Keeping things simple with a smidge of Southern charm
Let’s talk a bit about Cajun food, shall we? Over the last few years, I’ve really taken a liking to Cajun inspired foods. The blends of spices and the deeply rooted heritage woven into the recipes marries together to make some pretty interesting foods, and I am a huge fan of the creole flavor goodness! As my interest in the cuisine has grown, I hasn’t taken me long at all to realize that dirty rice is a staple dish in the Cajun culture, and it comes with good reason!
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Being a hunter’s wife, I’ve come to learn a thing or two about what makes a good gift for a hunting enthusiast over the years. While I have limited hunting experience myself, I’ve learned a lot about all of the gear that is required (and what’s just really handy) when it comes to having a successful hunting experience. If you’re not familiar with hunting gear, it can often be a real challenge to buy a gift for a hunter without them physically picking out exactly what they want themselves. This gift guide was made with those people in mind, so hopefully you can add a few nice surprises under the tree this year for the hunter in your life!
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Where does the time go, y’all? Can you believe we’re just 15 days away from Christmas day? The holidays always have a way of sneaking up so quickly, and this month my kitchen has been overflowing with all sorts of holiday making, baking and tasting! I’ve made cookies and candies a-plenty, but this past week I made a sharp turn from all of the sweet confections and jumped right back into game-day mode!
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Have you ever gotten an idea that sparked another idea, that quickly sparked a third idea and just continued to grow from there? It’s not at all unusual for me to fall down a rabbit hole of ideas when I’m putting together my shopping list each week. With the holidays in full swing, I’ve been busy planning out the meals we’ll be sharing around our table with family members traveling in from Tennessee. Every time I’m hosting people in my house, be it family members or friends, I always want to be certain I’ve got two things covered: good eats & sweet treats!
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Have you started your holiday shopping yet? If you’re shopping for a foodie or cooking enthusiast this season, these kitchen gadgets just might be at the top of their wish list! I own quite a few of these items myself, and some of them I really don’t know how I’d get by without. Some are clever, some are funny, some are more practical, and some are cutesy, but ALL of them would make amazing stocking stuffers or gifts under the tree for anyone this Christmas season!
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‘Tis the season for all things cranberry! You know it truly is the most wonderful time of the year when those beloved cranberries start making an appearance in holiday recipes! Cranberries are one of my favorite things to cook with – especially during this time of year. Once my favorite supermarket starts rolling these bad boys out onto their produce shelves, I buy them in bulk and keep them stored away in my freezer so I can use them in recipes all year long!
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Is it just me, or does it seem like every time you scratch one thing off of your holiday shopping list, two more things get added? Each year it feels like my list gets a little bit longer and my time to get all of my shopping done gets a little bit shorter. We’re just three days away from Black Friday, and sometimes if feels like a struggle to pick out the perfect gifts for my friends and family in time for all of the major sales to hit. Be that as it may, I’m finally hitting the ground running this week and being intentional about finding a thoughtful gift for each person on my list, and I’ve already begun piling my shopping cart with some really fabulous finds!
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Earlier last week, I had an overwhelming desire to break out the Christmas decorations, blast my favorite holiday station on the radio and trim up the tree with all the bells and whistles. This was quite unusual for me, because I’ve always been one to stick to my guns about not decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving is over. No shame at all if that’s your thing! I just really love Fall decor and all things pumpkin-y, so I savor it for as long as I possibly can!
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We’re finally here, you guys! We’re in the home stretch of days until Thanksgiving day, and I’ve been busy putting my final touches on the menu and nailing down all of the sides we’ll be serving during our annual family feast. Thanksgiving in the south can be a little over-the-top sometimes. We love to break out Grandma’s old cookbook and pick out our family’s favorite recipes to eat, but if you’re not careful you’ll end up with 7 casseroles, 4 types of potato salad, 2 lbs of giblet gravy , 47 slices of cornbread and 14 different desserts for a family of 5 to try to devour. I’d love to tell you I’m exaggerating, but I’m really not!
And that’s just for one meal, you guys! It’s not at all uncommon to have multiple Thanksgiving meals with different families over the span of a few days. And don’t even get me started on the leftovers! It’s all well and good, but there’s only so much turkey and cranberry sauce that I can enjoy. I hate having that miserably-full feeling at every meal, and honestly – it’s often hard to come by a Thanksgiving menu that is filled with dishes that contain the proper nutrients we need to be fueling our bodies with.
Sure, we have our “vegetables” on the table, but they’re usually covered up with layers of butter, cheese, cracker crumbs and condensed soup and thrown in a casserole dish. It’s not exactly the best way to get in those veggies, so this year I’m making it a point to swap out a few traditional recipes with one that are loaded with vegetable goodness and served in a way that will speak to my southern family’s heart!
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I remember the very first time I was introduced to the idea of “Friendsgiving.” During my senior year of college, a sorority sister of mine invited me to a Friendsgiving dinner she was hosting at her house. Without even being entirely sure of what it was, I told her to count me in! When I asked what all a Friendsgiving dinner entailed, she quickly explained that it was a time of fellowship with friends to celebrate the Thanksgiving season before we all parted ways during the break to head back home to visit with our families. Since then, I’ve seen many of those same people that attended keep the tradition alive by hosting a gathering in their homes filled with good food, good fiends and good times!
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