No you did NOT read that wrong, bear with me and I will make it all make sense!
This Thursday, kiddo and I went up to Jackson, MS, for her to see her grandmother and great-grandmother and to see Christy Jordan from Southern Plate, at her Lemuria Books book signing event!
I had been a blog follower of Christy for less than a year, before I got to meet and get to know her at the We Blog Conference, back in May. She is a hoot in person, just like she is on her blog. Something she repeated while we were there, and that she said back at the conference got me to thinking.
She said "we Southerns show our love by cooking, we're always feeding people, food is central, we cook because we care. When we bake our grandmothers recipe, she is there with us, and if we are teaching it to someone else, then she is going into their homes and hearts, as well " Now if that isn't the basis of a good old bluegrass song, I don't know what is. BUT it's also a very basic truth about Southerners and what makes a person Southern.
Southern women want to set the table well, serve a wonderful meal, which means filling and full of flavor, NOT fancy, we want our guests comfortable so that they feel like they are at home, and food is a HUGE part of this equation. Can I get some "Take Me Home Country Roads" music here?
While we were at the booksigning, I was asked what I blogged about and was stumped for a minute. I have no DEFINEABLE niche, per blogging world criteria! I see my blog as how I was raised: Southern.
I was expected to know how to cook, to clean, to sew, to be creative, set flowers, set a table, entertain for 4 or 50, be able to throw a decent party at a hour's notice, be educated and current in my knowledge, love my family, honor my ancestors and elders, and share with my friends and family. So that is what THIS blog has become. Can I say my niche is Southern? Will people understand the internal song of love and family, or will stereotypes stop them from understanding? Just like country music of old, typecasting can pigeon hole you forever.
So when I meet someone, like Christy, who represents what it truly means to be a Southern woman, my heart sings with joy, and I know that her Southern Plate cookbook will go a LONG way to breaking down stereotypes and letting others know what 'heart song' a Southern woman sings internally. The song of our ancestors- family above all, but food is a pretty close second!
To Jyl and Kelli, founders of WeBlog, thanks again for introducing me to such wonderful Southern women, (and our token Yankee, my lovely roomie Christina), and showing me that even at conference, you had to feed us repeatedly. though I'm not sure you've been forgiven for the Krispy Kreme event yet! HA HA!
So now you see why I included Christy on Music Monday (and yes, I will be doing a review of her cookbook NEXT month-when I finally have the time to)! You see, food is the internal song that all Southerns sing, and I hope that you can get out there and find Christy near by on her book tour. If you can't, then get her book, and join us in the refrain:
This Thursday, kiddo and I went up to Jackson, MS, for her to see her grandmother and great-grandmother and to see Christy Jordan from Southern Plate, at her Lemuria Books book signing event!
I had been a blog follower of Christy for less than a year, before I got to meet and get to know her at the We Blog Conference, back in May. She is a hoot in person, just like she is on her blog. Something she repeated while we were there, and that she said back at the conference got me to thinking.
She said "we Southerns show our love by cooking, we're always feeding people, food is central, we cook because we care. When we bake our grandmothers recipe, she is there with us, and if we are teaching it to someone else, then she is going into their homes and hearts, as well " Now if that isn't the basis of a good old bluegrass song, I don't know what is. BUT it's also a very basic truth about Southerners and what makes a person Southern.
Southern women want to set the table well, serve a wonderful meal, which means filling and full of flavor, NOT fancy, we want our guests comfortable so that they feel like they are at home, and food is a HUGE part of this equation. Can I get some "Take Me Home Country Roads" music here?
While we were at the booksigning, I was asked what I blogged about and was stumped for a minute. I have no DEFINEABLE niche, per blogging world criteria! I see my blog as how I was raised: Southern.
I was expected to know how to cook, to clean, to sew, to be creative, set flowers, set a table, entertain for 4 or 50, be able to throw a decent party at a hour's notice, be educated and current in my knowledge, love my family, honor my ancestors and elders, and share with my friends and family. So that is what THIS blog has become. Can I say my niche is Southern? Will people understand the internal song of love and family, or will stereotypes stop them from understanding? Just like country music of old, typecasting can pigeon hole you forever.
So when I meet someone, like Christy, who represents what it truly means to be a Southern woman, my heart sings with joy, and I know that her Southern Plate cookbook will go a LONG way to breaking down stereotypes and letting others know what 'heart song' a Southern woman sings internally. The song of our ancestors- family above all, but food is a pretty close second!
To Jyl and Kelli, founders of WeBlog, thanks again for introducing me to such wonderful Southern women, (and our token Yankee, my lovely roomie Christina), and showing me that even at conference, you had to feed us repeatedly. though I'm not sure you've been forgiven for the Krispy Kreme event yet! HA HA!
So now you see why I included Christy on Music Monday (and yes, I will be doing a review of her cookbook NEXT month-when I finally have the time to)! You see, food is the internal song that all Southerns sing, and I hope that you can get out there and find Christy near by on her book tour. If you can't, then get her book, and join us in the refrain:
Cooking is love and thru it we remember, we honor,
we share, just like our blogs do!
