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In my two previous "Favorite Nashville Things" posts I highlighted some of the lesser-known diversions I discovered in Nashville. However, there are many, many well-known attractions that should not be missed. I am listing some of them here with links to find out more. This is by no means a comprehensive list, just a collection of a few things I have enjoyed.
Downtown Nashville - This is where it's all happening. Perhaps best known for the strip of Broadway between 5th Avenue and the river where the honky-tonks and boot shops abound.
Tootsies, for example, is the much storied bar where country music legends partied before and after performances at the Ryman Auditorium (the original Grand Ole Opry). It is just one of many venues where the music never seems to stop.
The shopping is a bit touristy but, what the heck, I bought this for a special little someone who will be spending Christmas at the Mud House:
So much to do and see in downtown and you can find out all about it here.
Country Music Hall of Fame - Located in downtown Nashville click here for their website.
The Grand Ole Opry - No longer located in the famed Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville, but still the venue for all of the country music greats. Click here for more information.
Belle Meade Plantation - This may be my favorite place in Nashville. A truly beautiful old home with a remarkable history. It is well worth a tour to learn the history of the house and grounds. I especially enjoyed the authentic furnishings and lovely old carriages in the carriage house. However, the highlight of my entire visit was learning about this man, Bob Green.
For more information about Belle Meade Plantation and all who lived there, click here. As a bonus, the tour includes a wine tasting from the Belle Meade Winery. Read more about the winery here.
Loveless Cafe - This cafe has been serving authentic and delicious southern food since 1951. It is famous for their biscuits and peach jam. It is well worth the short and scenic trip down Tennessee Highway 100. More information here.
The Civil War in Tennessee
Although this trip focused on the fun and frivolous (and the food), no visit to the southern United States is complete without acknowledging the somber subject of the American Civil War. There are many historic sites in and around Nashville where battles were fought and many, many lives were lost. I visited the battleground of the 1864 Battle of Franklin and was struck by the solemnity and tragedy of the lives lost and families devastated. It is haunting to walk the land and to enter the buildings and homes that still stand. On my next visit, I plan to spend more time visiting these sites and to learn more about the history of Tennessee. Here are some helpful links:
http://www.bonps.org/tour/tour.htm
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/franklin.html
I have absolutely loved my time in Nashville and I hope you have enjoyed hearing about my stay. Thank you for joining me on my brief trip away from the Mud House! I am on my way back and I am looking forward to spending Christmas in our little adobe house with all those I love.
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One year ago today I was in Pasadena, CA, welcoming our first grandbaby, a boy. He has brought such joy to all of us over this past year. Watching my beautiful daughter become a loving and competent mother has been one of the finest experiences of my life. I am also so grateful for our caring and involved son-in-law. Our grandson is a very lucky little boy to have two such wonderful parents. Our grandson just met Santa for the first time and he gave the whole experience some serious consideration. I love the expression on his face and the body language! We are so blessed this year to spend our second Christmas with this little guy. It's funny how a baby brings magic back to Christmas. He is such a gift to all of us. Happy Birthday to our sweet one-year-old grandbaby boy!
Happy Holidays to all of you!
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Bang Candy Company Bang Candy Company specializes in artisan marshmallows, half-dipped in chocolate. It's located in the old Marathon Car Factory building. Flavors include chocolate chile, rose cardamon, orange ginger cinnamon, espresso, and toasted coconut. These are such yummy treats! I am using them for favors on Christmas Eve. Sarah was very helpful with my order! For more information, check out their website.
Vanderbilt UniversityOne must venture beyond the hustle and bustle of West End and 21st Avenues to appreciate the beauty of the Vanderbilt Campus. In fact, I hardly knew it was there. Once I entered it's tree-lined perimeter, I discovered it is what I always imagined a southern university would be - all red bricks, green leafiness and white columns...oh, and magnolias, of course. It's also an excellent institution of higher learning. It's a lovely place to walk and contemplate - you'll feel smarter just being there!
Food Trucks
Alluring and elusive and so, so worth it. See my post here. Nashville has a bountiful bevy of food trucks. I think my favorite, so far, is Smoke Et Al.
I ordered the smoked pork belly tacos and fried okra. Yummy doesn't begin to describe it - so good!
Hillsboro Village This is a funky four block area along 21st Avenue, just south of the Vanderbilt campus. Davis Cookware is there along with other quaint shops and restaurants. During my visit, several pop-up stores opened for the holidays including Cake Vintage, where I did a little Christmas shopping. You will also find the legendary Pancake Pantry in Hillsboro Village, but be prepared to wait in a line that winds down the sidewalk if you decide to eat there. Also, McDougal's is just around the corner.
And, a final tip-of-the-hat to the original... GiGi's! Gigi's Cupcakes are just so photogenic I had to include one more picture!
I'm saying goodbye to Nashville tomorrow. I will write one more Nashville post before I go.
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I am so fortunate to have spent almost three wonderful weeks in Nashville! As my visit comes to an end, I am thinking about a few of my favorite Nashville things. Some I have already told you about, but I am including them again because I love them so much!
Vicki Sawyer
First of all, there is Vicky Sawyer and her amazing birds (and other animals). If you haven't yet, please check out her website - so wonderful!
Davis Cookware
"Well, Ma'am you can't sell from an empty cart." Mr. Davis replied when I commented on how much there was to see in his store.
Davis Cookware has been in Hillsboro Village for 43 years. It is stuffed to the rafters with everything you could ever need for your kitchen. It also carries over 50 types of coffee beans and I don't know how many types of loose tea. They also sharpen knives and bill themselves as, "Home Of the Knife Whisperer." Designed and staged - definitely not. Original, charming, whimsical, complete, and reliable - yes. If I lived in Nashville, this would be my "go-to" place for everything kitchen related and for the wisdom, history, and lore of Hillsboro Village.
Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Company
Voted America's Best Chocolate by Southern Living Magazine, Olive and Sinclair make small batch, slow roasted, and stone ground chocolate right here in Nashville. These lovely bars are already packed and ready for the trip home to the Mud House where they will find themselves snuggled into a few lucky stockings on Christmas Eve. Here is their website: Olive and Sinclair.
Midtown Wine and Spirits
I love little bottles of anything. I think little bottles of liquor are especially enticing, for obvious reasons. I also love how their shapes exactly mimic much larger bottles. My first few days in Nashville I popped into a couple of grocery stores looking for a bottle of wine. I found beer, but no wine. I soon learned that Tennessee liquor laws vary by county and are complicated - wet counties, dry counties and everything in-between. You can read more about it here, if you are interested. Anyway, I discovered that in Nashville, liquor and wine are sold only in liquor stores. Beer may be purchased in grocery stores. Midtown Wine and Spirits not only has an amazing selection of everything you can imagine containing alcohol, they also have a wonderful selection of mini-bottles. I bought some for a few of the adult stockings I will be stuffing. For more info please click here.
Pralines by LeonNo visit to this part of the world is complete without sampling some pralines and Leon's is the place to try them. Pralines by Leon is located in downtown Nashville on 2nd Avenue. It has been in it's current location since 1994 but its history can be traced back to 1888 when Leon's Greek grandfather Constantine moved to New Orleans and began making candy.
You can read much more about Pralines by Leon and the other wonderful candy they make by checking out their website. You can also order on-line. If you are in Nashville it is absolutely worth a visit.
... Stay tuned for Part II of a Few of my Favorite Things...
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Now, I know y'all are thinking that I am living in a hotel and eating nothing but fried chicken and cupcakes. And, I know y'all are probably worried about how many seats I will need on the airplane ride home. So, to put your minds at ease (and because cooking in my little kitchenette has its own set of challenges) I have selected a delicious caprese salad for this week's Pinterest Wednesday.
This recipe comes to use from The Party Dress and it is pretty self-explanatory. I splurged and bought heirloom tomatoes, a little basil plant, and some really good mozzarella at Whole Foods.
I also bought some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and decided to make a balsamic reduction on my portable induction cook-top.
I combined some vinegar and some sugar, which fortunately I found next to the mini-coffee pot in my room because I didn't buy any. I know, resourceful.
I simmered the vinegar and sugar for about five minutes and then allowed it to come to room temperature. It was thick and syrupy and delicious.
I sliced the tomatoes and sprinkled them generously with sea salt. Then I assembled the caprese salads with the cheese and basil. Lastly, I drizzled them with olive oil and the balsamic reduction and gave them another sprinkle of salt. These are so pretty and I think the color makes them especially nice for the holidays.
These salads are easy, beautiful, delicious, reasonably healthy, and not fried or frosted. Aaaand, you can make them in a hotel kitchenette! I think we have a winner. This one gets 5/5 Prickly Pear Margaritas.
No worries, I'll be back to my Nashville food adventure tomorrow. I think we may stake out some food trucks!! Stay tuned!
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Oh my goodness, oh my gracious. I've found a new artist to love. Anyone who knows me, knows I love birds. And you know how much I love colorful, whimsical art. I walked into this funky little place called Cake Vintage around the corner from my hotel and there, on a shelf above the register, were several mini portraits of the most fanciful, wise, and whimsical birds I have ever seen. My jaw dropped and I just stared. The gal behind the register told me that the artist firmly believes that if birds can make their own nests, well, then, they can certainly make their own hats. Sounds completely reasonable to me. In fact, I can't think of anything more logical. The longer I stared, the more I fell in love with these birds. Each had its own hat, its own personality, and the expressions on their faces told me everything I needed to know.
The artist is Vicki Sawyer and she paints things other than birds.
But the birds are my favorite.
Here are some of her comments, copied from her website:
"When I was a little girl, my grandfather taught me how to identify the plants on our walks in the woods. My mother’s childlike joy in even the simplest things taught me to be visually aware. From my dad I received my love for birds."
"Shortly after moving to Tennessee, I went for a walk and thought, 'If birds could build nests, then they could make hats.' This whimsical notion has been the inspiration for many bird and animal portraits."
"I want my work to evoke feelings of peace, joy, and often humor."
I was struck by how much Vicki's philosophy regarding art mirrors my own. In my original "Anything Whimiscal, Anything Colorful" post I said this, "I am inspired by art that supports a lighthearted, energetic, and carefree atmosphere... Their color and energy touch something deep inside of me, sparking joy and peace-of-mind." I also said this about Chris Bubany, one of the local Arizona artists whose work I love, " Her designs are charming, colorful, and quaintly humorous. "
Vicky Sawyer creates whimsical, colorful, joyful, peaceful, humorous, dignified, wondrous birds. I love her birds. She is having a showing of her original work this weekend in Brentwood, TN. I'm going.
This one is called Armando. Of course, I love his prickly pear hat.
I emailed Vicki and asked her if I could write about her and use some of her pictures. She wrote back right away and gave me permission to use her art on this post. Thank you, Vicki! To learn more about Vicki and to see more of her remarkable art, please visit her website by clicking here. You may also order many delightful items showcasing her art at zazzle.com/vickisawyer.
I've said it before but I will say it again. I stand in awe of gifted artists who have the ability and talent to create such lovely images. What an incredible gift to bring such joy, beauty, and humor to this world.
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The Mud House Thanksgiving was just so much fun!
It was, as usual, a beautiful, sunny day. The table was set with wine bottles, each holding a single zinnia from the cutting garden. A bright red bandanna was placed above each plate for guests to wear. Everyone pitched-in and the food was delicious...
and funny...
Of course, it was the little things that made it really special.
There is simply no substitute for being surrounded by those you love. Thank you to my dear family for spending this wonderful day with us at the Mud House. I love you guys!
And now, on to Christmas.
Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!
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I'm busy cooking a bunch of pies, brining 2 turkeys, and generally getting ready for 20 family members to spend Thanksgiving here with us at the Mud House. This will be a quick post!
This week's Pinterest Wednesday is a combination of two different pins I saved to my boards. One is from Tracey's Culinary Adventures and one is from Gooseberry Patch. I used Tracey's recipe for the cheese ball. The only change I made was adding a few drops of Tabasco to the cheese mixture. Once I formed it into a ball, I patted it with a little smoked paprika and added the little stem on top.I'm saving it for Thanksgiving but I tasted a bit and it is yummy!
Bacon-Jalapeño Cheese Ball
6 slices bacon
1/4 cup chopped pecans
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 jalapeños (ribs and seeds removed), finely chopped and divided
crackers (for serving)
Cook the bacon in a large skillet set over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to cool slightly, then crumble and divide in half.
While the bacon is cooking, preheat oven to 350 F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes, or until fragrant.
In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, parsley, garlic, cumin, cayenne, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, half of the minced jalapeños, and half of the crumbled bacon until well combined. Season the mixture to taste with salt.
On a large plate, stir the toasted pecans, remaining minced jalapeños and remaining half of the crumbled bacon together until evenly distributed. Shape the cream cheese mixture into a ball (the mixture will be sticky, I found it easiest to shape if I just barely wet my hands first). Roll the ball in the pecan mixture until coated on all sides.
Cover the ball and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
This one gets 5/5 Prickly Pear Margaritas because it is delicious and so cute!
Enjoy!
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Once you've brined your turkey (see previous post) you are ready to apply a rub. The key to applying the rub is to apply it under the skin of the turkey. You can use any combination of spices for the rub, or use one of the many commercial rubs that are widely available. We decided, through trial and error, not to use a rub containing salt. We think the salt provided during the brining process is more than sufficient.
For our Thanksgiving turkey we used the following combination of spices.
Turkey Rub
2 Tablespoons smoked paprika
2 Tablespoons dried ground thyme
2 Tablespoons dried ground sage
2 Tablespoons New Mexico or other mild chile powder
Mix spices thoroughly.
Remove turkey from brining liquid and place on sheet pan. Do not rinse turkey. Gently use your fingers to separate the skin from the breasts and legs of turkey.
Try not to tear the skin. Generously rub entire surface of turkey, under the skin, with your spice mixture.
When finished with rub, skewer skin to the breast of the turkey.
Tie the legs with kitchen twine. Fold wings under the turkey.
Rub entire surface of outer skin with softened butter. Stuff cavity with oranges, apples, onions and some fresh sage and thyme or other herbs (do not cook stuffing inside the turkey). Cover turkey with cheese cloth soaked in butter.
Place turkey in smoker pre-heated to 250 degrees F. Cook turkey until thermometer inserted into breast reads 160 degrees F and the temperature of the thigh reads 175 degrees F. Because smoking invloves cooking at low temperatures, food safety is very important. It took us about 4 hours to smoke a 12 pound turkey. It should rest about 30 minutes after removing it from the smoker and before serving.
As I mentioned in my previous post, be sure to visit Cookshack for more information, food safety tips, and great recipe ideas.
I will post more pictures after Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
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