Category Archives: Uncategorized

I planted pickling cucumbers this year, just like last year, so that I can make homemade pickles. I have found a mix that makes it so easy to make pickles that anyone can do it. You need to buy white vinegar (5% acidity); Mrs. Wages’ Dill Pickle mix; and pick or buy a pile ofContinue reading “Dill Pickles–the Easy Way”

Our little garden behind the shed is growing like crazy! The first stock tank with tomato plants is behind the other two and I don’t know why. They seem to be setting fruit okay, but there is a huge difference. They were planted at the same time with the same kind of tomato plants–Roma. TheContinue reading “The Veggies are coming!”

Monday was supposed to be kind of a rainy day, so I decided to run out and pick up some provisions at my favorite artisan producers. My first stop was the Community Market in Delano, TN, which is between Benton, TN and Etowah, TN on Highway 411. This is a Mennonite community and their farmContinue reading “Mini Food Tour of East TN”

I have college friends visiting this week and we are planning to spend a lot of time floating in the river. This table feels appropriate for a fun summer dinner with friends. I started with a very summery (and watery) feeling table cloth, aqua and black lanterns, a bowl full of lemons, and some cosmosContinue reading “Summer of Fun Table 4”

Raspberries are a little later than normal this year (usually ripe around mid-May or so), but they are ripe now. I went to Morris Vineyard to pick them this morning and was greeted by this view. This is truly one of the prettiest places in Bradley County. The views are fantastic. I got myself aContinue reading “Raspberry Picking!”

When we go to our favorite Greek/Italian recipe in town, you can pretty much count on my ordering a chicken souvlaki wrap with extra sauce and extra tomato. Now that we live even further out than before, I have come up with my own recipe. First gather your ingredients: fresh lemon, olive oil, cumin, garlicContinue reading “Great Grilling Recipe–Chicken (or Pork) Souvlaki”

I just remembered that I have a really cute table cloth with a major fifties vibe, and it is totally summery. I paired it with the pink and purple dahlias in small glass vases, a neat vintage covered casserole, Fiestaware serving pieces, Fiestaware turquoise dishes and aqua napkins. Really cute.

This is a very different look from what I normally do for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, but I needed to work with the colors of the flowers from the garden. I just love the verdigris frog and the ceramic fish (I got it at the Museum Center at 5ive Points in Cleveland, TN–I thinkContinue reading “Table Two from the Summer of Fun!”

If you have been following this blog for a while, you know that I love flowers and gardening. And what I love even more is flowers FROM the garden. My dahlias started blooming in earnest just in time for the Memorial Day weekend and I made a couple of arrangements with them. The first oneContinue reading “Floral Arrangements from the Garden!”

It is the start of the full-on grilling season. We are having pulled pork for Memorial Day, so I checked how much rub we had left–not enough. So I whipped up a batch of the one that I always make–I make an extra large batch so I have it on hand at all times. GatherContinue reading “Basic BBQ Rub”