My, Oh My, Tomato Pie!

So, here we are nearing the end of the summer months! And what a devilishly hot one it has been! I will not miss the insanely hot temperatures but I will miss our lovely, red fruit (yes, it's a fruit), the tomato. Now I know you will still be able to get those hydroponic oddities here and there and the occassional south of the border thing will still be on produce aisles but I am talking about the honest to goodness, grown in a garden, loved by the sun, Farmer's Market, real deal! Those won't be with us much longer, so as an homage to the tangy, red orb I love so dear, I made one of my most fave tomato recipes out there. It's tangy, it's creamy, it's pungent with fresh basil but best of all, it's just darn good!!! I hope it becomes one of your summer favorites, too :)

~ The Ingredients ~

1 deep dish pie crust (you can buy or make your own)

A large bundle of fresh basil leaves (I used around 16 to 18)

4 medium tomatoes (sliced about 1/4 inch or a little thicker)

4 ounces of shredded parmesan (I'm sure I used more)

1/3 cup of mayonnaise

A splash of buttermilk

1 medium Vidalia onion sliced into half rings or smaller

Mozzarella - I have made this using both the block mozzarella and the fresh, white medallion style (seen here). Both tasted wonderful but the block style melts where as the fresh just becomes soft and stringy. If you use the block kind, cut thin enough rectangular slices so that you can make 2 layers.

Salt and pepper to taste

~ Directions ~

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Take a handful of the parmesan and give the bottom of the pie crust a good layering.

Dab the tomato slices with a paper towel, then, in a circular fashion, put the first of what will later be 2 layers of tomatoes. Salt and pepper the tomatoes. Now, here is where I have chosen to change up this step a little bit. You can layer with half of your raw Vidalia slices or if you are like me and aren't a huge fan of the raw, crunchy version, sautee in a little olive oil just to soften and sweeten them up. Those little caramelized pieces really add to the flavor!

Go ahead and mix your mayo and the splash of buttermilk and pour into a Ziploc bag. Cut a small corner off either side of the bottom of the bag and add half the mixture atop the onion layer.

Now add half of the basil.

Add half of the mozzarella slices and another handful of parmesan.

Now, repeat the whole process over again - tomato slices, salt and pepper, onions, mayo/buttermilk mixture and cheeses. With your hands, gently press all the toppings down into the pie shell so it's nice and compact.

Place on a baking sheet and put in your preheated 400 degree oven. Start checking at 30 minutes. This was perfect at 35. It should be bubbling and your cheese should be starting to turn a golden brown.

Drumroll please...First slice...

It is HEAVENLY!!! The cheeses, the sweet onion, the fresh basil and the tangy tomatoes!!! I chose to eat mine with a spoon because you do not want to leave that creamy, buttery, amazing juice behind!!! It's just that good. Enjoy!!!

The Painted Butterfly...

The Painted Butterfly

Ok, so not long after moving here and a little exploring, I found this little gem in the heart of Downtown Kennesaw! I was immediately enthralled and wanted to know more about the place and the person who created these wonderful, whimsical pieces. It didn't take long to find out the story behind this place and the artistic soul that puts her heart into each creation. She has even started a project called "Cases for Kids". Check out her story and the pics below!

Holly Jones

Opened in January 2007, the word unique woefully understates this venue for hand-painted art, furniture and home decor. The Painted Butterfly is located in the city's oldest building, a house that pre-dates the Civil War, situated right in the middle of Kennesaw's historic district. Almost every nook and cranny of the pre-Civil War homestead glitters with vibrant artwork made from recycled glass, bottlecaps, tin cans, scrap wood and more. Oversized, repurposed art spills out onto the parking lot, adding a burst of color where Main and Summers Streets intersect. Artist Holly Jones re-crafts and recycles previously loved materials collected around the community such as dressers and chairs, barbecue grills, window shutters, floor boards and even discarded tool sheds. Her canvas art is both fun and inspirational with a full-on use of attention-grabbing hues. There's a Children's Room and a Christmas Room filled to the ceiling with themed woodwork, tree-trimming favorites and inspirational whimsy.

Holly Jones is also joining forces with other local businesses to launch Cases for Kids and is taking the concept of transforming trash to treasure to a new level in an effort to collect, paint, and donate suitcases to local foster children. Jones is working to get the word out to the community. She asks that old suitcases be dropped off at the shop, as well as at supporting locations, including Foundations for the Future, Marietta Vineyard Church, Eaton Chiropractic and Crank Coffee House. The suitcases will then be handpainted by Jones and donated to local foster children.

Jones says foster children must often transport their belongings in trash bags, thus proliferating a sense of being "disposable." "There are so many overlooked kids in society," she says. Through Cases for Kids, she hopes to "give them a sense of self worth" and help the kids realize, "Somebody did this for me, and I am important enough." "Most foster children live out of paper or garbage bags. We want to give them their own special piece of luggage."

Jones has two daughters, Caroline and Bailey, along with two cats and three dogs (among them a Great Dane named Elvis) and says she has always felt a special connection to children, animals and the elderly. She gives art classes to kids, works with the Humane Society and also paints with residents of local nursing homes. The very young and the very old show the least inhibition in their artwork; they aren't afraid to color outside of the lines, she says.

While Jones says she utilizes a mix of different art styles, her work at its core is "happy and colorful." "I believe art should make a difference to somebody in a positive and happy way." She says a customer dropped by the other day and told her, "I've just come to get my happy fix."

Everyone is amazed by the life that shines through in Jones' artwork and especially admires her pet portraits. Even Martha Stewart owns a Holly Jones pet piece.

However, Jones says she believes art should be affordable for everyone. Nothing in the shop is over the price of $200, she says. "When I was four years old, I sold my mom a drawing on a shirt board for 50 cents," says Jones. She says she always knew she'd run an art shop one day and that she'd be able to stock the entire place herself. Jones works quickly and completes several pieces a day, working outside on sunny days or from her workshop at the front of the shop.

The artistic gene seems to run strong in the family. Jones' father, Bud, is a taxidermist who has been contracted by museums to create replicas of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. Daughter Bailey, 16, draws better than her, she says, and her oldest daughter Caroline, 23, is a connoisseur of fashion. Jones says she loves what she does and that she'll run the shop until the day she dies.

"I believe art is my legacy," she says. "Paint it forward with art."

Not So Happy Kitties...

A few weeks ago the hubs and I drove up to Charlotte, NC for a wedding weekend. Of course, our 6 children couldn't go with us so it was a weekend at Creekside Pet Hotel for them. I feel very fortunate to have found such a great place with nice, caring people who really love animals. The cats are so happy and relaxed when we pick them up, they seem as if they could care less about going home!

Getting them there is another story altogether! As soon as the carriers come in from the garage, they scatter!!! On this particular morning, I decided to get a little sample of the terrible, pathetic, sadness that we have to endure in the car on the way to boarding ;-)

It's just so stinkin' sweet!

http://www.creeksidepethotel.com/

And Now for the Interview...

I had wanted to post this interview along with the pics and stuff I posted about Alan and BB King weekend but the file I recorded was too large to upload to my blog. Thanks to my good friend, Landry Prichard, he was able to take my file and strip it down to a size that I can share! He really knows his stuff! This is a great interview of Alan that took place on SuperTalk MS's JT Show on Friday morning. Enjoy!!!

A Little Blues for Your Muse...

Well, it's that time of year again, folks...the annual B.B. King Homecoming has rolled into Indianola, MS!

From the cotton fields, street corners and juke joints of the Mississippi Delta came a new kind of music – the blues. Considered by many to be the only truly indigenous American music, this form that has influenced musicians worldwide is deeply rooted in Delta soil. And so is the man who helped spread the blues as its foremost ambassador... Riley B.B. King.





http://www.bbking.com/

 It all starts Saturday, June 11, 2011 on the grounds of the B.B. King Museum! The festivities will begin at 9:00 a.m. with Indianola's Open Air Market. The Market will feature locally grown produce as well as artwork from more than 40 Delta artisans.

This year's concert will start at 2 p.m. on the west side of the Gin at the B.B. King Museum.

See below for the tentative performance schedule:

2:00 p.m. Terry "Harmonica" Bean
3:30 p.m. Matthew Davidson
4:45 p.m. Jake and the Pearl Street Jumpers
6:15 p.m. Willie Clayton
7:30 p.m. Mark "Muleman" Massey

8:30 p.m. B.B. King

http://www.bbkingmuseum.org/

  Friday is more like a pre-festival warm up day and has become just as much fun as the actual festival day itself! Press coverage of the festival weekend started today and the guys from SuperTalk MS rolled into town with their satellite truck and broadcast right from the streets in front of the museum and The Blue Biscuit. If you've never been to The Blue Biscuit, you NEED TO GO!!!

http://www.thebluebiscuit.com/BlueBiscuit/Home.html



As an added bonus, during the JT Show, my brother, Alan Jones, was interviewed and even played a few blues tunes! Enjoy!

Alan Jones (left) and Pat LeBlanc talking the Blues inside The Blue Biscuit.

Alan Jones playing "Big Road Blues". (Audio only)

Alan Jones playing in the SuperTalk MS tent.

For My Mom...

My mom finally watched/listened to the flowing water videos. She loved them so much, I had to get a few more videos and pics just for her. Can't wait for you to finally come out and explore with me, mom!

I love the way the running water has smoothed and etched
out the rock over the years.

Just can't get enough...

So, we're walking the trails every evening now. It is truly such a relaxing place to get away to after a long day. It's hard to believe this is all in the middle of 13 neighborhoods and yet so quiet! On this particular evening, we took a different route and found a few more of the wonderful things that we have to enjoy!

Our ampitheater. There have already been several concerts
here in the last month. We hear they have a Summer Series!

We finally found our Woodlands Bandstand!

Decisions, Decisions!

Our new friend, Miss Doe.

One of a number of rope swings we have found :)

The Courts.

A perfect place to sit and watch the games from above!

Between the Clubhouse and Pro Shop.

The Clubhouse.

The Walk-On Court.