The sweetest Thanksgiving tradition

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / November 25, 2014 /

Tart cranberry relish, roasted turkey and rich gravy come to mind when most people think of Thanksgiving dinner. But I tend to remember something sweeter, far sweeter than pumpkin or pecan pie, something tooth-shattering, syrupy sweet when I recall Thanksgiving meals. Great Uncle C.J. held a cane grinding every Thanksgiving.  After a long career at…

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A Very Clever Pilgrim

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / November 21, 2014 /

  One minute after Halloween is over I start thinking about the holiday I truly love . . . Thanksgiving. No stress, no hassles, just a great meal with family and friends, all tied together with a thankful heart. At least that’s the way I thought of Thanksgiving until about six years ago when I…

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My favorite Christmas ornament

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / November 17, 2014 /

It’s getting downright  cold here in Fairhope and beginning to look a lot like Christmas. But I haven’t unpacked my Christmas decorations just yet. I like to do things in order, so Thanksgiving must come first. But because I know some of you Jolly Elves just can’t wait, I wanted to show this to you…

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Lights on, Fairhope!

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / November 14, 2014 /

It’s the official start to the holiday season in Fairhope, Alabama when the switch is thrown, and over 1 million lights illuminate the beautiful downtown.   Mrs. Claus always makes her appearance to the delight of the children who stop by to say hello.   And it isn’t a party unless you have elves. These…

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Velveeta, I know you not

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / November 5, 2014 /

It was a harsh reality I wasn’t ready to accept. My children had been raised in the “New South” and there was no one to blame but myself. My son looked at the kitchen counter with a mix of intrigue and disgust and asked, “What is it?” “What do you mean? It’s Velveeta.” I told…

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November in New Orleans

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / November 4, 2014 /

November is one of our favorite times to make the two and a half hour drive west from Fairhope, to visit New Orleans. In the French Quarter, we were treated to a Second Line procession from this happy couple’s wedding. All the guests danced down the street as the jazz band played. My husband captured…

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Anne Byrn Saves The Day

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / October 23, 2014 /

  Anne Byrn. Does her name ring a bell? Where have I heard that before?     Oh my gracious! She’s THE CAKE MIX DOCTOR!!! You know that like me, you’ve loved this cookbook for years! After I packed away, or gave away most of my cookbooks, because the ease of the internet kept recipes…

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The Perfect Fairhope Cottage

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / October 20, 2014 /

Ahhhh. I would always take a deep breath and relax just a little when I would drive past this perfect Fairhope cottage. Its inviting porch, green shuttered windows and big live oak in the front yard just called out, “Come sit a while” to me.   And then, as it always seems to happen in…

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Sundae at the Grand

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / October 1, 2014 /

In small towns, we tend to make our own fun. So one day, some people in Fairhope, Alabama said, “Hey, why don’t we try to make the World’s Longest Ice Cream Sundae?” We all came together – all 1,565 students and almost 300 adult volunteers – at the Marriott Grand Hotel Resort, Golf Club and…

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Red Solo Cup, I Lift You Up . . .

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / September 29, 2014 /

  If heaven were the Miss America Pageant, the talent competition would be the pearly gates. Y’all know good and well that if Miss Alabama had dared to sit barefoot and cross-legged on the plain floor and whack the stage with a plastic cup while singing slightly off key, I think the media would have…

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