October 2022 Joe Wheeler by Alabama Living

FEATURES

PHOTO: Julie Bennett

Those cotton fields

Worth the Drive

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

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.

Manager George Kitchens Cornelison

With about 25 acres and more coming, more than 199 species, 31 sub-species, and eight endangered species, Alabama’s Gulf Coast Zoo, known as the “Little Zoo that Could,” is now more like the Little Zoo that Grew.

Betty Veal, standing, looks through family recipes with her daughter, Jessica Hendricks, and granddaughter, McKinley Hendricks. Jessica’s husband, Justin, is a lineman with Tallapoosa River EC. Read more about preserving family recipes, Page 12.

Gulf Coast Zoo

ALABAMA RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION AREA President Karl Rayborn Editor Lenore Vickrey Managing Editor Allison Law Creative Director Mark Stephenson Art Director Danny Weston Advertising Director Jacob Johnson Graphic Designer/Production Coordinator Brooke Echols ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL OFFICES:

3422 VOL. 75 NO. 10 OCTOBER 2022 DEPARTMENTS 11 Spotlight 29 Around Alabama 32 Outdoors 33 Fish & Game Forecast 34 Cook of the Month 42 Hardy Jackson’s Alabama ONLINE: alabamaliving.coop 18 OCTOBER 2022 3 WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! ONLINE: www.alabamaliving.coop EMAIL: letters@alabamaliving.coop MAIL: Alabama Living 340 Technacenter Drive Montgomery, AL 36117

Director of Communications Michael

Sweet potatoes

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

POSTMASTER send forms 3579 to: Alabama Living, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, Alabama 36124-4014. 340 TechnaCenter Drive Montgomery, Alabama 36117-6031 1-800-410-2737

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

I hope writing this encourages young people in small high schools to work hard and know that you can come from a small school and humble beginnings and make something of yourself if you work hard and try your best. After all, my school was by no means big – my graduating class had only 75 students – and I have had a pretty good run so far.

Linda Owens Secretary-Treasurer District

9 4 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop

Like many young boys, I was an avid football fan and couldn’t wait until I was old enough to play the game myself. My 6thgrade football coach was Coach Harrison. He was also the senior high coach. In my 8th grade year, our team went undefeated with wins over junior highs from the city schools and Lowndes County schools. As I moved into high school, my 10th-grade year was pretty typical for Caledonia football. We won 3 games and lost 7. Our school was better known for baseball and, over the years, has won state championships and been contenders in other years. That 10th-grade season did a lot for me. The teammate who

Ricky Knouff District

I must admit, Fall, or Autumn, is one of my favorite times of the year. The days are getting shorter, but the leaves are changing to brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and brown that make the hillsides light up. I also like the slightly crisp, low-humidity mornings and cooler daytime highs. I think some of my fondness for this time of year goes back to my high school days when practice and games got a little more bearable as the weather began to get a little cooler.

Milton Taylor District At-Large

In my senior year, the fall of 1970, I seldom came off the field. I started again at center, played either linebacker or tackle on defense, and kicked field goals and extra points. Just before school started that year, the guy that was our top quarterback had a serious car wreck and was out for the season. Our coaches took a young man who played defensive cornerback and made him our new quarterback. He had not ever played the position! We lost the first three games as David adjusted to the new position. After that third loss, we came together as a team and won the next seven games and one postseason game. We had the best record that any Caledonia High School football team had ever posted.

I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned much about the little community where I grew up. My parents moved from the Birmingham area to Caledonia, Mississippi, when I was halfway through the first grade. My father’s job in Birmingham was being transferred to near Chicago, and he took an offer in Mississippi. Some of our Alabama relatives were certain that we had moved to another planet and questioned whether we even had indoor plumbing. Caledonia is about 15 miles northeast of Columbus, MS, and probably about 15 miles southwest of Vernon, AL. Caledonia was by no measure a big town. If I recall correctly, there might have been about 300-400 people in the city limits, and it boasted a traffic light at the corner of Main Street and Wolfe Road. We lived about 5 miles out of town. Due to a highly rated, exemplary school system and other desirable infrastructure, the community has grown to have a population of about 1,500.

Trustees Headquarters:P.O.Box460Trinity,AL35673256-552-2300 Moulton: 641 Big Nance St. Moulton, AL 35650 Hartselle: 700 Sparkman St. Hartselle, AL 35640 District Offices:

A view from the top Autumn Memories George GeneralKitchensManager/CEO

started at center broke his arm fairly early in the season, and I got to start. My 11th-grade season was better; we won 5 games and lost 5. I still started at center on offense.

Football, for me, opened the door to the rest of my life. I was fortunate to be offered a scholarship to what is now East Mississippi Community College, EMCC, to play football. That allowed me to start my college education. I played for two years there and had opportunities to play at other schools after junior college. West Alabama, East Carolina, and Boise State were some schools that expressed interest. Instead, I chose to become a non-athlete student at Mississippi State University. There I completed my degree and started the rest of my life.

Ray Long President District

All records are meant to be broken, but our 1970 record stood for 50 years. Last year the 2021 Caledonia High School team broke our record and then some. They were perfect during the regular season and made it well into the playoffs before losing a game.

Charles Teague District Sandy Fields Vice President District Board of

Joseph Dutton District 3

Jimmie Halbrooks District

Andrew McCay District

Shirley Livingston District

• Enable multi-factor au thentication. Also known as two-step offersaccount.criminalsitthisthesecurecodeextraansecondsecuritywhichproveloggingaddsmulti-factorverification,authenticationasecondstepwhenintoanaccount(toyou’rereallyyou),greatlyincreasestheoftheaccount.ThisstepcouldincludeextraPIN,answeringansecurityquestion,areceivedviaemailoratoken.Regardlessoftypeofauthentication,additionalstepmakestwiceashardforcybertoaccessyourNoteveryaccountmulti-factorauthentication, but

aware that some cyber criminals will send fake updates; these typically appear as a pop-up window when visiting a website. Use good judgement and always think before you click.

criminals are here to stay, but when we all take a risk-based approach to our cyber behavior, we’re creating a safer internet for all. Visit www.staysafeonline.org for additional cybersecurity tips.

Four Ways to Boost Your Cyber Hygiene

Cyberit.

• Recognize and report phishing attacks. Don’t take the bait when cyber criminals go phishing. The signs of a phishing attack can be subtle, so take the extra time to thoroughly inspect emails. Most phishing emails include offers that are too good to be true, an urgent or alarming tone, misspellings and poorly-crafted language, ambiguous greetings, strange requests or an email address that doesn’t match the company it’s coming from. Most platforms like Outlook, Gmail and Mac Mail allow users to report phishing emails. If you suspect a phishing attempt, take an extra minute to report

Abby Berry writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56% of the nation’s landscape.

it’s becoming increasingly popular and should be utilized when available.

In today’s digital world, cyberattacks are unfortunately nothing new. Cyber criminals can attack on a multitude of levels, from large-scale attacks targeting corporations to smaller phishing attacks aimed to gain an individual’s personal information.Octoberis Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but good cyber hygiene should be practiced yearround. This year’s theme is “See Yourself in Cyber” – because we all have a part to play in cybersecurity. When we hear about massive data breaches, it can feel overwhelming and lead us to think we’re powerless as individuals to stop cyber criminals.Thetruth is, there are several practical steps we can take to safeguard our devices and data. Here are four easy ways to boost your cyber hygiene:

passwords using at least 12 characters, never reuse passwords for multiple accounts and use a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters. If you have a lot of accounts, consider using a password manager to store them easily and securely in one place.

• Use strong passwords and a password manager. Remember, passwords are the “keys” to your personal home online. Your passwords should always be long, unique and complex. Create

By Abby Berry

Improve your cyber hygiene by doing these four things: 1. Enable authenticationmulti-factor 2. Use passwordsstrong and a password manager 3. Update regularlysoftware 4. Recognize and report attacksphishing See Yourself in Cyber. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 5

• Update software. It may seem obvious, but regularly updating software is one of the easiest ways to keep your personal information secure. Most companies provide automatic updates and will send reminders so you can easily install the update. If you’re not receiving automatic software updates, set a reminder to do so quarterly. Be

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

As of August, FlashFiber is passing more than 13,000 homes and more than 1,300 miles of fiber line have been deployed. This is almost half of the total miles needed for the project.

FLASHFIBER GOES THE EXTRA MILE

If you would like to learn more about FlashFiber, or to see if service is available where you live, visit jwflash.com and enter your address. nearing completion in Lawrence County, Priceville

Today — thanks to the support of every member excited about high-speed internet service and more than 2,000 current sub scribers — FlashFiber is quickly growing. We’re working hard to expand the offering to everyone in our service area.

Members’ patience is appreciated as FlashFiber continues to experience installation“FlashFiberdelays.isin high demand, and our installers are working each day to install as many members as possible,” Kitchens says. “We do apologize about this delay, but we promise that it will be worth the wait.”

 Area Open for Installs Area Opening Next 2,291 active FlashFiber subscribers 13,408 homes with service availability 1,429 miles of fiber line built Construction

Almost two years ago, Joe Wheeler EMC launched FlashFiber with the goal of bringing high-speed internet to its members living in Lawrence and Morgan counties.

6 OCTOBER 2O22 www.alabamaliving.coop2022

to be live in the next month. If you live in this area, be sure you have visited jwflash. com to preregister for service.

“Joe Wheeler EMC would like to thank all of our members who are currently subscribing to FlashFiber and making an investment into the future of our community,” Joe Wheeler EMC CEO George Kitchens says. “We would also like to thank all of the members who are still patiently waiting for service to be available in their area. We know this is a service many of our members desperately need, and we are working every day to make it available to more FlashFiberpeople.”construction is expected to be completed shortly in all areas in Law rence County. Priceville is also expected

PICK PORTALYOUR

WHAT IS YOUR NAME AND ROLE WITH FLASHFIBER?

My typical day consists of inputting raw points, lines and polygon data to be displayed within our mapping software called 3-GIS. Within 3-GIS, I can virtually connect all the fiber cables and equipment to accurately model what is in the field.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?

The easiest way to make your FlashFiber payment is to set up auto pay through your FlashFiber online account. This lets you set it up once, and not have to worry about it again.

You can still make a phone payment by calling 256-552-2300.

Mail a payment to the address on your FlashFiber bill.

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU?

PHONE

To access your FlashFiber account, go to jwflash.com and click on the “Log In for Payment” button at the top right corner.

In order to provide our FlashFiber sub scribers with the best customer service possible we have made some changes to our billing platform. You will no longer be able to pay your FlashFiber bill through the JWEMC website or in the office. However, we now have several new ways to pay your bill and they are easier than ever.

My name is Blake Lovett and I’m a Geographic Information Systems analyst.

KIOSKS

Payment kiosks are located in the foyers of all three JWEMC offices and the drive-thru kiosks are available at the Moulton and Hartselle offices.

When I am not at work, I enjoy playing golf and training in Brazilian jiujitsu at 10th Planet Decatur.

Before joining the FlashFiber team, I worked as a solutions engineer at 3-GIS.

43215

My favorite part about my job is being a part of the team that is providing high-speed internet and phone service to the areas where I grew up.

PAY ONLINE

WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE JOINING THE JOE WHEELER TEAM?

AUTO PAY

If you have any questions about these changes or anything else related to FlashFiber, give us a call at 256-567-4140.

Blake

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING AWAY FROM WORK?

Bringing FlashFiber to Joe Wheeler EMC members is no small undertaking. It requires a team of skilled employees. Over the next several issues we will feature some of the members of our team working to bring FlashFiber to your homes and businesses.

MAIL

MEET THE FLASHFIBER TEAM Lovett

New ways to pay your FlashFiber bill

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 7

ENERGY VAMPIRES WORD SCRAMBLE

• If your phone is juiced up, unplug your nophe rahrgce

Energy vampires could be lurking in your home! These are electronic devices that consume energy even when they’re not being used. Unscramble the bolded words to identify common energy vampires. Check your work in the answer key below.

• When you’re finished playing that new video game, unplug your eagm oncloes

• When you’re done watching your favorite show, unplug the seotnivile

• Tell your parents to unplug the efcfeo kmrea when they’re finished brewing.

AnswerKey:gameconsole,coffeemaker,television,phonecharger

Two grandsons, Brooks Hixon and Hixon Jordan, who in one of cotton fields. SUBMITTED by Laura Hixon, Banks. Dale Roth, by Norma Hulgan,

Banks. Submit to WIN $10!

cotton

| Alabama Snapshots | Online: alabamaliving.coop | Mail: Attn: Snapshots, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124

Elba. 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

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

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

Rice, Roanoke. Pops grandsonRoth)(JamesandJack at Southern Snow Farm. SUBMITTED by Cathy

SUBMITTED

our

Valley Head. RULES: Alabama Living will pay $10 for photos that best match our theme of the month. Photos may also be published on our website at alabamaliving.coop and on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Alabama Living is not responsible for lost or damaged photos. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to have photos returned.

Alabama

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 9 December theme: “My Favorite Christmas Decoration” | Deadline: October 31

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

are 27 days apart in age,

of our

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.

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.

Jubilee Festival of Arts wins Tourism event award

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

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.

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.

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, 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.

“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.

Sarah Turner

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

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.

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

10 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop Spotlight | October

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

Wetumpka festival highlights wildlife, local arts

Whereville, AL

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.

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!

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, the location of a for the $25 prize each

your photo.We’ll draw

Sponsored by

Take us along! Find the hidden dingbat!

By mail: Find the Montgomery,POAlabamaDingbatLivingBox244014AL 36124

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

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 11 October | Spotlight E-mail us at: letters@alabamaliving.coop or write us at: Letters to the editor P.O. Box Montgomery,244014AL 36124 Letters to the editor

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.

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.

Sonja Eddy, Auburn

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.

and

AEMC. large

winner

Loved August cover

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.

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!

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!

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.

By email: dingbat@alabamaliving.com

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.

month.

By Lenore Vickrey

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.

12 OCTOBER 2022

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

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.

familyPreserve recipes in a heirloompersonalizedcookbook

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.

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.”

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

PHOTO BY ROBIN RAWLS

hen 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.

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 13

Honoring a mother’s legacy

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.

“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.”

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.“Itonly 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.

“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.

“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.

“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.”

“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.

www.alabamaliving.coop

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.

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

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.

PHOTO COURTESY CREATE COOKBOOKMY

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.

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

Family reunions and food go together

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!”

A healing process

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

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.

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.”Notsurprisingly, 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.

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.

Bill Dunbar, Dixie EC and Baldwin EMC:

Michele and Gary St. Laurent, Wetumpka, Ala.: Our eachwhatnotandhusband1980,togetherChristmasfirstinmyIdidknowtogetother. So,weheadedtothemallonChristmasEve.Oneof

Readers share their favorite cookbooks

Thesauce.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).

Diane Meyer, Cullman EC:

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!

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.

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.

16 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop

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

We asked readers to share their favorites with us. See if you recognize any of them! — Allison Law

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.

(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!

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

Jeffrey M. Jones, Langston, Ala.:

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.

Linda Kelso, Joe Wheeler EMC:

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.

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.

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 ofcludesple.Powellmother,toell,MoonMandymother,great-grandmyPowandlatermygrandLuSamItinmanytheirown 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.

Ashley TallapoosaSmith,River EC:

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.

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

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 17

Barbara Perdue Middleton, Pioneer EC: My favor ite cookbook is A Taste of Butler Coun ty, SocietytyButleripesFamilyTreasuredAlabama:RecofTheCounHistorical

PHOTO COURTESY

CREATE MY COOKBOOK

. This special keep sake was pub lished as part of our Society’s 40th anniversary celebra tion in Butler2004.County Historical Society mem

18 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop

Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo’s beautiful grounds.

Ashlyn Kenwright works with Katrina, a black leopard.

“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.Downbut 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.

PHOTO BY EMMETT

By Emmett Burnett

Gulf Coast Zoo comes roaring back

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

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.

“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.

BURNETTThe

atrina 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.

It closed March 18, 2020.

“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.

PHOTO BY EMMETT BURNETT

“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.”

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 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.”

“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.

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.”

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.”

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 theGulfwild.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.

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.”

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

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

Caring for all kinds of animals

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

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.

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

20 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop

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.”

Behind the scenes

“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.”

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.”

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.”

“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.”

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?

Southwood Kitchen 1203 U.S. Highway 98, Suite 3D Daphne, Hours:southwoodkitchen.com251-626-6676ALLunch,11a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday dinner, 5 p.m.- 9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday Daphnel

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.

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.



PHOTO BY JENNIFER KORNEGAY

“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.

22 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop | Worth the drive |

aphne, 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.

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.

By Jennifer Kornegay

“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.

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 COURTESY OF SOUTHWOOD KITCHEN

Variety of cuisine influences set Southwood Kitchen apart

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.PHOTOBY JENNIFER KORNEGAY

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

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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

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.”

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 23

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.

• Harvest herbs and late-season vegetables and fruits.

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.”

OCTOBER TIPS

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

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

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

24 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop | Gardens |

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

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.”

Katie Jackson is a freelance

writer and editor based in Opelika, Alabama. Contact her katielamarjackson@gmail.com.at

y 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.

Spidermagic:Findingthespectacularinthespooky

• Look for fall plant sales.

• Divide perennials.

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.Theprevalence

• Sow seed for a cover crops.

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 25

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.

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.

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.

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.

Alabama Bookshelf

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.

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 27 For More Information Visit The Kelly.Org or Call W E T U M P K A Wildlife Arts Festival Sporting Dog Demonstrations featuring Wildrose Kennels Cooking Demonstrations with Premier Chef Chris Hastings Alabama Wildlife Federation - Live Animal Presentations Carving Demonstration with Wildlife Artist John David ArtisansLiveFooteMusicand Crafters Children’s Activities Food Vendors Plein Air Artists A Series of Educational Classes, Art Exhibits, Vendors and Expert Demonstrations, such NOVEMBER 5TH 10AM - 4PM Historic Downtown Wetumpka NOVEMBER 5TH • 10AM - 4PM Historic Downtown Wetumpka A Series of Educational Classes, Art Exhibits, Vendors and Expert Demonstrations, such as: • Sporting Dog Demonstrations featuring Wildrose Kennels • Cooking Demonstrations with Premier Chef Chris Hastings • Alabama Wildlife Federation - Live Animal Presentations • Carving Demonstration with Wildlife Artist John David Foote • Live Music • Artisans and Crafters • Children’s Activities • Food Vendors • Plein Air Artists

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

Answers on Page 41 October

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:

by Myles Mellor

• Starting, stopping, or changing jobs;

Report changes in a timely manner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When You Get Supplemental Security Income at ssa.gov/pubs/ HowEN-05-11011.pdftoreportchanges

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.

• 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

in wages

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

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

• 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

You can conveniently report your wages using our:

id 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.

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

• Free SSA Mobile Wage Reporting app for smartphones.

• Have a penalty deducted from your SSI payment; or

28 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop Across 1 Like a haunted house 4 One who casts spells 7 Detective Chief Inspector, for short 8 Entomb 10 Loud utterances of horror, perhaps 11 Put down, in slang 12 Former 13 Halloween automaton 15 Backyard pond fish 16 Dark area 17 Maple, for one 19 Jack o’ Lantern, when carved 22 Scary 25 Angry 26 Withered old witch 27 Gets close to 29 Kid 30 Not good/not bad, 2 words 31 Scatter Insects often found all over the place at Halloween 2 Responsibility 3 Barbie’s boy doll 4 Well-known witch description 5 Halloween greeting, 3 words 6 Unfriendly 7 Spanish for devil 9 Do away with 14 Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ ___ Prayer”, 2 words 16 Bats and cats are often seen as these in Halloween decorations 18 Spirit-raising event 19 Hocus ___ (magic trick) 20 Maintain 21 When bats fly and vampires hunt 23 French for summer 24 Toward sunrise 28 Go bad SOCIAL SECURITY

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



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

8-9

Eclectic 29th annual Alabama Cotton Festival, along Main Street, First Avenue and in the pecan orchard. More than 150 food and craft vendors, dog show, classic car show, art and photo contest and a free kids’ zone featuring inflatables, carnival games, face painting, the “chicken run” and more. TownOfEclectic.com

Waverly Fall Boogie No. 10 at Standard Deluxe. This festival of music, art, food and Southern culture features live music on the outdoor stage, including Mike and the Moonpies and Vandoliers. Gates open at noon; bring chairs and blankets. StandardDeluxe.com

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 29

Clanton Fall for the Arts, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center, 1850 Lay Dam Road. Vendors will sell handmade items and other treasures. Food, fun, gifts, appraisals (trash or treasure) and silent auction. Free indoor event. Chiltoncountyartscouncil.com or 205-245-9441.

6-7

Gulf Shores 49th annual National Shrimp Festival. Concerts on two stages at Gulf Place all four days, plus shrimp any way you want it and a variety of seafood and non-seafood favorites. Arts and crafts vendors, sandcastle contest and 5K and 10K run. Myshrimpfest.com

event showcases Main Street merchants and restaurants, handcrafted gifts, décor, art, festival food and more. Enterprisealabama.com

15-16

8 Alexander City Oktoberfest, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex, 1685 Arena Road. Kid-friendly event with kids’ activities, live music, lots of vendors, food and more. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.

October | Around Alabama To place an event, e-mail events@alabamaliving.coop. or visit www.alabamaliving.coop. You can also mail to Events Calendar, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124; Each submission must include a contact name and phone number. Deadline is two months prior to issue date. We regret that we cannot publish every event due to space limitations. Like Alabama Living on facebook Follow Alabama Living on Twitter @Alabama_Living

15 Gantt Fall Fest 7, Pier 7 Road, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free family-friendly community event with live music, car shows, arts and crafts vendors, food, kids’ activities including BIMO the Magician and bouncy house, horse and buggy rides, community awareness programs and more. 334-508-2797.

6-8

7-8

Boaz October Harvest Festival in historic downtown. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 225 arts and crafts booths, food court, kids’ area with free inflatables, antique car show, festival pageant, daily entertainment, Moon Pie and RC Cola contests. New this year is an antique tractor and engine show. 256-593-8154 or search for the event’s page on Facebook.

Eufaula second annual Eufaulafest, formerly the Indian Summer Festival, in the Seth Lore Historic District. Artists, designers, craftsmen and makers of all kinds will gather to celebrate the arts and things of the South. Eufaulafest.art

Hartselle 2022 Alabama Gourd Show presented by the Alabama Gourd Society, Sparkman Civic Center, 406 Nance Ford Road SW. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. Kids’ patch, demonstrations, ribbon competition area, vendors selling gourds of all kinds and classes available. 256-347-9480 or alabamagourdsociety.org

Cullman Peinhardt Living History Farm Day, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Learn what farm life was like in the 1930s and 1940s in north Alabama. Hands-on activities as well as pumpkins, cotton, sweet potatoes, bluebird houses, apple pigs, wooden pegs, crosscut saw rounds and more. $10 per person; ages 2 and under free. 1711 Talley Ho St. peinhardtfarm.com

22 Montgomery Oktoberfest Festival, Messiah Lutheran Church, 6670 Vaughn Road. Live music, German and American food, pet adoptions, used book sale, treasure room, beer garden, arts and crafts, community marketplace, children’s play area, raffles and more. 2 to 6 p.m.; free admission. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.

6-9

6-8

Troy Pioneer Days, Pioneer Museum of Alabama. Craftsmen will demonstrate rope making, woodworking, spinning, jewelry making, Dutch oven cooking and more. $12, with museum members and children under 5 free. Pioneer-museum.org

Athens 55th annual Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention, on the campus of Athens State University. Bring the family and enjoy a uniquely American musical and cultural experience. Tickets are $17-$25. Tvotfc.org

15 Enterprise Boll Weevil Fall Festival, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown near the Boll Weevil monument. This free outdoor

14-15

Sylacauga Marble Valley’s ninth annual open house and yard sale. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. 2373 Coosa County Road 5 (Marble Valley Road.) Daily drawing (one ticket per person); food will be available. All yard sale and event drawing proceeds go to the Marble Valley Fire Department. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.

Dothan Fall Farm Day at Landmark Park, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sponsored by the National Peanut Festival. See how peanuts were harvested in the Wiregrass nearly 100 years ago. Cane grinding, syrup making, butter churning, soap making and other traditional farm activities. Music, antique tractors, wagon rides and quilt display. $8 adults, $6 seniors and military, $4 for kids, free for park members and children 2 and under. Landmarkparkdothan.com

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

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.

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.

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

Insulation rating

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

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.

PHOTO COURTESY PROJECT HOME

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Insulation made easy

DIY considerations

Where to insulate

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

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.

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.

Exteriorhatches.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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

30 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop | Consumer Wise |

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

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.

32 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop | Outdoors |

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.

“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.”

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.

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.

Chronic Wasting Disease confirmed in Alabama

2022 should be a good season for deer hunters in Alabama

“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.”

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.

“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.”

“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 wouldHuntersnaturally.”canbring 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

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

PHOTO BY JOHN N. FELSHER

“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.”

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.

he 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.

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.

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.”

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Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 33 P.O. BOX 389, ADDISON, AL 35540 256-747-8178 • FAX: 256-747-8760 WE SELL: Steel Trusses • Hay Barns Lumber • Equipment Sheds Building Material Packages Painted Metal • Work Shops Insulation • Kneebraces Galvalume Metal STEEL TRUSS BUILDINGS BUILT TO YOUR SPECIFICATIONS CECIL PIGGCECIL PIGG STEEL TRUSS, INC. The Moon Clock and resulting Moon Times were developed 40 years ago by Doug Hannon, one of America’s most trusted wildlife experts and a tireless inventor. The Moon Clock is produced by DataSport, Inc. of Atlanta, GA, a company specializing in wildlife activity time prediction. To order the 2022 Moon Clock, go to www.moontimes.com. DOUG HANNON’S FISH & GAME FORECAST 2022 EXCELLENT TIMES MOON STAGE GOOD TIMES

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| Alabama Recipes |

weet 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:

Food styling and photos: Brooke Echols

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.

Potatoes

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.

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.

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

Sweet

1 teaspoon salt

Coming up next... February Decadent Desserts Deadline to enter November 4 March: Pizza | December 2 April: Biscuits | January 6 More upcoming themes and deadlines: Visit our website: alabamaliving.coop Email us: recipes@alabamaliving.coop

USPS Attn: Recipes, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124

½ cup whole milk

Janet CentralParkerAlabama

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

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.

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.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus ½ tablespoon for soufflé Sugar,dishes for soufflé dish

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2½ cups mashed sweet potatoes

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.

3 cups cake flour

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

For the Soufflé:

For the Rum Sauce: 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 35

Sweet Potato Soufflé

1/8 cup rum

½ cup sugar ¾ cup milk ¼ cup rum

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes 3 large eggs, separated, and at room temperature ¼ cup maple syrup

¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup pecans, chopped

4 eggs

For the Soufflé:

1½ teaspoons vanilla

mail:

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.”

1 cup butter

¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice Pinch of Confectioners'salt sugar, for dusting

Cook of the Month: Rebecca Quick, Cullman EC

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.

4 cups water

1 cup sour cream

Mary TallapoosaAvantRiver EC

1½ sticks margarine

2 cups sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

RollCinnamoneachpotato

2 cups sugar

1 package sweet potato patties, cut in half

Sweet Potato Cake

1½ teaspoons pepper

¾ cup nuts, chopped

Brooke Burks

Rita Marshall-DeKalbBriscoe EC

4 eggs

1¼ cups cooking oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups blanched almond flour

½ stick butter

2 teaspoons baking powder

Photo by The Buttered Home

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Kim CovingtonJohns EC

BBQ SweetPork-StuffedPotatoes

1 cup sugar-free BBQ sauce

½ cup + 1 tablespoon chopped nuts

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes or yams

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 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 4 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups cooked pulled pork

¾ cup coconut

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!

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 box confectioners’ sugar

1 cup pureed sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons butter

Sugar free syrup

4 medium cooked sweet potatoes

¾ teaspoon salt

36 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop

½ cup Cinnamon,milk 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.

½ cup +1 tablespoon coconut

1½ cups sugar, divided

Peggy Key North Alabama EC

2 cups tapioca flour

¾ cup plain flour

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.

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon sea salt 8 whole eggs

2 cups water

2 packages crescent rolls

Frosting:

patty half in a crescent triangle. Place in a baking dish. Heat

1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese Chopped green onions

Sweet Potato Dumplings

2 cups sweet potatoes, thinly sliced

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.

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.

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

APWA UNIFORM COLOR

 A damaged connection to gas appliance.

Don’t try to locate the gas leak. Keep everyone away from the area.

 Dirt or water being blown into the air.



COMMON

 Always leave the premises immediately and call 911.

Natural Gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, providing safe and reliable energy to millions of customers through a networ k of buried transmission and distribution pipelines. At Wheeler Basin Natural Gas Company our main goal is to deliver Natural Gas safely and reliably to the many homes, businesses, schools, and industries we serve. We are committed to educating our partners, customers, publi c officials, excavators, emergency responders and the affected public on the importance of Recognizing, Reacting & Responding to any incident near a Natural Gas pipeline or involving Natural Gas. The Nation ’s pipeline infrastructure is a matter of national security. If you witness suspicious activity on a pipeline right of way please contact the appropriate authorities as soon as possible or call WBNG @ 25 6.974.9023

• A sharp blue flame indicates a complete gas/oxygen mixture during combustion.

 Exposed pipeline after a fire, flood, tornado, earthquake or other disaster.

• Natural Gas is colorless, odorless and lighter than air.

• Carbon dioxide and water vapor are the main products released when Natural Gas is burned.

Recognize... React... Respond...

PROPOSED

underground

STARTS WITH YOU AND... Wheeler Basin Natural Gas Company would like to remind you to call Alabama 811 before starting any new construction project. By locating and marking underground utilities, you protect yourself as well as your utility service. Unintentional damage to underground facilities during excavation is a significant cause of disruption in utility services, as well as other vital service operations. Accidently breaking a natural gas pipe isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a hazard to you, your neighborhood and your community. All site preparation should include excavation & exposure of potential conflicts with all Wheeler Basin Natural Gas Company underground facilities. 24/7 ON CALL / 256.974.9023 www.wheelerbasin.com

Evacuate the building or location until it is declared safe to return by WBNG.

PIPELINE LOCATION:

• Natural Gas is composed primarily of Methane.

 The distinctive odor of product added to natural gas to give it an odor, usually associated with the smell of rotten eggs.



 Open all doors and windows if you can do so quickly.

 A fire or explosion near a pipeline.

IMPORTANT MESSAGES ON NATURAL GAS PIPELINE SAFETY:

For marking utility lines

CARBON MONOXIDE SAFETY:

 Dead or dying vegetation (in an otherwise moist area) over or near pipeline areas.

Don’t turn lights on or off or unplug electrical appliances.

TEMPORARYRECLAIMEDCOMMUNICATIONSEXCAVATIONWATERSURVEYMARKINGS

NATURAL GAS FACTS:

SYMPTOMS OF CARBON MONOXIDE Dull VomitingNauseaConfusionheadache Blurred vision

• Natural Gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel.

CODE

DAMAGE PREVENTION:

 An unusual sound, such as hissing, whistling or roaring sound near a gas line or appliance.

Carbon Monoxide poisoning can occur if a natural gas appliance is operated in an enclosed space that has no access to fresh air. Improper installation of gas appliances can lead to carbon monoxide build use a qualified, licensed service personnel for installation or repairs.

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 39

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) last issued oper ating license renewals for Browns Ferry’s Units 1, 2 and 3 in May 2006, allowing continued operation of all three units until 2033, 2034, and 2036, respectively. In order for all three units to continue to provide carbon-free power to the TVA grid for an additional 20 years beyond the expiration dates stated above, these NRC licens es need to be renewed through the Subsequent License Renewal (SLR) application process.

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant powers us toward a clean energy future

During a scheduled maintenance outage at Browns Ferry’s Unit 3 this year, teams completed the replacement of feedwater pump heaters with more robust heaters, along with more than 300 new fuel assemblies. These upgrades will help ensure that Browns Ferry

Kevin Chandler is the customer relations director, Regional Relations South, for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

To help achieve these goals and maintain optimum operations, TVA has been investing in its nuclear fleet throughout FY22.

License renewal of all three units will maximize the use of this existing asset to support the TVA’s goal of generating electricity at the lowest feasible cost for the people of the Tennessee Valley. Re newal of the current operating licenses would allow Browns Ferry to continue supplying up to 3,900 MWe capacity of safe, clean, reli able, and cost-effective base load power for the long-term.

By the end of the calendar year 2023, TVA plans to submit its SLR application (SLRA) to the NRC to request an additional 20 years of operation of all three BFN units. With the receipt of the SLR from the NRC, TVA proposes to maintain and operate BFN Units 1, 2, and 3 until 2053, 2054, and 2056, respectively.

continues to supply reliable, carbon-free energy for years to come.



Also during the August 31 meeting, TVA’s Board of Directors approved management’s request to delegate authority to the CEO related to the application for subsequent renewal of the operating licenses for Browns Ferry Units 1, 2 and 3, subject to all required and appropriate environment reviews and reports to the Board.

40 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop | Our Sources Say |

Together with TVA’s two other nuclear sites, Browns Ferry is playing a vital role in enabling TVA to achieve its carbon reduc tion goals. During the August 31 Board of Directors meeting, TVA discussed the strategy laid out in its Strategic Intent and Guiding Principles targeting a 70 percent reduction in carbon emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 with a path toward an 80 percent reduc tion by 2035. TVA aspires to attain net-zero emissions by 2050 without impacting costs or reliability through collaborating with government, industry and research organizations to help develop the necessary technology to support decarbonization.

A new, more robust feedwater pump heater will help Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant provide carbon-free energy well into the future.

hether it’s during the extreme heat of summer or frigid cold in winter, Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant helps maintain stable loads, powers millions of homes with clean energy, and utilizes one of the lowest cost fuel sources available.

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to puzzle on Page 28

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Answers

Then he ate ‘em.

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

taught my son a skill others could admire.

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.

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?

And I stood by, satisfied that I had

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.

Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

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

Illustration by Dennis Auth

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.

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

I love Steamed,oysters.smoked, stewed, fried.

Which brings me around to shucking.



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.

But best of all, I love them raw.

Then I got the good news.

I was worried.

I gave him a glove, an oyster-knife, and an“Seeoyster.that little place at the end of the shell. Stick the point in there and twist it.”

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.

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

Oysters are coming back.

He did, and the shucking began.

In praise of oysters

Full of himself as a young puppy.

42 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop | Hardy Jackson's Alabama |

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

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.

It’s Co-opNationalMonth!

October 2022 Joe Wheeler

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