Southerners are Pretty Religious, "Our Tea is sweet, our words are long, days are warm and our Faith is strong".

In a recent Gallop poll
About 40 percent of Americans said they were "very religious," meaning religion is an important part of their daily life and that they attend religious services every week or nearly every week. Some 31 percent indicated they were nonreligious, or that religion wasn't an important part of their daily life and they seldom or never attend such services.

Top 10 most religious states

Mississippi: 58 percent report being very religious
Utah: 56 percent
Alabama: 56 percent
Louisiana: 53 percent
Arkansas: 52 percent
South Carolina: 52 percent
Tennessee: 50 percent
North Carolina: 50 percent
Georgia: 48 percent
Oklahoma: 48 percent

In the poll. , based on over 350,000 interviews, Mississippians were found to be the most religious state.
85% of Mississippians answered “yes” when asked: “Is religion an important part of your daily life?” Joining the Magnolia State in the “most religious” states were other “Bible Belt” states : Alabama (82%), South Carolina (80%), Tennessee ( 79%), Louisiana (78%) and Arkansas (78%)
Vermont, with less than half of those interviewed (42%) answering the same question in the affirmative was noted as the “least religious.”
Overall, Gallup researchers found that 65% of all Americans said religion is important in their everyday lives.

Other than God and church services , if you weren't already aware, Southerners are pretty religious about a few other other things...mainly Manners,

(College) Football and Sweet Tea !

PATRICIA NEELY-DORSEY
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems   
" a celebration of the south and things southern"
"Meet Mississippi Through Poetry, Prose and The Written Word"
www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com

Perfect Southern Combination : Chicken and Sweet Tea

Today Patricia shares with us her recipe for the  Perfect Combination Southern Chicken and Sweet Tea.
What could be more southern than sweet tea chicken ?
Almost nothing !
Sweet tea has been called the 'house wine of the South " 
It is the all purpose beverage.
And, chicken is served in some form ( preferably fried) at almost every event and for any occasion.
One of my Facebook friend's said  that her Dad always called chicken  the Gospel bird! "
In the South, everyone knows that ,at  any and every church event,  there will be chicken,
Putting the two together is pure  Southern  genius !
It's Southern to the max....It's Southern to the tenth degree .It's Southern squared 

Looking for southern perfection for your next meal ?

Here is a recipe for Southern Brined Chicken

2 family-size tea bags
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, halved
2 (6-inch) fresh rosemary sprigs
1 tablespoon freshly cracked pepper
2 cups ice cubes
1 (3 1/2-to 4-lb.) cut-up whole chicken
Preparation

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 3-qt. heavy saucepan; add tea bags. Remove from heat; cover and steep 10 minutes.

2. Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar and next 6 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool completely (about 45 minutes); stir in ice. (Mixture should be cold before adding chicken.)

3. Place tea mixture and chicken in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal. Place bag in a shallow baking dish and chill 24 hours. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade; pat chicken dry with paper towels.

4. Light one side of grill, heating to 300° to 350° (medium) heat; leave other side unlit. Place chicken, skin side down, over unlit side, and grill, covered with grill lid, 20 minutes. Turn chicken, and grill, covered with grill lid, 20 minutes.
Turn chicken, and grill, covered with grill lid, 40 to 50 minutes or until done.
Transfer chicken, skin side down, to lit side of grill, and grill 2 to 3 minutes or until skin is crispy.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

PATRICIA NEELY-DORSEY
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems
" a celebration of the south and things southern"
"Meet Mississippi Through Poetry, Prose and The Written Word"
www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com

Peach and Blackberry Scones With Sweet Tea and Poetry

Sweet tea and poetry. July is one of my most favorite months, it is usually warm, filled with sunshine and happy memories. July is also about hospitality. It is the time when I make sure I always have something yummy baked so that when people stop over, a neighbor, friend and even unexpected visitors I have something to offer them along with the Hot or Sweet tea. Today Patricia and I are teaming up to share her poem and my scone recipe for your next tea party.

I wish I had a wrap around porch and some rocking chairs where I live to entertain my summer time guests. Reading Patricia's Poem Front Porch (Hospitality Headquarters) sums up summer visitors for me. Patricia has given me permission to share that poem with you today.

Front Porch

(Hospitality Headquarters)

Just The spot. 

For talking in a cool breeze

And watching the world go by

Friends and neighbors out

For a leisurely stroll

Stop and sit a spell.

"Lemonade"?

"Iced Tea"?

"Co-cola?"

"Did you hear about...?"

"You Don't Say!"

"My, how the time flies"

'Y'all come back, now"

"You hear?"

Karen's Peach and Blackberry Scones

To make my Peach and Blackberry Scones you will need:

-2 cups of flour

-3/4 cup of sugar

-1/2 cup of butter

-2 tsp baking powder

-3/4 cup of milk

-1 egg

-2 tsp vanilla

-1 cup of blackberries

-1 cup of chopped peaches

Pre heat your oven to 400

In a bowl combine the flour, sugar and baking powder, add the butter and combine until the bread crumb mixture starts to form. Add your milk, egg and vanilla fold the wet into the dry and then add your frozen fruit. If your mixture is to wet add a 1/2 cup more flour, if to dry add more milk until the dough is the right consistency,( hold's its shape when dropped onto a cookie sheet)
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop equal sized and spaced spoonfuls of scone batter on the cookie tray. Bake at 400 until the sides and top are golden brown.

Karen here, some of my most favorite poems are from Patricia Neely-Dorsey and her Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia and her follow up book Magnolia Memories and Musings.  Click here to learn more about her books. 

I would love to have you join me for tea daily at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com

July is National Picnic Month, National Family Reunion Month and 4th of July Holiday !

Patricia is here today to share her picnic sweet tea recipe perfect for Picnics, Family Reunion's and of course the 4th of July!  Summer is here and  it is time to take your tea outdoors! This calls for picnics galore !

In the South, it is essential that a Summer picnic includes iced tea !

You know how much Southerners  love picnics, sweet tea  ...and mason jars .

Mason jars are a secret weapon for packing an easy picnic.

Here's a quick, fun way to pack and serve your tea 

At home, boil some water

Once the water is hot,  pour it into the mason jar, add  tea bags, pop on the lid.

The tea takes 5-7 minutes to brew.

Have one  large mason jar  filled with ice.

You can pour the ice and tea into  smaller mason jars for drinking

Enjoy !
Thank you Patricia for sharing these wonderful Southern Tea Time Tips with us today. 
PATRICIA NEELY-DORSEY
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems   
" a celebration of the south and things southern"
"Meet Mississippi Through Poetry, Prose and The Written Word"
www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com

June Is National Iced Tea Month

June is National Iced Tea Month.
Legend has it that a tea vendor at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis popularized the drink.
When visitors to the sweltering event turned down free hot tea, he ran it through iced pipes to chill the beverage.
The resulting cool, refreshing beverage was a hit and the iced drink became popular throughout the United States.

Iced tea is traditionally served with lemon slice used as a garnish, which is often placed on the rim of the glass.
In the Southwest United States (or at least in restaurants with a Southwest theme), lime is also very popular (especially in Mexican restaurants).
It is proper to always call it iced tea rather than ice tea. Tea with ice in it is an iced beverage.I
In the South, the word iced is often eliminated, and is simply known as sweet tea.

Sweet tea dates back to the late 19th century when the following recipe was published in Housekeeping in Old Virginia.
 After scalding the teapot, put into it one quart of boiling water and two teaspoonfuls green tea. If wanted for supper, do this at breakfast. At dinner time, strain, without stirring, through a tea strainer into a pitcher. Let it stand till tea time and pour into decanters, leaving the sediment in the bottom of the pitcher. Fill the goblets with ice, put two teaspoonfuls granulated sugar in each, and pour the tea over the ice and sugar. A squeeze of lemon will make this delicious and healthful, as it will correct the astringent tendency.

A LITTLE HISTORY Because 19th-century general stores stocked mostly green tea from China or Japan, many early recipes called for green tea. But, after World War II, when green tea was scarce, black tea from India became the basis for this popular brew.

DID YOU KNOW...
It is not uncommon for a Southerner to drink  iced tea ( sweet tea) all throughout the day ...for breakfast , lunch , dinner and with a snack! 


PATRICIA NEELY-DORSEY
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems
" a celebration of the south and things southern
"Meet Mississippi Through Poetry, Prose and The Written Word"

In the South, Porches and Iced Tea Go Hand in Hand

Patricia is here to share with us today more Southern Tea Time wisdom...

Spring and Summer mean major porch sitting time in the South .
Almost everyone in the south has a front porch ...or wants one.
The front porch is hospitality headquarters for meeting, greeting and entertaining guests.
Southern girls are taught from an early age all of the rules to being a proper hostess.
Everyone knows to properly entertain a guest, you must offer them some refreshments.
It would be too rude not to...and we don't do rude in the south !
Of course, iced tea is at the top of the list of beverages.
And, more likely than not, that tea will be sweet .
We love our sweet tea in the south.
It would not be out of the ordinary to find a pitcher of sweet tea  always ready waiting in the refrigerator of a southern home.
In the South we invite you to our front porch !
Come sit a spell !

A LITTLE HISTORY
 In contrast to many other American architectural traditions, the roots of  porches don't appear to be found in Europe, but rather in the architectural heritage of colonial trading partners. Traders en route from the Caribbean to the British, French, and Spanish colonies were influenced by island architecture, rich with large open porches to accommodate the humid climate.

Little by little, colonists (primarily in the South) began to incorporate porches in their homes, mixing this tropical influence with European classicism.
In Virginia, porches often took on the look of their Palladian predecessors—two symmetrical stories flanked with columns. The classical porch also was popular in Charleston, blended with the climate sensitivity of the Caribbean building tradition to create regal, double-story piazzas. Perhaps the most famous early American classical porch is George Washington's Mt. Vernon, which set a standard for the porch-building tradition in the American South.

Thank you Patricia for this beautiful post and for inspiring me to take tea outside!

PATRICIA NEELY-DORSEY
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems 
" a celebration of the south and things southern"
"Meet Mississippi Through Poetry, Prose and The Written Word"
www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com

Southern Tea Time And Mason Jars, A Visit With Patricia Neely- Dorsey

Today our Southern Friend Patricia Neely- Dorsey is back to share with us some more Southern Tea Tips with us.

There's something that you may not know about us southerners.
We LOVE drinking our beverages out of a Mason jar..
We are obsessed with Mason jars almost as much as we are with sweet tea !
In fact, we ESPECIALLY like drinking our sweet tea from mason jars !
It just almost seems to make it taste better ! 

Actually, we use Mason jars in any and every way imaginable.
We try to find and make up new ways to use Mason jars !
We use Mason jars for canning,  for jelly and jam.for storage, for loose change, for flower vases, and even  for wedding decorations
You name it and we can come up with a way to use a Mason jar for it !

A Little History :
In 1795 the accepted methods of food preservation are pickling, salting and drying—unreliable, unsustainable means for an army on the move.
To ensure his men would  have rations they can safely consume, Napoleon Bonaparte offers a prize: 12,000 francs to anyone who can devise a better way to preserve food.

Fifteen years pass before confectioner and distiller Nicolas François Appert claims the cash. Now known as “the father of canning,” he discovers, over the course of a decade, that food wouldn’t spoil if boiled and then stored in airtight glass containers.
His lids are made of wax and wire.They were sticky, sloppy, and potentially a breeding ground for bacteria.

It takes almost fifty years for John Landis Mason, a New Jersey native, to patent the design that would endure: a glass jar sealed with a threaded zinc cap and jar mouth.
The new model is easy to use and reuse, and is quickly improved upon in 1869 with the addition of a removable rubber ring for a more powerful closure.

Thank you Patricia! I love this idea in your photo above for an outdoor tea party! I am going to use this idea at my next party! Offer guests a range of iced teas and sweet teas in mason jars just like this! Actually I think I will make some up for my own fridge as well! 

You can learn more about Patricia by visiting her website by clicking here.

PATRICIA NEELY-DORSEY
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems
" a celebration of the south and things southern"
"Meet Mississippi Through Poetry, Prose and The Written Word"
www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com

A Sip Of Southern Hospitality and Sweet Tea

Today I am so pleased to have my friend as a guest blogger today. I have had the pleasure of getting to know her for the past year and a half through her poetry and tireless work as an Author, Poet, Speaker, and Mississippi Goodwill Ambassador.
Please enjoy a little Southern Hospitality and a few sips of Sweet Tea from my dear friend and tea lover Patricia Neely-Dorsey .

We Southerns love our sweet tea...and the sweeter the better.
Sweet tea is just a part of life .
We are raised it.
Sweet tea is so ingrained in Southern culture that in 2003, as part of an April Fool's joke, the Georgia Legislature introduced a bill that would make it a misdemeanor for restaurants not to offer sweet tea.
In the movie Steel Magnolias, Dolly Parton proclaimed that sweet tea was "the house wine of the South."
In the South when there is tea at  any function,, like at a church gathering , picnic or other event, .it's just assumed that it will be  sweet tea .
To get anything else you usually have to ask for that , and even  then you might get some funny looks . 

I was really caught off guard by the whole matter of how tea is consumed outside of the south, when I went off to school in the North ( Boston University)
When you ask for tea, you most probably will get some type of hot tea or spiced tea !
People look at you crazy when you ask for sweet tea.
They don't even understand the request at all.
They don't even know that it should be iced .
I guess they look so funny because they think that you could just put your own sugar in your HOT tea just like coffee.
The concept is almost close to right because you do add the sugar into the hot tea  to dissolve it well before adding the cold water and ice . 
I just gave up asking for tea altogether at a restaurant , because it was just too much to try to explain every time .
The joke goes...
The Mason-Dixon Line begins where every restaurant serves sweet tea

Here's a very simple/basic sweet tea recipe .

Makes 1 gallon
What You Need
Ingredients
3 family-sized black tea bags (or 12 individual tea bags)
4 cups water, plus more to fill the pitcher
1 cup sugar
lemon slices, optional to serve


Instructions
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat.
Steep the tea for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, remove the bags and discard.
Add the sugar to the tea.
Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Pour the tea base into the pitcher.
Add another 3 quarts of water to make a gallon of sweet tea.
Refrigerate until very cold. .
Serve over ice.
Once you know the basics you can run with it and make it your own, to your taste .
Every Southern woman has her own unique way of making sweet tea !
You would not believe how much the taste can vary with the amount of sugar and lemon or other additives.
All we know is that sweet tea is delicious ...as is the Southern way of life !   

A huge thank you to Patricia for sharing with us her love of Sweet Tea and Southern Life.

To learn more about Patricia and her work please visit her website by clicking here. 

PATRICIA NEELY-DORSEY
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems   
" a celebration of the south and things southern"
"Meet Mississippi Through Poetry, Prose and The Written Word"
www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com