Happy New Year Southern Mercantile family!  I love the New Year.  It has become very symbolic for me over the years.  I love the idea of a fresh start, a new beginning, a time to wash away the yuck and start over!  I live the life of retail so by the time the new year rolls around I am completely exhausted.  My house is wrecked, my shop is wrecked, my body is wrecked, and sometimes I feel like my very soul is wrecked!  A year's worth of hard work, community involvement and loving a world that is sometimes hard to love has finally caught up with me, and I need a break!

Savannah, GA, might be my favorite Southern city.  A visit there just feels like going home.  A dozen New Year's Eves and one honeymoon later, you can definitley say this is a favorite spot for Matt and me.  The beautiful architecture, rich history and bustling downtown never disappoint.  This lovely city is so creativley inspiring to me, I always leave feeling refreshed and excited to get home and start cracking away at the year ahead of me.  

​This year we started our trip with a delicious New Year's Eve lunch at my favorite restaurant, Belford's.  We have eaten here many times over the years, and I have never been disappointed!  The atmosphere is perfect, and the food is absolutley delicious!  If I were a restaraunt, I would be Belford's!  

A couple of cocktails, some fried green tomatoes, and we were ready to conquer a little shopping!    

After lunch I made my yearly pilgrimage to The Paris Market.  Talk about creative overload!  This gorgeous store is brimming with the interesting and unusual.  I always love to check out their displays and see what they put together.  We all got a little treat from the coffee bar to sip on while we shopped. Topped this off with a stop in Anthropologie, and my day was almost complete!

After an afternoon of good food and good shopping we headed to our hotel to change clothes and head to dinner.  We kept it simple this year, no big party or fancy five-course meal.  Just some much-needed down time with good friends. Matt was feeling a little silly, but here we are enjoying a nice dinner at Sam Snead's Tavern.

After dinner, it was back to the hotel for cocktails and counting down until midnight!  My current favorite cocktail is a Kentucky Mule.  Secret confesion: I Love bourbon.  This mix of bourbon, ginger beer, lime, and mint was the perfect choice to sip on while ringing in the New Year!  You can find the recipe on our "Happy Hour" pinterest page, courtesy of saltandwind.com.

Even though we kept our plans simple this year, the symbolism is the same.  I am thankful for this time of new beginnings.  My birthday is on January 8th, so it really is the beginning of a whole new year for me!  I don't make resolutions because, let's be honest, why set yourself up for failure?  I do love to take this time to regroup and re-evaluate as I prepare to start another year in the journey of my life. What a good feeling to know that I can leave behind the failures and short-comings and focus on becoming a better version of myself. New year, new me!

I am truly ready to see what 2017 has in store!  I hope this New Year finds you excited to look ahead.  May God bless you as you navigate a new beginning and a new you!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!" 2Corinthians 5:17

Tara, Jorjanne, and I got a chance to hang out with our friend Carey this week to get a lesson in boiling peanuts. We had a ball spending the morning with him on his back porch, learning how he has perfected his methods of this very old, southern tradition of boiling peanuts.  

If you have never had boiled peanuts, then I would say you are missing a real treat!  My dad, on the other hand, would tell you something entirely different! (But he is technically not a southerner, so we'll let that pass!) My husband, Matt, can eat his weight in them.  It is a good thing Carey keeps a freezer full because Matt will tell you that boiled peanuts are best eaten on Carey's back porch.  

Many folks where we live will gather up their boiling peanuts straight out of the field.  While these are delicious, this method requires a little more work, like pulling the peanuts off of the vines and washing them really well!  If you want to skip the hard steps, you can buy raw peanuts at the grocery store during peanut season.  We got ours from our local Harvey's grocery store. They had already been washed but still required a little more rinsing to get most of the dirt off.

We picked out the bad nuts that were not worth boiling and any stems that were still in the bunch.

You will need a large stock pot, filled with enough water just to cover the peanuts.

We cooked ours outside, but you certainly don't have to.  Put your pot on the stove, turn the flame up, and just wait for them to boil!

Carey's secret ingredient is ice cream salt.  Just kidding!  He used it because that is what he had, but you can also use regular salt.  You will start with about two cups.

And so we wait....

Tell a few stories......

Tell a few more stories..... 

When the peanuts came to a boil, we let them cook about 30 minutes.  After thirty minutes we gave them a test.  They weren't quite tender enough so we let them cook a little longer. 

Just in case you have not eaten them before, to eat a boiled peanut, you will bite or crack the shell open to to reveal your juicy warm peanuts!  You will need an extra plate to collect your empty shells.

Carey likes to cook big batches so he has plenty to put in the freezer.  After letting the peanuts cool in the pot for a little while, we dipped them into gallon bags and set them out to cool a little longer.  

When you are ready to enjoy your peanuts from the freezer, pull them out and put them straight in a pot with some water.  You don't need to let them defrost. Bring them to a boil and just let them cook for a couple of minutes, and they'll be ready to eat in no time!

While the end product is delicious, the best part of boiling peanuts is the company!  The act of boiling peanuts is meant to be social.  A time to visit with friends, relax and enjoy life!

 As a little girl, my sisters and I were forced to pick whatever fruit or vegetable was in season, wherever my parents or other family members grew it. I even remember stopping on the side of the road not far from the house I grew up in just to pick blackberries so Mama could make a cobbler. (It was delicious!) Since I was a lazy baby sister, I never enjoyed these trips to the garden or orchard or friend’s backyard because they meant working in the sun rather than reading in my room. I did, however, enjoy the “fruits” of all our labor! Now, as an adult, I realize the value of hard work and am grateful for these memories.

One of my favorite memories is of going over to Grandma Willa Ree Tucker’s house at the end of every summer to pick muscadines and scuppernongs. She had quite a few rows of those beautiful vines that were always loaded with the sweet fruit of a southern summer. And, Grandma Ree loved nothing more than to share all that she had. There was always a debate among my sisters and I as to which was better - the purple muscadines or the bronze/green scuppernongs? As a child, the purple were always my favorite, but as I’ve grown older, I tend to love the bronze. I can still remember popping the skins with my teeth, sucking out the juicy pulp, then spitting out the seeds, all while I was supposed to be putting the muscadines in my bucket. For some reason, my bucket never seemed to fill up.

Little did I know that across the county, another family was growing muscadines and raising a little boy into the man I would marry! ​

 I guess it’s a good thing I fell in love with muscadines before I fell in love with him, since they would become such a large part of my adult life! We built our home right in the middle of his family’s muscadine vineyard, and my husband has taken the family business from growing and selling fresh muscadines to creating products made from muscadines. Now, I help with the social media for the family businesses and even make the jellies that we sell. 

We talk to a lot of people about muscadines, some to educate on what they are, how to eat them, and how good they are for you. For most who grew up in the south, though, it’s to reminisce about their time in the woods or their grandmother’s backyard, or how their grandfather made homemade muscadine wine! I always love seeing their faces when they eat a muscadine or try our juice or jelly, then hearing their stories. You can see how the taste and scent take them back to the innocence of childhood and the joy they felt in a simpler time. I love being able to provide people with such a nostalgic experience!

Since it is muscadine season, we’d love to hear your stories and memories! If you need a little inspiration and don’t have access to muscadines, you can always order a jar of Paulk’s Pride Muscadine Jelly, Preserves, or Sauce from us here at The Southern Mercantile! In case you’re wondering the differences, the Jelly is made from muscadine juice for a smoother texture, while the preserves and sauce have the skins for a chunkier texture. The sauce also has spices like cinnamon and cloves, which makes it delicious on pork or with turkey and dressing - it’s my personal favorite! Either way, we’d love to hear your stories and how you serve muscadines!

Born and raised in the South, Sweet Tea was served at every meal.  There was this unspoken understanding that everyone wanted tea--so there was never any need to ask your family members or guests what they wanted to drink with their meal.  Sweet tea was what I knew to be the beverage of choice, and it has remained so throughout my life.

I learned to make tea at an early age, due to how often this task had to be done.  After moving off to college, I continued my weekly tea making.  To my surprise, not everyone knew how to make sweet tea!  So, just in case your tea making skills are a little rusty, here are a few tips on making perfect, southern sweet tea.

The first, and possibly most important, tip is in choosing the right tea bag. We believe in using Lipton tea bags, they just taste the best! You can purchase one gallon tea bags or family size tea bags--either will work fine!

Now that you have the main ingredient, let's make sure you have the most important: sugar!  In our opinion, perfectly southern sweet tea takes two, yes TWO, cups of white granulated sugar.

Now, boil water on the stove in a tea kettle or pot.  Measure out two cups of sugar and go ahead and put that into your gallon-sized tea pitcher.  Once your water is boiling, turn it off and immediately pour it into your pitcher along with EITHER one gallon tea bag or two family size tea bags.  Give your pitcher a stir dissolving the sugar and let it sit for 15 minutes.  Remove your tea bags and finish filling up your pitcher with cold water.  Give it a good stir again and place your tea in the refrigerator until cold.  Serve over ice with the option of fresh cut lemons!

**Helpful Tip:  If you are a busy bee like me, I have a convenient alternative to the normal tea making process.  You will need a large microwave safe measuring cup, mine holds 8 cups.  Fill with water and your two family size tea bags.  Pop it in the microwave for 7 minutes--and wallah!  You can let the tea sit up to 20 minutes in the microwave before mixing up your tea and sugar.  This works well for me when I am doing chores all over the house and not necessarily in the kitchen to watch for the water boiling on the stove.  When you are ready, pull out your freshly steeped tea and mix in a gallon-sized pitcher with two cups of sugar.  Once the sugar is dissolved, finish filling the pitcher with cold water.

Don't you love the mid century mod glasses in the photographs?  We have two sets available in the store!  Click HERE to take a look!

Shop our favorite Sweet Tea themed products below!

Even though I was raised in a small, rural area in the south, I never learned the art of keeping up a garden or canning and "putting up" vegetables. My family traveled a lot in the summers and I didn't have a grandma to teach me those important southern traditions.

When I moved back after college I turned to my friend Mrs. Carolyn for a little help!  I have known Mrs. Carolyn my entire life. She was the secretary at the elementary school where my parents taught and our families have been long time friends. When my dad was opening our shop and cafe 13 years ago, he called on Mrs. Carolyn to help in The Cafe. She has been with us ever since! She lovingly tends to our Cafe guests every Tuesday and it is her pimiento cheese recipe that has become famous in our little town. 

Carolyn and her husband always kept a summer garden. Several years ago she let me come out and pick peas with her. We took our peas to the local canning plant to have them shelled and then she helped me blanch and bag them up to freeze them. One summer she helped me with okra and this summer I got a lesson in canning her delicious sweet pickles!

We have decided to share her secrets with you, with her permission of course. :) The pickle process takes a few days to complete, so be sure to have a little time on your hands!  Here is your peek into Mrs. Carolyn's pickle making methods.

What you will need:

• Seven pounds of cucumbers (the smaller the better)
• Pickling Lime
• Pickling Spices
• One gallon of distilled white vinegar
• 8 pounds of white granulated sugar
• 14 pint or 7 quart sized jars with lids and rings
• Piece of an old t-shirt or pantie hose
• Large bowl or basin (should not be aluminum)
• Large pot (should not be aluminum)

Give them a good wash and set aside.

Once all of your cucumbers have been cleaned, begin cutting!  You will want to cut off the ends of the cucumbers and discard them.

Try to cut your cucumbers as uniform as possible to keep your pickles looking and tasting consistent!

Cutting is the step where you may want to recruit a little help.

Mrs. Carolyn follows along with the directions on the Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime package for the basic measurements.  (She adds a little extra here and there to get them just right.)  When you begin the "liming down" process, make sure that the bowl or basin you are using is not made of aluminum because of the reaction that could take place with the lime.

Sprinkle one cup of Pickling Lime over your freshly cut cucumbers.

Now begin filling your basin with water to ensure that your cucumbers are covered.

Make sure to give them a good stir so that the lime distributes evenly throughout the water.  After "liming your pickles down", let them sit overnight, stirring occasionally (otherwise the lime will settle to the bottom).

 The next day, you will want to begin the rinsing process.  To ensure that you wash all of the lime off of your cucumbers, you will need to rinse them multiple times.  

Using a colander, rinse your cucumbers off and rinse out your basin.  Place the cucumbers back in the basin and cover them with water again.  Let the cucumbers soak in the clean water for one hour.  Repeat this step two more times!

After you have soaked the cucumbers in clean water three times (at one hour each time), drain them again with your colander.  Rinse your basin and place the cucumbers back in, covering them with ice water this time.  Mrs. Carolyn let her cucumbers soak in ice water for three hours before moving on to the next step.

 Now it is time to get your pickling spices ready.  You can use a piece of an old (clean) t-shirt, as Mrs. Carolyn has done, or even pantie hose!  Tie up your spices so that they are not loose in your pickles.  We used two tablespoons of spices, tying up one tablespoon per bundle. 

Now it is time to bring your vinegar, sugar and spices to a boil. (Not in aluminum!)  It is important that your cucumbers go straight from the ice bath into the boiling mixture.  This gives them that special crunch!  

You can follow along with the recipe on the Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime package, or do what we did!  Mrs. Carolyn's pickles are perfectly crispy, sweet and tart--so her version is a little different.  We ended up using one whole gallon of white distilled vinegar. *This is where experience comes in.  She knows what to add by simply looking at it!

We also used eight pounds of sugar.

We even had a special guest show up to help! Abi is one of Mrs. Carolyn's biggest fans.

Keep stirring as your vinegar begins to boil.  You will want to stir as the sugar dissolves.

Once the sugar is dissolved and the vinegar is boiling, carefully add in your cold and drained pickles!

Mrs. Carolyn added more vinegar than is stated on the Pickling Lime Package to ensure that her pickles would be covered.

Give them a stir and wait for the vinegar to come back to a boil.

Once it comes to a rolling boil, turn the stove off and let your pickles sit over night.

The next morning, bring your pickles to a boil one more time.  Let them boil for 30-45 minutes stirring occasionally.

As your pickles cook, they will darken--this is the color you are looking for!

While your pickles are boiling, get your clean jars, lids and rings ready.  You will need to boil a little water in a separate pot to drop your lids down in.  The rim around the lid will need to be heated in order to seal on the jar correctly. 

Begin filling your jars once your pickles have boiled for 30-45 minutes. 

Make sure that your pickles are submerged in the liquid by pressing them down with a spoon.  You want to ensure that you have enough liquid in your jars to prevent any from going bad.

Be sure to wipe the rim of the jar clean before placing your warmed lid on top.  You will want to get rid of any sticky liquid that may have gotten on the outside of the jar.

Screw your ring on as tight as you can and set the jar aside.

Mrs. Carolyn likes to leave her pickle filled jars sitting on the counter while she waits to hear the jars seal with a "pop"!  (Although Mrs. Carolyn does not process her pickles, it is recommended that you process your jars of pickles in a water bath for at least ten minutes to prevent any presence of bacteria.)

The best part about pickle making (besides the outcome) is all of the "waiting" time.  That gives us plenty of time to chat!

Once the lids on your jars have "popped", you are ready to enjoy your pickles for months to come.  

We hope that you have enjoyed this glimpse into a classic Southern kitchen.  We'd love for you to give pickle-making a try yourself, and let us know how it goes!


We have a few things over in the store that you might find helpful if you do decide to make a batch of pickles of your own!  Purchase a Canning Kit to dress up your jars or an enamel basin to make the liming and soaking process a little bit easier!

As the mother of two busy, growing boys, I know how hectic life can be, running from work to sports practices and games, then to art lessons and church. I also know how important having dinner together at home is. According to www.familydinnerproject.org:


“Over the past 15 years researchers have confirmed what parents have known for a long time: sharing a family meal is good for the spirit, the brain and the health of all family members. Recent studies link regular family dinners with many behaviors that parents pray for: lower rates of substance abuse, teen pregnancy and depression, as well as higher grade-point averages and self-esteem. Studies also indicate that dinner conversation is a more potent vocabulary-booster than reading, and the stories told around the kitchen table help our children build resilience. The icing on the cake is that regular family meals also lower the rates of obesity and eating disorders in children and adolescents.”

Here are my 5 tips for how to make Family Dinner happen, in spite of busy schedules:

1. Plan ahead.
I try to take the time on Sunday evening to look through our family’s schedule for the next week to determine which nights we can eat at home and which nights we’ll have to eat out. I plan my meals based on the amount of time I will have to cook each evening. (This also helps our family budget, which makes my hubby happy!) My family’s favorite meal on a night I don’t have a lot of time is nachos. We each choose our own toppings, from ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. We also love to add sour cream and homemade salsa and guacamole. Make sure you’re signed up for our email list and join our Recipe Club to receive a Recipe Card with our Homemade Salsa and Guacamole recipes!

The South is characterized by many things, such as food, drink, flowers, traditions, proper dress and manners.  If you are looking to add Southern touches to your summer wedding, here is what you need to know!

1. Use flowers and greenery that are native to the South
Nothing says southern elegance like a trail of camellia leaves and hydrangeas.  When choosing the florals for your wedding, don't discount the simple pleasures of our native blooms.  Whether you incorporate the richness magnolia leaves bring or the vibrance of zinnias, take your first clue from what's growing around you.

2. Serve sweet tea as the beverage of choice
When it comes to a Southern wedding, it isn't complete without guests sipping on sweet tea.  Nothing is more refreshing or nostalgic than an ice cold glass of tea in the midst of summer.  Whether you're serving brunch, lunch or supper--sweet tea will be well received.

3. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue
Though this tradition seems to be slowly forgotten, think of it as an opportunity to have a little fun and, not to mention, gain a little good luck on your big day!  Something new usually takes care of itself, but be sure to include your sisters, mothers, grandmothers and bridesmaids on the hunt for finding something old, borrowed and blue.  Here in the South, we like tradition--so why break one that adds a little fun?  We love how this photo captures each sweet piece--found on Style me Pretty!

4. Touches of seersucker
Although a seersucker suit may not strike your fancy, consider adding touches of seersucker to carry through the Southern summer theme.  Perfect for a coastal wedding, seersucker can be found in the form of bow ties or jackets, ring bearer pillows or flower girl dresses.  Get creative and throw in a taste of proper Southern dress. (My personal favorite is this seersucker bubble dress by Ralph Lauren!) 

5. Handwritten thank you notes
If you haven't read The Art of the Thank You Note, you should.  Handwritten thank you notes are a dying art, but one that should follow after every wedding.  If you are to have a true Southern wedding, you must put the pen to the stationery and pour out your thanksgiving.  Manners are a must when it comes to your big day, so don't let this simple tip slip away!

In honor of our recent discussion on Wedding Registries, we have decided to do a re-post!  If you are in the midst of receiving wedding gifts and not sure how to craft a grateful thank you note--this is the blog for you!  
*A helpful hint to keep you extra organized: keep all of your gift tags in an envelope or box and write what the gift was on the back of each one!
​

Throughout the years I have become quite a little note writer.  I have found it to be a good opportunity to show someone how much they mean to you--and believe me, it means a lot to them.  There is just something about a handwritten note that time cannot erase.  For things as simple as a call, or as big as a Kitchen Aid mixer, thank you notes can have a special way of exhibiting gratitude and love.  With my wedding only a few weeks away, you can imagine how busy I have been writing!  Thank you notes can have a way of becoming overwhelming, burdensome--and let’s just be honest; a real chore.  

**Notice what I have said, “CAN have a special way of exhibiting gratitude and love” and “CAN have a way of becoming overwhelming, burdensome, etc.” 

It’s all about attitude!  If you are genuinely writing because you are appreciative and care--it will show in your words!  If you are well organized, timely and grateful--it won’t become overwhelming!  I want to share my tips in honor of the art of the Thank You note.

Get organized
Purchase an address book, make an excel spreadsheet--do something so that you don’t have to call your mother and ask for your great aunts address for the third time.  You’ll be glad you did, and you’ll be able to add to it throughout the years.

Put your stamp on it
Any old stamp will send mail--but you’re trying to send a message!  It is such a special touch when the stamp coordinates with the envelope--it shows thoughtfulness and preparation.
  If you’re like me, your local post office doesn’t offer a wide selection.  Well, the USPS has a nifty website where you can view all available stamps!https://store.usps.com/store/browse/category.jsp?categoryId=buy-stamps&categoryNavIds=buy-stamps

After checking them out and choosing the perfect ones, you can order them, or have your post office do it!  It usually takes a week for them to come in.
My personal favorite at the moment: 

Pick a pen
Everyone has a favorite pen, pick it up!  As long as it is a legible color, you’re A-OK.  Choosing your favorite pen as opposed to just any old utensil will make all the difference.  My favorite pens and markers: ​

The search for good stationary
Choosing appropriate stationary is key to make writing and receiving the notes even more fun.  Sometimes, I even make my own by printing on a flat card! ​

We hope you found our thoughts helpful during this exciting time!  Just remember that this is suppose to be fun--so have a little!  Stay true to you and your style but also keep the future in mind.  

Download your own Registry Checklist created by The Southern Merc gang on our Wedding Printables page!  It will help you think through your registry even further and ensure that you have everything covered!

These past few months of marriage have been filled with laughs, tears, adventures and plenty of burnt bread. It's amazing to think about how much our lives have changed within the last year and all of the changes to come. This will be our first Christmas as a family—and I have to admit that it seems pretty surreal. We are in a strange but wonderful stage of life, wondering what our Christmas traditions will become.​

The one thing that has become a tradition for Phillip and I already is finding a tree in the woods and cutting it down! This was our third Christmas doing so and it is always a treat.

Phillip built a rustic tree box for me that very first year we were together and I just think it is wonderful. It fits our style and looks great with our airy trees.  

I was so thankful to have had a Christmas shower thrown by a family member when Phillip and I were engaged.  It was so fun to receive things that I could use to make our house a home during the most festive time of year.  I received the beautiful ornaments you see below on the left.  I just can't get over how pretty they are!  The ornaments below on the right belonged to my great-grandparents.  I love most vintage things--but I especially love having something of theirs hanging in the tree.  They add the perfect pop of color while reminding me of the true meaning of Christmas.  My great-grandfather, Pap, was a preacher and I know that their Christmas traditions didn't revolve around expensive gifts or rushing around--but rather time spent with family and friends and honoring the birth of Jesus. 

At my Christmas shower, I received the glass trees and the angel you see below.  I LOVE gold in case you haven't noticed, so you know that I adore these trees! 

I carried the gold and green theme throughout my wrapping paper as you can see.

One thing we did this year that I think may become a Christmas tradition was what we gave to our nieces and nephews.  With Phillip having nine just on his side, we knew we wouldn't be able to afford gifts for all of them.  We decided to make a ticket and treats for each child.  The ticket is valid for a day of fun with Aunt Tara and Uncle Phillip.  They get to choose an activity (out to a movie, gone fishing, let's get crafty, spa day, or other) and a restaurant they'd like us to take them to.  By doing this, we hope that we can begin to build lasting relationships with these children one on one, and become someone they can trust, look up to, and have fun with.

This year, Phillip and I decided that rather than giving each other gifts, we would take a trip!  We recently went to Texas on a whim with another couple and had the time of our lives!  We will be heading up to Tennessee after Christmas for a little hunting and relaxation.  We aren't in need of anything.  We are very blessed and are excited to have this opportunity to make memories with one another.  Who knows, in the next few years it may be a little more difficult to travel! 

Our first Christmas may not be very exciting, but it will be memorable.  I can't wait to see what our Christmas traditions become and how our lives change.  Though Christmas traditions may come and go--we know one Christmas truth that never changes. If God hadn't chosen to save the world through a baby, born to a virgin, there would be no Christmas.  May we always be in awe of what He has done.