grace grits and gardening - ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Memorial Day FUN!

May 24, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Memorial Day weekend. The lake was usually chilly. Sometimes downright cold. That first plunge into summer, breathtaking.

Was the water level high or low? That was an important question. We studied the shoreline while waiting for the ferry.

The answer affected our hot dog roast.

Even when the lake swallowed all but the tallest trees of our sandy island, we tied the boat to a willow branch and floated on rafts above white sand. New rafts that took forever to inflate.

The sand was still down there. We could see it through clear water.

One time (or several times) the water lapped the top of the concrete picnic tables. We used them as jumping platforms instead of eating spots. A different sort of fun. But even when our island was hidden, we never missed a hot dog roast. Momma anchored to a rocky edge of shoreline, not quite flat but almost, and built a fire, soldiering on without sand.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

Pontoon – Little Big Town

Nana’s Strawberry Cake (the real one)

May 23, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Nana’s Strawberry Cake!

Alrighty. After baking the worst strawberry cake ever for my son’s 21st birthday (read about it HERE , or we can just pretend it never happened…), I’m going back to our old family recipe. Nana’s Strawberry Cake. Straight from her vintage recipe box. You’ll want to keep this one.

I love seeing her handwriting on all the recipes…

Nana or Momma made this cake for all my birthdays. Served on the dock with a side of old-fashioned, homemade ice cream (hand-cranked with rock salt), this is the stuff of summer. We ate fast before the July sun created strawberry milkshakes. Sticky face? Jump in the lake for easy cleanup.

The cake is moist and luscious as strawberry cake was intended. It’s one of those “cheat” cakes because it starts with a boxed white cake mix and a package of strawberry Jell-o. Ask me if I care.

Nope.

I’ve learned my lesson.

One bite and I’m delivered back to my childhood.

Nana’s Strawberry Cake

Print Recipe

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 package white cake mix
1 3 ounce package strawberry Jell-o (do not dissolve)
3/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup frozen strawberries thawed and chopped
4 eggs

For Icing:

1 stick butter melted
1 box pound powdered sugar
1/2 cup frozen strawberries thawed and chopped

Method

Lightly grease & flour two 9-inch round pans or a 13x9 inch rectangular pan.
Mix first five ingredients in a large bowl at medium speed.
Add eggs and thoroughly mix.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Remove from pans and let cool before adding frosting.

Icing:

Mix butter, sugar and strawberries together. Add a bit of milk if you like gooey icing. (I do!)

And to my birthday boy, sorry you missed the real deal.

Yum!

Do you have a birthday tradition in your family? If you don’t, I highly recommend Nana’s Strawberry Cake.

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

Luci and Ian Family Garden

May 22, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

(I was provided free admission to the Luci and Ian Family Garden. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own, but you knew that, right?.)

A few weeks ago I was invited to the grand opening of the Luci and Ian Family Garden, the only Central Texas native plant garden devoted to families and children. Located within the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Southwest Austin, the garden is interactive and educational, one of those places where kids soak up new things while playing.

Yep, they won’t realize they are learning about water conservation and patterns in nature.

I considered snagging a couple of neighbor kids for the trip to Austin, but took my husband instead. And really, we are both like big kids when it comes to exploring a garden. Having grown up in the 1970s, we were those kids who played outside all summer, rain or shine, mosquitoes or not. With only three television channels and no video games, we read books (printed on paper) and used our imaginations to escape into a virtual world.

I know. I sound old. But the Luci and Ian Family Garden provides nature play for today’s children who likely don’t spend as much time exploring and creating. And that’s a much needed thing.

Check out these ginormous bird nests.

Giant Bird Nests - Luci and Ian Family Garden, Austin

Wow!

Climb this impressive tower for a bird’s-eye view of the entire garden. (No worries—there’s a spiral staircase not visible in this picture.)

Rapunzel?

Binoculars are provided to make sure you don’t miss a leaf or critter.

One of the most popular places in the Family Garden is the grotto. Play a game of hide and seek behind the waterfall. Feel free to splash and cool off too, it’s allowed and expected.

Young guests have their own Little House—a special place for reading, crafting, and digging in the dirt. Other hands-on garden activities include a maze, dinosaur creek, hopscotch, wildlife blind, stumps and sticks for building and playing.

There’s an expansive lawn for kite flying. Remember lying on the grass naming the shape of clouds? You can do that in the garden too.

Be sure to put the Luci and Ian Family Garden on your summer list of places to visit. Not only will your children enjoy the activities and sites, you’ll remember what it was like to be a kid again.