Soul Food

July 1950 at the beach

I guess there will be three time I miss her the most: Christmas, July, and in the kitchen (so this means macaroni pie on Christmas Eve will really do a number on me). I finally cracked open my first box of treasure that I brought home from her house featuring my most favorite finds. All of the pictures from the early 1900s, recipes, and her joke book. The smells, the hand writing, the smiles in the photographs .... ahhh inhale and exhale both breath and memories.

I am in a state of abundance because within the mini cookbook she made her sorority sisters, were hand written recipes as well as hand written prayers. Anyone with good sense would know that a true soul food cookbook needs two things: good food and good heart. I guess both of those categories are subjective so I understand if one or both don't float your boat. However, give them both a try at the same time and wow I think we have a winner here.

There is nothing like eating good peaches in July. I try to find quality ones up here, but nothing quite compares to the sweet juicy flavorful fruit grown down South. My Grandmother used to make peach ice cream (still searching for that recipe) and a wonderful peach cobbler. When ever we came to her house in the summer she would serve peaches and then send us home with some more. I was lucky enough to have a dear friend bring me some peaches from Columbia the other day, which inspired me to pull out this old recipe. Now, BB might have you fooled. The recipe was actually given to her by a friend so I have to give credit where credit is due. Thank you Loretta for sharing your kitchen secrets with the public!

Loretta's Peach Cobbler 


Mix Together and set aside:


3 Cups ripe sliced peaches
3/4 Cup sugar


Heat oven to 350 degrees: chop 1 stick of butter into oblong baking dish and set in oven to melt. Stir batter of:


1/2 Cup sugar
Pinch salt
3/4 Cup self-rising flour (add 2 tsp baking powder if using plain flour)
3/4 Cup milk (2% or whole)


Pour batter over melted butter in pan, do not stir. Place sugared peaches on top, do not stir. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Batter will rise and brown. Serve with ice cream. 



When done, read this card and then eat. Feel free to repeat until full.


BB's Prayer Card

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the privilege of gathering tonight in this home. We realize always and everywhere we need you.

In our weakness to sustain us.
In our despair to encourage us.
In our strength to discipline us.

May the teaching of the Blessed Lord be our conscience as we strive to make wise decisions and that these decisions be pleasing to you. And now, bless this food as a supplement to the needs and nourishment of our bodies according to your rich graces.

Every Letter Makes a Sound .... L Says Love

Knowing me means knowing I love my family. I am lucky enough to have some pretty talented and creative family members that keep me on my toes. One in particular, my partner in crime Tiffany, has a delicate and intentional ability to coordinate color and texture. She has displayed her work in fashion design shows, children's apparel boutiques, and most recently home decoration. I am always amazed at her knowledge base (well I shouldn't be surprised because she received her degree from VT) and technical skill.


Therefore, I was insanely happy to receive a beautifully wrapped gift from her. She usually doesn't miss the mark. I couldn't have realized how touching this particular surprise would be. She created adorable handmade letters that represented each of my children's first names. I was excited to display these in their bedrooms. I thought the paper she used was so charming and well selected. What I didn't realize was she used pages from children's books that belonged to our Grandmother Helen to cover the letters. Not only will these be beautiful on our walls but will be good for our hearts as well. Every time I pass the letters I think of the connection I have to past generations and how my children will have a connection through me. Although my grandparents and great grandparents are not here in physical form, their love, wisdom, and sacrifice is handed down with each hug, story, and choice I give to my children.

The possibilities for these letters (or numbers) are numerous. Tiffany creates large fabric covered letters for decoration in rooms of a house or business. You can purchase many and spell an entire name. I am going to create walls of pictures for my children and hang the letter on the wall dedicated to the child. You could also use the letters as a photo prop. I think it would be so cute to have numbers and every year have your child's photo taken holding the age they are. What memories! What ideas do you have? I think the more personal you get with the material you use the better (think grandparent's books, dresses, ties, maps, copies of pictures, you get the drift).


Now, how to get your hands on these bad boys?! Well you can order through Tiffany on her ETSY shop or you can take a stab at making yourself. I would personally go with the first choice as her attention to detail is impeccable and you are guaranteed a home run. To learn more contact her at laneybluedesigns@gmail.com. Let me know what you think!