This Friday, May 15, 2009, I will be participating in Relay for Life. I was signed up to do it last year but I had a very unfortunate bout with pneumonia, including a week in the hospital, surgery and a chest tube… so I didn’t make it. Considering it is in 2 days and I am apparently healthy, I’m confident that this year I will be a Participant! I can’t wait!

Relay for Life is sponsered by the American Cancer Society. They explain it better than I can:

Relay For Life is a life-changing event that brings together more than 3.5 million people to:

Celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer. The strength of survivors inspires others to continue to fight.
Remember loved ones lost to the disease. At Relay, people who have walked alongside people battling cancer can grieve and find healing.
Fight Back. We Relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease.

I am part of the John Knox Presbyterian team. Go John Knox!!! I love my church for many reasons but the main one is the amazing people who are a part of it. We have a little fireball in charge of our Relay team and this year, she’s in charge of our whole city. And she’s a cancer survivor. Miss Georgia is a true Belle in every sense of the word: from her beautiful Southern accent to her way of making everyone feel special. We are all so fortunate to have her on our team.

I’m positive that most of us have been touched by cancer in some way. Unfortunately it’s usually because we’ve lost a loved one to it or have been touched by it ourselves. I’ve spent the past year watching my best friend conquer breast cancer. She lost her hair but not her spirit and now her hair looks better than ever! Relay for Life starts out with a Survivor Lap around the track and I can’t wait to see my friends take that walk.

Relays take place all around the country. It’s a fun event, raises money to find a cure, and is a way to honor those we have lost and those we continue to support in the fight.  Check and see if there is a Relay in your area.

If you’d like to donate to my team, I’d happily accept! Just click here.

The Grits girl… if you’ve been in a store somewhere in the South, particularly one that sells to tourists, you’ll have seen a a T-shirt or some other product about being a GRIT girl. Girls Raised in the South.  I just love the book, The Grits Guide to Life. It’s a very funny & informative guide to being Southern and being a Grit. I particularly like when they point out that if you weren’t born in the South, you can still be a Grit… a Girl Refined in the South. I guess that’s me.

The book is full of Grit Wisdom. The first one deals with grits themselves… the food, not the women.

Grits Pearl of Wisdom #1

Grits are eaten with butter, gravy or cheese – never sugar.

I used to really, really dislike grits. I didn’t really understand the fascination with grits or anyone’s desire to consume them. They looked like, and tasted like, bland mush. I realize now that a Belle’s love of grits will definitely be influenced by the maker of the grits. I’ve had really bad grits, and I’ve had absolutely yummy grits. The yummy grits generally have tons of butter, cheese and probably garlic. For some reason when I was expecting (Magnolia absolutely does not approve of the word “pregnant”) my daughter, I began to crave grits. I don’t know why. Maybe being pregnant expecting a real, live Southern Belle influenced my taste buds. Whatever the reason, I now really like grits, if they are good.

Here’s a recipe from the Grits book.

Cheesy Grits Casserole

1 cup grits, quick or regular
1/2 cup margarine
3 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup sweet milk
1/2 pound cheddar cheese
1/2 pound fried bacon, crumbled

Cook grits according to package instructions. Add margarine to hot grits and stir until melted.  Add cheese and stir. Combine eggs with milk and stir into grits. Add crumbled bacon. Pout into greased 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle extra cheese on top if you desire. Bake 30 to 40 minutes at 325° until mixture is set and light browned. The center is the last to cook.  Yields 8-12 servings.

Sounds really low in calories, doesn’t it? But I guess the calories is what makes them taste good.

Do you have a family recipe for grits you’d like to share?  I’m on the search for the best grits recipe!

I saw this little miracle product on TLC’s What Not to Wear. Carmindy, the makeup artist, uses it a lot and I’m always willing to give something new a try. A few drops of Transformer turns any eye shadow into a great eye liner. It lasts and lasts and really cuts down on having to buy a bunch of eyeliners. It’s a little bottle but you only use a couple of drops at a time, so it lasts forever! Don’t put it directly into your eyeshadow though!

I also have the Paula Dorf brush that goes with it and I highly recommend that as well. It’s angeled and you can do a thin line or a thick line. Very versatile! The eye liner is waterproof but does wash off easily.

Give it a try! Just think of all the eye shadows you have just sitting there, waiting to become an awesome, waterproof eye liner!

This magical solution instantly turns eyeshadow into a liquid liner. Simply place a few drops into the eyeshadow cover, dab brush into liquid, glide along the outer edge of the shadow and then apply to eyelid. Never put Transformer directly into eyeshadow!

Paula’s Tip: To create the illusion of fuller lashes, dab color on the upper inside root of lashes, all along the lashline.

Here’s the link to the brush.

Paula Dorf Angle Liner Brush     Paula Dorf’s Angle Liner brush is the perfect tool for applying shadow as a liner. Dampen the brush and dip it into your shadow pot to pick up some color, then lightly press the brush along the lashline.

Let me know how you like it!

Mother’s Love
Her love is like
an island in life’s ocean,
vast and wide
A peaceful, quiet shelter
From the wind, the rain, the tide.
‘Tis bound on the north by Hope,
By Patience on the West,
By tender Counsel on the South
And on the East by Rest.
Above it like a beacon light
Shine Faith, and Truth, and Prayer;
And thro’ the changing scenes of life
I find a haven there.
Author Unknown

Being a mom…. For many years it was something I didn’t think I wanted or ever do. Then it became something I couldn’t accomplish without a lot of prayer, pain and medical intervention. But I did accomplish it and now I am watching my two little rascals swimming in the pool, squealing with delight. I find motherhood to be both extraordinarily rewarding and confounding at the same time. There are moments of absolute joy and also moments of total frustration. Thankfully the moments of joy come much, much more often. Is there anything better in this world than the feel of a little hand in yours, wholly trusting you to lead them down the right path? Or the sound of a child’s belly laugh and unadulterated glee at the littlest thing? Or the smell of a freshly bathed baby, all warm and snuggly?

I love being a mother. The gifts my children give me are far more numerous and valuable than the ones I give them. And yet tomorrow, on Mother’s Day, they will give me their little gifts, handmade cards, and sweet kisses, hoping to make me feel special and honored. Little do they know that they give me the most precious gift of all every day just by being my children. Don’t get me wrong…. I fully intend to enjoy my special day and am hoping it starts with a piping hot cup of coffee in bed. But inside I will be quietly thanking the Lord for these two amazing little souls that I get to enjoy every day and for as long as He sees fit.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! I hope you each feel wanted, loved and adored tomorrow and beyond.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

When I first moved to the South, I fell in love with all the lovely Southern names, especially all the Double names. A lot of girls in the South have two first names and you better not make the mistake of just using the first one. I did that only one time and got a big dressing down by the owner of that particular double name. I know many girls that have their mother’s maiden names as part of their double name. Southerners love their heritage and history! I do believe that many of our Modern Belles just pick double names that they like which might explain all the little ones I know named Anna Katherine, Anna Grace, Anna Kate, Emma Kate, etc.

I have also found that Southerners do not constantly shorten your name. Growing up in the North, I was always called Sue. Yuck. Despite all my attempts to get back to my given name, it was pretty much a lost cause. But here in my precious South, I am Susanne and no one has ever tried to call me Sue. My children have friends named James, Andrew, Joseph, Jonathan, Katherine and that is what they are called. But don’t get me wrong… I also know plenty of Jimmys, Billys, Rickys, and Juniors. It’s a lovely mix!

You will also find a lot of girls with names that sound like last names… generally because they are. Southerners also have a tendency to go by their middle name. This is very popular in my husband’s family (including him!) and we have continued that with my son. He was three before he actually knew his first name. I’m still not sure he can spell it. Unfortunately the practice of going by a middle name means a lot of beautiful first names are just sitting out there unused. When we were expecting our first child, I had a whole host of nieces and nephews and several had unused first names that I really loved. It was very tempting to actually use one but I was informed that this was not proper. Using a family name is definitely the appropriate route to go but when you have 12 nieces and nephews, all the “good” family names are already in use. Magnolia informed me that we were free to use Lorenzo but I politely declined.

Here is an excerpt from A Southern Belle Primer on Southern names:

When Southern belles want to join local committees and organizations, they rarely have to fill out applications forms to tell people who they are. That’s because Southern belles have names that are walking family trees. It doesn’t matter where you go in the South, because the entire South seems to be married to one another.

In some towns you can find Davis Carlyle Sotheby and her first cousin Sotheby Carlyle Davis and they are both leading tours for the local pilgrimage. They have cousins in places like Little Rock and Augusta named Carlyle Sotheby Smith and Smith Carlyle Jenkins. When cousins marry, they are likely to name their daughter Carlyle Davis Carlyle.

The use of double first names like Rebecca Ann or Jennifer Mary are also common. Double names are usually given to honor both grandmothers.

There are lots of children in the South named Rhett and Scarlett. Almost all of their families are newcomers. One belle in Savannah recalls that a magazine writer from New York once interviewed her about her hometown for an article. The writer ignored the established local Southern names and asked where in the South would he have to go to find a young girl named Scarlett.

“Well, not in Savannah,” the Georgia belle said. “And I wouldn’t bother with Atlanta either. I think you’re looking for someone you might find in southern Chicago.”

Ouch.

First of all, I apologize for my total lack of blog commitment the last month. I have heard from many people (shocking me to pieces) asking when Modern Belle would be back. It has been a crazy month.

We spent the first week of April in Curacao. It was a great trip but the island was not at all what I was expecting. The ocean was a gorgeous shade of turquoise and you could literally go out 20 feet and be able to snorkle to your little heart’s content, seeing all kinds of amazing things. You will have to take my husband and son’s word for that since I don’t like to go underwater and just watched and waved from under my palapa on the beach. What I didn’t expect was how desert-like the island was, full of cactus and iguanas. We rented a dune buggy, complete with Dutch guide, our last day and went off-roading all over the island. That’s the only way to even see the uninhabited north side of the island. The waves there come crashing into the cliffs, water is spraying everywhere, and you are standing on a vast land of old coral. Being a Dutch island, there is certainly a Dutch influence and lots of Dutch people living there. Curacao is a total blend of all different heritages. It was lovely, the people were so nice, and we all had a wonderful time.

We arrived home to a home renovation in progress. Our upstairs is a complete work in progress. I am currently living out of a suitcase in my son’s room and my bed is in the music room downstairs. This is my first renovation and I didn’t realize how much I was going to have to be involved on a daily basis. Decisions, decisions. We also decided to add on to our deck, screen in our sunroom, have stone walls and a firepit built, and do some big-time landscaping all at the same time. I have been spinning in circles for weeks but I do see light at the end of the tunnel! The backyard is almost finished and I was just enjoying listening to the rain on my new screened porch. Heaven! My contractor has assured me that they only have 3 more weeks on the upstairs and I can live with that. Especially when I think about my new 10 x 15 walkin closet, my 6 foot soaking tub with heater, my upstairs laundry, all that beautiful tile….. I’m drooling just imagining it! After 10 years in my home, I’m finally going to have a closet and a tub I can fit into!

Stay tuned for an exciting new look for Modern Belle and daily posts….. I think.

Oh… I just remembered! My Lady Banks Rose looks just lovely on the new deck. They were able to build around her and she now has a very fine looking arbor to call home. I’ll post a picture soon although I missed her in all her yellow-bloom glory. You’ll just have to imagine the blanket of blooms when you see the picture.

I first met Magnolia a few weeks after my husband and I started dating. I had no idea at the time what an unusual weekend that would be. My husband has four siblings and lots of nieces and nephews, all of which descended on us over the course of the weekend. Apparently my sweet darling hadn’t brought a girl home in a long time and everyone wanted to check me out. But that’s not really the point of this post…

The first night I met Magnolia, she asked me what my silver pattern was. Being from Michigan and growing up with parents who didn’t really care about those things, I was understandably confused by this question. Now, you’d have to know Magnolia to understand why my silver pattern is something she needs to know the first day she meets me. But she did. The only thing I could think of was Oneida. Yes, I know what you’re thinking…bless my heart. I actually told Magnolia that my silver pattern was Oneida. Being the Belle that she is, she did a great job of covering up her horror. Can you imagine? Her precious son finally brings home a girl to meet them, obviously adores her (I’m adding that in myself), and not only is she a YANKEE but her silver pattern is Oneida! Which really isn’t a silver pattern anyway but it was the only thing that came to my mind. Because of my vast ignorance of silver patterns, I wasn’t really that bothered by the whole exchange but looking back now, I’m sure Magnolia was shocked.

I woke up the next morning, opened the guest room door, and found a darling little book outside my door. There was a section conveniently bookmarked for me. I opened it up to find a whole chapter on what your silver pattern says about you. Oh, word. That was the beginning of my being a Belle In Training. It was quickly becoming apparent that this was no ordinary woman. This was a Belle and a force to be reckoned with.

After attending church and hearing a wonderful sermon from my future father-in-law (I’ll be getting to him soon… THE most amazing man I’ve ever known), we came home to a beautiful Sunday dinner. I noticed that Magnolia had very pretty silver with scallops down the sides and most of it was engraved with the letter “B”. During the dinner, the subject of my silver pattern came up again. I quickly picked up one of my many forks and said “What is this pattern?” Magnolia informed me that it was Strasbourg and from that moment forward, my silver pattern was Strasbourg. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cross my mind that someone would eventually be getting all that lovely, engraved silver and I decided it might as well be me. And my husband, of course. Plus I really did like it.

I now have 8 place settings of Strasbourg, all courtesy of my in-laws. We received a place setting for birthdays, Christmases and our anniversary until we had a proper set. I don’t use it as often as I should but each piece means a lot to me. And the best news… my silver pattern is no longer Oneida.

Here are some excerpts from The Southern Belle Primer, the book Magnolia left outside my door.

The Twelve Patterns of the Southern Silver Zodiac

1. Francis I Reed and Barton   The Belle who chooses Francis I is a girl who wants it all. There are twenty-eight pieces of fruit just on the knife handle. It’s showy and opulent and so is she. A Francis I girl is likely to want a husband, children, a place on the board of the Junior League, and a full-time career. There is no end to what she can buy in the Francis I pattern. It comes with pickle forks, tomato forks, shrimp forks, lobster forks, grapefruit spoons, dessert spoons, ice cream spoons, even half olive spoons. Francis I girls are always compatible with mothers-in-law who have Grand Baroque or Burgundy. Their styles are similar.

2. Grand Baroque  Wallace International    This is Francis I with roses instead of fruit. Grand Baroque girls also have a sense of the dramatic. But they often also have a literary bent. That’s why you can buy a sterling silver bookmark in the Grand Baroque pattern. Grand Baroque girls often date boys whose families have the Acorn pattern. But they don’t marry them. It’s just a youthful rebellion.

3. Burgundy  Reed and Barton   This is Francis I without the fruit. Burgundy girls tend to be somewhat shy. They have dreams of being splashy, but they just can’t let go. Louisiana girls love Burgundy. It shows up on a lot of tables during Mardi Gras. They do well with friends who have Buttercup. They are not made to feel too competitive.

4. Rose Point  Wallace International   Old-fashioned girls pick this pattern. It’s very popular with girls named Rose. Sentimental mothers who have chosen patterns like Old Master and Eloquence sometimes name their daughters Rose just so they can have a legacy all their own.

5.  Buttercup  Gorham   Belles who choose Buttercup are always cheerful. They even choose the pattern because it’s so uplifting. Buttercup girls have friends with every kind of pattern. They are usually followers rather than leaders, but they are just so upbeat it really doesn’t matter.

6. Chantilly  Gorham  Belles with Chantilly tend to be a bit prissy. They do best with men whose mothers also have Chantilly.  Never put a Chantilly girl with a man whose mother has Francis I or Grand Baroque. They will always be upstaged. Don’t let all that sweetness fool you. Chantilly girls were often fast in high school.

7.  Strasbourg  Gorham  Strasbourg girls are traditionalists and just a bit formal. As good Southern girls, they are entranced with anything that’s festive and use their good silver almost all the time. Southern men love girls who pick Strasbourg because when Strasbourg girls bring out the good silver, they also bring out the good food. They don’t mix well with boys whose mothers have Buttercup. They will both always fight for control.

8.  Acorn  Georg Jensen   Beware of the Acorn girl. This pattern is lovely but foreign (it comes from Denmark). Girls who pick Acorn are rebellious. They march in parades and sometimes have been known to go to colleges in the East and drink beer straight from the can.

9. Old Master  Towle  Old Master girls have spirit but don’t drift too far from tradition. Because of this they are fiercely attached to their family heirlooms. One Texas Belle got thirty place settings of her groom’s grandmother’s Old Master as a wedding gift. When she got a divorce, she took her husband to court over the Old Master and let him keep the Cadillac without a whimper.

10. Eloquence  Lunt  Eloquence girls like nice things. They expect their husbands to provide. They are extremely loyal whether it’s a boyfriend, a best friend, or a pet. Because of this they get along well with more flighty girls who have Francis I or Grand Baroque.

11. Chrysanthemum  Tiffany  These girls have been known to turn up their noses at Francis I girls. They are just as flamboyant and just as demanding. They also usually have a lot more money to spend. Their husbands have to be good providers because they also insist on Tiffany crystal and Tiffany china. This is a relatively new pattern compared to some of the others. Girls with Chrysanthemum sometimes go really wild and live in avant-garde homes. But don’t worry, they still cut the crusts off their tea sandwiches and their daughters always get good recommendations to Kappa, Theta and Pi Phi.

12. Repousse  Kirk  Repousse is one of the oldest silver patterns. These girls often have mothers and grandmothers who also have this pattern. One Charleston woman explains every woman in her family for three generations chose this pattern. Then her son married a woman who didn’t even have a silver pattern. (uh oh) The mother-in-law insisted she pick something out and had relatives fill in the place settings. When the new bride completely bypassed Repousse by calling it “too fussy”, the mother-in-law knew the marriage wouldn’t last. And it didn’t.

So there you have it. Obviously I didn’t make the same mistake of the Repousee girl and I am glad to say that I have been married 10 years… one big happy family…me, my husband, Magnolia and my Strasbourg silver.

Ahhhh…. Giada. It’s really not fair. She’s beautiful and skinny. She’s Italian and from a famous family. She can cook… really well. And makes it look super easy. She has perfect finger nails and beautiful hair. She’s bubbly and sweet without being fake. She’s married to a fashion designer. That is almost too annoying just on its own especially since I’m convinced my husband is still wearing clothes from first grade. Sorry, honey! She’s perfectly petite. She had a baby and came back the next week looking two sizes smaller than she used to be. Even when she was 9 months pregnant, you couldn’t tell. She certainly didn’t gain the 70 lbs I did. Stop gasping in horror. I’m tall.

I try not to like her but she convinces me every time that she wants to be my friend.

Giada, I love your show. I love your recipes. I love your cookbook. Every now and then, please throw us average girls a bone and screw up. Have a hair out of place. Or make something yucky. Break a nail. We’re not picky! And while we’re waiting for that, I’ll be in the kitchen making Chicken Tetrazzini, Giada-style.

My sweet and thoughtful friend Tanya (yes, the same amazing Belle from the Holy Alphabet post) just stopped by on this cold and rainy day with a warm loaf of Amish Friendship Bread and a starter for me. The starter is for four new loaves. We will definitely be enjoying our Friendship bread tonight with the delicious Sausage and Barley Soup I have in the Crock Pot. If that turns out as yummy as it smells, I’ll put up the recipe tomorrow. It’s a cold, raw day here and I can’t wait to dig into a lovely loaf of bread from the hands of my beautiful friend and a bowl of belly-warming soup.

Amish Friendship Bread

Important Notes: 

DO NOT use any type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing.

If air gets into the bag, let it out.

It is normal for the batter to rise, bubble and ferment.

DAY 1  Do nothing. This is the date your starter was begun.

DAY 2  Mush the bag.

DAY 3  Mush the bag.

DAY 4  Mush the bag.

DAY 5  Mush the bag.

DAY 6  Add to the bag 1 cup plain flour, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup of sugar. Mush the bag.

DAY 7  Mush the bag.

DAY 8  Mush the bag.

DAY 9  Mush the bag.

DAY 10 It is time to bake! Follow the directions below.

1. Pour entire contents of bag into a nonmetal mixing bowl.

2. Add 1 1/2 cups plain flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and 1 1/2 cups milk. Mix well.

3. Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each into 4 one-gallon Ziploc bags. Keep one for yourself and share the other three with your most beautiful friends (I might have embellished this part a little!) along with these directions. Make sure to write the date on the bag. This will be the first day for the starter.

4. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

5.  To the remaining batter in the bowl, add:

      3 eggs                       3/4 cup oil                            1 lg box of instant vanilla pudding

      3/4 cup milk             3/4 cup sugar                       1/2 tsp baking soda 

       2 tsp cinnamon       1/2 tsp vanilla                      1 1/2 tsp baking powder

       1/2 tsp salt               2 cups plain flour

6.  Grease two loaf pans and mix an additional 1/2 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon. Dust the bottom of the greased pans with half of this mixture.

7.  Pour batter evenly into two pans and sprinkle with remaining sugar mix.

8.  Bake for one hour. Cool until bread loosens from pan, about 10 minutes. (Cupcakes – bake about 25 minutes, mini-loaf pans about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean).

I started to write this and then realized that if you don’t have the starter bag from a friend, this is really meaningless. So after a not very exhaustive search of the internet, I found what I believe are the ingredients for the starter bag.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 cup white sugar, divided
• 1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

Go make yourself some Amish Friendship Bread and pass it along to the beautiful Belles in your life!

One of the things that Magnolia makes and knows I love is Dig Deep Salad. I’ve heard it called 7-layer salad too but we call it Dig Deep. It has so many things in it that I really like so I eat it happily and try to ignore what I think is the calorie content. Like most good things, I don’t think it’s very low in calories.

And that reminds me of when Paula Deen was on Oprah last year. Did you see it? She was making something appropriately yummy-looking and Oprah asked her if it was healthy. Dear Miss Dean just looked at her and said “I’m your chef, not your doctor!” Love her! If you didn’t see that episode of Oprah, it was a classic. Miss Dean had something in the blender and her and Oprah were peering down in there when Paula started it up. Unfortunately she didn’t have the top on tight or have it on at all (I can’t remember) and the stuff in the blender sprayed up all over both of them. Oprah had on this gorgeous leather jacket and it was covered in food. Like any good Belle, Paula Deen wasn’t going to let it get her down and  just died laughing. I don’t think Oprah thought it was as funny but you just have to love Paula Deen! Thankfully I have a DVR and I just watched it over and over again. Priceless!!! Anyway…

Here is Magnolia’s recipe for Dig Deep Salad.

Dig Deep Salad

1 small head of lettuce, shredded
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 pkg. frozen peas, cooked, drained and cooled (my favorite part!)
1/4 cup sugar
6 oz shredded cheddar cheese
8 strips bacon, fried crisp
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 1/4 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip). A true Belle does not use Miracle Whip.

Layer in glass bowl.

1) Shredded lettuce – place half in bowl
2) Blend mayonnaise and 1/8 cup sugar. Spread half over the lettuce.
3) Add onion slices. Sprinkle with half of sugar (1/8 cup).
4) Add celery, green pepper, egg and cheese.
5) Add remaining lettuce and cover with remaining mayonnaise/sugar mixture.
6) Top with green peas and crumbled bacon.

Chill at least two hours. Dig Deep when serving.

Yum!