wildly simple

When Matt was in Georgia he trimmed some limbs at his mom's house. She likes things wild and woolly and he has concerns about her home being consumed by Mother Nature. I so wish I had photos. There are no words to describe her house. But should I try? Yes, let's. Deep breath. OK.

Picture a Victorian farmhouse in a grove that has been allowed to grow wild in the fecund terrarium that is the South. There are several crumbling outbuildings. There are statues and feral cats. Paint it pink. Surround it with flowers and spiralling tree houses. Classic abandoned vehicles? Old VW bus. Check. Navy blue Mercedes convertible. Check. A Chris Craft boat? Check. Add some patina. Maybe a little kudzu. A lot of wicker. Brace yourself and go inside.

Each and every surface is layered and adorned. Festooned. That's the word. The walls? Blood Red, Bubblegum Pink, Turquoise, Teal, High Gloss, thank you very much. Matt painted them all, over the years. Then the mirrors, oh the mirrors. You can not escape yourself. There are the paintings. Matt's mom is an artist. Huge canvases and they are not muted. Abstract rainbow explosions. How many rugs does one need per room? Needlepoint on Persian on wall to wall? Lace and doilies and flowers and velvet and crystal and china and frames and pattern and chintz and candles and fur and pillows and opera and books and stacks of Vanity Fair's and curios and antlers and fairies and huge portraits and where's the remote? Could you turn down Anderson Cooper? (because not everyone is deaf...) The rooms are connected by a maze of closets and crannies and nooks. My kids go berserk. It's like falling down the rabbit hole. It's enough to overwhelm Liberace. We should all be so bold, really.

Matt removed a pecan limb from the roof. He cleaned the gutters and put the contents in a box and shipped them home. He's been baking with them ever since. I love that man.

His Pecan Sandie's are sublime in their simplicity. These pecans have come full circle. From the cabaret to our humble kitchen. Here is the recipe.

Matt's Pecan Sandies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar; stir in vanilla. Add flour; mix on low until well blended. Stir in pecans; mix well. Chill for 30 minutes.

Roll into 1-in. balls; place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until bottom edges are golden brown. Roll in powdered sugar. 

Eat some fast before the kids come sniffing around. Because, POOF, they're gone.