But one of my favorite activities is trimming the Christmas tree with my family.

Our Tree Trimming always starts with finding the perfect tree. And yes it has to be a real tree. I know there are many beautiful fake trees now, but for us, cutting down our Christmas tree is the first step in making our Christmas special.

Walking through the woods with my family searching high and low until we all agree that we have found the ONE!

When you look at my tree, you may say, “Well that’s a scrawny tree.”, or “All you use is an old metal bucket to sit the tree in.”, and in reality it’s true. But see, to my family, it isn’t how tall the tree is, it’s not how full the tree is, it isn’t even about how straight the tree is, all that matters when searching for the perfect tree is finding the one that best applies to our life.

My family loves 1900 farmhouse and primitive décor. We have a saying around our house, “The more its falling apart, the better we like it.” Our tree symbolizes our love for things of the past, a life of simplicity and slower pace. On our tree, you will not find shiny, sparkly or new, but instead you will find, simple, charming and rustic. From the 1900 replica candle lights, to the fresh strung cranberries, homemade ornaments of fabric and burlap, tin Christmas trees and grapevine reindeer’s hanging on the branches, you will feel the “days gone by” from just looking at the tree.

I for one enjoy remembering the reason of the season. Not the overcrowded shopping malls, or the huge lines waiting for the “big” sale, but the reason why we celebrate Christmas, The Birth of Christ. Instead of rushing and shopping and spending, I prefer to use this time to reflect on the many blessings in my life over the past year, taking my family to watch Tree Lighting Ceremonies and Christmas Parades, Ice Skating in Town Squares, spending the day making Homemade Christmas Gifts and Goodies and finishing up the wrapping in simple brown paper with bows made of yarn.

So as our tree represents a life of simplicity, love and peace for my family, I encourage you, as you celebrate the Christmas Season, to reflect on what your tree means to you and your loved ones.

The post A Visit from Christmas Past appeared first on GraceandGravy with a side of life!.

Well, September is here and that means I can now officially be in Fall mode since its this month, right?

Well, I hope you agree with me because I have been practicing my “Fall Y’all” around the homestead lately and I must say, I have loved every minute of it!

The nights have been cool and the morning air so crisp, that it automatically put me in baking mode!  I decided to make my “famous”, well around my house anyway, Spiced Pumpkin Banana Nut Bread!

This recipe is my absolute favoritest, that’s my new word , bread recipe to make.  I am a lover of all banana nut breads, but I always thought they could use just a little something extra. That’s when I decided a little pumpkin spice could make everything alright!  See what I did there hehe!!!!

But yes, that’s exactly what happened. The pumpkin spice gave the bread just the right spice flavor to create so many wonderful Autumn tastes in my mouth!

Pumpkin Spice Banana Nut Bread

What you need:

2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 cups of Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 stick of Butter

2 teaspoon of Pumpkin Spice

1 teaspoon of Cinnamon

1/2 cup Chopped Nuts (your choice)

4-5 Over Ripe Bananas

What you do:

1) In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients.

2) Melt your butter and pour in dry ingredients.

3) Next add your over ripe bananas and smash into mixture until all ingredients are combined together. ( I usually use my hands for this process)

4) Add your nuts to the mixture. ( save a 1/8 cup for the top)

5) Butter your baking loaf pan and pour your mixture into it and add your remaining nuts.

6) Bake at 350 degrees for appx 45 minutes until golden brown.

I then decided I needed to practice my “Fall Y’all” hosting skills, so I invited some great friends over for dinner. I decided a Blackberry Pie fresh from the oven should definitely be the hot topic on the menu! (Blackberry Pie Filling recipe coming soon)

Add a little whipped cream and a drizzle of homemade blackberry syrup and I would say we had a winner. And yes, it was yummy if you didn’t quite figure that out!

But I couldn’t let that be the end of my Pre Fall Y’all Practice, so I decided since I was hosting dinner, my table should fit the part.

A mustard floral table runner, accommodated by an old yellow coke crate, adored with a variety of pumpkins, sunflowers, berry twigs and burlap created the perfect centerpiece for all my upcoming “Fall Y’all” dinners.

And don’t forget to add Fall themed dinnerware to complete the look!

Come back soon for more “Fall Y’all updates and life on the homestead!

And Happy Pre-Fall Y’all!!

The post Pumpkin Spice Banana Nut Bread & Pre-Fall Y’all Decor appeared first on GraceandGravy with a side of life!.

In this modern day and age where everything almost seems to be instant and within your reach, it is best to know that you can save money and have food straight from your own backyard. The big question is, “How is this possible?”

You can raise your own backyard flock and get to keep chickens with you with comfort. You would actually be surprised to know that chickens can adapt well in an urban setting.

Hens are easy to grow and even inexpensive to maintain. Chickens will also provide you fresh and nutritious eggs. If you have weeds or bugs at home, you will no longer have to worry about getting rid of them as the chickens will do it for you. They even provide nitrogen-rich fertilizer, and serve as great pets.

On the other hand, you would probably worry about a lot of things when it comes to raising chickens in your backyard. There isn’t really that much to worry about when it comes to doing this. It is possible for you to raise chickens. But it would be wise to know the important basics first on how to do it.

Know the local laws and city ordinances. Check for local laws and regulations in your city. Know whether it is legal for you to own chickens in your location. Contact your local municipality, homeowners’ association, or the local animal control department just to check what the laws are in your place. Some cities limit the number of chickens you can raise in your own land. There are other areas; however, that wouldn’t require permits in growing chickens in one’s backyard especially if these areas have a strong farming culture.

Figure out what breed and how many chickens you should buy. Before buying chickens, you should know first the role of the chickens you want to breed. Do you want the meat-producing or the egg-producing type, or both? Discover first what you want to help you determine which kind of breed you should buy, or what kind of coop you will need.

Build or buy a sturdy coop. In case you don’t know yet what a coop is, it is a cage or a pen where you can confine the chickens. When it comes to preparing an outside chicken coop, you must consider some important factors. Number one is the chickens’ safety. Set a 4 sq. ft. space inside the coop per chicken and 10 sq. ft. for the outdoor space. There should be no cracks or loose space where other animals could get in. To secure the chickens better, surround the coop with a wire cage. Just check if there are protruding wires or nails from the coop. Make sure that the coop has good air flow in it too.

Every once in a week or two, clean out the whole coop. This way, you get to keep your chickens from being sick and getting parasites. If you find your place a safe area for the chickens to roam, let them do it freely during the day. Just make sure that you can watch them and that they don’t go off too far.

Build a nest box for the chickens to lay their eggs on. You should also pay attention to your chickens’ nesting boxes because these are the special areas your chickens will lay eggs. Eggs are a great source of protein and eggs can be made into any kind of dish. When building a nest box, it should be large enough to hold a hen (around 12 inches) and with a small lip at the end of it to stop the egg from rolling out. The nest may consist of straw, pine needles, or wood shavings. Keep the nest box dark, and have 4 of these for every six chickens. You can set up dropping boards to catch the chicken litter and turn them into garden compost later.

Provide the right feed. Look out for a nearby feed supply store and buy a bag ahead so you won’t have any trouble of running out of stock. You should give your chickens a good amount of protein and carbohydrates into their diet. Corn, barley, and wheat are good sources of protein for your chickens. They also need calcium so feed them egg shells. Avoid giving them onions, garlic, chocolate, raw potatoes, avocados, or any damp feed because these might poison them. Keep the insecticides and other chemicals out of the chickens’ reach.

Now that you know the basics in raising chickens in the city, it’s about time you consider doing it and start the work. Count your chickens and check if they are eating and drinking well, if their food are clean and fresh, if they are having trouble breathing, if they are losing feathers, or have any other signs of disease. If they are sick and left unsupervised, your chickens will die. Hence, you should also keep a first aid kit for your chickens. You may have them dewormed and vaccinated too.

There are so many ways of growing chicken breeds and taking care of them. All it takes is that you don’t chicken out and you do your plan well.

Image Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Author: Jordan Walker

Jordan is the lead content curator for Coops And Cages as well as a couple of other pet related blogs. His passion for animals is only matched by his love for ‘attempting’ to play the guitar. If you would like to catch him, you can via Google+ or Twitter: @CoopsAndCages

The post How to Raise Chickens in an Urban Setting appeared first on GraceandGravy with a side of life!.

If you would have asked me a few years ago if I would ever consider myself a homesteader, my answer would have been, “What’s a Homesteader”! HaHa

Isn’t it amazing how our perspective for our lives change!

But even though I am living the life as a homesteader, I guess most of the time I just don’t think about it that way.

Now when people ask me how I feel about homesteading, my reaction is, “Wait……I’m a Homesteader?”!

I think there is so many mis-conceptions about homesteading.

People think if you are a homesteader you must live in a shack in the boonies, with no running water, no electricity and bare-foot and pregnant all your life!

When in reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

My family lives in a ranch style house, and even though we live in a rural area, we actually live right in town!

We have a  store 3 blocks down the road, and a post office 4 blocks away.

Our local Police and Fire Dept is a 10 minute walk from my house.

So we have clarified that I do not live in the boonies, I do have running water and electricity, and even though I do run around barefooted, I haven’t been pregnant in fourteen years!

And even though I don’t like fixing my hair and putting on make-up everyday (hey my chickens don’t care what I look like!), I do enjoy getting dressed up and going out.  I don’t sew my own clothes, even though I would if I could, my husband can’t live without his Hollister Clothes and hairspray, but we try to always buy them second hand!

We define Homesteading as this:  Living a self-sufficient life (meaning not relying on others to provide our needs).

Be satisfied with what we have, and taking value in learning to grow, raise and make our own food, and other necessities.  It’s so important that our children realize that our food doesn’t just appear at the grocery store.

And most important for me is, not being wasteful.  Trying to preserve what you have.

Some ways I define myself as a homesteader is, I enjoy raising chickens.  I love going out in the morning and gathering eggs.  It brings me such a sense of simplicity.

We also raise meat rabbits and turkeys.  You might say, don’t you feel bad?  Yes sometimes I do, but my son is the one who raises the rabbits and if he didn’t he would just take his gun up the road and come home with a couple he shot anyway.

I make my own laundry and bar soap.  I do enjoy girly smells, but my skin is very sensitive and it cannot always handle what is added to soaps.  Making it myself guarantees I know exactly what I is added.

I love the smell of line-dried laundry.  It makes me think of my momma and growing up!  Sometimes it’s the little things that make you a homesteader.

We try to buy most of our clothing, decor and furniture second-hand or at least on clearance.  I’m not one for wasting money on things that I can get at a discounted price!  That money can buy more chickens!

I also like growing our own fruits and vegetables when I can.  And I love to can my own jellies, syrups, pickles and more.

Being a homesteader doesn’t make me different, it just makes me more aware of how I live!

And of course everyone has to have a Homestead Hound, Right?

I believe the definition for a homesteader is different for everybody.

Don’t think your a homesteader?

Take a look around your life and home.  You might be surprised!

The post Wait…..I’m a Homesteader? appeared first on GraceandGravy with a side of life!.

I’m so glad that you came back to visit my blog! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest!

For many years I doubted myself on whether or not I was equipping my children, as a homeschooler, with what they needed to succeed in life.

I would say to myself at the end of the day, Did we really just do that for Homeschool today?

I listened to all the people, around me, tell me my children wouldn’t have any socialization, they would feel left out of special events, they wouldn’t have any friends, and most important, I wouldn’t be able to give them what they needed education wise, if I continued schooling them at home.

Boy, I really wish a veteran homeschool parent would have told me back then that there will always be haters, non-believers of homeschooling and lots of misinformation concerning homeschooling in every conversation you will have with those people.

But most of all, I wish someone would have told me, I will ALWAYS doubt myself as a homeschool parent (hey I’m a mom, it’s what we do) and that if God has chosen me to homeschool my children, then God will continue to equip me to finish the journey with my children.

I also fretted so many times about staying on schedule.  Making sure every lesson was completed on time.

I finally learned to throw all schedules out the window and allow the world to be the classroom.

You might be asking, “You mean you don’t do lessons?”.  Actually yes we do, but we also have lots of life lessons as well.  I have learned that there are many kids with book smart, but no life skills.

My children are not exactly like yours.

They do not have the same personalities,  same interests or same abilities.  And I know I don’t live my day to day the same as you might.  So why would our schooling look the same way?

My children may never win a Math Reward, or a Spelling Championship, but I guarantee my son can go kill a rabbit, skin, clean it and cook it without blinking.  I can also guarantee he knows how to hatch chickens and turkeys from eggs, shoot a gun, plant a garden and make a business deal like its nobody’s business lol.

And my daughter, well she can travel to third world countries to show the love of Jesus, not to mention work for the money it takes to go.  She can clean, cook, do laundry, and can fruits and veggies.  She can plan and organize any event and teach any age in our Children’s Ministry at church.

This morning we had just returned from our local rec center, where we played basketball and walked for our PE time, and sat down to start our work for the day when my dad arrived at our house.

For some odd reason my dad picked the most dreariest day to decide to come over and help us build our pen our chickens, turkeys, rabbits  and soon to be goats.  Hey he’s helping, I can’t complain to much!

Well that was the end of “lessons” for the day.  We put our tablets and binders away and went to work with my dad.

Did we really just do that for Homeschool today?

Yep, we did!  My children learned how to build a pen for our animals.

For some that might not be important, but we live in a rural area where livestock is a deal big.  And it’s important that my children learn basic tasks and skills.  I do not want my children to grow up and be dependent on others for everything they need done.

They need to learn to cook, clean, do laundry, grow their own food, make their own products and supply their own needs.

Just overall I want to equip them to be a self-sufficient homesteaders.

Book smart is important, but knowing how to take care of your self is even more important to me.

Don’t put limits on your child’s learning.

Allow them to grow into an independent person by using their strengths!

Even if it’s learning how to build a pen!

It’s not how you learn, it’s the journey that gets  you there!

The post DID WE REALLY JUST DO THAT FOR HOMESCHOOL TODAY? appeared first on GraceandGravy with a side of life!.

I am so blessed to be able to create and share my work with MamaGoesFrugal.

“Here in the South, nothing says home cooking like a casserole.

As a little girl, I can remember casseroles being one of my momma’s favorite dishes to make.  Maybe because they were less time consuming, or that they were so simple, but I’m thinking more along the lines because they were more frugal to make than a 4-course meal.

Creating casseroles has been a tradition that I have carried into my own family dinner nights.”

My Spicy Farmhouse Chicken Casserole is my recreated version of Mexican Chicken.

I hope you will stop by MamaGoesFrugal to check out my recipes every month.

Click here to enjoy my recipe!

The post Spicy Farmhouse Chicken Casserole Guest post for MamaGoesFrugal appeared first on GraceandGravy with a side of life!.

I love Christmas.  I love celebrating the Reason of the Christmas Season, The Birth of Christ. So when I do my Christmas decorating, I like to keep the simplicity of the season.  Which fits perfectly with my early farmhouse/primitive decor.

One of my favorite pieces to make for Christmas is wreaths using real cedar and pine.  I find that using raw and natural materials make the prettiest and cheapest decor.

These wreaths are so simple to make! I start with a plain grapevine wreath, which I use again every year and some additional holidays, pine and cedar that I have cut fresh, along with burlap, pinecones that I find in the woods, ribbon and a few items I have on hand.

For my first wreath, I used pine. Really look for the pine that has pinecones attached.  Makes the wreaths more festive. First I gather up a bunch that lays well together.  I don’t like to be stingy on the greenery but I also don’t want the wreath to be too much.  Simple is better for me.

I use a rubber band to hold the greenery together and then use green floral wire to attach around the grapevine.  After that I used burlap to make a bow, I always have burlap around to decorate with, remember simple is the key.  I used a strip of burlap and ran it through the  loop on the back of the bow and tied around the grapevine where I attached the green floral wire.  I hang this wreath on the wall of my porch in the middle of an old screen door frame.  Perfect and rustic!

So very simple.  Literally a 10 minute project.

For the next wreath, I started out the same but I used cedar.  I love to find the cedar that has the blue berries attached.  Makes it more festive and colorful.

I like how the cedar hangs down more on the wreath.  Again I used a burlap ribbon but this time I found a pair of jingle bells at a Thrift Store for .50c and attached to the greenery with the same floral wire.  I thought it made a perfect addition to the wreath.  A little something extra but keeping the simplicity of the project.

This wreath, I decided to hang on my front door.  I LOVE how this turned out!

For the last wreath, I went with cedar again, but this time I trimmed it shorter and used pieces without the blue berries.  I attached a plaid ribbon of white, green and red I made out of a roll I used on my tree a few years back.

Again it is attached the same way as the others.  I also decided to go with the green and red and used this small metal “Happy Holidays” sign that, again, I found at a local Thrift Shop for .50c.  I attached with the green floral wire.

I placed this wreath on a wooden chair in the front of my house where I have a Country Christmas Table set up.  I think it looks perfect.

Another great thing to add, would be red Holly Berries.  Last year I was able to collect a lot, but this year I haven’t had the time to take the drive to find them.

I also enjoying hanging the wreaths inside for a fresh Christmasy smell.

Again very simple, inexpensive and can be a very last minute decor project.

I hope you have a Very Blessed but Simplicity Holiday Season.

Merry Christmas.

The post Homemade Christmas Wreaths appeared first on GraceandGravy with a side of life!.

Hi ya’ll! I have been nominated by Sarah Hauer at On The Way Home to be part of the Tour Through BlogLand.  I am so excited that Sarah chose me to participate.  So a Big Southern Thank You Sarah.

Sarah’s blog is dedicated to the adventures of an American family redefining what home is. Sarah says, “Home is where we are all together… Home is where the Military sends us… Home is… where Jesus is alive in our hearts.”  Her blog covers one Catholic Mom’s inspirations, discoveries, perseverance and laughter.

Make sure you drop by and say Hello to Sarah and  read her BlogTour Post from last week!

If you know anything about me at all, you know that I have a love for anything old.  Old Farmhouses, old furniture, old dishes, old quilts.  I find something so nostalgic about having pieces of the past in my home.  Maybe it is because I was raised in an “older” generation family or maybe I just love the memories and stories associated with the pieces I find.  No matter what the reason, the older and more distressed, (or as my friends say, falling apart), they are, the more I am in Love with them.

My husby and I am both have a dream of someday, hopefully sooner than later, of owning an old farmhouse and homestead.  My dream goes a little further though in the fact that after my children are grown, I would love to turn it into a Country B & B.  A place where people could come to rest and relax, with pastures and bright blue skies. Where you travel down an old dirt road and the only sounds you hear are the katydid’s.  Where you leave the noise and the chaos of the world behind and you enjoy a few days of slower pace and southern hospitality.

I love to play hostess.  I enjoy having friends and family over for dinner or just nights of fun.  And I love to decorate.  I think every time someone comes over, something is different.  I change for seasons, and holidays and actually I change decor depending on my mood, which by the way sometimes drives my husby crazy :).

Questions 1: What are you working on now?

I am a lover of Autumn, or in my parts we call it Fall.  I love the warmth and the colors, and the smells.  But I also want the decor to fit my style. So right now I am working on finishing up my Autumn Decor and coming up with new DIY’s to incorporate into my love for “primitive” style.  I’m also working on new recipes to share my family for the upcoming holidays.  That is really important to me.  I don’t like to use the same thing every year and I enjoy using holiday spices to add a little something extra to a dish.   And I’m getting ready to can green beans, dilly beans and peas.

Question 2: How does my work differ from those of my genre?

I love simplicity.  I don’t like “flashy” and “over the top”. Some may see that as boring, but I see it as beautiful.   I also say that I believe I was born in the wrong era lol.  Of course I’m country, so my work also goes back to my roots whether its cooking, hosting or decorating.  When party planning, I love to incorporate old barns, pieces of wood, hay, natural surroundings, old quilts and burlap.  I find it warm and inviting.  When cooking, it’s all southern,  Your not going to find anything fancy, just old school with a new twist.

Question 3: Why do I write/create what I do?

I love being creative.  I am a very detailed oriented person.  Some may find that as a flaw, but to me its who I am.  I also enjoy working alone.  I see a vision, put a plan into action and go from there.  I enjoy spending time alone or just with my family.  I guess you could say I’m an introvert, but as us country folk call it, homebody.  I get overwhelmed with the fast pace of life.  I enjoy my life slower and taking time to stop and smell the roses.  I hope that within my writing and creating it will help people realize that life flashes by so fast.  They need to remember to enjoy life, not be in such a hurry to the next big thing.  Take the extra time to cook your dinner from scratch.  Don’t rush out and spend a fortune on a piece of furniture when a piece from days gone by will work just the same.

Questions 4: How does your writing/creative process work?

Writing and creating allows me to express myself within my limits. I feel accomplished when I have created something beautiful out of something others would see as junk. I love to write based on my emotions. It helps me stay balanced.  Normally an idea will pop into my head and it takes several days to weeks for it to play out.  But any writing at all helps me to release built up frustrations and stress.

I’ve nominated Leanne of NotFromTheStore  to be featured next on our Blog Land Tour.

You can find her post next Monday at http://ljenkinsnfts.wordpress.com/ and Leanne is pretty new to blogging so make sure you check out her Facebook Page.  It is amazing.

Thank you for letting me share a piece of my home and heart with you!

The post Tour Through BlogLand appeared first on GraceandGravy with a side of life!.

One thing you have probably noticed about me by now is that I love to cook for family and friends.

When I start to cook my southern roots shine thru and thru.  I sometimes get envious of bloggers who cook Amazing French Dishes and Pastries or Delish Vegan Recipes (since I am crunchy), but then I have to remind myself that my readers and friends, come back for my Southern Comfort Food.

I have a group of friends, we call ourselves “The Three Musketeers”, who I say in a jokingly (is that even a word lol) manner that they use me only for my food.  Just kidding!  No actually I’m not haha!  I will casually mention a dish I am cooking or new recipe that I am testing for my blog, and they automatically ask what time dinner is.  I’m actually really okay with it.  See I am an introvert and I love being at home, alone, a lot. Problem is, the more time I am at home, the more I withdraw from the outside world.

This group of friends, “The Three Musketeers”, think they are being sneaky by coming to eat, all while intending to pull me back into the real world, but I have them all figured out. (:  But in all reality, I think they are pretty amazing for wanting to check on me without making it seem too obvious.

Back to my cooking.  I  mentioned a couple weeks ago to one of “The Three Musketeers”,  that I was trying a new fried recipe which included Petit Jean Bacon.  Well, it just so happens that “Fried” and “Bacon” are her two most favorite words ever so she was automatically on that like “Flies on a Sticky Trap”!  I’m not even for sure if she heard the rest of the ingredients or not.  Of course, that meant the third musketeer must be included as well so it turned out to be a full blown dinner party.

I call my recipe “Deep Fried Chicken Bombs”, cause, oh baby they are the BOMB!

Here is what you need to serve 4:

4 large chicken breasts

4 jalapeno’s

4 slices of bacon (I use Petit Jean, I’m from Arkansas, what can I say)

1 mozzarella string cheese

Sounding good so far?

My batter consists of:

2 cups of flour

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt (I use kosher)

1 tsp of cayenne pepper (optional)

2 cups of milk or buttermilk

2 eggs

Here is what you do:

1)  I slit my chicken breasts down the sides, leaving them uncut at each end.

2)  I cut the ends off of Jalapeno’s and clean out he insides.

3)  Cut your string cheese into 4 pieces

4) Stuff your cheese into the jalapeno

5) Wrap a slice of bacon around your jalapeno

(if you like your bacon a little more cooked, I recommend frying slighty before wrapping)

6) Stuff your bacon wrapped jalapeno into the slit of your chicken breast.

7) Secure with toothpick to hold shut

8) Set aside

9) Whisk your eggs and milk together in one bowl and your dry ingredients together in another bowl

10) Dip your chicken in egg mixture, then roll in flour mixture and dip back into egg mixture.

11) Drop your chicken into a fryer or skillet of oil (Trick here is to heat your oil very hot and turn half way down before frying  the chicken to ensure it cooks on the inside as well as the outside.

*I use a cast iron dutch oven skillet.  Its deep enough to completely cover chicken

*You can also use a fry daddy

You seriously cannot go wrong with these bad boys!

And speaking of Petit Jean Bacon, September 13th is the 2014 BACON BOWL!

The  Bacon Bowl is the ultimate bacon cooking competition! They had an amazing inaugural event in 2013, and this one promises to be even better! This year’s competition will be in Bentonville, Arkansas on Saturday September 13. Among the special events this year is the Pig Out Bacon Eating Competition!  

Can you think of a better way to spend your Saturday?  I think not!

So in honor of everyone who loves BACON, one lucky reader, chosen at random thru , will win two tickets to The 2014 Bacon Bowl!

*Contest will run September 2, 2014 through September 9th 2014.

*Winner will be notified by email.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Deep Fried Chicken Bombs & Petit Jean Bacon Bowl Giveaway appeared first on GraceandGravy with a side of life!.

You might remember a TBT I posted a while back titled “Children of the Okra”.  It was an old post that I re-shared about an awful experience in the Okra Jungle, helping my dad.  I get chills just thinking about that day.  I swore, Yes I swore, I would never eat okra again, but somewhere between then and now the thoughts from that day became less frightening and Fried Okra starting sounding appealing again!

A few weeks ago my dad brought over a few bags of okra that had finally decided to produce.  Well, I certainly couldn’t pass it up so I decided to conquer my fear of okra and fry up some for dinner.  My family was extremely pleased that my fear of okra was gone, because they had been missing my Southern Fried Okra for sometime now!

I got to work right away cutting it up, bagging most for the freezer and saving a bowl for dinner.

My okra batter is pretty basic.  But it sure is good ole southern amazing!

What you need:

1 cup corn meal

1/2 flour

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1 cup buttermilk

(0r 1 cup milk and 1 tbsp on vinegar, let set for appx 3 mins)

2 eggs

2 cups of cut okra

What you do:

Get your pan of oil hot and ready.  (I use a cast iron Dutch Oven Skillet)

Slightly whisk your cornmeal, flour, salt, and peppers together in bowl.

In a separate bowl mix your milk and eggs together.

Add appx 10 pieces of okra into egg/milk.

Using a metal spoon with holes, scoop up okra and let mixture drain for a second before adding to the dry mixture.

Completely cover in the dry mixture and add to hot oil.

Fry until golden brown and crispy!

Continue until all okra is fried.

You will LOVE this okra!  And to make it extra amazing, dip it in some good ole ranch!  Yummo!

Don’t get much better than this here is the South!

This week it’s all been about Freshness, including Fresh Photos!

My daughter Lindy Photo taken by Carosello Fete Photography

So to go along with my Fresh, Fried Okra, I wanted to share with you some Fresh, Fun Photos taken by my friend and amazing photographer Erin Wilson.

Erin, from Carosello Blog is a handmade business owner, wife, mom and word mispronouncer.  She  blogs about her favorite things, cooking, business life, decor, DIY and personal style. She just moved from Oklahoma to Boston-ish and then back down to Arkansas. She has been a big city gal most of her life and now living in a quaint little small town. She just bought a new house and are deep into renovating madness. Erin always love a good cardigan, pink pedicures, liquid eyeliner, hot tea and exploring all things local.

This past week, Erin captured some amazing shoots of my daughter Lindy.

I think I will cry now.

She looks way to grown up in this pictures!

I can’t believe this shots!

My baby isn’t a baby anymore ):

You can also find Erin on Facebook.  Head over and show her some Bloggy Love!

Hope everyone enjoys the Freshness this week!

The post Fresh, Fried Okra & Fresh, Fun Photos appeared first on GraceandGravy with a side of life!.