Sweet Basil Tea
What’s your favorite summertime sip? Is it sweet tea or lemonade? A simple syrup using fresh, sweet basil can liven up these tried and true refreshers. I grow pots of fresh basil each summer; I love to cook with it.
Here’s what I do:
I pluck a few sprigs of sweet basil, rinse them and remove the stems. In a 1 quart pot, I put 1 cup of water and a 3/4 cup of white sugar. Then I stir it to dissolve the sugar. Next, I drop in the basil leaves. Then it simmers over medium heat till it reduces and makes a syrup. I remove the basil leaves and add 2 cups of water into the basil syrup and 2 big tea bags. Then I steep to the strength that I prefer. I like it more medium than dark.
I pour the sweet basil tea into a pretty pitcher and keep it in the frig. It never lasts long. Serve over ice and enjoy.
Note: The basil syrup can be added to your homemade lemonade. It’s such a nice flavor combo!
Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.
The Flower Cart
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Ironically, the flower cart is the same color that made the living room so dark and dank. As an accent color it is cheerful and bright.
Three-Day Weekend: A Lot of Work
Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of summer. The origins of Memorial Day are claimed by different states, but all began after the Civil War to honor the fallen.
I’ve spent my time off from work gardening and canning. The flower patch has been hit and miss this spring. I’ve planted twice and have had as many volunteers come up as I’ve had those I purposely planted.
The row of Isabellina zinnias are some of the flowers planted early. They have not disappointed. Such a lovely pale yellow.
Green beans, snap beans, string beans – whatever they’re called, the one row I planted have been making this last week. Another bucket was picked on Saturday and I canned them Sunday evening.
In the pantry are three quarts and 12 pints. I like having a full larder for the year. I’ll probably have another picking of beans and a subsequent canning.
I spent a good bit of the weekend cutting grass. Coreopsis planted last year has been beautiful this spring, but it is going to seed. Resseding itself is exactly what I want it to do.
The bike ‘lane’ is planted in cosmos and mixed zinnias and should be in full bloom in a few weeks. I did some cloud spotting while mowing.
This morning, I drove to my eldest’s. He and his wife are selling homegrown vegetables and fresh baked sour dough from their farmstand. They’ve done such a great job building it and filling it! Heron Hollow is what they named their place. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16DTAG7Jo5/
Support your local farmstands and farmers’ markets this summer.
Farmstand blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.
Spring Planting
George and I were gardening beasts today. We tag teamed cutting the field, being sure to dodge the coreopsis planted last summer. The drifts of coreopsis and tickseed should be in full-glory yellow bloom starting next week. I picked a faffing bouquet and included a few sprigs of red clover. Ellie Phant seems happy with it. We planted the parade of bikes in the S-swath, along with mixed zinnias and white and pink cosmos. I’m praying the predicted rain will be just the right amount and that everything will germinate and grow as planned. Yesterday, on my way back from Baton Rouge, I stopped at the garden center that Handy Hardware opened. Tomato plants, pepper plants and beautiful, blue Louisiana iris were bought. Such friendly, helpful folks at Handy Hardware. Stop by if you’re in Magnolia. Everything was planted today, including 4 pots of Alstromeria Parrot Lily, I’ve been babying since February. I’m hoping they do well in the ground and spread. It’s such a favorite of hummingbirds.
So. What have you been planting this spring? #handyhardware #Louisianairis #gardenbikes #coreopsis #MSstateflower https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIpVg8lRlsx5aOlTSUEcu6skMEX1xsP01HYRJc0/?igsh=OGZxNDkzdjB6cHI5
Spring Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.
Three Minutes, Give Or Take A Few Seconds
Three Minutes, Give Or Take A Few Seconds
Tylertown Tornadoes
March 15, 2025
In the space of three minutes, give or take a few seconds, my middle son and his family lost their home. An EF4 tornado raged through plantation pines and across farm fields to leave complete devastation behind.
My son was at work three hours away in Louisiana when the super cell tornadoes spun up on Saturday. My daughter-in-law and young grandsons were at home. So many things lined up and fell into place (quite literally) to get them out of their home and to safety. All clicked together in the space of three minutes to save their lives. Praise God!
A gofundme page has been set up for them. Any amount will help. Thank you.
Again, if you feel led to help or share this, thank you.
Blessings to the reader.
February Is A Long Month
I’ve had a potting shed built in the back garden. It houses the well and has room to store garden tools. Along the south wall, antique windows are mounted to let in the light. Under the windows is an L-shaped work space. At the end of the work space, in the corner, stands a sink. The porcelain sink had been in the barn collecting leaves; the base is, an old Singer sewing machine that long ago had been my great grandmother’s. I learned to sew using the treadle sewing machine. My daddy taught me how to use it.
I could gleefully go from December 26th straight to March 1st. I don’t like winter. January eeks by. And though it’s the shortest in days, February is a long month.
Itching for spring, I potted up a few zinnia and bishop flower seeds. It’s a windy, warm day today, but rain is coming later tonight, and the temperature will drop back down to finish the month out cold.
February is my birthday month. It’s a big one this year: 60. I admit that I’m not handling it very well. Then I think about my daddy. He died young, age 47, five days after my 16th birthday. That sad anniversary date is another reason February drags on. My daddy never got to be old. He missed so much, and I miss him so much.
February Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.
Ceramic Elephant and Real Dog
Is this really Mississippi? Like really southern Mississippi? We’re less than 3 hours from Coastal Mississippi or the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of America….
They predicted snow and were right.
We started renovations on the porch back in October, so excuse the tools and boards in the pic. The elephant was my mother’s. The base of the bird bath was, too. I put the pretty blue gazing ball on top after the birdbath bowl was broken. The elephant hasn’t complained about the cold weather. It was 10° F yesterday.
Marigold didn’t want anything to do with the snow while we were in blizzard conditions on Tuesday. (Yeah, the weather people called it a blizzard!) Anyway, Wednesday, Marigold didn’t want to come in. Yes, I have a warm place up on the new porch for her. Here she is in front of that wonderful mayhaw tree. I’m hoping this cold weather will set record fruit yields in the spring. Ah, spring…
The camellias got bitten pretty hard, so their season is probably over for the year.
Herman and Tex were turned into snowmen.
I’m looking forward to spring, but I understand that in every life, a little snow must fall. Really, I’m enjoying the different seasons.
The new porch; I’m looking forward to sipping tea there in warmer days.
Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.
FLOWER Frogs
Have you ever been junking and come across a glass or ceramic disc with holes in it and wondered, ‘What is this thing?’ Well, it’s a flower frog. It can turn any shallow dish into a flower vessel. Some moan about there being no flowers in winter. I beg to differ. Plant camellias. If azaleas are the Fun Girls from Mt Pilot who come bursting onto the scene every spring, camellias are the steady and elegant Helen and Thelma Lou. They never demand attention but command your attention. I took a walk around my camellia garden; they are loaded with buds and beginning to bloom. A big handful of ruffled blooms came back to the house. In the kitchen, I snipped and began to arrange the blooms, but they tumbled out of my flower bowl. I remembered I had a flower frog and no more tumbling flowers. It’s a very handy flower arranging tool. So, the next time you see one, grab it. #flowerfrog #flowersproper #camellias #winterflowers https://www.instagram.com/reel/DELl99AxaoTq1FLvXo2O8Kn7JE6Sfqrij0GYZ00/?igsh=NjN1MGVrZW4wbHZ2
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