Category Archives: Uncategorized

Election Night Food

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election-night-food-003My husband and I are enjoying election night with some fun party food inspired by a story on NPR. Here’s the menu: Deep-dish Chicago pizza with pineapple for Obama, New England crab cakes for Biden, tortilla chips with salsa and jalapeno cheese dip for McCain and wild salmon salad for Palin. To demonstrate party partisanship, I added blue cheese and red wine. Dessert is all-American apple pie, although the NPR story suggested Baked Alaska, of course. We’re settled in for the night, munching away with both laptops going plus CNN on two TVs and NPR on the kitchen radio. Almost everybody I talked to today said their polling places were the most crowded they’d ever seen and more new voters than ever had turned out. I had a half-hour wait at 8 a.m. where I vote, but at 6:15 p.m. my husband walked in and out in five minutes. I didn’t mind waiting though — it was like a neighborhood gathering where I saw folks I hadn’t seen for months and caught up on some good gossip. What a great day when you can combine patriotism, food, family and friends.

Tupelo Party

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tupelo-party-002When my husband and I went to a party some friends of his tupelo-party-0033hosted in Tupelo, Mississippi, this past weekend, I was blown away by this gorgeous space. It’s the Dance Studio in downtown Tupelo and it is really a dance studio as well as perfect party room. The gleaming wood floors and exposed brick walls were the background for soft fall colors of golds, browns and oranges. There was dancing, wine, good company and good food: Vegetable soup, fried chicken, a mashed potato tupelo-party-006bar — and cake. (Hmm … cake.) Every time we’re somewhere that has a mashed potato bar, my husband and I remember our wedding in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, four years ago. Our caterer recently had returned from a caterers’ gathering in California and was enthusiastic about the latest trend: Mashed potatoes in champagne glasses with a variety of toppings you add yourself. John and I looked at each other and agreed that while it sounded like a fun idea and we would certainly like to go to that party, the folks at our wedding might think it was a little weird. What did we know? Now a mashed-potato bar is everybody’s favorite party food. Check out The Dance Studio at http://www.thedancestudiotupelo.com/. And go vote today! You do not want to miss out.

Fall Parties

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I have a friend in Florence, Alabama, who is the most creative and stylish hostess ever. I don’t want to embarrass her here, so I’ll just call her … hmm, let’s see … for no reason whatsoever, I’ll call her Cheryl. Every time I go to a gathering at Cheryl’s house, I feel special because of her generous hospitality, beautifully set tables and scrumptious food. In fact, folks are still talking about a cheese party she gave a couple years ago — I only wish Gourmet magazine had been there. Recently she hosted our four-woman book club, and even though she had worked out of town all day, everything was perfect. Her house was glowing with autumn decoration in browns, golds and oranges; the table settings were so elegant; and you could smell the comforting scents of vegetable soup and pumpkin bread as soon as you walked in the door. Since the main decor at my house is cat hair, coffee cups and stacks of newspapers, I’m glad I have friends such as Cheryl to remind me how to live graciously.

Customer Service

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Customer service is thriving — at least all the way across the country. Here’s what happened: I love my Mukka Express stovetop cappuccino maker from Italian company Bialetti for my first cup of morning coffee. In fact, I’ve got two of them so I can mix and match parts and not wait to brew a second pot. They’re simple coffee makers that depend on steam, pressure and correct assembling, so when one of the valves — the critical part of Mukka Expresses — stopped working, I went to the Web site, http://www.bialetti.it/uk/index.asp, and ordered a replacement. It got to my house quickly but it didn’t work. Since I had two Mukkas, I checked every part combination to make sure it was the new valve that was faulty and not another part or user error, and it seemed to be the new valve that was the problem. So I e-mailed customer service and within an hour — literally one hour — got a reply from Karen Wilson of Bialetti customer relations with Bradshaw International, a cookware-distributor in California. She kindly offered advice and a free replacement, which came a few days later and worked perfectly. I got better and quicker help from her in California that I have from retailers less than a mile from my house. But it’s good to know that courtesy and helpfulness are still around if you know where to look. So I’m back to two pots of Mukka a day — with a much more pleasant outlook.

Fall Jackets

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One of the best things about fall here in Alabama is wearing jackets. I love jackets! I feel more pulled together when I’ve got one on, plus, it hides the dreaded middle-age pooch that persists in hanging around no matter how many crunches I do or chocolate-covered creme-filled Krispy Kremes I give up. Since my usual cold-weather outfit is a simple and lazy turtleneck with jeans, jackets jazz things up and help me look less basic. Shop for great jacket deals in the early spring as retailers get rid of their winter stock. That’s how I got these three great finds. One of my favorites is the orange embroidered wool. As soon as the temperature gets down to the 50s and 60s, I pull it out. I wear it so much I’m sure everybody gets sick of seeing it. But I don’t care! I feel happy as soon as I put it on. I got it on sale at Audie Mescal women’s boutique in Tuscumbia, Alabama, two or three years ago. The soft green quilted jacket is a velour-like brushed cotton in such a pretty shade. It’s from a clearance rack at specialty store Marigail Mathis in Florence, Alabama (http://www.marigailmathis.com/). I also lucked up on a near-matching long-sleeved green T-shirt. But the best buy is this fantastic gray jacket from Theodora women’s shop in Homewood (Birmingham), Alabama. I coveted it all season two years ago but could not pay the $300 or so price. I guess nobody else could, either, because I found it on the sale rack at such a discount that I bought it immediately before the store owner changed her mind. Score!

Rollin’ on the River

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This past Friday, before everybody scattered to ballgames and festivals and weekend getaways, some friends and I got together and cruised up Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama. We were on the Pickwick Belle, a paddlewheel riverboat that tours the Tennessee River. It was a wet and cool day but we had a fantastic time, especially after the boat captain found a couple bottles of champagne to help us warm up. Most of the other passengers had cancelled, leaving the top deck to us. But that was probably a good thing! We giggled and talked and were entertained by those of us who had spent their childhoods climbing and jumping off the river bluffs we were passing. You know, come to think about it, the champagne was probaby a bribe for us to stay upstairs away from the more sane passengers who opted for the warm and cozy dining room — and it worked! I love these women. They look so sweet and pretty but actually are kick-butt, take-no-prisoners tough females who are taking risks and making hard decisions with grace and strength. I’m just honored they let me hang around.

We fell in love with the Pickwick Belle. What a cutie! She can take up to 149 passengers, and there are all sorts of cruises to choose from: dinner, lunch, mystery theatre and just sitting back and relaxing as we did. It’s also available for parties and weddings. During the summer at Pickwick Landing State Park in Tennessee, the captain holds a church service at 10 a.m. on Sundays. Learn more at www.pickwickbelle.com.

Les Misbarack

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This is absolutely hilarious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3ijYVyhnn0 or if that doesn’t work, go to www.youtube.com and search for Les Misbarack

I have watched this for three days straight and it still cracks me up. Genius!

Food and Drink

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Is the glass half empty or half full … or broken? My mom gave me four of these wine glasses for Christmas after I admired them at Henhouse Antiques in Birmingham, Alabama (http://www.shophenhouseantiques.com/). I loved their style and also the fact that I couldn’t knock them over and break them, the way I do with stemmed wineglasses. But, of course, in the 10 months I’ve had them, I’ve broken every single one of them. The fourth and last one  developed a crack on Wednesday night, probably in sympathy with its lost three companions, and so I put it out of its misery.

And in other random thoughts, friends and family always are tickled at my love for Fresh Market and Whole Foods and places like Tria Market in Birmingham — since they all know that I don’t actually cook. Much, that is. My husband’s sports-editor schedule means that we eat out a lot. And when I’m on my own, I’m a low-maintenance grazer. But I love good food, so you gotta go to the source. Besides, it’s the promise of possibilities that I love in good grocery stores. With all that inspiration, it’s possible that I might get motivated to grill some cedar-plank salmon or whip up a fresh risotto. It’s possible!

Pumpkin Mania Part 2

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Fresh Market grocery stores just make me happy. It’s destination shopping for me — even if I don’t need anything, I never pass up a chance to walk in one and breathe it in: The gorgeous fresh produce, the tempting bakery, the beautifully arranged meat, the cheeses, the oils … I can’t stop! My long-range goal is to actually live someplace where I can visit one every day — I envy anyone who can do that. I especially love Fresh Market in the fall, because apparently the folks there share my love of pumpkins. And why not? Pumpkins are cheerful, colorful, tasty and good for you. On a recent visit to Fresh Market in Huntsville, Alabama, I found pumpkin-spice coffee, a pumpkin-spice scone mix from Sticky Fingers Bakeries, Doctor Kracker pumpkin-seed cheddar flatbread (crunchy and hearty and perfect for spreadable cheese) and my favorite cereals: organic FlaxPlus pumpkin-raisin crunch and organic FlaxPlus pumpkin granola from Nature’s Path.

But even though I love Fresh Market, sometimes (well, really, almost all of the time) I cringe at spending $5 for a box of cereal. The secret is that you can find most of these products much cheaper at other non-Fresh Market places. Nature’s Path cereal, for instance, is at Wal-Mart for practically half of the Fresh Market price. And I found some Doctor Kracker crackers in my other favorite food-browsing place: T.J. Maxx, where you can pick up oils, syrups, jams, jellies and other goodies for a fraction of what you’d pay normally. Just make sure to check expiration dates. And then, with the money you save, you can go back to Fresh Market!

Alabama Renaissance Faire

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October is Renaissance month in Florence, Alabama, and the highlight of the month is the Alabama Renaissance Faire, Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 25-26, in downtown Florence’s Wilson Park — a can’t-miss family-friendly adventure. A prelude to the faire is the Renaissance Feast, held the weekend before. It’s a chance to dress up and pretend it’s 500 years ago, from eating authentic feast-type food to bowing before royalty as they enter the banquet hall. The best part for me is the entertainment, because for the past couple years my daughter’s bellydance troupe from Nomadic Tapestry Movement and Music Studio, in Huntsville, Alabama, has performed there. And once again this year they did a fantastic job. They always look as if they’re having so much fun dancing and sharing their love of dancing with audiences. I had a great time hanging out with my daughter (she’s the one in the middle of the photo) and the other dancers and musicians at the feast. Check out the studio at www.nomadictapestry.com — there’s a full schedule of classes and other events all year long. The dancers and musicians will perform again this coming weekend at the Renaissance Faire. But that’s not the only reason to come to the faire! It truly is a family event. It’s small and easy to get around, no alcohol is allowed, admission is free and education is a key element. You’ll find exhibits, art, crafts, your favorite festival food (deep-fried Snickers for me), period enterainment plus incredibly costumed characters roaming around. You’ll meet a troll, fairies, wizards, princes and princesses, monks, knights — all sorts of folks. Visit the Web site at http://www.alarenfaire.org/ to learn more and youtube.com (search “Alabama Renaissance Faire”) to see more.