Back on Monday!

Hey everybody - I'll be back on Monday.  It was time to take a little break and rest up while I could.  Hope your August has been a good one so far! 

No doubt you've heard about the recent heat advisories in Mississippi and other parts of the South.  (And we thought June and July were bad.)  These temperatures  will melt most anything that stands still in one place for too long. 

There are so many fun and cool foodie bloggers out there these days.     

Y'all get a "Bless your heart!" (the good kind) from me because I'm glad you're there:

Have you heard of Phickles yet? It's an Athens, GA-based company with Angie Tillman at the helm, making and selling - like gangbusters - pickled okra, jalapenos - and most everything else! I'm on board.

The Hungry Southerner. A blogger who has paved the way straight into my heart with a special post about AMC's Mad Men premiere (among other things including this post about biscuits and gravy like my Daddy always made on Sunday mornings). Her blog includes recipes and fantastic food photos that have been taste-tested and approved. Drool-worthy!

Deep South Dish is a great stop for Southern recipes -  and you know "visiting" Ginger at Deep Fried Kudzu is almost always a daily stop for me.  I am dying to try her recipe for strawberry pretzel salad!

Thank you to The Runaway Spoon - a Memphis gal - for your post about watermelon sweet tea.  It will be a fixture this Monday night at our 3rd annual watermelon party.  Actually, it will be more of a supper with a smaller group this time around because we decided on low-key this year.

Also, don't forget to stop by Deep South Magazine.  Erin does a fantastic job covering anything and everything worth knowing about in the South!  From giving Southern writers a voice to sharing great stories of Southern people and places.  

Stay tuned for two upcoming interviews for Hymnal.  The first is my interview with Southern singer-songwriter Kate Campbell.  We talked about the South, food, funerals, literature and music.  It was so much fun - she even got me a terrific recipe for tomato gravy from her friend!  Something else to look forward to on Hymnal will be my interview with the one and only Mr. Van Dyke Parks who is a man of tremendous talent, a lovely soul (born in Hattiesburg) with a Southern-style double name.  I've also been working on some new songs, too.

Have a great weekend!

On Highway 51 between Hazlehurst and Crystal Springs.