In Louisiana Spring Means Crawfish Boil Season Is Here

Spring in Louisiana means what it does to our neighbors to the north, east and west of the boot.

Beautiful blooms packing a powerful blast of in season colors.

Outdoor living at its finest.

Backyard cookouts and patio entertaining.

Know what else it means? Spring means crawfish boil season is here. Louisianians love to boil, peel and eat these freshwater crustaceans in quantity and quality. We do love our seafood here in the boot, and from March to June we set the tables, plan the menus, and prepare the seafood dishes around crawfish boil season.

Crawfish taste almost like lobster, with the differences between the two basically amounting to cost, size and seasoning. Crawfish are native to the swamps and marshes of south Louisiana and farmed crawfish ponds of the Gulf Coast region. Louisiana produces approximately 150 million pounds of crawfish annually, and also ranks as the nations number one provider of shrimp, oysters, crabs and alligator. Boiled to seasoned perfection, the crawfish boil is a weekend backyard gathering, festival or fais do-do in the making.

Those in the best price for crawfish in your area know you need an app for that. The Crawfish App is a free app available on iTunes. The app uses your device’s location or an entered address to list crawfish vendors in the area. You have the ability to view by price, reviews, or distance.

It’s amazing how a crustacean can create culinary excitement throughout the cities and parishes. We love to host a crawfish boil or two or ten during the season for friends, neighbors, coworkers and family. Fire up the pot and bring on the onions, garlic, celery, potatoes, lemons, crab boil and culinary imagination. I’ve been to crawfish boils where the host chef adds smoked or andouille sausage, okra, carrots, cabbage and fresh mushrooms to the seasoned boil. The flavor and the taste can be summed up in three words.

C’est. Si. Bon!

Food is the language of Louisiana, and ours is a flavored speak.

Zatarain’s Shrimp & Crab Boil

Here’s a tip from the Places In The Home test kitchen~ add a drop of Zatarain’s liquid shrimp & crab boil to potato soup.

Delicious.

Zatarain’s® Crawfish Boil

Ingredients

3 pounds yellow onions

6 heads garlic

6 lemons, halved

1 package (73 ounces) ZATARAIN’S® Crawfish, Shrimp and Crab Boil – Complete

4 pounds small red potatoes

1 sack (35 to 40 pounds) live crawfish, cleaned

1 bunch celery, cut in bite-size pieces

¼ cup ZATARAIN’S® Concentrated Shrimp and Crab Boil

1 box ZATARAIN’S® Crawfish, Shrimp and Crab Boil – In a Bag

12 frozen half ears corn on the cob

Directions

Fill an 80-quart crawfish boiling pot with a basket 1/3 to ½ with water. Place pot on a jet-style propane burner on high heat. Add onions, garlic and lemon halves. (You can use a small laundry bag for lemons and garlic. Or just leave the onions in the mesh bag they come in from the grocery with tags removed.)

Bring to full rolling boil. Stir in Crab Boil Complete. Add potatoes (in their mesh bag from the grocery or a laundry bag). Reduce heat to medium-low. Boil 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Remove potatoes.

Return water to full rolling boil on high heat. Add crawfish, celery, liquid Crab Boil and Crab Boil bag. Return water to full rolling boil on high heat. Start checking doneness just before water returns to full rolling boil. As soon as small gaps start to appear between the head and the tail on the largest crawfish, they are done. Turn off heat. Add frozen corn and cooked potatoes. Let stand 15 minutes. Remove corn and potatoes. Let crawfish stand for a minimum of 30 minutes, but 45 minutes is better. Serves: 20

To clean crawfish: Pour live crawfish into a washtub or ice chest; cover with water. Drain. Repeat 3 to 4 times until crawfish are clean. Drain. Discard any dead crawfish and debris.

~Zatarain’s

Turn up the heat, the music and the good times with a crawfish boil.

Show & Tell

Creole Seasoned Brown Sugar Pecan Crusted Baked Tilapia

Creole Seasoned Brown Sugar Pecan Crusted Baked Tilapia. Now that I have your attention, let me share with you this delicious recipe developed in the Places In The Home test kitchen over this past Mardi Gras celebration weekend. In this the season of crawfish, Mardi Gras and Lent, fish recipes are in the menu spotlight. Mama Places In The Home (my mother) picked up a 2lb. bag of Tilapia fillets at our Walmart Neighborhood Market Friday afternoon, and promptly placed her order for fish.

Dave the Builder requested potatoes in cream sauce topped with fresh parsley, and my brother placed his order for my family famous creamy coleslaw. I do like a now we’re cooking weekend.

A bag of pecans and a bag of walnuts left over from holiday baking started the wheels of recipe development turning. Creole seasoning is always on hand, and everything is better with brown sugar on it. Baking fish, chicken, chops, etc… is healthier not to mention I can’t stand the smell of fried foods in the house. I contemplated soaking the fish in buttermilk, mustard and Tabasco, but will keep that flavor key exclusive to my catfish recipe. Traditional bread crumbs, fresh lemon slices and fresh chopped parsley round out the ingredient list.

Creole Seasoned Brown Sugar Pecan Crusted Baked Tilapia

Ingredients

2 pound bag (approximately 9 fillets)

1½ cups traditional bread crumbs

¼ cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon Creole seasoning (see recipe below)

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, finely chopped

2 sticks butter

2 lemons, sliced

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a baking dish, stir together the breadcrumbs, chopped pecans/walnuts, brown sugar and Creole seasoning.

Line a cookie sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil. Place defrosted tilapia fillets on foil lined sheet. Melt one (1) stick of butter. Pour melted butter over fillets to lightly coat.

Working with one fillet at the time, dredge each fillet in dry mixture, coating each side. Place the fillets on the cookie sheet. Top each fillet with a lemon slice. Top each lemon slice with a pat of butter (1½ teaspoons).

Place cookie sheet in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn oven up to 400 degrees F.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and top each fillet with a generous pinch of fresh parsley.

Return the cookie sheet to the now 400 degree F oven. Continue baking fillets for an additional 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe for Creole Seasoning

1/3 cup paprika

3 tablespoons dried oregano

3 tablespoons ground black pepper

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoons cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon granulated onion

4 teaspoons dried thyme

4 teaspoons granulated garlic

In a medium bowl combine paprika, dried oregano, ground black pepper, dried basil, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, granulated onion, dried thyme and granulated garlic. Stir to combine. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to three months.

Show & Tell

Color Love: Decorating With Red

Decorating with red puts a visually commanding spin on the pop of color wheel.

Red draws the eye, envelopes a space in depth, and frames a focal point.

Beauregard – Pierre Frey

Red is delicious, enticing and the color most associated with Valentine’s Day.

It’s the perfect Valentine’s Day color match and palette connection.

Better Homes and Gardens

Interior designer Miles Redd lets us in on the secret to decorating with the daring and delightful color combination pink and red.

Miles Redd – Architectural Digest

There’s red velvet…

Mini Red Velvet Bundt Cakes from Overtime Cook

and then there is red velvet.

Inside Fabric

Pinterest

Interior Design by Alessandra Branca for Kip Bays Showhouse 2015 as featured on Stylebeat by Marisa Marcantonio

San Francisco Showhouse as featured on DecorPad

Immersed in or merely kissed by red, decorating with the color red fetchingly emphasizes the elements of elegance, sophistication and eye catching drama.

Voutsa Lips Wallpaper

Be still my ♥!

How gorgeous is a traditional and not so traditional space so elegantly well-appointed in regal red?

Pinterest

Donald Robertson – Domino

How do I love thee color, texture and pattern?

Let me count the ways with these chic wallcoverings.

An appropriate color of the day for the day at hand- decorating with red is in the spotlight.

♥♥♥

Show & Tell

Copper Cookware and Decorative Accents

Copper cookware and decorative accents continue to be a favored choice of kitchen accessory.

Philadelphia 8-3/8″ V. Clad Copper Sauce Pan

Exquisite in composition and artistic in execution, culinary preparation is performance art at its delicious best.

Celebrated chefs and accomplished cooks know the advantages of using copper cookware in food preparation.

Denis-Pierre Bergeret Geschäftiges Treiben in der Küche {{PD-US}}

In the daily stove to table taste of home ritual most of us engage in copper far better serves the sizzle, sauté, sauce, and simmer in superior performance and quality taste.

Style at Home

Temperature uniformity is essential in the cooking process. Too much heat scorches and burns while too little heat deters the notes of taste and flavor. Copper is an excellent heat conductor- the maestro of materials.

Copper cookware distributes a precise and even heat which is the essential element for proper temperature control.

Gorgeous is as gorgeous works, and copper cookware plates a gorgeous taste.

It’s Super Copper Tastic Excellent à la Decorocious!

Cooking and decorating share similar attributes.

Balance.

Proportion.

Taste.

Visual appeal.

It is said that we eat with your eyes.

Williams Sonoma

Decorative accents and embellishments should enhance the design rather than overpower it.

Less proves to be so much more in many design and decorating instances, visually speaking.

Keystone Millworks, Inc.

Take this white French kitchen hood accented with copper trim as an example.

The copper trim really pops against the white, and draws the eye to the contrast between the exposed brick backsplash/back wall and rustic wood truss with focal point precision.

House & Home

Copper lends a distinctive presence to accents and home decor accessories for unique, sumptuous, whimsical and eclectic kitchen decorating consideration.

Vintage Brutalist Pendant Light

Portfolio favorites include this photo of the 2011 Kitchen of the Year created by chef Tyler Florence and the copper milk can -creamer accent piece.

2011 Kitchen of the Year created by celebrity chef Tyler Florence

Talk about contrast.

Antique Copper Milk Can

In the presence of dark cabinetry, high-tech appliances and farm to modern rustic, yet refined kitchen design and accessories stands this most impressive copper accent piece.

Mixing and mingling traditional and modern design and decorating styles with an antique or vintage pieces is thinking outside of the box of standard decor rules focal point perfection.

Vintage Copper Rabbit Bunny Mold

Lighting fixtures, artwork, architectural pieces, decorative objects- copper has got you covered.

This fabulous 1900s antique copper fireplace screen would make a fantastic decorative backsplash piece à la fireback.

Victorian Arts and Crafts Copper and Iron Fire Screen

Patina and pit marks come with age- perfect imperfections, if you will.

Copper Pan Set

Patina is the greenish brown film that covers the surface of bronze, copper and similar metals brought on by the natural process of oxidation.

Flickr

Buying vintage copper cookware pieces for decorating purposes differs from buying copper cookware pieces to actually prepare food in.

Gallery Auctions, Inc.

Vintage copper cookware pieces tend to be made of unlined copper.

Antique French Rare Copper Colander

Unlined copper is categorized as a reactive metal, and may interact with foods.

Safety in cooking is of the utmost importance. Consider opting for copper pots and pans lined in tin or stainless steel which creates a nonreactive lining.

When cleaning copper cookware and decorative accents, avoid using an abrasive cleaner to eliminate the risk of scratching the copper.

Allow your copper cookware to cool down after use. Sudden temperature changes from stove burner to dishwater can promote warping.

Big Pure Copper Container Set

Be it copper, copper over tin, or copper over stainless steel- the point is the look, performance, and decorative effect.

Copper cookware and decorative accents remain an elegant element and traditional choice of material to complement taste, space, and of course to compliment the chef.

Show & Tell

From Home Decor Partner Project to Arrival to I Love It Ojai Mirror Reveal

As promised, here is the reveal and review sister post to You’ve Got Mail: Let’s Home Decor Partner Project Together. I’ll take you through the purpose and process of the let’s home decor partner project to arrival to I love it Ojai mirror reveal. Like a decorista at Christmas, I could not wait for Dave the Builder to come home so we could open the package delivered earlier in the day.

To: Places In The Home

From: Serena & Lily

Great and stylish home decor things come in big brown FedEx packages!

Serena & Lily gets the life lived within a home comes alive through personal style and taste aspect of decorating.

When I work with a brand, it is of paramount importance that the reputation of the brand mirrors my appreciation for quality home decor accents and accessories as it reflects well on both of us.

The little voice inside my head has been telling me for quite some time now the hallway needed a decorating update. Home decor accessories and artwork should promote scale, proportion, style and flow in a space, and the pieces formerly in place did not. What would remain is the antique wall table in a French polished and updated state. The table is in correct proportion to the size of the area, and stands the test of time and trend.

For years this was the spot of last chance to check your look in the mirror and locate the general stuff one finds they need before leaving the house.

Earrings.

Lipstick.

Car keys.

Pocket change.

Usually when placement or function works, it works. This foyer adjacent area is perfect for the reason stated above. I prefer to do my last stop primping out of the view of others, and this foyer adjacent spot is perfect for doing so. However, there is something missing in this decor scenario.

The Ojai mirror from Serena & Lily filled in the missing piece of the redecorating transformation puzzle. The placement of the mirror offers depth and natural flow of light as a carry through from the foyer. Utilitarian in purpose and stunning in presence, the Ojai mirror from Serena & Lily has the versatility to complement virtually any space, any decor, any design style. A modern style, classic form and rich black finish reflect quality construction in elegant fashion.

Pairing antiques with modern styles and home decor accessories makes a dramatic statement. Some may consider mixing non-traditional, modern, contemporary, coastal or bohemian (boho) style with antiques a designing misstep- a decorating faux pas. Au contraire mon ami. Granted, a few of these design styles exist on opposite ends of the style spectrum, but it’s exactly the opposites attract contrast that makes a striking statement.

After stepping back and taking a decorating inventory, the consensus is carpet no longer cuts the flooring mustard in the hallway. See how one project leads to another. Dave measured the area, and at the time of this posting we are only 380 sq. ft. of hardwood flooring away from our next all things house that make a home project.

Styling the tabletop is the cherry on the cake. Apply an abbreviated version of the principle of coffee table styling and it’s off to the races.

Objects of personal significance that capture the soul of the life lived within your home.

Focus on focal point priority. In the case of the Ojai mirror, it is the focal point. I like to designate and identify the focal point and style around it with home decor pieces, colors, patterns and texture that complement, not clash or compete with.

Choose the primary sight line. X marks the center spot- the prime location for a medium or low height object placement. The “outer” areas balance the method with graduated heights to continue the flow, theme and visual engagement.

Unconventional art placement throws the eye a curve ball. Stepping out of your decorating comfort zone and trying new looks is a way to dare your personal style.

The bundled up baby boy in the picture is my dad. The antique frame that holds his picture also benefited from an application of French polish. I wasn’t too sure this look would work, but for me it’s a keeper. A pair of Staffordshire dogs bought on vacation brings back excellent travel memories every time I look at them. My love of vintage hotel and restaurant china is well represented, as is the sign of hospitality- the pineapple.

My key fob and favorite earrings have found a home sweet home, and the 1973 quarter and 1972 dime hold a special significance. Throughout my preteen and teen years of the 1970s, the pay phone was the norm. There was always a dime or a quarter left in a small dish on this table. Until the day I got married, whenever I would be on my way out the door my dad would remind me about the dime or quarter. He insisted I call him if a situation presented itself where my safety or comfort was in question, and he would immediately come and get me- no questions asked. I’ve kept a dime and quarter dated from the 1970s in a small dish on a foyer table in every house Dave and I have ever lived in.

Memories, like the corners of mind.

Your home, the spaces within, and the home decor accessories that decorate it should always reflect your personal style. The Ojai mirror from Serena & Lily frames a space in mine that does exactly that.

Show & Tell

You’ve Got Mail: Let’s Home Decor Partner Project Together

During the holiday hustle and bustle I received a let’s home decor partner project together email from a surprise source.

You’ve got mail never read so good.

So good!

The exclamation point perfectly befits my strong feeling of great delight.

The content and purpose of the email serves as the source of inspiration for a house to home project.

Sourcing and reviewing products is part and parcel of the Places In The Home design and decorating show and tell.

I invite honest and frank feedback and review from clients, and remain true to my own when the roles are reversed.

Working with a brand that mirrors my appreciation for quality home decor accents and accessories reflects well on both of us.

When the foyer wallpaper install was finally completed, I immediately realized the paint color on the walls of the foyer and hallway had reached its expiration date.

That’s usually the way this remodel-redo-refresh thing works. One update leads to another, and that’s exactly the reason why “One Thing Leads to Another” by The Fixx leads off my tunes to project to playlist.

In this design and decorating show and tell world of mine, one project always leads to another, and I’m loving every minute of it.

“Lovin’ Every Minute of It” by Loverboy is another great song to project to.

I love how music and decorating splendidly complement each other.

Night Blooming Jasmine from Behr is a neutral beauty that finishes rich. Eggshell enamel is one sheen up from matte, and the texture is washability matched to moderate traffic areas.

Night Blooming Jasmine from Behr

The image below is a stunning example of how limiting the colors in the palette constitutes contrast.

Mindful Makeover~ Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle January 2017

Texture variation, under color painting and quality of the original paint job all factor into how well the paint application at hand covers and finishes out.

Dave the Builder’s expert advice has been consulted, his premier painting skills engaged.

Finish again enters the project process conversation.

This antique wall table has served various pieces of jewelry, readers, car key sets, one dime, one quarter (more on that later) and general stuff over the years.

I’ve grown accustomed to it being there, and there it will stay.

The table is in correct proportion to the size of the area.

The old girl is in need of a refresh, but what direction to go in required some thought.

Refinish it?

Paint it? Being the original finish loyalists we are, Dave shot me one of those “have you lost your flipping mind?” looks when I mentioned the paint it option.

Clear-coat it?

Lacquer it?

French polish it is.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

An afternoon spent perusing image galleries on DecorPad and Domino confirms the decision to go the French polish route is indeed the right one. Inspiration truly is everywhere.

Wow. This post is long, but when the conversation revolves around the topics of decorating, updating, gorgeous decor and let’s home decor partner project together that can happen.

Part II of Let’s Home Decor Partner Project Together will unveil the big reveal and show and tell how the look comes together.

For now, I leave you with a hint of what’s to come.

Show & Tell

Superstitions and Traditions: The New Year’s Day Menu

A symbol of fortune, hope and luck for the upcoming year, black-eyed peas and cabbage are what’s on the New Year’s Day menu. As tradition dictates, the eating of black-eyed peas is the culinary insurance policy one must take out for good luck in the upcoming year. I’m sharing three pea something for everyone’s traditional and new-traditional taste recipes with you.

Traditional

New-Traditional

Y’all!

Smoky Black-eyed Peas with Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups fresh black-eyed peas
2 Smoked Ham Hocks or purchased smoked ham hocks
1 (12-oz.) bottle amber beer
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 (7-oz.) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain white cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 large firm green tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices
Canola oil
3 large ripe red tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices
1/2 cup crumbled feta or Cotija cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Hot sauce

Directions

Sauté onions in 3 Tbsp. hot oil in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in peas, next 4 ingredients, 3 1/2 cups water, and 2 Tbsp. adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers. (Reserve peppers for another use.) Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes or until peas are tender. Discard bay leaf. Remove hocks. Remove ham from bones; discard bones. Chop ham; stir into peas. Add salt to taste; cover and keep warm over low heat.

Stir together 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a shallow dish. Whisk together cornmeal, ground chipotle chile, and remaining 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a second shallow dish. Whisk together eggs and buttermilk in a third shallow dish.

Dredge green tomatoes, 1 slice at a time, in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture.

Pour oil to depth of 1 inch in a cast-iron skillet. Heat over medium-high heat to 375°. Fry green tomato slices, in batches, in hot oil 3 minutes on each side or until crisp. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels. (Let oil temperature return to 375° between batches.)

Divide peas among 6 plates. Top each with 1 red tomato slice and 1 fried green tomato slice. Repeat tomato layers once. Sprinkle cheese and cilantro over tomatoes. Serve with hot sauce.

~Southern Living

For the binge watchers, couch trenders and let’s say we prepared a traditional New Year’s Day culinary extravaganza but actually do nothing but snack crowd, this recipe will cover all the bases, luck included.

Chili-Roasted Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients

2 (15.8-oz.) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 17- x 12-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until crispy and dry, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes.

~Southern Living

Cabbage enters into the picture of prosperity as the money dish, as it is believed the leafy greens symbolize folding money. One would be hard-pressed not to find black-eyed peas, cabbage and buttermilk cornbread cooking in the New Year’s Day kitchen. As a Southerner, I do not question the New Year’s Day menu or the Southern superstition(s) nor will I buck this time honored tradition.

In the words of Aunt Pittypat Hamilton, “It simply isn’t done!”

Classic Buttermilk Coleslaw

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce bag) coleslaw mix
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients until mixed thoroughly. Adjust seasoning, if desired. Chill until ready to serve. This can be made about two hours in advance, but any longer and it will lose its crunch and may become tinted from the purple cabbage.

~Kitchn

Buttermilk Cornbread

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons oil

2 cups buttermilk self -rising white corn meal mix

1 cup self-rising flour

½ Tablespoon baking powder

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup milk

Directions

Set oven to 425 degrees. Preheat oven while preparing cornbread mix. Mix corn meal and flour into mixing bowl. Stir in milk and eggs and mix well. Batter should be a medium thick consistency. Thin by adding additional milk until desired consistency is reached. Grease baking pan or oven safe skillet(preferably a black cast iron skillet) with 3 Tablespoons cooking oil. Bottom of pan or skillet should be coated well but not swimming in oil. Place pan in oven to heat oil. Once oil is heated, remove pan from oven. Pour batter into greased pan. Return pan or skillet to oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

~Places In The Home

I want to thank you the readers, visitors and subscribers of Places In The Home. Every heartfelt comment, Facebook like, tweet, instagram follow and kind word means so much to me. The New Year brings more anticipation, excitement and decor inspiration to Places In The Home. I want to invite you to visit often, chime in, and let me know what you think. We will design with beauty and style in mind, make pretty on a penny, source, create and suggest. I raise a gorgeous goblet to toast happiness, health, family, love, peace, prosperity and friendship to all throughout the New Year!

Show & Tell

Places In The Home: In The Spirit of The Twelve Days of Christmas

In the spirit of The Twelve Days of Christmas, true Christmas traditions and because twelve is the exact number of photos that turned out to be share worthy, I present to you the Places In The Home Twelve Days of Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas my idea of true Christmas traditions sent to me

vintage inspired aluminum Christmas wreaths and shiny and bright ornaments kinda sorta just like the aluminum Christmas tree, color wheel and Shiny Brite ornaments my maternal grandmother had. It’s all in the accents and accessories details.

On the second day of Christmas my idea of true Christmas traditions sent to me

the patience prayed for and the grace granted to find the beauty in everything and everyone.

On the third day of Christmas my idea of true Christmas traditions sent to me

an old world Santa figurine ornament in shades of yellow, cream, brown and glitter gold that cost next to nothing, and one I would not take a million dollars for. Well.

On the fourth day of Christmas my idea of true Christmas traditions sent to me

a Christmas centerpiece rich in throwback tradition and vibrant colors compliments of nature’s beauty and the neighbor’s grown with love grove.

On the fifth day of Christmas my idea of true Christmas traditions sent to me

the aromatic trio of one orange, one bay leaf and a generous sprinkling of ground cloves soon set to simmer and scent.

On the sixth day of Christmas my idea of true Christmas traditions sent to me

a craving for a family must make and bake at the holidays family tradition, Mama Two sugar cookies. The story of how her name came to be is almost as iconic as her family famous Christmas cookie recipe.

The name I assigned to my great-grandmother was born out of a childlike understanding. Our holiday destination point was set for the great state of Texas to spread holiday cheer and to introduce my great-grandparents to the newest addition to the family (me). My mother and grandmother took advantage of the over the bayous and through the piney woods, to great-grandmother’s house we go travel time to coach me into calling my great-grandmother “mama”- the term of endearment she had always gone by.