May In Full Bloom: The Scent of Love

Van Gogh's Garden in Bloom
Arles, c. 1888

You know that old expression,

 "The nose knows"?  

It turns out that is really true. 

"When you smell things, you remember emotions."

Take LOVE, for example.

Who wouldn't want to remember the exhilaration of early, or any for that matter, LOVE?

What does LOVE smell like?

It smells like May ...... 

A Mississippi/Arkansas Delta 

May in FULL BLOOM.  

Delta Bohemian Garden
with the famed Spitting Frog Fountain

The scents are intoxicating, heady.  

The promise for the upcoming,

 long, hot, barely unfolding summer reverberates in the sunshine. 

 Excitement can't help but

 course through your veins 

and cause your heart to leap 

at least just a little. 

The earth has warmed, the temperature is rising, and there is a cacophonous intermingling of delicious smells everywhere, a 'Flower Bomb' if you will.  

"Flower Bomb" is my au courant scent

You can lose yourself in the scent,

 get totally carried away 

by the love in the air.  

The scent of this time,

 of May in FULL BLOOM, 

the scent of LOVE, 

will always remain in your memory.... 

I don't design that many weddings,

 but this May I have been working 

on two Delta weddings, 

an elegant, gilded, streamlined, formal affair in Clarksdale, 

and an earthy, colorful, outdoorsy 

fete in Helena. 

Both weddings of course are laden with flowers and scents.......

My beautiful Clarksdale Delta bride 

chose a crisp, modern white and golden palette with lots of vibrant green

 for her wedding day. 

My longtime friend and right hand floral man Chris Morrow and bride Ashley Britt

Her memories of LOVE

 will be tied to the scents of 

Peonies (Bashful)

Roses (Happy Love, Beauty)

Freesia 
Tulip (Love, Fame)

My fresh and lovely Helena bride

has chosen a palette of what I like to call

classic French countryside,

orangey red, turquoise, and golden yellow

with touches of bridal white,

 raspberry pink and lavender.

Her memories of LOVE will be tied to the scents of

Roses (Happy Love)

Rosemary (Remembrance)
Sunflower (Pride and Appreciation)

Lavender (Serenity and Grace)

My wedding wasn't in May, but May holds many scent memories of those I love .....

The pungent smell of marigolds reminds me of my grandmother Nanny's house, 

for each May she planted them down the sides of her driveway. 

 I spent many fun hours playing in her big, sloping yard on Main Street 

or Darby Avenue in Lambert. 

In the Language of Flowers
Marigold means
"Despair and Grief".I love the color for a wedding, but not the sentiment!

I think this marigold colored wedding looks so crisp.
I am betting Madge would love this.
It's her favorite color!

Nanny's yard was also home to a gloriously huge, May blooming Magnolia Grandiflora. 

 Susan and I spent hours playing under its ground hugging branches and 

loved its buds wrapped in greigey, 

velvet like outer leaves, 

its huge full blown flowers with their light, creamy, slightly citrus scent, 

 and it's pineapple like cones.  

Delta Bohemian Garden

Delta Bohemian Garden

Delta Bohemian Garden

Delta Bohemian Garden

A perfect bouquet for a Delta wedding:
Magnolia leaves with tulips and tallow berries

In The Language of Flowers
Magnolia Grandiflora means
"Dignity and Love of Nature".

The delicious, sweet smell of roses reminds me of my play yard on our farm on the Coldwater River in the Delta. 

 My Mother espaliered the first roses I ever remember on the play yard fence. 

Delta Bohemian Garden

And on one of my early Mother's Days,

in May of course, 

 we went out and cut red roses

 to wear to church. 

 I was a tiny bit sad that we had no white rose for Nanny to wear for long passed great-grandmother Mammie.

 To this day, red roses are one of

 my very favorite flowers.  

In the Language of Flowers,
roses mean
"Happy Love".

Another beautiful Helena Bride
and her bouquet of all white roses, Eskimo and Vendela.

The funny, earthy, acid smell of tomato vines reminds me of my Uncle Raymond and his many May plantings of tomatoes.

 His tomatoes are some of the most delicious I have ever eaten.  

Delta Bohemian Garden

I DO love this unusual scent!
Do you?

OK, this photo of a quintessential tomato sandwich.
white bread, vine ripened tomato, Hellman's Mayonnaise, salt and pepper,
is off topic, I admit, but foodies and tomatoholic that I and someone are,
I could not resist!

Is this wedding too tomatoey for you?

I LOVE to use the unexpected in wedding arrangements.
VOILA, ripe and green tomatoes!

Heavy and sensuous, 

the scent of gardenias 

is one of my favorites. 

Delta Bohemian Garden

One of the first perfumes 

I ever wore was Jungle Gardenia

 in junior high school for a

 Lausanne May Day celebration. 

I felt so grown up!

I still love all those Lausanne Ladies. 

A beautiful wedding gown called "Gardenia".

I can still smell the cut honeysuckle my Mother placed on my dresser 

my senior year in high school 

just before my May graduation.  

In the Language of Flowers,
honeysuckle means
"Bonds of Love".

I love the touch of Art Nouveau in the honeysuckle artwork
 on this wedding invitation
I could definitely use the leaves and honeysuckle as inspiration
in designing this wedding.

And when I smell fresh herbs, 

the memories of my first house in 

Charlotte, North Carolina,

 where the first May I lived there, 

 I planned, planted, and daily cared for my first herb garden.  

Rosemary means "Remembrance".
Delta Bohemian Garden

Basil means "Hatred".
Delta Bohemian Garden

John McKee's Mint
Mint means "Virtue".
Delta Bohemian Garden

Chives
Thyme means "Activity".
Delta Bohemian Garden

Sage means "Long Life, Esteem, Health"
Delta Bohemian Garden

Curry
Delta Bohemian Garden

I hostessed the main course of a fancy progressive dinner party alfresco

 in my herb and rose garden late that May.

 I was so proud. 

 Memories of all my Charlotte friends I love come flooding back. 

Peonies and fresh herbs for a scent-ual bouquet.

Earlier this May week, I rode out to

 Moon Lake with my dear friends

 Madge and Billy. 

 We shared this beautiful view of the lake and the totally intoxicating scent

 of mounds of glorious jasmine 

growing on the fence and dock. 

In "The Language of Flowers"
jasmine means
"Cheer and Grace"

Perhaps a lovely scent for a bride and a scent memory for her groom?
I have not tried this, but I want to.

Truly the scent of LOVE!

I am making new scent memories 

with those I love this May in

 Clarksdale, Helena, and their environs, where everything is indeed in 

FULL BLOOM.....

And SOMEONE smells really good.....

I won't forget......

LOVE smells like May.  

May smells like LOVE. 

What is your favorite scent memory?

photo credits: Marilyn Trainor Storey, Pinterest, SOMEONE who smells good

MUCH MORE WEDDING TO COME!

Kudos to Billy Howell and
 his beautiful Bohemian Garden 
which delights the eyes and the nose.

For more on Billy, Madge and the
 Delta Bohemian

GO HERE

The Harvest Pheasant, The Progress of a Dinner III

Thanksgiving
Third Course
Feast or Pheasant?
(NOT "Just Desserts")

I hope each of you had the happiest and most blessed Thanksgiving ever. 

I intended to post this Thanksgiving night, but I was enjoying my family too much, as it should be.  I was lucky enough to have both of my parents, both of my sons, my youngest sister with her husband and my niece, and several friends with me.

I hope that you will enjoy the post tonight and use the recipes and table ideas throughout this holiday season. 

I look forward to sharing my first Holiday Season/Christmas of blogging with all of you!

At this point, as my Father often says,
"You have labored and produced."

It is time to enjoy
and
BE THANKFUL
 just like the Pilgrims did on that first 
Thanksgiving so long ago.

You have earned your "just desserts".


NOTHING in life is perfect,
despite all our BEST efforts.

The way I approach life is:
Do everything you can humanly do,
 and then let go and don't worry about
what you have no control over.

Now is that time.
Relax now and enjoy your day, your family, your friends, your home, and of course your feast,
and NOT just the desserts!

This is the menu I shared with my family.

Thanksgiving Menu

Salmon Mousse* with Cucumber Slices and Crackers

Cheese Board, Blues and Bries

Olives

Pickled Okra

Seasoned Cashews

Cheese Straws

Champagne Cocktails*

Roasted Oysters

Wild Mushroom Soup*

Spinach Pomegranate Salad

with

 Champagne Vinaigrette

Apple Cider Roast Turkey Breast

Nanny's Cornbread Dressing*

Turkey Gravy

Cranberry Sauce

Honey Roasted Root Vegetables

Wines

Mamaw's Chess Pie*

Raspberry Trifle

Chocolate Kahlua Peppermint Cocktails*

My Recipes

Hmmm, these cocktail recipes are mine,

 and the food recipes are family recipes handed down from my grandmothers, both of whom were divine cooks.

I wonder what that says about me?

Oh well, they are all delicious!

Champagne Cocktail

These are my go to cocktail for holidays and any type of celebration.  They are festive, beautiful, simple to make, utterly delicious and not expensive, even for a party.

Inexpensive Champagne, I usually use Cook's Brut for these

Sugar Cubes

Angostura Bitters

Orange slices or rinds

Place a sugar cube in a champagne flute. 

Cover with bitters.  You will have to experiment with how much you like.  I like it heavy.

Rub the rim of the glasss with a slice or rind of orange.

Place the orange on the sugar cube.

Carefully fill the glass with champagne.

(The sugar tends to make the champagne extra fizzy.)

Nanny's Cornbread Dressing

This is a simple Southern recipe, but totally delicious.

I watched Nanny make it many times, and of course tasted and tasted for her.

It is my very favorite Thanksgiving dish.  I never actually stuff the turkey. 

I bake the dressing in a pan and put celery, onion and apples slices in my turkey cavity

with sage, salt, and pepper for flavor.  (I discard these when the turkey is cooked). 

I also pour about 2 cups of apple juice around my turkey. I tent the turkey and cook it in a covered roaster.  The breast is NEVER dry.

Nanny's Cornbread (see recipe below)

2 slices White Bread

 6 cans Swanson's Chicken Broth

Celery

Onion

Sage

Salt

Pepper

Chop onion and celery. Place about 1 1/2 cups of each in a pot with the chicken broth.

Bring to a boil.  Turn to simmer and cover.  Simmer for approximately 2 hours. 

 Celery and onion should be tender.

Break cornbread into pieces and place in a casserole dish along with the bread,

 also torn into pieces.

Using a large slotted spoon, add onion and celery pieces to the cornbread until you see pieces throughout the cornbread.

Using a measuring cup, dip broth from the pot and pour over cornbread until it is well wet,

but NOT soupy.

Add pepper and lots of sage to taste.  The broth is salty, so be stingy with the salt.

I love the sage and usually use most of a small container.

As Nanny always said though,  you can keep adding, but you cannot take it out.

So, be careful here.
I encourage LIBERAL tasting to get it just right.

Cover with foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Note that this dressing does not have eggs in it and will not spoil as easily.

Nanny's Cornbread

Ok, I am NOT trying to brag, but everyone no matter their age,

who eats this cornbread swears it is THE best ever. 

You MUST bake it in a small iron skillet and you must use

Martha White Self-Rising Corn Meal Mix, no substitutes.

Crisco Oil

 2 c. Martha White Self-Rising Corn Meal Mix

2 c. Buttermilk

Egg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Pour approximately 1/4 c. or a little more of the oil in an iron skillet. 

 There should be about 1/4 inch layer of oil in the skillet.

Put the skillet in the oven to heat for about 5 to 7 minutes.

Watch carefully as it can flame if neglected.

Just before you remove oil from oven,

 mix MWSRCMM and buttermilk.

Beat very well.  Incorporating air in, this I think, is why it is so light and fluffy.

Nanny used to beat the stew out of it!

Add egg, and beat some more.

Remove skillet from oven.  Carefully pour hot oil into mixture and beat one more time.

Pour back into hot iron skillet.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden with brown crust on edge.

Remove from oven and immediately run knife around to loosen and invert on plate.

I ususally make my cornbread for dressing the day ahead.

Mamaw's Chess Pie 

My Daddy's Mother was a fabulous baker, and this is her recipe

for a classic southern Chess Pie.

4 eggs

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 T. white vinegar

1/2 c. melted butter

1T. vanilla

Pie shell  (I use Pillsbury in a glass pan, Mamaw, of course, made her own.)

Beat eggs.

Add sugar, vanilla, and vinegar, then melted butter.

Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for an hour.

Chocolate Kahlua Peppermint Cocktails

1 c.chocolate milk

1 oz. Kahlua

2. oz. Peppermint Schnapps

1 peppermint stick

Mix ingredients in order and garnish with peppermint stick.

Recipes From the Silver Palate Cookbook

 When I got out of college, I realized that I truly love to cook, not just Southern recipes handed down from my grandmothers, but all kinds of things, even complicated things. 

I guess you could say I am a foodie.

Some of the first cookbooks I bought were the Silver Palate

cookbooks by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. They were and are a joy to peruse and use.

I still have my originals and use them often.  Next year the original Silver Palate Cookbook

will celebrate its 30th anniversary, which is hard to believe.

Both of these recipes are from the books and I have made and enjoyed them many times during many holiday seasons. 

I promise that you will too!

Salmon Mousse

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann's
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated onion
• Dash of Tabasco
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 cups finely flaked poached fresh salmon or canned salmon, skin and bones removed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Watercress, for garnish
• Toast, pumpernickel, or crackers, for serving

(I also serve it with cucumber slices!)

1. Soften the gelatin in the cold water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the boiling water and whisk the mixture slowly until the gelatin dissolves. Cool to room temperature.

2. Whisk in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated onion, Tabasco,  paprika, salt, and dill. Stir to blend completely and refrigerate until the mixture begins to thicken slightly, about 20 minutes.

3. Fold in the finely flaked salmon. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it is thickened to soft peaks and fluffy. Fold gently into the salmon mixture.

4. Transfer the mixture to a 6- to 8-cup bowl or decorative mold. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

5. Garnish with watercress, and serve with toasts, pumpernickel, or crackers.

Wild Mushroom Soup with Madeira

• 1/2 c. Madeira
• 2 3/4 c. chicken broth
• 1 oz. dried morels
• 3 leeks, white parts only, well rinse and dried
• 1 onion
• 4 T. unsalted butter
• 3 T. unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 c. beef broth
• 1 lb. fresh button mushrooms, stems removed
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• creme fraiche for garnish
• Snipped fresh chives for garnish

1. In a small saucepan combine the Madeira , 1/2 c. of the chicken broth , and the morels.  Bring to a boil, reomove from heat, and let stand for 30 minutes.

2. Dice the leeks and onion.  Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add the leeks  and onion, and cook over low heat until wilted, about 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with the flour, stir, and cook an additional 5 minutes.  

3. Add the remaining 2 1/4 cups chicken broth, the beef broth, button mushrooms, morels, and their soaking liquid, and salt and pepper.  Simmer, uncovered, until the mushrooms are soft, 30 minutes.  Allow the soup to cool slightly.

4. Puree the soup in batches, in a blender or food processor.  Return it to the  pot and heat through over low heat,  Serve with garnishes.

Makes 6 portions 

In addition to the tablescape I did in my own dining room for Thanksgiving, I helped several of my clients with their
"Harvest Feast or Pheasant" tables.
I did indeed use birds and feathers in some way, shape or form on each of them!

I tied napkins with sheer orange ribbon ribbon  and jute twine with one of my favorites,
hypericum berries tucked in.



I designed the console especially for my client's dining room.  The space was very long and narrow.   The console's top is marblized and the carved edge is gold leafed.
We devised storage beneath.

The flowers are all arranged in vintage silver pieces and more are displayed around the dining room, along with antique
blue and white porcelain.  I love the old world patina the vintage silver gives the dining room.

We set up an additional dining gallery across the foyer in the library, which I loved.  I love a dining area surrounded by books.

And while we were setting up in the library, I found something
special . . . 

No Thanksgiving feast here would be complete without my client's precious pug
Izzie as "Pugahontas".

And at another client, we simply added to her year round naturalistic dining room decor for her Thanksgiving feast.

We use shells, acorns,
 dried flowers, feathers, moss and stone in her dining room year round, in tones of white, cream, tan and gray.  For her feast we simply added fresh flowers tucked in here and there, oh and of course a few little pheasants.

I LOVE the silver here too.

 

I hope your feast was a smorgasbord of delights, with or without a pheasant, AND that you enjoyed your just desserts!

What is your best NEW Thanksgiving memory?

photo credits: Gina's Recipes, Marilyn Storey

Special Thanks to my dear clients LWR and PGW.  I love you and am most thankful for you.