Sweet summer succulence

In honor of all of this summer's fabulous produce, I wanted to pay homage to some of my favorite recipes of the week...

Roasted Okra:

Slice fresh okra into thirds longways. lay flat on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast in a 425 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes. It's that easy, folks. Like little okra fries- so good!

Indianola Sweet Corn: just microwave, boil, or grill it....it could possibly be dessert!

Blueberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding:

5 eggs

4 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

loaf french bread

bag of white chocolate chips

1 cup blueberries

6 tspns amaretto

whiskey sauce:

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1cup heavy cream

1/4 cup butter

1tsp vanilla

1/2 cup (some for you, some for the sauce kind of thing) whiskey

Combine 1st 6 ingredients. Mix well. Pour over torn bread. Refrigerate overnight. Add white chocolate chips, blueberries, and amaretto. Place in a buttered pan. Bake at 350 in a waterbath about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

For sauce: mix sugar and cornstarch in double boiler. Gradually add heavy cream until sugar is dissolved. Add butter and vanilla. Cook until thick. Add whiskey and pour over pudding.

Okay, I haven't made the bread pudding this week. If I make it, I eat it and I can't handle this many calorites too often...but it IS fabulous and now I'll always be able to find the recipe. We have had some of the best fresh blueberries....any favorite blueberry recipes you want to share?

What have you been eating?

Meeting Hamp

Well our summer tour didn't end in north MS... we headed down to Meridian to meet our nephew, Hamp, and help him get baptized.

This was Reed and Hamp meeting for the first time. Hamp is 2 months and Reed is 5 months.

Reed wanted to show Hamp all of her tricks, including sitting up by herself.

We got a chance to stop by our favorite blueberry farm...Johnson Blueberry Farm (see link) and picked fresh berries for summer snackin'.

Daniel got so excited when he saw the bushes covered in ripe berries!

She had on sunscreen and a hat but the shade seemed to work the best!

Relaxing with the fans and some homemade blueberry poppyseed cake!

The Ward Family

We hope that little cat has 9 lives because I think he got lost this trip.

Iuka was next

We stopped back through Iuka on our way home to visit with Daniel's grandmother, or the girls' great grandmother. Hannah Kate wouldn't sit still but Reed enjoyed posing with Grandmother Hooker. We were able to get in a quick visit with Aunt Shelia and Uncle David, too- interrupted their Sunday afternoon lake trip- but glad to see them while passing through.

Our next stop

Dismals Canyon, Phil Campbell,AL. We stayed in a cabin on the property but there are bunk houses and primitive camp sites for the more adventurous. We got to swim in a natural spring 'swimmin hole' (which felt like something the polar bear club would visit). Daniel and I both dared each other to totally submerge; Hannah Kate would only get in to about her knees but absolutely loved it and wanted to get in daily; And Reed just watched contently from the rocky side. We also walked through the floor of the canyon-about a mile and a half trail- at our own pace. It's really breathtaking. All of the canyon walls and huge rocks were moss covered and hanging over us. Temperature was in the mid 70s in the canyon but didn't feel too much warmer back around the cabin. As for the Hooker's first family of four getaway, this was a GREAT summer spot!

Hannah Kate found a sand bar and was able to make a sand castle- best part of the beach without actually being there!

Summer travels

We meandered our way across the state for a little road trip and stopped in Tupelo for the Buffalo Park (and to visit with our Godchild + fam there). This was a pretty neat little destination. Roaming buffalos, camel, zebras, donkeys, horses, yaks, etc., petting zoo with goats and ponies, small animal exhibits including alligators, lions, snakes, birds, black bear, and our favorite part ...the giraffes that we got to feed!

We were close enough to feed the buffalo but they were more skittish of us so we just dropped some food in the trough and watched them come up close.

This was Joe the camel that nipped at the lady behind us on the trolley tour. She was feeding him but he decided that he wanted the bag in her lap. Good thing he didn't want the camera in Daniel's lap!

This was Tall Boy. He and Patches (his girlfriend) would eat right out of your hand. Pretty neat to be eyeball to eyeball with this amazing creature.

Tall Boy's tongue was so rough and snake like that it really just fascinated us!

Happy Birthdays all around!

Hope it's a great day in Tuscaloosa!! Wishing you many, many more! Happy Day Aug!

Hope that your day is pretty great in Greenville, too, Mark! Wishing you a day just for you and your favorite things! Glad we got to celebrate a little with you last night!

And a belated happy happy birthday wish to you in Meridian! Looking forward to seeing all of you and yours soon!