The Sweetest Thing's Sunday…Have You Ever Been In Hawg's Heaven?

I have! Right now because I'm sitting on the porch typing this blog post at the beach and the weather is perfectly glorious! But I've been to the real "Hawg's Heaven" many years ago. And last weekend my husband and youngest son and Sarah went back to the "farm." For fun! Yes, you heard me…for fun! I've never found it much fun…but then I never saw it through their eyes, either! Until this time!

Yep…they were in "Hawg's Heaven" that's for sure! That is one of many names that have been placed on this family farm…"The Country", "Linden" and "Hawg's Heaven" are all names that I've heard it referred to since I've been a member of Jim's family. And going there always warrants a trip to Dreamland for their famous ribs, sauce and white bread!

I loved seeing the pictures that my sweet husband took while there last weekend! It was really fun seeing it through his eyes…sometimes I seem to only have tunnel vision…in a lot of areas in my life! But this was really fun to see the family farm where he spent so much time and has so many memories through his lens and not mine. ( Just wish Miller had left his sunglasses on!)

Dusty old bridges came to life for me…and I actually felt sad that I had missed out on this trip! We will definitely have to go again soon…now that my eyes were opened!

 And how could I forget the name "Turkey Track!"

Oh, the memories these signs brought back to me of the days when Jim's grandparents were young and we were very young…I wish so badly that they were still here so that our children and grandchildren could hear and benefit from their words of wisdom!

Not to mention the stories we could've heard while card games were being played in the "Bear Bryant" room! 

Yes, you heard me….Bear Bryant played here with Pappy!

And old Victorian furniture never looked so good! Especially in a place where people gather mainly for hunting and fishing! We actually have several pieces that were left on the trash pile so to speak that we took in years ago and let Keel's Refinishing do their magic…wish I had pictures of them to show you…

Yep, this is where memories have been made throughout generations…I'm so glad my children are showing an interest in something that has true value and meaning with it's roots seeped in history.

If only I had known these two men that make up my husband's family tree….now I know that those pictures we see in Antique Malls scattered all around us…are real people! Just look at them! They look like what I see when I go to Scott's or any other antique show!

This has always been one of my favorite pictures…Jim's grandparent's with his dad on the right and Uncle John on the left…

They certainly created a legacy of strong work and family values that we do not take for granted!

Jim's parents and Aunt Martha and Uncle John invested a lot of time and effort to update this place…

This was actually Jim's great Uncle's house ( Pappy's brother) many years ago and now our family and friends get to enjoy it for hunting, fishing, four wheel riding, etc….a long time ago it had horses and cows and a couple that ran it, Tom and Leila King.  I've heard so many fun stories about those days! Jim's parents actually were invited to attend the King family reunion near the farm just a few weeks ago and had such a great time catching up with their children. 

A lot has changed in this place over the years but certainly not the charm of a 1800's house and the land that could share many a secret!

There's pappy in the middle…he was a very well respected and wise man!

And that's Jim's grandmother holding his father as a child.

When I saw Jim's pictures that he took at 5:30 a.m. through the lens of my camera I was pretty much awestruck by this land's beauty and all it has to offer!

This picture above is what Jim has titled "Reflection"! (I was so proud of him I could've cried!)

This picture above is so fun to me of this beat up old red truck! I love it! It reminds of how much I love the truck that Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr.  drive away in in my favorite movie…Hope Floats! Not sure I would want to drive it around town but down there it would be fun!

Of course….this can only remind me of my guy Jason Aldean and His Big Green Tractor! Oh Yeah!

And then, that's when I started seeing the signs….No, I mean really!!! The signs!!

The signs that dot the roads and tell you where you are and where to turn, etc….all of the roads at the farm are named after accounts that our family has had for years….with the Food Brokerage Business that Pappy started in the 1930's! Even though that business was sold several years ago, it's definitely what runs in our blood. It was a great family business and we often wish it were still around. Those were fun days!

Jim actually does still run Sunbelt Sweeteners and that's taken on a new meaning for us as our big customer which is Domino is based in New Orleans. It gives us two reasons to visit that lovely city now!

Which is why you see Jim standing here with the Domino sign!

And Mrs. Stratton Salads is another one of our family businesses that is now being run by Jim's cousin, George.

And here are Miller and Sarah enjoying the beautiful property on "The Mule". I guess I can't get on to him for his lack of shaving right now can I? I'm trying not to, I promise!

There were a lot of things that Jim saw that need fixing up or taken care of but now that our kids are grown and they care about it as well, hopefully we can spend more time taking care of such a great family place that holds so many fond memories.

I don't know who painted this…but it's a great picture of the actual house. It sure is fun to go back and see these pictures for me simply for the fact that it's a part of my husband's past and definitely a part of our children and grandchildren's future. I'm very thankful for Jim's upbringing and his family that made such an effort to provide well and give them such great standards to live by. What a privilege that is for me now…to benefit from Jim's love for me and our family all because he was raised with the love and respect of a father, grandfather and of course, his Heavenly Father. Nothing is sweeter than that! I promise!

Ephesians 6:1-4

 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (2) “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), (3) “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (4) Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

The Sweetest Thing's Sunday…It'sThe Simple Things in Life, Like Alone Time And Gumbo!

Does anyone else value "alone time" as much as I do? I mean, I remember how much I craved it when my children were infants…and my precious husband would often give me nights "alone" where he woke up with the babies and I never had to know about it! Sometimes it really is the simple, small things that make us the happiest!

I was in dreamland and would awaken refreshed and feeling like I was my old self again! It was glorious and I remember being so excited when I knew that was going to happen! All just for sleep!

Now I crave that same alone time to just be with Jim it seems! We are busier than we've ever been with way too many businesses and with our children in all different stages of life…All of it is extremely normal and we certainly don't consider ourselves to be suffering by any means! In fact, we are blessed 100 times over what I ever would have dreamed or asked for! Our children are at this moment walking with the Lord and either married to spouses that we couldn't have chosen better if we'd chosen them ourselves or dating a precious girl that certainly meets that criteria! We are so blessed! I don't ever want to take that for granted or sound like I don't know that!

However…when an opportunity arises to be alone at this stage in my life…I must confess…I LONG FOR IT!!! I GRAVITATE TOWARDS IT AND I EMBRACE IT!!!

So yesterday... when my family that currently is  staying at my house (either for being home from college for the long labor day weekend or living with us for a month while her husband is at Chick Fil A headquarters)…all drove away….I realized that I could experience that feeling again! ALONE!

Of course I did get a little bit sad…now that I'm older I realize that being alone isn't always cracked up to be what we think it is! ( I guess I just can't be satisfied!) However,  I am not one itsy bitsy teeny weeny percent ashamed to say that I was overjoyed! I was Alone! I was going to bed early…but by golly…I was also going to make me some Gumbo before doing any of that! Go Figure! I'm the only weirdo on the face of the planet that longs for moments to, 

A- Be alone

B- Get to exercise as long as I want to with the music as loud as I want it

C- Plan fabulous things to cook and create

D- Go to bed early and hopefully be at early church! (which by the way, didn't happen! either of them! because I stayed up too late doing C! )

But I gave it my best shot and here is what it looks like! I've always been scared to death of any recipe that tells me to make a roux! I'm afraid of it and I don't have 45 minutes to stand there stirring anything for that amount of time! So, I gave it my next best shot and bought the instant roux! For those of you that haven't tried it please don't turn your nose up at it until you've tasted this! It is so incredibly good and tastes as good as any restaurant's gumbo I've ever had!

At least I did cut up my own veggies to sauté! The onion, bell pepper and the celery!

To make it even more authentic I used all of the okra from my very own garden! I guess that makes up for using instant roux!

Just look at it simmering!

Next came the shrimp and sausage. I did peel my own shrimp as well! I must confess that I just couldn't bring myself to use the real sausage though! I am trying so hard to watch this girlish figure, you know! I used Turkey Sausage and hopefully no one will be the wiser if we don't tell them!

In the end, it looked like this and my kitchen was filled with the most wonderful aromas! Unfortunately, I was ALONE and no one could enjoy it but me! That was really ok and I know they will appreciate it when they get home! And I plan on sending some of it back with Miller when he leaves to head back to Auburn tomorrow. If I let him go, that is! 

I plan on serving it with this delicious Asiago Cheese bread that I picked up from Panera Bread yesterday. (hence the reasoning behind using Turkey Sausage and enjoying the extra calories from this yummy bread)

So, I hope you will give the art of making gumbo a try now that you know how easy it can be if you do it "Tony's" way!

Gumbo Recipe

2 C cool water
1 C Tony Chachere's Creole Instant Roux mix
1 large onion, diced
1-2 green bell pepper, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1/4 t minced garlic
8 C cool water
1 t dried thyme leaves
1 t oregano
2 t liquid shrimp and crab boil
1 lb. smoked sausage, cut up
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small can premium crab meat or crab meat of choice
2 C cut fresh or frozen okra
hot sauce
green onions
File powder
Coat a heavy dutch oven with cooking spray and add 1 T oil. Saute the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic until tender. In a small saucepan, whisk the roux mix with the 2 C cool water over medium heat. When it comes to a slow boil take off heat and continue whisking until thick. Add the remaining 8 C cool water to the vegetable mixture and slowly stir or whisk in the thickened roux. Bring to a slow boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the sausage and okra and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until desired time. Can make the night before and slowly reheat when ready to serve. I think it makes the flavors better but it's not necessary if you don't want to do that. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onion, hot sauce and file powder for individual tastes. (the instant roux mix already has spices in it and was pretty much the amount I wanted in mine so I would definitely taste before adding much else!)

Hope you are enjoying this long Labor Day weekend! I also hope you can stop and enjoy the sweet, small things in life…they are definitely the best!