I love this video.  It is beautifully narrated by Brother David Steindl-Rast, words that he wrote himself.  Each time I view this video I am reminded that each day is a gift.  Even if I am down simply sitting and opening my heart as Brother Steindl-Rast recommends has such a profound effect on me.  This is my first post from my new home in Louisiana.  I’ve got a lot to share and stories to tell.  It’s good to be back!  Wishing you all a good day, filled with gratitude!  Enjoy the precious little girl and her special message as well.

Melissa | Simple Sundays | 08 23rd, 2015 | 4 Comments »

I’ve promised all of my readers that I’ll include you in the move we are making.  Today is the day.  St. Francis awaits wrapping paper and just the right box so that he arrives in New Orleans safe and sound, ready to take watch over my garden there when it gets going.  One thing I can say about moving is that IT IS A MESS!!!!!  There are no other words to describe it.  Tension mounts at times and tempers flare when someone stubs their toe into a box, but we are all holding each other up and hanging on for dear life!

There are no more meals being prepared in my kitchen.  The refrigerator has been thoroughly cleaned and prepared for loading on the truck.  I cannot believe how many bits and pieces of things there are!  I’ve always believed that the last 10% of packing is the worst and I know that to be true now.  I don’t know what I would have done without the help of my dear friend, Evelyn, aka Angel Face by Mr. T.  She has been miraculous!

So our adventure is about to begin.  I’ll be posting as soon as things settle down a bit.  I will continue being The Permanent Tourist and cannot wait to share my new home with you!  Stay tuned!

Melissa | Out&About | 08 5th, 2015 | 4 Comments »

I’m sharing the video I had scheduled to play this past Sunday.  As luck would have it my site has been in transition and I could not access it to get my post ready.  But I think you’re in for a treat today.  I had no idea that Condoleeza Rice plays the piano.  When a friend shared this video on Facebook the other day I thought it was one of the most beautiful renditions of “Amazing Grace” that I have ever heard.  I had to do a post and let all of you hear it.  This song is good for any day, especially when one is up to their elbows in cleaning and packing!  I hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday and enjoy the music!  I’m living in a state of grace as more and more opportunities open up for me as we head for The Big Easy!

Melissa | Out&About, people | 08 4th, 2015 | 1 Comment »

Well, the site isn’t completely finished but I’m able to write a post….at least I think I am.  It’s late coming out this morning, but better late than never, right?    I’m finishing packing and cleaning, getting ready to leave on Friday.  How could it have happened so quickly?  My posts for the next few days may be sporadic, but I realize how much I truly love writing this blog.  And it helps me feel a great deal of comfort to know we will not lose our connection!    It’s grey and drizzling on the island….perfect weather for staying in and getting things done!  I’m about to begin the grand adventure of being The Permanent Tourist in a new place.  I can’t wait to start sharing it with you!

A New Bridge to a New City….New Orleans

Melissa | Out&About | 08 3rd, 2015 | No Comments »

Here you go!  If you loved the photos you are going to go crazy over the flavors that combined to make each of these dishes something extraordinary.  Let’s begin with the Socca.

Socca with Caramelized Onion, Mushrooms, Artichokes and Cashew Cheese

Socca is a light chick pea dough that is somewhere between a frittata and a thin pizza dough.  We did not include the rosemary in the dough, but sauteed it with the caramelized onion and mushroom mixture.   It was delicious!

1 cup chickpea flour
½ cup olive oil
1 ½ tbsp. minced rosemary
¾ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Whisk together flour, 2 tbsp. oil, 1 tbsp. rosemary, salt, and 1 cup water in a medium bowl until smooth; cover and let batter sit at room temperature for 2 hours.

Pour the mixture into a heavy cast iron skillet and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until the Socca is “set”, no liquid remains.  This will take about 10-15 minutes.

For toppings:

2 sweet onions, we used Vidalia because they are in season, peeled, cut in half and then into thin slices

1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 can of artichoke hearts, drained

Cashew Cheese mixture (go here to learn MiMi’s methods:  http://www.leafycafe.com/)

To caramelize the onions, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sliced onions and let them cook, stirring every few minutes until they are slightly caramelized.  Add the mushrooms and 1 tablespoon of fresh, chopped rosemary leaves if desired.  Top the cooked Socca with this mixture, cut into wedges and place a dollop of the Cashew “Cheese” mixture and a segment of artichoke heart on each piece.

Zucchini Carpaccio with Blackberries, Beets with Cashew Cream, Watercress and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1 large zucchini

1 bunch fresh watercress

2 beets, peeled, steamed until just tender and thinly sliced

Cashew Cream (go to http://www.leafycafe.com/ to contact MiMi for her recipe)

1 box of fresh blueberries

Wash the zucchini well.  Cut off the ends of the zucchini, leaving a flat surface.  Take a sharp vegetable peeler or mandoline and slice lengthwise, making long, thin “ribbons”.

Wash the watercress and place on a serving platter.  Sprinkle the blackberries over the top and then pile the zucchini ribbons in the middle.

Place a teaspoon of the cashew cream on one slice of beet and top with another slice.  Place these around the edge of the watercress.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1/4 cup good pomegranate juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

grey salt and coarse black pepper

1 teaspoon local honey

Whisk the juice and olive oil together with the seasonings and honey.  The mixture will thicken slightly.  Pour over the salad and serve.  Note:  we snipped fresh chives from my herb garden to sprinkle over the beets and add a bit of color.  Growing your own herbs is so easy.  I recommend it over the type you find in the store.

Pasta Puttanesca

If you know Italian food you may be familiar with this recipe and its origins.  I chose this because I knew that we would be doing a lot of cooking and I needed a main course that would be fine simmering a bit while the other courses were prepared.  Not to be crude, but this can be translated to read “Whore’s Pasta”.  The story, as it was told to me, is that these gracious ladies of the evening would start this sauce in the morning, go about their work and then have it ready to eat at the end of the day.  If you have a better story, by all means share it…..please!

1 box Quinoa gluten free spaghetti

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup pitted chopped Kalamata olives

2 tablespoons capers

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 pound organic roma tomatoes roasted (cut the tomatoes into thirds, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with grey salt and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours)

3/4 cup chopped organic, baby spinach

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, if desired.

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the garlic, parsley, olives, capers, oregano, red pepper and tomatoes.  Saute for about five minutes.  Add the spinach and saute until just wilted.

Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the tomato mixture.  Serve in pasta bowls, sprinkled with parmesan cheese if desired.

Berry Tart with Coconut Whipped Cream

1 pint of blueberries, mashed slightly with a fork and mixed with 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch or corn starch to thicken

1 pint of strawberries, sliced

8 sheets of phyllo, thawed

1 can vegetable spray

1/4 cup organic sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 can Coconut Cream, frozen and thawed to separate the liquid (Note:  save the liquid to use in a delicious smoothie)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place one sheet of phyllo, folded in half on the parchment.  Spray with vegetable spray and sprinkle with the sugar & cinnamon mixture

Repeat this method until all eight sheets of phyllo dough have been used.

Leaving an edge of 1 1/2 inches, place the blueberries on the top of the dough and place the strawberry slices over them.  Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and cinnamon mixture

Bake until the pastry is crisp and golden brown….about 20 minutes.

For the Coconut Cream, separate the solid cream from the liquid at the bottom of the can.  Place the solid cream in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer or immersion blender fixed with a whisk attachment.  Blend until thick and creamy adding 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract and a tablespoon of organic sugar.  Spoon this over the top of each bowl as you serve the tart.

Any leftovers make a mighty fine breakfast.

In closing, I really enjoyed my time in the kitchen with MiMi McGee.  She is full of creative ideas for healthy eating…..I learned so much.  Please “Like” her “Leafy Cafe” facebook page and visit her website: http://www.leafycafe.com/ to learn more about what she is cooking, writing and promoting.  She’ll be happy to share the recipes in this post with you when you contact her and you’ll make a great friend!  MiMi is someone to follow, I have a feeling you may be hearing more of her on national television as she spreads her winning personality and approach to a delicious, healthy plant based diet!  Here’s to you Chef MiMi and to many more cooking adventures together!

Melissa | Out&About | 07 31st, 2015 | 5 Comments »

Barbara Kraus

Now that the lazy days of summer time are here I’m officially on island time!

This is the time of year when life slows down a bit.  My flower gardens are thriving.  Our vegetable garden is beginning to bear fruit.

Tiffany Carroll Mosley

Late afternoons spent on the beach provide a peaceful time to relax and enjoy friends.

You never know what you may see there….is that horses I see in the horizon?  Why yes, the tide was out and they were riding on the sand bar just off the coast!

Heart Full of Wisps

Life is simpler in the summer.  Although I suffer through the heat and humidity there is a feeling this time of year that cannot be found during the hustle and bustle of the school year.

It gives me time to breathe, to be grateful for this beautiful island I am so lucky to call my home and a time to regroup before another busy fall begins.

Life on an island can only be explained in one way……perfection.

Melissa | people | 07 30th, 2015 | No Comments »

If you have followed my blog for anytime at all you know how much Mr. T. and I love New Orleans!  We have family there, most noteworthy our granddaughter, Emmeline, of my children’s series fame.  We are empty nesters, looking for a new adventure and we have finally found it.  Apologies to any of my followers or close friends who have endured this process with us!  BUT…drum roll…we are moving to New Orleans next week.  To say we are excited would be an understatement.

Many of you are now familiar with Nancy Kirkpatrick who has been contributing her fabulous photography and posts over the past few weeks.  Nancy will be writing as The Permanent Tourist…Living and Loving Coastal Georgia while I will be The Permanent Tourist….Living And Loving The Big Easy.  This is a dream come true in so many ways for me!

I can now go wild marketing “Emmeline At Commander’s Palace”, which I am self-publishing after many trials and tribulations that have blocked the way until now.  One thing I have learned through all of this….I have do things on my own or there is trouble.  So….Three Dolphin Press, LLC is officially taking over and I’m thrilled to announce this!  We will also be launching a podcast radio talk show that will feature interesting guests from all over the world when we get settled.

I’m reposting some of my favorites from my first months of blogging this week.  I hope you’ll enjoy them, open your arms to welcome Nancy here on the Coast of Georgia and stay tuned for the debut of my first posts from our new home.  Life is definitely an adventure.  I’m ready for the ride!  As Mary Engelbreit wrote on one of my favorite pieces by her “You’re Never Too Old To Be Who You Might Have Been!”.

Melissa | Out&About | 07 28th, 2015 | 1 Comment »

Any place of history has stories that haunt and delight, that create mystery and raise questions about what really happened there.  The Pink Chapel, located at the north end of St. Simons Island is no exception.

Hair raising accounts of devil worship and slaves being beaten at the doors of the chapel have been recounted for years.

But the true story is a sad one.  One of families pitted against one another.  Harsh words and misunderstandings that led to the death of one man, John Wylly, at the young age of 32.  An obelisk marks his final resting place in the cemetery at Christ Church.

The chapel was originally built on the Westpoint Plantation by William Hazzard, whose brother, Thomas, fatally shot John Wylly over a property dispute.  Prior to the event, the Hazzard family worshiped at the famous Christ Church.  But they no longer felt comfortable attending services there after Wylly’s death and Hazzard’s subsequent acquittal.

The pink color of the building, rumored to have been caused by blood from beaten slaves, turned out to be caused by lichen which covered the tabby building giving it a pink cast.

The red tile roof still graces the top of the building, the pink color has long since vanished due to restoration work done to save the structure.  A lone cross sits atop the roof, pointing toward the sky.

Deer now wander the property and tourists visit to feel the chill one inevitably experiences when walking on historical ground. Spanish moss drapes over huge oak limbs, swaying in a gentle Spring breeze, sending a shiver up your spine as you approach the chain link fence that now surrounds the little chapel.  The original doors have long since gone, replaced by modern ones.  Haunted or not, ones mind can wander a bit and imagine it is.

The Pink Chapel is a reminder that people need a place to worship, a place to take their cares and have their spirits healed.

Melissa | people | 07 27th, 2015 | 15 Comments »

The beautiful music of two cello’s speaks to me today.  “Benedictus”, a performance from Arena Zagreb, the artists are Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser.  This Croation duet plays music that soothes the soul and inspires me!  Perfect for a quiet Sunday morning!  I hope you’ll enjoy!  

Melissa | Simple Sundays | 07 26th, 2015 | 1 Comment »

I talked with Jennifer Broadus and John Bauser this week about the first Art Crawl here on St. Simons Island.  What fun and something to look forward to when the next one comes around!  The arts are the heart of the island and this event brought it all together!

Melissa | On The Radio | 07 25th, 2015 | No Comments »