October 2022 Clarke-Washington

Manager Steve Sheffield

Co-op Editor

Sarah Turner

ALABAMA LIVING is delivered to some 420,000 Alabama families and businesses, which are members of 22 not-for-profit, consumer-owned, locally directed and taxpaying electric cooperatives. Subscriptions are $12 a year for individuals not subscribing through participating Alabama electric cooperatives. Alabama Living (USPS 029-920) is published monthly by the Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Alabama, and at additional mailing office.

POSTMASTER send forms 3579 to:

Alabama Living, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, Alabama 36124-4014.

9 Those cotton fields

Alabama’s cotton fields are the perfect setting for some seasonal photos!

Worth the Drive

Inside Southwood Kitchen in Daphne, there’s plenty of palatepleasing action in an intimate atmosphere.

Sweet potatoes Judging from the number of recipes we received for sweet potato dishes, this nutritional vegetable might be our readers’ favorite!

340 TechnaCenter Drive Montgomery, Alabama 36117-6031 1-800-410-2737

For advertising, email: advertising@areapower.com For editorial inquiries, email: contact@alabamaliving.coop

American MainStreet Publications 611 South Congress Ave., Suite 504 Austin, Texas 78704 1-800-626-1181 www.AMP.coop www.alabamaliving.coop USPS 029-920 • ISSN 1047-0311

A 2017 Chevrolet Silverado, the grand prize at Clarke-Washington EMC’s Annual Meeting. Members can register and vote on October 19 or 20 at the Chatom Community Center or Jackson office.

Gulf Coast Zoo

ALABAMA

CWEMC Annual Meeting

Announced

The Clarke-Washington EMC annual meeting will once again be conducted as a drive-thru registration. This was not our intent when we made the decision to hold a drive-thru two years ago due to COVID concerns. But, due to the overwhelming participation and requests by our membership, we will have a drive-thru annual meeting again this year. The fact that approximately 3,000 members registered at each of our drive-thru reg istrations in 2020 and 2021 opened my eyes to a new way of serving our membership. It was clear that it made it more convenient for our members to participate in our annual meeting process. Thank you for your participa tion and I look forward to seeing you at one of our regis tration sites this year.

We learned a lot from the way we conducted the reg istration and meeting the past two years and intend to make it even better this year. In order to allow our mem bers ample opportunity to participate, registration will be allowed over the course of two days. Beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. on October 19 and 20, mem bers can register for the Annual Meeting at the drivethru stations at the Chatom Community Center located at 233 Dixie Youth Drive in Chatom or at the Jackson office located at 9000 Hwy. 43 in Jackson. Once you have registered, cast your ballot and received reports, you will receive a $20 bill credit and will be eligible for prize drawings including the grand prize which is a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado.

The process will be simple whether you choose to par ticipate in Chatom or Jackson. Simply follow the signs to the drive-thru areas with your registration card, present it to the employee stationed at each drive-thru line, sign your registration card, vote, drop your stub in the box for the prize drawing and leave.

The business portion of the meeting will be conducted at the Chatom Community Center at 6 p.m. on Thurs day, October 20. The Trustee election results and prize winners will be announced as soon as practical after 6 p.m. on October 20 on our website and Facebook page.

The cooperative business model is built on a founda tion of commitment and collaboration---and all of us here at Clarke-Washington EMC are committed to serv ing you, our members. Thank you for your participation in our annual meeting.

Steve Sheffield General Manager

DRIVE-THRU REGISTRATION

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4

Bring your registration card that you received in the mail to the Drive-Thru Registration on October 19 or 20 to the Chatom Community Center or Jackson office, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM.

Follow directions to the registration stations. You can register and vote without leaving your vehicle.

Present your registration card to the CWEMC employee and vote on Trustees from Districts 1, 4, & 7.

After you register and vote, follow the directions to exit. The Trustee election results and prize winners will be announced as soon as practical after 6 p.m. on October 20 on our website and Facebook page.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

ANNUAL MEETING 2022

• This year, members will be allowed to register and vote on October 19 or 20 at the Chatom Community Center or Jackson office between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

• Each member can only register once.

• Each membership receives one vote.

• Each member registered will receive a $20 bill credit, not per meter.

• Each member registered will be entered into the drawing to win the Grand Prize 2017 Chevrolet Silverado and more bill credits.

• Please bring your Annual Meeting Registration Card that you will receive in the mail.

• Follow directions to the registration area.

• We ask that you remain in your vehicle during the registration process.

• After you register and vote, you will not need to stay.

• The trustee election results and prize winners will be announced on our website and Facebook page. Prize winners will also be notified.

Alabama cotton

Pops (James Roth) and grandson Jack at Southern Snow Farm. SUBMITTED by Cathy Roth, Elba.

These are cotton fields and plants at various stages of growth. At full growth, white as snow. SUBMIT TED by Dale Rice, Roanoke.

Owen Sanders in the cotton field. SUBMITTED by Barbara Sanders, Banks.

Cotton fields close to home. SUBMITTED by Brandi Carter, Ariton.

Two of our grandsons, Brooks Hixon and Hixon Jordan, who are 27 days apart in age, in one of our cotton fields. SUBMITTED by Laura Hixon, Banks.

Walter and Christine Brooks enjoyed walking out into the field to remember years gone by when they planted and picked cotton to support our family. Photo taken a couple years before Alzheimer’s disease took my mother’s life. SUBMITTED by Norma Hulgan, Valley Head.

Clarke-Washington EMC’s Sarah Turner is Cooperative Communicator of the Year

Sarah Turner, communica tions specialist at Clarke-Wash ington EMC, was named the Darryl Gates Cooperative Com municator of the Year during the recent Alabama Rural Elec tric Association’s Communica tions Conference.

In presenting the award, judge Donna Abernathy, a national ly recognized award-winning writer and editor from Tennes see, praised Turner for “her skill and knowledge as a graphic designer, digital communicator, videographer, writer/editor and event promoter – all in a day’s work for a cooperative communica tor.” She said she earned “this reviewer’s respect for a job well done in many categories, demonstrating a breadth of skill.”

Turner has been the communications specialist at Clarke-Wash ington EMC since graduating from the University of West Ala bama in 2018. She has a bachelor’s degree in integrated marketing communication and is responsible for the co-op’s communica tions and public relations programs including print and social media. She also won awards for Best Wild Card for an entry titled “The Light,” and Best Video for a video she created celebrating linemen. The winning entries are posted on the co-op’s website at cwemc.com.

“We are so proud of Sarah and her accomplishments as our communications specialist,” says Clarke-Washington EMC Gen eral Manager Steve Sheffield. “She has amazing design talent and just a warm, fun personality that makes her so successful in the communications field.” CWEMC is a member-owned electric co operative serving members in Clarke, Washington, Wilcox and Monroe counties.

The award is named for the late Darryl Gates who was editor of Alabama Living magazine for 30 years before his death in 2012.

Wetumpka festival highlights

wildlife, local arts

Downtown Wetumpka has already been in the spotlight thanks to HGTV’s “Home Town Takeover” show. Now, the city will wel come locals as well as visitors for the first Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival, with several activities scheduled for this fall.

The Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Gallery will partner with the Smoot Harris family and the city to present the festival, which will offer a series of educational classes, children’s activities, live music, art exhibitions, vendors, sporting dog demonstrations and presentations from such award-winning artisans as chef Chris Hastings, artist Sue Key, Dirk Walker, Jim Denney, woodcarver John David Foote and Wildrose Kennels.

The series celebration will take place intermittently through Nov. 17, with the premier daylong event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 5 on the banks of the Coosa River. The “Art Gone Wild” ex hibition will be displayed at The Kelly at 124 Company St. for the duration of the series. Visit thekelly.org for more information.

Jubilee Festival of Arts wins Tourism event award

The Jubilee Festival of Arts, which features art, music and local cuisine along the oak-lined streets of Olde Town Daphne, was awarded the 2022 State of Alabama Tourism Event of the Year Award at the Alabama Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Au burn.

The festival features more than 140 local and regional artists. The festival also features the Jubilee Market for local food makers as well as entertainment, delicious food and Kids Art.

The 34th annual festival will be held Oct. 15-16 in Lott Park in Daphne. For more, visit thejubileefestival.com

Whereville, AL

Identify and place this Alabama land mark and you could win $25! Winner is chosen at random from all correct entries. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified. Send your answer with your name, address and the name of your rural electric cooperative, if ap plicable. The winner and answer will be announced in the November issue.

Submit by email: whereville@alabamaliving.coop, or by mail: Whereville, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124.

Do you like finding interesting or unusual landmarks? Con tribute a photo you took for an upcoming issue! Remember, all readers whose photos are chosen also win $25!

September’s answer: This structure, in Gilbertown in Choctaw County, was built in 1922 by Seventh Day Adventists, who later built a new church and sold this one to First United Pentecostals in 1969. The building was sold to Debra Cooper in 1997 and remains privately owned. (Photo and information courtesy of RuralSWAlabama.org; other info courtesy of Ronald Bradley Cooper.) The randomly drawn correct guess winner is Charlotte Stewart of Black Warrior EMC.

Sarah Turner

Take us along! Find the hidden dingbat!

We’ve enjoyed seeing photos from our readers on their travels with Alabama Living! Please send us a photo of you with a copy of the magazine on your travels to: mytravels@alabamaliving. coop. Be sure to include your name, hometown and electric co operative, and the location of your photo.We’ll draw a winner for the $25 prize each month.

We did it again. We hid last month’s dingbat so well that only 31 of our readers guessed the correct location! We admit it was a very hard one to see, but the goalposts were hiding on Page 38 on the side of the window air conditioner. Modie and Debo rah Smith of Joe Wheeler EMC said they searched through their magazine “too many times” and had almost given up before they went though it one more time and found it. Myrtle Waters of Rep ton, a member of Southern Pine EC, said she finally found it with the help of a magnifying glass, and at nearly 82 years old, she was proud of herself! We’re proud of you, too! Nathan Cunning ham of Millport asked us to keep making the searches challeng ing. “Hidden dingbats are hard to find and time-consuming. This project is best done with a buddy. Get that person to help you find the dingbat next month.” Good advice, Nathan!

So grab a buddy and start looking for this drawing of a bat, just in time for Halloween fun. Congratulations to our randomly drawn winner, Joyce Oliver of Bridgeport, who will receive a prize package from Alabama One Credit Union. Remember, the ding bat won’t be in an ad and it won’t be on Pages 1-8. Good luck!

Wesley Murphy took Alabama Living to the Alabama State Beta Convention in Birmingham. He attended along with other students from Rehobeth Elementary. They earned top awards and were ready to compete at the National Beta Convention in Nashville. Wesley is a member of Wiregrass EC.

By mail: Find the Dingbat Alabama Living PO Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124

By email: dingbat@alabamaliving.com

Letters to the editor

E-mail us at: letters@alabamaliving.coop or write us at: Letters to the editor P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124

Loved August cover

Best cover ever! I absolutely LOVE that photo! The colors, the composition, the expression of pure happiness....AWESOME!!

I truly enjoyed the article on Romay Davis. What an inspira tion to both young and old. Thank you for that article.

Baldwin EMC members Lisa Downing of Summerdale and her husband traveled to Ocho Rios, Jamaica last year and took along their favorite magazine. She enjoyed reading while soaking up the sun!

Sonja Eddy, Auburn

The Parks Family from Bon Secour traveled out west and made a stop at Four Corners Monument, where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona all meet. Lucas, Camilla, and mom Lisa are pictured. Dad Nicholas took the picture. They are members of Baldwin EMC.

Robert and Debora Jackson took the May issue to Robert’s 50th Yale reunion in New Haven, CT the last week of May.  The cover features Alabama’s state cake, the Lane cake, which is from their town of Clayton. They are members of the Pea River EC.  Debora has painted the lane cake into an outdoor mural for the town.

Sponsored by

Andrea H. Presnell of Central Alabama EC took Alabama Living on a trip to Cayo Costa State Park in Florida with her friend Skye Ellison.

Roy and C.J. Patton took their magazine to Egypt where they visited the Pyramids of Giza. The Pattons are members of Baldwin EMC.

A large group of friends traveled to Amelia Island in February and Alabama Living was their magazine of choice on the bus. Thanks to Keith Roling of Troy, a member of South Alabama EC, for submitting their photo.

Preserve family recipes in a personalized heirloom cookbook

By Lenore Vickrey

When my son got married in 2010, I gave my future daughter-in law a cookbook of several family recipes. I got a number of contributions, including pound cake and pineapple casserole from her grandmother, lasagna roll-ups and hol iday candy from her future aunts and cous ins, and peach cobbler from my mother’s recipe box, and then produced the book us ing an online source. The result was a hard back binder with fancy stock photos and the recipes neatly arranged on cardstock.

Fast forward 12 years, and the options available for anyone to produce an heirloom family cookbook have exploded. While the company I used has since discontinued its online services, there are plenty more to choose from. You can make a cookbook as simple as typing up recipes yourself and taking those hard copies to a local printer, or uploading recipes to an online template, and including scans of old food-stained recipe cards (the mark of a favorite recipe!) and family photos to use throughout. A newer option is the e-book, easily accessible on a cell phone.

“It’s important to capture this kind of information,” says Rob

in Rawls, who lives in Montgomery and in Gantt in Covington County where she and her husband, Phil, are members of Coving ton Electric Cooperative. A Rawls family cookbook, Conecuh River Rats Can Cook, was printed in 2002, spearheaded by Joanne Rawls Mock, their cousin. The Rawls broth ers all lived in Gantt, and now their adult children have property near each other on Point A Lake.

The cookbook project prompted Robin and other family members to capture the rec ipes that hadn’t been written down, she says. “Our parents cooked from knowledge,” she explains, “so it was important to keep them in the family. In the process, you remember the recipes that are meaningful, that link you to holidays as well as everyday events.”

Joanne used the BHG website to gather recipes, as family members entered their contributions online and sent photos to her. She then used the “cut and paste” method with the photos and had 15 to 20 cookbooks printed at an office supply store, in time for a family reunion in Gulf Shores that year. BHG later featured the cookbook in Potluck Magazine in 2003.

The Rawls cousins gather at Point A Lake in Covington County to prepare a family recipe from their family cookbook. From left, Richard Rawls, Jess Rawls, Joanne Rawls Mock and Phil Rawls.

PHOTO BY ROBIN RAWLS

Alabama Living editor Lenore Vickrey created a binder of family recipes for her daughterin-law, Anna Bedsole Vickrey, using an online company.

Honoring a mother’s legacy

In 2015, Denise Brassell collaborated with her sisters-in-law, Beth Joiner, Nancy Barnes and Maria Ashmore, to publish a keep sake tribute cookbook, In the Kitchen with Mimi, to her motherin-law, Alice Melva Owens Brassell, affectionately called “Mimi” by her family. Mrs. Brassell grew up on a farm in rural Henry County close to Baker Hill, served by Pea River Electric Coop erative.

“It only seemed fitting to honor Mimi’s legacy by compiling what we considered to be her most favorite recipes, in some cases our most favorite dishes she prepared, and anecdotes in some fash ion,” says Denise. She hand-typed each recipe for the cookbook, then sent them to Friends and Family Cookbook Publishers (the company has since stopped cre ating new cookbooks, according to its website), and later sent in family photos and original recipe cards to add a personal touch.

“We went through several edits, changing pic ture locations and captions over the course of many months before completion,” she says. “The result is a priceless family treasure.” Only 100 books were printed, as “it was mainly intended as a keepsake for family members and friends and as a memorial to Mimi. The cookbook epitomizes who she was while serving on this earth and who she will always be remembered as in our hearts.”

Maria Ashmore remembers her mother be ing well known for her delicious meals, “even cooking for my dad’s office and Thanksgiving and often cooking at church,” she says. Looking back through the cookbook brings back many memories of her childhood, shelling peas and butterbeans under the oak tree at the family farm house. “I can just visualize my mother in the kitchen making these delicious recipes.”

Clockwise, from top, old family photos can enhance pages of an heirloom cookbook; an early photo of Alice Melva Owens Brassell (“Mimi”); cover of the cookbook; a vintage photo of “Mimi’s girls” from the book, daughter-in-law Denise Brassell and sisters Nancy Barnes, Maria Ashmore and Beth Joiner; and pages from inside the book featuring both the handwritten and the typed version of Mimi’s Peach Pie recipe.

Family reunions and food go together

Family reunions are often the impetus for creating heirloom family cookbooks like the Conecuh River Rats book. The Pryor Family Cookbook, created in 2007 for a family reunion in Chica go, is a simple spiral-bound compilation of recipes from young and old. Alyse Studivant Williams, now a clinical psychologist in Chicago and a niece of Jackie and Joseph Trimble of Montgomery, assembled the book as part of the reunion fun.

“The idea of the cookbook was conceived as a way to offer con nection to each other that we might share the gift of food and per petuate our legacy in a new and different way,” she wrote in the book’s introduction. Jackie treasures her copy, whose pages are lov ingly splattered with bits of ingredients used over the past 15 years.

Her favorite is likely “Mama’s Sunday Biscuits,” from her moth er-in-law Marybelle P. Trimble, now 100 years old. “Every Sunday morning she made those biscuits,” Jackie remembers, recalling watching her assemble the flour, shortening, sugar and milk and cutting the dough. The book has some humorous additions from young family members: Joseph Trimble II contributed his “Super Dooper Milkshake” and his younger brother, Joshua Calvin Trible, offered his “Dagwood Sandwich” of bread, bologna, lettuce, ketch up, mayo, tomatoes and mustard.

Besides family reunions, the holidays are another favorite time for creating and giving family cookbooks, according to Christina Gibson, director of growth for Create My Cookbook (createmy cookbook.com), an Atlanta-based company which has preserved 5.5 million recipes for families since its founding in 2007.

“The person making the cookbook is often a daughter,” she says, with ages ranging from 35 to 65. But recently an 89-year-old put to gether a cookbook, proving that even older adults are very capable of using the online software even if they were nervous at the outset.

A healing process

While the process can evoke some sadness for our family’s cooks who are no longer alive, the gathering and reading through the loved one’s recipes actually can be healing, Christina says. “Grandma has recently passed and (the cookbook) is a way to cel ebrate the grandmother and all the memories she created for her family in the kitchen. It’s a way to relive those moments, to pre serve the family memory, the culture and the heritage for future generations.”

Not surprisingly, the most common title for a family cookbook is simply, “Mom.” Most cookbooks average between 30 and 60 pages, and can be published with a hard cover, in a binder (so pages can be added) or as an e-book accessible on a cellphone. “But when it comes down to it, people still like the printed book,” Christina says. YouTube tutorials offer help and design services are offered. The process is “very easy,” she adds.

Marcia Weber of Wetumpka is working on a family cookbook with her 98-year-old mother, Lucia Driggers, who published a book on the settlers of Wicksburg in the Wiregrass area after Marcia’s father, longtime managing editor and publisher of The Dothan Eagle, passed away. That project was an opportunity for her to “get her grieving worked out,” Marcia says, but then she needed another project. Thus the idea for a family cookbook was born.

“We’re in the compilation process,” she says. “I am so grateful my Mom can still explain certain recipes and the important in gredients which are local to my hometown Wiregrass area. I have driven 100 miles for the right cornmeal (from Pollard’s Mill in Ge neva County), and have tried three stores before finding chicken bags to make the chicken broth for dressing.”

Pulling together these “old-timey country cooking” recipes from her mother’s memory has been rewarding for both of them, she says. “We’ve gotten about 40 recipes so far,” including “Mom’s Holiday Dressing,” green rice (made with green onion, celery and green pepper), chicken pot pie, her dad’s chili and her grand mother’s pecan pie.

“The whole point was to preserve family memories for the fam ily,” she says. “We may actually publish it!”

The Create My Cookbook company can incorporate original recipe cards in heirloom cookbooks, along with typed versions.

COURTESY CREATE MY COOKBOOK

Jackie Trimble holds a copy of a cookbook, published in 2007 for a family reunion, which she has used for the past 15 years. PHOTO BY LENORE VICKREY

Marcia Weber and her mother, Lucia Driggers, are working on compiling recipes for a family cookbook.

PHOTO

Readers share their favorite cookbooks

For some, a cookbook received as a gift is enough to make it a keepsake. Others are treasured heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Even homespun, simple cookbooks – like those sold as fundraisers by Junior Leagues and women’s church groups – hold a special place for many home cooks. What the recipes may lack in sophistication is more than made up for in the sense of community and tradition that graces the pages. We asked readers to share their favorites with us. See if you recognize any of them! — Allison Law

Linda Kelso, Joe Wheeler EMC:

These days we have shelves of cookbooks and wonder if we should even keep them since you can find almost any recipe you need on line. Just as there is something comfort ing about holding a real book, so it is with a cookbook. You can mark the pages, add notes and dream of the recipes you will try.

My paternal grandmother, Cecil Kelso, only had one cookbook – a 1950 Duluth’s Favorite Recipes. When I got the cook book, I was surprised to find that several of “her” recipes, which she had passed on to us, were from this cookbook. I have spent hours looking at the book; few of the reci pes use cans of soup, but many use canned vegetables in a city where there’s often snow for nine months of a year. Kolachy, Kringle, Patica, Fattigmond – recipes from a bygone era of immigrant grandmothers showing the ethnic diversity of this Minnesota city at the head of the lakes. I am honored to be the granddaughter that got “the” cookbook.

Jeffrey M. Jones, Langston, Ala.:

When I was a mailman in Texas, I passed a yard sale and saw a 10-cent French pa perback cookbook. Everything you can imagine is in there! Quiche, Hollandaise sauce, pate and my favorite, beef in red wine sauce.

The book’s 96 pages are not connect ed in any way anymore, but I still use it. I think I’ll make some vichyssoise tonight –all from (a) 10-cent (book).

Bill Dunbar, Dixie EC and Baldwin EMC:

Whenever anyone talks cookbooks, and we have all the usual special family ones, there is one that stands out. It’s not just a cook book (and a very good one) – it is a time capsule of life on the Gulf coast of Alabama. For those of us who were so fortunate to experience this lifestyle this cookbook takes us back to a time not re ally gone with the wind but still alive in our hearts and minds. Food, Fun, and Fa ble from Meme’s on Bon Secour River is a must-read. After that I would say find the old timers from the area, (because) every one knows Meme’s.

Meme brought me out my first broiled flounder supper. I was just barely start ing grade school. She explained how this young ‘man’ with the curly hair and raw sunburned nose could eat this fish one side at a time and never worry about eat ing a bone. I cannot eat broiled flounder out to this day. It just doesn’t measure up to Charley’s and Meme’s!

Diane Meyer, Cullman EC:

I actually have two favorite cookbooks, and both were published by Auburn Uni versity in the 1960s. My grandmother pur chased them and they were passed down to me. One is a cookbook, the other is a canning book and I have used both. I used the cookbook when I was a child. I learned how to make “standard” butter cookies

(we called them sugar cookies) from this book as well as a standard butter cake.

My favorite thing about the cookbooks is that my grandmother hand wrote extra recipes in any open space on the pages. I cherish seeing her handwriting and her comments on the recipes. I am now in the process of teaching my granddaughter to cook using different cookbooks and we are making new memories!

Michele and Gary St. Laurent, Wetumpka, Ala.:

Our first Christmas together in 1980, my husband and I did not know what to get each oth er. So, we headed to the mall on Christmas Eve. One of the things I picked out for myself was this Betty Crocker Cookbook. I taught myself how to cook from this book. I will always keep it. I still use it but have memorized the ones I use most.

Ashley Smith, Tallapoosa River EC:

When I need a re minder of how much of a particular ingredient goes in a recipe, I call Mama. Each time, she tells me to “hold on while she checks.” On her end of the line, she stands at the kitchen counter and flips the pages of her cookbook un til she finds the reci pe and then responds. She probably knows most ingredients and measure ments by heart but likes to confirm. I know both of my sisters make similar calls to Mama while cooking. Not only is her cookbook a collec tion of recipes, Mama’s cookbook holds our family history, connecting the years through the foods we enjoy. My favor ite cookbook belongs to my Mama, Ann Dudley Parkman.

Barbara Perdue Middleton, Pioneer EC: My favor ite cookbook is A Taste of Butler Coun ty, Alabama: Treasured Family Rec ipes of The Butler Coun ty Historical Society. This special keep sake was pub lished as part of our Society’s 40th anniversary celebra tion in 2004.

Butler County Historical Society mem bers contributed 250 pages of beloved recipes of yesterday and today, along with recollections and treasured family pho tographs. And, since it is a Butler Coun ty cookbook, we have a special Crawfish Pie to go along with Jambalaya and File’ Gumbo in honor of our native son, Hank Williams Sr. It is truly a book to read and enjoy!

Nicole Law, Central Alabama EC: This trea sured cook book be longed to my great-grand mother, Mandy Moon Pow ell, and later to my grand mother, Lu Powell Sam ple. It in cludes many of their own hand-written recipes between the worn pages, and when I prepare one of these recipes, it is a little like walking in their shoes. Of course, Mandy did not have the luxury of electricity in her kitchen when she first used this cookbook! I love that their traditions continue to bring my fam ily special treats and enjoyment.

Examples of finished heirloom cookbooks can include hardback, spiral-bound or binder versions.

Gulf Coast Zoo comes roaring back

By Emmett Burnett

Katrina is due for an annual medical checkup requiring a blood sample. As she receives the shot, her demeanor is calm, which is good – because Katrina is a black leopard.

She backs up to the side of her en closure. Through the fence, the jungle feline offers her tail, allowing health care providers to draw blood from it in a syringe. Yet another story of many at Gulf Shores’ Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.

“The Little Zoo that Could,” so named by Animal Planet, which pro duced a 2006 TV series chronicling the facility’s recovery from three bru tal hurricanes, is a story in itself. Like some of its occupants, the zoo was once an endangered species.

“We may be the only place in the world to evacuate an entire zoo, three times,” says executive direc tor, Joel M. Hamilton. During hurricanes and the aftermath, ani mals took refuge in area backyards, fields, and employees’ homes.

“Hurricane Ivan (Sept. 16, 2004) was the game changer,” the zoo’s director adds. “It was time to move.”

The zoo, which began in 1989, moved inland six miles in 2018 for a bigger, better facility, with more animals, extra features, and better protection against storms. The grand opening was March 11, 2020.

It closed March 18, 2020.

“It was a fantastic day, lots of ex citement!” recalls Hamilton about the zoo’s new beginning that lasted just seven days before it was shut down by COVID-19.

Down but not out, the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo reopened again on May 23, 2020. With about 25 acres and more coming, over 199 species, 31 sub-spe cies, and 8 endangered species, the Little Zoo that Could is the Little Zoo that Grew.

BY EMMETT BURNETT

“It’s still one big loop, but bigger,” says the site’s public relations

Ashlyn Kenwright works with Katrina, a black leopard.

PHOTO

The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo’s beautiful grounds.

PHOTO BY EMMETT BURNETT

social media manager Marcale Sisk, as we stroll the boardwalk on a park tour. “Over there is Boodah,” she says, pointing at a massive American black bear, bigger and stronger than you are. “He is 18 years old. When we got him he was no bigger than a football.”

Like most employees here, Marcale refers to the animals by name. In addition to Boodah and previously mentioned Katrina, we greet a wolf trio, Jake, Luna and Jet; one of the giraffe couple, Benjamin; a Eurasian lynx dubbed Casanova; and a pig named –wait for it – Kevin Bacon.

“The exhibits have a closeness feel. It is an intimate experience,” Hamilton adds, while petting a giraffe’s head. “Our staff uses the same public pathways visitors use. We want workers accessible to guests and their questions.”

Behind the scenes

Working at a zoo looks fun, and it is, but at a price. “Running a zoo is a business and an expensive one,” the director says, about custody of creatures on a $5.3 million budget. “We spend $5,000 a week just on animal care and welfare.”

The support staff and behind the scenes work is enormous. De partments here, typical of any other business, include accounting, marketing, social media, food services, a retail gift shop, and relatively new top-notch restaurant. “We are also in the hospitality business,” Hamilton says, “and have a great town for it.”

He says that Gulf Shores is becoming an all-in-one destination. People come for great beaches but while here, they look for other things to do. “We are one of those places.”

In 2021, 234,000 guests walked through the zoo’s gates. “Considering the uncertainty of COVID during that time, that was a good year,” Hamilton says. “We are looking for better num bers in 2022.”

The zoo’s development director, Pau la White, agrees. “A lot of people do not realize we are a non-profit. I am thankful for the generosity of people. We could not build this without them and their generous contributions. We depend on visitors coming through the gates, donations, and the kindness of guests.”

Like many of the zoo’s inhabitants, much of the staff is nocturnal. Security personnel patrol the grounds, checking on animals, and making sure all is well, 24/7.

Around 7 a.m., other staffers make their first rounds. With expe rience, zookeepers learn personalities. Just as no two humans are exactly alike, so are no two animals. “They recognize their people,” Hamilton says. “Baboons call for their keepers as soon as the hu mans are in sight. Many of our animals distinguish the difference between an employee’s uniform and the guests’ clothes.”

Two kitchens prepare animal meals. For the big cats, the menu is meat, lots of it. A tiger can eat 6 to 8 pounds of chicken and red meat a day. Other inhabitants do not consume as much but require specialized care. It varies by species.

“Some visitors think our reptiles do not take a lot of upkeep be cause reptiles can go days without eating a bite,” Hamilton says. “But environment maintenance is critical. Most reptiles here bask

under ultraviolet light in a room with a constant 78 to 80 degrees.” Deviation beyond those temperatures may result in the animal’s death.

To ensure those needs are met and to discuss other issues, the morning staff meets daily. Animal concerns, maintenance, con struction, events scheduled, and other topics are reviewed. “Our people are trained to know their animals,” Hamilton continues. “Any abnormalities are reported at meetings, and to our veterinar ians who immediately take action.”

Caring for all kinds of animals

Which brings us back to Katrina the black leopard, a gift from Jack Hanna, TV host of “Jack Hanna’s Animals Adventures.” Why would a wild animal willingly submit to a shot?

“We train our large cats to work with us,” Hamilton says. “Ini tially they are nervous about being stuck by a needle. But like hu mans, they get used to it.

“We learn to offer our shoulder for a shot. Cats learn to offer their tails. It makes diagnostics easier on humans and felines and is safer than knocking a big cat down with anesthesia.”

Cleaning animal environments is daily, sometimes hourly, de pending on the species. Obviously one does not walk into a lion’s den and announce, “housekeeping!” Cleaning the homes of aggressive animals, such as giant cats with giant fangs, is done by luring the animal into a side room adjacent to their enclosures. For many, these side rooms also serve as their hurricane shelters.

How do zoos obtain animals? On line, sort of. Hamilton says, “We are in a network of zoos and constantly see what is out there. If we want a particu lar species, we inquire, and sometimes trade an animal we have for one anoth er zoo has.” Most animals in zoos today are raised in captivity, not caught from the wild.

Gulf Shores’ zoo occasionally accepts donations from people who thought they could raise exotic animals as pets. They can’t. The number one donated animal at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo? Parrots.

With a day done, some animals bed for the night. Others are just getting started. For employees it is another day of what many animal lovers consider a dream job.

“There’s never a dull moment here,” Sisk says with a smile from her administrative office. Reflecting on working at a zoo, she adds, “A great thing about this job is when having a bad day, I can walk out here and talk to a lemur or sloth and life is good again.”

Zoo employee Paula White has lived in Gulf Shores since child hood. She remembers the zoo’s early days. “It is rewarding to see the zoo come full circle, to see it develop, to be enjoyed by future generations,” she says. “It is nice to see the legacy continue.”

Meanwhile, Katrina the black leopard’s check-up was fine. She’s good to go, just like the Little Zoo that Could, and did.

The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is located on 20499 Oak Road East, Gulf Shores. More information is available at alabamagulfcoastzoo.com.

Brittany Garlipp with Bruce Quillis, an African crested porcupine and one of the popular animals on the Zoo’s social media.

PHOTO COURTESY GULF COAST ZOO

Variety of cuisine influences set Southwood Kitchen apart

By Jennifer Kornegay

Daphne, Alabama, sometimes takes a backseat to its flashier neighbor, Mobile, but while this quaint community is qui eter, less big-city excitement doesn’t equal boring, especial ly when it comes to eating. If you know where to look, you’ll find Daphne’s dining scene is diverse and delicious.

Case in point: Southwood Kitchen. Don’t let its strip-mall loca tion fool you. The exterior is styled with the welcoming look of a house. A large carved-wooden sign announces its name. And in side, there’s plenty of palate-pleasing action in an intimate atmo sphere, thanks to owner and executive chef Jeremiah Matthews’ ability to blend his formal culinary training, interest in interna tional foods and an appreciation for the flavors of his home.

Matthews moved to the area in 1983 and left to attend the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris, then went to college in upstate New York before a stint cooking out West. Then, he came back to south Alabama. While he was the chef at lauded Magnolia Springs’ eatery Jesse’s, an opportunity to open his own restaurant popped up and was too good to not to pursue. “I’d spent enough time working for others and felt like it was time to do it for myself,” he says.

In August 2017, he opened Southwood Kitchen. The spot has a neighborhood bistro vibe, thanks to friendly, chatty servers, a re laxed ambiance and the regulars occupying bars stools and tables. “We’ve got people who come in and eat here three and sometimes even four times a week,” Matthews says.

They’re drawn to a menu whose selections lean toward fine din ing but are devoid of any pretense and defy any rigid classification. While a close look reveals Matthews’ classical French background in technique and some ingredients – duck-fat whipped potatoes, braised items with jus reductions – there’s plenty of Alabama too, like a lunch starter featuring a generous dollop of creamy, sharp pimento cheese waiting to be scooped up not by regular ole crack ers, but crunchy, just-fried pork rinds still crackling from the hot oil.

The midday meal continues with sandwiches like hot-sauced chicken with house-made pickles and hefty burgers anchored by patties of 100-percent certified Angus beef ground in-house daily. “I love a good burger myself, but our salads have big fans too,” Matthews says. The fresh and filling salad options share a common leaf. “All my lettuces are grown locally and hydroponically,” he says, “and our diners love the difference you can taste from that.” A standout is the black and blue beef tender salad with bite-sized bits of grilled steak, pickled okra, tomatoes, bacon and crumbled gorgonzola topping a blend of romaine, iceberg and spinach.

At night, dinner brings a variety of options, some with inter national influences that invite your tastebuds to take an adven

Southwood Kitchen

1203 U.S. Highway 98, Suite 3D Daphne, AL 251-626-6676

southwoodkitchen.com

Hours: Lunch, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday dinner, 5 p.m.- 9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday Daphne l

COURTESY OF SOUTHWOOD KITCHEN

An appetizer of sharp pimento cheese on crunchy, just-fried pork rinds is just one of the many dishes that are Alabama-inspired with an unusual twist.

KORNEGAY

The black and blue beef tender salad with bite-sized bits of grilled steak, pickled okra, tomatoes, bacon and crumbled gorgonzola.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER KORNEGAY

Southwood Kitchen’s exterior has the welcoming look of a home, with its large carved-wooden sign, in the small town of Daphne.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER KORNEGAY

ture. Elk tenderloin is embellished with green-garlic chimichurri, black garlic lacquer and shitake-spinach risotto. A Korean barbe cue-style dish with ginger-scallion noodle stir fry and soy caramel is a favorite. But standards like shrimp and grits and beef filet, which Matthews calls “fail-safes,” are almost always available.

“I like a lot of different foods, so I took a little from everywhere I’ve worked and traveled and all my training to create the menu,” he says. This interest in a wide variety of cuisines keeps the menu changing, as does his commitment to cooking with the seasons and using locally sourced ingredients. “A lot of my veggies come from the same farm where I get lettuces. Often the eggs we use come from my own farm,” Matthews says.

And proximity to the Gulf means offers of practically still-swim ming fish dishes at night. “At dinner, there are three to four fresh fish specials. I get fish from the Fairhope Fish House, and usually, what I get was caught that morning,” he says. He also keeps a few Alabama-farmed oysters available. “I love the boutique, farmed oysters, like those from Murder Point and Point aux Pin.”

Matthews is picky about the quality of what comes into his kitchen and goes out on diners’ plates, but he’s also always striving to find new and tasty ways to approach foods. “Really, whatever I can get my hands on, I try to make something nice out of it,” he says. “It’s all about pleasing our customers. When people are done eating here, I just hope they leave feeling like they can’t wait to come back.”

Clockwise from bottom left: Executive chef Jeremiah Matthews trained in Paris and New York before coming back to Alabama and opening his own restaurant.

PHOTO

PHOTO BY JENNIFER

My house is already festooned for Halloween thanks to a large, industrious and talented crew of eight-legged decorators, and judging from social media posts, it appears similar crews have been at work everywhere.

These decorators are of course the spi ders — mostly the orb weaver varieties — that we’ve been running into (literally) in our yards and gardens ever since sum mer and which tend to become even more noticeable in the fall as they mate and lay eggs or prepare to overwinter as pregnant females.

The prevalence of webs may be one reason spiders are closely associated with Halloween, but their seasonal ill repute is no doubt compounded by age-old su perstitions portraying them as the wicked consorts of witches and bearers of bad omens. However, some superstitions cast spiders as harbingers of good luck and wealth, and one medieval-era supersti tion even asserts that seeing a spider on Halloween means the spirit of a deceased loved one is looking out for you.

Superstition aside, there is no doubt that the fear of spiders is real; in fact, arachnophobia is one of the most com mon animal phobias in the world. There’s some speculation that this is a genetic or pre-programmed human trait, though studies have also shown that it’s their bul bous abdomens, hairy coverings and es pecially their long legs and erratic move ments that elicit the greatest “eek” factor.

Still, there is little to fear and much to appreciate about spiders, says Drew Hat away, an associate professor of biological and environmental sciences at Samford University in Birmingham. Hataway, who wasn’t born a spider fan, fell under their charms as an undergraduate student when he helped former Samford biology professors W. Mike Howell and the late Ronald Jenkins take photographs for their 2004 book, “Spiders of the Eastern United States: A Photographic Guide.”

Hataway went on to assist Howell and Jenkins in a study using the Santa Rosa wolf spider, a small white spider that lives on beach dunes, as an indicator species to measure pre- and post-hurricane dune health along the Gulf Coast. After spend ing time with spiders, Hataway became fascinated — dare we say enchanted — by these amazing arthropods and has con tinued to study wolf spiders as harbingers of other environmental changes such as wildfires and beach development.

According to Hataway, spiders are di verse, fascinating and abundant in Ala bama. With some 95 species indigenous to the state, “You’re never more than eight feet away from a spider (pun intended),” Hataway says, but they are here to help. They manufacture stronger-than-steel silk, which in some species creates those amazing and gorgeous webs and also has medicinal applications and was even used to make a spooky-cool brand of Nike shoes, and spiders are also incredible en gineers. Just look at a few webs for proof.

But it’s their role in our ecosystems that make them especially special.

“Spiders are predators that (primarily) eat insects but they are also prey for birds

Spider magic: Finding the spectacular in the spooky

and bats,” Hataway says, which makes them integral to our food web. “In the ma jor food systems of Alabama, they sit right in the middle of everything.”

In addition, as spiders eat insects (and sometimes larger prey like worms, snails, frogs and lizards), they help control pest populations, which also benefits human kind. Some, such as granddaddy long legs (also known as “harvestmen,” which aren’t true spiders but are in the arachnid fam ily) are used as biological control agents to control aphids and other crop borers in farm fields and gardens.

All true spiders do produce and use venom, but few pose a significant threat so there’s no need to get rid of them. As with snakes, Hataway’s advice is “Don’t touch them if you don’t have to.” Instead, ap preciate them from afar for all their many attributes and, as Hataway says, especially for “what’s most important — spiders are part of the greater creation.”

To learn more about spiders, Hataway suggests using the iNaturalist app, where you can also become a “citizen scientist” by reporting spider sightings. Or check out the al.com article “Spiders of Ala bama: 58 Spiders You Should Know.”

• Plant shrubs, trees, wildflower seed, spring bulbs.

• Look for fall plant sales.

• Divide perennials.

• Sow seed for a cover crops.

• Harvest herbs and late-season vegetables and fruits.

• Keep bird feeders and baths clean and full for fall migration.

Katie Jackson is a freelance writer and editor based in Opelika, Alabama. Contact her at katielamarjackson@gmail.com.

OCTOBER TIPS

Alabama Bookshelf

In this periodic feature, we highlight books either about Alabama people or events, or written by Alabama authors. Summaries are not reviews or endorsements. We also occasionally highlight book-related events. Email submissions to bookshelf@alabamaliving.coop. Due to the volume of submissions, we are unable to mention all the books we receive.

Of Mules and Mud: The Story of Ala bama Folk Potter, Jerry Brown, by Jerry Brown, edited by Joey Brackner, The Uni versity of Alabama Press, $22.95 (Alabama history/folklore) Folklorist Joey Brackner met famed folk artist and traditional stoneware pottery maker Jerry Brown, who was from Hamilton, Alabama, in 1983, and the two became friends who collaborated on a variety of documentary and educational projects. A year before Brown’s death, Brackner sat down with him to record his life story; the result is this book. An annual festival in northwest Alabama honors Brown’s memory.

Dear Denise: Letters to the Sister I Never Knew, by Lisa McNair, The Uni versity of Alabama Press, $19.95 (family memoir) This book takes the form of 40 letters from the author to her sister, one of the four little girls who died in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. McNair apprises her sister of all that has come to pass since her death, both on the intimate level of their family and on the large scale of the struggle for racial equality. The letters are accompanied by 29 black-and-white pho tographs, most from the McNair family collection and many taken by their father.

Alabama Baby: A Baby’s Book of Firsts from the Yellowhammer State, written and illustrated by Allison Dugas Behan, Pelican Publishing, $24.95 (family and relationships) Keep track of a baby’s es sential Alabama firsts in this unique baby book. Capture his or her first experiences with food, including fried chicken and an Alabama-must-have – banana pudding! Colorful pages provide guided journ aling of the baby’s first football game, visit to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center and more. Includes baby shower sign-in pages.

Rock Killough’s Front Porch Stories, by Rock Killough, God Manifest Pub lishing, $21.99 (short stories) Born and raised outside of Greenville, Alabama, Killough is an accomplished songwriter who’s written songs recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys and Randy Travis, among many others. After retiring to the porch of his country cabin near Guntersville, Killough began to reflect on life and music, and wrote down his musings; he would later publish them on social media, which earned him a following. One of his followers suggested he publish his stories, and the result is this book.

The Southernization of America: A Story of Democracy in the Balance, by Frye Gaillard and Cynthia Tucker, NewSouth Books, $25.95 (history) The award-winning authors present a series of essays considering the role of the South in shaping America’s political and cultur al landscape. They examine the morphing of the Southern strategy of Nixon and Reagan into the Republican Party of today. They also find hope in the South, that a legacy rooted in the civil rights years might ultimately lead the nation on the path to redemption.

Lost Towns of Central Alabama, by Peggy Jackson Walls, Arcadia Publishing and the History Press, $21.99 (Alabama history) Settlers came to central Alabama in the early 1800s with big dreams. Miners panned the streams and combed the hill sides hoping to strike it rich. Demand for cotton led to the establishment of multiple mills and mill villages built for the work ers. But when such booms went bust, they left ghost towns in their wake. The author walks the empty streets of these once lively towns to revive the stories of the people who built them and lived in them.

Why it’s important to report life changes when you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Did you know that certain life changes can affect your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments? Sometimes your circumstances may change after you apply for or begin to receive SSI. When that happens, it’s important for you to tell us about these changes. This will ensure that you receive the benefits to which you’re eligible.

Here are some common changes you must report if you have applied for or receive SSI:

• Changes in income, wages, or self-employment income;

• Starting, stopping, or changing jobs;

• Changing your address or persons moving in or out of the household;

• Changes in marital status (including any same-sex relation ships);

• Having more than $2,000 if you are single or $3,000 if you are married in resources that you can cash in, sell, or use to pay for food and shelter; and

• Changes in resources, including money in financial ac counts and buying or selling extra vehicles, stocks, invest ments, or property.

For a complete list of reporting responsibilities for all our pro grams, please read our publication, What You Need to Know

When You Get Supplemental Security Income at ssa.gov/pubs/ EN-05-11011.pdf

How to report changes in wages

You can conveniently report your wages using our:

• Free SSA Mobile Wage Reporting app for smartphones.

• Online Wage Reporting Tool using your personal my So cial Security account. If you don’t have an account, create one today at ssa.gov/myaccount

Be sure to sign up for monthly SSI wage reporting emails or text reminders, so you never forget.

Other options include speaking with a representative by calling toll free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visiting or writing your local Social Security Office.

Report changes in a timely manner

You must report a change within 10 days after the month it happens. You should report a change even if you’re late. Failure to report timely may cause you to:

• Receive less than you should and take longer to receive the correct amount;

• Receive more than you should and have to pay it back;

• Have a penalty deducted from your SSI payment; or

• Lose SSI for not reporting information that we use to deter mine whether you are still eligible for SSI.

Securing your today and tomorrow starts with being informed. Please share this information with your friends and family—and post it on social media.

October crossword

by Myles Mellor

Kylle’ McKinney, SSA Public Affairs Specialist, can be reached by email at kylle.mckinney@ssa.gov.

Insulation made easy

A: It isn’t pretty, but insulation and air sealing typically provide the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to home ener gy efficiency improvements. When installed together, they can save you money and make a big difference in comfort and energy use.

Insulation rating

Insulation is rated in R-value. The R stands for resistance to heat transfer. The higher your R-value, the slower the heat transfer, or less wasted energy. There are several different types of insulation, including fiberglass batts, blown fiberglass, cellulose and foam. Each has its own R-value listed on the packaging. To determine the R-value of your existing insulation, multiply the number of inches by the R-value per inch for the type of insulation.

Insulation level recommendations are based on your geograph ic location. Generally, the colder the climate, the higher the recommended R-value.

Where to insulate

The typical locations for insulation are the at tic, walls and floor. If you have a forced-air heating or cooling system, your ductwork should be in sulated, too. You want a consistent thermal barri er around your home for maximum efficiency. A bonus to insulation is it can reduce noise from the outside of your home.

Attic insulation mini mizes energy waste and can help maintain a more consistent tem perature throughout your home. Combined with air sealing, it also can prevent ice dams from forming on your roof in colder climates.

Attics can be insulated using batts or blown-in insulation. Rec ommended R-values range from R-30 to R-60. If you use your attic for storage, you can build a raised platform with room for insu lation underneath. Add insulation and weatherstripping to access doors or hatches.

Exterior walls and walls separating heated and unheated areas of the home—such as garages or enclosed porches—should be in sulated to an R-value ranging from R-13 to R-21, based on your location and wall construction.

Wall insulation can be installed during construction or a remod

el. If your home wasn’t insulated when it was built, you can have the insulation blown in by a contractor. Blown-in options include cellulose, fiberglass and foam.

Your home should also be insulated between the floor and crawlspace or unheated basement. If your basement is heated, in stall insulation in the box sills—the area between the foundation floor of the home’s main level.

Consider building and insulating the exterior walls in the base ment or installing foam insulation on foundation walls. Check your local building code requirements. Recommended R-values for floor insulation range from R-13 to R-30. Also insulate heating and cooling ductwork located in unconditioned spaces to prevent energy waste.

Importance of air sealing

Think of insulation as a cozy sweater and air sealing as a wind breaker for your home.

You know that cozy sweater is no match for winter winds, so you need an extra layer to stop it from ripping through. The same goes for your home.

Air sealing prevents drafts and air infiltration from outside. It can im prove efficiency, comfort and indoor air quality.

Air sealing can be done as a DIY project, but it is challenging to pinpoint and properly seal air leaks. Consider hiring a contrac tor to complete a blower door test and seal leaks.

Typically, air sealing is done around plumbing and electrical penetrations with spray foam or caulk. If using spray foam around gas appliances, temporarily turn off pilot lights. Spray foam is extremely flammable.

Sheet metal and high-temperature heat-resistant caulk should be used to seal gaps between framing, chimneys and metal flues.

DIY considerations

If you are considering a DIY approach, protect yourself when going into spaces with insulation. Wear a properly fitted mask or respirator. Wearing a Tyvek suit and gloves also is recommended. Kneepads can come in handy and make the crawling more bear able.

If you are planning a DIY approach for air sealing, do your re search about best practices for the proper home ventilation. Before going the DIY route, contact two or three local contractors for a project estimate. Sometimes the contractor can get cheaper bulk pricing on insulation.

Making insulation and air sealing a priority adds comfort, effi ciency and savings to your home.

Q: What cost-effective improvements will make my home comfortable year-round?

Miranda Boutelle is the vice president of operations and customer engagement at Efficiency Services Group in Oregon, a cooperatively owned energy efficiency company. She also writes on energy efficiency topics for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives.

A contractor installs blown cellulose insulation in an attic to minimize energy waste. PHOTO

2022 should be a good season for deer hunters in Alabama

The best chance to bag a large white-tailed deer buck typical ly occurs during the “rut,” or breeding season. During the rut, habitually wily bucks lose a bit of their wariness in their quest to breed with as many does as possible.

“Deer breed at basically the same time every year, regardless of weather, moon phase or whatever,” says Chris Cook, Deer Program coordinator for the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. “Rut dates, duration, etc. vary very little from year to year.”

In Alabama, the rut doesn’t happen all at once. With few deer in Alabama decades ago, the state brought in whitetails from other states as well as relocated deer from parts of Alabama with whitetails to areas with few or no deer. The deer retained their instinc tive rutting timeclock.

“The rut is very spot specific in Alabama,” Cook says. “We have deer rutting from November to early Feb ruary. Anyone who wants to travel around the state and hunt different ruts can do that all season long. If they put in the time, sportsmen can hunt different public areas around the state during peak rut all season.”

This year, sportsmen should en joy a very good season throughout Alabama. For the biggest bucks, head to Black Warrior WMA. The largest wildlife management area in the state covers 91,263 acres of Law rence and Winston counties near Moulton. In addition, the property sits within the 181,230-acre Bank head National Forest.

“Overall, Alabama now has plen ty deer in most counties,” Cook says. “It’s hard to beat Black War rior WMA for big deer. People who know the area and have hunted it for years generally have great success.”

In that part of the state, the rut usually begins in mid-Novem ber and peaks around Thanksgiving. The rut continues into early December. Because the rut begins early in that area, the season in that zone opens earlier than most of the state.

For deer numbers, Cook recommends the Sam R. Murphy, Bar bour and Oakmulgee WMAs. Murphy covers 16,372 acres in La mar and Marion counties near Guin. Barbour sits on 28,214 acres of Barbour and Bullock counties near Clayton. Oakmulgee spreads across 44,500 acres of Bibb, Hale, Perry and Tuscaloosa counties.

“Sam Murphy consistently offers the best opportunities for harvesting deer,” Cook says. “It’s good deer country with varying ages of clear cuts and young pine stands so there’s abundant cover for deer. Barbour has always been a good area for deer. The deer population in Oakmulgee has been trending upward each year. It has some antler restrictions, so it also offers opportunities to potentially kill a big buck.”

Chronic Wasting Disease confirmed in Alabama

Earlier this year, the state confirmed Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, for the first time in Alabama deer. Similar to Mad Cow Disease, CWD affects the nervous system in deer and ultimately kills the animal.

“On Jan. 6, 2022, we had our first confirmed Alabama case of CWD in Lauderdale County,” Cook says. “About a month later, we had anoth er positive in Lauderdale County. We knew we’d eventually find CWD in that part of Alabama because of its proximity to areas in Mississippi and Tennessee that both have a high presence of it.”

Hunters killed those two deer about five miles apart near Flor ence. Colbert County sits just across the Tennessee River from Lauder dale County. The state established a “CWD Management Zone” for those two counties.

“We will be sampling hard again in that area during this hunting sea son as well as the rest of the state,” Cook says. “We’ll continue to do what we can to try to slow down how rapidly CWD spreads throughout the state. Fortunately, CWD doesn’t spread very fast. We can do things to keep it from spreading faster than it would naturally.”

PHOTO BY JOHN N. FELSHER

Hunters can bring deer to various places throughout the state so biologists can test the animals for CWD. A deer exposed to CWD could take months or even years to develop symptoms. Many positive deer look normal at first. As the disease progresses, infected deer stagger around and might drool excessively. They become less wary of people, drink and urinate frequently and look emaciated.

“We need everyone to help us with our CWD sampling efforts to help make sure we have a healthy, viable deer population for the future,” Cook says.

Sportsmen who think they killed or spotted an infected deer should contact the nearest state wildlife office. For more information on CWD see outdooralabama.com/cwd/latestcwd-information.

John N. Felsher is a professional freelance writer who lives in Semmes, Ala. He also hosts an outdoors tips show for WAVH FM Talk 106.5 radio station in Mobile, Ala. Contact him at j.felsher@ hotmail.com or through Facebook.

Alabama has a healthy herd of bucks like this one all across the state.

OCTOBER

Th 20 8:30 - 10:30 8:54 - 10:54 2:57 - 4:27 3:21 - 4:51

Fr 21 9:18 - 11:18 9:42 - 11:42 3:45 - 5:15 4:09 - 5:39

Sa 22 10:06 - 12:06 10:30 - 12:30 4:33 - 6:03 4:57 - 6:27

Su 23 10:54 - 12:54 11:18 - 1:18 5:21 - 6:51 5:45 - 7:15

Mo 24 11:18 - 1:18 11:42 - 1:42 5:48 - 7:18 6:11 - 7:41

Tu 25 NA 12:06 - 2:06 NEW MOON 6:09 - 7:39 6:33 - 8:03

We 26 12:30 - 2:30 12:54 - 2:54

6:57 - 8:27 7:21 - 8:51

Th 27 1:18 - 3:18 1:42 - 3:42 7:45 - 9:15 8:09 - 9:39

Fr 28 2:06 - 4:06 2:30 - 4:30 8:33 - 10:03 8:57 - 10:27

Sa 29 2:54 - 4:54 3:18 - 5:18 9:21 - 10:51 9:45 - 11:15

Su 30 3:42 - 5:42 4:06 - 6:06 10:09 - 11:39 10:33 - 12:03

Mo 31 4:30 - 6:30 4:54 - 6:54 10:57 - 12:27 11:21 - 12:51

NOVEMBER A.M. PM AM PM

Tu 1 5:18 - 7:18 5:42 - 7:42 NA 12:09 - 1:39

We 2 6:06 - 8:06 6:30 - 8:30 12:33 - 2:03 12:57 - 2:27

Th 3 6:54 - 8:54 7:18 - 9:18 1:21 - 2:51 1:45 - 3:15

Fr 4 7:42 - 9:42 8:06 - 10:06 2:09 - 3:39 2:33 - 4:03

Sa 5 8:30 - 10:30 8:54 - 10:54 2:57 - 4:27 3:21 - 4:51

Su 6 8:18 - 10:18 8:42 - 10:42 ST BEGINS 2:45 - 4:15 3:09 - 4:39

Mo 7 9:06 - 11:06 9:30 - 11:30 3:33 - 5:03 3:57 - 5:27

Tu 8 10:42 - 12:42 11:06 - 1:06 NEW MOON 5:09 - 6:39 5:33 - 7:03

We 9 NA 12:42 - 2:42 6:45 - 8:15 7:09 - 8:39

Th 10 1:06 - 3:06 1:30 - 3:30 7:33 - 9:03 7:57 - 9:27 Fr 11 1:54 - 3:54 2:18 - 4:18 8:21 - 9:51 8:45 - 10:15

Sa 12 2:42 - 4:42 3:06 - 5:06 9:09 - 10:39 9:33 - 11:03

Su 13 3:30 - 5:30 3:54 - 5:54 9:57 - 11:27 10:21 - 11:51

Mo 14 4:18 - 6:18 4:42 - 6:42 10:45 - 12:15 11:09 - 12:39

Tu 15 5:06 - 7:06 5:30 - 7:30 11:33 - 1:03 11:57 - 1:27

We 16 5:54 - 7:54 6:18 - 8:18 NA 12:45 - 2:15

Th 17 6:42 - 8:42 7:06 - 9:06 1:09 - 2:39 1:33 - 3:03

Fr 18 7:30 - 9:30 7:54 - 9:54 1:57 - 3:27 2:21 - 3:51 Sa 19 8:18 - 10:18 8:42 - 10:42 2:45 - 4:15 3:09 - 4:39 Su 20 9:06 - 11:06 9:30 - 11:30 3:33 - 5:03 3:57 - 5:27 Mo 21 9:54 - 11:54 10:18 - 12:18 4:21 - 5:51 4:45 - 6 ;15 Tu 22 10:18 - 12:18 10:42 - 12:42 4:48 - 6:28 5:11

Sweet

Potatoes

Sweet potatoes pack a huge nutritional wallop, not to mention they are a delicious addition to any meal. And did you know that in 2021 Gov. Kay Ivey proclaimed the sweet potato as our official state vegetable? Thanks to the hard work of some homeschooled students in North Alabama, the Legislature passed legislation recognizing the sweet pota to with the honor. Sweet potato crops bring in about $9 million to the state annually, according to the Alabama Farmers Federation. And our readers are big fans, as they sent in more recipes for sweet potatoes than any other topic this year. Try them all, and don’t feel a bit guilty, because a helping of sweet potatoes with the skin on gives you:

Vitamin A: in the form of beta carotene: when eaten with the skin, one medium sweet potato contains over 100 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin A. A whole sweet potato contains 1400 mcg of vitamin A in its skin. That's more than 150 percent of your daily requirement in a single serving, which plays a role in vision, bone development, and immune function.

Fiber: adds the feelings of gratification, or feeling "full," and aids in digestion. Fiber lowers high cholesterol levels, reduces the risk of heart disease, helps control blood sugar levels, and helps in maintaining a healthy weight. A medium sweet potato (105 calories) baked in its skin has 4 grams of dietary fiber, equal to or greater than the fiber in some instant oatmeal.

Potassium: Eating habits, including foods that are a good source of potassium and that are low in sodium, may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Potassium is a mineral crucial for life. Potassium is necessary for the heart, kidneys, and other organs to work correctly.

Researchers have also determined that sweet potatoes con tain anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anticancer proper ties.

Source: Marilyn Agee-Carroll, Human Nutrition, Diet, & Health Regional Extension Agent, Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Food styling and photos: Brooke Echols

Cook of the Month: Rebecca Quick, Cullman EC

Rebecca Quick has been baking since she was in the 5th or 6th grade, so creating her winning Sweet Potato Pound Cake recipe came natu rally. “My mother always baked a pound cake and we are all sweet potato people,” she says, so she made it her goal to create the best of both worlds. She looked up several recipes, including one by Paula Deen, and took her own mother’s recipe and added spices used for fruit cake and a little more cinnamon for taste. “It took me a couple of times to get the right amount of potatoes,” she adds, “and sometimes I use less potatoes. You want a really good sweet potato that’s not stringy and mashes good.” And she doesn’t use canned potatoes, as fresh is always best. She made the winning cake for her daughter for Thanks giving recently and it was a “big hit.”

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

1 cup butter

1½ cups granulated sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

3 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon nutmeg, up to another ¼ teaspoon to your taste ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste

2½ cups mashed sweet potatoes

4 eggs

1½ teaspoons vanilla 1 cup pecans, chopped

Cook potatoes, mash and set aside. Cream butter and sugars. Sift dry ingredients in bowl. To butter and sugar mixture, add eggs one at a time. Mix in sweet potatoes, then dry ingredi ents and vanilla. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan and sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Check at 55 minutes to make sure it’s not too brown.

Sweet Potato Soufflé

For the Soufflé:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus ½ tablespoon for soufflé dishes

Sugar, for soufflé dish 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ½ cup whole milk 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes 3 large eggs, separated, and at room temperature ¼ cup maple syrup 1/8 cup rum

¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice Pinch of salt

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

For the Rum Sauce: 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon cornstarch ½ cup sugar ¾ cup milk ¼ cup rum

For the Soufflé:

Rub 1 large sweet potato with cooking oil. Place it on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Let cool and then remove the flesh and mash with a fork. After removing the sweet potato from the oven, reduce oven temp to 375 degrees. Prepare four 6-ounce ramekins by buttering all sides and then dusting each with sugar, tapping out the excess. In a medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add flour, and cook while whisking until golden, about 2 minutes. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the mashed sweet potatoes and egg yolks, followed by the rum, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites on high speed with a pinch of salt until it just reaches stiff peaks. Whisk ¼ of the whipped egg whites into the sweet potato mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites using a rubber spatula. Pour mixture into the prepared ramekin dishes, filling nearly to the top and smoothing the surface. Place filled ramekins into a 9x12-inch baking dish. Cover the bottom of baking dish with water. Bake 35 minutes in the preheated oven. Carefully remove soufflés from the oven, set each souffle’ on a plate, dust with confectioners' sugar.

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Recipes can be developed by you or family members. You may even adapt a recipe from another source by changing as little as the amount of one in gredient. Chosen cooks may win “Cook of the Month” only once per calendar year. To be eligible, submissions must include a name, phone number, mail ing address and co-op name. Alabama Living reserves the right to reprint recipes in our other publications.

Rum Sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch and stir into the butter. Pour in milk and cook stirring frequently until the mixture begins to boil. Continue cooking until thick, stirring constant ly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Serve warm. Cook’s note: For the best and most dramatic effect, serve immediately; otherwise, like any good soufflé, they will begin to deflate as they cool. These may also be served as a side dish without the rum sauce.

Janet Parker Central Alabama EC

Brooke Burks

The sweet potato is probably the perfect food, in my hum ble opinion. Where else can you get all that sweet deliciousness in a side dish? I am here to tell you though, it is meant to be the star of the show! With this simple method, we show you how to take your sweet potatoes from the supporting cast to the main character of your supper! This is also a really tasty way to use up any BBQ leftovers. If you want to make it healthier, head over to thebutteredhome.com for our recipe for a sugar-free BBQ rub, an easy way to make sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot AND a delicious and healthy pulled pork recipe using pork tenderloin!

Sweet Potato Cake

2 cups sugar

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes or yams

1¼ cups cooking oil

4 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda ¾ cup nuts, chopped ¾ cup coconut

Frosting:

½ stick butter

8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 box confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

½ cup + 1 tablespoon chopped nuts ½ cup +1 tablespoon coconut

Beat eggs, sugar, sweet potatoes or yams (whichever used) and cooking oil together until mixed well. Sift flour, bak ing powder, salt, cinnamon and baking soda together, then beat in with egg mixture. Fold in chopped nuts and coco nut and pour into greased and floured 13x9x2-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the middle is firm to the touch. Allow the cake to cool until just warm and then frost. Combine all frosting ingredients and spread on cake while it is still warm.

Rita Briscoe Marshall-DeKalb EC

BBQ Pork-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

4 medium cooked sweet potatoes

4 cups cooked pulled pork

1 cup sugar-free BBQ sauce

2 tablespoons butter ¾ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons pepper

1 cup sour cream 1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese Chopped green onions

Cut potatoes open and add a bit of butter, salt and pepper. Top with equal portions of pulled pork, cheese, sour cream, onions and BBQ Sauce.

Sweet Potato Cobbler

2 cups sweet potatoes, thinly sliced

4 cups water

1½ cups sugar, divided 2 tablespoons butter

½ cup vegetable oil

¾ cup plain flour

½ cup milk

Cinnamon, to taste

Bring sweet potatoes and water to a boil, cooking until tender; drain pota toes. Add 1 cup sugar and butter; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together oil, ½ cup sugar, flour and milk; pour into greased baking dish. Add hot sweet potatoes over batter. Sprinkle with cin namon and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Crust will envelop sweet potatoes as cobbler cooks.

Peggy Key North Alabama EC

Sweet Potato Dumplings

2 packages crescent rolls

1 package sweet potato patties, cut in half

2 cups water

1½ sticks margarine

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Cinnamon

Roll each potato patty half in a crescent triangle. Place in a baking dish. Heat

water, sugar, margarine, cornstarch and vanilla. Pour over dumplings. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until crescent rolls are brown. Sprinkle with cinnamon when done.

Kim Johns Covington EC

Sweet Potato Pancakes

2 cups blanched almond flour

2 cups tapioca flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

8 whole eggs

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

4 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons vanilla

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup pureed sweet potatoes

Sugar free syrup

Mix both types of flour, baking soda, pie spice and sea salt together. Add eggs, sweet potato puree, vanilla and honey in another bowl. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and stir in chocolate chips until batter is smooth. Heat frying pan with a little olive oil and pour ¼ cup batter onto the pan, cooking until middle is set up and edges begin to dry, then flip. Top with sugar-free syrup. Yields up to 10 servings. Cook’s note: this is a diabetic friendly recipe.

Mary Avant

Tallapoosa River EC

Photo by The Buttered Home

If electric vehicles are the future, your cooperative will be ready

Electric vehicles (EVs), and the emergence of new charging technologies, will increase demand on electric providers na tionwide. Unprepared providers might struggle to manage higher loads, leading to higher electric costs and stressed infrastructure.

Look no further than the state of California. Residents were warned in September of potential rolling blackouts and asked to conserve energy during late afternoon peaks (when, as it hap pens, the renewable energy that the state increasingly employs is less reliable). Californians were asked to delay electric vehicle charging. So, after introducing more electric vehicles into their power grid and banning the sale of new gas-operated vehicles by 2035, California has proven it cannot manage the demand elec tric vehicles place on the state’s system.

Your cooperative, however, will be prepared.

While it’s clear that EVs have grown in prominence in Alabama and Florida, PowerSouth – member-owned and member-focused – is working to balance the arrival of EVs with the 24/7 promise of reliable, affordable power. Why? To avoid ending up in a situa tion like the one we’re seeing in California, where reliable power is apparently not a major concern.

PowerSouth is not anti-EV. If implemented responsibly and planned for, EVs can certainly be a great decision for some buy ers and a potential economic boon to state and local economies.

Blake Hardwich, executive director of the Energy Institute of Alabama, confirms as much.

“EVs will be at the forefront of change to Alabama, the nation’s fourth largest auto-manufacturing state,” she says. “Alabama is po sitioning itself to capitalize on this new era in EV technology. Gov. Ivey and the Alabama Legislature have provided funding, incen tives and resources to take advantage of this emerging industry.”

Indeed, they have. Hardwich mentions 18 grants from 2021, totaling more than $4.1 million, to finance installation of EV charging stations across the state, “a critical component to allevi ating range anxiety and increasing EV adoption in Alabama.” In addition to grants, there have also been huge private investments in the state’s EV market.

PowerSouth and the Alabama Rural Electric Association (AREA) have been actively involved in the development of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs’ (ADECA) updated EV Infrastructure Plan, which should help the state take advantage of federal dollars allocated for public charging infrastructure. PowerSouth is also supporting the Ala bama Mobility and Power (AMP) Center – a research and devel opment hub for EVs at the University of Alabama.

In Florida, the EV market has experienced a growth in EV sales and the installation of new chargers, according to the Florida De partment of Transportation.

Florida is currently second in the nation for EV adoption and in direct current fast chargers (DCFCs), offering more than 1,300 publicly available DCFC ports. Since 2020, the number of avail able DCFCs has increased by 55 percent.

These numbers show that EVs are here. The technology is im proving, and people are buying these vehicles. Again: PowerSouth isn’t anti-EV. But rushing to implement new technologies with no caution and no plan is the surest way to do irreparable damage. Pairing forced EV adoption with unreliable, renewable energy is simply not the correct way to proceed. PowerSouth cautions against such hasty actions on renewable energy that might pre vent us from making the most economic and reliability-focused decisions in generation planning.

With Alabama and Florida poised to take advantage of EV technology, this is a critical time for cooperatives to understand what investments will be needed to meet the basic charging in frastructure needs associated with electric vehicles, and help sup port consumer education around EVs. This is a time for Power South to focus on safety, reliability and affordability and make decisions accordingly.

The cooperative mission has always been to increase quality of life for communities, and cooperatives want their members to make choices that benefit themselves and their families. If the right choice is an electric vehicle, PowerSouth’s system will be ready.

Gary Smith is President and CEO of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative.

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In praise of oysters

A loaf of bread, the Walrus said, ‘Is what we chiefly need: Pepper and vinegar besides Are very good indeed -Now, if you’re ready, Oysters dear, We can begin to feed.

Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

I love oysters.

Steamed, smoked, stewed, fried.

But best of all, I love them raw.

Down on the Gulf Coast there are an cient Indian middens -- garbage dumps -some almost 100 feet thick, full of broken pottery, bones of fish and fowl and deer, and oyster shells, thousands of oyster

shells. The Indians, I am told, would build a big fire, throw the oysters on the coals and when the heated shells popped open, supper was served.

Which brings me around to shucking.

It was a rite of passage for my adoles cent son and a moment of parental pride for me, his father.

The adventure began when I got a cool er full of oysters and took them home to where the boy was waiting.

Full of himself as a young puppy.

I gave him a glove, an oyster-knife, and an oyster.

“See that little place at the end of the shell. Stick the point in there and twist it.”

He did, and the shucking began.

Then he ate ‘em.

Though I provided crackers and hot sauce, he ate ‘em like his daddy did, slurped right out of the shell, straining the grit between your teeth.

And I stood by, satisfied that I had

taught my son a skill others could admire.

My boy was barely in his teens when we had this father-son moment. Today he is grown, married, gainfully employed and father of my first grandchild.

When I got the news of the blessed event I began to wonder, will he and his offspring ever have a moment as we did?

A few years ago, I had read reports from Mobile Bay that a decline in water quality caused by dredging and pollution threat ened the oysters and their habitat.

I was worried.

Then I got the good news.

Oysters are coming back.

With more attention being paid to pre serving wetlands, controlling pollution and regulating dredging, new beds were opened. The 2021 oyster harvest more than doubled what was gathered in 2020. 2022 could be even better.

The future looks bright for oyster lovers like me, my son, and the next generation.

Harvey H. (Hardy) Jackson is Professor Emeritus at Jacksonville State University. He can be reached at hhjackson43@gmail.com

Illustration by Dennis Auth

It’s National Co-op Month!