I love the South and I am proud of my Southern heritage. I mean, it's kinda obvious from my last post. I love finding and identifying parts of me that are Southern (don't you think my pinkie toe looks like it comes from Dixie?). On the other hand, there are some parts of Southern culture and the way other people look at it that just baffle me.
Now, there are the obviously unsavory parts of Southern culture, most glaringly the racism and bigotry that has historically been a problem and still persists here. However, here I want to talk about the baffling mystique of the "Southern belle" and why I'm stumped that so many women aspire to fit the mold of the traditional woman of the South.
Now, I get some of it. She has an endearing accent, is laid back, is beautiful and graceful, seems comfortable in any situation, and her manners are polished so much that they shine. All of those seem worthy of aspiration to me.
Now, what's the catch?
The catch, my dears, is how some people buy in to every part of the culture--especially the part where it's okay--and even genteel!--to insult someone if you add, "Bless her/his heart" to the insult or if you can hide the barb some other way in flattering words.
No, no, no! There is no way that insulting another person is either ladylike or gentlemanly. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it! Who cares how cleverly you're able to hide it in that snide compliment? That is not refinement. That's cunning in its most vindictive sense.
Showing posts with label Southern stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Southern stuff. Show all posts
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Friday, July 10, 2015
Southern breakfast
Today I did my best to serve up a traditional Southern breakfast--the extra hearty kind--to the sister missionaries in my ward.
The missionaries here actually haven't had a lot of Southern food, for the most part. A lot of the members here are not actually Southern--a large portion grew up in the West. That makes it fun for me to cook Southern food and to be the one to introduce these poor deprived people to Southern cuisine. Not that I'm necessarily the best to do so--just the only one to do so.
This evening, we had cheese grits with ham, eggs, buttered green beans, and biscuits. I haven't really made biscuits much since I was about 10, so this was an adventure. It was the kind of adventure that didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to--I was trying to increase the recipe, and was distracted near the end and didn't put in enough liquid. The biscuits tasted good, but that was kind of completely negated by the fact that the texture was terrible. They were dry and hard.
Despite the biscuit mishap, the meal turned out to be a success! The Sisters enjoyed the food and both said how happy they were to be eating authentic Southern food (ha! I feel like I tricked them. I never really thought that I'd be Southern enough to make authentic Southern anything!).
I really, really, like the way I make grits. It's taken me a while to figure out exactly how I like them, so here's a gratuitous recipe to go along with the food story:
Grits
4.5 C water
1 C plain grits
2 bouillon cubes
1 t salt (I actually don't know how much; I salt to taste but I'm pretty sure you need at least this much)
Boil water; add grits and bouillon cubes while stirring. Reduce heat. Cook until grits are tender, about 10 minutes. If the grits get too thick, add additional water. (I like my grits kind of thin and very soft. If you cook them long enough they get creamy and their texture isn't so gritty).
If desired, mix in 3/4 C cheddar cheese or to taste. Serve with your choice of breakfast protein (eggs, ham, sausage, bacon, etc. I suppose even tofu if you're into that kind of thing), and sauteed or fresh vegetables.
EDIT: Lately I've been making my grits with just a smidge of Swiss cheese. Swiss cheese is really overpowering (so much so that I thought I hated it for a long time), but I've realized that it is actually quite delicious and the right amount adds a depth of flavor to cheesy dishes that is quite delicious.
The missionaries here actually haven't had a lot of Southern food, for the most part. A lot of the members here are not actually Southern--a large portion grew up in the West. That makes it fun for me to cook Southern food and to be the one to introduce these poor deprived people to Southern cuisine. Not that I'm necessarily the best to do so--just the only one to do so.
This evening, we had cheese grits with ham, eggs, buttered green beans, and biscuits. I haven't really made biscuits much since I was about 10, so this was an adventure. It was the kind of adventure that didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to--I was trying to increase the recipe, and was distracted near the end and didn't put in enough liquid. The biscuits tasted good, but that was kind of completely negated by the fact that the texture was terrible. They were dry and hard.
Despite the biscuit mishap, the meal turned out to be a success! The Sisters enjoyed the food and both said how happy they were to be eating authentic Southern food (ha! I feel like I tricked them. I never really thought that I'd be Southern enough to make authentic Southern anything!).
I really, really, like the way I make grits. It's taken me a while to figure out exactly how I like them, so here's a gratuitous recipe to go along with the food story:
Grits
4.5 C water
1 C plain grits
2 bouillon cubes
1 t salt (I actually don't know how much; I salt to taste but I'm pretty sure you need at least this much)
Boil water; add grits and bouillon cubes while stirring. Reduce heat. Cook until grits are tender, about 10 minutes. If the grits get too thick, add additional water. (I like my grits kind of thin and very soft. If you cook them long enough they get creamy and their texture isn't so gritty).
If desired, mix in 3/4 C cheddar cheese or to taste. Serve with your choice of breakfast protein (eggs, ham, sausage, bacon, etc. I suppose even tofu if you're into that kind of thing), and sauteed or fresh vegetables.
EDIT: Lately I've been making my grits with just a smidge of Swiss cheese. Swiss cheese is really overpowering (so much so that I thought I hated it for a long time), but I've realized that it is actually quite delicious and the right amount adds a depth of flavor to cheesy dishes that is quite delicious.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Easy Chicken and Dumplings
I'm all about easy, and I'm all about chicken and dumplings. The hardest thing about this dish is waiting long enough for the dumplings to cook before eating it! (and then probably wiping all the flour off the counter after you're done making the dumplings).
Granddad JC and Grandma Izzy have both said that not only did they eat chicken and dumplings often as they were growing up, but it was a staple at their family 4th of July celebrations when they were kids.
I've styled my recipe off of Mom's (which I think she got from Grandma) but added a few twists of my own to make it easier. I hope you enjoy it!
Cook one boneless, skinless chicken breast on stove with 1 tsp salt and 1 bouillon cube in about 6 C water (I fill up my largest pot about 1/2 way with water. I'm not exactly sure how much water it is or the exact size of the pot. It's at least 3 quarts, maybe more). Depending on if the chicken breast is thawed out or frozen , this should take anywhere from 20-35 minutes. I like to cook the chicken at a simmer so it's more tender than if I cooked it at a full rolling boil.
Meanwhile, combine the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl*:
3 C all-purpose flour
3/4 T sugar
3/8 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1/2 C salad oil
3/4 C water
At the end, I generally have to finish blending the ingredients with my hands.
Flour a clean counter top, and roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut dough into 3/4 inch wide strips at whatever length you like your dumplings to be. I like mine about 4 - 5 inches long. I've found that pizza cutters are the quickest and easiest way to cut my dough.
When the chicken has finished cooking, take it out of the pot and place it on a cutting board to cool. Bring the broth to a rolling boil. Add strips of dough to boiling water, stirring periodically. At this point, the food is prone to boiling over, so keep a close eye on the pot. I usually turn the heat down gradually as I add the dumplings to avoid that problem.
Keep the dumplings at a simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so the dumplings don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite-size pieces and combine with dumpling mixture in the pot. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. I like about 1/2 t of pepper and 1/4 t of garlic powder. Salt is just one of those things you have to taste for.
At this point, you just have to wait for the dumplings to cook. You can add flour to the broth if you want a thicker soup. The dumplings are done when they are soft and bend somewhat easily. I like to let them cook for at least 30 minutes, but I like them better when they've cooked longer than that, probably 45 minutes to an hour. This is a great dish to make ahead of time because it tastes better the longer the flavors have to combine.
Enjoy!
* if you want to make this dish even easier, you can buy frozen dumplings from some grocery stores, especially in the South. Don't use the refrigerated biscuit dough, though. It has sugar in it and tastes weird in this dish.
Granddad JC and Grandma Izzy have both said that not only did they eat chicken and dumplings often as they were growing up, but it was a staple at their family 4th of July celebrations when they were kids.
I've styled my recipe off of Mom's (which I think she got from Grandma) but added a few twists of my own to make it easier. I hope you enjoy it!
Cook one boneless, skinless chicken breast on stove with 1 tsp salt and 1 bouillon cube in about 6 C water (I fill up my largest pot about 1/2 way with water. I'm not exactly sure how much water it is or the exact size of the pot. It's at least 3 quarts, maybe more). Depending on if the chicken breast is thawed out or frozen , this should take anywhere from 20-35 minutes. I like to cook the chicken at a simmer so it's more tender than if I cooked it at a full rolling boil.
Meanwhile, combine the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl*:
3 C all-purpose flour
3/4 T sugar
3/8 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1/2 C salad oil
3/4 C water
At the end, I generally have to finish blending the ingredients with my hands.
Flour a clean counter top, and roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut dough into 3/4 inch wide strips at whatever length you like your dumplings to be. I like mine about 4 - 5 inches long. I've found that pizza cutters are the quickest and easiest way to cut my dough.
When the chicken has finished cooking, take it out of the pot and place it on a cutting board to cool. Bring the broth to a rolling boil. Add strips of dough to boiling water, stirring periodically. At this point, the food is prone to boiling over, so keep a close eye on the pot. I usually turn the heat down gradually as I add the dumplings to avoid that problem.
Keep the dumplings at a simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so the dumplings don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite-size pieces and combine with dumpling mixture in the pot. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. I like about 1/2 t of pepper and 1/4 t of garlic powder. Salt is just one of those things you have to taste for.
At this point, you just have to wait for the dumplings to cook. You can add flour to the broth if you want a thicker soup. The dumplings are done when they are soft and bend somewhat easily. I like to let them cook for at least 30 minutes, but I like them better when they've cooked longer than that, probably 45 minutes to an hour. This is a great dish to make ahead of time because it tastes better the longer the flavors have to combine.
Enjoy!
* if you want to make this dish even easier, you can buy frozen dumplings from some grocery stores, especially in the South. Don't use the refrigerated biscuit dough, though. It has sugar in it and tastes weird in this dish.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Atlanta!
We are loving being in our new home. There are several things we have here that we haven't had (or haven't had for long) in the other places we've lived. First, we have a master bathroom. I had no idea how much difference this would make until we actually experienced it. There are so many things that go in (or it's convenient when they go in) a bathroom that toddlers just shouldn't have access to. We can keep cleaning supplies, medicines, razors, and other things in the bathroom without worrying that Levi will get into them. What a relief, and I didn't even know it would be a relief!
Second, an automatic dishwasher (not the manual dishwasher that's typing up this post) has made a HUGE difference! It's so nice to be able to just scrape off the food and stick things in the dishwasher. Levi likes it as well ("Mama! Wheels!" ... Oh yeah, dishwashers do have wheels on the racks). He really loves to "help" me get the dishwasher ready to run, and sometimes it actually does help!
A washer and dryer in the apartment are also fantastic. Levi wanted me to watch him on the potty the other day, and I was able to fold clothes right out of the dryer as I was validating the learning he was doing. Also, laundry doesn't have to be a big deal once a week anymore. Woohoo!
It's also so nice not to be living like college students anymore--Austin has so much more free time, especially on the weekends. We've also been able to get several necessaries that we've been holding off on until we had more financial freedom.
It's also so nice not to be living like college students anymore--Austin has so much more free time, especially on the weekends. We've also been able to get several necessaries that we've been holding off on until we had more financial freedom.
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| Gratuitous picture of Levi perching on my back and having me in almost a choke hold. We have a lot of fun like this, but we're still working on the whole choke hold thing. |
And of course, let's not overlook the advantages to the location. We are thousands (literally thousands - two thousand, to be exact) of miles closer to my family and several hundred miles closer to Austin's. Fresh and juicy peaches are to be had in abundance, and the mild winter only lasts two or three months here. The beach isn't far, either.
We're happy to be here!
Sunday, November 17, 2013
List of Thanksgiving dinner foods
Last Thanksgiving and Christmas, I drew a blank when I tried to think of traditional food for those meals. This year, I looked up traditional Thanksgiving foods online, and here's a list of foods I cobbled together from what I found. I'm posting it here so I can remember for years to come:
Dinner:
Turkey
Turkey
Ham
Pies:
Gravy
Mashed potatoes
Dinner rolls
Green beans
Green peas
Cranberry sauce
Sweet potato casserole (or something similar)
Stuffing
Corn on the cob
Deviled eggs
Other sides (stuffed mushrooms, asparagus, etc)
Pies:
Apple
Pumpkin
Pecan
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Just some pretty pictures
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| Azaleas were probably the flower I missed most while living in UT. These make me happy :) |
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| Just trying to be artsy! |
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| There are gardenias ALL OVER the place here, and BOY, do they smell good! It's like yard-size air freshener. Mmmm! |
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| Elephant ears. I thought this swirl looked neat. |
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| I like the rainbow effect around the edges of the leaves |
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| Japanese maple are so neat with all the colors in the leaves - I couldn't pass up this one! |
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Stories with Granddad JC
Granddad J.C. is a soft-spoken Southern man. He is kind and thoughtful, but oh! can that man have a good laugh! Many times his jokes will sneak up on you, and all of a sudden you're laughing about something he just said. I can picture the scene now: a group of my siblings and I are visiting with him and Grandma. Granddad is telling a story about his childhood in his deep, rumbly voice. He and Grandma both were excellent story-tellers and Granddad was particularly good at getting us to laugh.
One particular story I remember Granddad telling was from Christmastime when he was a child (if I remember correctly):
One Christmas when Granddad J.C. was small, his parents bought a HUGE bunch of bananas -- we're talking the size of the ones you see on the tree -- for a Christmas treat. Unfortunately, his parents got the bananas a week or so in advance, so all the kids were salivating as they waited for Christmas to finally come.
Sometime before Christmas, my great grandparents had to go on a day-long trip. They knew the bananas were in danger of being eaten, so they put the bananas in their bedroom and locked the door.
Well, one of Granddad J.C.'s brothers couldn't stand the temptation any longer, so after he tried the door, he tried the window to his parents' room. My great uncle could just barely wriggle through because it was a very small window, but he made it!
Well, if a boy ever had a feast, that boy did! He ate and ate, and then ate some more. He ate all the bananas that he could hold. He ate so many bananas that he couldn't fit through the window again! He just had to wait there until his parents got home, and take his punishment.
When Granddad told us this story, he had our sides aching from laughter! He's told some other good ones, like how he had Grandma convinced that 'J.C.' stood for Julius Caesar until their wedding day, when the preacher read, "And you, Julius Clyburn Connell ..." Another good one is the story of shortly after their marriage, Granddad took Grandma to a work party and couldn't remember her name when introducing her to his boss because he'd always called her "Honey."
What a great set of grandparents I have! I couldn't have picked better ones myself. And since I have such wonderful grandparents, that means they raised their kids right, so I have amazing aunts, uncles, and cousins. I am a lucky woman!
One particular story I remember Granddad telling was from Christmastime when he was a child (if I remember correctly):
One Christmas when Granddad J.C. was small, his parents bought a HUGE bunch of bananas -- we're talking the size of the ones you see on the tree -- for a Christmas treat. Unfortunately, his parents got the bananas a week or so in advance, so all the kids were salivating as they waited for Christmas to finally come.
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| Picture from here |
Sometime before Christmas, my great grandparents had to go on a day-long trip. They knew the bananas were in danger of being eaten, so they put the bananas in their bedroom and locked the door.
Well, one of Granddad J.C.'s brothers couldn't stand the temptation any longer, so after he tried the door, he tried the window to his parents' room. My great uncle could just barely wriggle through because it was a very small window, but he made it!
Well, if a boy ever had a feast, that boy did! He ate and ate, and then ate some more. He ate all the bananas that he could hold. He ate so many bananas that he couldn't fit through the window again! He just had to wait there until his parents got home, and take his punishment.
When Granddad told us this story, he had our sides aching from laughter! He's told some other good ones, like how he had Grandma convinced that 'J.C.' stood for Julius Caesar until their wedding day, when the preacher read, "And you, Julius Clyburn Connell ..." Another good one is the story of shortly after their marriage, Granddad took Grandma to a work party and couldn't remember her name when introducing her to his boss because he'd always called her "Honey."
What a great set of grandparents I have! I couldn't have picked better ones myself. And since I have such wonderful grandparents, that means they raised their kids right, so I have amazing aunts, uncles, and cousins. I am a lucky woman!
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