Howdy gals! Recently, I went to one of my most favorite places here in the Ozarks…Silver Dollar City! ( just 15 minutes from my home!) I love going there to enjoy the beauty and charm of this family amusement park which is set in the theme of the 1880’s. There are rides, down-home cookin’ in giant cast iron skillets, shows,  bluegrass music, homemade cinnamon bread baked in a cute barn, and lots of shopping!

But on this particular day I was coming to see something even more special and wonderful! Or maybe I should say someone!

My dear friend Christy Jordan from Southern Plate was going to be there giving cooking classes! Christy and I have been friends on Facebook and instagram for a couple years and we are fans of each others blogs. We even text and chat on the phone.   But this was the first time we were going to meet in person! Ya Hoooo!

Meeting Christy in person felt like we’d known each other all our lives! She’s so warm and welcoming and has such a big heart. I’ll tell you what…this cute Alabama girl is a real hoot! She’s so funny, darling and cheerful… and that southern accent of hers, well… I love it so much I wanna marry it! Lol!

And what a fun cooking class it was! Her sweet mama was there too and she’s just as adorable as Christy!  I don’t have a picture to prove it but Christy had me come up on stage to help draw the winning numbers for several slow-cookers she was giving away as prizes! So fun! And let me tell you about that big heart of hers…after the show there was a sweet retired veteran who came up to thank her for the class and he mentioned that he was only one number off from winning one of those slow cookers and she said “I’ll be right back” and returned with a slow-cooker for him! He was thrilled! You’d have thought he won the lottery! Christy is a blessed-to-be-a-blessing kind of girl. That darlin’ girl bubbles with southern hospitality and it shows in person as well as through her charming and scrumptious cookbooks.

Not only are her cookbooks jam-packed with mouth-watering recipes they are also chock full of her own homespun family stories that just warm your ever-lovin’ heart! I have them all! Sweetness, Southern Plate; Classic Comfort Food, and Come Home to Supper.

 

 

This is how cute she is…she is just the sweetest!!( But I don’t know what she’s talkin’ bout cuz I was geeking out over HER! Lol!!) See what I mean about her accent! I want one of those!! (Y’all! Hee hee!)

If you don’t know Christy Jordan yet she is a food blogger, bestselling cookbook author, tv personality, former editor at large for Southern Living Magazine, former contributing editor to Taste of the South magazine, and someone who loves to feed people.

She holds a B.S. in Home Economics with a concentration in Foods and Nutrition. A ninth generation Alabamian, Christy lives just minutes from where she was born with her husband of 20 years, their two children, various cats, dogs, and a small flock of chickens.

Her website, SouthernPlate, has been twice named one of the top 25 food websites in the country, and draws millions of visitors each month.

The Southern Plate family is made up of a wide variance of folks who value family, friends, faith, and strengthening connections over a home cooked meal.

You can find Christy and all of her recipes here at Southern Plate !

Christy also has a YouTube channel where she shares her thoughts on life, the Lord and recipes of course! This recipe for Chocolate Cobbler (or “Mud Pie” as she called it when she was a little girl) is AMAZING! I posted this photo on Instagram and then served it for my daughter Summer’s Going-Away-to-College party and it was a hit! It truly is now one of my go-to favorite desserts! Because it’s so easy and delicious! You can find the recipe over at her website…click here!

Not too long ago Christy asked if I would like to collaborate with her by contributing a monthly decorating blog post on her website! My answer was a big, fat YES-SIR-REE BOB!  If you’d like to see my first decorating post where I show how to make a no-sew bunting head on over to Christy’s  here and tell her Aunt Ruthie sent ya!

Be sure to follow Christy on Facebook here because she shares delicious recipes daily!

Well, darlin’ thanks so much for stopping by! And if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise I’ll be back real soon with my FALL HOUSE TOUR!! Can I get a Yee Haw??

Sugar, love and hugs!

Aunt Ruthie

 

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Hello sweet sisters! I’m thrilled you’ve joined me here today because I need your pat on my back! Lol!  You see, I have turned the page to a new chapter in my life…a chapter that I was not looking forward to. I knew it was coming, but honestly, I thought it would take a lot longer to get here. Some of you sweet gals have already crossed that threshold and some of you have many years yet to go. As with most changes in life, it can be bittersweet. And that’s okay because life is just like that sometimes…and I know, that with Jesus, everything is going to be alright.

So, I’m talking about my new empty nest. Y’all, all my babies have flown the coop and last week my baby girl, Summer Rose, headed off to College! Wait, what?? Yup, it’s true! It’s so weird because it seems like I was taking her for a ride in her stroller a couple weeks ago! Lol! Okay, so I’ve shed some tears, maybe a lot… but I’m not going to park in Sad-town because happy doesn’t live there. Instead, I’ve made the decision to celebrate the goodness of the Lord, His blessings, and His promise of a bright and bountiful future. As the scripture states above, He is going to do a new thing! Now, I still might have moments, here and there, where my eyes might get a little watery (even when I’m not chopping onions) but I won’t let it last long. Nope. Ain’t gonna park there.

When my hubby and I found out we were expecting our 4th baby we were shocked because our other kids were ages 16, 14 and 11. But what a blessing and joy our sweet Summer Rose has brought into our household!

I had to wait in line to hold my own baby! Lol!

I couldn’t blame my older kids, look at that adorable baby face

and those delicious cheeks!

As my older ones went off to College, then got married, it was hard seeing them leave, but fortunately I still had this cute little thing at home. My little buddy!

I hope that Summer always remembers the things that I told her so many times…like…

~ you are my dream come true

~ I’m so glad you’re my little girl

~ you’re adorable!

I think the person who wrote the lyrics to the song below probably had stock in Kleenex Tissue! Lol! But I wanted to share a few lines here because our kids grow up so fast and if you’re a mama with babies still at home, I want to encourage you to slow down all the busyness and take a few moments to savor their sweetness! Yes, the days are slow but the years go fast.

~Turn Around~(listen here)

Where are you going my little one, little one
Where are you going my baby my own
Turn around and you’re two
Turn around and you’re four
Turn around and you’re a young girl
Going out of the door
“Turn Around” Words and Music by Alan Green, Harry Belafonte 
And Malvina Reynolds

Take every opportunity to sprinkle

sweet and kind words on your child’s heart.

The result will be a wonderfully happy child.

“A merry heart does good like a medicine”. Proverbs 17:22

Sweet 16

Me and my Pookie Lou!

Senior Prom 2017!

High School Graduation! Her brothers, sister

and her dad and I cherish that girl!

Off to College!

Moving into the dorm…meeting her roommate

and new friends down the hall!

Lots of activities for students to get to know each other! Dad holding on to his baby girl!

We are so thankful that Summer is able to go to a Christian University. She is surrounded by students and faculty that love the Lord. Summer’s already become good friends with such wonderful girls…two of them are from missionary families, one from China and the other from South Africa. Just after move-in-day the students were put in a Launch Group of around 15 kids to promote bonding friendships. They participated in several events together including packaging meals at Convoy of Hope, a scavenger hunt, dinners together and concert on the lawn. What a great way for nervous kids to feel like they belong. Summer loves it there, and that makes me happy.

So this past week I had a talk with myself. I asked myself these questions:

1. Would you rather Summer had no motivation to go to College and want instead to stay home and do nothing with her life?   (No way!)
2. Would you rather she commute 1 hour to school which would mean having to drive at night sometimes on icy roads during the winter? (Nope!)
3. Will you see her on the weekends? (Yes!)
4. Do you want her to have an incredible experience and education that will enhance her life and future? (Yes!)

That made me feel better!

Then I remembered something. I remembered how God blessed me with four amazing kids (kids I didn’t think I would be able to have back in the day) and each one of them are God-loving, responsible, compassionate, faithful, hard-working, honest, kind, brave, thankful, moral, creative and fun! Hallelujah! By the grace of God, I accomplished what I set out to do and in spite of my big, fat mistakes, they survived and did good! And three of them married amazing spouses and have given me eight beautiful grandchildren!! It’s harvest time for my hubby and I and I give God all the praise and glory!

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”  Galatians 6:9

Feeling even better.

My cousin Linda messaged me and said “Every Chapter has a gift for you from God. You and Gary will find yours and be fine. Hugs.”

Then my sister-in-law Holly texted me and shared what she told herself when she started to miss her daughter who went to College last year: “She is so incredible, the world needs to know who she is. Because of that I have to share.” Wow! That was the cherry on top!

So now it’s onward and upward to my good and hopeful future.

“And suddenly you know, it’s time to start something new and look forward to the joy of new beginnings.” ~unknown 

God bless you! If you are starting a new chapter in your life I encourage you to look for the blessings in it… it may not be easy…but promise me you won’t park in Sad-town because happy doesn’t live there.

Love you sweets!

Aunt Ruthie

 

 

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