Yep, this pretty much sums it up.
Cornbread {Finally}
Here in the South, a good cornbread recipe is a prized possession. Every Southern cook has their own take on it, often passed down from generation to generation with a well-seasoned iron skillet. For years, this regional delicacy has eluded me–until this weekend.
That’s right. I made cornbread–moist, fluffy, tasty, Southern gold. And (as is so often the case) it totally happened by mistake. You see, like a lazy Southern cook, I never keep buttermilk on hand. I do, however, have a tendency to throw dollops of Greek yogurt into just about anything I bake. In this case, the food gods smiled, and it worked out beautifully. So here it is, making it’s official debut: Hannah & Husband’s cornbread recipe–heretofore to be passed down from generation to generation with our well-seasoned iron skillet.
Hannah & Husband’s Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients:
6 Tblsp unsalted butter, + a little extra (I split a stick.)
1 cup cornmeal
3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tblsp sugar
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp baking soda
1⁄4 tsp sea salt
2 eggs
1 cup 2% milk
1⁄2 cup plain Greek yogurt
Also needed… an 8″ iron skillet
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425° F.
Grease your 8″ iron skillet with the extra unsalted butter.
In a medium sized bowl, mix your dry ingredients and set aside.
In a small glass bowl, melt the unsalted butter.
Then, add the rest of the wet ingredients (eggs, milk, and yogurt), and mix well.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and fold it in with a spoon. It’s ok if it’s still lumpy.
Pour everything into your skillet and put it in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes. (Use the skewer test to be sure it’s fully cooked.)
When you take out the cornbread, butter the top immediately with any extra unsalted butter, and let it sit for a few minutes to cool before serving.
Ideas for serving:
Serve with a rack of ribs, like we did this weekend, or a hot bowl of chili. Here’s our basic chili recipe.
I *love* using jalapeño butter to mix things up a bit. Here’s my favorite recipe from a 2011 issue of Southern Living.
Craving a mid-afternoon sweet? Try some butter and jam. Get our strawberry jam recipe here.
Not sure how to care for your iron skillet? Here is our primer. Bonus: A link to (one of my favorite Southern cooks) Rebecca Gordon’s cornbread recipe!
So… is there a recipe that has eluded you for years?
Something you’ve tried and tried with no success?
Share it in the comments. Perhaps we could figure it out together!
Tony Bennett in Concert
On Thursday night, Husband and I fulfilled a little dream of ours: We saw Tony Bennett live in concert. He was playing Andrew Jackson Hall in Nashville on a very, very stormy night. While I felt like the concert hall was sort of modern and cold in design, as soon as he walked on stage, the entire room seemed to warm up. It was amazing to watch an 88 year old come out and command an audience with so much charisma and an amazing set of pipes.
We were among just a handful of youngsters (can you be a youngster when you’re nearly 30?), and we may have been the only ones that were thrilled to hear he’d been back in the studio with his “friend Lady Gaga.” Apparently, they’re releasing an album together later this year because, as he put it, “she needs the money.”
The thing that was so striking about Mr. Bennett was his swagger–not normally a statement I make about 88 year old men. When we saw these tickets, we jumped at the chance because when it comes to musicians in their 80s, you can’t really say, “Ah, we’ll catch ’em next time.” But he seemed to enjoy performing as much as anyone I’ve ever seen. At the end of the concert, he set his microphone on the piano and sang “Fly Me to the Moon” with no amplification just because he was so excited about the fabulous acoustics in the nearly 2500-seat room.
We have several friends that have mentioned recently how unhappy they are with whatever age they happen to be, and it really bothers me. I think every day is exactly what you make it. It’s fascinating to me that Mr. Bennett can sing all these standards, but then enjoy just as much recording with a new artist like Lady Gaga. You have to keep things interesting don’t you? You have to evolve and change. I found myself hoping that when I’m 88, I find just as much joy in whatever I’m doing as Mr. Bennett seemed to find on that stage.
If you too are interested in seeing Tony Bennett on tour, you can see the full schedule here.
One more note: While we were in Nashville, we ate at Koto Sushi Bar, and it was delicious! (We’ve been a little obsessed with sushi ever since watching this documentary, but that is for another post.)
Are there any artists you’d love to see perform in person?
What’s the best show you’ve ever seen?
Pantry Refresh
Our house has one fantastic feature: a great big pantry. Whoever put the 1950 addition on the back of the house did one thing absolutely right. However, there is a plumbing vent going through the roof, which in the past has led to some pretty bad water damage on the plaster ceiling.
Step 1: new roof–done (goodbye $$)
Step 2: new ceiling–on it.
Our pantry has great built in shelving, so after cleaning up the remaining plaster ceiling (with a hammer), the only way to get a drywall ceiling in would have been to remove the shelves or put up several pieces and mud them together. I abhor joint compound and the sanding that comes with it. A. Bhor. Since the walls are knotty pine paneling (1950, remember?), I decided to just go with a white wood bead board ceiling. I wouldn’t need anything. Except this nail gun. And that’s all I need. Except for the compressor. And that’s all I need!
Anyway, a couple of furring strips and a lot of squeezing around shelves with a pneumatic nailer, and done!
Next, I put in a light. I ran electricity to the pantry a couple of years ago for the mini fridge, but it had always been a little dark. I added a big florescent light (awful, I know–but effective), and now we can see. Easy peasy.
Now that the ceiling wasn’t falling in piece by piece (“Is this powdered sugar on top of these potatoes?” “Nope, just a little plaster dust from the ceiling.”), it was time for the great pantry clean out of 2014. After a good cleaning, I got to work.
#1 Prioritize your space
We have a small kitchen with very little counter space. On this coveted space we have a rarely used, oversized appliance–the microwave. We moved this space hog into the pantry. Now it is out of sight and out of the way, and valuable space can be used in a more productive way.
#2 Kick the plastic habit
I’m not sure what I think about plastic tupperware. No, I take that back, I know what I think about it, I’m just not sure if there is science to back me up. I hate it, and I love glass. We ditched (almost) all of our plastic storage in favor of mason jars. Half gallon jars are the bee’s knees for storing all your dry goods. Sealed, protected, and visually appealing.
Mason jars full of dry goods
Mason jars full of… corn. Corn in a jar.
#3 Purge
We have a big pantry, which is a blessing. But it also means it is easy to leave stuff we don’t need in there. As I pulled everything out, we went through it and decided what was necessary, what was desirable, and what could go. It’s amazing how much more space we came up with just by getting rid of the kitchen tools that we don’t use enough, or are just plain redundant.
Our pantry feels even bigger now, and we can see everything that is inside. Not gonna lie, Marge, this feels pretty good.
Excuses. Excuses.
Photo from our shoot with Leah Bullard Photography… note the bench.
I’ve been a bit MIA lately, but with very good reason. I’ve been working on several projects and while some are still secret, I thought I’d share the few that I can! I’m proud to announce, you can now view my work and the things that I make at hannahbdesign.com.
I’ve also been busy blogging over at Made + Remade. You can check out the new $5 light fixture in my studio or this rad bench I made with my HGTV pals and the ladies from Spruce Upholstery over there.
Finished product in the top pic.
Take a peek at my new desk in the HGTV offices and get tips for fixing up your own workspace.
Also, if you’re interested in some serious lovey-dovey-ness, the M+R crew wrote profiles on the Makers We Love so be sure to check those out. (Link to my profile of Husband.)
So hopefully that little round-up makes things a bit more clear. We should be back to our regularly scheduled programming now. Thanks as always for all your encouragement through comments, notes, and social media. Husband & I really love sharing our little corner of the interwebs with you!
Hers & His
Hers:
Watching
One might assume that those of us who actually reside in the South would not be able to see the humor in our chaotic reactions to seeing white stuff falling from the sky. They would be wrong. My friend Kelly sent this clip to me yesterday (as a second storm was hitting the South), and I have laughed my head off with each viewing of this SNL sketch starring Southern gentleman Buford Calloway.
His:
Reading
I finally got deep enough in my reading list to get to Michael Hainey’s “After Visiting Friends”. Mr. Hainey writes about his journey to find the truth about his father’s death. A touching book, it jumps from the facts he uncovers to the scenarios he imagines to have occurred. Battling against misinformation and downright stonewalling, Mr. Hainey finally uncovers what so many have been trying to protect him from. This book is about relationships, those present and those obviously absent. I don’t know why I waited so long to read it.
Watching
We’ve been watching a ton of documentaries lately, but one stood out: “Beauty is Embassing”. It’s the story of Wayne White. From PeeWee’s Playhouse to the Smashing Pumpkins, you know his work. However, his views on the purpose of art may be new to you, and they are worth a listen.
It’s available on Netflix or you can click here to rent it on Amazon Instant. Watch the trailer…
Valentine’s Day
We do celebration a little different in our home. Hannah’s birthday is more like birth-month, Christmas practically starts in July, and Fall itself is the biggest holiday of all. Valentine’s Day, however, we celebrate in a little different way. What started one year in response to a tight budget has become a favorite for us every year. Here’s what we do:
All month long:
Hannah made these little envelopes. Every February we put them out in the foyer, and all month long we write little notes to each other. A kind word can be so much more valuable than any other gift.
On Valentine’s Day:
Rather than paying for an overpriced Valentine’s Day menu at a restaurant, we cook a favorite meal at home. We take special nights out regularly, no need to overpay just because of the calendar.
As for gifts, we go to the dollar store together and each spend $5 on each other. It gives us the chance to buy each other thoughtful, yet inexpensive, gifts.
How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Do you go all out, or do you keep it simple like us?
Curing Cabin Fever: Make Some Hot Tea
If you have a case of cabin fever, might I suggest a spot of tea? As I’ve mentioned before, Husband & I try to make an effort to incorporate processes into our lives that have a little ceremony–a little time to slow down and enjoy the moment, the task at hand, and our surroundings. To that end, we’ve started leaving out our tea set to encourage us to have tea in the afternoons.
Idea #3: Pull out your tea set.
It’s been funny because the silver tea set, that belonged to my Aunt Vangie, seems so over the top to our guests. My mother-in-law didn’t quite know how to react when I pulled it out to serve her on a recent visit. Are we the only ones that use our silver on days that aren’t holidays? If you’re trying to stylishly domesticate, and you’re blessed enough to have fun dishes and serving ware, get them out and use them! There’s no reason to have things that just sit on your shelf collecting dust.
How do you unwind in the afternoons?
Tea? Coffee? Cocktail?
Curing Cabin Fever: Unplug
Sometimes the best way to address the winter blues is to unplug and spend a little quality time off-grid. Hannah and I are lucky enough to have a very generous aunt and uncle who allow us to use their adorable little cabin, but we’ve had weekends just like this in our own home. There’s no need for a special place, just self-control.
Sunset at the cabin
Idea #2: Unplug
The cabin is about an hour away from our house and about 30 minutes away from cell service. Family has the phone number to the cabin’s landline, but otherwise nobody can get in touch with us. There is a DVD player and a television that doesn’t receive any channels. There’s a radio we’ve only used once. The moment we get there we start a fire, open a bottle of wine, and start reading. Heaven.
How do you unplug?
An Afternoon in the Park
Late last Fall, when there was just a little nip in the air but the leaves were still clinging to the trees, Husband and I decided to spend an afternoon in the park. But this time just for fun, we invited one of our very favorite photographers, Leah Bullard, to come along and document our adventure. While we take a lot of pictures, we’ve never been great at capturing photos of the two of us–we never even had engagement photos taken. So this year, we’re going to correct that.
If you’ll remember, we ended up using one of these photos for our holiday cards, and we were so pleased with how they turned out. Leah has such a gift for capturing light and those little details that I tend to nerd out over. Plus, she’s such sweetheart that it’s easy to be yourself in front of the camera. If you’re interested in seeing more of her work, be sure to visit her website.
Photos by Leah Bullard Photography
