Stephanie Sullivan: August 2022

August 05, 2022

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds small sweet potatoes (about 5), peeled and cut lengthwise into 1-inch wedges
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Sea salt and freshly grated nutmeg, to taste, for serving

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the sweet potatoes on a large, foil-lined rimmed baking sheet with the oil; season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Roast the potatoes for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and toss the potatoes with the syrup. Back in the oven, roast, tossing twice, until the potatoes are beginning to brown and are tender, about 15 minutes more. To serve, sprinkle warm potatoes with freshly grated lemon zest, sea salt, and nutmeg to taste.

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Food Network)

Review - Under the Magnolias

August 02, 2022

TITLE: Under the Magnolias

AUTHOR: T.I. Lowe

RATING: ★★★★★

Summary (from Goodreads): This night not only marked the end to the drought, but also the end to the long-held secret we'd kept hidden under the magnolias.

Magnolia, South Carolina, 1980: Austin Foster is barely a teenager when her mama dies giving birth to twins, leaving her to pick up the pieces while holding her six siblings together and doing her best to stop her daddy from retreating into his personal darkness.

Scratching out a living on the family's tobacco farm is as tough as it gets. When a few random acts of kindness help to ease the Fosters' hardships, Austin finds herself relying upon some of Magnolia's most colorful citizens for friendship and more. But it's next to impossible to hide the truth about the goings-on at Nolia Farms, and Austin's desperate attempts to save face all but break her.

Just when it seems she might have something more waiting for her--with the son of a wealthy local family who she's crushed on for years--her father makes a choice that will crack wide-open the family's secrets and lead to a public reckoning. There are consequences for loving a boy like Vance Cumberland, but there is also freedom in the truth.

T. I. Lowe's gritty yet tender and uplifting tale reminds us that a great story can break your heart . . . then heal it in the best possible way.

REVIEW: Such a beautiful story! This was my first time reading this author’s work, and I fell in love with this book! Being an 80’s kid, the music and other references to that decade made my heart swell and brought back some wonderful memories. I truly admired Austin’s strength, determination, and dedication to her family. (Coming from a broken home myself with several younger siblings - I GET IT). It’s also very refreshing to read a story where God is prominent to the plot and the characters lives. Well done, Mrs. Lowe! I can’t wait to read more of your work!