Paula Deen, Paula Deen

Okay, so everyone knows of my infatuation with Paula.  To those of you who don't understand I am truly sorry.  I just can't get as excited as Rachel Ray nor can I be a snooty and smile as wide as Giada.  I do get Paula.  I understand her love affair with butter.  I don't imbibe quite as freely, but there are those special occasions when butter is it!  On my sojourn to Florida and my week with my Mom she gifted me with a trip to Savannah and a visit to... yes....are you ready?  THE LADY AND SONS.  The alter to butter.

We arrived early, evidently you have to get your name on THE list around 9:30 am.  So we left Jacksonville at way too early o'clock.  The menu was posted behind glass, you know, like we do the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence.  I got to stand there and ooooo and awwwww.  There was okra, peas, lima beans, collard greens and fried chicken.  Oh, and don't forget the table wine of the South, sweet tea with lemon.  In Paula's words, YUM!

We didn't get to see the Royal Family of Savannah so we had to settle for pictures of Bobby and Jamie.

I may have eembarrassed my mom a bit with taking pictures of the food, but MOM. WE ARE AT THE LADY AND SONS!  Besides, no one knows me here and best yet, they don't care. Don't look for a salt and pepper shaker on any table.  I'm sure there are folks who salt their food before even tasting it.  If done, I promise that it would have to be thrown in the trash and you would have to start over.  If you have CHF (congestive heart failure) do not eat this food.  You will swell like a beached whale and be unable to breathe.  A bit too much salt for me. Just sayin.

There was no room for desert. No, I didn't clean my plate either. I did feel like a nap would be a great idea after eating though.

After lunch we ambled,  I say ambled because we were too full to walk, over to Paula's shop.  

Would you please look at that iron door! Have you ever seen anything so......... culinary?

Do you see those measuring cups? Yes, those are the very special measuring cups that Paula uses on her show.  Oh, I almost swooned.  It was good just to pick them up and touch them.  Mom kept a close eye on me.  She knows that I have been carrying on a love affair with these measuring cups for ages.  She had to pry the 1 cup from my death grip.  "Walk away from the cups!"

Paula is one smart female.  PDE.  Paula Deen Enterprises.  Yes, she is a smart cookie. She doesn't pass up marketing bonanza.  All those little kitchen accessories that we love.

By this time our food had digested and we were able to take a trolley and see Savannah.  Thank goodness we could sit.  I don't think I could have done a walking tour.  Tomorrow, pictures of the Southern Lady. Savannah.

Much Love and Prayers from an overstuffed Mainely Ewes Farm Woman and Mom.

Where I Come From

"I said where I come from
It's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from a lotta front porch sittin'
Where I come from tryin' to make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to heaven
Where I come from"  by Alan Jackson.

I don't know how to say it any better.  I come from hard working people that never give up. They know hard times.  Many have lived through the Great Depression and made it.   I feel so fortunate to know these people, much less carry their DNA.  We had a family reunion in Starke, Florida.  My mothers side of the family.  I just didn't appreciate these folks when I was a child. I guess we take such things for granted. So many have left us now.  Come along and meet my Great Aunt Retha.  She is now the Matriarch of our family.  This lady can still cook a mean pot of collards and chicken and dumplins'.  You know what I mean with, "slap yo mama good".  She is so sweet and everyone knows and loves her. I named my daughter after her mother, Susan Rebecca.  As a child we always called her Maw. I didn't know Maw wasn't her name.

Our contribution to the reunion.  Niece Sarah, my sister Connie, Mom and nephew Joe. The youngins are my sisters grands, Abbey and Maggie. The family keeps growing and growing.

Many kids that I don't even know. They were on the swings, pushing cars, and meeting their cousins for the first time too. They are the future of our family. 

Tables of home cookin'.  Everyone brings out their best recipes from near and far.

No way to go home hungry.

After eating it was time to roam around the yard a bit.  This yard always seemed so big when I was a kid. I remember  a big field back then. Now the trees are mature and take up most of the space. They have kumquats,  a small orange like fruit with a powerful citrus taste. You eat skins and all.

Pecan trees are everywhere. Pecans remain  a major crop of the South.  Where Northerners use Walnuts in so many dishes, we use the pecan. Do you say pecaaan or pecan? 

The orange trees are so loaded with fruit this time of year that the limbs hang down. 

This is commonly misnamed "Spanish Moss".  It is neither. It is actually an air plant/parasite.  Never, and I mean never hold it close to your body.  There are little red bugs that call this plant home. Known to Southerners as chiggers.  They bury under your skin and make you itch like crazy.  If you must bring some home with you put it into the microwave for a short time and watch it closely so it doesn't catch on fire.  That will kill chiggers. Mean critters.

This tree.  This tree. I remember this tree from my childhood. I would climp up and sit in its arms and watch the cars pass by.  Oh, it has grown.  I meet an old friend again.  Time has passed but it is still strong.

It's so good to come home. Something special, warm and fuzzy.  Memories are what will fill our days when we become the matriarch of our families. Memories of children who now have grandchildren and great grandchildren. Memories of the ones who came before us.  We still hear their laughter and feel the warm embrace of their love. Coming home. Where I come from.

Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm

Green Cove Springs, Florida

When mom and I start out for a day out and about we never know where we will end up.  This morning we were heading out to an Estate Sale in Penny Farms, Florida.  We kind of got side tracked and ended up in Green Cove Springs.  I remember visiting here about 15 years ago.  The spring starts from this gated area and fills the adjacent pool.  There is a tinge of sulfur to the water. Years ago the spring was visited for its health properties.  Now I have to imagine ladies in long swim suits and men in trunks taking the waters for ailments from long ago.

The water is crystal clear and so clean you can see to the bottom of the 28ft deep hole. It doesn't photograph very well but take my word for it. I did want to hold onto the railing for some reason.

The water is a steady 78 degrees but the outside temp was 63.  For Floridians that means brrrrrr.  Hahahah.  Sorry.  Just a Maine sense of humor surfacing.   Don't worry mom, summer will be here in about ummmm.......3 months.  I would like to feel a bit of sorry here but it just ain't coming.

Hard to imagine 3000 gallons of water flowing out of that spring every minute every day of every year since it was born.  That is a lot of water.

After the water fills the pool it drains out through this fall.....

down this little creek........

and out into the St. Johns River.  The St. Johns is a northerly flowing river, like the Nile. I kept looking for Manatees, however, the water is a bit chilly and they may have migrated further south. I love the manatees. They are beautiful and graceful. Huge mammals with sweet whiskers.

Trees I miss are the cedar....

and the Live Oak with the moss swaying in the breeze.

Florida homes are unique. Oh, I love this one. Tin roof and all. Can you just imagine the sound it makes in a summer storm? How many hurricanes has this house survived?

I would bet this veranda is cool and inviting in the summertime. Sitting in a rocking chair, drinking lemonade with a palm fan in my hand. I do declare!

I don't remember this tree ever.  Mom said it was a Rain Tree. They're beautiful with pink flowers which will transform into little pink "feather duster" like flowers in a bit.

Then it was to Starbucks for a Venti Pumpkin Spice Latte.  What a way to finish an afternoon of sightseeing. Even the Starbucks here has a "Florida" look to it.

So, no, we never made it to the estate sale.  I'm sure that someone got a great find and thank heavens I don't have to figure out how to fit a dresser into my carry on luggage on the home bound trip. We have been blessed with beautiful weather and great company. Hope you are having the same.

Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm and my Mom.

Cooking with Mom: Chevon

A few weeks ago I sent my mom a copy of Goat School: A Master Class in Caprine Care and Cooking by Janice Spaulding. Janice and Ken from Stoney Knoll Farm in St. Albans, ME have Goat School twice a year on their farm.  You may remember it from a previous post or two.  Janice has written the book which combines invaluable information on goats and a few recipes.  If you are interested in the book it can be purchased from Amazon.com. 

I brought Mom some lamb and chevon, from our farm, when I came to see her.  Yes, I packed a cooler with frozen meat and checked it as baggage on the plane.  I did this a few years back with live lobsters.  I would imagine the TSA is famaliar with people and their baggage so to speak. Last night we tried Chevon Stroganoff. 

Mom had never eaten chevon before.  She loves goat milk and cheese.  This was the next step.  Janice's recipes are so tasty.  She cooks these very same recipes for goat school.  The food alone is worth taking the class.  I wish she would just charge a buffet fee and we could just show up for lunch.  This is the first time I have cooked recipes from her cookbook. They are easy to follow.

The Strogonoff was exceptional.  Mom loves the taste of chevon. 

Yes, we visit and we eat. After supper last night the doorbell rang and there was a delivery man from Edible Creations.  My daughter Sue, had sent us this bouquet of fruit. Oh, my goodness! It is so good.  Yum. Good food and good company.

Much Love and Prayers from a very full Mainely Ewes Farm woman.

Florida! Mom!

Here I am in Florida again. I came down to visit my Mom for a week.  Her house is so nice, neat, manicured. No goats grazing, eating her flowers or tearing down her tree.  No goat poop on her boots here. I miss my goaties even with their bad behaviors.

Yesterday morning I heard a familiar honking overhead and these sweet Canadian geese landed. Hi guys, where you from?  They are enjoying the warm Florida sunshine.  Making themselves at home in the cul-de-sac.  Does this make them domesticated geese? Are they going to ask for cable next? 

Here there are no puddles.  All the roads are even and no pot holes like our roads in Maine. I guess those snow plows do a real job on our roads. 

No trip to Florida is complete until we make our sojourn to Penzeys Spices.  It is like a candy store for cooks.  Mom had her list in hand and was leaving me behind. I have to catch up!

Oooooo, aaaaaaaaaa.  The smell is so wonderful.  A sight to behold. I'm in heaven. I want one of everything!

One of my very favorite, Pure Vanilla Extract, Double Strength. Oh, I wish I had a smellputer so you could lift that stopper and get a whiff.  Heaven!

So this is my treasure trove that I came back with.  Their soup bases don't have MSG.  There are so many people out there with allergies to this additive that I try to always get MSG free items. Hot pepper flakes and not so hot pepper flakes, horseradish dip mix. Yum. I have to order my vanilla at the Penzey's online store because of the fluid limit when flying.  There is no way that I would throw that stuff away and TSA would try to make me. 

The baking has begun.  My mom is a wonderful cook and she has passed the love of cooking on to me.  The house smells so good.

She has also passed her love of cast iron cookware on to me. I get it honestly. It is in my DNA!

She has a few pieces that she keeps here.  They are old, some passed down to her from her family.

Oops, I think that is enough pictures for now. I know that look! I remember it well from childhood. Love ya Mom! No more pictures for now! 

We are going to an estate sale today. Now how can I get a dresser back to Maine in my suitcase?

Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm.

Hubbard Squash Soup

The cooler temps and of course Autumn makes me start craving comfort food.  One of my very favorite comfort foods is soup.  Hubbard Squash Soup and Potato Leek Soup! They both are easy and relatively quick.  Canned soup is fine for everyday lunch but when you are wanting something special the Hubbard Soup is it.

I can only get the Hubbard squash in the fall.  Other squashes just don't taste the same when substituted.  While we were in Newport, ME picking up the metal for the little red barn roof we stopped by Thunder Road Farm in Corinna, ME.  They were selling Hubbard squash for $1 each. Now that is a deal in my book. Only one problem. They are big monsters and I can't cut them in half. Hey Ted. I need help again. It looks like he is hacking into one of the pods from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".  Remember that one with Donald Sutherland?  Ewww... that was scary to me back then.

Now I dig all the guts out and give them to the chickens.  Well, if they aren't guts what do you call them? Turn them over face down on a pan and bake at 350 until tender.

My Hubbard squash soup finished off with a dollop of sour cream and cut chives. Completed with homemade pumpernickel bread and butter. YUM!

Here is the recipe if you want something that will satisfy your hunger and make you all warm inside.

Hubbard Squash Soup

2 Tlb butter

1 small leek, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 small onion chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 lbs of peeled and cooked Hubbard squash

2 ripe tomatoes

1 1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1/4 cup sour cream

3 chives chopped

In a 4 quart sauce pan melt butter over med head and add the leek and onion, cook until translucent.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add squash, tomatoes water and salt. Cover and heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until very tender 30-35min. Use immersion blender or food processor to blend until smooth. Add milk.  Reheat if necessary. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and chives. 

I hope you love this soup.  This is one of my mothers recipes.

Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm