At Southern Plantation in Georgia, hospitality is a way of life. Residents enjoy the proximity to Atlanta and all it offers, as well as the comfortable, serene atmosphere of the Loganville area. Respect for the traditional arts is alive and well, says Angela Allen, LPN, the Executive Director of Southern Plantation’s senior community.
Because traditions like canning and preserving food are important to residents and team members alike at Southern Plantation, the community has planned an event centered around honoring these traditions. The Pickle & Jelly Jamboree will take place on Saturday, August 19th, from 10 am until 2 pm, with music, food, and prizes for best pickles and jelly. The event is open to the public and entries will be judged by local VIPs. Director of Sales and Marketing Nancy Griggs says that the hope is for this event to become an annual tradition itself. Staff and residents have even composed an ode to pickles in honor of the event:
Are yours sweet or are yours sour?
We’ll be tasting and judging entries each hour.
Are they dill and crunchy too?
Lots of variations, more than a few.
Picking the best tasting pickles, jams and jellies.
Our judges will leave with big full bellies.
Provide your recipe, attached to the jar.
Winners in each category will be far from par.
So submit your best and hope you win.
The judging will begin promptly at ten!!
Many residents share fond memories of harvesting and preserving food as children and young adults. Says Southern Plantation resident Nancy Williams:
“I am so delighted to hand down my mother’s easy recipe for homemade jelly. I am one of 8 children so my mother had a full garden of fruits and vegetables to assist with the amount of food we needed with such a large family. I had 5 brothers and they were the ones to go pick from the garden. My mother would not let the girls go without my brothers as there were bad snakes in and around our garden. My favorite jelly was my mother’s blackberry and grape jelly and I am looking forward to making it and entering it into the contest!”
For more information about this event and the traditions at Southern Plantation, or to learn more about a Senior Lifestyle community in your area, please visit the Senior Lifestyle website. If you happen to be in the Loganville area on August 19th, stop in for a music, food, and some traditional fun!