Click, Snap and Voila!

Just a shorty to say hello and wish y'all a wonderful Friday the 13th! (cue spooky music...)
I love taking pictures and have been wanting a good polaroid camera of some sort and saw this blogpost on A Beautiful Mess about her song lyrics scrapbook.  Love the idea! 

Photo & Song Lyric Journal: Elsie Larson @ A Beautiful Mess

Scrapbooking isn't my thing - it'd be great to do this or this - though I'd rather spend my money on other stuff than adhesive paper products and, besides, it's time consuming (although I like the Smash Journal & it seems to be one of the low maintenance options).  I do write in my journal daily and love to add pictures and such. I'd like to add more of an art element to it for more creative expression.

I promise this is going somewhere...

All this to say, it made me think, Oh, wouldn't it be cool to make a lyrics scrapbook from my own lyrics AND have an awesome instant camera like this!

I'm in desperate need of a good, long walk today and plan to get outside as much as I can this weekend since I've been  sitting inside so much and looking at the sunshine through an indoor window.  What are you going to do for yourself for this weekend?

Ok, that's all I got.  ;)  Have a great weekend, friends!!

Wednesday's Walkabout

In a few weeks, I'm going to transition this blog to a new home; but in the meantime, if you haven't looked at Deep Fried Kudzu blog in a while, wander over that way and read the article my friend, Ginger, posted about a new flavor of Mississippi's first (legal) distillery (ha!) Cathead Vodka.  Can't wait for that!

Man, I sure do have my days when I pine for Mississippi something fierce. Though, the excitement I have at the prospect of all the new discoveries here in Asheville.

This week, I'm (thankfully) working a temp job in a town about 40 minutes south of Asheville called Flat Rock.  Yesterday over my lunch break, I got to go into town on a work errand - and it's so pretty here!  Truth be told, I have yet to see "ugly" around here anywhere...

I can't wait to come back up here and explore.  The town was established in 1807 and it looks like there are quite a few old homes.  Flat Rock is mostly known for being the home of poet Carl Sandburg.  (I didn't realize that he was also a biographer, folksinger and lecturer.)  His wife is known to have bred championship (yes!) goats at their Connemara Farms and operated a diary.  Now the park service raises the goats.  I have heard it said that it is a matter of pride around here if you own a goat from their breed line.  Who knew?!

Carl Sandburg and his wife, Paula.  Image from Sandburg website.

 I absolutely love a quote of his on the website: 

"It is necessary now and then for a man to go away by himself and experience loneliness; to sit on a rock in the forest and to ask of himself, 'Who am I, and where have I been, and where am I going?'...If one is not careful, one allows diversions to take up one's time - the stuff of life"  

-Carl Sandburg as quoted from a letter to his friend, Ralph McGill.

Today, I want to grab lunch at Flat Rock Village Bakery that's housed inside a shop called The Wrinkled Egg.  The Wrinkled Egg is a shop that has folk art, gifts and also puts together custom care packages for kids who go away to summer camp.  Isn't that the cutest?  I may have to send my favorite girls a little something soon!

Can't wait to see what they've got in the bakery!  Any place that has hot cross buns that look like this is ok in my book. My mouth is watering... 

Picture from the Flat Rock Bakery website

Have a great Wednesday :)

Mississippi Friends in the Mountains

When I look outside of my window and see mountains in any direction, that instantly cheers me up.  It's so cool to get out of my car and look in front of me to see the glow of the home lights on the side of the mountain. 


So, my good friend, Mary Margaret, put me in touch with a friend of hers named Neal - a fellow Mississippian and Delta boy - and what's more, a fantastic chef.


One of our first excursions once we got settled in, was to Brevard.  We wound our way to Neal's house, where the promise of a good meal waited.  He had gotten a couple of rainbow trout (that very morning, and were swimming around in his sink just before we got there) and made an amazing smoked trout dip.  There are no pictures of the dip because it went FAST - a testament to its flavor and how hungry we were!


A venison backstrap thawed while we talked and ate.  In the meantime, he toasted some aromatic spices - that "smell like Christmas" - and chopped them up in the food processor.  He coated the venison in the aromatics and put them in a huge iron skillet to cook on the stove top.  


We also got to know Neal's friend, Emily, who is so much fun! She's a fantastic cook as well.  We had so much fun!


Neal began to prepare the plates and put down a bed of pureed sweet potatoes, sliced the venison and arranged it just so, then topped it with sweet pea shoots tossed in homemade vinaigrette.  Divine, I tell you!!  

Take a look at this: 

  

I'm doing a story soon for DeSoto Magazine about Neal, Emily, and her husband, Brandon, for DeSoto Magazine about North Carolina fly fishing (Neal & Brandon are working on being guides), so if you're in the area and can pick up a magazine in May/June, stay tuned!  

What a Wonderful World

It's easy to think you're in a little bit of heaven here in Asheville. I take a walk outside every day unless it's raining. It must be my inner Mississippian because I have this urgency to enjoy the beautiful weather while I can (because at home, it never lasts long).  That being said, we've had a couple of warm days lately; and by warm, I mean, it's been in the lower 70s.  But then a spring shower will roll across the mountain and cool things off where you have to put a sweater back on in the evenings.  It's really nice!  


Will I ever be able to go back?!  Heh.  We'll see about that.  We will be heading back to Mississippi in August and it will be a true test. (I already kind of know how it's going to turn out.)


Dogwoods are in bloom just in time for Easter. The mountains are waking up and coming alive. I think we moved here at just the right time of the year and can watch everything bloom around us.


It's hard to believe that next week we'll have been in Asheville two whole months!  


I've been spending my days sending out resumes and doing the job search thing (like a mad woman, I might add) and in the between times writing, being outside and playing music.  


We're looking to get a dog but in the meantime, our resident pooch belongs to our roommate, Logan.  Her name is Maggie Mae and she and I have become besties.  She's a Golden Retriever and I try to take her on walks when I can, which is fun.


There's a favorite park where we take our walks that is right on the French Broad River.  It's really beautiful.  Sometimes there are kayakers on the water, other times people are fishing off the bank and other folks walking their dogs. It's a lovely little spot.

 Who's walking who??

 Awww! Maggie Mae!

Our Evening Visitors

Every evening, around the time the sun begins to set, we have a few visitors that wander through our yard.  


There are at least 8-10 wild turkeys that make the rounds through the neighborhood each day.  They are HUGE.  The closest I'd seen was the end result packaged for Thanksgiving dinner.  

A male circled my car at least 5 times the other day, pecking at it (no harm done, but it's pretty funny to watch), so I went outside to see if he might like snack.  Take note that they respond to Fritos Scoops (crushed), didn't really care for Cheez-Its or Mission Corn Chips.   


He hung around for a few minutes and gobbled at me a few times. I didn't want to get too close - I've heard they can be mean...God forbid we should have to go to the emergency room for a turkey attack...

The Big Move

Long time, no blog post, eh?  It's been three weeks since the big move to Asheville, North Carolina.  What an adventure!  We're all unpacked, have the house set up and are ready to go exploring our new hometown.


Before we left, I went home to Hernando (MS) to spend time with my family.  I just had to get a few pictures of the old home place, especially with the daffodils (one of my favorites) blooming.

This is the horse barn turned tractor shed

Per my request, my Dad built a bonfire and we roasted hot dogs & marshmallows for smores!

My Dad pulls the nieces around the yard.  Wish I was between the ages of 2 and 8 again.

My Mom, my niece, Drew, and I surprised Anna-Kate at her school during lunchtime right before I left. 

I had to see this sweet girl one last time before my trip.

 Drew playing in the big hall at Anna-Kate's school.

 Drew pointing at an airplane overhead!

Here's a few pictures from our move day.

When you put it like that, I guess this is really happening!

On the other side of the ordeal that is ATL rush hour traffic. John is driving the U-Haul.

From the side view mirror POV.  Please don't tell anyone I was driving & taking pictures.

We finally arrived in Asheville, God help our haggard souls, pretty late that evening.  We spent the next day or so unpacking.  It was pretty cold and on Saturday morning we woke up to ...

SNOW!!!

Hey, us Mississippians don't see snow on a regular basis.  So, when it makes an appearance, we enjoy the heck out of it.

A New Chapter: Relocating

Hello, friends!

It's been a long time since I posted because this past year I haven't done nearly the amount of travel for work as I have in the past; and I've also been extremely busy juggling work and music.

I wanted to let you know that I am relocating to another part of the South, so I will say goodbye to Mississippi for the time being.  I grew up here and have loved most every minute of it, yet I'm ready for a new locale. 

Me and my mandolin player, John, are moving to Asheville, North Carolina. We're going to reform the band and get to work writing new songs, playing to new faces and hitting the road.

It's a thrilling new chapter for me and I am excited beyond words to have a new place to explore, new culinary treats to discover and new friends to make.  That being said, it's been hard for me to say my goodbyes to all the dear friends I have made during my 7 (!!) years in Jackson.    

My last day with Mississippi Tourism is today. It's kind of weird...and I think it'll hit me later!

I plan on getting the blog up and running again once I get settled so that I can sharing pictures with you from my new place of residence.  And you know for a fact I'll have plenty of stories to tell.

You'll hear from me again very soon!

~ Anna

p.s. Here's a photo of our new place. (Can't wait for springtime to hit!)

Grits & Soul on Fox 40 and Friends in Jackson

Hey friends -

Hope you are doing well and having a great Friday.

This week, me and The Grits & Soul Band were Fox 40 and Friends featured artist.  We went into the studio, played a couple of tunes for them and had a blast!

What a ride we've had lately.  Doors of opportunity just keep opening for us and it's a great feeling when all the hard work pays off!  Looks like our fall will be heating up with visits across the state to play for folks from DeSoto County to the Coast.  We're STOKED!

If you missed the performances (and I'll admit I did because of work) then you can see them ri'chere!  We have two more besides these that we'll get copies of soon so's we can share with ya.

Visit this link to watch/listen to "Shame On Me" and "Flood Waters."

Have a great weekend!

What I Miss Most About Memphis

Yesterday, not only did the Grits & Soul Band get some press in the DeSoto Times-Tribune and in the Jackson Free Press, but I had my first ever post as a guest blogger, too!

I Love Memphis Blog is written by a terrific gal named Kerri Crawford who works for the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau.  We have been twitter friends for some time but it took us both flying into Austin for SXSW in March that we actually got a chance to meet up and talk.

Kerri is super cool and I absolutely love reading her blog.  She's officially on vacation this week and about a month ago, asked me to write a guest post for her while she is out. 

Here comes my disclaimer:  I post this  link a little sheepishly because I know my Jackson, MS peeps might get up in arms about my love of one city over the other.  Those who know me well already know this, but I have to admit that I didn't immediately fall in love with Jackson when I moved here in 2004.  There were several reasons for that.  (Ask me in person and I'll be glad to fill you in.) 

I guess the need to explain myself comes from the fact that I don't want my folks to get offended - because I love Mississippi and have a terrific life in my new hometown. 

So many opportunities have come my way since I moved here.  Hands down, it was the best decision of my life and it dramatically rocked my world.  I want you to know I have become quite smitten with Jackson; but you also have to realize the torch I'll always carry for Memphis.  After all, there's no place like home!

Read my blog post here.

Wish List: Chalkboard State Map

Y'all!!


I saw this on Etsy and thought this was SO COOL!


What originally caught my eye from seller ShopDirtSA was the scrabble letter pillows (that I have to say are freakin' pricey, but if money were no object..........)

But then I saw the custom-made map of your state!!! OH my stars I want one sooooo badly!!  Wouldn't this be the best EVER?!

Of course you know I want a Mississippi one.  They're $45. Not bad, I'm thinkin'.

You (and/or kids) could color in spots where you've traveled, where you want to go, make notes - whatever!  I'm in serious love.

Flood Waters: TV Debut

Last Thursday I wrote a song about the Mississippi River flooding, not realizing that a mere week later, it would be on the news. 

My sweet friend, Ginger, who is the proprietor of grand-central-station-of-all-things-Southern posted about us (thanks!)  There were also lots of tweets and emails and messages.  So, thanks everyone - we are over the moon!!

For whatever reason, the interview is not embedding in this blog post causing me to, yet again, curse Blogger.  But you can access it here.

So, this is how it all happened.  Obviously, inspired by watching the events unfolding across states and cities worth of devastation from this enormous act of God and hard-headed will of the river, I wrote "Flood Waters."

John, who plays mandolin came over a couple of days later and we worked on the chorus melody together. Then I set the song down to mull how I wanted the rest of it to sound.  I was a little nervous because I really wanted to make sure we have a couple of news songs for our recording session next week.  But honestly, I like to give myself the time and space to let a song take its course, simmer a little and not rush it.

The verse melody came to me Tuesday afternoon during a few quiet moments I sat at my desk at work, as a matter of fact.  And it just stuck with me.  At the time no one was around and I sang it really low into my phone's audio recorder.  That felt so silly at the time!  I worked a little longer on it that night when I got home and knew I'd run Scott, John and Travis through it the next day at practice.

The guys came over Wednesday night and we started learning it together - and they filled in the gaps with their insight and input and it all came together. So I thought, I'll record this so that if they to listen to it later, they'll have it.  

The next morning (Thursday), I listened to a few of the takes and we had one really good one.  I sent it to the guys and also to a few others, including my mom.  She called me immediately and encouraged me to send it around to a local news station because she because not only was it powerful song for what was going on and people needed to hear it.

So, I contacted my friend, Susan (bless her!), who knows the folks at WLBT and then I turned around and called the news director.  He was interested in hearing the song, so I sent that email on over and within 30 minutes got a call from Mike McDaniel, who said they wanted to be the first to break the story.  And it just went from there!  

I called the band, found out when the soonest was they could get over for the interview and we met that night with Mike.  All in a matter of 24 hours since they'd first laid ears on the tune, 6 days after writing it...and we were playing it with conviction with a camera in our face.  We were a bundle of nerves.

We got so nervous before it aired and texted each other. The thing that made me laugh the most was a comment Scott had about the interview.  He texted, "I have been trying to spend the past 24 hrs trying to remember what it was I really said."  That summed things up perfectly!

Lyrics are below if you would like to read along while it plays.

Have you seen that gal o' mine
Been lookin' since the river hit 'yea' high
This thing looks like it's 9 yrs wide
Never seen this in my life

Little dove perched way up there
Sittin' on a limb without a care
Will your feet touch the earth again?
What sign bring you from the skies?

Chorus:

Ebb and flow
Them flood waters creep up slow
The tide it turns but this got nowhere to go
Two feet left of saving grace
Fly me to those pearly gates
My heart can't take no more
My heart can't take no more

My sin's buried 'neath the mud
Scared to death it'll float back up
What you tryin' to do, Old Man?
Guess our lives are yours for to cleanse

Chorus

(c) 2011 Grits & Soul Music
Lyrics by Anna Kline
Music by Anna Kline, Scott Anderson, John Looney, Travis Pinkston

Visit our ReverbNation page if you would like to download the rough draft of the song we sent in to the station that you heard above.  Also, do us a favor and "LIKE" us on Facebook!  You can hear other songs there and on MySpace.  Those are also the best places to find out where we're playing next.    

Thanks for your shared excitement...we've been in shell shock but it's the good kind!  Music is the love of our lives.  We can't wait to do more of it!

Hope you enjoy the song.  We'll be recording a cleaner version of it next week and will let you know when it's available for download or if you'd like a physical copy, we'll have those, too!  See you soon! 

Oh, hello there!

Remember me? 

Well, good.  And, yes, I know. 

First things first. There's a lot to catch up on and so little time to make that happen.


I have to tell you about my trip to Cleveland and Clarksdale, my whirlwind week in Austin for South by Southwest (and trying the best cake pops in the free world), the time I hung out with Ginger from Deep Fried Kudzu AND last but not least about the time I pulled my back out = major pain. 


Also, there's good stuff to tell about my new band comprising of three incredible musicians and how our dance card is filling up fast with gigs.  It's been quite the springtime rush, duck and cover as you can see.


Looking at Mississippi Magazine's website (I have a little story about Sea Camp that is in the May/June issue), I noticed there's a list for Mississippi's "Best Of," featuring some restaurants that I haven't heard of and, hands down, am dying to try.  Where have you been lately and can vouch for?  What's more, where haven't you been that's a must try for you?


You will hear from me very soon.     ~ Anna

Let Them Eat Cake

This afternoon, my coworkers and I wandered up (aka road up the elevator) to a Mississippi Arts Commission staff reception, which we know is a sure thing:  good company, good food and great art. 

The MAC not only supports talented artists, but they have on staff many talented artists who create textiles, mosaic designs, paintings, music and more.  

My friend Mary Margaret is the Heritage Director there.  She and I (along with our co-workers) attended the Barefoot workshop session last summer, got to know each other better and had such a great time making our foodie films.

Her corn hole sets were on display and they are fabulous!

As she describes it, "...It's a backyard game much like horseshoes, only safer. The point is to toss a bean bag across the yard and into the hole on the board. Most often folks play in teams of two."  

But I digress, because the purpose of this particular post is not about playin' corn hole, it's about filling your pie hole.  (I'm still not sure that sounds very nice)

Long story sorta short, this afternoon's reception had a food theme and to our delight, there were two very particular homemade food items on the table:  a sweet potato pie and a lovely King Cake.  The King Cake has a special place in my heart because it's just that time of year AND it had cream cheese in the middle, my personal fav.  We were also excited because recipes accompanied the treats on the table, and Mary Margaret said I could share her recipe with y'all.  You are going to love it!

She and her mother adapted this from a cinnamon roll recipe they have in the family vault...which makes it even more special when someone shares!  And I have to add, there wasn't much left by the time I headed back to my office.

photo courtesy of Mary Margaret Miller

Sunflower County King Cake

by Sandra and Mary Margaret Miller

(makes 2-3 cakes: more the better!)

Dough:

1 C shortening

¾ C sugar (heaping)

1 C boiling water

2 pkg yeast dissolved in lukewarm water (115-120 degrees)

2 eggs beaten + 1 t. salt

6 C flour

Cream Cheese Filling:

2 8 oz. blocks cream cheese, softened

1 t. vanilla flavoring

1 t. almond flavoring

½ t. salt

1 egg beaten

¾ C sugar

In a mixer, combine shortening and sugar until dissolved. Add boiling water and beat until cool. Add yeast and eggs. Beat until combined. Stir in flour. Beat until combined. Spray dough with butter flavored spray and cover with a damp cloth. Refrigerate overnight to rise.

Place half of the dough mixture on a floured surface. Knead and roll into a rectangle, about ¼ inch thick. Ice with a thin layer of cream cheese filling and roll, jelly-roll style, into a long tube. Place on a buttered pan in an oval shape, connecting the ends.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until cake is golden. Remove from oven and cool completely. Before icing, cut a small slit in the bottom of the cake and insert a plastic baby or other festive trinket. Make sure to use an object that is easily noticeable and not too small.

Icing:

2-3 C sifted powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla flavoring

1 t. almond flavoring

3-4 T milk

Combine all ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth and glossy. Divide icing into three cups and color with green, purple and yellow/gold food coloring. Decorate cake with the icing in any fashion you see fit! Green, gold and purple sprinkles are a nice addition.

  

This will be your new favorite King Cake recipe during Mardi Gras.  Enjoy!  And most of all, thank you Mary Margaret :)

So, have you found any good King Cake Recipes out there or do you leave it to the professionals?

Two Party-time Recipes For Your Mouth

I love throwing a good party. The most important “part” of the “party” equation is tasty snacks. You know they talk about you otherwise, right? Yes, well, they do. 

The first recipe became a standard just a couple of years ago. My husband is a book editor for The University Press of Mississippi and we went to a Book Friends party launching You Are Where You Eat: Stories and Recipes from the Neighborhoods of New Orleans by Elsa Hahne. This is a lovely book combining heartfelt stories, history, photographs and recipes from several New Orleans neighborhoods.

So imagine our joy when we arrived to find the hostesses serving a slew of the recipes from the book!  (FAB idea by the way for all you future/current cookbookers.)

We had Alligator Shooters (it was really just made from avocado), Sour Cream and Onion Pie, Mother-in-Law Meatballs, desserts and more. One menu item really stuck out to me, though, and that was the Pecan Tapas. Part of the attraction was the name and the other part was the sweet and spicy flavor coating the roasted pecans. They will be a favorite at your house, too, if you allow them space in your little heart.


This is, of course, meant as a teaser because you really do need this cookbook in your collection. You can buy it through the Press or at Amazon. Trust me.

Pecan Tapas is a fun recipe to play with because you can add spices to suit your palate, experiment with flavored honeys and/or syrups or choose a different kind of nut altogether.


*Please note I don't have accompanying photos with my recipes (shameful, I know- but I will make more soon and post them)


Pecan Tapas

1 lb. pecan halves (or nuts of your choosing)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of cayenne (red) pepper

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1 teaspoon oregano or thyme (or both)
1/3 cup of honey or honey/syrup combination

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat, add spices and then honey. (Turn the eye on AFTER you have added your spices to the oil. Don’t add the red and black pepper spice mixture to the hot oil. It will run you – and your significant other – out of the kitchen coughing and hacking!! Not that I would know from personal experience but a friend of mine told me that it happened to her……..)



Stir and simmer over low heat for a few minutes. You are trying to get rid of some of the water in the honey but not cook it so much that it will clump instead of coat the pecans. (If you choose to use syrup, it doesn’t need to cook as long. That same friend of mine ran into this problem when she used Delta Cane syrup.)


Fold pecans into mixture, coating well. Transfer pecans to oiled cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes until darker, reddish brown. Take out and leave them on stovetop or heat-safe surface while they cool.

 Stir pecans periodically until they cool, or they will cling to each other and the cookie sheet. (Sometimes, that’s not always a bad thing in this case because you can break them apart later)

For those of us who live in humid locales, don’t despair if your Pecan Tapas is a little sticky or slick to the touch once you set them out at your party. That’s what happened to me – I mean – my friend on our unseasonably warm New Years Eve.

These are a great and healthy go-to snack in the party off-season, too!


As in every situation, there must be a balance. Good outweighs the bad, pecans going head to head with Hot Cheese Puffs. Oh yes, we have a winner.


This recipe came to me from a bridal shower eons ago and it’s only just now that I took the plunge. Let’s just say, it was a hit. Nary a cheese puff left at the end of the night. That’s when you know you’ve hit the nail on the head. I would label this one…a party saver. If you have a faltering shindig, bring these out for an immediate shot in the arm result.

When I looked at the recipe, it seemed a little complicated – I used a make-shift double boiler and I was wary about the end result. Oh, me of little faith!


This is a recipe I promised to post for The Runaway Spoon. So here goes!


Again, this is another recipe you can play with for varied taste results. In my case, I used sharp cheddar and not Monterey Jack, and also added red pepper to it for a little zing. Internally, I balked at the use of cream cheese but it wasn’t as overwhelming as I imaged – it just heightened the cheese intensity.  By the end of the night, these were gone!

Hot Cheese Puffs


(Makes 5 – 6 dozen puffs)


1 Loaf of French bread (you won’t use all of it)
8 oz. of Monterey Jack Cheese
½ cup of butter
3 oz. of Cream Cheese
2 egg whites, room temperature

Cube bread into 1-inch cubes. Melt cheese, butter, and cream cheese in double boiler (in my case I used a metal bowl over water boiling in a saucepan. Worked like a charm).

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into cheese mixture. Dip bread cubes into cheese mixture and place on cookie sheets.


At this point you can either:


1. Freeze them. Place in plastic bags and store up to 3 months.


Or


2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.


Let me know how it turns out and if you tinker with the recipes, what you did! Have fun wowing the crowds!


p.s. *My “To be Continued: Cleveland” post will be here before you know it. *

p.p.s. Can you believe I was asked this week to be involved in another chicken cook-off after my last experience?! haha Guess how long it took me to say, "I will NOT eat any chicken!!"