grace grits and gardening - ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

my Firmoo Sunglasses! (review)

June 4, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

(Firmoo.com provided free sunglasses for this review. Opinions are my own.)

I don’t do many product reviews, but when Firmoo asked me to try out and review sunglasses of my choice, how could I not? In the South, a girl needs a good pair of sunglasses. Plus I recently broke my favorite aviator style glasses, so the timing was perfect.

My choice was easy-peasy. I selected these oval cat frames (below) because I love the shape AND I adore the turquoise-blue trim along the frame bottom. (My favorite color.)

Firmoo.com is a large on-line eyeglass company with hundreds of choices including plastic, titanium, mixed material, memorial material, reading, prescription, bifocal, computer, progressive, designer, specialty, polarized, retro and more. They even have nerd glasses. And Elton John glasses…

The website is fun. You can search by frame shape, upload your photo and do a “virtual try-on”. It’s like playing dress up.

my virtual “try-on” session

My glasses arrived quickly. I am pleased with the quality. The frames feel sturdy and balanced. The lens tint is perfect.

This cute case was included, along with a dust cloth and teeny tiny eyeglass screwdriver. I consider the screwdriver a nice touch, because I can never find one when I need one.

Full disclosure—the glasses are not made in the USA. I discovered this when my international package arrived. According to Firmoo.com, manufacturing in Asia keeps overhead down. Just curious, is this a deal-breaker for you?

Please ignore my snow white hair. The sunglasses are true to color.

Prices start at $39. Clearance glasses are as low as $8. Check the website and Facebook page for free offers, sales and giveaways.

I think I need a second pair…

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

Sunglasses at Night, Corey Hart

Spicy Barbecued Cauliflower

June 2, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

(I was provided free barbecue sauce; however opinions are my own. I swear.)

A few years ago, I discovered cauliflower. I mean really discovered it. Oh sure, I always knew about eating it raw with Ranch dressing. Cauliflower was never my favorite of the dip vehicles. Standing at a party veggie tray, I rotated through the choices not wanting to be that person hogging the carrot sticks or cucumber slices.

And steamed cauliflower with a thin cheese sauce? I consider that hospital food.

But the same head of cauliflower tossed with olive oil and sea salt, roasted in a 400 degree oven is a vegetable game changer. Heat brings out the caramelized flavor. The dark (almost burnt) bits taste like onion rings. Try it. You’ll agree.

Now that summer is (almost) here, I’ve been thinking about ways to spice up my regular recipes. This barbecued cauliflower—made with my favorite barbecue sauce, Bentley’s Batch 5—will complement all your summer meals.

Before we get to the recipe, let me tell you a bit about Bentley’s Batch 5. Bentley’s is a stick-to-your-ribs sort of sauce, not one of those namby-pamby thin vinegary concoctions. The flavor is robust as a Texas barbecue sauce should be.

I’m not just saying all this because it’s made by my Munger Place friends Harold and Gale, but this does make it more special. I know the history and all the work that went into it. After years of making his Dad’s family recipe, Harold and Gale perfected it. Now you can purchase Bentley’s at several Texas locations (more retailers added daily).

I love it on grilled shrimp, chicken, pork and all sorts of vegetables, which brings me back to cauliflower.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:19]

I made this recipe with Bentley’s Hot, but if you aren’t a fan of heat, Bentley’s Batch 5 is available in Reserve and Sweet too.

Serve your barbecued cauliflower with extra Bentley’s Batch #5 on the side for dipping.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

BBQ Stain – Tim McGraw

Thrill Hill in the Delta

May 31, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

As we approached Thrill Hill, we braced our legs against each other and firmly planted our bare feet in the bed of the Chevy. Gripping the side, the truck felt hot against my cramped knuckles.

“Faster, faster!” we giggled.

Although Uncle Woody drove with his windows down, he couldn’t hear through the wind.

There was no reason for such a steep hill to exist in the asphalt. Jutting up in the flat Delta, it was the only hill in a county surrounded by miles of cotton and soybean fields. I was certain it must have been an Indian burial mound. No one ever confirmed my suspicion.

I counted telephone poles stringing along the ditch bank and anticipated the sensation without watching the road ahead.

Uncle Woody’s truck rattled louder the closer we got.

Side by side we perched inside a windstorm of whipping hair and teary eyes.

As the truck soared over the top, we sailed airborne. My stomach flip-flopped with a falling sensation as the truck bounced on the other side.

“Do it again, Uncle Woody!” we begged.

We did it again.

And again.