In the Quiet of Our First Winter Fire

Oh, happy hearthstone! Oh, hour thrice blest
Where peace is the handmaid, and
love is the guest. - Rose Eliot Smith

The first fire of winter is special. . .symbolic of this season of lights. . .against the darkness of winter. . .The days have gotten shorter, the skies have become gray, and it seems as though the sun has abandoned us all. . .

To ward off the darkness of winter days, there is nothing like a good, warm-your-body-and-your-soul  fire, crackling and popping, inviting me to come stay a while and warm myself. . .until the cheeks redden. . .to be mesmerized by the playful dance of the yellow, orange and white flames. . .the pop of the wood. . .the glowing embers on the log. . .the otherwise quiet of the room. . .  . . .

I really should get back to my work. . .maybe in a few minutes. . .For now I want to sit still in the quiet and alone to stare into the flames and to remember that even the smallest amount of light can make a difference. . .in this room. . .in this life. . .in this world. . .

Our first fire heralds the beginning of Christmas celebrations. . .but it also beckons me to stop. . .in the warmth of its glow. . .to gather my thoughts. . .and to remember the real reason for the season. . .The coming days will be filled with 'busy-ness'. . .but for these few moments, I need to feel The Light and The Love that was so freely given. . .by a tiny baby so long ago. . .

 May 'PEACE be your handmaid. . .

and LOVE be your guest' this Holiday Season. . .

AT:

 

OUR TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN DRESSING AND GIBLET GRAVY RECIPES

The Holiday Issue Is Out and We're Featured Twice. . .

DELTA CROSSROADS HOLIDAY ISSUE is now on the stands. . .and online. . .FREE. . .
You'll find us in it twice. . .INSPIRATION taken from THE COUNTRY FARM HOME blog. . .
The Editor, Nancy Kemp, contacted us a few months ago, so it wasn't a BIG surprise.
But her layouts of those posts look so great in the magazine!!!
In fact, the entire issue is fantastic.

 
You know. . .we have a lot of wonderful people here in the Delta. . .
and so talented. . .
I am HUMBLED and BLESSED to be a part of it.

To view the entire issue Free:

DELTA CROSSROADS HOLIDAY ISSUE 

or Check out our ORIGINAL POSTS at:

CHRISTMAS PACKAGES-COTTON BRANCHES-WHITE, SILVER, GOLD

ANGELS-FIRST FIRE-CHRISTMAS CAROL

A Christmas Farmhouse Kitchen With a Mission

Did you hear the rumor going around? 

Christmas is almost here. . .

Oh. . .You heard, huh?

I'm sure you also heard that Black Friday is this week. . .Who hasn't? . .Well, I'm not sure John has. . .He hasn't mentioned it. . .Not that he would do any shopping. . .but he might suggest I go and pick out my own gift. . .as he has in the past. . .But. . .no. . .I haven't heard a word. . . 

I decided to take action and bring out some black and white for the kitchen. . .set up a little Christmas cheer. . .and reminder. . .before Thanksgiving. . .When he asks, "Why are you decorating for Christmas when it's Thanksgiving? And why all the black?' then I can reply, "Because Friday is BLACK FRIDAY!". . .You get my drift, don't you Ladies?

And what if he still doesn't take the bait? . .Then I might need to do something drastic. . .Like. . ."Let's go shopping Friday". . .without telling him he's about to enter a day of traffic jams and frantic shoppers. . .or. . .I could negotiate with. . ."If you'll take me shopping on Black Friday, then you'll have the weekend free for duck hunting". . .You know. . .Give a little. . .Take a little. . .

Yes. . .This is all in fun. . .tongue in cheek, so to speak. . .The end result is a plus, though. . .I've begun to bring in the evergreens and the candles and the vintage whites. . .It will be a 'natural' Christmas this year. . .but I'll tell you more about it next week. . .In the meantime. . .enjoy the photos. . .and eat lots of turkey and pumpkin pie so you'll have plenty of energy for all that shopping. . .

You can bet I will. . .

From My Cookbook to Yours: Seasoned Southern Style

"After years of trying new recipes with a long list of ingredients, seeking healthy alternatives to gluten and dairy, trying to eliminate preservatives and pesticides, I have decided to return to the food of my childhood. . .simple foods made from scratch (mostly) and of the freshest ingredients I can find. . .I think today's term for this way of thinking is 'eating clean'. . .I call it common sense. . ."

Come join me in my journey of revisiting tried but true recipes and methods of cooking from the local Delta community. . .Simply Good Food. . .SEASONED SOUTHERN STYLE. . .READ MORE. . .

A Simple Harvest Table Several Ways

"EAT YOUR HEART OUT, P. ALLEN SMITH"

Those were John's words when he walked through the breezeway porch and saw our Harvest Table. . .While I'm not even in the league of *Allen Smith. . .(John was just kidding around). . .I have to admit I have gotten more than a few tips from his website. . .His style mixes parts of the past with an eye for the present. . .I often do the same. . .

 

 

As I've stated again and again, Fall is my favorite time of the year. . .From the first frost on the pumpkins to the promise of a New Year, excitement stirs over and over as each holiday arrives. . .The days go by so quickly. . .the level of "busy" increases. . .and the hustle and bustle is in full force. . .

But it is also a time of feeling warm and cuddly by the fire. . .of gathering with family and friends. . .of remembering those who made our lives so special in past holidays.

For our Harvest Table, I decided to make it simple and all natural. . .just as the first Thanksgiving might have been. . .We have several occasions coming up in which we will utilize the table in different ways. . .

For a simple luncheon. . .

 For a magazine photo shoot. . .

For a candlelight dinner. . .

Some old jugs and redware, a vintage quilt, harvested gourds, dried grapevine, burlap, craft paper, a few candles and some dried berries. . .and I was done. . .making the table look welcoming and warm. . .Another plus is that it keeps holiday storage at a minimum. . .

 

I have pretty much decided to decorate for the holidays from this day on with natural and found materials. . .It just seems to set our home apart from the norm, while adding a spark of one's own personality and making it special for our family. . .I might add that it brings forth compliments from the Honey, too. . .He actually noticed this table. . .WOW. . .

Time now to move on to Christmas decor. . .Let's see. . .Maybe some wooden buckets and crates. . .more old crocks. . .pantry boxes. . .firkins. . .old barrels and kegs. . .limbs of cotton. . .evergreens. . .vines. . .small, potted trees. . .lots of candles. . .For sparkle, I'll bring the collection into this era with glass balls. . .strands of lights. . .modern fabrics. . .and. . .

Well. . .You'll just have to watch and see. . .

I will say this, though. . .it's Christmas decor that I'm totally excited about. . .

PLAIN AND SIMPLE. . .

 

  

PLEASE NOTE: There's a new tab above for SELECTED FALL POSTS.

Check it out. . .

I'll be adding tabs for WINTER, SPRING, AND SUMMER, too.

Whatever the Season, you will find INSPIRATION AT

THE COUNTRY FARM HOME

 

 

 *P. Allen Smith's Moss Mountain Farm is in Arkansas, 

where most of his TV shows are taped. 

Visit his website at: 

P. ALLEN SMITH--MOSS MOUNTAIN FARM

CROCK TOPS: Here's How

I love crocks. . .I have lots of them. . .They are a staple in this house. . .But, storing them poses a problem. . .and sometimes I need a top on one to hide what's inside. . .So John and I came up with several solutions to my dilemma. . .The first one is so simple I'm almost embarrassed to mention it. . .

For the smaller size crocks, round breadboards are fantastic. . .Left as they are, or sanded, painted or stained. . .Isn't the one on the left a beauty? . .I rarely see such an ornate board. .  .Love the patina. . .Most have been heavily used and they show it, although a little cleaning and sanding brings them back to life.

But then what do we do with the larger crocks? That was a puzzle for a while. . .Sure I could have bought wood boards at a lumber yard, but that was too 'new' for me. . .I wanted something that looked aged. . .Also wide boards are expensive. . .and I had lots of large crocks to cover. . .

Once I was on the look-out for round breadboards, I began bringing home large more modern cutting boards found at thrift stores, too. . .mostly for $1 or under. . .John uses them with his leather craft and I use them in the kitchen instead of my vintage ones. . .Over the last few years, they began stacking up. . .

One day I was gathering the cutting boards I didn't use when  cakes were ready to come out of the oven. . .The stack of cutting boards were on the cabinet top and in my way. . .I quickly picked them up and placed them on some crocks on the floor. . .Cakes came out and cooling on racks. . .All was well. . .Now back to what I was doing. . .What WAS I doing? . .Cutting boards. . .Yes. . .That led me to a light bulb moment. . .as I looked down and noticed that the boards covered the top of a large crock. . ."Oh, John Dear. . ."

All kidding aside. . .isn't this a simple solution?

And to think it was right there in front of me for a couple of years. . .

Now comes the fun part. . .After finishing the Crock Tops with whatever method you choose, try some embellishments. . .I'm for fast and easy, so I pulled out a stamp and permanent ink stamp pad. . .Took no time at all. . .

The possibilities for embellishing are endless. . .Try stamping a border on the outside edges. . .Stencil or paint graphics on the top. . .Make them your own creation. . .

The thickness of the cutting boards allows me to stack the crocks as high as I dare. . .I like to graduate the sizes as I stack in order to display the embellishments around the top edge. . .

I truly like our solution. . .and it's so economical. . .We cut four tops from three cutting boards, costing only $3 total. . .An Easy. . .Fast. . .Simple. . .project that adds so much to the open crocks. . .They  look amazing. . .

It's also a good excuse for thrifting. . . I'm always looking for that. . .aren't you?