A special souvenir from Christ Church in Saint Simons

On our last full day in Saint Simons Island last week, my friend Angela made sure I got to visit Christ Church and Fort Frederica. I enjoyed both sites very much, but I must say that my heart simply fell in love with Christ Church, the Episcopal church there, and I was delighted to return home with their beautiful cookbook.

Here’s a brief history from the church’s website: “In February of 1736, General James Oglethorpe, who had founded the colony of Georgia at Savannah nearly four years before, arrived on St. Simons Island and laid the cornerstone of the town of Frederica and its fort … On the first day, Oglethorpe and the new colonists joined in Evening Prayer, quickly planting the roots of Anglicanism in island soil. A month later, The Rev. Charles Wesley, a priest of the Church of England and Oglethorpe’s private chaplain and secretary, took charge of the Frederica mission of Christ Church, Savannah on St. Simons Island.”

There’s lots more to the church's history, and I enjoyed seeing its rich heritage come to life in the stained glass windows of the church, including a magnificent image of Christ…

And even a panel depicting General Oglethorpe.

Angela and I enjoyed hearing a brief history from the docent on duty until a huge bus full of seniors (#mypeople) arrived, at which point we headed outside to explore on our own. The church and grounds are just stunning, and I could have spent hours there.

I bought the church cookbook as a memento of our visit, and I was delighted to get home and find a couple of tea recipes inside, including Paris Iced Tea, made with spiced tea and lime juice, and Tomato Tea Sandwiches, as well as, of course, some delicious-looking seafood dishes. I imagine I'll always enjoy cooking out of this lovely book! (It was $40, and you can order one here if you're interested. I learned that it's available at a bookstore here in Newnan as well!)