In the Groove

This week I celebrated a birthday, the last of my Twenties! I ate lots of yummy confections and toasted to the adventures awaiting Year 29. Because I sometimes like to end the week resurrecting one of the many, many fabulous Soul Train videos, I couldn't help but share what my hilarious friend emailed over. Happy Friday from your groovin' Soul Sista! And in case you can't tell, I've been working on my moves.

Sweet, Sweet Home

Tomorrow I'm taking off on a 30+ hour flight bound for American soil. I haven't stepped foot inside the good ole' USA in over 16 months and my heart misses it dearly. I plan to spend all of July smothered in barbecue, queso, Target, baby kisses [I finally get to plant my lips on my year old godson!], and lots and lots of late giggly nights around the family table. As much as I love exploring exotic locales, the next few weeks at home with loved ones is all the mojo I'll need to stay inspired. I promise to return refueled and Southern-fied, and I can't think of anything more intoxicating than that. It's going to be a bon, bon voyage for sure. Happy Summer!

[photo via Calypso St. Barth.]

Forget Me Not

I'm forgetful. If it's not written in my planner, it's likely I'll never remember to call Aunt Sue on Friday or pick up my husband from work, luckily the latter only occurred once. Because of my absent-mindedness I often triple check my belongings when I'm on the go [This proves most successful when I actually remember what I arrived with in the first place.] And because I worry most about horrendous accidents like leaving my husband at work again 'Camera Loss,' I'm taking cues from Andrew McDonald to prevent my dreaded fear. He saved a series of cheeky self-portraits on his camera's memory card in hopes that Finders Keepers couldn't resist a humorous plea!

The Bold and the Beautiful

The Doctor's Orders Bag and Vérité cinema short are well earning their stripes.

In Line

Right now I'm dreaming along the lines of geometric prints and linear patterns, all textural, three-dimensional and yummy.

[1] String Bikini; [2] Sally Campbell Throw; [3] Lizzie Fortunato necklaces; [4] Silvana Danies necklaces; [5] Idris Navajo Sandal; [6] Wayuu Mochila bag; [7] Tess Tri-Color Belt.

Troubled Waters

When BP representative Randy Prescott proclaimed "Louisiana isn't the only place that has shrimp," I thought of my favorite man Timmy Cheramie and wondered if Mr. Prescott has ever peeled his own shrimp. See, Mr. Prescott, in the South we're taught a lot of things like how to make a roux; what's in a trinity; proper pronunciation of words like Tchoupitoulas, Ouachita, Natchitoches and Atchafalaya; and most importantly, if you can't say anything smart nice then don't say anything at all.

The tragic Deepwater Horizon oil spill hits close to home, literally. This ugly explosion not only claimed 11 lives, including a childhood friend, but the continued damage to the Gulf Coast is gutting. More than 125 marshy miles of Louisiana coastline—and parts of Alabama and Mississippi—have become mucked up in crude sludge. Regardless of what precautionary measures were or were not taken and where the blame lies, the chief concern is will and can this mess be cleaned, preferably before hurricanes tear through the South.

So while Louisiana may not be the only place that has shrimp, it is home to roughly a third of the U.S. seafood industry. It's also home to the most soulful shrimpers and fishermen in the business, and that means something too. It's not just where they work and how they make their living; it is their home and it's where they and the multiple generations before them spent their entire lives, working, living and being South Louisianians. So you see, Mr. Prescott, it's more than just shrimp that are being threatened here; you won't find the Mr. Cheramies ANYWHERE else!

[Photos via Boston.com and Gerald Herbert/AP.]

Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)

It's summertime, it's scorching, and my seasonal summery sweet tooth is in full swing. Heavy desserts are out of the question in this heat, so I'm turning to berries, passion fruit puree, mint and fresh whipped cream atop a crunchy retro Brandy Snap instead. Though a tad labor intensive, they sure taste mighty fine!


Brandy Snaps
Makes about 36

4 oz butter
3 oz caster sugar
6 oz golden syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 oz flour
1 tsp ground ginger
½ pint cream

Preheat oven to 350° F/180° C and have three ungreased baking trays ready. Place two racks near the center of the oven.

Put the butter, sugar and syrup into a heavy-based saucepan and melt over a gentle heat, stirring constantly. Don't let the mixture get too hot or it will cook the flour and stop the snaps from spreading. Add lemon juice, sift in the flour and ginger, and mix together.

Drop the mixture in teaspoonfuls on the trays leaving plenty of room for them to spread. Putting two spoonfuls per tray is safest and ensures you can enjoy the shaping process rather than feeling flustered and rushed; four per tray is maximum.

Put two trays in the oven and cook the snaps for about 8 minutes. They will spread out, bubble, and turn golden. Remove the trays to a cooling rack and let cool just slightly [under 1 minute]. Put the third tray in the oven and get the timer before shaping the first batch.

To shape, lift the snaps one at a time with spatula, flip onto a wooden board. Traditionally they are rolled resembling cigars, which you can do by shaping with ungreased cream horn molds or greased wooden spoon handles. I left mine flat then used a round mold to cut even disks. Continue until all the mixture is used, alternating between one and two trays in the oven.

To make a passion fruit puree, juice passion fruits to make 1½ cups juice and combine with 1 cup sugar and ⅓ cup water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, lower heat and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes, until slightly reduced. Puree, strain and chill.

Before serving fill rolled snaps with fresh whipped cream or top disks as I did with whatever you fancy.

Note: If they sit longer than one hour with cream they will begin to soften and become a mess. Also, the sticky shaping process may or may not go awry, reducing final snap count from 36 to 6—and causing you to curse like a sailor. But keep at it because practice is key with this recipe.

Silver Lining

Artist Timothy Paul Myers created prodigious Mother's Day window installations for all Tory Burch boutiques inspired by a 1957 image of Tory’s Mother in Cuba. Using a staple gun and heaps of ingenuity [plus 160 hours of time], Myers recreated the photograph with 185,000 simple silver office staples!

In Living Color

Maybe it's the verdant new life I just potted, but lately I'm drawn to lush, floral goodness like a moth to a flame.


[1] Antique Spoon Garden Markers; [2] Growing Stuff: An Alternative Guide to Gardening; [3] Crocus Rocks Glasses; [4] Josephine Bib; [5] Elysian Silk Blouse; [6] Diving Whale Terrarium; [7] Floral Scratch Pad; [8] Garden Utility Belt.

A House Divided

Beach Bungalow 8 posted this pagoda bungalow and I've since had dreams of sweetly arched roofs and darling dormers. After living in a pint-sized Houston bungalow then moving to Southeast Asia, I can't imagine a better house to marry the best of both my worlds.