Posts by Leslie Anne Tarabella
The two-bite rule
“Hey! He didn’t leave any broccoli for me!” “You already had lots of it, now give me some!” My two boys were the only children I knew who would sit at the dinner table and fight over steamed broccoli. While they had one friend who would only eat macaroni and cheese and another who refused…
Read MoreShrove Tuesday Pancakes
Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday and of course, Mardi Gras. It’s the one last day to celebrate before Lent begins the next day on Ash Wednesday. Old traditions of using up rich foods like butter, eggs and milk before sacrificing on plainer foods during Lent led to the last-minute pancake feast. “Shrove” comes from the…
Read MoreOur kitchens and Pantone
This story is included in my book, Exploding Hushpuppies – More stories from home. We can thank the “color-ologists” at Pantone for giving us a new reason to look forward to January. At the beginning of every year, they’ve announced their official, “Color of the Year.” It’s a very big deal for decorators and designers,…
Read MoreMabel the Christmas dog
Mabel slept beneath my boy’s baby beds, listened while they learned to read, and ran along beside them through the swamps and gullies of Mobile Bay on wild adventures.
When a Southern lady enters the room
She walked into the room, impeccably dressed in a blue and white patterned top with matching navy skirt. Her jewelry sparkled and her hair was perfect. Her bright smile was greater than the Mona Lisa yet less than Miss America. Her final, yet essential accessory, was the hint of mischief in her eyes, which instantly…
Read MoreRush Boutique
You know how I love “follow your dream” stories, so of course, I’m wild about Rush Boutique. It doesn’t hurt that the owner and I have a special connection! This is Jennifer Warren, the owner of Rush Boutique. Jennifer grew up with a Mom who was a home economics teacher and knew the clothing industry…
Read MoreIt’s not the pumpkin, it’s the spice
Fonda Faye’s laughter was contagious, and after a while, you didn’t even notice her two front teeth pointing in opposite directions, much like a real jack-o-lantern.
Read MoreWhen Southern summers were cool
But sometimes, around the end of July, we’ll hear a song on the radio and it reminds us of a day at the beach with sandwiches and icy bottles of Cokes.
Read MoreMercado Centrale in Florence
While in Firenze, Italy a visit to the Mercato Centrale is essential for food lovers.
Read MoreFannie Flagg for Father’s Day
Reading a new book just about every week, Daddy liked a variety of authors and topics. Traditional favorites like Faulkner and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings were balanced by biographies and stories about the wild west. His emergency hurricane cash-stash was hidden between the pages of Jimmy Buffett’s, “A Pirate looks at Fifty” and I once found…
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