Tina The Storyteller

A couple of years ago, I had to go on a cookbook hiatus. We had too many, they were taking over. But The Southern Foodie, I rationalized was not just a cook book, but a travel log as well. The idea behind The Southern Foodie is captured in the subtitle:  100 places to eat in the South before you die (and the recipe that made them famous). The book is divided by state and then each restaurant has a bio that explains not only what they serve, but a little of their history and what makes them great. There are recipes and pictures of the various ones through out. We picked two for the purpose of review. And I want you to know that I also checked with my Southern friends and family to make sure that these restaurants were the real deal. Considering that we chose two from extremely small towns and both were known, I'm taking that to mean that the rest are going to be winners as well. We made The Crown's Pavlova from The Crown in Town Restaurant in Indianola, MS. Even though

Even though I've been in a pretty poor mood this week, I'm still thankful for quite a bit of things, lets see if I can write any down for you... I'm thankful for this guy! He's the best. Love him so much it hurts sometimes. In case you didn't know, that's my husband, protector, pastor, partner in crime, running mate and all time best friend. I'm thankful for my daughter. Sometimes she looks at me and reminds me that no matter how rotten I may be, I'm still lovable. It's good stuff. That's a sunset while flying home a few weeks ago. I'm thankful for planes that fly to airports really close to those that I love. It's wonderful being able to spend time with family. I'm thankful for these two. They crack me up, but only at night right before we got to bed. You see they share a litter box (even though there are two), they share a food dish (even though there are two), they both sleep in the cat bed that was bought for pumpkin, but at night

Before going low carb, I used to love to bake. I'd whip up some cookies or a cake just because it was Tuesday and the sun came up. But now, I'm just not doing it. And mostly because as hard as it is to scale a recipe down for three, it's even more difficult to scale it down for 2. But fortunately, we have found a solution. Enter Perfectly Sweet ! It's a little bakery in downtown Plymouth next to The Cozy Cafe. We've had lots of great treats form there and by we I mean my husband and daughter and me sneaking a bite or two. The cannoli are just the right size for an after dinner treat, the cookies are not only cute but try as well, the cake with buttercream frosting as delicious, soft pretzels are a perfect game day treat, the list goes on. Here is one of the things that I really like about the store, not everything is always available. Some items are made once a week and when they are gone, they are gone. It shows me that Kurt, the owner, has a real sense of the rhyt

Do you remember the book UnStuff ? I read it almost two years ago now and I was fortunate enough to be able to read it with some friends, too. It's a great book if you haven't read it, go buy a copy and sit down and do it. And while you're out there buying books, get The Fruitful Wife , too. I needed to read this book. God convicted me of something that I had said while in Bible study a few months ago. I am happy to say that I was wrong, completely and totally. And I am so thankful that God used Haley DiMarco's book to show me, because that means that there are other people who can experience exactly the same revelation. So, here's what I was wrong about, I thought you couldn't have all the fruits of the spirit at once. Turns out that not only can you, but you should and it's pretty easy to get, if you're willing to put in the work. And the work is clinging to Jesus. The Fruitful Wife goes through all the spiritual fruits in Galatians 5:22-23  a

So my big hairy audacious goal for 2012 was to buy a pair of running shoes and to wear them out. Remember these from January? Just look at these pristine treads! So pretty and new. They helped me get started with running. They have been to Atlanta, South Carolina, Kentucky, even logged some miles in Hawaii and Washington! But alas, they are busted. Not so pretty looking now are they? The green has worn off in some places. But I will admit according to my previous standards, these shoes have a lot of wear left in them. But I will show you how I can tell they are worn out. That's my shin. It has told me to get a new pair or give up any hope of running this fall. So my Asics are officially retired, worn out, busted. I got a new pair of shoes last night and took them for a run this morning. I didn't feel guilty in the least bit. In fact, my shin thanked me with every step. Did you have any BHAG's? How are they going?

Grab a cup of coffee, I want to tell you a little something that you probably don't want to hear. Do you remember that story of the Little Red Hen? She asked all the animals if they could help her with some pretty mundane tasks like planting seed, harvesting wheat, grinding flour, and making some dough. Over and over again she got a pretty emphatic "Not I!" But then she had something amazing and everyone wanted a piece of it. And she wouldn't share it with them. It's a pretty harsh story for little folks, but I think it does make a pretty good point. Some work isn't fun, but it would be nice if others joined you in it. This past year, I've had some pretty mundane work in front of me: I had to start exercising and I had to change what foods I eat. Neither of those sound like a lot of fun. When I've asked people to join me in the work, I've gotten some "Not I!"s. I was fortunate to receive a couple of "I guess so"s along the way,

We have a recipe for chili verde. It calls for pork, lots of ingredients and plenty of time. It's delicious. But today I'm sharing something with you that is much faster and just as tasty. The other day, we spotted Cookwell & Company Green Chili Stew on the shelf. The directions are to brown meat of choice, add the contents of the jar and warm through. It was around the 8 dollar mark which is a little hefty for an impulse buy, but if you add in a pound of meat, 13 dollars for a home cooked meal is pretty good. And the fact that it brings dinner together so quickly is a bonus, too. By the time it takes us to decide where to eat, this could be ready! I happened to use a feugo baked chicken breast, cooled and cubed. I dumped it with the chili mix into the crockpot for a few hours on low. It was wonderful. Very green tasting, not a lot of preservatives and just the right amount of heat. Joel had his with corn tortillas. Hannah tried it but found it a bit too spicy. For the car

I really appreciated this book right up until the chapter on Perceptions, which is the last chapter. And quite honestly, I think it should have been labeled, "Why you should be hospitable to everyone EXCEPT the conservatives in the church." I loved everything that Brinton had to say about hospitality in the first seven chapters of the book and think that it could have ended with those insights. Brinton does a great job of offering practical insight as well as giving a framework of thought in regards to hospitality. He obviously spent a great deal of time researching what is going on in this field in the church and has seen the good and bad. For the most part he uses positive examples. I'm not sure why he felt compelled to spend the majority of a chapter discussing Rich Warren's theology, but it seemed to negate most of what he was hoping to show the reader when he states "If Rick (Warren) wants to make a strong connection between Saddlebacks's innovative