Summertime and the Living is Easy: Summer Food in the South, is Unique!

I guess as you have guessed it by now I am from Virginia.  I have family all over the state of North Carolina.  So I was raised on Southern and county food.  I would like to share with you a few STRANGE ALL TIME FAVORITES OF FOLKS IN THE South! I myself have in fact eaten and enjoyed everyone for years.

There are the usual suspects that frequent Southern meals during summertime, such as fresh succotash, squash casserole, peach cobbler, and deviled eggs. However, there are also plenty of unexpected and lesser-known dishes that Southerners can’t wait to eat all summer long. Not only is our favorite produce abundant at the farmers’ market, but family cookouts and warm-weather gatherings with friends fill the calendar, giving the perfect opportunity to make certain beloved Southern recipes that feel fit for the season.

Whether we’re talking about a fruit-studded casserole, leftover cornbread concoction, or controversial sandwich that many folks love to hate, the South has plenty of summer recipes with personality to spare. Here are 16 hilariously “weird” dishes that Southerners make during the summer.

Southern Tomato Sandwich….My Mothers and Grandmothers favorite! 

Let’s call out the elephant in the room. Tomato sandwiches get a lot of hate, but we won’t accept any slander here. It’s the most perfect use of those gorgeous summer tomatoes, and all you need is fluffy white bread and mayonnaise. I cannot wait till this time of year for fresh tomatoes!  YUMMMMMMM

Pineapple Casserole

Anyone who won’t at least try this sweet-and-savory casserole is missing out. Everything from the pineapple filling to the buttery cracker topping is completely balanced, and it goes well with saltier main dishes such as glazed ham and barbecue picked up from your favorite local joint.

Pear Salad……My Aunt Dap and my Mother’s favorite lunch!

Perhaps it’s the maraschino cherries paired with mayonnaise and shredded cheese, but this dish sure does rile folks up. You’ll likely see this unique pear salad anywhere from a baby shower to a summer cookout.

Old-Fashion Tomato Pie…….Please, give me a fork!

Tomatoes are Southerners’ most beloved summer produce, so it’s no surprise that we’ve tried out all different variations of ways to use them, including tomato pie. With cheese and herbs, it’s completely savory, so there’s no need to be scared.

Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham

It wouldn’t be summer without a creamy mayonnaise-based pasta salad, and this retro recipe has never been retired. To us, mayonnaise is never a bad idea, and the cubed ham and chopped vegetables bulk up this dish perfectly for a family cookout.  Ham is scared in the South, but any meat or seafood will work.  We do like shrimp if you are from the coastal part of the South and I make mine with shrimp a lot.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Another mayonnaise-championing recipe, this cucumber salad fits in at almost any summer meal. It’s simple and surprisingly fresh.  Plus add onion dill and tomato is optional but we like out Duke’s and Blue Plate mayonnaise as the mayo of choice.

Strawberry-Pretzel Jello Salad

It might seem odd to some to refer to this fruity gelatin-infused creation as a side dish, but that’s how you’ll see it served at many Southern reunions, potlucks, and holidays. During the summer, it’s a welcome reprieve from the hot weather.

Heirloom Tomato-Cracker Salad

While it’s logical to assume that crunchy crackers on top of moist tomatoes could be a recipe for a soggy outcome, this salad will surprise you. Southerners do love to dress up saltine crackers, after all. Crackers goes on last.  Made on individual salad plates. Butter, garlic, mayo, fresh chives, Tbs of apple cider vinegar, fresh corn uncooked), fresh basil leaves and of course the beloved tomato.  Crackers on top and it is blissful!

Funeral Potatoes

Another name for hash-brown casserole, this creamy concoction is no stranger on a buffet table. And yes, it can often be seen on funeral spreads, but also at family holidays, cookouts, brunches, and showers. Just done the Southern way!

Homemade Baked Beans

It eludes us why folks find it odd that we like so much brown sugar in our baked beans, but all we can say? Southern recipes use sweet (sugar, molasses or Karo syrup), smoky flavored bacon, onions, a little extra ketchup and pork n beans! Southern version.

Cornbread & Sweet Milk…this is also taken with Butter Milk, or Pot Liquor (another blog) about the Sothern food!

In the South, particularly the Appalachian Mountains, people have long enjoyed Cornbread and Milk, a creation made by crumbling leftover cornbread into a tall drinking glass and topping it with milk. It’s usually buttermilk, although some people prefer “sweet milk”, a term for regular fresh milk and even pot liquor.  May be eaten in place of a meal or just a snack.

Corn Pudding….move over and save a seat for me!

The name might fool those who aren’t from the South, but the natural sweetness of the fresh corn makes for a sweet, buttery, savory side dish that’s even better in the summer when corn is in season.

Tennessee Onions

This simple casserole is lesser-known and packed with one of our favorite summer stars: sweet vidalia onions. These Georgia-grown onions come into season in late spring through the end of summer, so summertime is perfect for trying out this cheesy, buttery side dish.

Fried Green Tomatoes….which I have done another Blog on, so you know how I love them!

Those not well-versed in the South or Southern cuisine might not even know the magic of a green tomato, especially when it’s deep-fried and served with a tangy sauce, ranch dressing or even the beloved mayo.  Eating with nothing on them is just as delicious!

Crab Pie…..yes, please!

Those in Virginia and Maryland specifically can expect crab pie during the summer, but coast-residing Southerners also enjoy the unique dish. It’s akin to a quiche and can be easily added to a brunch lineup, main dish for dinner, lunch or breakfast (yes I said breakfast)!

Cucumber Sandwiches…may Granddaughter’s all-time favorite!

Another frequent dish at Southern luncheons and showers, cucumber tea sandwiches are fresh, crisp, and accented with a healthy dollop of mayonnaise, of course. Southern choice of bread is plain ole white sandwich bread.  Some will put fresh dill or basil from the garden on them.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and there you have it!

Old-Fashioned Tomato Pie Recipe

Nothing says “summer”—or shows off summertime’s best produce—like a classic tomato pie.

Old-fashioned Tomato Pie is summer perfection thanks to garden fresh tomatoes and chopped herbs such as basil, thyme, parsley, or chives. When you serve Old-fashioned Tomato Pie, this plate of goodness is always a home run.

 

Ingredients

Piecrust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 to 4 Tbsp. ice-cold water

 

Filling

2 1/4 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

 

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground pepper, divided

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup assorted chopped fresh herbs (such as chives, parsley, and basil)

1/2 cup freshly grated Gruyère cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise

 

Directions

Prepare Piecrust: Process first 4 ingredients in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor running, gradually add 3 Tbsp. ice-cold water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and process until dough forms a ball and leaves sides of bowl, adding up to 1 Tbsp. more water, if necessary. Shape dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 30 minutes.

 

Unwrap dough, and place on a lightly floured surface; sprinkle lightly with flour. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness.

 

Preheat oven to 425°F. Press dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim dough 1 inch larger than diameter of pie plate; fold overhanging dough under itself along rim of pie plate. Chill 30 minutes or until firm.

 

Line piecrust with aluminum foil; fill with pie weights or dried beans. (This will keep the crust from bubbling up.) Place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.

 

Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes. Remove weights and foil. Bake 5 minutes or until browned. Cool completely on baking sheet on a wire rack (about 30 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

 

Prepare Filling: Place tomatoes in a single layer on paper towels; sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt. Let stand 10 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, sauté onion and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper in hot oil in a skillet over medium heat 3 minutes or until onion is tender.

 

Pat tomatoes dry with a paper towel. Layer tomatoes, onion, and herbs in prepared crust, seasoning each layer with pepper (1 tsp. total). Stir together cheeses and mayonnaise; spread over pie.

 

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until lightly browned, shielding edges with foil to prevent excessive browning. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

The Hatpin: Deadliest Fashion Accessory In History! 

Let me start with you know from one of pervious Blogs I have a small antique hat collection.  Well, one could simply not have a hat collection without a hat pin collection to go along with it.  Thank goodness the pins do not take up much space!

1400 As far back as the Middle Ages in Britain and Europe, pins were used as a device to securely hold the wimples and veils that proper ladies used to cover.

Production

The hatpin was invented to hold wimples and veils in place, and was handmade. In Britain, demand eventually outgrew the number that could be supplied by hand-making, and they began to be imported from France. In 1832 a machine was invented in America which could mass-produce the pins, and they became much more affordable. During the 1880s, bonnets gave way to hats, and the popularity of hatpins soared. They remained a standard women’s accessory through the 1910s and were produced in a vast range of materials and types. Hatpin holder boxes were also produced.

Use in self-defense and as a weapon

Hatpins were sometimes used by women to defend themselves against assault.

Laws were passed in 1908 in the United States that limited the length of hatpins, as there was a concern they might be used by suffragettes as weapons. Also by the 1910s, ordinances were passed requiring hatpin tips to be covered so as not to injure people accidentally. Various covers were made, but poorer women often had to make do with ersatz items like potato pieces and cork.

In January 1918, the Norwegian newspaper Morgenbladet reported that police in Kristiania advised that passengers with uncovered hatpins be told to leave the trams. No law however had been passed against boarding a tram with uncovered hatpins. The tram staff had also stopped selling hatpin covers on board the trams, as regulations on the subject appeared so confusing that the staff preferred not to interfere.

A Brief History of Hatpins

Prized by antique collectors today, hatpins were commonplace and controversial. They ranged in size between 6 and 12 inches long depending on the size of the hat they needed to secure to a woman’s head. They were fancy or practical, made from every available material ranging from precious metals to gemstones to plastics and paste. Hatpin makers marketed their products to the various levels of society, ranging from the extremely ornate and expensive to the simple and functional. The heyday of the hatpin was between the 1880’s and 1920’s, after which hair styles became short and the hats became smaller making the pins unnecessary.

Prized by antique collectors today, hatpins were commonplace and controversial. They ranged in size between 6 and 12 inches long depending on the size of the hat they needed to secure to a woman’s head. They were fancy or practical, made from every available material ranging from precious metals to gemstones to plastics and paste. Hatpin makers marketed their products to the various levels of society, ranging from the extremely ornate and expensive to the simple and functional. The heyday of the hatpin was between the 1880’s and 1920’s, after which hair styles became short and the hats became smaller making the pins unnecessary.

1400 As far back as the Middle Ages in Britain and Europe, pins were used as a device to securely hold the wimples and veils that proper ladies used to cover their hair in place. These small pins and wires were used for hundreds of years.

1800 The making of decorative and functional pins was a cottage industry that frequently employed an entire family. They were time consuming to make which resulted in small amounts of pins being available for the demanding public.

1820 Importing from France was one way of keeping up with demand. Alarmed at the effect the imports had on the balance of trade, Parliament passed an Act restricting the sale of pins to two days a year – January 1st and 2nd. Ladies saved their money all year to be able to spend it on pins in an early example of the “January Sales”! This is thought to be a source of the term “pin money.” However, as Queen Victoria taxed her subjects at the beginning of each year to pay for her pins, this could also be the source of the term.

1832 The pin making machine was patented in the United States and production of pins with long tapering points began, usurping the handmade pins. Within the next two years England and France also began producing the machine made pins.

1848 Head coverings were simply another piece of clothing which evolved and changed with fashion. As women’s bonnets evolved, they employed ribbons and strings tied under the chin to hold them on. As a result of the suffrage movement women were eager to free themselves of bonnet strings and declare their right for equality with men.

1900 The rise in the popularity of hatpins as a result of changing fashions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the Charles Horner jewelry business becoming one of the British market leaders in good quality but mass produced hatpins. Some of the the high quality makers in the United States were the Unger Bros., the William Link Co., the Paye & Baker Mfg. Co. and Tiffany & Co.

1903 American Lillian Russell and English-woman Lillian Langtry, otherwise known as “Diamond Lil” and “Jersey Lil” were popular music hall actresses that fueled the popularity of large elaborate hats and the hatpins that were needed to hold them in place.

1908 An English judge, fearing that their pins could be used as weapons in his court, ordered a group of suffragettes on trial to remove their hatpins and hats, an insulting request. In 1909 a bill was introduced in the Arkansas legislature which copied an Illinois law limiting the length of pins to 9 inches or making ladies take out permits to possess longer ones. The pins were considered deadly weapons. As a result ladies had to cut their pins to the shorter length if they wanted to wear them in public.

1913 The Audubon Society was formed to prevent the wholesale slaughter of native birds for use in the millinery trade. Hunters had devastated more than 60 species of birds to supply feathers for hats. Popular fowl were the Egret, Peacock, Heron, Spoonbill and Ostrich. The Spoonbill feathers alone were worth $80 an ounce – three times their weight in gold.

1923 The opening of the tomb of King Tutankhamen started a craze for all things Egyptian. Hatpin designers were inspired by the newly found art and treasures.

1942 At the start of World War II women took over the jobs vacated by the men who had gone away to war. As they reported to work in the factories, shipyards and aircraft plants the wearing of hats fell out of fashion.

You May Leave Your Hat On!

 

I have a secret obsession with HATS!  Yes I have a small collection of antique hats, which I love!  The first thing I do when I go to an antiquing is I try on any hat I see.  Then I take a selfie or have whoever is unfortunate to be with me take pictures.  This is my ritual.

 

The history of hats extends back millennia, with possible evidence of hats appearing as early as 30,000 years ago. Many head coverings throughout history and around the world carry religious or ceremonial significance. Hats can convey social status or military rank, much like Napoléon Bonaparte’s signature bicorn hat.

A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mechanical features, such as visors, spikes, flaps, braces or beer holders shade into the broader category of headgear.

In the past, hats were an indicator of social status. In the military, hats may denote nationality, branch of service, rank or regiment. Police typically wear distinctive hats such as peaked caps or brimmed hats, such as those worn by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Some hats have a protective function. As examples, the hard hat protects construction workers’ heads from injury by falling objects, a British police Custodian helmet protects the officer’s head, a sun hat shades the face and shoulders from the sun, a cowboy hat protects against sun and rain and an ushanka fur hat with fold-down earflaps keeps the head and ears warm. Some hats are worn for ceremonial purposes, such as the mortarboard, which is worn (or carried) during university graduation ceremonies. Some hats are worn by members of a certain profession, such as the Toque worn by chefs, or the mitre worn by Christian bishops. Adherents of certain religions regularly wear hats, such as the turban worn by Sikhs, or the church hat that is worn as a head covering by Christian women during prayer and worship.

It is unknown how far back in humanity’s history the first hat was created, but experts speculate it was developed alongside other articles of clothing used to protect one from the elements. Throughout history, hats have served functional purposes and fulfilled practical needs i.e. sun, wind, and rain protection. Of equal historical importance, however, is the use of hats as status symbols within the social rankings of societies. Hats were even used as a revolutionary device to diminish the class systems they helped build.

History

While there are not many official records of hats before 3,000 BC, they probably were commonplace before that. The 27,000-to-30,000-year-old Venus of Willendorf figurine may depict a woman wearing a woven hat. One of the earliest known confirmed hats was worn by a Bronze Age man (nicknamed Ötzi) whose body (including his hat) was found frozen in a mountain between Austria and Italy, where he had been since around 3250 BC. He was found wearing a bearskin cap with a chin strap, made of several hides stitched together, essentially resembling a Russian fur hat without the flaps.

One of the first pictorial depictions of a hat appears in a tomb painting from Thebes, Egypt, which shows a man wearing a conical straw hat, dated to around 3200 BC. Hats were commonly worn in ancient Egypt. Many upper-class Egyptians shaved their heads, then covered it in a headdress intended to help them keep cool. Ancient Mesopotamians often wore conical hats or ones shaped somewhat like an inverted vase.

Other early hats include the Pileus, a simple skull-like cap; the Phrygian cap, worn by freed slaves in Greece and Rome (which became iconic in America during the Revolutionary War and the French Revolution, as a symbol of the struggle for liberty against the Monarchy); and the Greek petasos, the first known hat with a brim. Women wore veils, kerchiefs, hoods, caps and wimples.

Like Ötzi, the Tollund Man was preserved to the present day with a hat on, probably having died around 400 BC in a Danish bog, which mummified him. He wore a pointed cap made of sheepskin and wool, fastened under the chin by a hide thong.

 

St. Clement, the patron saint of felt hatmakers, is said to have discovered felt when he filled his sandals with flax fibers to protect his feet, around 800 AD.

In the Middle Ages, hats were a marker of social status and used to single out certain groups. The 1215 Fourth Council of the Lateran required that all Jews identify themselves by wearing the Judenhat (“Jewish hat”), marking them as targets for anti-Semitism. The hats were usually yellow and were either pointed or square.

In the Middle Ages, hats for women ranged from simple scarves to elaborate hennin, and denoted social status. Structured hats for women similar to those of male courtiers began to be worn in the late 16th century. The term ‘milliner’ comes from the Italian city of Milan, where the best quality hats were made in the 18th century. Millinery was traditionally a woman’s occupation, with the milliner not only creating hats and bonnets but also choosing lace, trimmings and accessories to complete an outfit

In the first half of the 19th century, women wore bonnets that gradually became larger, decorated with ribbons, flowers, feathers, and gauze trims. By the end of the century, many other styles were introduced, among them hats with wide brims and flat crowns, the flower pot and the toque. By the middle of the 1920s, when women began to cut their hair short, they chose hats that hugged the head like a helmet.

The tradition of wearing hats to horse racing events began at the Royal Ascot in Britain, which maintains a strict dress code. All guests in the Royal Enclosure must wear hats.[16] This tradition was adopted at other horse racing events, such as the Kentucky Derby in the United States.

Extravagant hats were popular in the 1980s, and in the early 21st century, flamboyant hats made a comeback, with a new wave of competitive young milliners designing creations that include turban caps, trompe-l’œil-effect felt hats and tall headpieces made of human hair. Some new hat collections have been described as “wearable sculpture”. Many pop stars, among them Lady Gaga, have commissioned hats as publicity stunts.

Famous Hatmakers

One of the most famous London hatters is James Lock & Co. of St James’s Street. The shop claims to be the oldest operating hat shop in the world. Another was Sharp & Davis of 6 Fish Street Hill. In the late 20th century, museums credited London-based David Shilling with reinventing hats worldwide. Notable Belgian hat designers are Elvis Pompilio and Fabienne Delvigne (Royal warrant of appointment holder), whose hats are worn by European royals. Philip Treacy OBE is an Irish milliner whose hats have been commissioned by top designers and worn at royal weddings. In North America, the well-known cowboy-hat manufacturer Stetson made the headgear for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Texas Rangers. John Cavanagh was one of the notable American hatters. Italian hat maker Borsalino has covered the heads of Hollywood stars and the world’s rich and famous.

 

Fashion and Function Throughout History

Women’s Hat History

Especially when worn by women, hats were used to imply wealth. At times, fashionable hats were so large they stretched beyond the shoulders. In such cases, it was not uncommon for a woman to lose her balance because of the size of her hat. Alternatively, the bonnet was loved for its function in the 19th century and used by women of all classes. Bonnets shaded and framed a woman’s face while keeping her profile protected from unwanted male attention.

Beginning in 1875, the Kentucky Derby has become the largest event for hat fashion in America. It is still considered a social faux pas if a woman is without a hat at the race.

 

Men’s Hat History

For men, the top hat has long been regarded as a status symbol. Many people are immediately reminded of the sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, as he was commonly photographed wearing one. Lincoln was, in fact, wearing a top hat on the night of his assassination. The height of the top hat evolved over time. It was shortened to appear more conservative until eventually becoming what is known as the bowler or derby. This served as a more functional choice for gentlemen in the working class.

 

Timeline of the American Ball Cap

Before the development of the baseball cap, there was no headwear uniformity within the sport. Players often wore straw hats or even nothing at all. In 1858, the Brooklyn Excelsiors became the first team to wear a version of the baseball cap we know and love. Though, this early version more closely resembled that of a jockey.

 

Baseball Hat History

 

The traditional ball cap design was no accident. The dome shape was adopted so the hat would stay in place through various activities, and the front visor was developed to keep sun and sweat off the player’s face.

Today, most Major League Baseball (MLB) hats are made of a polyester moisture wicking fabric to keep the player’s head dry, a black sweatband to hide stains, and a black under visor to reduce sun glare.

The dress code for spectators changed in the early 1900s. Previously, fans were expected to wear a shirt and tie, and yes, a hat. Although, not a ball cap, men were expected to adorn more formal headwear such as a derby, boater or porkpie. A gentleman of this era wouldn’t be in public with a bare head. When the dress code changed, spectators could wear their team’s ball cap to the game. In 1954, New Era released the 59Fifty cap style that is still worn today. Baseball caps were still not considered an acceptable accessory to be worn outside of the field until the late 1970s.

In the early 1990s, hat aficionados began slicing out the buckram so the crown would lie naturally relaxed against the head. Cap manufacturers took notice, and within a few years, the unstructured cap was released.

 

The 1996 World Series opened the door for headwear licensing used to make a statement or style choice. One can now purchase MLB licensed hats in all colors and styles.

In more recent years, the Hip Hop and Rap communities have developed their own style of hat wearing. The idea is to keep the hat as fresh, clean, and new looking as possible. This includes keeping the manufacturer and retailer stickers or tags on the hat and keeping the visor flat.

Other groups such as fishermen and fraternities have deeply embedded rituals to breaking in a cap. These can include anything from sandpaper to mud to dishwashers.

Hats have played a tremendous role in the history of not only the U.S. but also the world. The New York Times Magazine stated the following:

 “To wear a New York Yankees cap in the United States is to show support for the team, maybe, or to invest in the hegemony of an imperial city. To wear one abroad — the Yankees model is by far the best-selling Major League Baseball cap in Europe and Asia — is to invest in an idealized America, a phenomenon not unlike pulling on contraband blue jeans in the old Soviet Union.”

 

 

Green Is The Color of a Delicious Fried Green Tomato!

My mother and both my grandmothers were obsessed with these delicious round crispy orbs of goodness. During tomato season you see Fried Green Tomatoes on our meal table whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner.  There was never any leftovers of this dish.  I LOVE FRIED GREEN TOMATOES!  I still make them.

Fried green tomatoes are a culinary dish usually found in the Southern United States, made from unripe (green) tomatoes coated with cornmeal and fried.

Fried green tomatoes are usually associated with the South, but if you were to look in Southern newspapers or cookbooks before the 1970s, you wouldn’t find mention of them anywhere. This dish was brought to the US in the 19th century by Jewish immigrants and later appeared in Northeastern and Midwestern cookbooks. I kid you not!

Traditional preparation

Traditional preparation of fried green tomatoes begins by cutting the tomatoes into approximately 1/4-inch (~0.6 cm) slices. They are then seasoned with salt and pepper, coated with plain, coarse cornmeal, and shallow fried in bacon fat for a few minutes each side, or until golden brown. Shallow frying is preferred, as the tomatoes do not float in the oil, which allows the weight of the tomato to press the cornmeal to the underside of the tomato.

Alternatives include using breadcrumbs or flour instead of cornmeal and frying in vegetable oil or other fat.

The sliced tomatoes may be dipped in a liquid before the cornmeal is added. This liquid is usually buttermilk or beaten egg; egg results in a slightly firmer texture than buttermilk. Liquids are used because cornmeal does not readily stick to tomato slices. Adding the liquid helps the cornmeal stay in place during the cooking process. It also results in the coating on the tomato becoming thicker and less crunchy when compared to tomatoes cooked without a liquid wash.

Pennsylvania Dutch version

While fried green tomatoes are usually considered a southern dish they can be found in northern Pennsylvania Dutch homes as well. The northern version is more likely to be made with white flour rather than corn meal.[2] Also, green tomatoes tend to be prepared at the end of the season in the north when the remaining fruit is harvested before the first frosts, whereas green tomatoes are picked throughout the season in the south.

Other preparations

Fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade is a southern and Creole combination served at many restaurants in New Orleans, Louisiana.

While fried green tomatoes have traditionally been a side dish, they are sometimes used in main dishes.

Every day seems like a celebration of fried green tomatoes when you’re dining in South and North Carolina. Served hot from the skillet, these crispy, spicy slices star as appetizers and in tantalizing entrees at restaurants across the state. Creamy gravies, dollops of soft, piquant cheeses, a scoop of creamy pimento cheese, fruity glazes and drizzles of balsamic syrup all make fine appointments to this beloved dish. Fresh, local shrimp and crabmeat can add a rich, crowning touch. Pair with a side of grits and you’ve got breakfast, lunch or dinner fit for Carolina royalty.

Now for some shocking news about this rousing Southern favorite: It’s a Northern invention. According to food writer and author, Robert F. Moss, recipes for the dish first appeared far above the Mason-Dixon Line, namely in cookbooks popular in the Northeast and Midwest in the early 1900s. Yep, that’s right—while we were swigging sweet tea, sweating and watching tomatoes ripen on the vine, farmers in Indiana, Ohio and other cold-prone places were furiously harvesting their unripen crops to save them from impending early frosts. Hence, it is theorized that fried green tomatoes were born out of frugality, the progeny of a dire thrift that frowned upon wastefulness.

Now to confuse you further: Fried green tomatoes are as embedded in Southern food culture as pimento cheese, and you can thank Hollywood for that. It all started with the 1991 release of the hit movie, “Fried Green Tomatoes.” The Southern setting and all those tantalizing fried green tomatoes served up at the Whistle Stop Cafe changed the way people think about them, leading almost everyone to believe that these beauties have always belonged to the South. Of course, a good many Southerners took a cue from their Northern brethren and had been cooking up green tomatoes for a long time before the big screen made everyone hungry for them. But the film’s success catapulted them squarely into our lap and we ran with it. To do otherwise would have been impolite, don’t you think?

Like with other dishes we’ve adopted, such as pimento cheese (read all about it here), Southern chefs and cooks have a knack for adding special touches to make them their own. When that hankering hits, you won’t find a more creative, mouthwatering lineup of fried green tomatoes than you will in South and North Carolina, where the dish is prepared as if it’s very roots are firmly planted in the state’s earliest farms, plantations and settlements. Whether you order them on a burger, as an elegant, seafood-topped entree, or just hot on a plate with a little gravy—or not, you’ll taste the South in every taste bud-titillating bite.

Ready to experience some ’mater magic? You can pull out your frying pan and give it a go, or try one of the many Southern recipes a few suggestions to get you started:

Betsy’s Round the Corner, Aiken

Big Mike’s Soul Food, Myrtle Beach

Cru Café, Charleston

Julia Belle’s, Florence

Lighthouse Lake Keowee, Seneca

Low Country Backyard, Hilton Head Island

Mr. Friendly’s New Southern Cafe, Columbia

Pump House, Rock Hill

Rivertown Bistro, Conway

Soby’s New South Cuisine, Greenville

Organize a coating station when making fried green tomatoes at home.

Classic Fried Green Tomatoes

2 large green tomatoes, cut into ½-inch thick slices

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups cornmeal or cracker crumbs

2 eggs

½ cup milk

Oil for frying

Salt and pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper (optional)

Pat dry tomato slices with a paper towel. Season both sides with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of cayenne if you like a little spice. Create a fried green tomato station by lining up a plate of flour, a wide bowl to whisk the eggs with milk, and a plate of cracker crumbs or cornmeal. Now, you are ready to coat the tomatoes. Dust each slice on both sides with flour. Using a fork, dip each floured slice into the egg mixture and hold up to drain over the bowl. Set them into the cracker crumbs or cornmeal, carefully coating each side. Place coated tomatoes on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Once all the slices are coated, fry in an inch of hot vegetable oil over medium heat until both sides are golden brown. Drain on a brown paper grocery bag, flipping them over to drain both sides. Serve alone or with your favorite accompaniment like pimento cheese or gravy.

I hope you enjoy you some Fried Green Tomatoes.  I know I sure will!

John, Please, put that Pop Tart Back You Just Ate a Pack!  

I have a 68 year old friend.  He is obsessed with Pop Tarts.  Yes, you read that correct Pop Tarts.  This has been an obsession of his since he was a child.  His mother use to have to hide them from him as he would eat the whole box in one sitting.  

There is something incredibly strange about Pop-Tarts. They’re packaged like space food, they’re more dessert than breakfast (and, I would argue, more chemical than whole ingredient) and yet, they’re so freaking good.

S’mores is the best flavor. Don’t let anyone tell you different.

There is something so quintessentially American about Pop-Tarts. When Kellogg, the creator of the beloved pastry, released Pop-Tarts in the UK in 1990, sales never exploded to the level that America had reached. Why were we so enamored by it?

Let’s go back to 1963. Kellogg was experiencing overwhelming success in the cereal market: Fruit Loops were gracing shelves as a bright, colorful addition to breakfast, along with Mini-Wheats and Apple Jacks. Cereal had (and still does have) its merits: it can stay on shelves without spoiling for months on end. Post, Kellogg’s main competitor, hadn’t struck the same cereal-gold (we know them nowadays for Fruity Pebbles). But, they had something that would make them breakfast king over Kellogg: they found a way to keep fruit filling fresh without a refrigerator.

Post was about to revolutionize the way families had breakfast. Moms could send their kids off to school with handheld pastries full of fruit filling. Translation: a quick and healthy breakfast for the children. Think of all the time they could save, how much more efficient the family unit could be!

But Post spoke too soon. They announced their foodie invention before their product hit the shelves. What at first had been a sure-fire win for Post now turned into a business opportunity for its competitors.

Thus, the Kellogg Pop-Tart was born. With characters like Bugs Bunny, Yogi Bear and Woody Woodpecker gracing its cereal boxes, Kellogg had an “in” with kids. And they had the scoop on something big. In six months, Kellogg unveiled a new pastry that they insisted be put in the baking aisle, far away from the cereal aisle. They called it the Pop-Tart, a tip-of-the-hat to the Pop Art movement started by Andy Warhol and his neon cans of Campbell’s Soup.

The original fab four Pop-Tarts flavors were modest: strawberry, blueberry, apple-currant (a flavor that would later be changed to apple-berry, as no one could really describe what the hell a currant was) and brown sugar cinnamon (a close second, in my mind, to s’mores). I think we would recoil at these originals: they were unfrosted and…well…relatively healthy. There was a scientific reason to explain this blasphemy: frosting melted off the pastries when put in the toaster. It would take another three years for Kellogg to create a frosted Pop-Tart that wouldn’t pose a fire hazard when a kid tried to warm it up.

(The Pop-Tart-toaster relationship would prove to be a hot topic in years to come. In 1994, Patrick Michaud, a professor at Texas A&M, would show that Strawberry Toasted Pop-Tarts proved to be incredibly dangerous. Left in the toaster too long, they would flare up into foot-high flames.)

Kellogg’s competitors tried to match the Pop-Tarts smash hit, but never could quite get there. It took General Mills eighteen years to introduce the Toaster Strudel. But unlike the Pop-Tart, the Toaster Strudel needs to be frozen before dropping it into the toaster. (Though, to be fair, I haven’t heard of any toaster fires from Toaster Strudels.)

Since 1967, Kellogg has released 29 different frosted flavors of Pop-Tarts. Some, like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, sound like a natural dessert-y transition for a pastry to make. Others, like Salt Water Taffy, do not.

And there are bakeries doing their own, homemade versions of Pop-Tarts. But they’re not the same. While homemade Pop-Tarts are buttery and flaky like a pie crust, original Pop-Tarts insist on staying bland and crumbly like a shortbread cookie. And yet, we love them anyways. 

Pop-Tarts is Kellogg’s most popular brand to date in the United States, with millions of units sold each year. They are distributed mainly in the United States, but are also available in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Seasonal flavors

Kellogg’s produces some flavors for a short time every year, to coincide with seasonal or holiday events. Some examples include Pumpkin Pie, released every Fall since 2011, and Red White and Blueberry, brought back every Summer since 2012.

Limited flavors

Limited flavors are produced for a short time, a few months or less, and usually have a “Limited Edition” banner on the box. They are sometimes made in cooperation with another food brand. Dunkin Donuts, Jolly Rancher, and A&W Root Beer have collaborated with Kellogg’s to create limited-edition branded Pop-Tart flavors. They have also worked with other Kellogg’s brands to make Froot Loops and Eggo flavored Pop-Tarts.

Occasionally a limited flavor will sell so well that Kellogg’s will keep producing it longer or make it a regular flavor. Red Velvet was initially released as a limited flavor in 2013, but sold so well that it was kept in production until 2017 and returned as a standard flavor in 2021.

At least one flavor, Mister-E, was discontinued shortly after its two-month marketing in Summer 2021 as Kellogg’s pulled the plug on the flavor after receiving numerous complaints. It was confirmed to be known as “Everything Bagel” on the Pop-Tart website prior to its conclusion.

Outside the United States

A much more limited number of flavors are available outside the US. This is due to local laws that may prohibit the use of specific food dyes, or the use of high fructose corn syrup.

Only three flavors are available in Europe:

Frosted Apple Blast

Frosted Chocotastic

Frosted Strawberry Sensation

1963

IN THE BEGINNING …

Kellogg chairman William E. LaMothe, a.k.a Bill, had a vision. A vision of transforming a delicious breakfast into a toaster-ready rectangle that could go anywhere. So he hit up “Doc” Joe Thompson, and his kitchen crew to create an ingenious hack on toast and jam.

It was called “Fruit Scone.” But that sounded terrible. So we took inspiration from the Pop Culture movement of the day and renamed it “Pop-Tarts.”

1964

THE OHIO PLAYERS

Cleveland, Ohio, hit the world with the orig Fab Four when we released our four original flavors: Strawberry, Blueberry, Brown Sugar Cinnamon & Apple-Currant.

Since literally no one has ever seen a currant, we dropped that flavor. Years later it came back as the fan favorite Apple Pop-Tarts.

1965

NATIONWIDE

Pop-Tarts were too big for one city to hold. So after a year at the center of the Pop-Tartsiverse, Cleveland shared the love with the rest of the country and went back to just being a dope Ohio spot.

1967

POP-TARTS GET ICY

The year we cracked how to deck Pop-Tarts toaster pastries out in frosting that kept its cool when toasted.

1968

TIME TO SHINE

The latest stop at innovation station was the introduction of “Sugar Sparkled Frosting.” You know ‘em better as sprinkles!

1971

THE SPOKESTOASTER

Kellogg was looking for the perfect mascot to rally our fans so they introduced Milton the Toaster! While his star shined bright, he didn’t last long

1973

SWEET 19

Over the years, our world-changing frosted poems to snacking, grew from four delicious flavors to the sweet addition of 19. The glow-up was real!

1980’S

BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST

Our frosted icons became so popular that 8 in a box just wasn’t enough anymore. So what did we do? We hit ‘em with 12. Boom. Then 24. Boom.

1994

THE CEREAL THE WORLD DESERVED

Word on the street was people were breaking their Pop-Tarts toaster pastries into pieces and eating them with milk. So we decided to release a cereal toasted to perfection and true to its taste. Boom.

2004

THE TASTIEST TAGLINE

“Crazy Good” was developed as an ode to the new generation’s passion for Pop-Tarts. Before we knew it, everyone was using the phrase

2007

VORACIOUSLY DEVOURED VISUALS

From the logos of your favorite sports teams to copyrighted characters whose names we can no longer actually use, our next innovation of printed fun frosting Pop-Tarts really was a sight to behold

2014

50 AND FROSTIN’ FABULOUS

Half a century in the game and still shaking things up! It was an anniversary to remember, and a signal to our fans that we’re nowhere near slowing down.

2018

TINY BITES, MASSIVE TASTE

Pop-Tarts were already amazing, but what if you could hold more in your hand? Problem solved. Don’t be fooled by these snackable Pop-Tarts Bites. They may be tiny, but they’re packed with big-flavor energy.

So there you have it!  Pop Tarts yesterday, today and who knows what tomorrow will bring! 

The Potato Chips or Potato Crisp: No Matter Still Delicious!

The credit for America’s greatest inventions is often a matter of controversy. The telephone: Alexander Graham Bell or Elisha Gray? The radio: Guglielmo Marconi or Nicola Tesla? The airplane: Gustave Whitehead or the Wright Brothers?

Add to that illustrious list: the potato chip.

The most common origin story for the potato chip involves Moon’s Lake House, a popular restaurant in the resort town of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. But even there, at least five different men and women have been credited as its creator. What’s more, food historians suggest the chip probably wasn’t invented in Saratoga—and possibly not in the U.S. at all.

The Saratoga Story

The most popular potato chip legend goes like this: One day in 1853, the shipping and railroad baron Cornelius Vanderbilt was dining at Moon’s Lake House. Disappointed by the fried potatoes he’d been served, he sent them back to the kitchen, asking for more thinly sliced ones. George Crum, a famed chef of Native American and Black heritage, took umbrage at the request and, in an “I’ll show him!” mood, sliced some potatoes as thin as he could, fried them to a crisp and served them to Vanderbilt. To Crum’s surprise, Vanderbilt loved them, and the potato chip was born.

Unfortunately, there are several problems with the Crum story. For one, if there was a disgruntled diner, it almost certainly wasn’t Vanderbilt. “There is no truth to the tale,” historian T.J. Stiles concluded in his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt.

For another, Crum’s supposed role in inventing the potato chip seems to have gone largely unrecognized in his lifetime, even though he was widely known across the U.S. and celebrated for his brook trout, lake bass, woodcock and partridge, among other dishes—making him perhaps the first celebrity chef in America. In 1889, a writer in the New York Herald called him “the best cook in the country,” with nary a word about potatoes. Most of his obituaries, in 1914, don’t mention the potato chip at all, and those that do simply say that he was “said to have” invented it.

This version of events eventually became so well-established that, in 1976, American Heritage magazine would dub Crum, also known as George Speck, the “Edison of Grease.”

Three years later, an obituary for Catherine Adkins Wicks, age 103, maintained that she, in fact, “was said to be the originator of the potato chip.” Wicks, who was Crum’s sister, worked alongside him in the kitchen and was familiarly known as Aunt Kate or Aunt Katie. In one variation of the disgruntled diner story, it is she, not Crum, who carved potatoes paper-thin in a moment of pique. In another telling, she accidentally dropped a thin slice into a boiling pot of fat while peeling potatoes retrieved it with a fork, and had her eureka moment.

Another Version: 

Still another notable to receive credit in her obituaries was Emeline Jones. Renowned as a cook to the rich, famous and powerful in New York City and Washington, D.C., Jones, who was also Black, had worked briefly at Moon’s Lake House under Hiram S. Thomas earlier in her career. So, while it’s possible she learned to make potato chips there, she seems unlikely to have been present at the creation.

A more recent theory, apparently first advanced by Stiles, is that the Lake House’s potato chips actually precede even Crum and Wicks. Another New York Herald article, this one from 1849, notes the “fame of ‘Eliza, the cook,’ for crisping potatoes,” adding that “scores of people visit the lake and carry away specimens of the vegetable, as prepared by her, as curiosities.” Regrettably, Eliza’s last name and anything else about her seems lost to history.

Whether or not anybody at Saratoga Springs actually invented potato chips, the town certainly did a lot to popularize them. For years, they were known as Saratoga chips, and they are still sold under that name today.

At first, Saratoga chips were a gourmet delicacy served at fine hotels and restaurants. Diners at the Cadillac Hotel in Detroit could enjoy them with chicken salad in aspic. Passengers aboard the luxury liner R.M.S. Berengaria nibbled theirs alongside roast pheasant. Wealthy families whose cooks had mastered the art of chip-making could buy a sterling silver Saratoga chip server at Tiffany for dishing them out with elegance.

Usually handmade and often served in wax paper bags, freshly fried snack chips tended to have a short shelf life, making them a hyperlocal, highly fragmented business proposition. It wasn’t until the 1930s that two companies, Lay’s and Fritos—the latter of which made their chips from corn, not potato—began their rise to becoming national brands mass-producing and distributing the popular snack foods. In time, chips became a universal treat, with potato chips alone becoming a $10 billion industry in the U.S.

Was a British Doctor the Real Inventor?

But if potato chips weren’t born in Saratoga, where did they come from? Food historians suggest they go back to at least 1817 when an English doctor named William Kitchiner came out with the first edition of his pioneering cookbook, The Cook’s Oracle, published in both British and American editions. One recipe, “potatoes fried in slices,” sounds remarkably like today’s potato chip. Later revisions referred to the dish as “potatoes fried in slices or shavings.”

While Kitchiner may have been the first to publish a potato chip recipe, that doesn’t mean he invented it. In fact, given the ubiquity of the potato—long a staple throughout the world—it seems likely that the potato chip has been invented and reinvented by countless cooks, possibly for centuries.

For serious snackers, the question of who actually invented the chip may be beside the point, anyway. The important thing is that somebody did and seasoned them with lots of salt in hopes to make them inedible to the customer. Yet to Crum’s surprise, the customer loved the dish. The owner of the restaurant started selling the potatoes soon after in paper cones and later in boxes.

The Accidental Inventor of the Potato Chip:

Another story includes George’s sister, Catherine “Aunt Kate” Weeks. The story goes that Aunt Kate accidentally invented the potato chip when she was cutting potatoes when one of the shavings fell into the fryer. After she fished it out of the oil, Crum saw the potato sitting on the counter and took a bite. He liked it so much that he insisted that they sell them. The incident was even mentioned in her obituary.

Fried Potato Shavings:

But wait there’s more! Even though George Crum has been named the inventor of the potato chip, there were recipes for fried potato shavings in British cookbooks years before Crum was born. However, these potatoes were a quarter of an inch thick.

More Potato Chip Fun Facts:

Potato Chips were never patented.

Wax paper bags revolutionized the chip industry.

Joe “Spud” Murphy developed the technology to add seasonings during manufacturing.

In 1958, Barbecue flavored chips became the first flavored chips in the United States. The next flavor to be sold was sour cream and onion.

The invention of the mechanical potato peeler in the 1920s helped the potato chip industry take off.

Lay’s potato chips were the first national potato chip brand.

The Frito-Lay plant in Georgia cooks about 1 million pounds of potatoes a day to make an average of 175,000 boxes of chips.

During World War II, potato chip production was halted because they were declared a “nonessential food.”

So as the old advertising saying goes….”I bet you can’t just eat One?”     And by the way please pass the dip! 

When You Wish Upon A Star: Wishes Do Come True!

People have been conditioned to make a wish. People make wishes on New Year’s Eve, on Christmas Day, and when blowing the candle on their birthday cake. Most people could not resist making a wish before throwing a penny into a fountain. There are many practices of making a wish, including making a wish upon a star.

But where did this practice come from? No one knows for sure, but the tradition lingers to this very day, even when majority of the people are wired and surrounded by all sorts of modern gadgets and most things are done electronically.

Wishing on shooting stars may have originated from Ptolemy, who said that the stars were a sign that the Gods were listening to our wishes. The tradition of making a wish by blowing out the candles on a birthday cake originates with the ancient Greeks.

How to make a wish upon a star

Is there a science on making a wish? Nope, there isn’t. What’s important is that you think of the things you wish for. Close your eyes and think of the things that you fervently want, a thing that you could not live without or something that is almost impossible for you to acquire. Pick one or the two most important items from your mental list. Open you eyes and look up at the sky and find the brightest star, because finding a shooting star is not that easy. Close your eyes again and make your wish. Depending on where you are located, you might be making your wish on Venus, Polaris (Northern Star), the Southern Cross, or Sirius.

Traditional belief

It could be that the tradition of making a wish upon a (shooting) star came about because these are beautiful and very rare. Since stars in the ancient times have been associated with divine powers. You’d probably encountered the phrase, looking or reading the stars, an evidence of man’s fascination with the heavens and its relation to angels, faith and prayers.

The truth is shooting stars are not stars but meteors and it’s the glowing trail of a meteoroid or a piece of space debris that burns as soon as it enters the earth’s atmosphere. And it is this phenomenon that makes the shooting star very attractive, ideal and considered as a lucky item for making a wish. And maybe it is also because of the fact that it is actually a challenge to make a wish on a shooting star since it appears for just a fleeting moment. You’ll be startled when you actually see one and before you could think of your wish, it’s gone.

Astronomy

It is believed that the act of wishing on a shooting star started during the time of Greek astronomer Ptolemy, around 127 AD to 151 AD. He wrote that sometimes the gods also got bored and curious and would occasionally peer down on earth. And in so doing, some stars slipped through the gap between the spheres and became visible as falling or shooting stars. He further added that the gods were more receptive to wishes made during times like those.

Whether it is true or just a myth, maybe tonight you would look up at the sky and say, Star light, star bright, the first star as see tonight, I wish I may or simply enjoy the beauty of the twinkling stars above, if you are lucky.

Part of pop culture ever since a cartoon cricket sang about it in Pinocchio (1940), wishing upon a star is a familiar habit for those seeking a little celestial intervention. But like so many superstitions, its historical origins are hazy. Astronomers will be irked right off the bat: the tradition relates to wishing on “falling stars,” which of course are not starts at all, but meteors going out in a blaze of glory as they enter earth’s atmosphere. In the 2nd century AD, Greek astronomer Ptolemy presented the dubious theory that shooting stars flew through the gap between cosmic spheres when the gods pried them apart to peek down at the activities of mortals on earth. In later Christian tradition, they were thought to represent rising or falling souls or angels. In any case, wishing on them amounted to trying to tap into the mystical to improve your fortunes through a fleeting, fantastic phenomenon. The tradition has been strengthened in the modern era, when urban light pollution made shooting star sightings more difficult and wish opportunities more precious. But if you consider that the granddaddies of those cute shooting stars have—and still can—spell doomsday for planets in their path, you might consider wishing that they pass by harmlessly. The dinosaurs probably never saw it coming…………

Some traditions perceive shooting stars as both good and bad. The Greeks believed the stars were rising or falling human souls, and Jews and Christians believed in falling angels or devils. On the other side of the world, different Indigenous Australian groups perceived meteors as either good — associated with benevolent spirits — or bad — bringing evil magic and war. When Halley ’s Comet appeared in the sky in 1066, it was a good omen for the Normans but bad for the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. And Ptolemy wrote that shooting stars were evidence of the gods peering down to earth and lights falling through the cracks, but it is uncertain whether being spied on by the gods is a good or a bad thing.

These days, witnessing a shooting star is considered lucky and an opportunity to wish for your heart’s desire.

Other Wishing which can be done

Dandelions, wishbones, shooting stars, and candles are just a few ways people make wishes. Many people make wishes on them, because that’s what they were told to do, but how did these superstitions start?

Shooting stars

When someone sees a shooting star they may point and yell, “Look! A shooting star!,” close their eyes, and make a wish on it. According to Wish Upon a Star Travel Blog . The Europeans believed the gods would occasionally peer down, and when they moved the sky, a star would escape and fall down. The Greeks, however, believed that the stars represented falling human souls, and it was lucky to make a wish on them.

Candles

Candles have always been a tradition when it comes to birthdays and other special occasions, but there is a reason for them. eHow Food said Greeks baked cakes for Artemis, the god of the moon, where a cake represents a moon (when round) and a candle represents the light of life. The Europeans and especially the Germans were skilled candle makers and put a big candle in the middle of a cake and burned it all day long to ward off evil spirits. When the candle is blown out and a wish is made, the smoke is said to take the wish up to heaven.

Dandelions

Making wishes on dandelions dates back to Celts and the French. Dandelion comes from a French word meaning “lion’s tooth” according to My Flower. Dandelions used to be used for medical purposes to treat infections and diseases. Because they thought this was a magical herb, people began making wishes on them when the dandelions become gray and white. They are also considered lucky if a bride carries them in her bouquet.

Wishing fountains

The Wishing Fountain states that the tradition all started with the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy. In 19 B.C., the Roman soldiers were searching for some water source, and legend has it they ended up at the Trevi Fountain, which was not as glorious as it is now. They used that as their water source for 400 years and drinking from the fountain was supposed to give people good fortune. Now, the tradition is said that throwing a coin in the fountain will cause the same thing. This tradition spread to thousands of fountains around the world and is continued today.

Wishbones

Wishbones are usually a Thanksgiving or Christmas tradition where two people pull on each end of the wishbone of a turkey, and the one who gets the bigger half supposedly makes a wish that comes true. The Encyclopedia of Superstition said the origin is not completely known, but it has something to do with the importance of poultry. These animals were thought to have magical powers because roosters crowed when the sun rose, and hens clucked when they had layed eggs. Their magic supposedly spread through their bones. The wishbone or proper name fercula was chosen because it is the symbol of fertility. Wishbones continue to be a tradition even today.

There are more ways of making wishes like 11:11 and eyelashes. Wishes are things people due from the age of five to the age of 100 and continue throughout generations.

Back to the stars

Although there are two schools of thought, the popular nursery rhyme suggests the ‘first star I see tonight’ is the lucky one rather than a falling star. If you do see a star, there are ways to ensure your wish is a sure thing: in Chile you pick up a stone at the same time, or in the Philippines tie a knot in your hanky.

The practice of wishing on a star is now ensconced in an iconic song. ‘When you wish upon a Star’ was first written for the Disney cartoon Pinocchio in 1940, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song, before becoming the theme tune for the Disney Corporation, and now a regular Christmas song in Scandinavia and Japan.

“When you wish upon a star

Makes no difference who you are

Anything your heart desires

Will come to you”

There is no clear explanation why the fear and bad omens of shooting stars has disappeared from our culture, perhaps this is due to our increased scientific understanding of our night sky, and now we celebrate rather than fear any falling space debris.

Shooting stars began as both a good and bad signal in the sky and it is unclear why we now only focus on the positive. But now this belief is so heavily ingrained into popular culture, it appears wishing on a star is a happy and hopeful superstition which is here to stay.

“Star light, star bright,”

BY ANONYMOUS

Star light, star bright,

First star I see tonight,

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have this wish I wish tonight.

“When You Wish Upon a Star”

Disney…..sung by Jimmy Cricket 

When you wish upon a star

Makes no difference who you are

Anything your heart desires

Will come to you

If your heart is in your dream

No request is too extreme

When you wish upon a star

As dreamers do

Fate is kind

She brings to those who love

The sweet fulfillment of

Their secret longing

Like a bolt out of the blue

Fate steps in and sees you through

When you wish upon a star

Your dreams come true!

Come and See Us Multiply: The Iris

Let me star by say that Iris flowers were one of my Mother’s favorite flowers.  She had a whole array of these flowers in the yard when I was growing up.  My Aunt Dap who lived next door did too, I think secretly they were having a contest who could have the most colors and flowers. 

Iris flowers are a popular perennial plant with showy blooms in a range of colors, including blue, purple, white, yellow, and orange. These flowers have six petals, three of which form the upright «standards» while the other three hang down and are known as the «falls». Irises prefer well-drained soil and full sun, although some varieties can tolerate partial shade. They can be propagated through dividing the rhizomes in the fall, and they typically bloom in the late spring or early summer. The iris has a rich symbolic history, and it is often associated with royalty and the Greek goddess Iris, who was the messenger of the gods – Of course the idols of the Greeks is complete nonsense.

The iris is known for its beauty and unique blooms, which are unlike any other flower. As with many flowers, the iris has a number of meanings, and they are often given as gifts. We have created this article to teach you about the beautiful iris.

There are more than 200 different varieties of iris, and they come in an array of colors. In fact, the name, ‘iris,’ comes from the Greek word that means ‘rainbow.’ These flowers are found almost everywhere in the world, both naturally and on flower farms. You can also, of course, find them in gardens across the globe. The irises found in gardens are generally white, yellow, or blue, which is the most popular type. 

Where does the iris come from? Its history is interesting, and we can trace it back to the times of the Ancient Greeks. The Greeks had a goddess, Iris, who was seen as the messenger of the gods. She was also the personification of the rainbow, and the people believed that she was the link between earth and heaven. Because of this, the Greeks placed purple irises on the graves of women who had died in order to summon Iris, the goddess, to help the dead reach heaven.

The Greeks were not the only ones who loved the iris flower, though. We know that the Ancient Egyptians also liked irises, thanks to the exotic look. There have been a number of paintings of irises found in Egyptian buildings. 

You might understand that the iris is also associated with France, specifically with the French monarchy. This pairing occurred during the Middle Ages. The famed Fleur-de-lis eventually became the national symbol of France. 

Historically, the iris has been used to create aromatic perfume. It has also been historically used by herbalists as a natural remedy for conditions such as coughs and lung conditions. Today, the iris is often seen in home gardens, bouquets, and of course, can be found naturally in the wild.

Since the iris has so many meanings, it makes this flower a wonderful choice for any occasion. You can use irises for sympathy or get well soon arrangements and corporate events and birthdays. They are also perfect for those ‘just because’ moments to brighten someone’s day. 

Today, the state of Tennessee is proud to have the iris as its state flower. Additionally, the city of New Orleans, Louisiana boasts the Fleur-de-lis as the emblem of the city.

As you can see, the iris has an exceptional history, and there are also specific meanings associated with the flower. These include hope, wisdom, and faith. When we consider other factors, such as region and color, the iris might have other meanings. For example, in some places, the purple or dark purple iris is symbolic of royalty. A yellow iris can mean courage, passion, and admiration.

The Meanings of Irises

Just like your favorite shoes, irises come in many colors, each just as beautiful as the next. The ancient Greeks saw the rainbow as the robes of the goddess Iris, with some believing the multi-colored flowers were part of her robe. Others saw it as the veil from her dress. 

The rainbow flower is widely considered the symbol of communication and messages, due to the goddess, Iris, being the Greek goddess for the Messenger of Love.

The traditional purple iris represents wisdom, courage, respect, and admiration. Not surprisingly, then, it has also come to symbolize royalty, a common association with the color purple. 

The beautiful blue iris symbolizes faith, hope, trust and pixie dust. Oh no, wait… that last one is something else. But who would argue that its dazzling magic fits here?

Is it passion you’re looking for? Look no further than a yellow iris. Delicate and tall, the yellow iris could make anyone catch all the feels at a glance.

As with many white flowers, the white iris symbolizes purity and innocence. It is often found in mixed bridal bouquets, due to their smaller size and striking appearance. Small in size, yes, but never to be underestimated in terms of its effect. 

So knowing the meanings of the individual colors also helps when putting a bouquet together. With this knowledge, you can mix and match meanings into a cohesive whole, combining purity with respect, hope, and passion, or whatever other heady combination speaks best for you — or perhaps your union with a partner.

Let’s face it, you have many moods and meanings — so express yourself!

February Birth Flower

Iris are synonymous with affection and devotion making them the perfect alternative to roses for Valentine’s or a stunning February birthday gift.

Ancient Egyptian kings were enthralled by the iris and its exotic appeal. Drawings of the flower have been found in many Egyptian palaces, helping make its celebrated connection to royalty extremely powerful. A flower on the Sphinx is thought by many to be an iris; while another appears on a bas-relief from the 18th Egyptian dynasty. 

The iris is the birth-month flower for February, appropriately matching the beautiful purple amethyst stone also associated with the month.

Irises have been used for various purposes throughout history: French peasants planted irises on the edges of their thatched roofs to prevent erosion; irises were prescribed by Apothecaries as a remedy to digestive problems; and the root was blended into cough syrups and antitussive teas. Ancient cultures utilized iris oils in their perfumes, furthering the stature of this regal plant.

Examples of iris based perfumes today include: Iris Nobile Acqua di Parma; Iris Ganache Guerlain; and Iris Silver Mist Serge Lutens. Possibly next only to the rose, the iris flower is a favorite subject of great art, appearing in masterpieces by painters such as: Leonardo da Vinci, Cezanne, Renoir, Claude Monet, Gauguin, and Van Gogh.

4 Fun Facts About Irises That Will Make You Love Them Even More

Beard or no beard, there’s a lot to love about irises. But even the most dedicated iris-lovers might not know all the fascinating facts about this bulb.

Who would have thought that a flower with a beard could be considered a beautiful addition to the garden? You won’t find a flower with more variety and color than irises. Irises are often considered spring bulbs, but some of the thousands of iris varieties bloom in summer and fall, too.

One distinctive feature of irises is their lance-shaped, spiky foliage—the blooms are often confused with lilies, but the foliage is a tell-tale sign of which plant you’re looking at. Irises are perennials that easily self-multiply and can be divided, meaning you can plant more irises in your garden for free each year.

1. Irises Have Been Important Flowers Since the Ancient Greeks

A lot of the iris’s long history traces back to the Greeks. Its name comes from the Greek word for rainbow and messenger. It’s believed that these flowers were named because their blooms come in so many colors of the rainbow. In Greek mythology, the goddess Iris delivered messages to the gods, traveling on rainbows to get from heaven to earth and back. Ancient Greeks would plant irises on the graves of their loved ones in hopes that the goddess Iris would help connect their souls to heaven.

The earliest art that depicts an iris is a fresco in King Minos’ palace on the Greek island of Crete. That palace dates back to 2100 BC.

2. Irises Can Be Bearded Or Beardless

The colorful blooms can be bearded or unbearded and come in solid colors or patterns with dramatic veining. All irises have upright petals and fall petals that hang down below. You can tell a bearded iris from a beardless iris by looking at the center of the fall petals—bearded irises have a fuzzy patch, which is why they are called ‘bearded.’ Beardless irises may have a patch of color in the same place on the fall petals, but with no fuzzy texture.

3. Parts of the Iris Have Been Used Medicinally

Irises have more of a purpose than just something pretty to look at. Historically, parts of iris plants have been used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Besides being a common fragrance added to perfumes, the juice from fresh iris roots was used to remove freckles. The root was blended to create cough syrups and topical treatments for skin conditions like eczema and acne. The seeds were prescribed for digestive problems. With the rise of aromatherapy, the oil from irises is said to help with congestion and boosting mood.

4. Each Color of Iris Means Something Different

The iris species symbolizes eloquence, which stems from the goddess Iris being a messenger. But within the species, each color also carries its own meaning—keep this symbolism in mind the next time you send someone irises. For example, purple irises represent admiration and wisdom, while blue is a symbol of faith and hope. Yellow irises are said to symbolize passion, and white represents purity.

This bulb has been a part of so many cultures and histories and continues to be a favorite in the garden today. With so many varieties in hundreds of color combinations, you could have a garden full of irises that would be anything but boring. Do your research and find the perfect iris to complete your flower bed.

Are you ready to start growing Iris now? I grow them and just love them like my Mother and Aunt Dap!