ramblings from an arkansas farm girl
Dear Sunday Letter friends,
The way I see it, part of my responsibility is to remind you of the date. When time passes as fast as ice cream melts, it’s easy to think we’re still hanging out in April. But today is the first day of July. Hang on. As of today, we’re officially sliding down the backside of 2018. Baseball is behind us (Hogs had an amazing season!), and for the foreseeable future, there’s nothing ahead but burning pavement.Continue Reading
This is the first in a series of posts (irregular at best) about my favorite summer things. I’m starting with PORCH TIME!
I think of our porches as additional rooms, the best rooms, rooms that provide extra space and extra peace, whatever we need in the moment. A bit like Hogwarts’ Room of Requirement. In case you truly have been living beneath a rock, the Room of Requirement only appears when someone has a true need. It stands to reason that porches are always there because we always need a spot to rest and read, write and think, and watch the world go by.
See how that works?
I like my porches to reflect each season and holiday, and Independence Day is one of my favorites. Fourth of July is the brightest spot in summer, the top of the Ferris wheel, the cherry on the hot fudge sundae, the pre-party to my birthday shindig. And in my patriotic opinion, a splash of red, white, and blue goes with everything. Seriously, there’s no better place to drink coffee in the mornings and wine in the afternoon. Continue Reading
Grilled poundcake with strawberries and basil is that special sweet something you need for your 4th of July celebration. This dessert is super simple to make, especially since you’re already planning to fire up your grill for the holiday. Right?
Here’s the simple part—I used a bakery poundcake and Reddi-wip® in a canister.
Okay, keeping it real here—sometimes I make homemade whipped cream, and sometimes I don’t. Usually I make homemade poundcake. This time, I didn’t. If you prefer to make your own poundcake, I highly recommend Elvis’s Poundcake. It’s the best I’ve ever had. But, for this dessert, I don’t think it makes a hill of beans difference whether you bake a cake and whip up cream or run down to the local IGA. There’s magic in the combination of smoky flavor + sweetness + twist of basil.
A fanciful flavorful fabulous strawberry shortcake.
Trust me.Continue Reading
