Monday, June 23, 2008

She Speaks- She Eats

Oh North Carolina I miss you so....my first taste of the South and I am grieving my return to California. The precious ladies, the laughter that kept us up late at night, and the food, Oh Lord what delicious food.

I ate my first grits in the company of Fanny, a beautiful black woman from the area. She made sure to show me how to eat them, never with sugar, ALWAYS with butter.


My first taste of sweet tea. I think I have died and gone to Heaven. Why in the world hasn't anyone in California thought of this sweet nectar?!?!



My dinner choice the first night I arrived, a red velvet cupcake. Does it get any better than this?!?



Our dessert after dinner on Friday. I looked mentally unbalanced, giggling over this delicious, delightful creation. I couldn't even hold my camera steady.



But hands down, without a doubt, my joy was overflowing when I received what I now call "manna rolls" from Heaven. In California we have lots of bread with dinner, sour dough, french bread, but this pretty little roll that I held in my hands stopped time for me. I am convinced that the angels in Heaven eat these and the good Lord himself knows the secret recipe.

I just know that I have Southern blood running through my veins. I am sure of it. After this past weekend, now convinced that I must have been adopted, it is now my duty to go out and find my real birth mother, sipping sweet tea, red velvet cupcakes in the oven, just waiting to share her manna rolls with me.

Oh North Carolina, I miss you so.

14 comments:

Teresa said...

On your next visit you must graduate to the banana pudding, fried okra & cornbread. Have mercy, the cornbread will set you free.

I can't believe you yankees don't put sugar in your tea. What are y'all thinkin?

Paula V said...

I laughed when you said your dinner choice for the first night was red velvet cupcakes. I had to reread that because I thought you had said you dessert choice but no right about the cupcake photo it says "dinner choice". Indeed, sometimes my dinner choice is also the sweet thing.

I live in Indiana, and I had no idea they didn't have tea in California. Of course since I am a diet drinker, I love tea but I prefer my unsweeten but then sweetened with splenda (the fake sugar). I accidentally had a sip of sweet tea at McD's and thought it was way too sweet.

Hey, if you have a McD's in your parts (of course you do), they have wonderful tea. You can drive thru, park, close your eyes, and just imagine you are in the south with those heavenly manna rolls.

I LOVE your photo of you holding the roll. And...those ladies behind you laughing. How precious!
Love,
Paula

Mari said...

I think I gained 5 pounds just looking at this post! I must go South again!

Aly said...

Joanne, Joanne, Joanne!

You may miss North Carolina, but we sure missed you here in Nor Cali! Lets start looking for property over there then we can still be neighbors! Manna rolls from heaven, hunh? xo

A Stone Gatherer said...

Oh that all looks soooo gooood!!!! The red velvet cupcake reminds me of the red velvet armadillo grooms cake from Steel Magnolias (one of my favorite movies)

Chelle' said...

I'm struggling to comment on these last two posts as I wanted to be there as well and can read just how wonderful and lifechanging it was for you.

I even caught Meg at home today... and she made me tear up a little because she is the sweetest, dearest representatin of Jesus I've ever spoken to...

Ahhh friend, so wish I could've shared the She Speaks experience with you... next time!

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

I kept seeing you all weekend in the writer's track and wanted to meet you, but I was so disoriented in all that was going on. Truly, it was a perfect weekend. Hope all was a perfect fit for you.

I saw you talking to Jeannie. Wasn't she the best?!

peace~elaine

Beth Cotell said...

I've just figured out why I can't loose that darn extra 10 pounds I've been carrying around - I live in North Carolina! :)

Amy said...

All these things remind me of my mil - she, in fact, has southern blood!

Tammy said...

I am from Texas...so i can so relate to this...sweet tea is good girl...loved the pic

blessings

Fiddledeedee said...

Joanne,
I tried to e-mail you, but it got kicked back. Cantankerous computer. :) No, I didn't make it to the reception, because I didn't get in until later on Friday.

I'm with you. Totally gonna save my pennies for next year, too. I hope to see you there! And I'll make it a point to sit next to you. We evidently have similar tastes in the Main Course Fare. :)

DeeDee

Becky said...

Welcome to the South, honey, and sometime you need to try chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and cream gravy. There is a restaurant near Mama's (in Arkansas) that serves this for lunch, along with those manna rolls, and you can choose what you want to go with it. I get fried okra. I can't wait till the Marriage Supper of the Lamb for what has to be all of the things we love--ONLY BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!

Fran said...

The South is pretty cool if I say so myself! :) You are an official Southerner if you ask me!

Big hugs..because that is what we do!

Rmomof3 said...

I love LOVE sweet tea!!! I am glad it was a precious time for you!

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