The Front Porch by Frances Robson

Come on in and have a glass of iced tea for it is hot! That's alright with me for SUMMER IS HERE!!! My kind of weather for I enjoy what summer brings to the South. The weather is hot, the tea is cold and the clothes become fewer. Great time of the year.

Today has been a fantastic day for I shopped til I dropped and came home and took a nap. I have found a Liz Claiborne outlet down the road at Lake Park, GA and nothing costs more than 19.95! And to add whipped cream on the top they have a petite section - a large one not just 2 racks. It was shopping heaven for me. Most stores have 2 or 3 racks on the very back and you have to seek to find it.

The kind ladies who work there kept asking me if they could help and I kept telling them I was in heaven and just let me fly. Now I went to buy 2 pair of Capris but if you bought 3 items you get the fourth free and how can you turn down a deal like that. I looked and looked and found 3 pair of Capris, jacket to match, 1 dress, and 2 tops and I finally relented and let the sweet lady take them to the dressing room for me. Moseying on through the regular sizes I found another top and finally made it to the dressing room.

Now I had carefully picked sizes and colors to mix and match so I stripped off my clothes to try on my new clothes. It was so exciting for I don't usually buy this many clothes but after all I am getting ready to the big state of Texas and I don't want to embarrass my kinfolks. I began with the dress for that was an unexpected bonus but it wouldn't zip and when I finally got it zipped up I looked like a bright pink stuffed sausage with a tutu on. I turned every which a way but nothing made it look good. It was awful so off it came after I finally got the zipper undone.

I just knew the Capri's, jacket and tops would fit so donned the linen Capri's with matching jacket and the pants fit but the jacket sleeves were too tight. Off came the jacket and on went the top and the neckline plunged to my belly button. It showed everything I have and what I don't have and it wasn't a pretty site. Off came the top and on went another pair of Capris - too tight. This went on for the rest of the style show and I went in with 5 pieces and came out with 1 pair of capris.

Roy was waiting on me so I told him I had to start over and build on 1 pair of pants. After hurrying over to the petite section I began to search and soon found out if you were a small, xsmall, 4,6, or 8 you had great choices but when you are a bit larger the pickins were pore. I finally just began looking for sizes and finally found 4 pieces which would fit my fluffy body.

Now friends, family and foes, this is just plain embarrassing and ridiculous. I was so upset for letting myself get this big I went by the farmer's market to buy some food. I consoled my grief over my size with vine ripened tomatoes, fresh, green bell peppers, green beans picked today, little yellow squash, fresh corn on the cob, little crisp cucumbers and delicious cantaloupe. I had fresh strawberries and peaches at home. Summer is beginning in the South and the food is sooo good. Tomorrow I will fix grilled steak and fresh vegetables with peach pie for dessert. Add some hot cornbread, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and we will feast like royalty, Southern Royalty that is.

To fix fresh green beans I like to snap the ends off, snap them into about 1 1/2 inch pieces, rinse and set aside. Slice a Vidalia onion in thin slices and saute these in about 2 tbsp. of olive oil, add the green beans, salt and pepper to taste - we like lots of pepper. Stir to mix the onions and beans, put the lid on, turn down to medium and cook for about 5 min. Add about 1/4 cup hot water and about 2 Tablespoons of sliced roasted red peppers (canned) and cook until slightly tender. Just before serving sprinkle with slivered, toasted almonds. This is so good and just don't cook it too long.

For the peppers I buy the jars at the $ Tree and also the packages of slivered almonds. To toast the almonds I put about 1 Tbsp. olive oil in small frying pan, heat and then add the almonds. I stir until they are lightly roasted, pour out on paper towels to cool and keep them in the refrigerator. The onions, peppers and almonds add great flavor to already tasty green beans. The roasted red peppers add flavor and color so try it. If you have some lean ham bits, brown them and put them in with with almonds for another layer of flavor.

I'm going to use the peach cobbler recipe I posted the other day and put some Blue Belle ice cream on top for a deeeelicious dessert. Wish you could come by and have some with us.

Now all this began with me trying on clothes and discovering I have become too fluffy while Roy has dropped weight off like crazy. I do wish he would stop dropping it for I keep finding it and putting it on me. He shrinks I increase for I just can't stand to waste anything.

Yall come back to see us and we'll sit out on the front porch and have some sweet tea and maybe there will be some peach cobbler left. If not I will rustle up something special.

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach