Steel Magnolias Podcast

Spring is here! It is a fresh beginning… a symbol of NEW LIFE THAT IS POSSIBLE!    “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1-2‬ ‭‬‬   Today we are discussing that it is time to plant!   Previous Episodes Referenced:   Southern Gardening: https://steelmagn...

First off, thank you to our patrons that make it possible for us to now be over 150 episodes into this podcast!   We have a small but mighty group of monthly supporters and we’d really like for you to check it out..  we offer all kinds of perks including a bonus episode and all memberships are $20/month OR LESS.  This podcast is free but the perks and extras are all available at  Patreon.com/Steel...

Tucked between the mountains of Southeast Tennessee along the beautiful Tennessee River sits the city of Chattanooga. We took a quick trip to explore and are telling you all about…   Here are the places we mentioned (we did not visit all of these in 24 hrs!): Stir Restaurant & Bar:  https://stirchattanooga.com Where Laura Beth went hanggliding on Lookout Mountain (Southern Adventures):  https:...

We talk a lot about hospitality on this podcast as it’s a huge part of southern culture… and a huge part of hospitality is food, the breaking of bread, and serving something to your guests… including …. COFFEE! Coffee is a HUGE piece of hospitality.   It’s comforting. It’s easy. It can be served in the morning or even after dinner. It is a STAPLE to life in the South. Resources / Links: "5 cit...

This is not a nerdy episode.. or is it? Well, when a President accepts a gift from a foreign Head of State, it becomes the property of the American people, as the President works on OUR behalf. So think about that… you have gifts in museums all around the U.S.    In this episode, we are looking at the 5 Presidential Libraries that are in the South.  Lyndon B Johnson - Austin, TX -  https://www.lbj...

The American dream is one of opportunity that allows for aspirations to be achieved through hard work and commitment. Today we are taking a look at how that American dream was fulfilled by humble Greek immigrants in Birmingham, Alabama.    Special thanks to Stacey Craig and Sonya Twitty and the team at The Bright Star for hosting us!    Resources mentioned: "A Dive Into Birmingham’s Greek Fami...

Last year, the city of Birmingham, Alabama celebrated its 150th anniversary. 150 years ago, iron ore, coal and limestone defined Birmingham. Today, however, it may be more synonymous with the civil rights movement. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said of Birmingham, “I like to believe that the negative extremes of Birmingham's past will resolve into the positive and utopian extreme of her future, t...

Welcome. We are so excited for a new year and a new season of the Steel Magnolias Podcast. Season Four kickoff, here we go!   Resources mentioned:  “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer and his supporting website:  https://practicingtheway.org Travel & Leisure’s “Top 50 Places to Travel in 2022”:  https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/best-places-to-travel-in-2022   Prev...

The season we are approaching requires preparation. We are here to help you to prepare your heart, mind and even your gift list for what's ahead. Enjoy this season!   Here are the GIFTS we are LOVING THIS YEAR: 1) The Oyster Bed - Steak Bed https://www.theoysterbed.com/products/steak-bed-quartet 2) Old Fashioned On Purpose - 2022 planner  https://meet.theprairiehomestead.com/2022plannermain 3)...

Welcome to another episode where we get to discuss more fun of southern culture!    We are hitting our 3 year anniversary this week! Nearly 150 episodes have been produced by just 2 sisters! And with donations from some awesome listeners! If you didn’t know… we are listener supported, meaning, we have people that give to us each month to help us make the show possible! You can find 3 membership le...

In today’s episode we are sitting down with Ami Gangemella, aka Ami on Cloud Wine, to discuss holiday wines as we approach Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas. Wine could be a part of the host gifts you’d like to consider or the menu for your special occasions.    Ami is going to help us understand how to evaluate a wine and help us confidently pair wines with the upcoming holiday meals. ____  Th...

Negro Spirituals consist of a set of songs that were created by slaves during their time of slavery and were sung from spirit to Spirit. They carry messages from God to us, and today we can still build inspiration from these songs.    The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an American a cappella ensemble that performs Negro spirituals originally sung by slaves prior to the Civil War. The first group of Sing...

This episode is releasing on Laura Beth's 40th birthday! When we were discussing topics for fall, it felt right to put out an episode on southern adventures from the sky to release today because people tend to want to have adventure on their birthday, especially milestone birthdays.  Mentioned on the show: If you were to sky dive from Key West, Florida you’d have views of Florida Keys, Gulf of...

A nickname is usually reserved for your closest of friends, but given that every state in the U.S. has a nickname we are going to dive into the southern state nicknames and figure out where they heck some of them came from…and maybe rename a few, just for fun!   If you’d like to  join our Patreon Community  to support us monthly for perks and exclusive content check out  https://www.patreon.com/st...

Native to the southern United States, muscadine grapes love the heat and grow wild all over. They can be eaten whole, used in jams, jellies, smoothies, or fermented into sweet wine.    We visited a muscadine winery just outside of Centerville, Tennessee.. Grinder’s Switch Winery which we are excited to tell y’all all about. They ship their wines to most of the United States: https://gswinery.com  ...

Deep in the hills of Tennessee, midway between Nashville and Knoxville lies a little community called Muddy Pond. During September and October, you can smell the aroma of freshly made sorghum syrup being made by this family-run farm. We had the opportunity to visit last weekend and are excited to share all about our adventures!       The sorghum plant, which is a grass, arrived with the African sl...

Today we are excited to introduce to you the founder of Raleigh, North Carolina’s first pay-what-you-can cafe, A Place at the Table.   Maggie Kane is the Founder and Executive Director of A Place at the Table. She graduated from North Carolina State University in 2013 and began working for a nonprofit with people experiencing homelessness. By befriending many people living on the margins, she knew...

Bourbon and horses are the main drawing forces when it comes to Kentucky tourism, but we are going to give you lots of insider tips and recommendations on this barely-in-the- South city.     Where to stay, what to eat, what to do, attractions, sports, and outdoor fun, Louisville has much to offer!  A full blog of recommendations can be found at:  https://steelmagnoliaspodcast.com/blog/visit-louisv...

In this episode we are talking about a dessert that you might see at a community gathering, especially in the mountains of Appalachia. It’s pretty tall, not too sweet and as the story goes even a community effort. The Apple Stack Cake is a labor of love. It looks more like big thick pancakes with filling in between each layer.  This cake screams fall - the filling is dried apple slices, brown suga...

Judy Blume once said "Librarians save lives: by handing the right book, at the right time, to a kid in need."    Librarians play an important role in the lives of those who love to read. But what if you had no access to a library nor books? Today we are discussing some heroic librarians that filled a gap in a time of great need in the South.    Under President Roosevlet, The Pack Horse Lib...

Today’s topic was given to us by a listener and we can’t wait to dive in.  Do you have an idea for our show? If so, we’d love to hear it and consider it, contact us through Instagram  @SteelMagnoliasPodcast  or via our website: SteelMagnoliasPodcast.com   We have some anniversary patrons to thank!  These people have been supporting us for a full year and we are so so grateful: Brittany from Dubois...

No surprises here, especially if you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while or lived in the South very long, that college football is a big deal here. On this episodewe are talking about the BACKBONE of college football. The talent and esteem found in marching bands are proof that music is an incredibly important part of the game and one of the South’s fondest college football traditions. ...

  Pawpaw trees, (also known as the Appalachian Banana or Hillbilly Banana) are  the largest edible fruit trees native to North America. Have you heard of them?  If not, join the many other Americans that have not  We are talking all things paw paw and get ready to even hear Lainie sing about them!   Also, we mentioned how great Peyton Manning’s acceptance speech was from his induction to the Pro F...

There’s about 17 million people per year coming to visit Music City. So, there’s really no need for us to encourage you to come to Nashville, but we do want to make sure you know how to maximize your time once you’re here! Join us as we share our best recommendations for a weekend in our hometown of Nashville. Full blog post with details is at SteelMagnoliasPodcast.com Hermitage Hotel Promo Code:...

This topic is so important that we pulled it out of the Season 2 archives and are sharing it again with you! Especially you new listeners that just joined us.    This episode seems so simple, but we can’t overlook that sweet tea is a southern staple and the best is made at home with simple syrup! So we are sharing our ways to the best glass of tea (and it’s always sweet).   Monin Simple Syrup:  ht...