So I'm not sure who is more confused, me or my garden but I have pumpkins growing. I also have gigantic zucchini growing and a hybrid of the two which I have termed Zunkins...I think they will make good ravioli.
It's also blueberry season at the RRanch. Total win!
Xoxo
Professor MandyCake is teaching in East Tennessee tomorrow.
Class is sold out and over booked! I can't even believe that happened! I'm humbled and so excited for it!
Should be fun!
99% of the time when I order an Un-Sweet Tea...it's a Sweet Tea 100% of the time.
The only Sweet Tea I enjoy is Firefly Skinny Tea and there is NO sugar in that vodka. Please someone understand my accent!
I love Summer days with my friends. We didn't have a pool and it's really hot in Nashville this weekend. Stacy and I thought it a good idea to just install one on her back deck.
Best idea ever! I really love this city!
Xoxo
Hot day again. I like it. I decided to treat myself to lunch at Sequoyah Marina. To my surprise, I saw some old friends. Secretly I was hoping for a run in and low and behold it happened.
My sweet little baby ducks that have been free birds for a while now, are still living by the marina.
It made me smile to see them together and still happy. It sparked a conversation with one of the dock hands here. As always, the folks I meet in Tennessee are awesome. The marina also plays good music, the water is gorgeous, and lunch was lovely.
Another great day!
Xoxo
Girl Loves Tennessee
Oh yay! First day of Summer and even though it's been hot here for a while, I found a way to cool off.
Uncle Bob's pool is probably where you can find me if you need me.
XOXO
So it's all truth to say that I've been living in a Father's Day funk but then there's smiles and good stuff too. Insert yesterday with Uncle Bob and Bev, dinner, drinks, sunset boat ride on lake Norris. Not too shabby.
There's something about the wind in my face that makes me smile. I'm starting to understand the thrill seekers just a bit more these days. While I was once the MOST cautious person ever, I'm learning to enjoy it all. Life is good :)
Note to self, next time you see Kenny Chesney, kick him in the shin for track 8 on the new album. Please and thank you.
No ones happily ever after started with the story of oh, he had a girlfriend....
It's every writers dream to border on the line of insane vs. sane, reality vs. fiction, what might have been vs. what might never be. That dark place where creativity blossoms is a joyous place for an artist. Somewhere people can't go with them. Somewhere people can draw them into. As a writer and an artist it's the darkest places that breed the brightest thoughts. One can only ever hope they left enough breadcrumbs to climb back out at some point or leave enough of a trail behind that the art will be discovered and appreciated for it's beauty even if it comes from the obscenely darkest place of beauty in someone's life.
God I miss him! I still consider myself the luckiest girl in the world to have had the father I did. This picture makes me smile :-)
I'm a die hard Kings fan. Hockey if you have to ask. I grew up at the Forum Club. Went to hundreds of games with my father who was also a die hard fan. We never faltered on loyalty. Lots of seasons without ever a title. 19 years ago they were Smythe Division champs which doesn't even exist now.
In February my father and I were watching a game. Kings weren't even a contender at that point and he turned to me and said, "Manda Cole, Kings are going to win the cup this year!" I wasn't so optimistic at that point and thought back two years ago where I was ever defending my choice of team to support against a hating Ducks fan and said, "Just you watch. In three years, we'll have a cup." My father was more correct than I was.
Yesterday we won. I have been fairly quiet during this post season. I didn't want to jinx anything. During regular season, I'm the first to call a game and make friendly bets which now I have so many Ducks fans that owe me dinners that I could never starve.
So they did it. I'm in shock. I'm not a fan of many things and have never loved any men other than my daddy and grandpa like I love the Kings.
So cheers to the Stanley Cup Champions that have entertained me for years and provided so many amazing experiences and introductions to cool folks. In honor of my awesome week and at the request of a friend, I made Stanley Cupcakes.
Having hockey in June was amazing. Being a lifelong Kings fan, it doesn't get any better.
Love and Cupcakes!
I spent the day enjoying the sun with my darling Sadie. She's going to be 9 years old not long after I turn 22.
Gosh I love her even though she keeps me up at night especially when it rains. She is the worst guard dog ever, won't fetch, won't play. Has to be near me 98% of the time or she's freaking out.
So when I couldn't find her this evening, I thought she was out chasing deer in the Hundred Acre Wood...I was concerned. She generally comes running like a bat out of hell if I call her. Nope, not tonight. The little b**** was in my father's former room...chilaxing like she doesn't have a problem in the world.
*note to self; teach old dog new tricks because she's up to some of her own!
Laying out in the back yard is a workout. The amount of kicks, arm swats, crunches to see what's crawling on me and waving of potential bugs is a better workout than yoga. It's keeping me alert.
I've met a couple of Bubba's in my life. All of them memorable characters and always the nicest human beings. I'm not sure how one gets the nickname Bubba but I am fairly certain it requires being über awesome and filled with a history of stories and a natural charisma that draws good people to you. I also think it has something to do with fishing, but nothing to do with Forrest Gump.
Meet Bubba from Norris Dam Marina. I promise you won't forget him if you ever meet him. He's full of charm and sweet energy. I can't sing his praises enough.
Uncle Bob, his wife Bev and I decided to head down to their marina after our squash blossoms. The outdoor tables at the restaurant were filled with a bachelorette party of twenty or so women, some random couples, groups of drunken friends, and Bubba was holding down the fort next to another table.
Uncle Bob greeted Bubba as they are familiar friends from the marina. Bubba lives on a houseboat about five slips away from Uncle Bob's boat. Bubba promptly asked Bob if I was his granddaughter, to which Bob replied, "Yes." Bev chimed in and then Bob explained our relationship. Bob was my daddy's best friend for 50 years. He's family to me even without the bloodline. The table next to him was open. Prime seating if you ask me. Great view, near the speakers blasting music and next to Bubba.
Bob introduced me to Bubba as Amanda. The conversation quickly changed from Bubba flattering me with compliments to a conversation about Waylon and Willie and wild times. If you need last names for those men then you need to read a different blog. Bubba promptly beckoned the marina owner's son to put on some Waylon, where I was promised a serenade when the song featuring my name came on. Bob and Bubba shared stories of Waylon and Willie and Kris. All of whom were friends of their's and my father's at some point. It was wonderful. Bubba came thru on his serenade and I enjoyed it. It was truly a pleasure to be in his company this evening.
When Bubba retired to his boathouse, Bob explained that not too long ago Bubba had all kinds of medical ailments and was brought back from the dead. I never would have know the physical hardships he's recently faced but I am so thankful for the time I was able to spend with him. He was a fishing guide on the lake but no longer fishes.
Bubba is awesome. So full of life, charm, positivity, wisdom and I absolutely can't wait to go back and have another beer with Bubba.
Let's talk squash. I'm a big fan.
Zucchini, Yellow, Acorn, Summer, Winter, Spaghetti, all of them are so versatile and a staple in my previous life as a vegetarian. I love them all equally.
My garden is filled with different kinds of squash. My favorite part of that is the blossoms. For a few short days on each plant, the blossoms are at their peak for eating. You can find them at farmers markets and from specialty vendors but they are highly perishable and have an extremely short season.
A year ago, I was discussing my love of squash blossoms with my father but refused to pick them from our garden when I thought it meant no squash would grow. I recently learned that there are male and female blossoms. The males are great for eating although you can eat both male and female. The females are the ones that turn into the squash. It's fairly easy to tell the difference once you are looking at the plant. The males are on a long stem. The females are towards the center of the plant near the ground and usually have started to grow fruit by the time you would want to harvest the blossoms. Today I picked eight male blossoms with the intention of stuffing them and frying them. This was one of my better ideas, with a little help, of course.
Miss Mandy's Tennessee Stuffed Squash Blossoms:
8 perfect open male squash blossoms
For the filling:
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan
Zest of one small lemon
1 T chopped fresh sage
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
S&P TT
Dash of garlic powder
For the coating:
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
S&P TT
1-2 eggs beaten
Canola oil for frying
Preparation:
Pinch off the stamen from the blossoms and remove them. This should be fairly easy if your blossoms are fresh.
Rinse the blossoms in cold running water and set with the petals down on a paper towel to dry. Pat any excess water off the blossoms using an additional paper towel.
Mix together the filling ingredients until combined.
Gently spoon a heaping tablespoon of the filling into the cavity of the blossoms. Secure the bottom of larger blossoms with a toothpick if necessary so the filling does not ooze out during frying.
Roll the filled blossoms in the beaten egg wash and then in the seasoned breadcrumbs.
Fry in small batches until golden brown 2-3 min.
Remove from heat and allow to drain on a paper towel.
Enjoy warm! *if you make them in advance you can reheat them in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes until crisped and warmed through.
There is a long backstory for me on squash blossoms. My father told me stories of my great grandparents making them....but today's story started with a conversation down by my garden with a man named John and my favorite Uncle Bob. John noticed my pumpkin blossoms and asked if I ever picked and fried them. Bob was looking at us funny as we chatted about it. He had never heard of such a thing. John had never actually had the stuffed version. He also described them quite well when he said it is similar to a mushroom. Bob was now completely confused that we were looking at a flower and talking about eating it like a fried mushroom. So, after the guys left my house I picked a bunch of zucchini blossoms and fried them. I packed up some fresh raspberries, zucchini, and a whole bunch of lettuce and headed to Uncle Bob's. When they found out I had brought the squash blossoms, they invited over the neighbors to try them. We opened a bottle of my Daddy's Peach Wine and they all had their first squash blossom experience. What a treat! I love when an early morning conversation turns into an evening of food and fun in good company.
Grow your own food and you'll bring others to the table.
XO
No matter how many times in the day I consider dropping my iPhone into my sweet tea to drown a sorrow filled death, there's that one human that hearing just two words from saves the life of Siri on a regular basis. That my friends is called a rock, and I'm glass.
A girl doesn't need a hammer if she's got on a good pair of cowboy boots. Take that nail on my deck!
You came up quick! June is a great month. The kids here are out of school which means I won't get stuck on the crooked road behind a school bus going negative ten miles per hour, stopping at every house since they do door to door child delivery.
It's raining today. No surprise that June gloom exists in a place that makes gardens grow out of control.
See below for evidence.
Overnight I have giant squash, more raspberries, peas, carrots, kale, rainbow chard, lettuce, baby pumpkins, waist high corn, blueberries, and tomatoes on the vine and marigolds everywhere!
Incredible!
