Today is a beautiful day on Pirates Cove. I hope that you're celebrating the dawn of shorter days beautiful crisp nights and the best food of the year today. Here in LA (Lower Alabama) we are still in a wonderful second harvest season. So we still have access to beautiful tomatoes and fresh squash. Apples and pears are out at the farmers market and Chad ( my hookup) is still able to find Mexican Mangoes my latest addiction, so life is good. Seasonal temperatures range from the high fifties in the morning to the low eighties and at night. We might just light the fire tonight. I love fall. It is my favorite season. The colors are those of warm spices and fall leaves that highlight the deep greens of the pines and oaks and life is built around church, family, football and food.I thought I would take this first blog and introduce myself. I am Callie, and I am a dyed in the wool southern belle. I was born in Louisiana and lived there for about 20 years. I have spent most of my life in Alabama and I lived in Texas for six years as a young married person. I was so influenced by the people in my life who loved to cook. So, I turned my love of art into a love of cooking and the first degree I finished was in Culinary Arts. Since then I have been back to school many times, too many, if you ask my family and have loved studying history, world religions and the origins of things. Since then, I have grown to have an intense desire to share my life and what I have learned in many different ways. I have been an chef, interior designer, a cater, a teacher, taught in junior college and ran a full blown cancer ministry for about eight years. I have worn a lot of hats and loved them all but it was time for a change.
A while back I was diagnosed with cancer. The issues and challenges that face the newly diagnosed the seasoned pro's can be daunting. It was a pleasure to serve that community. I have met the most amazing people and traveled. Speaking publicly was a dream of mine and I can now check that goal off my bucket list and move on.
About three years ago I lost my Dad to cancer and it changed my life. I decided that I needed to get my life arranged where I wasn't thinking of cancer day and night and do something I loved. I feel blessed that I was able to touch peoples lives in a way that helped them. But the truth is they helped me feel as though I had some power over this disease. Each patient and friend I made helped me more than I could have ever helped them. Last year I closed the mission and finished writing my first book. And here I am. Ready for a new adventure and to get back to both the art of cooking, teaching in a way and sharing with ya'll what I have learned.
I hope this space can be a place of empowerment and love. I hope that you see tips and delight in the taste, sights and life of a southern belle. I will be sharing so much with you not only recipes and food ideas, but life as a wife of a hero (The Col.) and a mom of a little kitten named Hennessey and a Siberian husky named Bellaluccia.( from here on known as Henn and Bella)
Life is beautiful here and I hope that a little of my love for all things southern and the slow and beautiful lifestyle of the deep south bleeds over into your life and adds a dash of goodness that you didn't know was missing.
Hugs Ya'll,
Callie
Mind Blowing Sweet Tea Makes one quart
Five black teabagsOne Earl grey teabag
One half quart of water
Simmer until dark and rich
3/4-1 Cup Splenda ( by all means sub in sugar or raw sugar, agave if you have it or honey I would have to work out them amounts sugar and Splenda pretty well work 1:1.)
Now here is the deal. I have a lot of friends and family with diabetes. We are not going to use artificial sweetener as a rule. I don't believe in chemicals and I am an advocate of clean foods and work really hard to buy organic and keep chemical baths to a minimum. This recipe is the exception. We want everyone to be able to have a nice drink at supper and not have to worry about calories or sugar. So, here goes, this is simple: Place the teabags in a pot with water and simmer until nice and dark. Simmer slowly. Set aside and let cool. Place your Splenda or sweetener of choice in the bottom of the pitcher and add the hot or warm tea your preference into the pitcher. It melts the sweetener. Then add water to cut it. This recipe will give you about half a pitcher full of tea give or take. It isn't rocket science so just add water to cut the strength to taste and serve over ice. Do store this in the fridge because it will turn if left out overnight. I hope you enjoy it.
Why tea. Well, this summer I was literally stuck sitting down. It was not pretty. I woke in the middle of the night, three days before my birthday having a panic about I don't know what and slammed my foot on the floor and broke my tibia. So, it was a long summer. I was bored out of my gourd and decided the same ole tea needed an update. We had tea of all varieties and this one stuck. I love Earl Grey tea and I thought that the bergamot in the tea was just what our sweet tea needed to be updated and new again. It worked. I hope you enjoy it.
