By June. Ida is seven months. She has started making sounds that feel intentional, consonants she repeats with the air of someone trying to say something specific. Tyler has decided she is saying daddy and I have not corrected this because her first word is going to make both of us cry and I would like to enjoy the lead-up a little longer.
Gloria hips are having a bad month. I have been going to Prattville twice a week and we have been talking about whether she should have the surgery. She does not want surgery. I understand why she does not want surgery. I am not telling her what to do. I am just making sure the refrigerator has good things in it and the kitchen is clean and Destiny has what she needs and Gloria knows I am there.
Made the peach cobbler again with the proper July peaches this week and it was exactly right. Ida watched me pit the peaches from her high chair and reached for the ones on the counter. I gave her a small piece of peach, just to taste, her first fruit from my hands. She tasted it and her face went through six distinct expressions in two seconds. Then she opened her mouth for more. I said: yes. That is a peach. That is summer. Welcome to summer. She opened her mouth again and I gave her more.
The small Bright Beginnings Daycare in the small downtown Prattville is the small workplace. The small toddler-room teacher role (ages 18-36 months). The small daycare-worker-salary plus the small fiancé-Cole’s small carpenter-paycheck is the small two-income engaged-couple budget. The small wedding-saving has been the small two-year-project.
Tyler Clarke (the small fiancé, 29, diesel-mechanic-from-Millbrook) works at a small trucking-company. The small wedding is planned for October 2026 with Gloria walking Savannah down the aisle. The small marriage will be the small first-stable-adult-relationship Savannah has had. The small foster-care upbringing means the small family-of-origin had been the small unstable-shape.
The small foster-care-history: Savannah went into the small Alabama-foster-care system at age six after the small mother’s incarceration and the small father’s absence. The small seven-foster-placements between infancy and age sixteen. The small last placement (Gloria and James Martin in Prattville, who became the small forever-parents) since age fourteen. The small Martin-foster-parents continued to be the small only-parents until James died in 2024 at 77 from a heart-attack mowing the lawn.
The small self-taught-Southern-cooking is the small kitchen-identity. The small no-grandmother-recipes-passed-down meant the small YouTube-and-cookbook-self-teaching from age sixteen onward. The small fried chicken, the small biscuits, the small mac-and-cheese, the small banana pudding, the small sweet tea are the small staples.
The small Gloria-Martin kitchen-mentorship (Gloria is the small foster-mom-now-mom) has been the small adult-cooking-development since the small fourteen-year-old. The small Gloria-Sunday-dinners-with-Savannah-cooking-now are the small weekly-rhythm since James passed. The small Gloria-recipes (Black-Southern-comfort-food the small chain of Gloria’s mother and grandmother) are the small heritage-by-adoption.
The small Prattville-small-town-community is the small social-context. The small First Baptist Church congregation is the small church-family. The small daycare-coworkers are the small adjacent-friend-network. The small Martin-family (Gloria, James who passed in 2024, plus the small current-foster-child Destiny age 6 in Gloria’s care) is the small chosen-family. The small Tyler’s-family-in-Millbrook (Debbie, Roy, and four-brothers) is the small in-law-family.
I keep thinking about the look on Ida’s face when that peach hit her tongue—those six expressions in two seconds, and then her mouth dropping open for more. That moment reminded me that the whole point of cooking in summer is to hand someone something bright and alive and watch it land. This pineapple and coconut carrot salad is the recipe I reach for when I want that same feeling at the table: sweet and fresh and a little unexpected, the kind of thing that makes people ask what’s in it before they’ve even finished their first bite. It’s the dish I’ve been bringing to Gloria’s on Sundays when her hips are bad and she needs something easy and good without any fuss.
Pineapple & Coconut Carrot Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes (plus 30 minutes chilling) | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 4 large carrots, peeled and grated (about 3 cups)
- 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Grate the carrots. Peel and grate carrots on the large holes of a box grater or use a food processor. Place in a large mixing bowl.
- Drain the pineapple. Press crushed pineapple through a fine-mesh strainer, reserving 2 tablespoons of the juice. Add the drained pineapple to the bowl with the carrots.
- Add the mix-ins. Stir in the shredded coconut and raisins until evenly distributed throughout the carrot and pineapple mixture.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, reserved pineapple juice, honey, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until smooth and well combined.
- Toss and chill. Pour the dressing over the carrot mixture and toss gently until everything is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve. Give the salad a gentle stir before plating. Serve cold as a side dish or light lunch. Garnish with a sprinkle of extra shredded coconut if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 165 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 25g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 115mg