Southern cooking by Chef Busbee

If you marry a Mississippi-raised chef, you are bound to be both dazzled and delighted by the wonderful taste of the South.  Before marriage, I thought I knew what Southern cooking tasted like.  I had tried hushpuppies and a variety of BBQ.  I had even savored the tang of fried pickles.  But these few menu items barely gave me a taste.  Chef Busbee - or hubby, as I so lovingly call him - treated my taste buds to a whole new world.  One filled with collard greens and gravy and okra and baked sweet potato pie.  To Chef Busbee I owe a debt of gratitude.
With family in town last week, hubby really put together a menu that screamed home sweet home. 
First he spent hours over a hot stove making his BBQ sauce, a recipe he has been perfecting for years.

Sometimes he gives it a smoky kick and sometimes he gives it a bit of heat.  

This batch was his traditional style - a tangy, tomato-based sauce with a hint of brown sugar.

After making the sauce, hubby moved on to fried okra.

He pulls out the cast-iron skillet and drops in his cornmeal and herb battered okra.  Even the sound of popping oil coming from the kitchen makes us all antsy.

 The breaded okra morsels emerge from the hot pan golden and crisp.

 And last comes the vinegar-based, slow-braised pork.  Hubby usually prepares top round or butt.

It falls apart at the touch, displaying perfect tenderness - no chopping necessary.

 You might be a Southerner if this is one of your favorite meals.

A week in good company

Jed's parents were in town last week - partly for business, partly for recreation.  Their visit couldn't have come at a better time.  Their sweet grandson Caleb is now 21 months old and is changing into a spirited little boy.  Grammie and Granddaddy got to witness the oodles of love, affection, joy, humor, and tantrum production that this boy of mine has to offer.  The beautiful thing about grandparents is that they have undeniably been there, done that.  So a tantrum or two or three or four is no big thing to them.  Grammies and Granddaddies just roll with the punches.

 

Caleb enjoyed time spent with those he loves - and he really enjoyed all the extra attention.  He spent his days with Grammie, reading books, going to the museum, going to the park, and playing at the mall.  During the evenings we all gathered together for good food and conversation.  I am grateful for every moment spent with family.  Thank you Grammie and Granddaddy for a wonderful visit.

Witherspoon Rose Culture: First Bloom 2011

Witherspoon Rose Culture just celebrated its 60th year during its annual First Bloom Celebration, which took place this Saturday in Durham. I attended with my mother-in-law after a wine tasting, and we were both in awe at the beauty of the gardens. They contain rows of every color, size and shape of rose you could ever dream of. 
I asked a question I've been wondering for awhile.  If someone wanted to go through the gardens and pick their own bouquet, could they? I assumed the answer would be no.  Much to my delight, I was informed that customers can do just that!  The experts at Witherspoon will assemble any 12 roses that I desire - all for $21. Not a bad price for a dozen gorgeous roses.
In the meantime, I created my own personal bouquet through photos. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cresset Eagle Golf Classic

I recently attended my first Cresset Eagle Golf Classic, an annual golf tournament that benefits Cresset Christian Academy. The golf tournament has been celebrated since 2005 and was held this year at The Preserve at Jordan Lake, a beautiful golf course between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro.
You might be wondering, can Melanie play golf?
The answer is no - I was in attendance as a photographer and sponsor. See my first piece of advertising for Melanie Busbee Photo below.

I arrived at the golf course 2 hours before the shotgun start and it was my job as volunteer photographer to corral all the golf foursomes before tee-off.  I knew going into this project that this would be a challenging task.  Golfers tend to want to practice their swing and putting before beginning a golf competition.  I don't blame them one bit.

Each and every golfer was pleasant and very willing to work with me.  I had 17 foursomes to hunt down and photograph before their game began.

Here are just a few of the players at the golf classic.

 

 

 

This was such a wonderful event, pulled together through great efforts by the Cresset team, and it was a joy to be a part of. 

Waller Family Farms

I recently took Caleb to Waller Family Farms, one of the local pick-your-own strawberry patches.  It is very conveniently located near Caleb's school and makes the perfect late afternoon destination. 

I was impressed at how quickly Caleb caught on to the concept of picking (or eating) strawberries from the vine.  We had two other young ladies with us - Taylor and Ashleigh - who probably helped make the event much easier.  Caleb tends to follow along behind older, pretty girls.

 

 

What a delicious discovery!

To all the mamas

Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there - but especially my mom (aka - Marmie).  I got to spend yesterday with this wonderful woman as she, my sister, and I drank mojitos together and posed for family portraits with the grandchildren.

Just one of many photos from the day's photo shoot. Photography by Pam Lappegard.

It was a very special day. We exchanged Mother's Day cards and gifts and simultaneously boo-hooed at the sappy words written on the page. We are a family that prefers personalized messages (as does my Mother-in-law, Debbie - who also deserves a special Happy Mother's Day wish!!!). None of us are actually able to read the sweet messages while in front of one another; we attempt it, but only make it so far before we crumble into weeping masses.
My mother's letter to me said touching phrases like, "beautiful, talented young lady," and "the pride and joy I feel in having you as a daughter is totally indescribable."
She goes on to describe my wedding day, my pregnancy, watching me give birth to her grandson, and my way of being a "wonderful mother to that lucky baby boy." My throat clenches up just re-typing some of those thoughtful words.
So, Marmie, you should know that I have felt nothing but pure adoration for you since as early as I can remember. You say I have a unique way of singing everything and dancing with joy with my son - I learned that happiness and optimism from you. You are gorgeous and intelligent, strong and capable, gentle and patient.  You are the mom that I hope I can try to be.  I love every moment you spend with my son. He needs his Mimi as much as I still need my Marmie. I love you.
Happy Mother's Day!!!!

Teacher Appreciation Week

Today was the last day of Teacher Appreciation Week, a celebration and time of thanks for all that our teachers do. I happily delivered bags of goodies and a bouquet of fresh pink peonies to Caleb's two preschool teachers today. I certainly am grateful for the devotion, instruction, and emotional support they offer to my son. Without them, Caleb wouldn't know half of the words he knows now, he wouldn't be eating as well as he does, and he wouldn't take directions or understand routines at the level that he does. Wonderful teachers make all the difference.

I delivered the flowers as I dropped Caleb off at school this morning. He ran right up to Ms. Mattison with the bouquet in hand and gave it to her with a big grin. Instead of putting the bouquet immediately in a vase, Ms. Mattison then walked around the classroom and asked the other children what color the flowers were and how many there were. She then went up to each child individually and let them smell the flowers. This type of one-on-one, social interaction with each child is exactly what makes a great teacher.

Thank you Ms. Mattison and Ms. Mayhew for taking fantastic care of my child.

Engagement portraits: Eno River State Park

I visited the Eno River State Park this morning to photograph a very sweet couple, Sarah and Daniel, who got engaged this past December.  Cheers to a fabulous couple, ideal weather, and a heavenly backdrop.