So Does That Mean I Am Southern

blog about Southern traditions

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Sausage Dressing Over the next few days I will share some favorites for Thanksgiving.  The following recipe is one that I have been using for a long time.  

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Orange Walnut Cranberry Sauce

Orange Walnut Cranberry Sauce

Have you started your Thanksgiving meal plans?  I was shopping yesterday and everything was Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. I absolutely refuse to decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and Mr. D and I have celebrated it together for 46 years.  I remember how frantic holidays could be when we were first married and both sets of in-laws wanted us to…

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Sourdough Bread

Last week one of my fellow bloggers wrote a post about taking a babkha and challah baking class.  Here is a link to that post: https://arthur-in-the-garden.com/2016/10/26/babkha-and-challah/ As I read his post, I started thinking of the wonderful aroma of bread baking in the oven.  I don’t think there is a more wonderful smell in the whole world. That created a light bulb moment for me and I…

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Sarah P. Duke Gardens - Durham NC

Sarah P. Duke Gardens – Durham NC

When Mr. D and I went to Duke Chapel a couple of weeks ago, we also visited the Sarah P. Duke Gardens that is also on the Duke University Campus.  It is a beautiful, peaceful, inviting place. Here is the history of the gardens from the Sarah P. Duke Gardens website: Sarah P. Duke Gardens has been serving the Duke and Durham communities for more than 75 years. The idea of a public garden arose in…

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Duke Chapel

On Saturday Mr. D and I took a road trip to Durham, NC.  We wanted to visit Duke Chapel that is on the campus of Duke University.  It truly amazes me that a long time ago James Duke walked through a forest and had a dream of building a church in the middle of the forest.  He wanted it to be the center of a college campus that was trinity university when it was created.  The construction began in…

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Beaufort, South Carolina - Pat Conroy - Shrimp Shack

Beaufort, South Carolina – Pat Conroy – Shrimp Shack

Today as I write this hurricane Matthew is headed toward the United States.  Please include the people of Haiti in your prayers as that country was devastated by this hurricane.  Also pray that our country including my sister in Wilmington will miss a direct hit from this powerful storm. I think today is an appropriate day to share a post about our visit to Beaufort, South Carolina as we headed…

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Hilton Head Island, South Carolina - Again

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina – Again

Every September we take a week long beach trip to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.  We started visiting that beautiful place over 35 years ago.  As much as things change, I can honestly say there are so many things that are the same on that Island.  We marveled at how many businesses and restaurants are still there and operating successfully. This picture is of the lake at Sea Pines…

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Charlotte On My Mind

Charlotte On My Mind

On Saturday we returned from our annual vacation and anniversary celebration at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.  I was refreshed and rested and looking forward to sharing the experience with you. As I sat down at my computer this morning to write this post, I realized I just couldn’t do it.  I am so saddened by the events over the last couple of days in Charlotte and I am praying for peace…

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September Means Apples - Apple Pie or Apple Surprise

September Means Apples – Apple Pie or Apple Surprise

In September, I think of two things:  Apples and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. First let’s talk about apples. We purchased some at the Farmer’s Market last weekend.  The apples of fall are so crisp and delicious.  I wanted to share a couple of apple recipes with you today.  One of the recipes is a traditional apple pie in a pastry crust.  The other one is an apple surprise that makes it’s…

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Fried Chicken With Milk Gravy - A Work In Progress

Fried Chicken With Milk Gravy – A Work In Progress

Over the past week or so, I have been nudged into frying chicken.  My California cousin sent more recipes and he included a fried chicken recipe.  I really thought he was very brave to send a cousin in the South a fried chicken recipe.  As I read it, I realized it was very similar to the way I prepare fried chicken.  Then to confirm that I needed to make some fried chicken, I was sitting in a…

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Almost Heaven - Charleston West Virginia

Almost Heaven – Charleston West Virginia

Mr. D and I traveled to the Mid-West to visit our family in August.  Our midway stopping point is Charleston, West Virginia.  I know I have written many times about Charleston South Carolina and how beautiful it is.  In a totally different way, Charleston West Virginia is just as beautiful.  No there is no ocean or sea breeze but there are beautiful mountains and the Kanawha River that runs…

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A North Carolina Treasure Cheerwine and How About Cheerwine Poke Cake

A North Carolina Treasure Cheerwine and How About Cheerwine Poke Cake

Mr. D and I traveled to visit our family in the midwest earlier this month.  When we returned it seemed to take a long time for me to get caught up and return to my regular routine.  I wanted to share something with you but wasn’t inspired by anything special.  Today, I started filing away my new recipes and some that I had used recently. No I don’t trust the computer with my precious recipes and…

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Cherry Tomato Provencal By Ina Garten

Cherry Tomato Provencal By Ina Garten

I love tomatoes and I do not eat them in the winter.  I only eat fresh tomatoes in the summertime and I am always super excited about that first taste of the tomato in a wonderful sandwich on white bread with Duke’s mayonnaise.  I do have to admit that by the time August arrives, we are getting a little tired of tomatoes. I was browsing through one of Ina Garten’s cookbooks recently and saw this…

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Fried Okra

On one of my previous posts I mentioned that I was going to try to fry okra this summer.  I have tried it in the past and had disastrous results.  Surely a southern girl that loves to cook would be able to master this task.  As I have been seeing okra at the farmer’s market weekly, I decided it was time to give it a try. I searched through my cookbooks for the best recipe.  I chose one from The…

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Char-Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

Char-Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

When I started corresponding with my California cousin, I requested summer salad recipes that included fresh vegetables.  I wanted to make a fresh vegetable salad recipe but so many that we use in the South include mayonnaise and are actually quite similar. Now being a Southern girl, I am not bashing mayonnaise at all.  A fresh tomato sandwich with Duke’s mayonnaise is a southern tradition. I…

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Watauga Lake

Mr. D and I like to go on road trips.  As we both had a holiday for July 4th, we wanted to go somewhere nearby and to a place that wouldn’t be very crowded.  As he travels around all over the western part of North Carolina delivering tires, he knows of places I have never heard of.  He kept telling me about Watauga Lake.  Boone, NC is about 45 minutes to an hour away from our home here in…

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Fried Steak - Chicken Fried or Country Style

Fried Steak – Chicken Fried or Country Style

A summer tradition at our house is country style steak with mashed potatoes and fried okra.  Several months ago my California cousin forwarded the following chicken fried steak recipe.  It seemed very similar to the country style steak that I make.  However, I had never tenderized my steak in a brine.  I gave this recipe a try and it had to be the best country style steak I have ever made.…

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