grace grits and gardening - ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

spring in the Ozarks…

April 12, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Childhood drives through the Ozarks happened only in summer when our perfect lake was surrounded by fifty shades of green with black-eyed Susans dotting the roadside. Lately it seems, I spend more time in the Ozarks during fall and winter. Fall is the most brilliant time of the year. The mountains are alive, and the very landscape provides inspiration. I appreciate winter too. The grace and gray of a cold Ozark morning provides a calm, serene backdrop for writing.

But yesterday as I drove to Eureka Springs, I realized I’ve never visited the Ozarks during early spring. And I have a good reason…spring is the best time not to leave Dallas. Dallasites know to soak up spring in Texas before summer settles in, hangs on, wrings every drop of energy from every living thing. Even so, I left a breezy 75 degree spring Dallas morning and headed to the Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow.

Sometimes writers need to get away to write.

My writer friend Tom from New Hampshire joined me which made the drive more entertaining. We talked about writing because we are addicted. We stopped in Oklahoma and took pictures of random things. Because that’s what addicted bloggers do.

Spring has even found Oklahoma.

We made a quick stop in Fayetteville mainly so I could lay eyes on my handsome son. Driving into our Fayetteville driveway, I received a delightful welcome back surprise from Mother Nature…tulips! In the two years John and I have owned this house, we’ve never seen evidence of tulips.

The Fayetteville I’d begun only to think of as fiery orange and red was painted the colors of Easter. Pink redbuds decorated the mountainside. Clumps of daffodils blossomed thick along sidewalks and along highways. Sprays of forsythia bloomed underneath giant oaks. It was hard to concentrate on the road. (Especially with Tom snoozing…)

We made it to Eureka Springs just in time for supper. And believe me, mealtime at Dairy Hollow is not something to miss. Our friend Dorothy (from Little Rock) was already checked in and writing. After an amazing meal, Tom disappeared to write while Dorothy and I sat on the deck overlooking a hollow (THE hollow I suppose). We enjoyed a glass of wine and discussed how blessed we are to spend time at this magical place, especially in spring.

Grace Grits and Gardening

“That is one good thing about this world…there are always sure to be more springs.”
― L.M. Montgomery

the Easter BAT

April 10, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Way before parents spent too much time trying to create magical memories for their children, my Momma (the BAT) made holidays special by just being herself and keeping life simple. Halloween involved homemade costumes, birthdays included handmade invitations, and 4th of July meant driving over the tracks to buy Roman candles we set off across the cotton field. Christmas was pure-dee-lightful from the moment the Sears Wish Book arrived in the mailbox to the dreaded morning we returned to school in January.

via morgueFile

And Easter? Easter was fun too. There was the all important Brinkley Chapel part with Brother Brown’s resurrection sermon, and although Daddy never once attended Easter service with us, he seemed to be in an okay mood (except the Easter Sunday our house was robbed but that’s a different story).

During the week leading up to Good Friday, our house smelled of Easter—white vinegar and PAAS dye. Easter egg dyeing was an important part of our tradition.

But my first spring semester in college, for whatever reason, I wasn’t planning to drive home to Arkansas for Easter break. Not enough time? I don’t recall. But I do remember thinking what about Easter eggs? We’d always dyed eggs together. Oh well, things were bound to change eventually…

Not really.

Momma and Aunt Lavern loaded up the Cadillac and brought Easter to Baylor University complete with THREE dozen hard-boiled eggs. My sister, cousin and I dyed those eggs while staying at the Best Western across from campus.

That, my friends, is the definition of a fun Momma.

And yes, I’m wearing a tube top.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Musical Pairing:

The Power of Love, Huey Lewis

Lavender Blueberry Granola

April 9, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

I love granola, but buying it pre-made can make a dent in the pocketbook. I whipped up a batch of my own using Martha Stewart’s Blueberry Almond granola recipe for inspiration. I modified Martha’s ingredients, eliminating the vegetable oil and coconut and adding flax seed and lavender which I have growing in my back yard. (Lavender not flax seed…)

Lavender’s health benefits help aid in digestion plus this herb adds a light floral flavor to whatever you are baking—not overwhelming, just a fresh taste. (I try to throw herbs into all my dishes. The antioxidants are healing, so why not?)

I was pleasantly surprised at how quick and easy homemade granola is to make.

Lavender Blueberry Granola

Print Recipe

Ingredients Notes

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned oats I used Quaker
3/4 cup raw slivered almonds
1/4 cup flaxseed whole, not ground
1/4 cup local honey I use Zip Code honey from Texas Honeybee Guild
1 Tablespoon lavender buds chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup dried blueberries

Notes

Don't be afraid to experiment by substituting your favorite berries or nuts.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients except blueberries. Right about now you’ll be thinking wait, this looks strangely like that concoction she made a few months ago for Valentine birdseed feeders… I agree. It does. And although both are edible, this is much better tasting (for humans).

3. Fold in blueberries.

4. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

5. Bake 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Cool. Transfer to your preferred container for storage.

6. Serve with yogurt or ice cream, sprinkle on salads, add to rice pudding, or leave in a Mason jar beside the coffee pot and take a bite every time you walk into the kitchen.

Greek yogurt, lavender blueberry granola, drizzle of agave, sprinkle of bee pollen, sliced bananas

If you don’t have access to lavender, you can order organic culinary lavender from Hood River Lavender. My husband and I visited Hood River Lavender (Oregon) last summer. If you ever have the opportunity to spend time at a lavender farm, do it. As you might imagine, the air smells heavenly.