Carolina 'Shinefest This Weekend

Want to try some moonshine? You can this weekend at the Carolina 'Shinefest in Madison, N.C.

In addition to spirits, you can enjoy BBQ, bluegrass, stock cars and more. Check it out if you're in the area!

What's Your Movie Menu Inspiration?

The Pioneer Woman just had a post on Truvy's Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa cake from Steel Magnolias. Yes, Steel Magnolias. A film that, despite the melodrama and phony Southern accents, is still an enjoyable watch--due mainly to the trifecta of Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine and Olympia Dukakis.

Anyway, Ree (the Pioneer Woman) has a bit of a love affair with the movie and has successfully recreated Truvy's recipe.

But it made me wonder: What about the bleeding armadillo cake? You know, the red velvet groom's cake atrocity served at Shelby's wedding reception in the movie.

Well, as it turns out, the Internet is lousy with armadillo cakes. There are how-to guides and Flickr galleries. I even found a bakery called Red Velvet Armadillo Bakeshop. Basically, if you have the inclination to bake and decorate such a thing yourself, you have plenty of online help and inspiration.

So, I got to thinking ... What are some other movie-inspired recipes I'd like to try (either out of food lust or novelty's sake)? Hmmm. I might need ideas. What are some that you'd like to try (or have tried)? Let us know!

A Biscuit Bar (and Other Great Ideas)

The blog for Southern Weddings magazine is a great resource for Southern brides ... but I also happen to think it's a gold mine of ideas for entertaining. If you have dreams of becoming the perfect Southern hostess (or host) you can easily draw inspiration from many of their featured wedding receptions and engagement parties. One of my favorite ideas is the biscuit bar that two North Carolina newlyweds used at their wedding. I think this could easily be the centerpiece of a Sunday brunch or a wedding shower, don't you? It's seems fairly easy and affordable, too.

If you're interested in pulling this off for your next soiree, one of Southern Wedding's editors has a how-to guide here.

While you're on the site, search around for other good ideas. For instance, I saw this in one of their entries:

Is that pimento cheese molded into the shape of a beehive? Oh my!

See what I mean??? Check out the Southern Weddings blog right away.

As for Meesies, I'll Take Cheesies

Today on their Facebook page, Garden & Gun highlighted this aricle on cheese straws. Not only does it go into a little bit of history on the Southern snack, it also includes a recipe. Oh boy! I love cheese straws; and if you'll remember, I added Salem Bakery's to my Southern gift basket.

Of course, nothing beats homemade. And while the Garden & Gun version does look good, I can't help but be reminded of my Great Aunt Ruth's recipe. Although hers weren't called straws or baked in stick form (they were biscuit-like and called Cheesies) they were still the same basic creation. So, I dug out an old church cookbook, and ... lo and behold ... I found the Cheesies recipe. And because I know you'll love these, too, I'm going to share the details with you:

Cheesies

Ingredients
1 stick margine
1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 c. corn flakes

Directions
Cream margarine, add grated cheese and work in the flour to which salt has been added. Add Tabasco sauce and mix in corn flakes. Mixture will be crumbly. Form into small balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or untill dry and lightly brown. Serve with chicken salad, fruit salad or punch. Triple ingredients for a large party batch.

Watermelon With Seeds, Please

As a kid, I remember July evenings running barefoot in the yard, catching lightning bugs in mason jars, and eating watermelon on the back porch. Every bite of melon also meant a mouthful of black seeds. You just couldn't avoid 'em.

So my cousins and I held watermelon seed spitting contests. Who could spit their seeds the farthest? Now I wonder if that simple summer tradition may soon be a thing of the past. I blame it on the seedless watermelon.

It appears I'm not the only one lamenting the absence of seeds. And is it just me, or do those seedless watermelons seem less sweet? What do you think?

They're Baaaaa-aaaaack!

You can breathe a little more easily now--the peach milkshake is back at Chick-fil-a! As you'll remember, I was a little concerned about whether or not it would return. This delicious shake reminds me of helping make (and eating) homemade peach ice cream on my granny's porch. Peaches. Yum. Get this. Get it now!

You Say Tomato, I Say Heirloom

It just isn't summer without a juicy, sweet tomato plucked straight from the vine and still warm from the sun. Forget about those perfectly round, ruby red tomatoes in your supermarket. The real beauty queens are of the heirloom variety.

Grown from seeds handed down from generations, heirlooms are lumpy, bumpy tomatoes that come in a rainbow of colors. They have memorable names like Brandywine, Green Grape, Black Krim, Green Zebra and Mortgage Lifter and are full of flavor (so unlike their bland grocery store cousins).

I chose some Cherokee Purple tomatoes from my local farmers' market that became an inspiration for a summer salad. On a bed of spicy greens and broccoli florets, I added tomato wedges and sliced fried chicken, then drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It was almost too pretty to eat!

Blackberries, Part Two

I was just catching up on a little blog reading and came across this post on Ingredients, Inc. We all know blackberries taste good, and here are 10 reasons they really are good for you!

And according to number 5, blackberries' high tannin content is good for stomach disorders—proof that my grandmother knew what she was talking about when she had us drink blackberry juice for an upset tummy!