Keeping things simple with a smidge of Southern charm
With the new year kicking off soon, I’ve been in the process of shifting gears from all of the holiday madness to game day central in my my house. Some of the biggest football games of the year are happening very soon, and my family is pumped to be rooting on our favorite team in a bowl game at the start of the year!
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These few weeks that are nestled right in between Thanksgiving and Christmas day are always the busiest weeks of the year for our family, no doubt about it. Just when I think I can’t squeeze anything else into my calendar, one more event pops up that I really want to attend, so I buckle down, shift gears and do everything I can to make sure our holiday season is a holly jolly one! But it often comes at the price of feeling a little lackadaisical by mid-morning each day, and my creativity tends to tank when it comes to preparing meals for my family that are quick, delicious and simple.
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Anyone else already starting to feel a little bit exhausted from all of the holiday hustle and bustle already? My calendar is packed pretty full of parties and events that celebrate the season. I’m excited about all of them, because I love seeing the joy and excitement on all of my friend’s and family’s faces, but I’ve definitely been battling my inner introvert that wants me to just go put on a pair of fuzzy socks and curl up on the couch at home with a big bowl of soup. 
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Chances are, you may have stumbled across this little slice of the Internet known as Southern Made Simple because you found a yummy recipe that you just had to try, or you searched Pinterest high and low for a cool DIY project or home decor inspiration post and decided to give one you found here a try. Perhaps you decided to swing by because you, too, have a love and appreciation for the unmatched beauty and charm of the southern lifestyle that only grows larger by the minute. No matter how you got here, welcome! I’m tickled that you decided to stick around and share a smile with me. You just sit right there and make yourself at home, and I’ll pour you a glass of sweet tea!
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Growing up in the south, it was instilled in me at a very early age that there is more than one way to tell someone you love and care about them. In fact, it’s always seemed like the language of love has multiple dialects spoken within it, and hospitality is a common thread that holds our love and care for one other together.
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This month has been the busiest month of my entire life. The only other time I can think of that I was almost this busy was the week leading up to my wedding, but I’m feeling pretty certain that this month takes the cake. To keep a long story short, we’ve been putting the final touches on the home that we’ve been building for a whole year now, and we’ve been busting our tails trying to get everything in operating order before Thanksgiving Day when my family will be staying with us for a few days. We’re cutting it down to the wire, but we’re making it!
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I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been going a little bit crazy over the past few weeks. My mind has been on overdrive as my family and I have been putting the final touches on our brand new home that we’ve been building for the past year. I’ve been packing up all of our belongings and trying to embrace the chaos that is my current living situation for quite some time now. All of my family will be coming over to have Thanksgiving dinner in our new home, and I’m not so sure that we’ll even be in the house by then!
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When I think of all of my favorite southern staple dishes, cheese grits is one of the first things that comes to my mind. I’ve eaten grits for as long as I can remember, and while you can find grits all over the country, there’s no questioning that the people of the south have an undeniable and unwavering love for the coarsely ground corn meal dish that surpasses all state boundaries.
Not only is it the perfect savory and hearty breakfast dish, but it’s also frequently used in southern seafood dishes as well! (Shrimp and grits, fish and grits, crawfish grits, etc.)
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Hands up if you’re 100% convinced that bacon makes everything better! My husband and I are pretty big bacon enthusiasts. You can bet that I always have bacon in my refrigerator AND in my freezer (gotta have backup!) because we cook with it almost weekly. To me, candied bacon is the crème de la crème of all simple bacon dishes, simply because the sweet and savory flavor combo is out of this world!…
This year for Thanksgiving, I’m making it a point to think “outside the casserole” and serve up some amazing and unique fall-inspired side dishes that my family is sure to love. My deep southern roots don’t quickly let me forget that casserole dishes are king of the dinner table, but I’ve been daydreaming of a fun way to make a common southern inspired dish with a delicious and unexpected twist!
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