.: November 2014

The temperatures are unusually cold here in south Alabama...so that means it is time for something warm to eat! This recipe is so good and has been adapted from a few that I have merged together.

Ingredients

1-2 cups of cooked greens ( I used collards, but turnips taste great also)

1.5 lbs. smoked sausage

3 slices of bacon

2 yellow onions

3-4 cloves of garlic

1 can Rotel diced tomatoes (as mild or hot as you want)

1 can dark kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

2 cans black eyed peas

1 can navy beans

2-3 cups of low sodium chicken broth

Instructions

1. Begin by slicing sausage julienne style. Add sausage and 3 slices of bacon to a large pot on medium heat.

2. While sausage and bacon are cooking, chop onion and garlic, then add to the pot.

3. If you are using fresh greens, if they aren't already washed and chopped up, now is the time. (Frozen work just fine, but I have an endless supply of fresh greens from my Dad's farm).

This is a whole sink full, but they magically cook down to not many at all.

I peel away the stems and just rip the green with my hands into bite sized pieces. This is the way my Mother and Grandmother taught me. The stems can taste bitter, but I am sure I am probably throwing away all of the actual nutrients.

Hold the leaf with one hand folded in half, and just pull the stem away with the other.

4. Add the greens to the pot, stirring the sausage, bacon, onion, and garlic mixture. They will cook down significantly.

Now, I put the rest of the steps in a crock pot, in that I had to leave for half of the day, but you may finish out the rest on the stove.

5. Open, drain, and rinse all beans. Then add to the crockpot.

6. Add greens mixture to crockpot, along with rotel tomatoes, and chicken broth.

7. Add salt, pepper, and whatever seasoning you like, I added a little Slap Ya Mama which is just a blend of red pepper, garlic, and salt.

Check out my organized spices!

Let the stew cook until the greens turn dark and everything softens. I would say at least an hour. Then, enjoy with a big slice of cornbread!

Hope you enjoy as much as I do!

-Meg

I have attempted to write this a couple of times, only to start over and push it aside because it didn't quite feel right yet. My grandmother passed away this summer, and it still seems like I just haven't been by to see her in a while. She was very sick, and as much as we all hated to see her go, we hated seeing her suffer even more.

My grandmother, Nancy Louise Emmons lived a pretty amazing life. She married my grandfather, Floyd Emmons at only 15, and went on to have 6 children with him. She dealt with his drinking and love of women, let's just say he and Hank Williams Sr. would have made great buddies. The funny thing was is that they loved each other, and couldn't stay apart. He died of a heart attack at only 39 years old, just 2 weeks before my mother and father wed.

My grandmother then married again a few years later, became a loving stepmom and wife, and as life would have it moved out of that relationship eventually on to another.

She then married Dan, who was her love until the day she died. She experienced the death of one of her children, and two grandchildren. What's funny is when someone you love dies, to me at least what sticks out about that person are the memories you made with them and the things they taught you throughout life.

My grandmother taught me many things, and her life was so much more extensive than the events listed above, but to keep from writing a biography I will stick to the lessons I learned from her life.

1. Do what makes your heart happy.

Numerous times I would stop by and visit with her, and she always supported me, even when my life wasn't so impressive.

She always told me to choose the path that I was most happy with.

2. Laughter is not an option; its a necessity.

She made me laugh until the day she died, even if it was not always with her but at her, she never lived a day without it, even at her worst.

3. Your heart is more important than your head.

My grandmother loved a man that many didn't agree with. Funny thing is she never quit loving him. Her heart made decisions for her, which is odd in that so many of us seem to try and silence our hearts, and only listen to our heads, especially with age.

I hope that this shined a postive light on the amazingly charming, beautiful, loving, and passionate person that my grandmother was. She was loved by so many. We have such a huge family, and she has impacted every one of us in a positive way.

For a while she was in the nursing home (which she absolutely hated) claimed they hosed her down to give her a shower and never wanted to go back. She had a notebook there, and created many drawings. To me, they are incredible, maybe I am biased in that they are hers.

What's interesting about them to me is that I imagine the drawings the same as they would have been if she had drawn them in high school. So, to not keep these to myself, I want to share them with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.