Is it really Friday, y’all? This week flew by with Lara and Emily at engage!13 Biltmore, PowerSheet Set orders flying out the door and new shop goodies coming in. I’m ready for a quiet weekend in after weeks of traveling and getaways.

Monday began with a post that made my mouth water. Marissa told us all about our favorite fried green tomatoes in our Southern Delicacy column.

We may be taking a short break from V6 shoots in June, but that doesn’t mean we’re not prepping for a few in July! Want to be a part of our features? We hope to see you join us in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, as a reader model! See this post for details.

I’m back from the National Stationery Show and I have so much to show you, belles and beaus! Check out my recap of the cutest new designs from stationers across the country. (Part 1 here, Part 2 here.)

Of course, there were way too many fun paper goodies to share in one way. Yesterday, I was back with the final posts in my NSS recap! (Part 3 here, Part 4 here.)

Real Weddings are sweeter than pie!

Audrey + Zane said “I do” in her grandfather’s chicken house. We love the farm details galore! See it here.

For Kelly + Sang, it was love at first sight! We adore their pink Virginia wedding and the wine box ceremony they included. See it here.

Before you go…

Reserve a space on your calendar for the LulaKate sample sale! Bridesmaid dresses, the Little White Dress collection, bridal gowns and ready to wear pieces will be available at the LulaKate store in Charleston from June 20-22. Prices will start at $75!

Be sure to stop by our Facebook Friday for a little somethin’ sweet from Happy Everything Co.!

Enjoy the weekend, my dears!

Mmm, y’all! With the unofficial start of summer (and official start of white pants season!), I’m ready for all the delicious delicacies that come with a Southern summer. Think tall glasses of sweet tea (or an Arnold Palmer in my case) with a side of deviled eggs or some fresh cut watermelon by the lake! Are you drooling yet?

If not, just wait a few seconds, because today we’re chatting about one of my personal favorites, fried green tomatoes!

Fried green tomatoes (the food, not the movie – though the movie did take place in the South!) are a common side dish around these parts made from unripe (green) tomatoes coated with cornmeal and fried.

Traditionally, FGTs are made by cutting the tomatoes into thick (about 1/2-inch) slices then seasoning them with salt and pepper (or a bit of crushed red pepper flakes and garlic powder for our friends ’round the Bayou!). Then they are coated with plain, coarse cornmeal, and shallow fried in bacon fat for a few minutes each side, or until golden brown. (P.S. Shallow frying is preferred, as the tomatoes do not float in the oil.)

How Sweet It Is

Another option when frying green tomatoes is to prep the tomatoes with a “wash.” In this case, the sliced tomatoes are dipped into buttermilk, or occasionally a beaten egg, before they are ‘rolled’ in the cornmeal. Using a beaten egg makes for a slightly firmer texture than using buttermilk. While not always necessary, adding this dip before the cornmeal helps it stay in place during the frying process.

My favorite little nugget about fried green tomatoes? Apparently this delicacy originated when Southerners were forced to remove some of the tomatoes from the vine while still green to allow the rest to mature to the traditional red — the Southern growing season is so prolific that otherwise, the plant would collapse under the weight of all that fruit! Obviously, the next logical step was to fry up the bounty.

As you can see, traditionally prepared fried green tomatoes have that fall-off-the-fruit look that definitely would be divine for a rehearsal dinner or newlywed dinner party!

Katrina Runs for Food, Southern Living, Family Circle, Eric Kelley via Southern Weddings

So you want to get fancy with your FTGs? We’ve got you! I think the caprese salad made with fried green tomatoes would be a showstopper at any dinner party I was invited to!

Oven-fried green tomato caprese stacks by How Sweet It Is, fried green tomato po’boy and BLT slider from Southern Living

And y’all know us! We can’t sneak away without including a few (mini) options fit for a wedding! I know Mrs. Thomas is just dying over the baby-sized bacon, lettuce, and fried green tomato sliders! Who wouldn’t? Not to mention I’m all about the abbreviation on the sign – way too fun!

BLFGT sliders photo by The Nichols via Southern Weddings, individual fried green tomatoes photo by Adam Barnes via Southern Weddings, mini fried green tomato bites by Blue Plate Chicago

Y’all, I’m embarrassed to admit that this true-blue Southern girl has never even attempted to make fried green tomatoes… although I’ve eaten my fair share! I’m thinking this recipe might be my best bet. But, I also love this healthier version as well!

Have you tried your hand at homemade FGT’s? Or do you have a fabulous recipe for someone who is a bit culinarily challenged? I’d love it if you’d share it with me!

Adam Barnes is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

How is everyone this week? With the weather as lovely as it’s been, I feel like we should all meet for a picnic to do this round-up.

We started off the week with another model call! If you’re near Hilton Head, we’d love to have your pretty face in the next issue! Check this post for more details.

Our tummies were seriously growling after reading about this week’s Southern Delicacy: hushpuppies! Be sure to read about how they got their name. Be warned: you’ll be hungry afterward.

We have a special place in our hearts for Lilly Pulitzer. We wanted to take a few minutes this week to honor her life and find inspiration in her philosophy.

Now that we’ve officially moved into the “April showers” part of the year, we can take a look back on some behind the scenes action from March!

Our little shop just keeps on growing! Since we’re all about surcees and generally lovin’ on people, we’re excited to announce the addition of our Southern Saying Enclosure Cards!

We just adore real weddings!

We all about died over Casey + Craig’s wedding. Not only does it involve sweet farm animals, but it was genuinely crafted and beautiful. See it here.

Sara + Dom’s wedding from V5 made it’s way to the blog in all its elegant blue glory. We love their outdoor ceremony and the way they intentionally planned their reception to be a big dinner party. See it here and here.

Melissa + Corey’s fall wedding boasted beautiful weather, lots of joy and the most adorable mountain-inspired getting ready wardrobe! See it here.

Good news for the weekend!

Be sure to head on over to ShopAtHome.com this week! We’re featured on their “Bloggers We Love” page, where Emily sat down and gave some insight into her favorite things about weddings and the South.

Now that some of the major wedding planning pieces have been taken care of for my sister’s wedding, she’s started to think about her honeymoon. I love the idea of using Wanderable to give amazing honeymoon experiences, especially because she and her fiancé already have plenty of home goods! Be sure to check out our post on them here for more information on honeymoon registries!

Don’t forget to hop on over to our Facebook Friday! Landon Jacob Photography is sharing an engagement session that we just adore.

We are so excited for all the belles and beaus getting married this weekend! Big hugs go out to all of you, including our Southern Bride Blogger, Lauren!!

Have a marvelously fun weekend, my friends!

Last week, I was having a highly-excited conversation with a friend of mine who is headed back to North Carolina (we’re both currently in Arizona). In addition to everything else she had to look forward to from her trip, I just knew hushpuppies had to be on the list — after all, we are both obsessed with the Cook-Out version! Y’all, I once drove all the way from Florida to North Carolina, and once I crossed the state line my first stop was Cook-Out, just for hushpuppies!

No surprise then, that today’s Southern Delicacy is one of my very favorite foods of all time. I actually judge the Southern-ness of restaurants on the quality of their hushpuppies (and fried pickles!).

Gourmet hushpuppies photo by Harwell Photography via Southern Weddings and hush puppy pie plate signage photo by Dave Lapham via Southern Weddings

A hushpuppy (or fried cornbread ball, for my Northern friends) is a savory treat made from cornmeal batter that is deep fried or baked in small ball shapes. Frequently served as a side dish, usually at seafood restaurants or barbecues, these yummy little bites supposedly originated in the 1800′s in Native American cooking. (Fun fact: Lots of food we consider traditional Southern fare, like grits, actually originated from Native American tribes!)

With a little more research, I also found that some say hushpuppies originated in the settlement of Nouvell Orleans (later called New Orleans) in the 1700′s, created by a group of Ursuline nuns from France. The nuns used cornmeal to create a delicious food they called croquettes de maise. These croquettes spread rapidly through the Southern states and eventually came to be known as hushpuppies!

Shrimp and okra hushpuppies, hoppin’ John hushpuppies, shrimp and okra hushpuppies, and crab cake hushpuppies

Beyond the delicious taste of these little guys, I love the story of their name. According to Southern folklore, the first recorded reference to the word “hush-puppy” dates to 1899. The name “hushpuppies” is attributed to hunters and fishermen, who would fry a basic cornmeal mixture and toss it to their dogs to “hush the puppies” during cook-outs or fish-fries.

Other hush puppy legends attribute the term “hushpuppies” to the Civil War, during which soldiers supposedly tossed fried cornbread to quell the barks of Confederate dogs!

Red velvet hushpuppies from Best Friends for Frosting and apple cider hushpuppies from The Cozy Apron

Aren’t these sweet varieties so fun? They look delicious!

No matter the origin, I just love the stories behind this delicacy! I think they would make a fun cocktail hour ‘pass,’ or I’d love to see a hushpuppy bar with all the different variations. Mmm, I’m thinking a Southern road trip is in order!

Where are your favorite hushpuppies from? I’d love to try a different version, so share your favorite hushpuppy-serving restaurants in the comments below!

Harwell Photography is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

It has been a crazy, wonderful week, y’all. We were all so excited to spend more time with Emily Ley and Gina Zeidler who were in town for the Making Things Happen conference. It’s been an amazing time getting to know a hundred new people and catching up with old friends. In the meantime, features on the blog had us all longing for summer and delicious food — not to mention in search of tissues over our sweet real weddings!

All of us wished we could take a trip to New Orleans to try this week’s Southern Delicacy! The muffaletta is now high on our list of foods we must try.

February was a big month of birthdays and love for all of the SW gals! See what we were up to in and out of the office.

We enjoyed our love letters series so much, we couldn’t bear to leave it behind with February. This week, Kristin shares her love letter to her summer sandals.

Real Weddings are the best

Lauren + Joe’s fall wedding in Virginia was not only full of my favorite colors, but was a memory created in a place they’ll visit for years to come. See it here.

Angelica + Colby’s wedding was floral heaven. Their romantic details were the perfect way to showcase their excitement about marriage. See it here.

Chrissy + Tate’s wedding was as unique as their fun personalities. We are so smitten with the way they created details inspired by their lives together. See it here and here.

Don’t forget to stop by today’s Facebook Friday! Andi Mans is sharing a lovely engagement session with us.

Enjoy the weekend, y’all! The weather is warming up quite nicely around here. What will you be up to?