch on, this is just the thing.
Take some chocolate – whatever you have in the cabinet, such as milk or semi sweet or whatever – and melt it over low heat in a medium saucepan. You can do this in the microwave if you know your microwave very, very well and if the two of you are on very, very good terms.
When the chocolate is melted you can add a spoonful of peanut butter or Nutella if you’d like.
Remove from heat and stir in any or all or any combination thereof the following:
Pretzel sticks
Crisped rice cereal
-- Note: this is an ideal way to use up those sorry, broken pieces left in the bottom of a bag of cereal or pretzels.
Nuts – I prefer peanuts but any kind at all will do
Chow mein noodles
Dried fruit, you know, if you’re just that healthy
Add these things a handful at a time and stir after each addition. The melted chocolate will take on more than you can think it can. When you think you have enough doodads in there, drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper or in miniature cupcake papers, if you’d rather.
They’ll harden up at room temperature or if you’re in a hurry, stick them in the refrigerator for a bit.
Step by step instructions and photos are here (scroll down a bit past the home tailgating photos):
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. If there’s someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. You’re welcome to comment here with your email address or send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com.
*** Hit the Highlights
A few choice blog posts from this past month:
Three cheers for fall
Are you ready for some football
How The Fiancé and I met
Check the blog often!
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
To see what people, who I didn’t pay (really!), say about More Culinary Kudzu, visit here.
*** Recommended Reading
Bones to Pick by Carolyn Haines. Sixth in a series about private investigator, Sarah Booth, Bones to Pick opens with a young woman’s body discovered in a cotton field; she was drowned in a mug bog. The victim had recently written and published a racy, scandalous tell-all book where she dragged many prominent Delta families – including her own – names in the mud.
Cornbread Nation 4: Best of Southern Food Writing. With essays about boudin, low country cooking, Frank Stitt, red velvet cake, New Orleans before, during, and after Katrina, the Waffle House, poke salad, and barbecue, it’s one of the better reads – about anything – I’ve come across in a while.
My take on all the books I read last month:
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year.
*** Calendar of Events
October 1-12 – Mississippi State Fair, Jackson, Mississippi
October 11 – Miss. State v. Vanderbilt, 1:30 in Starkville, Miss.
October 25 – Miss. State v. Middle Tenn. State, Homecoming
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2008 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
September 2008
Delta Dish
Volume 4 Issue 9
*** Random Thoughts
I used to think that game show asking if you were smarter than a fifth grader was silly. I mean, duh, who isn’t?
But ya’ll. My son started first grade last month and you wouldn’t believe the homework! Several pages of it, three or four or five nights a week. In first grade!
These aren’t pictures to color or dots to connect, it’s bona fide homework. Spelling words. Reading comprehension. Ask me what grade my son is again so I can screech, “FIRST GRADE!”
In the olden days when I was in elementary school, we had homework for the first time in fourth grade. I remember that very specifically, because having homework seemed so grownup. I figured next thing you knew you’d have a white Jeep like Daisy Duke and get to tear around driving, wearing wedge sandals with cutoff shorts. Isn’t that what all grownups did?
When we did have homework, it was never but ever on a Wednesday night. Because? Everybody has church on Wednesday nights. Homework was also never assigned on a Friday night. Because? Duh. It’s Friday!
My son, in the FIRST GRADE, has had homework on both Wednesday and Friday nights. In the same week, even. I’ll be the first to say that in all likelihood, I baby and pamper and fuss over him too much. But I have to say that I feel like I’m right on this one when I say that it seems a bit much to expect a bunch of six year olds to handle all this. When are they supposed to play and have fun? They’ll have all their lives to work and worry and stress. Are we pushing them too hard? I think so. And it’s just FIRST GRADE.
I understand that in some schools, second graders are being taught basic algebra, a subject I didn’t even know how to pronounce until eighth grade. My poor child will have to have a tutor because his mother can help him very, very little when it comes to most mathematical subjects.
Best,
Keetha
*** Great Quote
“I love September, especially when we’re in it.” – professional baseball player Willie Stargell
*** Fun Food Idea
I’m too stressed dealing with homework to think about food.
Kidding.
Sort of.
I miss cooking, I can tell you that much. For the past four months, it’s been too hot to play much in the kitchen. We eat dinner, of course. This is what we’ve had most often: all manners of delicious things from the grill, big salads with sautéed shrimp or grilled chicken, quesadillas and rice, tuna steaks, homemade pizza, not to mention chicken from the crock pot and rotisserie chicken. What would we do without rotisserie chicken.
My all time favorite side dish we cooked this summer is, hands down, asparagus spears wrapped in proscuitto and grilled. There aren’t words for me to tell you how good it is.
I *can* tell you how to make it: wrap a piece of proscuitto around a fresh asparagus spear. Repeat. Lay the spears on a baking sheet with sides and sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce and olive oil. Or, if you realize when you’re marinating the filets that you’ve just run out of Lea & Perrins, as we did Sunday evening, you can leave that out. Sprinkle spears with Cavender’s Greek seasoning. Grill, broil, or bake until the proscuitto is crisp.
A picture is here. (scroll down a bit, passed the wonderfulness that is cheese-stuffed hamburgers)
My second most favorite side dish is sauteed spinach. My gosh. It is truly one of the fastest and easiest dishes and is so good. AND healthy, too! How often does that happen? Usually if something tastes good and is healthy, it’s a lot of trouble. Or if it’s delicious and easy, it’s unhealthy, like a bag of miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups. Uh, not that I’d know ANYTHING about that.
Heat a bit of olive oil and butter in a medium skillet and sauté some chopped onion and minced garlic on low heat until the onion is translucent. When you’re about to set the table and sit down and eat, add the spinach to the skillet and cover. It will take five minutes or less to cook.
Slightly more detailed directions.
Super easy yet yummy chicken – it got rave reviews from a blog reader and her husband. Raves.
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. You’re welcome to email me at kudzuuu at gmail dot com to sign up.
*** Hit the Highlights
Photos off the beaten path
Adventures in workouts
Back to school
Remember when being asked for an ID was offensive
Check the blog often!
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
To see what people, who I didn’t pay (really!), say about More Culinary Kudzu, visit here!
*** Recommended Reading
Just last month I posted the annual roundup of the books I read last year, as well as the announcement of my very favorite book from all of the last twelve months. I know you have all been on the edge of your seat!
The results.
I read a few books in August and will get that posted, um, soon. This week. Probably.
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
He asked if Winona had two post offices, because big cities have more than one post office.
Me: How did you know that big cities have more than one post office?
Him: Because I’m smart.
Me: . . .
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year.
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Calendar of Events
Saturday, September 6 – MSU vs. Southeastern Louisiana – first home football game of the season. I’m thinking there will be a cowbell or two there.
Sunday, September 7 – The Fiancé’s birthday
Saturday, September 13 – MSU vs. Auburn at Starkville at 6:00, televised on ESPN2. We will be there to enjoy the game and the Famous Maroon Marching Band live.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to keethadreed@yahoo.com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2008 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
Volume 4 Issue 9
*** Random Thoughts
I used to think that game show asking if you were smarter than a fifth grader was silly. I mean, duh, who isn’t?
But ya’ll. My son started first grade last month and you wouldn’t believe the homework! Several pages of it, three or four or five nights a week. In first grade!
These aren’t pictures to color or dots to connect, it’s bona fide homework. Spelling words. Reading comprehension. Ask me what grade my son is again so I can screech, “FIRST GRADE!”
In the olden days when I was in elementary school, we had homework for the first time in fourth grade. I remember that very specifically, because having homework seemed so grownup. I figured next thing you knew you’d have a white Jeep like Daisy Duke and get to tear around driving, wearing wedge sandals with cutoff shorts. Isn’t that what all grownups did?
When we did have homework, it was never but ever on a Wednesday night. Because? Everybody has church on Wednesday nights. Homework was also never assigned on a Friday night. Because? Duh. It’s Friday!
My son, in the FIRST GRADE, has had homework on both Wednesday and Friday nights. In the same week, even. I’ll be the first to say that in all likelihood, I baby and pamper and fuss over him too much. But I have to say that I feel like I’m right on this one when I say that it seems a bit much to expect a bunch of six year olds to handle all this. When are they supposed to play and have fun? They’ll have all their lives to work and worry and stress. Are we pushing them too hard? I think so. And it’s just FIRST GRADE.
I understand that in some schools, second graders are being taught basic algebra, a subject I didn’t even know how to pronounce until eighth grade. My poor child will have to have a tutor because his mother can help him very, very little when it comes to most mathematical subjects.
Best,
Keetha
*** Great Quote
“I love September, especially when we’re in it.” – professional baseball player Willie Stargell
*** Fun Food Idea
I’m too stressed dealing with homework to think about food.
Kidding.
Sort of.
I miss cooking, I can tell you that much. For the past four months, it’s been too hot to play much in the kitchen. We eat dinner, of course. This is what we’ve had most often: all manners of delicious things from the grill, big salads with sautéed shrimp or grilled chicken, quesadillas and rice, tuna steaks, homemade pizza, not to mention chicken from the crock pot and rotisserie chicken. What would we do without rotisserie chicken.
My all time favorite side dish we cooked this summer is, hands down, asparagus spears wrapped in proscuitto and grilled. There aren’t words for me to tell you how good it is.
I *can* tell you how to make it: wrap a piece of proscuitto around a fresh asparagus spear. Repeat. Lay the spears on a baking sheet with sides and sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce and olive oil. Or, if you realize when you’re marinating the filets that you’ve just run out of Lea & Perrins, as we did Sunday evening, you can leave that out. Sprinkle spears with Cavender’s Greek seasoning. Grill, broil, or bake until the proscuitto is crisp.
A picture is here. (scroll down a bit, passed the wonderfulness that is cheese-stuffed hamburgers)
My second most favorite side dish is sauteed spinach. My gosh. It is truly one of the fastest and easiest dishes and is so good. AND healthy, too! How often does that happen? Usually if something tastes good and is healthy, it’s a lot of trouble. Or if it’s delicious and easy, it’s unhealthy, like a bag of miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups. Uh, not that I’d know ANYTHING about that.
Heat a bit of olive oil and butter in a medium skillet and sauté some chopped onion and minced garlic on low heat until the onion is translucent. When you’re about to set the table and sit down and eat, add the spinach to the skillet and cover. It will take five minutes or less to cook.
Slightly more detailed directions.
Super easy yet yummy chicken – it got rave reviews from a blog reader and her husband. Raves.
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. You’re welcome to email me at kudzuuu at gmail dot com to sign up.
*** Hit the Highlights
Photos off the beaten path
Adventures in workouts
Back to school
Remember when being asked for an ID was offensive
Check the blog often!
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
To see what people, who I didn’t pay (really!), say about More Culinary Kudzu, visit here!
*** Recommended Reading
Just last month I posted the annual roundup of the books I read last year, as well as the announcement of my very favorite book from all of the last twelve months. I know you have all been on the edge of your seat!
The results.
I read a few books in August and will get that posted, um, soon. This week. Probably.
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
He asked if Winona had two post offices, because big cities have more than one post office.
Me: How did you know that big cities have more than one post office?
Him: Because I’m smart.
Me: . . .
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year.
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Calendar of Events
Saturday, September 6 – MSU vs. Southeastern Louisiana – first home football game of the season. I’m thinking there will be a cowbell or two there.
Sunday, September 7 – The Fiancé’s birthday
Saturday, September 13 – MSU vs. Auburn at Starkville at 6:00, televised on ESPN2. We will be there to enjoy the game and the Famous Maroon Marching Band live.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to keethadreed@yahoo.com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2008 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
August 2008
Delta Dish
Volume 4 Issue 8
*** Random Thoughts
Do you know that my child started back to school today? On the first Wednesday in August? That seems A WEE BIT early to me. We had been back from vacation about two weeks when it was time for back to school shopping.
I thought getting school supplies for this school year when mah baby will be in the first grade would be sad or melancholy. Instead, I looked forward to seeing what kind of lunchbox he would choose (Spiderman, with its very own water bottle. Very important.), the backpack he’d pick out (lime green and black). He chose a Cars folder, bright and shiny and red.
I thought I was excited about the new school but now it has sunk in. He will be SEVEN YEARS OLD in a couple of months. He automatically reaches for my hand when we walk. I wonder how much longer he’ll do that.
Am I making anyone else sad? Let’s talk about happy things. Like, July was a great month! Look at the blog links to read all about it.
Another happy thing: Football starts soon. And you all know what that means: fall leaves, letterman jackets, pumpkins and Indian corn, sweet potato pies – it’s all coming. And also, COOLER TEMPERATURES.
Best,
Keetha
*** Great Quote
Anyone who thinks the art of conversation is dead ought to tell a child to go to bed. - Robert Gallagher
*** Fun Food Idea
The Crock Pot is my friend. That’s what I discovered last month.
It’s funny because I think of the slow cooker as being a very wintry and fall appliance. I associate it with soups and stews and roasts. It makes me think of getting home from work when it’s already dark inside and walking into warm kitchen filled with the smell of a hearty meal.
Suntan lotion, air conditioning, and eight p.m. sunsets don’t call to mind the slow cooker. BUT. It has been so incredibly, ridiculously hot. A few weekends ago, we cooked out two nights in a row to avoid heating up the kitchen. That was great, by the way, filets and baked potatoes one night, marinated pork tenderloin and proscuitto-wrapped fresh green beans the next. Weeknight grill cooking isn’t always feasible, though.
One Monday morning I put three boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot along with a sprig’s worth of chopped rosemary, what Pinot Grigio was left in the bottle – probably about half a cup or less, a can of Cream of Chicken soup (of course), a white onion, roughly chopped, and seasoned it all liberally with salt and pepper.
It was GOOD. Super good. We cooked some rice and made a salad and we had dinner. It was really tasty and easy.
It has forced me to re-evaluate the relationship I have with my slow cooker. I thought he was a cold weather guy. Apparently, not so much. In fact, he is ideal for hot, humid, miserable summer days. (Can you tell that the heat, it is wearing on me? I’ve weathered the summer pretty well – weathered! Get it? – but it’s getting old. What’s worse is that we have a good two months of this weather to go.)
The slow cooker gets an entrée ready without heating up the kitchen. At this point in the summer, all menu planning starts with this: What can we have dinner that will generate the least amount of heat?
We’ve thought of all kinds of other slow cooker possibilities. Like chicken breasts and pesto sauce. I bet that would be out of this world.
What are you favorite summertime slow cooker recipes? Email me at keetha403 at gmail dot com if you have any recipes you’d like to share.
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. You’re welcome to comment here with your email address or send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com.
*** Hit the Highlights
Some bloggy goodness:
Vacation: A Story in Umpteen Parts
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
OH YEAH. I’m getting married!
The Proposal
The Announcement
I may or may not be crazy, probably so. I must be because I’ve started this Couch to 5K fitness program. Yes, I said fitness program. See? Crazy talk. The inaugural post about it went up today.
Check the blog often!
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
To see what people, who I didn’t pay (really!), say about More Culinary Kudzu, visit here.
*** Recommended Reading
I read some great books last month. A trip to the beach was my excuse for loading up both at the bookstore and the library.
Theft by Peter Carey was one of my favorites, as was The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson.
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
(Last Sunday at church, during communion. We’re at the altar where he’s just eaten a piece of bread.)
Him (in a loud whisper): Mommy, I like this bread.
Me: Shhhhh.
Him: (slightly louder): I wish you’d make some of that at home for us to have.
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The annual conference is in Vicksburg on August 15 and 16. The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year. To learn more, visit www.mississippiwritersguild.com
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Calendar of Events
Saturday, August 16th – 2nd Annual Miss. Writers Guild conference, Vicksburg, Miss. www.mississippiwritersguild.com
Tuesday, August 19th – my friend, Roxanne’s, birthday
Thursday, August 21st – my sister in law’s birthday
Saturday, August 30th – Miss. State vs. Northeast Louisiana televised on ESPN2. 5:45 p.m. kickoff.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to keethadreed@yahoo.com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2008 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
Volume 4 Issue 8
*** Random Thoughts
Do you know that my child started back to school today? On the first Wednesday in August? That seems A WEE BIT early to me. We had been back from vacation about two weeks when it was time for back to school shopping.
I thought getting school supplies for this school year when mah baby will be in the first grade would be sad or melancholy. Instead, I looked forward to seeing what kind of lunchbox he would choose (Spiderman, with its very own water bottle. Very important.), the backpack he’d pick out (lime green and black). He chose a Cars folder, bright and shiny and red.
I thought I was excited about the new school but now it has sunk in. He will be SEVEN YEARS OLD in a couple of months. He automatically reaches for my hand when we walk. I wonder how much longer he’ll do that.
Am I making anyone else sad? Let’s talk about happy things. Like, July was a great month! Look at the blog links to read all about it.
Another happy thing: Football starts soon. And you all know what that means: fall leaves, letterman jackets, pumpkins and Indian corn, sweet potato pies – it’s all coming. And also, COOLER TEMPERATURES.
Best,
Keetha
*** Great Quote
Anyone who thinks the art of conversation is dead ought to tell a child to go to bed. - Robert Gallagher
*** Fun Food Idea
The Crock Pot is my friend. That’s what I discovered last month.
It’s funny because I think of the slow cooker as being a very wintry and fall appliance. I associate it with soups and stews and roasts. It makes me think of getting home from work when it’s already dark inside and walking into warm kitchen filled with the smell of a hearty meal.
Suntan lotion, air conditioning, and eight p.m. sunsets don’t call to mind the slow cooker. BUT. It has been so incredibly, ridiculously hot. A few weekends ago, we cooked out two nights in a row to avoid heating up the kitchen. That was great, by the way, filets and baked potatoes one night, marinated pork tenderloin and proscuitto-wrapped fresh green beans the next. Weeknight grill cooking isn’t always feasible, though.
One Monday morning I put three boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot along with a sprig’s worth of chopped rosemary, what Pinot Grigio was left in the bottle – probably about half a cup or less, a can of Cream of Chicken soup (of course), a white onion, roughly chopped, and seasoned it all liberally with salt and pepper.
It was GOOD. Super good. We cooked some rice and made a salad and we had dinner. It was really tasty and easy.
It has forced me to re-evaluate the relationship I have with my slow cooker. I thought he was a cold weather guy. Apparently, not so much. In fact, he is ideal for hot, humid, miserable summer days. (Can you tell that the heat, it is wearing on me? I’ve weathered the summer pretty well – weathered! Get it? – but it’s getting old. What’s worse is that we have a good two months of this weather to go.)
The slow cooker gets an entrée ready without heating up the kitchen. At this point in the summer, all menu planning starts with this: What can we have dinner that will generate the least amount of heat?
We’ve thought of all kinds of other slow cooker possibilities. Like chicken breasts and pesto sauce. I bet that would be out of this world.
What are you favorite summertime slow cooker recipes? Email me at keetha403 at gmail dot com if you have any recipes you’d like to share.
*** Pass It On
If there’s someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this issue in its entirety. You’re welcome to comment here with your email address or send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to kudzuuu at gmail dot com.
*** Hit the Highlights
Some bloggy goodness:
Vacation: A Story in Umpteen Parts
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
OH YEAH. I’m getting married!
The Proposal
The Announcement
I may or may not be crazy, probably so. I must be because I’ve started this Couch to 5K fitness program. Yes, I said fitness program. See? Crazy talk. The inaugural post about it went up today.
Check the blog often!
*** Shameless Bid for Commerce
To see what people, who I didn’t pay (really!), say about More Culinary Kudzu, visit here.
*** Recommended Reading
I read some great books last month. A trip to the beach was my excuse for loading up both at the bookstore and the library.
Theft by Peter Carey was one of my favorites, as was The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson.
*** Adorable Thing My Child Said
(Last Sunday at church, during communion. We’re at the altar where he’s just eaten a piece of bread.)
Him (in a loud whisper): Mommy, I like this bread.
Me: Shhhhh.
Him: (slightly louder): I wish you’d make some of that at home for us to have.
*** Mississippi Writers Guild
The annual conference is in Vicksburg on August 15 and 16. The Mississippi Writers Guild sponsors writer workshops, conferences, writer retreats and reputable writing contests. Membership dues are only $40.00 per year. To learn more, visit www.mississippiwritersguild.com
The Mississippi Writers Guild is a non-profit association of writers from all over the state and is a growing part of Mississippi’s literary art landscape.
*** Calendar of Events
Saturday, August 16th – 2nd Annual Miss. Writers Guild conference, Vicksburg, Miss. www.mississippiwritersguild.com
Tuesday, August 19th – my friend, Roxanne’s, birthday
Thursday, August 21st – my sister in law’s birthday
Saturday, August 30th – Miss. State vs. Northeast Louisiana televised on ESPN2. 5:45 p.m. kickoff.
*** Reminders and Unsubscribe Info.
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply send an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line to keethadreed@yahoo.com - we’ll miss you but won’t harass you about staying or coming back.
2008 © Pecan Street Press. All rights reserved.
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