Arkansas Women Bloggers - grace grits and gardening

I’m an Arkansawyer at heart…

February 25, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

I always get a bit sad when I see Arkansas in my rear view mirror. Regardless where I visit—Fayetteville, Eureka Springs, Mountain Home, Piggott, Helena or home on the farm in Mississippi County—leaving makes my heart hurt. John, my husband, feels the same. No matter how much we love Dallas and our Texas friends, we are Arkansawyers at heart.

There’s something special about Arkansas that not everyone understands, the culmination of so many simple things I hold close and carry with me… feel of delta soil beneath my feet… tilt of the crop-duster’s wing… sunrise over Mt. Sequoyah… thrill of calling the hogs on the hill… wave of farmers on the highway… smell of cotton being ginned… turn of brilliant autumn leaves… plunge from the dock into a cold pocket of lake water… churn of the mighty Mississippi… silence of that first snowfall… echo of a screen door across the cove… flicker of lightning bugs... all-night laughter with best friends…

Arkansas is easy. Comfortable. Home.

Girdley’s Flying Service – Tate Farms, Mississippi County, Ar

Last weekend I had the pleasure of promoting social media for The Arkansas Flower and Garden Show in Little Rock. Not only did I get to hang with a few of my fellow Arkansas Women Blogger friends, but I also met Chris H. Olsen of Botanica Gardens AND lifestyle/design/garden expert P. Allen Smith. Bucket list – check!

In addition to the flower and garden show, John and I managed to squeeze in the Benton High School district championship basketball game (Benton won!), enjoy dinner with friends at Brave New Restaurant (incredible!), and absorb a bit of history at the Arkansas History Museum (very cool!).

After a leisurely brunch at The Root Cafe, we reluctantly headed west, but this time we took a little bit of Arkansas home. Actually, a lot of Arkansas. We adopted a new pet.

See?

Our new razorback is adjusting to his Texas home.

We named him Lou Holtz.

The schnauzers are skeptical…

Grace Grits and Gardening

“I can’t believe God put us on this earth to be ordinary.” – Lou Holtz

Musical Pairing:

SoNA performs “Arkansas Fight”

skeptical schnauzers

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Almonds and Feta

November 7, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

This recipe was recently published in the November/December issue of Front Porch Magazine…

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Feta and Almonds

Arkansas Women Bloggers held its annual blogger conference in September at Ferncliff Camp just outside Little Rock. Day One on the agenda—a food challenge demanding quick and creative kitchen skills not unlike today’s reality cooking shows made popular by Iron Chef.

Seven teams were provided boxes of identical ingredients along with a pantry stocked with additional basics. With only forty-five minutes to create twenty appetizers, competition was fierce. To make things more interesting, each team was allowed one secret ingredient.

I was part of the winning team led by Kellee Mayfield (Delta Moxie) of Lake Village. Kellee came with a box of tricks including our secret ingredient, Miso Soy, plus decorative napkins and serving platters. Every southern girl knows presentation is an important part of the food equation.

The appetizer our team created was inspired by one of my favorite Southern Living party recipes, Bacon-Wrapped Almond-Stuffed Apricots. Our first stumbling block—the pantry had no apricots. Instead, we substituted dates then put our heads together to create the winning dish using Arkansas Petit Jean Bacon and other locally grown ingredients.

(I can’t go into specifics, but there was even a bit of bartering to secure the feta cheese from another team…)

Hard at work! (photo courtesy of Julie Kohl of www.eggsandherbs.com)

According to the slate of foodie judges from Memphis and Little Rock, our dipping sauce made with orange marmalade and Miso Soy would make plywood taste great!

It was that good.

The saltiness of Petit Jean bacon and crumbly feta paired with sweet dates and orange marmalade proved to be a delicious combination and possibly even better than the original inspiration. This recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser at your next holiday gathering.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Almonds and Feta

(makes 24 pieces)

12 slices bacon, cut into halves

24 dates

24 whole almonds

feta

green onions (4-5)

3/4 cup orange marmalade

Miso Soy paste (or 2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce)

Method

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Slice a pocket into each date and stuff with one almond and a small sliver of feta cheese.

Close date and wrap with bacon slice. Secure with wooden toothpick.

Place on wire rack in an aluminum foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once to brown each side.

Mix miso soy paste with water (according to package instructions) to make two tablespoons. Add to marmalade and heat in a small, microwave safe bowl at medium 1 minute or until blended.

Arrange appetizers on a serving platter. Drizzle with dipping sauce and top with a sprinkle of chopped green onions. Serve warm with extra sauce for dipping.

Enjoy!

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Ferncliff

King Biscuit Time and the Music of Helena Arkansas

October 27, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

(Note: Helena Advertising and Promotions Commission sponsored this blogger trip. Opinions are my own.)

Until last week, my radio experience was limited to one WHBQ moment in 1976 when Anita Ashley and I showed up unannounced in Memphis and found ourselves live on the air with Rick Dees and his Cast of Idiots. I adored Rick Dees and sitting shoulder to shoulder with him was intimidating for a giggly ninth grader. Mr. Dees was entertaining and accommodating, and later that summer the Keiser Jr. High cheerleading squad bounced around Arkansas State with a bit more spirit wearing Rick Dees ‘Mouth of the South’ shirts. I think that was the year we finally snagged the elusive spirit stick…

While Rick Dees was doing his thing in Memphis, “Sunshine” Sonny Payne was broadcasting live from the King Biscuit Time Radio Show only a few miles down river in Helena, Arkansas. King Biscuit Time, the first regular radio show to feature blues, began broadcasting in 1941 and still regularly welcomes musicians into its Delta Cultural Center studio on historic Cherry Street.

“Sunshine” Sonny Payne

Last week, Sonny Payne and King Biscuit Time welcomed me into the studio. I was part of a group of Arkansas Women Bloggers invited by the Helena Advertising and Promotions Commission to spend a few days in this charming delta town overlooking the Mississippi River.

One blogger may not affect great change, but put a group of lady bloggers together with a microphone and things tend to get exciting…

Synergy and all that.

Facing a mic, I was transported back to junior high.

Debbie Arnold (Dining with Debbie) eloquently represented Arkansas Women Bloggers while I managed to compound Sonny Payne’s already cloudy understanding of blogging… (joggers/bloggers, what’s the difference?)

Grace Grits and Gardening on King Biscuit Time

If you’d like to hear our live broadcast (including how we nearly brought down the longest running daily radio show in history), click HERE then select October 23, 2013…

Arkansas Women Bloggers, Helena River Walk

Helena is a unique town rich in musical heritage and devoted to preserving and sustaining the delta blues culture. Her impassioned citizens are eager to share personal stories of chatting with Elvis and hanging out with Conway Twitty. Musical greats have passed through this river town, and still do particularly during the annual King Biscuit Blues Festival held each year on Columbus Day weekend.

Next year, I plan to see the blues festival for myself.