There Goes Connie

Just Desserts

03/14/2016 By: CCPearson4 Comments

I confess to having a very well-developed sweet tooth. My mother must have had one, too. When she was preparing for dinner guests, she often started by planning the dessert first. She wanted them to always leave with the taste of something wonderful lingering. With that in mind, here is a tempting, mouth-watering sampling of desserts I’ve “had a few bites of” since Valentine’s Day.

A “Brookie” — combination chocolate chip cookie and brownie with vanilla ice cream, chocolate chips, and chocolate syrup at Bluegill Restaurant on the Mobile Causeway in Spanish Fort, AL.

Key lime curd at Sunset Pointe in Fairhope, AL.

Coconut bread pudding at Fisher’s Dockside at the Orange Beach Marina, Orange Beach, AL

Key lime pie made in-house by Chef Mike at the Beach House Kitchen in Gulf Shores, AL.

Cracker crumb derby pie at Fisher’s Dockside at the Orange Beach Marina in Orange Beach, AL.

Smores cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory in Franklin, TN — a birthday treat for Granddaughter Rosemary and her doll Samantha.

Chocolate ganache cake at Mona Lisa Bistro in Falkville, AL.

Never fear. All of these were shared and not consumed by one person or at one sitting.

NAOMI AND OLIVE in Dothan, AL: Well Worth a Short Detour on Your Way to the Beach

03/09/2016 By: CCPearson4 Comments

I love hearing a woman talk with obvious love and passion about her family, her home, her faith and her work. You will be captivated by Christy Keyton and her new store.

Do yourself a favor. Plan to stop when you get to Dothan on your way to the beach for Spring Break or for summer vacation or on your way home. Set your GPS for 140 North Foster Street, which is in the downtown area, and find an absolutely delightful store called Naomi and Olive. Christy Keyton named her store for her two grandmothers — both remarkable ladies who made lasting impressions on her life. Her mission is to help other women make their homes attractive and welcoming, and she chooses the products and services for Naomi and Olive with that in mind.

Exterior of Naomi and Olive.

Looking from the front door to the back.

One of the front window displays.

A section of interior decor on the vintage brick wall.

Naomi and Olive is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mrs. Keyton has searched out local artists/craftsmen and products that exude a Southern charm and appeal. She loves telling the stories of her various vendors, particularly the success of Coast and Cotton hand towels. She is also enthusiastic about milk painting and is a certified retailer of Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint. Naomi and Olive is a home decor and gift store. You will find yourself wanting to take home “one of everything!” I walked out with four Coast and Cotton hand towels and have several items on my “next time” list, especially a great photo-on-canvas of green tomatoes. Steve liked one of cows. Hmmmm. Anniversary presents to each other maybe??

Just one of many designs on Coast and Cotton hand towels.

Check out the following websites to get yourself ready for what you’ll find, but be sure that there are many, many more:

Coast and Cotton – https://www.coastandcotton.com/

Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint – https://www.missmustardseedsmilkpaint.com/

My Silver Fox and owner Christy Keyton discussing the application of milk paint.

Ella B Candles – https://www.ellabcandles.com/ Naomi and Olive even has its own signature candle with a heavenly scent.

Naomi and Olive’s signature candle created by Ella B Candles.

Rifle Paper Company – https://riflepaperco.com/

Honey Bee Tees – https://honeybeetees.com/

Shea butters from 1818 Farms – https://1818farms.com/ (Located in Mooresville, AL)

Evelyn Rose Soaps – https://www.evelynrosesoaps.com/

Rangemark Textiles – https://www.rangemarktextiles.com/

The Naked Bee – https://www.nakedbee.bz/

Owner Christy Keyton posing by one of her favorite display walls in the store.

Happily posing with owner Christy Keyton after making my first purchase.

Christy has a close Athens, AL connection. Her son John is married to Beverly, the daughter of Ken and Lauren Cox. I first met Christy at their lovely wedding.

TravelCoupons.com and How They Can Help You

03/07/2016 By: CCPearson2 Comments

This post will be short.

Disclaimer: As a general rule, I will choose something unique or special over a chain hotel whenever possible. But, we all have occasions when we just need to “pull over and spend the night.” This post applies to times like that.

Recently my Silver Fox and I needed to be in Troy, AL for 2 nights for a family funeral. We drove to a very nice Best Western in a great location for our activities coming up and went in to get a room. When Steve asked what the room rate would be, he was told “$103.00.” He said, “We’ll be staying for 2 nights. Is that the best rate you have?” He mentioned several memberships we have that give very small discounts, but the girl at the desk said, “You need to drive down the road just a little bit to a gas station, a McDonald’s or a Waffle House and pick up the free Alabama Travel Coupons book. We have a good discount in that book.” Sure enough. We quickly found one of the books and ended up saving $56.00 on those 2 nights. A BIG discount. Much better than AAA, AARP or any of the others that are common.

Current Alabama Coupon book in effect until April 30, 2016.

If you are traveling soon and will be stopping overnight at places yet to be determined, I highly recommend that you either find a book for the state you are in (go to a Welcome Center when you cross a state line) OR go to travelcoupons.com. Make note of the 17 states that offer these discounts. Keep this reference handy on your iPhone or iPad. Then, when you come into a town, look first at the hotel to see if you think you can be safe and comfortable. Find the discount coupon and walk in ready to claim your good deal. Why pay more?

Sweetest Things Tea Room on Jefferson Street in Athens, AL

03/02/2016 By: CCPearson2 Comments

When Athens ladies want to have a leisurely lunch with friends, one place that is generally considered is Sweetest Things Tea Room. The atmosphere is cozy, and the pace is unhurried. As a matter of fact, don’t go if you’re in a hurry. There are only 2 or 3 people doing the cooking, taking the orders, serving the plates, and pouring the tea. They don’t appear to want to expand into a large conglomerate. They just want to serve delicious food in an intimate environment.

Sign out front and the building exterior.

One of the dining rooms.

The second small dining room.

The owners of Sweetest Things EXCEL with their desserts. As a matter of fact, there is an extensive list of pies, cookies and cakes that can be pre-ordered, picked up, and then served to your very own guests.

Chess pie served warm with a dollop of whipped cream.

Refrigerated dessert case.

I had the champagne chicken — as close as I’ll ever come to actual champagne. Ha! Imagine Southern cooking like your grandmother used to do, and you’ll have it about right. They are only open for lunch Monday through Friday.

Daily Specials board recently.

P.S. Sweetest Things has recently relocated to the square in Athens. It is now in a spacious building that was formerly Pablo’s on Market, a bookstore, two doors down from Village Pizza. They are still serving WONDERFUL food. Go, and give them a try.

Countdown in The Shoals — 1 Long Wall That Will Inspire You

02/29/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

What will my great-great-grandchildren know of me many years from now? Will my life story be one that inspires them? Will my actions and reactions to adversity be something they will want to share with as many people as will listen?

Tom Hendrix had a great-great-grandmother who inspired him to spend 35 years of his life creating a memorial to her. 35 years. By his count, Tom has hauled 25 1/2 MILLION pounds of rocks (that’s 8.5 million pounds handled a minimum of 3 times each), and in the process he has gone through many wheelbarrows and pairs of gloves. Te-lah-nay, Tom’s great-great-grandmother, was a Native American who was forced to leave during the Trail of Tears. She survived the trip to Oklahoma, but even more remarkably, she spent 5 years WALKING BACK. Tom has attempted to lay a stone to represent each one of her steps back home.

Tom, now in his 80’s, took time to tell me the story a few weeks ago and gave me a personal tour of the wall. It is a peaceful, absorbing, dramatic place. You can hear more of his story at www.ifthelegendsfade.com. The wall is located on Tom’s property at 13890 Country Road 8, Florence, AL 35633. It is open for visitors 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Tom Hendrix and his wall

A portion of Tom’s Wall.

Stones, stones, and more stones — 8.5 million pounds of them in all.

Countdown in The Shoals — 2 Luxurious Places to Spend the Night

02/24/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

Want something historic, comfortable, and homey? Want to wake up to the roar of the UNA lions housed a block away and a scrumptious breakfast prepared by Betty Mahoney? Want to be in a great location for events at UNA or in Downtown Florence? Then, may I recommend the Limestone House Bed and Breakfast? If it was deluxe enough for Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Humphrey Bogart and George (Goober) Lindsay, then I believe it will be deluxe enough for you. There are only 2 guestrooms, so plan your stay and cross your fingers that one of them is available.

Steam showers in the Limestone House.

Henry Ford Room at the Limestone House

Limestone House sunroom

Limestone House parlor

2. Do you want a 4-Diamond property with all of the frills? Are you attending a conference and need to stay close to your meeting sessions? Do you enjoy exercise facilities and/or swimming (both in season and out of season)? Are you craving some personal pampering in a top-rated spa? Do you have a special occasion to celebrate in Alabama’s only revolving restaurant? Then, the Marriott Shoals gets my strong recommendation.

View from atop 360 Grille at the Marriott Shoals

360 Grille at the Marriott Shoals

Marriott Shoals outdoor pool with slide.

Marriott Shoals exercise room

Marriott Shoals guestroom.

Stay tuned for one more post about The Shoals:

1 Long Wall That Will Inspire You

Countdown in The Shoals – 3 Artistic Names You’ll Want to Learn (if you don’t know them already)

02/22/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

Allow me to introduce you to Robin Wade. You might just want to go directly to his website. His furniture creations are some of the most eye-catching and unique ones you’ll ever see. Examples can be found in the lobby area of the Marriott Shoals, the Florence/Lauderdale Tourism and Visitors Center, Court Street Market, Bank Independent, and at the Reception Center of the Rosenbaum House. No. Mr. Wade’s work does NOT come under the heading of “budget-friendly.” His pieces are high-end, and are crafted over a long period of time.

His is a fascinating, environmentally-aware process. He seeks out trees (oftentimes, walnut) that can be harvested sustainably. He prepares the wood for an aging period, and then fashions it in the least-invasive way possible. Here are just a couple of examples:

Robin Wade pieces in the Florence Visitors Center.

Robin Wade piece in the Marriott Shoals hallway.

2. The next name to learn is Natalie Chanin. Her clothing and home accessories company is called Alabama Chanin, and she, too, has a beautiful website. Think recycled materials. Think hand-sewn, as well as machine sewn by local seamstresses. Think one-of-a-kind. And, you begin to get a sense of her style and what makes her designs unique. The Alabama Chanin Factory is in Florence, AL. Tours are available, and a very upscale cafe is on site. There you will find a menu featuring fresh, locally-grown, organic produce with soups, salads, desserts and daily specials. The website’s calendar shows many times when sewing workshops are held.

3. The third name is one that you will recognize — Frank Lloyd Wright. But, it is significant here because the only house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Alabama is in Florence. The Rosenbaum House is also the only house designed by Wright to be open for tours in the Southeast. The house was bought from the Rosenbaum family by the city when Mrs. Rosenbaum could no longer live in it. Extensive restoration work was done, and it is now a stellar example of Wright’s Usonian style. In another interesting tie-in, Robin Wade considers Frank Lloyd Wright to be one of his primary design mentors.

Exterior of the Rosenbaum House.

Interior of the Rosenbaum House.

And, here’s a bonus name for you — Betty Sue Matthews. She is not from The Shoals, but she is a native Alabamian and a folk artist with a story similar to that of Grandma Moses. Here are a couple of links to stories about her you might enjoy. The Troy Messenger profiled her, since she is originally from nearby Brundidge, and DetourArt also featured her. I found out about her when I was exploring the fitness area of the Shoals Marriott. Several of her works are on the walls, and they were painted on corrugated paper. I wish I had known about her when I was teaching elementary school art.

Folk Art by Betty Sue Matthews.

Folk art by Betty Sue Matthews.

So, I hope you now have even MORE reasons to explore The Shoals.

Stay tuned for future posts about The Shoals:

2 Luxurious Places to Spend the Night

1 Long Wall That Will Inspire You

Countdown in the Shoals – 4 Great Places to Eat on Court Street

02/17/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

There’s an especially convenient place to park once and get at least 4 great choices for lunch or dinner. Set your GPS for Court Street in Downtown Florence and decide what type of cuisine would whet your appetite. A couple of well-known chains are in the vicinity, but you know I always recommend that you try locally-owned businesses whenever possible. Sure, chains provide predictability, but life’s too short to always stay on the tried-and-true route. Venture forth.

Trattoria de Ricatoni (Ricatoni’s Italian Grill). This place has a great Mediterranean menu with the heavenly smells associated with those great herbs and spices. Lots of pasta and sauces.

2. City Hardware. Yes, a very strange name for a restaurant, but that’s what it is nevertheless. Good American food. The same man owns this place AND Ricatoni’s, and they share a wall.

3. Odette. This choice is very sleek and fresh. It has a Southern menu with international flavors and touches. The produce is locally-sourced, and the sauces are housemade. Very delicious. Chef Josh Quick is doing a great job making it something surprising and special. You’ll find things like fried chicken and meat loaf on the daily specials, but those items won’t taste anything like the ordinary versions you might normally expect. The website is beautiful.

Crisp fresh salad at Odette

Interior of Odette

4. Trowbridge’s. If you’re looking for something quick, easy, inexpensive — almost like fast food, but much better. Sandwiches, burgers, and ICE CREAM. Lots of ice cream. In the past, all the ice cream flavors were made in-house. The recipes are the same, but the production place is elsewhere now. You’ll be especially pleased with the low prices.

Trowbridge’s exterior

Stay tuned in upcoming posts for:

3 Artistic Names to Learn

2 Luxurious Places to Spend the Night

1 Long Wall That Will Inspire You

Countdown in The Shoals — 5 Places to Find Music

02/15/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

I recently spent the day with Georgia Turner, who is the Media Relations Director at the Florence/Lauderdale Tourism and Visitors Center. She is a GREAT cheerleader for her part of the state and showed me so many things I’d never even heard of. And all of them are only about an hour from my house. Over the next few posts, I’ll share some of them with you — just in case you’re the curious type like I am.

Muscle Shoals has become synonymous with music, but actually all four towns that make up The Shoals (Florence, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, and Muscle Shoals) have their own special contributions in the area of music.

FAME Recording Studios – Muscle Shoals

FAME Recording Studios, sound board in Studio A

Inside FAME studio — where the major happened.

2. 3614 Jackson Highway – Sheffield “When a Man Loves a Woman” and “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” are only two of hundreds of records that were made using the talents, skills, and facilities of Rick Hall and a group of studio musicians he put together who later came to be known as The Swampers. The sounds they created became recognizable throughout the entire country. Watch the documentary “Muscle Shoals” and find time for a visit. It will make you proud AGAIN to be from North Alabama. www.fame2.com

3614 Jackson Highway, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, undergoing renovation

Muscle Shoals Sound t-shirt for sale in the gift shop.

3. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame – Tuscumbia This is a wonderful museum that houses costumes, instruments, recordings and personal effects from many music legends with connections to Alabama. It is a great place for school field trips — especially 4th graders learning Alabama History. www.alamhof.org

4. W.C. Handy Birthplace and Museum – Florence Handy, who became known as the “Father of the Blues” was born in this log cabin in 1873. The largest collection of items about him and his music are in this place. A yearly festival is held in his honor. www.wchandymusicfestival.org

W.C. Handy birthplace

Metal sculptures beside the Handy birthplace

FAME, the Hall of Fame, and the Handy birthplace are open regularly for tours. Both the Hall of Fame and the Handy birthplace charge admission. 3614 Jackson Highway is undergoing an extensive remodeling and rejuvenation but should be open again by late March or April of 2016.

5. Downtown Florence hosts First Fridays each month from March to December. Area musicians perform, shops and restaurants stay open late, and arts and crafts are on display. There is no admission charge for this fun time. Maybe I’ll see you there when the weather warms up.

Stay tuned for more of The Shoals Countdown:

4 Great Places to Eat on Court Street

3 Artistic Names to Learn

2 Luxurious Places to Spend the Night

1 Long Wall That Will Inspire You

Tomato Pie from Mentone, AL’s Wildflower Cafe

02/10/2016 By: CCPearson4 Comments

Sign at the main road leading to the Wildflower Cafe.

Wildflower Cafe while waiting outside on a busy day.

The Wildflower Cafe in Mentone apparently has shared the recipe for its famous Tomato Pie because it wasn’t created by their chef (who closely holds his recipes, especially the one for Sweet Potato Biscuit Bread Pudding). This recipe was given to them by a visitor to the cafe. They decided to try it, and now it’s one of their most requested items. I won’t say that it’s 100% certain to be the actual recipe, but from what I tasted, it’s gotta be mighty close. This is out there for all the world to see on Karen Boyd’s website — wegottaeat.com. Thanks, Karen for figuring this out and sharing with the internet population.

INGREDIENTS:

6 ROMA TOMATOES, SLICED

2 cups BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

1 BAKED PIE SHELL

3/4 cup MAYONNAISE

3/4 cup CHEDDAR CHEESE,GRATED

3/4 cup MOZZARELLA CHEESE, GRATED

1-2 tablespoons BASIL

DIRECTIONS:

1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 350

2. MARINATESLICED TOMATOES IN VINAIGRETTE FOR 30 MINUTES. DRAIN.

3. LAYER TOMATOES IN BAKED PIE SHELL.

4. IN A SEPARATE BOWL, COMBINE MAYO, BOTH CHEESES AND BASIL, and pour over the tomatoes.

5. BAKE FOR 30 MINUTES OR UNTIL LIGHTLY BROWN. CUT INTO SLICES. SERVE WARM.

Tomato pie.

Be sure to enjoy Wildflower Cafe’s website and read the articles linked there from Southern Living and Lookout Alabama.

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