When friends called to invite me and my husband to join them at their beach house at Grayton Beach, Florida, I didn't have to think about it. I was packing before I ended the phone call. Two other cou..

I’ve decided that late afternoons on these long summer days are perfect for inviting the neighbors over for a cocktail hour now and then. Mama and Papa often had these impromptu get-togethers years ag..

During the summers of my childhood, the highlight of many hot afternoons was sipping homemade lemonade, root beer or tea. What fun we had under the oak trees at Aunt Belle’s slurping the beverages chi..

A few years ago, a journalist asked me to list a few things I like about summertime in the South. I confess that the summer is my favorite season and I can never get enough of ice cold watermelon, sno..

Warmer weather means picnic time. You can picnic on the beach, on your patio, in your backyard or at your favorite park. The meal can be as simple as wine, cheese and bread. Or you can carry along ..

Summer has unofficially arrived and I am so ready for it. After teaching fulltime since January at Nicholls State University in the John Folse Culinary Institute, I (like the students) am looking fo..

Summer is for seafood as far as I'm concerned. And what makes it better is catching it yourself. I've made several trips to Marsh Island, where Vermilion Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico, in the past few ..

Life is good! It may be hot as Hades in the Deep South this time of year, but hey, it doesn’t stop us from enjoying seafood from our bountiful waterways. From the Gulf of Mexico and the adjoining ba..

Memorial Day marked the unofficial beginning of summer and I’m looking forward to some lazy, hazy days filled with relaxation---swimming, fishing, grilling and lots of reading. Without a doubt fo..