grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

so much depends upon a… John Deere Tractor

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so much depends
upon

a john deere
tractor

coated with delta
soil

beside the grain
buggy.

My 16 word poem is styled in the format of William Carlos Williams’ famous work The Red Wheelbarrow.  Not familiar with it? click here—> The Red Wheelbarrow… (I would reprint it but don’t want to tangle with copyright issues…)

The Red Wheelbarrow is a simple poem, one long sentence broken down into couplets. Each phrase builds upon the next, each slows the reader down and raises questions. 

What depends upon the wheelbarrow? the john deere tractor? So much— farming, livelihood, everything? So much. 

I know. I’m being deep this morning. I get this way during harvest:)


talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.




That Bookstore in Blytheville – New Owner!

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TBIB New Owner
Have you been to That Bookstore in Blytheville (TBIB) lately?
In 1976, Mary Gay Shipley opened That Bookstore on Main Street in Blytheville, Arkansas, as a place to swap one stack of used paperbacks for another stack of ‘un-read’ paperbacks. Only a little hole in the wall,  Mary Gay nurtured and grew her bookstore, which eventually attracted New York Times best-selling authors to her little spot along the Arkansas Delta Byways. 
When she announced her retirement, I worried. I don’t like change, especially when books are involved.
I am happy to report I still love it. The new owner of TBIB, Grant Hill, is book knowledgeable and friendly. He humored me as I ‘practiced’ being on book tour.
See? Here I am pretending to be at my very first book signing. The picture is blurry because I’m too excited to be still.
That Bookstore in Blytheville

My friend Harold says I’m the only person he’s ever heard of who promotes a book yet to be published. So? I’m just extreme vision boarding…

TBIB dedicates rows of shelving to regional books by local authors. There are many. I stared at the books lining this section and pictured copies of my book stacked right beside Reflections from the Black Lagoon by Julie Adams. (Julie, from Blytheville, was the Creature’s bathing beauty…) 
Grace Grits and Gardening Candle
Grace Grits candle posing at TBIB in front of Julie Adam’s Creature book…:)

If you live or travel anywhere in Northeast Arkansas or the bootheel of Missouri, be sure to stop by TBIB and buy a few great books (or a whole stack like my mother and I did). And be sure to follow TBIB on Facebook and Twitter. Wherever you live, go out today and support your local independent bookstore.
That bookstore in Blytheville

Now, I need to find a publisher…

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Dark Chocolate Edamame Apple Biscotti

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I come from a long line of soybean farmers so I feel a certain kinship to edamame. Steamed in the pods, edamame is one of my favorite appetizers. Dry-roasted, it makes a quick snack. On this rainy, cool fall day, I decided to bake with edamame using ingredients in my pantry. I ended up with this Dark Chocolate Edamame Apple Biscotti. I know my Daddy would be proud…
grace grits and gardening the miracle bean
Ingredients
2 cups self-rising flour
scant cup of sugar (scant because I ran out…)
1/4 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped dry-roasted edamame
1/2 cup chopped apple
Method
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Spread cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Before mixing ingredients, remove hulls and chop edamame. (Rub a handful of beans in the palm of your hand, and the hulls will separate fairly easily…) Set aside.

the miracle bean
Mix applesauce and sugar together. Add vanilla. Beat in eggs. Add flour slowly, mixing by hand. Dough will become thick and stiff. Fold in beans, chocolate chips and apple by hand. (This is the point  when I thought cranberries or dried cherries would be a yummy addition, but I was too lazy to run to the grocery store, plus it was still raining. So I added diced apple instead. Worked great!) 
the fun part!
Divide dough in half. Form two logs (about 10×2 inches) on a cookie sheet. The dough is very sticky. (Moistened fingertips helps.) Bake for 40 minutes.
Remove and let cool 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 275 degrees.
smells heavenly!
After the biscotti has cooled, slice diagonally and lay pieces on the parchment lined cookie sheet. (Eat the little end pieces—they’re too small to go back in the oven…)
Bake another 15 minutes.
Delicious with coffee or hot tea!
talya
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!