Happy New Year!
OR
Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life!
As I've moved through each day of the last 5 years, I've come to the realization that my long-term goals need to stay pretty fluid. Here's a list of things I managed over 2022 with goals and dreams as moving targets. I keep hearing people tell me how busy I am and it doesn't usually feel that way. I guess I'm doing something right. AND I'm asking for help when I need it (see July) where I've been bad at that in the past.
Sending many hugs and so much love to you all. I hope we can connect more this year. Be on the lookout for more next-steps from The Studio Mama over here at Hearts in the Mix!!
2022 in Review, complete with links to more info:
Be Sweet!
Rebecca Wood, Studio Mama
www.heartsinthemix.com
heartsinthemix@gmail.com
Friends, Family, Fans, and anybody else who's willing to listen -
Since my partial hysterectomy in April, 2017, I've suffered physical pain, isolation, and a strange condition where the anticipation of fun, joy, or being with the people whom I hold dear sends me into a full fight-or-flight response: loss of solids in various ways, convulsive tremors, and a sort of anxiety-paralysis. This physical trauma separated me from my own strength and confidence, and released the contents of a Pandora's box that "Strong Me" had previously been able to carry.
I've been doing all the hard work - digging in deep with a number of psychologists, energy workers, past life regression, Angels, meditation coaches, chiropractors, traditional and functional medicine doctors, and an integrative psychiatric nurse practitioner. The latter of these has recently given me a diagnosis of Depression and Anxiety and put me on a regimen of medications and supplements in hopes of removing some of the heavy symptoms that keep me from accessing the trauma I need to deal with in therapy.
Although I have not been able to PLAY much, I have been able to do plenty of WORK. My catering business is growing, my books are selling, I'm caring for my 98-year-old grandfather who lives in Georgia, I'm working on making The Studio Mama Supper Club dream come true, and I'm making art again.
That last part has a special place in this note to you. Even though I've been isolating, I know that there are so many people here in my own household and out there in the world who care deeply for me. During the darkest times, when I've been on the edge of unzipping my Rebecca suit and stepping into the Light, I remember you. I remember what it means to be connected to my friends and my work and even to this butterfly slurping nectar just outside the window as I'm typing. YOU are not only what tethers me to this world, but also what helps me move through it and soar above it, so...
Here's my ask - I'm working on another pair of wings (I think this is my 5th set!) and I want the feathers to be paper dolls MADE BY YOU! They can represent something about you or something that makes you think of me, they can be silly or serious, they can be store-bought singles or hand-cut chains, just so long as they are made of paper. They will be layered, so some of the details may not be visible, but I won't know how it'll all be put together until I receive them and can physically lay them out.
Use your own imagination or use someone else's for inspiration. Below is a video for basic paper doll cutting and above is a pic of a pair of wings I made in 2016 which will serve as a model for the skeleton for this project.
Please mail your artsy-fartsy contributions BY OCT 31 to:
Hearts in the Mix
ATTN Rebecca Wood, Studio Mama
4501 Charlotte Pike #90805
Nashville TN 37209
The Studio Mama Cookbook has been launched into the world as of June 7, 2022. It was in the most Nashville way I could have imagined - at Grimey's, being interviewed by Craig Havighurst, surrounded by friends and neighbors. WHAT A DREAM!
As I explained to my guests that Tuesday evening, being on that other side of the microphone from where I've listened to countless interviews by Craig with musicians I adore on Music City Roots in person and on WMOT radio was an honor and privilege. Being prodded with thoughtful questions to tell stories of family and food, roots and reachings, eventually moved me to tears. (though, if you know me, that's not super hard to do. I'm a crier for sure!)
The joy of the memories and the opportunity to bear witness to my own personal growth and the creation of something bigger than myself, the ripples of my tiny splash, pushes me to want to do more of that stuff - inspiring people with food and holding space for creativity.
Be on the lookout for the upcoming Studio Mama Supper Club - an intimate evening featuring a multi-course dinner of thoughtfully sourced ingredients and a special performance by some of your favorite artists. Now under (figurative) construction...
]]>
I wouldn't consider myself a very empathetic person and so I've had to dig a little deeper to figure out why this is touching me so deeply.
I had a studio lunch delivery last week, Thurs-Sat. And we saw that dark IG post Friday night. So when my client, Jess Nolan, complimented my food and told me how much it influenced her session and how much better it made the vibe, I just couldn't hold myself together.
See, for me, cooking isn't just about getting food into mouths. It's about creating an environment, feeding a vibe, establishing a tactile and tasty bond between humans, inserting some extra magic into bodies that can beam back out in creative and beneficial ways and make a ripple effect that goes beyond what I can comprehend. Every love-infused morsel contains the calories used to fuel a guitar lick, drum groove, fader push, knob turn, or simply a smile. And it works backwards, too, to put money in the hands of real farmers who do all they know how to make the very dirt, water, and air better here on Earth.
I decided, as Studio Mama at Southern Ground Nashville, that I had found what I wanted to be when I grew up. And as sad as I might be for the loss of Taylor, I'm ever grateful to have been a part of the chef team and vibe-committee to enable him to put his own brand of love and good works into the world beyond my reach.
"The voice upon the stage]]>
Hey! It's happening. Really happening. Right now. And YOU are the first to know. My cookbook is in queue for printing and will eventually make its way, literally by slow-boat from China, into my hands. And yours. Eventually...
It is so beautifully designed and includes new food photography as well as snapshots and pro photos from my previous days (and late nights) inside Southern Ground Nashville. The stories and anecdotes polished up "right nice" and fit perfectly with each recipe. I could wax on, but the gist is that I'm super proud that this is FINALLY making its way into the world. I cannot wait to hold it and squeeze it and call it George and share its contents with all of you.
Thursday was a full-moon as well as a nearly-full eclipse. I spent most of the day stoking a cozy fire in my own hearth as well as setting intentions, saying prayers, working magic, and igniting the kindling for a book launch and brand growth.
I'm in the midst of designing a crowdfunding campaign to help cover the costs of recipe development, consultation, design, photography, printing, and freight. It'll run the gamut to include a range of things from donations only and copy/copies of the book to catered dinners in your home. If there's something specific you have interest in, let's discuss ways to make it happen together!
I'm still available for catering studio meals, family dinners, and office lunches and I look forward to feeding you all soon, whether it be by your hands preparing my recipes or with my own cooking.
Be Sweet!
Rebecca Wood, Studio Mama
]]>
Helloooooo!!
I haven't written here or sent out a menu in quite some time. Here's some of the things I've been doing instead.
I'm SUPER hopeful that in the next couple of weeks MY BOOK WILL BE GOING TO THE PRINTER!! I was so happy with the response I got from the recipe testers. I only had to rewrite a couple things in that department. The headnotes and stories have been really fun to work and rework and get just so. I got contact sheets back from the photographer and I'm just pleased as punch. The tricky part now, as with every other physical item to be manufactured, is supply chain and shipping issues. I just don't know when it'll be back to me to hold in my hands. I may be able to get a few sooner than the bulk of them. As soon as I have dates, I'll do a presale with early books (they'll be priced higher than the literal slow boaters), slow-boat books, and bundles with shirts and spices and artwork. I cannot wait to share it all with you!
Additionally, I was asked to join API on their sponsored hole for the AES NERF annual golf tournament. Over the course of 2 days, we served Baltimore Coddies (pan fried on the spot in Granny's giant cast iron pan), Utz Crab Chips, and "Berger Cookies" with a Studio Mama spin, to about 250 people. I can't tell you what a shot in the arm that was, seeing all those familiar faces and hearing people's favorite meals from my time in the Southern Ground kitchen. My cup is full.
I've done a bit of "box lunch" catering for some studio sessions, concert pre-gaming, family dinners, and party hors d'oeuvres, too, and I hope you'll continue to call me for more food adventures. I'm always happy to create a menu tailored for whatever it is you're doing.
Sending you Love and Happiness in the voice of the Rev. Al Green,
Rebecca Wood, Studio Mama
Hearts in the Mix
www.heartsinthemix.com
404-202-0797
This past weekend (4/10/21) I had the opportunity to feed over 100 people - guests, band, crew, family, and staff - at an outdoor house concert in western Virginia. There are so many levels of happiness in this, that I'm not quite sure where to start, so I'll make the bed and then get in it...
The Little Cheerful is a cozy, 1966 Airstream-turned-Kitchen run by the one and only "Backstage Mama," Aimee Watkins. She's a Force of empathy, care, and kindness, a music fanatic, and has been caring for artists, like The Wood Brothers, backstage at music festivals for years. My husband, Oliver, always came home with a full heart and stories of banana pudding whenever he encountered her out on tour.
It took a pandemic, but I finally got to meet this darling woman. Since there were no music festivals, The Little Cheerful has been parked on the Watkins's 48-acre "Into The Woods" farm, full of memories and potential. And since Aimee missed all her artist pals and the vibe of live music, she and her master-builder husband, Andrew, have regraded their enormous lawn, named "Turtle Field" after an unfortunate mowing accident, built a stage complete with grounded electricity, a roof and weather-protective sun/rain sails, and put in a mulch patio in front of The Little Cheerful just for hosting events from the comfort of home. AND there's an additional Airstream and a cabin where bands and their families can stay onsite.
In order to subtly charm Oliver into performing there, Aimee and Andrew invited our family out last October for a weekend getaway and we absolutely LOVED it! There are so many gorgeous hiking trails complete with rushing streams, plenty of flora and fauna, and a firepit fit to make any pyro happy. We had plenty of time to ourselves, but also enjoyed getting to know the Watkins family and carve out a deeper relationship with them. What precious, talented, generous people they all are!!
Since October, Oliver has completed a record, separate from The Wood Brothers, called "Always Smilin'." We both have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and he was booking shows in Brevard, NC, so it only made sense that he also play "Into the Woods." And I was invited along as a guest chef!
Aimee and I worked together to create a menu of one of Oliver's favorite meals (recipe below!), and she was able to source many of the menu's ingredients from local farms and artisan purveyors. Tyler at Autumn Olive Farms made about 40lbs of smoked andouille just for us to cook down with collards, white wine, and veggie Better than Bouillon. We used cornmeal from Wade's Mill and eggs from the chickens just out back to fry up hoe cakes in my Granny's giant cast iron skillet that I hauled with me, which we served up with local honey butter (can you guess what goes in that?). A side of sweet potato wedges rounded out the meal. Lagniappe, Aimee made her renowned bacon wrapped dates and banana pudding and I brought my famous lemon poundcake, which we served up with macerated strawberries and mint julep whipped cream (WHAT?). OH! Not to forget the chocolate chip cookies with just a little sprinkle of salt on top. Holy Moly!
It's always astounding to hear the uproar of compliments over such a simple meal, but the thoughtful sourcing of quality ingredients really makes the most out of some pretty basic recipes. You can taste it with your tongue and your soul when somebody cares about what goes into the pot!
THEN THERE WAS A CONCERT IN THE RAIN!!!
Oliver Wood, Jano Rix, and Ted Pecchio put on a RIGHTEOUS show while water poured from the sky. The attendees were warned ahead that "there's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing." And everybody was so happy to be at a show with TONS of space for a distanced dance party, that the rain seemed to add an extra layer of adventure instead of dampening (pun intended) the good vibe.
On a more personal note, I'm still sorting out my anxiety issues. Big Fun still makes me puke and shake, but I'm now armed with a new medication that I'm taking on a test run, situationally. For this particular event, the meds enabled me to return to my tasks, after excusing myself to my nurse my convulsions when necessary. I'm hopeful that I can get a handle on things, between "exposure therapy" (just getting out and having fun) and using the meds as a tool to be able to just show up. I had such a loving group of supportive humans around me that it took some of the guilt and embarrassment out of the equation. I'm super grateful to Aimee, Megan, Molly, and Levon for taking good care of me and being able to correctly interpret my kitchen instructions when I could hardly utter them aloud.
This event was just one more blaring example of the remarkable healing nature of the complementing and intricately complicated relationships between great music, good food, and the delights of human connection.
Please check out The Little Cheerful on FB HERE, on IG HERE, and request an invitation to either attend or perform at Into the Woods by emailing Aimee and Andrew at n2thwds@gmail.com
RECIPE ALERT - this one will be in the Studio Mama cookbook!
Slow Cooked Collards with Smoked Sausage
2 bunches collard greens
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (1 to 1½ cups)
1 cloves garlic, smashed
1 pound smoked turkey or chicken sausage
4 cup (1 quart) chicken stock
1. First prepare the collards. Wash the greens two or three times, making sure there’s no sand or grit left. (There’s very little worse than chomping down on a piece of enamel-threatening sand when you’re expecting warm, squishy happiness!) Rip the green leafy part away from the stems. Discard the stems or place them in the compost bin. Chop the collards coarsely and set aside.
2. Cover the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and heat to medium-high. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage, and stir and lightly brown it, about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Pour the chicken stock into the pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the greens. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer, covered, until the collards are tender, about 1 hour.
Makes 4 servings.
Studio Mama Note: Add about ½ cup sherry (or tired white wine from the back of the fridge) for every bunch of greens in the pot, and this will be your SECRET WEAPON! While the collards are cooking, coat some sweet potatoes with oil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees until soft and dinner is complete!
]]>
Above and beyond having work, it brought me SO MUCH JOY to see people that I know and love. The sweet fellas all came outside to greet me and catch up. I thrive on human contact and this was such a figurative shot in the arm. I’ve since gotten my second literal shot in the arm and am ready for more interaction. My cup and my heart were filled with love and joy over the last few weeks. I’m carrying that into the coming days as I work on recipe development and administrative minutia for a new project that I’ll be announcing soon.
For these studio sessions, I was able to use my commercial kitchen space to package meals for individual servings, using compostable containers and flatware. Since I wasn’t there posting pics of the whiteboard, here are some of the menus I created for Zac Brown Band, Oliver Wood, and Steve Poltz. Exceptions and substitutions were made for those who were gluten-free or didn’t eat red meat.
Though I definitely ache for more in-person connection, I love knowing that I am feeding a far-reaching ripple. The music that my creations have nourished feed the spirits of so many individuals throughout the global community. I can sit in immense gratitude knowing that I have loved many by feeding some.
Watch for new albums from Oliver Wood, Steve Poltz, and Zac Brown Band!
]]>I've continued to collect recipes in this book for many years. It has ZERO organization, but I know it's contents well, and am always happy to touch every page as I dig through looking for something specific. It's precious. It's one of the things I'd grab on my way out if the house was on fire.
As I've been finishing up my cookbook of studio menus and recipes, I've been having to retrace some steps, walking myself back through recipe development from inspiration to execution. It's a trip down memory lane, but also an education in personal growth and culinary undertaking.
I cannot wait to share these contents with you. But most of all, I cannot wait to sit at a table all together and share our stories over a great meal.
]]>
Pound Cake is like family…
Pound cake, or “pouncake” as we say it, is a member of the family. It’s a tradition that goes through generations and across all the webbed extensions of relatedness. It’s a single recipe that we all know by heart. And it comes down from Annie Gwendolyn. “Gwen” is my cousin, but since my grandmother was raised with her as a sister after my great-grandmother died, she’s more like an aunt. She’s the best hugger, a fantastic cook, a maker of watermelon rind pickles, and an incredible baker of Southern cakes.
I remember eating this cake at reunions and holiday gatherings as a child. I have visceral memories of the crunch of the crusty top and the give of the moist, rich, flavorful middle. I remember how we loved it with macerated berries and peaches, or even just plain, and how we toasted it for breakfast in the days to come, layering on more butter or peanut butter while it was still warm.
Not only do we eat poundcake regularly in my own home, but I’ve been making it for friends and for hire for almost as long as I’ve been baking it at all. I have even been flown across the country to bake it for rock stars. Insider info: Oliver Wood and Matt Mangano like lemon poundcake best. For Zac Brown Band with Dave Grohl, I made a Smoked Mocha Poundcake with Macerated Strawberries; for Dwight Yoakam – almond poundcake with strawberries; and Carrie Underwood – vanilla with chocolate ganache.
Though poundcake isn't on my dinner menu every week, it's always available for pick up or shipping through the Baked Goods page on my website. You can also add any item for delivery with your Wednesday Night Supper! Order dinner from this week's menu HERE!
]]>Oliver and I packed up our Atlanta household (2 kids, 3 bedrooms, and a barn/studio full of storage and music gear) and moved to Nashville in July 2012. It was a real leap of faith. I didn't have a job or any idea of childcare for the littlest of us. We'd researched local middle schools and found a rental house on Craig's List in the neighborhood close by, so the older boy at least had an autumnal agenda. We moved into the 2-bedroom house SIGHT UNSEEN. (it's funny, because we wrote down the address incorrectly, then were surprised when we pulled up and it didn't look like the pictures! We got it right after a few minutes of confusion...). Unpacking, we realized what the ad meant by "small closets." Basically, we ended up looking at ALL OF OUR STUFF EVERY DAY. There was NO storage and nowhere to escape for any sort of privacy. But it was summertime and me and the kids had a new city to explore while Oliver was on tour and I was searching for a job.
Looking for a job in a small(er) town is a bit of a feat. I have great office management and organizational experience with letters of recommendation. I'm a fast and accurate typist. I'm bubbly and easy to get along with, while still holding my boundaries and accepting various levels of accountability. I'm good on the phone. Long-story-short, I'm a great office worker bee. And after 6 weeks of searching for a job, I was still coming up empty handed. Having exhausted every resource I could drum up, I finally sent my resume to my friend, Zac Brown, in hopes that he'd pass it along to anyone he knew looking for "a kick ass admin."
Turns out HE needed one.
For his newly acquired and renovated recording studio, Southern Ground Nashville.
Located just 7 minutes from my new home.
It seemed too good to be true. I waffled, trying to decide if working for a friend was a good idea. Weighing out whether working with/near my husband, who was on Zac's Southern Ground label then, was going to feel good. The studio director at the time was Matt Mangano, now bassist for Zac Brown Band. He and I interviewed each other and decided that it would be a great fit and I started my new job mid-August, 2012.
I bought my own desk (on the company card) from a local thrift dealer and got out the Murphy's Oil Soap to bring it back to life. I figured creative ways to get the fax/copier off the floor and found great lateral files to house the historic tracking documents which were left behind by previous owners and tenants. Our awesome construction team made everything match the vibe of the space which was described to me as "industrial-meets-rustic cabin." I was charged with purchasing furniture and framing artwork, making the ancient phone system work for us, creating an invoicing system, choosing pin-up pics and pews, and making sure the Craft Services area and the in-counter keg tap were ready to go at all times.
In March 2013, the time came for The Wood Brothers to track an album. Knowing the extended hours of a recording session, it only made sense for my sister-in-law and I to make use of the full-kitchen to visit with our husbands and share "home-cooked" meals at the dinner break. Cooking from scratch on-site saved money on the recording budget versus the expense of ordering to-go from restaurants. It also allowed the band to eat menus based on their own dietary choices with higher quality ingredients than would be available as take-out. Just like at home, we picked local, organic ingredients and served up meals which nourished the musicians' bodies and fed their creative spirits instead of putting them into a sludgy state of mind for the rest of the evening. At the close of the session, Matt came to me and said, "Can we do this on EVERY session?" And so it began.
That May, Zac visited the studio to host a day of meetings and interviews. Upon hearing what we'd been doing for the artists who were recording there, Zac hugged my neck and said, "This Studio needed a Mama!" Henceforth, my title at Southern Ground Nashville was "Studio Mama."
The release of The Wood Brother's album The Muse was timed to line up with the Americana Music Festival and Conference, held annually here in Nashville, TN. Southern Ground Nashville had the pleasure of hosting the release party by invitation to conference attendees, journalists, and close friends. The guest list was bit daunting, and confirmed at 80 people. That's too much work for this gal to do single-handedly! We'd made friends with the good folks at Porter Road Butcher and knew they were big fans of the band. I called on them to put the special touches on the day and enlisted some help from the mighty Jesse Goldstein.
It was an afternoon to remember!! The studio was jumping, CRAWLING with people. The food was incredible, the performance remarkable. We even got a write-up by Adam Gold in the Nashville Scene:
"...The more people ate, though, the more the atmosphere loosened up. Catered by Rebecca "Studio Mama" Wood and Porter Road Butcher, the dishes tended to consist of down-home, unpretentious ingredients. Only they combined flavors and locally sourced goods in ways that made the familiar seem new and the unfamiliar seem inviting..."
Of the thousands of hours I spent in that building, pouring my heart into each one of them, I found that it all boiled down to this, from the very beginning: Bringing people together through music and food, in an unpretentious way, holding space for artists at every level to be comfortable enough to get into the creative spirit and be moved by The Muse.
Be on the lookout for Studio Mama menus from The Muse sessions!!
This week's Studio Mama Menu is available to order for Wednesday delivery and will hold nicely to serve for your holiday meal.
You can watch the a live performance of The Muse below, send donations here (times are tough with no touring income), and hold tight to get your hands on the vinyl reissue on March 5.
]]>
I've been in my hometown for the last full week. They say you can't go home again. I guess "they" is Thomas Wolfe, Chet Baker, and Steve Earle. And what "they" mean is that even if you go to the place of home, you've changed since you left (ideally), the people you left behind have adapted in your absence, and the place has either eroded or been built up, but probably also not been stagnant. It can feel nostalgic-yet-unrelatable.
Usually when I visit my hometown, there's some sense of familiarity and being cared for. But on this trip, everything seemed amiss. The BBQ from the cinder block joint up the street was cut all wrong, it was remarkably chilly in the armpit of the south, and Daddy and Granny were both missing from this world. I was the one handling all the paperwork, ordering people around, sorting all the details, doing the caring instead of being looked after. I had to get out and take a drive to find my bearings.
I escaped my grandfather's house to find my childhood memories in a place called Flat Rock Park. As I cruised the loop, I was visited by the angels of Georgia Red Clay, Pine Trees, and Lake Water, and was flooded with the memories of flinging persimmons, eating snow cones, and sliding down the slimy creek rocks on my butt in cut off blue jeans. I was grounded so deeply just seeing that dirt, exposed and eroding, and found that I also was fed by it and felt a full heart pounding inside my chest and welling up in my eyes. I felt my roots dig in. I felt my own outward reach lengthen. As I was taking in the emotional and spiritual nutrition that park was offering me, I was also able to find ways to continue moving, giving, and offering my own brand of loving tenderness, though I was thoroughly exhausted to my bones.
I can't see myself living in Columbus, Georgia ever again, but I'd be lying if I said there was nothing about it that I miss.
Check out "Hometown Blues" by Steve Earle:
]]>The menu is a clickable link. Please order no later than Monday 8pm.
]]>This Thanksgiving, as most years, I'm visiting the recipes of my grand- and great-grandmothers. The Broccoli Casserole and Cornbread Dressing (not stuffing) are based on recipes my maternal grandmother made every year and the dinner rolls are from my dad's side of the family.
Cornbread Dressing is made from skillet cornbread and homemade biscuits. They're crumbled together, mixed with onion, celery, herbs, homemade chicken stock, and eggs, then baked til brown and cooked through. The gravy starts with a duck fat roux, local mushrooms and green onions, and is also cooked with the same homemade stock. A perfect pairing!!
Broccoli Casserole is something my entire family looks forward to every year. I'm not sure why we only eat it on this single occasion!! Organic broccoli is mixed with chicken stock, local cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and slivered water chestnuts, then topped with buttery crackers for a crunch casserole piece of heaven! No Cream of BS in this dish!!
Turnip Greens are locally sourced and also heavenly, 'cause I cook the hell out of them! Vegetable broth and tomatoes season these greens, along with a hint of heat.
Sweet Potatoes, lettuces, and pumpkin are all locally sourced, and the Pecans are sweet new crop from Georgia.
I'm sad not to be hosting a table/house/yard full of family, friends, and neighbors this year, but I'm finding ways to continue to hold gratitude. I'm glad my family is healthy. I'm grateful to be able to put all these delicious things on my own table. And I give multitudinous thanks for the opportunity to cook and deliver food to you.
The menu is a clickable link. Please order by Monday 8pm.
]]>
My sweet old Granny died in her sleep very early Tuesday morning. She was resting well after a hard day of suffering and Papa went to sleep next to her around 10:30. He says that sometime after midnight she put her arm around him to snuggle, then after a while took it back to her side. When he woke, she wasn't breathing. Friday would have been their 73rd wedding anniversary, but we'll have a graveside service for Granny instead. He picked a very fancy dress out for her celebration.
My Granny spent a lot of time with me all my life. She was so excited even before I was born and dubbed herself "Granny," perhaps after the fondness she had for her own grandmother. She and my Papa took me camping, bought my school clothes, let me help with garden chores, showed me how to can and freeze to preserve Summer's bounty, and generally spoiled me rotten. When I had my own kids, Granny and Papa weren't getting out quite as much, but still managed to visit and be with us and spoil us all equally and continually.
We learned so much from Granny's unrelenting worrying. We know to call at the end of our journey to let someone know we've made it safely to our destination. We know to turn the lights out so as not to waste energy. We know that even though we might've made a poor choice, that somebody still loves us. We also know that we can do better and that we can generously love other people in our lives going forward.
This song pretty much sums her up. Here's the lyrics so you can sing along.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Kindred Hospice, who gave great care in Granny's final days. Mail a check or money order, noting Catherine Mason in the memo, to:
Kindred Hospice
700 Brookstone Centre Parkway, Suite 100
Columbus, GA 31904
706-653-0835
Alternately, Venmo @heartsinthemix and I'll be sure the donation gets to the good folks there.
]]>This dragonfly began the completion of the dream of the “Shrine to Fun, Silliness, and Creativity” in the telephone nook in my house. I researched images of dragonflies and, because I’m not a great sketch artist, I printed, adjusted to my liking, and then traced my final image to an 8”x10” mounted linoleum block. I work full-time and have a traveling husband and two kids, so carving this much detail seemed to take ages! I’d work on it almost obsessively after the kids were in bed and again early in the mornings. When the house was quiet, the dragonfly gave me something to focus on outside of the physical pain and emotional distress that had become my recent reality.
After it was finally complete and I was in love with the paper trials, I made many different, experimental efforts to print on the wall. I learned a heartbreaking lesson that it’s not really possible to print a linocut directly onto a plaster wall; the surface isn’t flat OR smooth after so many years and layers of rolled-on paint. The gloss of the red paint I’d chosen for the wall didn’t help to hold onto the ink I was trying to apply either. Nearly in tears, I phoned my artist friend, James, for advice. He called me into his Secret Studio to smooth my feathers and gave me a quick-and-dirty lesson and the supplies for using gold leaf to get my printed image onto the wall. Not only did Plan B make it so much more special, but it also gave me a-whole-nother skillset, and the confidence to keep on truckin’ with the original printing medium.
]]>At Southern Ground Nashville, I made these for a long list of artists and who knows how many corporate events and studio parties! Here's a few name drops
For each 1 dozen, hard boiled eggs:
¼ c Duke’s Mayonaise
2 generous tbl yellow mustard
¼ c chopped bread and butter pickles
OR 24 slices ¼’ to ½” pickled okra
Some folks make them lovely with a little sprinkle of paprika or cayenne, but I like them just like this.
If you’re waiting for the Okra instructions here you go! Top the filled eggs with one slice of okra and serve, being certain you’ve set some aside for yourself. ;)
]]>In November 2013, Dave Grohl and Mike Fraser came to Southern Ground Nashville to produce and record an album for Zac Brown Band. (I"ll write a whole-nother post about my introduction to Dave, as it is its own story.) In the midst of recording, ZBB was to perform at the Country Music Awards show. They all got dolled up in their Manuel-Nudi jackets and invited Dave to play drums on Day for the Dead. It was FANTASTIC! Then they decided that Dave would play drums on Let it Rain in the studio for the album:
After the session ended, the band and crew loaded out, and studio staff rested up from very long studio days, we came back to tear down, clean up, and restock. The clean up was fruitful with souvenirs from the session: Dave had left behind a taped up drumstick AND A DRUM GLOVE! We pinned the glove up in the control room kind of like a rack of antlers or a deer head, but nobody died because of it - even if we might've wanted to, but just for the sleep it would've brought!
We got through the holidays and learned that Foo Fighters were going to be doing a new album and documentary series on HBO called Sonic Highways. Studio staff joked that we should BeDazzle Dave's glove and return it to him. In March of 2014, Foo Fighters, with producer Butch Vig and engineer James Brown, alongside Jim Rota and the fine folks at Therapy Studios moved into Southern Ground Nashville for 10 days to film interviews, write and record a song, make a music video, and enjoy the spoils of our studio and of Music City.
One night, most of the band had left for the day but studio staff, crew and film folks were still hanging around tying up loose ends. We'd made sure the kegerator was full and I made some FAF (that's "Fancy As Fuck" for you who don't do acronyms) popcorn (truffle honey, Studio Mama Herb Salt) and put out a few other snacks and we just HUNG OUT. A couple beers in, I excused myself up to my office for a sec. When I returned to my kitchen post, Dave came and sat down in front of me. I smirked and slid the sparkling glove to his spot across the black granite countertop. We all laughed as he put the glove on "his drinking hand."
It's now about 7 years later and I've been digging in my email in search of something remarkably unrelated when I came across this gem again. It's lodged into a note to the Southern Ground accounting team to explain a Michaels receipt in my expense report. The fine print on top of the photo says, "That Michaels receipt is from the time that I BeDazzled Dave Grohl's drum glove." And right now, I'm cackling out loud, remembering how his face changed when he turned to me and said, "Did YOU do this??" Yes. Yes I did.
]]>
]]>
In June 2014, my husband and I bought a 1938 Tudor in Nashville, Tennessee. One of the charming features of the house is a telephone niche set into the plaster walls. I decided to make that little nook into a “Shrine of Fun, Silliness, and Creativity.”
In April 2017, I had a major surgery. My father passed away that July 4 and a dear friend was suffering with breast cancer. All of this sent me on an inward spiral of spiritual exploration and artistic expression.
I woke up on Oct 24, 2017 with a NEED to do block printing, specifically to print onto the walls around the shrine I’d started. I'd never done anything like that before, and eventually learned that one cannot print directly onto the wall. I began collecting other skill sets to reach that goal. I managed to carve 26 blocks of varying size and difficulty over the next two years. The collection in this sketchbook is a hindsight view of the beginning of my journey through both the physical and emotional healing.
]]>For me, this isn't a simple math problem, 4-1=3. It's a deluge of feelings at every meal. For his whole life of 18 years, I've insisted that we sit together at the dining room table and share suppertime. Suppertime is what knits our family together. We share so much more than the space and the food. We discuss how our day has been, sharing our whereabouts and whatfors and how we felt about it. We share our school progress and work projects and what friends we might've encountered during our comings and goings.
It's been the one place that I can insure that our lives intersect in a positive and healthy way. The food was prepared with loving care, usually out of locally sourced, organic ingredients, but sometimes its pizza from the good spot up the street or thai takeout or mediocre chinese delivery. But the atmosphere of family and community is loving and open to discussion. We tried a on a few new traditions and rituals over the years, but the thing that really stuck was "Thanks for dinner, Mom."
None-the-less, it has been an integral part of our of MY routine since I pushed him out of my body and into the world. I've quit crying over it, for the most part. But it still takes a moment before I can take down just 3 plates.
]]>During one of the first days of the session, I made a chicken dish that I threw together with whatever spices and sauces were around; a ginger-orange Asian marinade, cooked slow in a very large Le Creuset dutch oven. I served it over brown rice with stirfry vegetables. Everyone enjoyed it and the session went on.
The evening before the last day, Levi pulled me aside and with great humility and gratitude said something like he didn’t want to dissuade anything I’d already had planned, but would I please consider recreating that chicken dish I’d made at the beginning as a celebration of completion. I did my best, but I’ve never made this dish the exact same way twice. It truly depends on what I have around.
This “recipe” became a studio staple and has been requested any number of times by folks who were on that session as well as through the ripples that great art and community create.
]]>Collards with Sausage
Start with good collards. The closer they are to having been harvested, the more flavor you’ll have in the pot and they’ll be more tender, too. This is a “know your farmer” kind of situation. Not all collards are created equal.
I usually think of using the ratio of 1 bunch of collards for 2-3 people.
Wash the greens two or three times, making sure there’s no grit left. There’s very little worse than chomping down on a piece of enamel-threatening sand when you’re expecting warm, squishy happiness.
IMPORTANT: Rip the green leafy part off the stem. Do not chop the collards whole. Remove the stem and add to your compost bin.
Cover the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and heat to Med-Hi.
Chop an onion and smash some garlic, add to the oil, cook til soft and translucent.
Slice some smoked sausage (we use Your Dekalb Farmer’s Market’s Turkey Kielbasa, but even the chardonnay Trader Joe’s chicken sausage will do!), add to the pot and brown. (1/4 to 1/2 lb per person)
Fill the pot about 1/3 to half way with chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir in greens.
Taste for saltiness. I find I hardly ever need to add salt, I let the stock and sausage do the work!
SECRET WEAPON: Add about ½ cup sherry (or tired white wine from the back of the fridge) for every bunch of greens in the pot.
Cook over med to med-low for about an hour.
Coat some sweet potatoes with oil and bake in the oven at 350 for that hour of stovetop cooking and dinner is complete!
]]>My friend, Billy Terrell, is an Angel of BBQ. We’ve done some catering gigs together both at the studio and off campus. He’d been after me for 2 years to come out and visit him and his team at Memphis in May. When I arrived on Saturday, the judging was in process. Three judges come individually to sit with each Pitmaster, taste the fine swine, make comments and issue a score. All the BBQ team fellas were dressed in their Beached Pig chef coats, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with remarkable posture in a semi-circle while Billy sat with each judge. They were all exhausted, probably hungover (cooking a whole hog requires an overnight stint watching temperatures on the smoker and consuming vast amounts of cheap beer and good whiskey) and sweating bullets. The quality of this competition is such that there are only hundredths of a point between the winners and the runners-up. Billy didn’t place this/that year, but the joy of the comradery and the stories that he’ll tell for years to come make it all worth the effort. I got my own story out of this one!
After the judging, everybody kind of drifts out, goes back to the hotel for a shower, walks around the festival site or down by the river, plays or listens to music, or just lays back in a chair for a snooze. Later in the afternoon, though, everybody shows back up TO EAT THE HOG!!! Billy was walking in circles by then and Tina, his wife and Catering Queen, was a bit of an anxious mess. My friend, Chef Lindy Howell and I, along with a couple of other sweet ones, hopped into the kitchen to lend a hand in creating a Whole Hog Taco Bar. Tina told us how she wanted it and we followed through: mango salsa, corn and avocado salad, apple slaw, tortillas, salsa verde, etc. At some point she said, “I was going to make those hoe cakes and a Peach Cobbler, but I’m just too tired…”. All the eyes lit up in great joy for just a second. Since I could see the disappointment that immediately followed, and I was a couple beers and some moonshine in, I volunteered my buzzed-but-able self to make the cobbler. Dave Grohl, who is part of Billy’s BBQ team, said, “Can I watch?” and followed me into the kitchen trailer and sat down on a pickle bucket.
I started reaching for ingredients, finding challenges at every turn.
Billy: What do you need?
Me: Flour, baking soda or powder…
Billy: Here’s the flour, it’s self-rising.
Me: No it isn’t.
Billy: Fuck…
And then we couldn’t find any leavening.
And Dave left the kitchen.
Since there were tortillas, we decided not to make the hoe cakes for the pork and, instead, put the cornmeal mix to work. Plan B: Peach Cobbler with a Corncake Top.
Me: Vanilla?
We couldn’t find it.
Me: I’ll go get some whiskey off the bar. (because Maker’s is great in baking)
So here’s how it finally all went down:
Preheat oven to 375 (Billy’s oven was slow with all the fans going in the trailer, so we baked at 425)
Put these ingredients into a sauce pan:
2 big cans of sliced peaches in heavy syrup
A good pour of Maker’s Mark (maybe ¼ cup?)
1 stick of butter
A hefty sprinkle of ginger powder (maybe 1.5 tsp?)
Boil until begins to thicken, pour into a ½ pan
For the Corncake Crust:
While the peaches are cooking, Mix together:
2 cups cornmeal mix (the kind with cornmeal, flour, and leavening already blended together)
2 eggs
2 c buttermilk
2 c sugar
A little splash of Maker’s Mark (maybe 1 tbl?)
Pour batter evenly over hot fruit. Bake 30-45 mins, until golden brown and bubbly.
Just as the magic cobbler came out of the oven, a huge storm was approaching so the park was evacuated, and I didn’t get to even taste it! Reports were overwhelmingly positive, so I figured I should write it down.
The real takeaway here, and in most of the recipes in this collection, is that just because you don’t have the ingredients listed doesn’t mean you can’t create something just as great or even better than the original recipe. You just have to take the chance of total humiliation with high confidence. Good Luck!
]]>16
The instant Mikel Hosp walked through my door in January 1997, my life was forever changed by our immediate and deep connection. I was in a dark place, making choices that most people would frown upon, but Mikel saw through to the bright spot in me. He pointed me back towards the Light by way of giving me books and snippets of wisdom, and introduced me to wonderful people who’ve now been my friends and support for more than 20 years.
Back in 1997, Mikel had a kind of balanced wand-thing hanging from his rearview mirror and a tattoo of a phoenix on his shoulder. The two images have stayed clearly in my mind all these years. In November 2018, they flashed through my mind, married in a vision. I called Mikel to ask for more information about both.
The wand-thing is called a Dorje or Vajra and symbolizes both the indestructibility and clarity of the diamond, plus the immediacy of enlightenment the thunderbolt can bring. The Double Dorje, such as this image in the shape of a cross, incorporates the physical world in which an epiphany, sudden enlightenment, undeniable clarity can happen in a flash of lightning.
Mikel’s shoulder tattoo is a phoenix, a symbol of regeneration, rebirth, renewal. Combining these ideas into one powerful image made space for great healing for me. I traced a photo of his tattoo, leaving off one wing, folded it over to make a mirror image, and then contained that image in a lotus. Each quadrant was traced from the original and the four are intended to be identical, with the center symbolizing the bliss- y bits where the four scepters come together. This is carved into a 12”x12” mounted linoleum block. Of the three original prints, one belongs to me, one to Mikel, and one is in the personal collection of musician Dave Grohl.
Please see my Instagram @heartsinthemix for more images of this block as a work in progress.
7
Forgive the meandering of this one. Sometimes, it takes a story to get to the story that’s the real point.
While I was on my journey of artmaking and body healing in Nashville, my friend, Cat Edge, was on her own journey in Dahlonega, Georgia. Instead of healing, though, Cat’s challenge was different: she was having to come to terms with terminal breast cancer.
Because neither of us was very comfortable in a car for very long, our visits became fewer and farther between. Before I moved from Atlanta to Nashville, she and I had established a “goddess” group, where women came together for a potluck and meditation whenever it made sense, usually around a full moon. And because we were already so close and so frequently in each other’s heads, we decided to try meditating and meeting out in The Ethers. We figured that if we could bend space and time while she was alive, maybe there was a chance, too, that we could stay in touch after she’d passed through the veil. (Which is to say, kicked the bucket, bought the farm, croaked, crossed the River Styx, left her body, died.)
We started reaching out each Tuesday to first see how she was feeling or how much my kids needed my attention - in other words, whether it was a good time to “go in.” From the very first time we “met,” we had similar experiences: we saw the same colors and shapes, or even had exactly matching visions. It was remarkable.
To enter the meditation, we set a timer for 10-15 minutes. I usually visualized me on one hilltop and her on another, all grassy and green with wildflowers. Then we’d make our way into some situation or other and then compare notes - usually by text - as soon as the timer went off. Sometimes when she wasn’t available, I’d still “go in.” Cat would often report that she’d felt my presence or tell me what she’d been doing and I’d compare my meditation to her thoughts or activity.
Once, I had a hands-on healing session with my friend, artist and time traveler, James A. Willis. In the session, I visited a place that felt like the edge of Everything. It was so peaceful. I stood on a mountain and looked out. Everything was orange and there were shadows and silhouettes of a mountain range.
When I came out of the healing, I couldn’t wait to get back to that place on my own, unassisted. It took some time and it frustrated me. But one day, when Cat wasn’t feeling well, I went in on my own. I returned to my hilltop and could see her on hers. I blew up a bubble around myself and floated over to get her. She climbed in and we floated to “the orange place,” the edge of everything, peeking over into the other side. Filled with joy, we danced together inside the bubble. We looked at each other and, like in some crazy sci-fi movie, we merged into a single being, still inside the bubble, and gazed out in amazement of our surroundings and reveled in the bliss of our accomplishment.
This is a 6”x12” pink Speedy-Carve block and is printed on fancy paper. The bubble is iridescent cellophane and the gal is a cutout from a church-school ad i found in a magazine who looks very much like a combination of me and Cat, dressed in white robes. There’s a 4” googly eye over the girl that’s been modified to make a real 3D bubble.
I completed this piece in May 2018. In July of that year, I was trying to meet my family for vacation in Montana and my travel was rerouted a couple of times. On the last leg, alone in a cab somewhere outside Phoenix, I was comforted by a very familiar 5am sunrise.