Charm of the Carolines

Biscuits

A very creative and talented southern sister and dear friend since childhood moved to northern California shortly after graduating from college in east Tennessee. She was drawn by the artistic tempo and European panache of San Francisco juxtaposed against the soothing, organic offerings of the Pacific Ocean, nearby mountains and national forests.

What she missed, however, after family and friends, were warm, right-from-the-oven, buttermilk biscuits. Apparently they don’t eat biscuits in California.

Now I wish I could tell you my Momma has the best recipe for “melt-in-yo-mouf” biscuits, but truth be told I didn’t know what a homemade biscuit was during my childhood. My mother will deny it, but she is an excellent cook, and her breakfasts are to die for. We often had “breakfast” for supper growing up in her house. And we still request her big and hearty breakfast casserole and garlic cheese grits for Christmas Eve dinner. Her biscuits, however, were “whomp” biscuits. You know “whomp,” as in the sound the can makes as you whomp it open against the kitchen counter?

No one complained. I, personally, love “whomp” biscuits and prefer the layered and flaky variety to the doughy “cat-head” Grands brand. However I wouldn’t turn either of them down when the basket was passed around the table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If homemade biscuits are more your thing, then I need to tell you about my sister-in-law Beth. She’s a southern cook taught at the knee of several generations of southern cooks, and they don’t come much finer. Beth treasures an old, tin biscuit cutter passed down to her from her grandmother. Apparently they don’t make biscuit cutters this small any more and she swears it’s the perfect size, about the size of a quarter.

Beth’s stepdaddy and his friend were in partnership in an old gristmill on their property in Tishamingo County, Mississippi, and Beth has always had a fresh supply of corn meal and flour and homemade buttermilk biscuits! Beth’s second cousin Edith Ann is a retired Bell telephone operator from Corinth, Mississippi, and Beth’s favorite biscuit recipes are from the “Bell’s Best” cookbook, Telephone Pioneers of America, Mississippi Chapter No. 36, founded September 25, 1925.

Biscuits

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions
1. Combine the dry ingredients. Using a fork or your fingers, gently cut in the shortening until the mixture looks like "meal" (a very course powder).

2. Add the buttermilk a little at a time, stirring GENTLY until a dough starts to form.

3. When you get a "sticky" dough ball, turn out on board, flour lightly, and form a flat mass. Roll out the dough to 1/2 - 1 inch thickness.

4. Cut out the biscuits with a biscuit cutter.

5. Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet and then into a 450-degree preheated oven. Bake until tops are a golden brown (about 10-12 minutes).

Yields 8-10 biscuits according to the size of biscuit cutter you use.

Now, there is no right or wrong way to eat a biscuit, but let me tell you about one of the best. My granddaddy used to take a come butter and set it on his plate, then pour on top of it some sorghum molasses. With your fork, mash the two together until they incorporate and make a paste. Pull your biscuit apart and scoop the paste onto the middle, replacing the top.

Say it all together now.... YUM!!!!

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Yard Sale

I doubt the results of work by any therapist could be as cleansing or as freeing as the feeling you get from releasing your home and yourself from years of accumulated stuff! I’ve often heard a person spends the first half of their life accumulating and the second half discarding, so I must have entered the second half of my life. My friend Angie and I are in the process of collecting all the items in our homes that don’t fit our lives anymore and hosting a huge yard sale as soon as we have a good chance of a rain-free Saturday.

Clothes in sizes we haven’t been since graduate school, scuba gear that hasn’t been used in a decade, furniture that simply isn’t our styles, anything that is unused, unwanted, unloved, or otherwise doesn’t “fit” has to go. Why do I feel lighter? It’s just stuff, but it weights you down like baggage… emotional or physical.

Last fall I made a move from what I thought was a small, 2 bedroom condo to what was advertised as a 4 bedroom, 3 baths, 1938 Craftsman cottage. I fell in love with the home in 2002 when I first wanted to purchase it, but everything has its due time and purchasing this home was not yet to be. Fortunately for me it came on the market again in 2008, fully restored, and during a soft real estate market it was very affordable. The move was scheduled for October 2008 and having to box all my belongings myself, this felt like a good time to reduce the amount of stuff I’ve collected over the years. What was I thinking?

The condo I was leaving was built in 1983, an era of power suits and power ties and greed and excess. It was a time when everyone I knew was either keeping up with the Joneses or was one. I had big closets and lots of them, great storage in the attic, lots of cabinets, and though not too many rooms the ones I had were big and spacious. The home I was moving to was built in 1938, an era still suffering from the Great Depression and on the brink of WWII. The place was and is absolutely charming. I love it. However, one of the “bedrooms” was the attic, so that space is not available for storage. The house originally had 2 very small bedrooms and these 2 rooms have very small closets, not deep enough to accommodate a clothes hanger without turning it to the side a bit. The 4th “bedroom” is actually a bonus room built from half of the detached garage. Yes, I said detached. It’s not even part of the house, but I digress.

Nearly a year into living at the cottage, and it’s time to rethink my stuff again. Paring down is not just a mind- and house-cleansing exercise, but a necessity. Some of my unused items have already found new homes with friends who have found themselves starting over at mid-life. Some items have been sold on Craig’s list while others have gone to the Goodwill or dumpster. The remaining are either in Angie’s garage (now that she and her husband are paring down and have sold some cars, there is room to store my yard sale items until the spring rains end) or are still lurking in my home, hiding from my ever-increasing discriminating eye. I’m currently enjoying a “Staycation” to do many things, but one is to go through every basket, nook, and cranny and really scrutinize the necessity of every item and find it a functioning home, either at my house or the yard sale.

Inspiration for your Belles Lettres:

1. What items are weighing you down? The kitchen drawer that won’t open or shut because it’s too full of stuff? The garage that has become a “catch-all” for everything you own but don’t know what to do with? Have you thought about decluttering? Now is the time. Make a date with yourself on the calendar and get it done this spring!

2. Your donations have value. On the Goodwill Industries website you’ll find a page dedicated to tax deductions allowed by the IRS for your donations. http://www.goodwillpeo.org/uploads/value%20guide%20new.pdf

3. Check out www.flylady.com for an outline of baby steps if you are having a hard time getting started.

4. Send me your ideas for decluttering and organizing the necessities.

Books

I love books. I love the way they feel. I love the way they smell. I love the way they look stacked on a table, a desk, in the floor, under a lamp, in my tote, on the backseat of the car. I love bookstores. I love libraries. I love to see rows and rows of shelves of books. Just this month I’ve purchased 30 new and used books, and my brain cramps from trying to read all of them at the same time. Reading is relaxing and stimulating and most of all, a joy. However sometimes I daydream about how it would be lovely to simply hold a book beside my head and let all the knowledge just seep in by osmosis? The information contained in this website is credited to the many beloved authors I have adored and read over the years. I acknowledge now and publicly that I can’t remember the last time I had an original thought, and I promise to properly cite each reference when it’s possible and apologize for those times I simply cannot remember the source. If you enjoy reading my blog, you may enjoy the works of the following: Elizabeth Berg Mary Jane Butters Rosamonde Pilcher Jane Seymour Alexandra Stoddard Michael Tucker Tasha Tudor Victoria Moran Who are your favorite authors? What are your favorite books? Inspiration for your Belles Lettres: 1. Check out www.GoodReads.com. It’s a great website not only to catalogue the many books you’ve read or plan to read, but also a great place to network with your friends or friends to be and get their reading recommendations. 2. With a valid library card from any Tennessee county library, you can download many electronic and audio books from the R.E.A.D.S. on-line library. Burn audio book to CD or transfer to your MP3 player to listen on the go. 3. Free Audio books can also be downloaded from these sites: www.Libravox.com www.projectgutenberg.com www.freeclassicbooks.com 4. Although a subscription or “per selection” fee is charged, www.Audible.com has a massive selection of the newest and most popular audio books. 5. Deeply loved, respected, creative and talented Tennessee daughter, Dolly Parton, created “Imagination Library,” a non-profit organization providing on a monthly basis age-appropriate books to all children under the age of 5 in the US, Canada, and the UK. To learn more or register your little reader, go to www.dollysimaginationlibrary.com.

Farmers Market

One of my favorite activities from May until October is visiting one of the many farmers markets available in middle Tennessee.

The Franklin Farmers Market located at The Factory at the corner of 230 Franklin Road and Liberty Pike is one of the best. On any given Saturday from 8am until 1pm, farmers are set up with tailgates and tables spotlighting their week’s harvest whether it be vegetables, fruits, herbs, beef, fish, eggs, milk, honey, nuts or flowers.

Other vendors are selling homemade breads, soaps, salad dressings, relishes, and jewelry (www.franklinfarmersmarket.org) as a bluegrass band plays traditional tunes in the background. I love to shop for and cook locally grown food.

Besides supporting my community and contributing to a better environment since very little energy was spent preserving, storing or shipping the food, the local Farmers Market produce is tastier and more nutritious because it was picked just a few hours earlier. The variety of vegetables is amazing at Farmers Markets.

You may not be able to purchase tropical fruit, but after the 4th of July tomatoes start arriving in the most beautiful colors, shapes, sizes and flavors. Heirloom varieties are available here, many grown organically. And in Tennessee no tax is charged on sales purchased directly from the farmer. Everybody wins.

For those who are interested in purchasing farm fresh produce on a more regular basis, investigate your local CSAs. CSA is the acronym for Community Supported Agriculture. Middle Tennessee is home to Delvin Farms, a very successful CSA in College Grove offering full and half shares to consumers to purchase in advance for an entire season of harvested produce, roughly May – October.

Produce is delivered to several locations on specified days or shareholders can collect their half bushel of produce directly from the farm.

Inspiration for your Belles Lettres:

1. Check out www.picktnproducts.org for a complete directory listing all the Farmers Markets in middle Tennessee.

2. Listen to the CD of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It is an excellent book on one family’s commitment to the “100-mile diet” lifestyle.

3. Check out www.localharvest.org to find a CSA in your area.

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Mail

I remember fondly a trip to Germany with friends twenty years ago when one of my companions was given a handful of plain, white, self-addressed, stamped postcards by his older brother with the instructions to randomly mail the cards from various cities on our trip. Each card had a designated area in which to write the date, the time, the city, and the type of mail receptacle being used. Apparently my friend’s brother was fascinated by mail. But who isn’t?

Admit it. We all love the daily ritual and mystery of collecting our mail. Will it be invoices today or just a never-ending stream of sales circulars and pizza coupons? Could there be a new Grit magazine waiting or Mary Jane’s Farm? Did an invitation to a party arrive or a note from a friend? Personal mail cheers me up instantly. That is why I enjoy passing along to my friends and family the joy personal mail brings.

You needn’t have a beautifully engraved writing desk to start a habit of writing to friends. Although designating a place to keep your supplies is essential to being prepared to jot a note at a moment’s notice. Mine are kept in two places, at my office in Franklin and my home office. I have a weakness for beautiful and personalized stationery and have ordered on more than one occasion a complete stationery wardrobe from American Stationers. This weakness isn’t simply for higher-end stationery, but also the cute and colorful and more affordable offerings found at Target and Wal-Mart. I’ve even collected over the years a plethora of plain envelopes and note cards with stamps and stickers and an assortment of other creative tools to make my very own personalized stationery.

I’m currently in the market for a silver toast tray to repurpose for holding an assortment of stationery out on my desk. Not only does it look beautiful, but it’s a reminder to send a card or letter if one’s not been sent in a while.

No writing desk would be complete without an assortment of fun, colorful pens. My friend Stanley collects antique Mont Blanc fountain pens. I prefer blue, fine point, Bic Crystal pens often found on sale at Back-to-School time for 99 cents a dozen, but I also have drawers and baskets full of pens ranging from cheap promotional pens from hotels and carpet cleaning companies to calligraphy pens, nibs, and ink only found in specialty art supply stores. A cup full of freshly sharpened colored pencils works well, too. Select the style and color that brings you pleasure. How does the pen feel in your hand? How smoothly does the ink flow on to the page? Is the tip fluid or does it drag? Does it compliment your handwriting?

While running errands, make a short visit to the local post office and ask to see a selection of stamps. A stamp that coordinates with your stationery doesn’t cost any more than a more business-like stamp and the effort will not go unappreciated. I once knew a young lady who told me she ran her personal Christmas cards through the office postage machine and had to frantically go back and find the card she was mailing to her boss, the owner of the company. I was mortified! Not only is this behavior immoral and unethical and completely unacceptable, the results are downright unattractive. What message are you really sending at a time of year dedicated to peace and love and joy?

If you have more than one person living at your address, it’s a good idea to have a designated place in the home to place the mail for everyone’s perusal. A designated cubby hole will work, but a beautiful basket or interesting tin or box makes an excellent choice because you can carry it out onto the front porch with a large glass of sweet tea to leisurely peruse while relaxing and waving to the neighbors. Place in it a small bottle of sweet smelling hand lotion. Working with paper takes all the moisture right out of your hands. Also place in the basket a pretty letter opener to slice clean edges AND save your manicure.

I don’t have house guests often, but when I do I like to have a small selection of postcards depicting local middle Tennessee attractions available on their nightstand to encourage them to drop a short note in the mail to one of their friends. It’s a simple and inexpensive way to pay it forward.

Inspiration for your Belles Lettres:

1. No commentary on mail would be complete without the parade of beautiful mailboxes. Please send me pictures of your beautiful or unique mailbox or that of your friends or neighbors.

2. What letter writing rituals have you developed? Who is your favorite stationer? Do you have a favorite pen? I would love to hear from you! Please send me links to the websites of your favorite suppliers of pens and papers.

3. Stop unwanted mail from credit card companies by dialing 1-888-5 OPT OUT (or 1-888-567-8688) 24 hours a day.