Archive for December, 2009
in the woods
in the country
when it ever quits raining long enough to dry out, i get out in the woods and listen to the quiet. some japanese friends recently came to visit, and we walked through some planted pines. the pine needles quieted our steps, and the uniformly planted pines created pleasant vistas. the woods looked and felt like a chapel, and we felt blessed to experience the beauty and quiet. take some time before the pace picks up again, to get out in nature and listen to the stillness, so you can hear your own inner voice speak up.
the bryant home
homes and habitats
David lived around the corner in the late 80s, when the house was still occupied by members of the family that built it in 1903. When David set out to buy a place of his own years later, he remembered the little cottage on Pulaski Heights that he had always thought ideal. It had since become a rental so he found the owner and after a surprisingly brisk and successful negotiation signed a sales contract without even having been inside. Naively, he took three weeks off work to “fix the place up,” but it wasn’t until many years later, under Cassie’s influence, that the table saw finally disappeared from the of the living room and hammers and drills from the kitchen counter.
The house sits very near the street, so we installed the shutters you see in these photos to maximize privacy while preserving ventilation. French doors lead from the front porch into the library and we are able keep the house open to the outside for three seasons of the year.
Most of the art in the house is by local artists and friends. The blue bird was painted by Andy Cherwick.
good luck in the new year
garden to table
“eat poor on new year’s, and eat fat the rest of the year”
dating back to the civil war it has been a southern tradition to serve up a big meal on new years. typically the meal consists of greens, black eyed peas, cornbread, and a pork dish.
the black eyed peas are said to bring prosperity to the new year. you can cook up any green available; collards, turnips, dandelion, or lams quarters, as they greens represent money, and the cornbread is for gold.
click here to see how to make this simple “good luck” southern meal and my favorite cornbread recipe follows.
cornbread:
*pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
ingredients
1 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal (or non instant grits for more texture)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp fresh baking powder
2 farm fresh eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
directions:
-mix all ingredients until combined, trying not to over mix
-pour into a greased pie tin or small cast iron pan (you can double recipe if you are using a large cast iron pan)
-place in oven and cook for about 25 minutes or until top is golden brown.
