Memorial Day in snaps at Sage Hill.
Low key with times of prayer, reflections, and good food!
An un-inspected visitor and that is OK…
The grandson’s all working…and that’s OK
One is gardening and that makes me smile!
I sincerely hope your day was inspired!
Today was, because they were, willing to give ALL.
In Gratitude.
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(Ontheroadagain!)
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May 20/21-2023
I never moved away from my roots.
My parents, my grandparents, my great-grandparents, and all the way back to the Eleventh century have worked beyond hard, farmed the land, and served this country through Her military branches.
I have no patience, respect, understanding, or liking for those who wish to destroy my heritage.
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Decoration Day at our family cemeteries (we have 2) both in the month of May.
That is how I spent my Saturday, a day before the actual event (which was today)
(a rain-soaked weekend/I opted for the best day and prayed) My prayers were heard and granted.
The rain stopped until we got the beautiful flowers in place. (Rosey Posey Flowers and Gifts) Double Springs, Al.
William Hinton has been designing our flowers for decades, The Best!
I prayed some more and the rain stopped until we had lunch and was almost home before it returned. Grateful and blessed!
Lakeshore Marina Bar and Grill serves up some mighty tasty options.
Fried Catfish and grilled asparagus made me happy!
PS: No rain at all today? Maybe I need to tweak some things! I am a work in progress!
Bea’s Golden Fruitcakes – This is not your yesterday’s fruitcake!
If you use organic ingredients in this recipe, it will be as healthy as a dessert can be. Low in fat, and calories are about 145 per slice.
Ingredients ~~~
6 cups finely chopped dried fruit-your choice — (apricots, apples, raisins, cherries, cranberries and pears…mix as you like – all or one or two.)
1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
1 ¾ cups good brandy
½ cup unsalted butter (room temp)
¾ cups -packed- light brown sugar
3 large eggs-lightly beaten
1 – ½ cups All-Purpose flour (I use unbleached)
1 ½ tsp sea salt
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground clove
½ cup apricot jam for topping (warmed)
Directions ~~~
In a large glass bowl, combine dried fruit, walnuts, and 1&¼ cups of brandy.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 8 hours or all day-stir occasionally.
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time- scraping the bowl down between additions.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and spices.
On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in two additions – scraping the bowl in between.
Fold fruit mixture into batter.
Pre-heat oven to 300*
If using mini muffin pans drop one rounded Tbsp of batter into each tin (paper liners work well also.) For other size pans fill 2/3 full.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean…about 25 to 30 minutes for mini tins, 5 to 10 minutes longer for larger pans.
**When using more than two pans in the oven at once-rotate them about halfway through the baking time.
Brush cakes with ½ cup of brandy when done. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling.
Store in the refrigerator, wrapped or covered well for up to a month.
Brush with warm apricot jam before serving.
Bea Rigsby Kunz
Sage Hill Gardens
[email protected]
Road Blogger of all things ‘Blissful~’
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Another Road Trip to bookmark, return trips for sure.
Yes, there is a quaint country spot about 30 to 45 minutes from Sage Hill where one can feast on the best country cooking (with the flair of a fabulous Chef)
Enjoy delightful conversation with Beth (owner and woman in charge!)
Halls Mill Market, where the delicious food aromas greet you as soon as you exit your vehicle.
(I knew it was going to be a good day!)
The Burgers were beyond burgers!
Everything had that little bit of….Lagniappe!!
For all my peeps in Alabama and locally, if you love the river adventure….check out The Lucky Duck, and enjoy some fine food as a bonus.
871 Halls Mill Road
Shelbyville, Tn 37160
931-307-6562
Canoeing and Kayaking on the Duck River.
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One Hundred years and still going strong!
I love this place!
It has good vibes~
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https://www.landsend.com/about-us/
Another great American-owned company…(all product info is easily found under the product.)
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Today, Sunday-January 8-2023…Perfect day for a Day trip.
Dark, and rainy, cold but not brutal…it was doable!
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But where….I tossed a few names into the hat (actually just a little glass bowl!) and drew….
Lynnville, Tennessee (population between 4 and 500, absolutely no traffic jams!
It is like going back to the 50s!
Home to the best pies in all the land-
Soda Pop Junction, the ultimate 50s burger spot since 1938.
World-renowned Col Littleton’s Leather Company (love this place!)
An old railroad town with artifacts that tell the story.
The drive from here to there is as pleasing as the destination.
Tags from Tennessee, Alabama, Indiana, and KY, good news travels afar!
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When Dunkin Donuts is the highlight of your day trip…you just relax and drink up!
*The business was very nice, clean with a coffee bar/lounge kinda seating arrangement, helpful, and fun to chat with employees.
That is my first time ever being in a DD shop…hmmm.
You know the saying “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence?”
We’ve been lied to.
Fairview, TN., is a great little place to visit for a day, I would not wish to live there!
It is part of the Nashville metropolitan area, but leaves a lot at the city limits!
I did find a very good place to eat and a few little quaint shops.
The most interesting thing they have to offer is a 722 acre State Park, managed by the city…a super Nature center with a nice lake and really good hiking trails.
It is also very close to other areas I like a lot-Columbia, Brentwood, Spring Hill, and Thompson Station.
(not being critical, I’m sure there is much that I didn’t find, just not my kind of town.)
The beautiful church is at Thompson Station.
Farm Fresh is in Fairview, it is a bright spot among the rest.
It is also growing, with a lot of new residential areas, so other things will follow.
All in all, it was a good day trip, with good food, and my friend Angela will be pleased to know I discovered Dunkin Donut coffee!
Impressive, I like it, I even bought a full pound to bring home…and brace yourself…it only cost $5.00, who sells coffee for 5.00?
I ask why it was so cheap…a simple thank you to their customers.
How is that for a New Years’ beginning?
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Tennessee Backroads
My first real full-day wandering since October.
If you didn’t grow up on country roads you may not get the connection, the intrigue, the charm, and the suspense!
About 15 years ago I discovered an old building that turned out to house the best bar-B-cue ever, it became a preferred destination for the delicious fare.
Then…..I made the trek one afternoon only to find a burned-out heap of history.
Time passed and it became a memory….until now…yesterday I decided to make the drive on my way to another local town with history, more about that in another post.
Rounding the curve was a beautiful site and aroma!
Built back beautifully, not the landmark it was, but a great replacement…same family, same recipes, same fabulous atmosphere…same taste!
A bonus this trip, across the road sits a new and most delicious bakery!
Sourdough bread, clean-non-GMO items for gifting, delightful hand-carved wooden bowls, and other kitchen goodies.
I am delighted to have a favorite back on the map!
107 Dellrose RD.
Dellrose, TN. 38453
(Bryson)
(2) Corner Pit BBQ | Tennessee Crossroads | Episode 2839.1 – YouTube
Autumn Eves—-Living in color.
We wear it, we decorate with it, we eat it, life is one huge color wheel!
Each season brings her own palette, chooses the hues, and dictates the span of time we get to bask.
I was hoping for the rusty shades of orange- but, not to be!
Grassy yellows and burgundy reds have dominated the grounds and surrounding woodlands at Sage Hill.
I was also hoping the leaves and color would last through November, that does not seem likely.
We have tons of leaves already on the ground, some trees are almost bare-
I’m pretty sure that means an early winter.
What will be, will be.
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For now, we will enjoy what we have, soak up the color, and…
I have an out-of-state wedding to shop for, it is formal and as a guest/family member, Id like to stay close to the bride’s choice of colors.
This will be interesting and fun.? I’ll try!!
More about that a bit later.
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Enjoy the tour of Sage Hill’s colors one week past her peak.
It’s been a pleasure and I will miss you, but I look forward to what you have in store!
The passing of October Eves!
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If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams,
and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined,
he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
____Henry David Thoreau.
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What better time to reflect on that journey than the season of autumn?
The atmosphere, from ever-changing skies to the carpets of color, texture, and shapes.
Blueprints are everywhere, free for the embracing, each element begging to be claimed and owned.
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Sage Hill Gardens is basking in the fruition of her dreams, many talents, and efforts have brought her thus far.
Preparing and excited to be looking at the end of another year, in the same style as the past 18 years…the original goal was 15-Talk about Lagniappe!!
October, November, and December…the colors, the textures, the aromas, and the flavors ….it will be about the frolic of food and activity….visual delights!
Feelings and stability of a stronger family, friends, and country will be the thread that binds the two as one.
There is always a price to pay for living a dream and the joy of success.
Make sure your goals are worthy.
God Bless the USA
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The warm, colorful, rebirthing days of springtime,
through the long, sweltering, sky filled with Lightening Bug nights of summer,
brings us to this fantastic season known as autumn.
Where days are filled with a perfect, and not-so-perfect blend of pending winter and waning summer.
Where nights test our tolerance and days reward us for trusting.
Where the moonlight is enough for our path home and the front porch beckons us to sit, and for a few short hours,
stressors and dread get lost in the shadows of a welcomed autumn eve.
Thank the creator for the tools that make our masterpiece of life possible.
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