Boiled Peanuts, Coke and Gershwin

Few things are more quintessentially Southern than relaxing on a front porch swing, eating boiled peanuts and drinking a Coke. Where we live, Coke is the term used for any carbonated beverage, and even though I usually drink Diet, classic Coca-Cola is the perfect beverage to accompany "bald" peanuts.
If you don't have one of these at a roadside near you:


you can make them the way my Mama does:

Ingredients:
2 lbs. fresh green peanuts, rinsed, in the shell
1 1/2 cups salt
Step-By-Step:
(1) Combine peanuts and salt in large pot.
(2) Cover with water.
(3) Bring to a boil.
(4) Reduce heat to active simmer and simmer for 2-3 hours, until soft.
(5) Drain and Serve Warm. With some ice cold Coke.

Bon Appetit, Y'all, and Happy Summer!

(Please scroll down and pause (II) the background music before playing the video)

More Pomp. More Circumstance. Another Graduator and a Trip Down Memory Lane.

My 6'3", 215 pound baby brother graduated from high school last week.

B was a surprise to our family--arriving just as my parents were preparing to move into their empty-nest years. Having him around has certainly kept them young, though, and we are so blessed to have him in our lives!

Mama went into labor on my 17th birthday; I was in the delivery room when my brother was born, was the first to hold him, and have been doting on him ever since. Out in public, people have always assumed he was my child (until the last few years, now they assume he's my date!).

With the age gap between us, sometimes it seems that I'm more of an indulgent aunt-type-person than a sister (although at times he's mentioned that he feels like he has three mothers with all of the nagging and unsolicited advice--I mean guidance--he's received from my Mama, our sister and me!). I love spending time with him and am so thankful for all of the memories I've made with him as he's grown up.

B has matured into a handsome, super-smart guy with a hilarious sense of humor and a heart of gold.

B, I love you and am so proud of you, my college-bound little brother!

A Cruisin' We Will Go!

We booked a Disney Cruise for this fall! It will probably be our last trip as a family of four. The girls are so excited to be going out on the "Mickey Boat" again, and we're looking forward to some low-stress R&R and traveling with our dear friends, the K family, who invited us to join them on our first Disney Cruise a few years ago---and got us hooked! Here are some favorite pictures from cruises past to give you an idea of all the fun we're looking forward to:

2005: Ready to Go!
Carriage Tour of Nassau:
All the fry-fries you can eat!

Dancing with Daddy:

Pirates IN the Carribbean:

Castaway Cay (Disney's Private Island in the Bahamas):

2007: Boarding Picture:

Evacuation Drill (Little Miss A slept through the whole thing!):

Turn Downs with Chocolate and Towel Animals:
Cruising Beauty:

At Ernest Hemingway's House, Key West:

My Good Lookin' Hus-B:

Jeepin' and Beachin' in Grand Cayman:

More Pirates IN the Caribbean:

Deck Parties with Fantastic Fireworks Displays:

Exploring the Mayan Ruins Outside of Cozumel:

Beachin' in Cozumel:

Dress-Up Fun:

Hangin' with my Honey:

Snorkeling in Bahamas:

Castaway Cay:

Picture Time:

Can. Hardly. Wait!