Foodie Friday and Everything Else

Welcome to Foodie Friday and Everything Else.

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Blueberry-Basil Galette in a Cast Iron Skillet

Music can be found within the cuisine of the American South. 

I grew up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, a place of fog and fiddle music. It's no wonder that I developed a big love for bluegrass, knee-high weeds, and country cooking.  But once upon a time, I had my doubts.

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Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Tarts

Who can resist chocolate, pastry, and cream?
(And why even try?)

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else

It's party time at Foodie Friday and Everything Else. Are you ready for the July 4th holiday?

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In the Gutter: Part 2

Source: Traditional Exterior by Birmingham Photographers Kate Benjamin Photography LLC

When it comes to home renovations, things can change profoundly in 24-hours. Yesterday, I was pondering gutters and dormers.  That evening, DH and I decided to go with a bronze, standing seam roof for the dormers and half-round bronze gutters--if my GC could find half-rounds. This morning, when I checked my e-mail, I saw a message from Medana, the project manager. The subject header said, GUTTERS. For some reason, those all-caps seemed ominous. I grabbed a jelly donut, then opened the e-mail.

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In the Gutter

Source: Farmhouse Exterior by Stockton Design-Build Firms John Gehri Zerrer

It is time to choose gutters for the ranchburger, and I've got two choices--standard brown/bronze or white. Normally I don't think about gutters unless they fill with debris or fall down, so picking a color should be a snap. But while I look at photographs on Pinterest, I receive a text from my GC's assistant. Sweat pops out on my forehead when I see the estimate for the standing seam copper-toppers on the fake dormers. [There will be three dormers, sort of like "eyebrow" windows.] I'd imagined the copper winking on the roof. . . but I hadn't given much thought to the gutters. I stop thinking about them immediately and focus on the dormers. I text my GC and ask if we can just shingle the dormers. No, he texts back. The pitch is too low and requires some sort of metal. So, one decision has become two. I've got to pick a material for the dormers and a damn gutter color.   

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Herb Series: Rosemary

"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance."

-- William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Of all the herbs in my garden, rosemary is the most memorable--and audacious. She is stimulating, adventurous, and provocative. Deep in her heart, she thinks she's the top herb, beloved by all. In truth, some people adore her, but others are turned off by her overbearing  personality. You see, Rosie is a bit of a narcissist, and she'll throw you under the bus to get what she wants: world domination.

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Ranch Renovation Diary -- Before and After

It's the end of June, and a storm is on the way. As I drive up to the ranchburger, the sky darkens with an apocalyptic fury, promising wildness and drama. Sure enough, a thunderbolt forks across the sky, followed by thunder, the crack of doom. I just know something will go wrong at the jobsite. Until now, the renovation has been smooth, which means the gods of remodeling are probably on the roof, drinking martinis and poking holes in the shingles.

A gust of wind tugs at my hat as I walk around the yard. I am worn to a frazzle, yet I must keep going. A dozen choices must be made. Paint, bathroom mirrors, lighting, switch plates. Just when I think I can't make another decision, I turn a corner, and my whole viewpoint changes.

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else

Welcome to Foodie Friday and Everything Else. 

After an endless winter, summer arrived, full of sass and malefic heat. I would love to hide indoors, lolling on the sofa while the air conditioner blows out cold, comforting waves; but the ranchburger calls to me, a siren song that implores me to pick out paint colors already. 

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Spinach Salad with Berries and a Warm Pancetta Dressing

Does the world really need another salad recipe? Probably not. In fact, I'd completely forgotten about it. I made the salad after a baking binge. Feather light biscuits. Cornbread with sour cream. Two key lime pies disappeared in a flash, as did a pecan cake. After so much indulgence, I craved something fresh and somewhat healthy.

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Ranch Renovation Update

The first time I saw the ranchburger, it was immaculate, filled with high-style decor. As my husband walked around the patio, sunlight glimmered on the pool: I knew he was a goner. I swallowed and swallowed. My throat clicked as I tried to look beyond the market style umbrella, rattan furniture, and potted urns. All of that prettiness belonged to the owner. And I'll just be honest--I won't be able to recreate it. Me, I like to re-imagine the architecture of a space, but I'm the pits when it comes to decorating.  

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The Vintage Tea Party Year with the Novel Bakers

The Novel Bakers conclude tea party week with Angel Adoree's Vintage Tea Party Year.

"You are about to embark on a singular journey with me as I share and celebrate my passion for all things vintage."

-- Angel Adoree

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else

It's nice to see you again at Foodie Friday and Everything Else. I've been cooking this week with the Novel Bakers--we hosted a week-long tea party. 

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Vintage Sweets with the Novel Bakers

"You are cordially invited to a time when life was sweeter, more sophisticated and simpler. Welcome to the world of Vintage Sweets. All your childhood memories of favorite sugary treats are shaken up with delicious flavors, cocktail twists, and craft ideas."

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Adventures with Edible Blossoms: Tea Party Week

Tea Party Week continues as the Novel Bakers present edible reviews of

The Vintage Tea Party Book by Angel Adoree, British author and party planner.

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The Vintage Tea Party with the Novel Bakers

The Novel Bakers
cordially invite you to a week-long tea party, inspired by a trio of books: The Vintage Tea Party Book, Vintage Sweets, and The Vintage Tea Party Year. Today, we're sharing recipes from the first volume, The Vintage Tea Party Book, written by British author Angel Adoree.

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else

It's time to party again at Foodie Friday and Everything Else.

It's been one of those weeks. When it comes to home renovation, the stars have been aligned in crazy patterns. I'm trying to be Pollyannish,  but it's a challenge for a pessimist like myself.  If I can work up my nerve, I'll write about it this weekend. But now, I just want to eat cake and visit with friends.
Ready to party?

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Dill: An Herb with Personality Plus

In the herb world, dill is underrated and misunderstood. It has a reputation for being strong-willed, introverted, and clannish. People automatically assume that its one true love is a cucumber, but this is unfair--and wrong. Dill has many soul mates. In fact, she's a player.

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Bandwidth's Homemade Donuts with Peanut Butter Icing

Guess what? It's National Donut Day, so that means you must stop what you are doing this instant and eat a donut. It's an unwritten food law.

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else

Welcome to Foodie Friday and Everything Else, where the sweetest, most talented bloggers share their recipes and projects. I'm glad you're here. 

Can you believe it's June?  I'm so glad, I made a Summer Notebook.

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Summer Notebook

Summer Notebook

I've been waiting and waiting for warmer days, and they're finally here, tempting my senses: humming lawn mowers, the oniony smell of fresh-cut grass, fireflies blinking in a dusky field, a screen door clapping shut, sunlight pushing against the top of my head.

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It's About Thyme

All my life, I've been crazy about thyme. It reminds me of a woman who reveals her true self slowly. From a distance, she seems small and delicate, too girly, possibly a wimp. As you get to know her, you'll appreciate her quiet strength. Thyme never overwhelms, never demands center stage. She just wants to do her best and to make your homecooking shine. In her own way, she adds depth to every recipe.

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Sunday Suppers with the Novel Bakers

 I'm joining the Novel Bakers for a one-day event:

Sunday Suppers by Karen Mordechai (Clarkson Potter).

"With her dinner series Sunday Suppers, Karen Mordechai celebrates the magic of gathering, bringing together friends and strangers to connect over the acts of cooking and sharing meals."

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else

Welcome to Foodie Friday and Everything Else. 

How was your Memorial Day? Bad weather kept us indoors, but it was nothing compared to the devastating floods in Texas.  Sarah at Hyacinth for the Soul gave updates from her blog. You can read about the flooding in her neck of the woods HERE and HERE. If you live in Texas, I hope you're safe and dry. 

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Red Velvet Berry Crumble

When it comes to holidays, you will find me in the kitchen. Memorial Day is an especial favorite because it's low pressure (to me, anyway). Unlike Christmas, it doesn't involve icy December weather or heavy-duty entertaining. I always look forward to this end-of-May holiday. It's a time to remember our servicemen, time to say goodbye to spring, and time to slow down and be carefree and breezy, enjoying the smells of fresh cut grass and charcoal grills.

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else--Pre-Memorial Day 2015

I'm so happy you've joined us at Foodie Friday and Everything Else. Are you ready for the weekend?

When I was a small girl, Memorial Day was a big event. The men hauled out the smoker and a charcoal grill, and the women would hang out in the kitchen. Everyone had a chore--someone was in charge of beverages; another gathered store-bought buns (and made cornbread, too). It took a village to orchestrate side dishes and desserts. The older kids helped the younger ones set the table, and Lord help you if the knives were turned the wrong way.

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My Favorite Memorial Day Ideas

When I was a small girl, Memorial Day was a big event.

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Great Scots

 "Great Scots!" That's what I said when I opened a cabinet, and old snapshots drifted to the floor. The images took me back to 2005, when we spent two blissful weeks in Scotland. Armed with nothing more than sweaters, disposable cameras, and a map, we took off for the wild blue highlands.

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A Pine Hutch for the Breakfast Room

 

 Back in January, when I was planning the ranchburger's kitchen, I showed the cabinetmaker a picture of an old pine hutch. Could he make one? If it wasn't over the budget, that is. Jimmy measured the space three times, then he measured again. He is precise. But I am not. I make mistakes.

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else

Welcome to Foodie Friday and Everything Else. 

I haven't been online this past week. I've been busy doing a Bucket List with Zap, my little diabetic Yorkie. By some miracle, he is still with me, though he's had ups and downs. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone who wrote and shared your stories of love and loss. As I read them, I cried and smiled--and I came away feeling that we belong to a sisterhood, one that has comforted me beyond measure. I hope Zap's story offers hope to everyone who has an ill pet.

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else

Welcome to Foodie Friday and Everything Else. This week I had the pleasure of joining the Novel Bakers for Cinco de Mayo. 

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My Abuela's Table with the Novel Bakers

The Novel Bakers are celebrating Cinco de Mayo with a charming cookbook:

My Abuela's Table--an Illustrated Journey into Mexican Cooking by Daniella Germain. 

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Kitchen Marble Update

A week ago, Arabascato Vagli marble was installed on the perimeter counters. Bandy found the slabs at OHM in Nashville, all tucked away in the back of the warehouse. 

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Ordinary Miracles

 

 After a bitter winter, spring has finally arrived. The irises bloom defiantly, as if to say, "It'll take more than sub-zero temperatures to subdue us."  I like their attitude. It's a reminder to never lose hope, that ordinary miracles can, and do, happen. 

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else

 Welcome to Foodie Friday and Everything Else. Each week, I look forward to seeing what you all have been doing in the kitchen and around the house.

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Ideas for a Covered Porch

Rustic Patio by East Hanover Lighting 1800Lighting

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else

Welcome to Foodie Friday and Everything Else. Glad you're here.

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Book Review: The Gluten Lie and Other Myths About What You Eat

 We live in a hip, fast-paced world where Smartphones are as common as apple pie.  Thanks to medical breakthroughs, hearts can be transplanted, body fat can be zapped by high-frequency sound waves, and wrinkles can be erased by the botulism toxin. We're so swift and smart, our urban legends don't take decades to form--they happen immediately on Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

But did you know that our contemporary ideas about nutrition are steeped in ancient myths and superstition?

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else

 Welcome to the Foodie Friday and Everything Else Party. This week, we visited more stone yards, and Bandy found two Arabscato Vagli slabs that had been tucked away in the back of the warehouse.

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The Marble Madness is Over

We returned to the stone yard to look at the Arabescato Vagli slabs that Bandwidth had found the other day. This marble had been tucked away in the back of the warehouse, half-hidden by other slabs.   

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Journey of a Cabinet Door

 My kitchen cabinet door has been quite busy. It spent the day traipsing around middle Tennessee stone yards, looking for a marble slab that was at least 125" long--in other words, Mission Impossible. 

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Renovation Diary: Hardware, Cabinets, and Tile

 Since my counter-tops haven't been chosen, I shouldn't even think about cabinet hardware. But I found a box of polished nickel knobs and pulls that I didn't use on another project. Medana and I tested a few. I just love to get ahead of myself.

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Black-Painted Interior Doors

For several years, I've wanted to paint my interior doors black, but I couldn't commit. At one house, I painted a closet door and thought about it for weeks. The deep charcoal color was striking, but in the end, I couldn't go through with it.

Traditional Spaces by Dallas Furniture & Accessories Horchow

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Renovation Diary

 Sometimes we need a different viewpoint, a new way of seeing the world--up close and far away.  A year ago, a 70s ranchburger wasn't a part of my world. If you'd told me that I would end up on this hilltop, I wouldn't have believed it. At my age, I had no desire to embark upon another renovation, especially one that appeared to be Mission Impossible. Then, without warning, I was pushed up that hill. 

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Stone Yard Adventures

When I look at photographs of finished kitchens, I just have to wonder what went on behind the scenes to create such beauty. Every renovation involves a few hiccups, and the ranchburger is no exception. Cabinets have been hung in the wrong places, the wrong subway tile for the master shower was ordered (and was set to be installed next week), and the kitchen experienced a marble mishap.

Kitchen via Houzz

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else

.Welcome to the Foodie Friday and Everything Else link party.

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Of Bunnies and Bakers

 The best-laid plans of bunnies and bakers can go astray. 

That's what happened when I decided to not bake a cake in my bunny mold. 

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An Easy Does It Easter: Last Minute Ideas for the Busy Cook

I have been working on a simple project for Easter, one that involved cornbread and a rabbit-shaped baking mold, but when I inverted the pan, the ears and tail refused to budge. I'll try to repair the bunny. In the meantime, I'm sharing a few last minute ideas for the busy cook.  

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Foodie Friday and Everything Else

 Welcome to the Easter edition of Foodie Friday and Everything Else. I'm so glad you're here. Put on your prettiest bonnet, grab a basket of goodies, and let's mingle at the party. 

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