I have always had a love affair with doors, especially eccentric doors.
Doors beckon, or deny.
Here’s one I saw today on a walk with Robert in our Historic District Savannah. It had a storied past, don’t you think?
Here’s to Doors!
I love fall food.
One of my VERY favorites is, well, ANYTHING in the Leafy Greens Family.
Collards, Turnips, Mustard, even Poke Salad. (You have to be careful with Poke Salad—it can be poisonous. But it was my Granny’s favorite, and she taught me how to find it. In the wild.)
Well, yesterday, I found a beautiful bunch of local Savannah collards at our favorite little grocer near us in Habersham Village.
If you have read a bit on my blog, you know that HR (Husband Robert) is the fancy pants chef, and I’m the I-cook-what-Mama-taught-me fellow. Usually in cast iron.
So last night I pulled out our cast iron (heavy!) Dutch oven. (Okay, technically Robert pulled it out.)
And I went to work.
First, you gotta wash the greens, if you buy them fresh. And why wouldn’t you? A time-consuming task.
My Washed-Collards Bouquet.
I cut the thickest stems away from the leaves.
But don’t throw them away! I make homemade vegetable broth with them.
After cooking the ham hocks in water to provide the base for the “pot liquor,” I sauté onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil in the Dutch oven, pour the liquid from the ham hocks in, layer the ham hocks on top, and cover until the greens wilt.
Two hours of slow simmering later …
HR loves my pickled jalapeños, so he had to put some of that “sauce” and pickles on his greens.
The beautifully delicious “pot liquor” …
Oh, and what to do with the leftovers? Well, give some to ex-wife Donna, of course.
With a side of “healthy corn.”
And freeze the rest.
Fall Collard Joy
1. Having a bed. To lay my head on every night. What a blessing. And to share with my Robert.
The little black bedside lamp was a birthday gift to me from my parents when I was in junior high.
2. Memories—the beautiful as well as the not-so-pretty. They are all a part of our legacy of life.
3. The unique scent of pine.
4. Low country boil for lunch this week.
5. The many faces of pruning.
See them?
Morning walk around Lake Mayer here in Savannah.
May you catch glimpses of beauty this weekend.
Visiting a quirky art exhibit a decade ago.
Jepson Center, Savannah, 2012
Life finds a way.
On our Saturday morning walk, across the street from us here in Historic District Savannah, we came across resurrection fern bursting forth from … bricks.
Do you know about resurrection fern?
From Southern Living magazine …
The fern looks dead when it’s dry, but when it rains, it becomes beautifully green. Even from bricks.
Here’s resurrection fern this evening from outside our front door, looking up.
We could probably learn a thing or two from resurrection fern.
1. Last night, making my Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (with fresh local tomatoes).
Beyond delicious, with Robert’s Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.
2. Being grateful for a car, my little vehicle which transports HR and me from one point to another.
I so often take my car for granted. Then driving through Savannah, I’ll look at the bus stops and see so many people who do not have cars.
3. My cute photographer husband.
Robert’s photography blog: Robert’sSnapSpot
4. Mr. Happy.
5. My chair in our study.
It’s where I sit just to sit. Or meditate. Or read. Or talk with Robert. Or argue with Robert.
May you sit in joy this weekend.
“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.“
Light … come on in!
A blog post from back in 2014. Please excuse the grainy photos.
Every First Tuesday Savannah’s City Hall opens its doors for free tours. I know, I know, touring City Hall doesn’t sound like the most exciting entertainment venue around. But hold on just a second. After a hefty helping of Gabriella’s Zesty Chicken (on mashed potatoes) at Zunzi’s, I wobbled down Bull Street, remembering just in time to look up before I reached the river, and saw this …
… Savannah’s incredibly beautiful City Hall.
Completed in 1905 …
… City Hall features two figures who adorn the front, just below the clock and gold dome. And those two pretty ladies represent Commerce and Art. If you know anything about Savannah, you will find those figures so, so timely. Because what was true in 1905 is certainly true today: Savannah is both a big business city (Savannah Port and Gulfstream, for example) as well as a cultured, artistic town (SCAD, Savannah Music Festival, festivals galore).
Come along.
The original clockwork is now in the lobby:
Looking up to the interior stained glass dome:
Here I am with the really interesting tour guide (and SCAD grad), Luciana Spracher. She knew her stuff!
Did you know Savannah has a flag?
View from a back window of city hall:
I pretended to know the mayor. But you can only stand in front of her office for so long before people start to wonder what you’re doing.
TANGENT: A couple of months ago, I attended an event at the Savannah Civic Center with our mayor, Edna Jackson.
Okay, okay, maybe I wasn’t exactly with the mayor, but you can’t tell that from the above photo with her and Savannah State’s President, Dr. Cheryl Davenport Dozier.
*******
Luciana led us into the Savannah City Council chambers. For some reason I just got so excited.
Here I am sitting at the mayor’s desk. (Does she know people do this?)
What a fun (and educational) tour! Thanks, Luciana.
I Love Savannah!
NealEnJoy 