End of Summer...

It is hard to believe that the end of summer is almost here!  Where has time gone, didn't the students just walk across the floor at graduation and now its time to think about them getting back into the swing of things.  It seems like no matter how hard as teachers we try to plan ahead and organize to make our little domain's run smoothly it is always an adjustment in getting to know your new kids, preparing for your classes, making sure your room looks "just right" for that first day of school (clean-organized and if your me, hopefully a LITTLE bit of cuteness) and getting back into the routine of living by bells- bells that tell you when to start and stop teaching, when to go to lunch, when to run to make copies, and when to go to the bathroom... its amazing how we program ourselves to respond to the sound of those bells!

My fellow teachers come back to work this week.  It is amazing how your coworkers become extensions of your family and you look forward to seeing them and celebrating life with them!  I know our staff is excited and nervous as we have had a LOT of administrative changes this year and aren't quite for sure what to expect yet.  There is a total different feeling in our school than at the end of the year last year, an excitement for what will be and a slight fear because of the changes that have taken place in a short time.

As we gear up for the weeks to come- I wanted to share a project I have been working on to help those of you who are preparing to find that balance of work and home yet again, or those who have kids and a whole new set of things to learn for the next year.  I wanted to take a moment and share something that will hopefully help you for the next 3 months (if you choose to utilize them) or for when life is so busy you can't see straight (which happens more frequently this time of year).  Please take a moment to check out the link below which directs you to 11 weeks (as of right now) worth of menu plans and grocery lists that on average prepares between 5-7 dinners for your family, can feed a family of four for around $150 a week (some weeks are more, some are less depending on what you have in the freezer and pantry and if you buy in bulk when sales are on).  I hope that this helps take some of the burden off of you in the year to come- and I hope you enjoy a week (or eleven) off from the pressure of balancing school and home.

Taste of the Blue Ridge Weekly Meal Plans

May God bless you in the school year to come and may your students get to know Him through you and your actions.  Although every day is not going to be great, may we remember that we have one of the greatest careers on earth and can be an influence on the lives of youth within our community.  May we be a positive influence when they have none at home.  May we be a shoulder for them to lean on when life hands them lemons.  May we be there to celebrate their accomplishments.  May we provide a safe haven and environment so they may grow.  May we provide memories that last a lifetime.  And somewhere along the way- may we provide them lessons about life in addition to the curriculum(s) we teach.

With lots of love and blessings-  Momma P

More Biscuits Please...

We had an alumni meeting last night, which meant that we caught a quick bite to eat at a local restaurant before heading back to school.  Shortly after we sat down, the waitress brought over a basket of fresh, hot biscuits for us to nibble on while we waited for our meal and I was instantly taken back to my grandma's kitchen and watching her make biscuits for our family at every meal.

Grandma and Grandpa lived a simple life- and tenant farmed for most of my dad's childhood until their

children were old enough to go in together and purchase a small farm for their parents that was about 5

minutes from where I was raised.  The sense of duty and family ties was as thick as the blood that ran through their veins.  If any of dad's seven brothers or sisters or any of our cousins (there were thirteen of us total in our generation) came up- Grandma would call those of us who lived close by and want to have us over for lunch.  Grandma's table always had a a feast with some kind of meat, applesauce and cucumbers with green onions in vinegar and fresh biscuits among a variety of other veggies (most of which she raised in her garden).

Grandma always made her biscuits in the dinning room- she had a huge wooden bin that sat in the corner that she kept her flour stocked in.  She would measure it out, throw in the lard and work her magic in making biscuits for our family.  She always knew just when the dough was right and ready to be rolled out and cut (using a glass jar) without ever looking at a recipe.  In many ways, this reminded me of how she tended to us as a family, always knowing when to encourage us, support us and being the bond that tied us all together. Grandma loved her family fiercely and took pride not in what they had but in who they were.  It wasn't about the fancy things that could be bought but how we stuck together when we needed to.  

When my youngest asked for "more biscuits please" last night, I couldn't help but remember back to my childhood and watching my grandma make those mouthwatering biscuits and the love that she instilled in our family or the patience she had to get her dough "just right".  Grandma never took a short cut with a canned or frozen biscuit, preferring to use her hands to provide for our family.  I hope that this is a lesson I can teach my boys- that although sometimes it is easy to accept what is easiest as being "okay"- great things can be achieved when you use your hands to make something from scratch.  (Although I do cheat and use frozen biscuits more than I should)  I hope my boys will look back on their childhood as adults and have moments when they remember these "bites" from childhood.

Never Fail Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 2 teaspoons white sugar 1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced 3/4 cup milk

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2.	In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the milk. Stir until dough begins to pull together then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
3.	Press dough together and then roll out until 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 2 inch round biscuits and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
4.	Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until golden.

Aunt Dot's Salmon Patties & 14 Day Sweet Pickles

Family traditions come in all fashions- from celebrating traditions such as Decoration today to special dishes that are passed down as old family recipes.  I hope that you enjoy the following two dishes that were passed on to be by my Great Aunt and are definitely a taste of the Blue Ridge!

It doesn't matter where in the Blue Ridge you are, at some point you will probably be served a traditional meal of  Salmon Patties, Macaroni & Cheese & Peas.  The first time I made this meal for my husband, he laughed and said that his momma used to make the same meal when he was little/  Since today would of been her birthday, I would like to honor her memory as well as my Great Aunt who passed on this family recipe in today's entry.  These patties are so good that my grandfather used to have me come over to his house and make these for him when I was in high school.  I hope that you and your family enjoy them as much as our family does!

Salmon Patties

• 1 (16 oz) can pink salmon- drain, debone and remove skin
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup Ritz Crackers, crumbled
• 1/2 Tbl salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Butter Flavored Shortening (for frying)

Beat eggs.  Combine with crumbs and other ingredients and add to salmon, mixing well.  Shape into patties and place into skillet in which shortening has been melted over medium heat.  Brown well, turning once.

Growing up our Great Aunt Dot made the best 14 Day Sweet Pickles that were always a treat for us. Her pickles and her beautiful roses (and love of Days of Our Lives) are things that I will never forget about her! Aunt Dot kept my sister and I when we were little- and spoiled us rotten! These take a little while to make, but the old saying is true- good things come to those who wait! They are so good that I have seen teenagers devour a jar in minutes!  Enjoy!

14 DAY SWEET PICKLES

• 2 gallons sliced cucumbers
• 1 pint salt
• 1 gallon water
• 1 tbsp. alum (heaping)
• 2 1/2 pints vinegar (white)
• 10 c. sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 tablespoons of Whole Cloves
• Sterilized jars

Into sterilized stone jar, put 2 gallons of cucumbers, washed and sliced into 1/4" pieces. Regardless of size, they must be sliced or they will shrivel. Dissolve salt in 1 gallon boiling water and pour, while hot, over pickles. Cover and weight down the pickles and let stand (have water cover plate) and cover with a cloth for 6 days.

On the seventh day, drain, then pour 1 gallon boiling water over pickles; let them stand 24 hours, repeat this step for days 8 and 9.

On the 10th day, drain. Pour 1 gallon of boiling water with 1 heaping tablespoon of powdered alum over the pickles; let stand 24 hours.

On the following day (11th day), drain again and pour pickling mixture (see below) over pickles. Let stand 24 hours, and on day 12, drain the mixture into a pot to reheat to boiling and pour over the pickles. Repeat this process of draining the mixture and reboiling it and re-pouring it over the pickles on day 13. On day 14, collect mixture and reboil while you pack the pickles in hot, sterile mason jars, leaving ~ 1/2" headspace in jars. Pour boiled mixture over pickles and seal. (With the hot liquid and hot jars, they should seal without having to be processed in a hot water bath.)

For the pickling mixture, combine 2 1/2 pints of vinegar, with 10 cups sugar, and create a cheesecloth pouch for your cinnamon sticks and whole cloves); bring this to a boil and pour this over the pickles.

Decoration Sunday in the South...

In the Blue Ridge we are taught from an early age to appreciate our roots and ties to an area and to honor those loved ones in our lives who have passed on before.  It did not matter if they had passed away (bless their hearts) long before we were a glimmer in our parents eye, we were told stories that made them very real to us and our every day lives.  From furniture in our homes, quilts that were passed down from one generation to the next, or mouth watering recipes served at special occasions our family ties were always emphasized and honored.  I am blessed to have grandparents and parents who have passed these stories and traditions on to me, and I hope to be able to pass them (along with a few more) to my boys in the years to come.

One of the most sacred and beautiful traditions in our part of the mountains is the tradition of Decoration Day at the churches our families have attended and those whose cemeteries become their final resting place here on earth.  Although many churches "down below the mountain" hold homecomings, Decoration is a little something more in that not only do families come home to gather for a meal in the church but in the days leading up to and the day of, they go out to the cemetery to tend to love ones graves and to place beautiful flower arrangements (real, silk and more recently a trend of beautiful mixed pots) to "decorate" the grave for the day.  Throughout the community I was raised in, each church has a different Decoration Day and family members from all over come home to celebrate the lives their ancestors.  

Today was Decoration Day at the little church that most of my ancestors are buried at.  My Great-Great Grandparents on my daddy's side to my Great-Grandparents on my mother's (and countless Great-Aunts and Uncles and family friends) and my own sweet Daddy are laid to rest on the hill across the road from the little church that we grew up in.  In the distance, you can see the beautiful Blue Ridge, and on the other side you can see an old white farm house (which happens to be where my father was born) and just across the hill is the house that I was raised in.  Our little church takes pride in being one of the oldest churches in the area, and there are gravestones from the early 1800's in the oldest part of the cemetery of people who came over from Scottland and Ireland and settled in this little corner of the mountains and carved a life and a community in this piece of God's country.  The ladies and men's groups (most of whom are well past the age of retirement) meet many times the week before and clean headstones, and spend an evening placing artificial arrangements on every single grave in the cemetery (unless they know that the family will be by to place flowers on before Decoration).  The men have identified those heroes who have served our country and have added a small American Flag to each of those stones as well.  The night before, many will gather in the cemetery to decorate their loved ones grave and catch up with longtime friends who live far away.  Sunday morning, families gather at the gravesides of their loved ones and catch up prior to a special church service which is followed by a community pot luck dinner in the church fellowship.  Generations of families gather together to celebrate and share memories of days gone by and to honor their loved ones.

I remember growing up that the DOT would plan their mowing schedule around decoration, and mow our road in anticipation of the day.  Our whole road (most of which were either blood or church family) always made sure that their yards and flowerbeds were in top notch condition and we always made sure our house was spotless inside and out (even down to scrubbing windows and shutters) in anticipation of whoever might stop by as they made the venture home for Decoration.  These memories came back today as we went home for this event. As we walked through cemetery today I was reminded of the stories of my ancestors that my dad and grandparents told us growing up.  I found myself walking in my dad's footsteps as we walked through the cemetery with the boys and I shared stories of past generations with my boys.  I want them to know about their Great Great Aunt and Uncle who played such a big role in our lives growing up (and whose recipe I follow for the sweet pickles I make).  I want them to know about their Great-Great Grandfather who loved licorice and taught me to play checkers, and his wife (my Great Grandmother) who earned her high school degree at the young age of 80.  I want them to know about my grandparents, who would call every time that a family member would come home for us to come over and visit- grandma who taught me to sew and my quiet grandpa who picked on me about being his "Old Woman" during his last winter when my responsibility was to keep his woodpile stacked so he wouldn't have to go to the woodshed.  I want them to know my father- who was so key in my life and share the stories he told us and the unconditional love he gave us.  I want them to have the same tradition and roots that were given to me growing up.  Today was step along that journey as they helped to place flowers on the grave, they listened to the stories and they learned to appreciate the generations past.  Today is a day for reflection, memories and to miss those we love.

Marinara Sauce Recipe

We have a bumper crop of roma tomatoes in our little garden this year!  Of everything that we've planted this has by far done the best.  We have been so blessed that we have had to support our cages with sticks and are on the verge of supporting the sticks with rocks the plants are so heavy with little green globes waiting to ripen in the warm summer sun!

I came across this recipe [via the VintageMixer] to try this year.  Hopefully our results are as good as the reviews on their page!

[I have always been taught to be careful with tomatoes and tomato sauces because of the risk of botulism with their pH not being acidic enough if you use hot water canning, however with the addition of the White Wine, this method should work, although you could process in a pressure canner if you would prefer.]

White Wine Marinara Tomato Sauce Recipe for Canning

Yield: 8 quarts or 16 pints

Ingredients

• 24 lbs roma tomatoes, 1 case
• 3 stalks of oregano, chopped
• 8-10 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 4 cups olive oil
• 3 large onions
• 9 cups white whine
• 6-8 stalks of basil, whole
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 6 tablespoons of lemon juice
• more salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cut tomatoes in half, remove hard core and stem, and scoop the seeds out into a separate bowl, set aside. Lay tomato halves in roasting pans, cut side up.
3. Scatter the garlic slices and oregano on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle with half (2 cups) of olive oil and Roast for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
4. When tomatoes are almost cooled, remove the skins from the roasted tomatoes (they should be easy to remove at this point). Placing skins in the bowl with the seeds and the roasted tomatoes in another large bowl.
5. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 cups of oil in a large stockpot and add onions and white wine. Simmer until reduced by half (15-25 minutes).
6. Mash the roasted tomatoes with your hands (this is the fun part!) then stir them into the simmering onion mixture.
7. Pour tomato seeds and peel into a sieve over the tomato sauce pot, pressing them so that their juice drips into the pot. Discard seeds and peels.
8. Bring to a boil then add whole basil stalks and 2 teaspoons of salt. Lower heat and simmer for 40 minutes or more to thicken.
9. Remove Basil. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
10. Pour simmering sauce into sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace in the jars. Process in a hot water bath for 40 minutes.

Let's Get this Blog Started!

Life is sweeter when you are in the heart of the Appalachians.  The Blue Ridge Mountains is the heart of the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains that earned it's name from the beautiful blueish tones the mountains have when viewed from the distance.

Life in the Blue Ridge Lesson No. 1

In the Blue Ridge we pronounce it as App-uh-LATCH-uhn, we visibly cringe when we hear it pronounced differently.  We recognize that most of the States mispronounces this word due to their being ill informed on the historical pronunciation of the word by our brave ancestors who carved out a life in these peaks and valleys.  By calling it the App-uh-LAY-shuhn Mountains- we will immediately know that you are a "foreigner" and not from around these parts.  Our gracious upbringing will prevent us from spitting in your grits and sweet tea---  unless you continue to say it the wrong way after hearing the beauty of the correct pronunciation of the word.

The New River in Northwest N. Carolina

My roots run deep along the banks of the New River.  I can trace my family's heritage back to the original land grant from the King of England penned on a sheep skin! Family legend says that the deed was still in our family's position up until the 1950's when my Great-Grandmother burned it because it was moldy and she was cleaning house!  Although most of the land has since been sold, some of my cousins still live on property from the original grant.  Several decades ago, a distant cousin wrote a book about the history of our family and we laugh that although we aren't blue blooded- we are blue booked!  I aim to share the heritage from my family and the traditions of the Blue Ridge with you through scrumptious bites and savory tidbits from home.  Although I have since moved into the "flat land" my roots still run deep and my heritage defines who I am in all that I do.

Life in the Blue Ridge Lesson No. 2

The value of family, friends and faith runs deep in the Blue Ridge.  Family ties run deep and you never know if you are talking to someone's mother, third cousin twice removed or best friend from high school.  A good rule is to always watch what you say so that you don't inadvertently offend someone or put your foot in your mouth.  A little bit of kindness goes a long ways with mountain folk, as it isn't forgotten but the same is true for when you hurt someone's feelings.  As you travel through the hills, you will notice all kinds of churches- the Methodists, the Baptists (this is where it gets fun because you may see a First Baptist Church next to a Southern Baptist Church across the road from a Missionary Baptist Church all on the same road as an Antioch Baptist Church) and even those churches that test their faith with Snake Handling and Old Time Revivals that are a production to themselves.  Children plan their summers with Vacation Bible School schedules and go to VBS at multiple churches.  Family and friends gather together to pray when it is needed, share praises when they witness a miracle and honor those who have gone on before.

I am a mother and a wife. I have two toddler boys and married the love of my life..  They are the light of my life and along with their daddy are my world.  They make each day sweeter, crazier and brighter just by being.  Finding the balance between home and school (aka work- more on that in a  minute) is one of the most difficult things I strive to do on a daily basis.  I know that many of my generation is struggling to find that balance of providing for their family and maintaining a home while holding down a full time job outside of it.  I am lucky- my husband helps in nontraditional ways- he helps cook, clean and watches after our two monsters and I don't know what I would do without him.

I am a teacher.  I teach agriculture at our local high school and work crazy hours to make a positive difference in the lives of students through agriculture education.  I am "Momma P" to many of my students because of the nature of our program.  They do not call me this out of disrespect, they  genuinely see me as being one of their mother's at school and I am blessed with the knowledge that they know I genuinely care about them and want the best for them (isn't that the true definition of motherhood?).  I am an FFA advisor.  If you are not familiar with FFA- it is the Nation's largest agricultural youth organization with over a half a million members throughout the US, Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands.  We work closely with students to develop premier leadership, personal growth and career success through activities such as contests, meetings, workshops and events through our local chapter.  I have a wonderful co-teacher who has helped our program grow tremendously the last few years and love the opportunities that we provide students.  

I am a homemaker.  My husband and I both love to garden and to cook and we make dates out of going to the grocery store or canning what we grew in our small garden (I actually live in a housing development "in town" but we have a small garden and chicken coop that keeps us busy in the summer.  We plan our meals for the week based on what we have, what's on sale and what we want!  We try to mix things up and aren't afraid of trying new things.  I am one of "those people" the one who takes pictures of her plate and posts it on Facebook- which has lead to a lot of suggestions from family and friends to blog our recipes and share our adventures.

From the classroom to the dinner table- I hope this blog will help others make life easier, I can't promise that I will always do the best job of keeping up with it as life can and does get in the way, but hopefully can do just enough to help those of you in a pinch!

God bless!

~Momma P