Alabama Living October 2022 by Alabama Living

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of ALABAMA

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POSTMASTER send forms 3579 to: Alabama Living, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, Alabama 36124-4014.

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

Those cotton fields

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

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.

Gulf Coast Zoo

Worth the Drive

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.

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

Sweet potatoes

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

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

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.

COOPERATIVESElectric

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

Cybersecurity

By Justin Luebbert

Cooperative

Electric cooperatives are working together to establish relationships, provide tools, share resources and training information to harden and improve the overall cyber landscape. Photo credit: Garrett Hubbard

4 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop

Electric cooperatives are working together and with their local Generation and Transmission (G&T) coop eratives, statewide organi zations and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), the national trade association for electric cooperatives. Together, they’re leading efforts to establish relation ships, provide tools, share resources and training information to harden and improve the overall cyber landscape.

Remember, it’s important to practice good cyber hygiene at home, in the work place and even on the go. Be vigilant as you connect to outside networks and care fully read emails before clicking or open ing links and attachments. Consider using a virtual private network (VPN), which encrypts your online activities while you’re working on the go or even at home. A VPN adds a layer of privacy protection to your online interactions by routing your traffic through an encrypted connection. We all have a part to play in combatting cyber threats. Electric cooperatives and their local and national partners will con tinue working together to advance cyber security defenses for all co-op members and the local communities they serve.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month––but good cyber hygiene should be practiced year-round.

You can help too. Good cyber hygiene is equally important at home and in our per sonal lives. Just like grid technology con tinues to expand, so does the connected home. With smart (internet-connected) technologies integrated into many of our homes, whether it be a smart speaker or a connected appliance, it’s essential to take steps to protect our devices and personal data.

• Use secure passwords. This means using unique passwords for all your accounts and ensuring they are at least 15 characters long. Randomly gen erated passwords or passphrases are typically more secure. You might also consider using some type of password manager. In addition to suggesting new, strong and unique credentials for every login, many password managers will let you know if your existing passwords are weak, reused or have been associated with a data breach so you can take action immediately.

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 5

As cybersecurity threats continue to grow both at home and in the workplace, it’s important to know what we can do as individuals, how we can work with others and measures we can take to reduce our risk of cyber threats.

Justin Luebbert 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.

A VPN adds a layer of privacy protection to your online interactions by routing your traffic through an encrypted connection.

Electric cooperatives are coming together to fight back and add resiliency to the electric grid. When it comes to

Electric co-ops are guided by seven cooperative principles. One of these prin ciples, “Cooperation Among Coopera tives,” has never been more important as it pertains to protecting and defending our nation’s electric grid from cyberattacks. As the grid evolves and new technologies emerge, this creates additional opportuni ties for threat actors to target our systems.

cybersecurity, cooperation among cooperatives hap pens in a multitude of ways.

Here are a cybersecurityfew tips you can implement at home:

• Enable multi-factor or two-factor authentication for your online accounts. This extra layer of security allows websites and applications to confirm you’re really who you say you are. The additional authentication may come in many forms, including a con firmation text code on your phone, an email or even a separate authenticator app. By adding this second step, you’re making it a lot harder for hackers to access your accounts.

• Think before you click. Be careful when clicking links or opening attachments. This is one of the most important ways to protect yourself against scammers and hackers. If you receive a text message or email that seems too good to be true or threatens negative consequences for not taking immediate action or displays a sense of urgency, take extra precaution. If an email looks like it came from a friend or co-worker but it seems odd, pick up the phone and check with the person before opening any links or attach ments. In many instances, their email account might have been hacked.

• 8 pieces Conecuh sausage about 4-5 inches each, butterflied

• Cocktail sauce to taste

“AWF’s Wild Game Cook-Offs promi nently display that responsible hunters and anglers properly utilize the game and fish that they harvest, and it makes great and healthy table fare,” said AWF Executive Director Tim Gothard. “At the State Finals, the best of the best is on full display.”

While the fish is frying, Harp takes a small flour tortilla and sprinkles it with cheese and places it on a hot grill. Leave the tortilla on the grill only long enough to melt the cheese, about 10-15 seconds. The tortilla will become tough if grilled tooThelong.Conecuh sausage is butterflied and placed on the grill. When the sausage siz zles, it’s ready to go.

Two of the top three recipes used spot ted bass as their centerpieces, while a tasty bream dish rounded out the winners.

“My marketing assistant, Brooklyn George, made the slaw at the CookOff,” Harp says. “She took half and half shredded red and green cabbage, sliced bell peppers, sugar, black pepper and the Greek yogurt and combined. You have to be careful about the amount of yogurt you use. I don’t like a lot of moisture in my slaw on fish tacos. Just a splash or two of apple cider vinegar adds just little more acidity. We didn’t use any onions at the event, but sometimes I will add onions to the slaw. If you want the leftover slaw as a side, add a little yogurt to make it a little wetter.”

The runner-up trophy went to Consol idated Cookers from Madison County with their Big Pond Bream Taco. A fish dish that wasn’t in a taco took third place. The Spotted Bass and Grits Cakes dish was prepared by Co-Op Cut-Ups, winners at the Selma Cook-Off. The team also won the award for best presentation. Smokin’ Aces from Talladega was runner-up for best presentation.

spotted bass caught yesterday (the day before the finals) and cleaned,” says Andrew Harp, head cook on the team from Lake Martin. “They’re fresh. We took a flour tortilla, topped it with shredded cheese and put it on the grill to melt the cheese. We love the grill taste. The base is Conecuh sausage, followed by the fried fish. We use a Zatarain’s breading mix with a little added spice. Then we top that with a custom slaw with green and red cabbage. Then we drizzle Sriracha mayo and cock tail sauce on the top. And we top that off with a lot of love.”

By David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

• Two 2-pound spotted bass, filleted (four fillets will make eight pieces of fish)

• ¾ head green cabbage

• 1 bell pepper, thin-sliced

“It was extremely exciting,” Harp says. “It was nice to be validated with a trophy. We didn’t come here to lose.”

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Taco Del Lago

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Harp said Taco del Lago likely will be retired from competition because he has something else in mind for next year.

• 8 small flour tortillas

Alabama Ag Credit’s Taco Lot team, which created Taco del Lago with spotted bass, was crowned champion among the 10 teams that qualified for the finals by winning their regional events held across the“Westate.used

Fresh fish dominates in AWF Wild Game Cook-Off state finals

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Alabama’s abundant freshwater fish took center stage recently at the Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) Wild Game Cook-Off State Finals at AWF’s Lanark Pavilion in Millbrook.

Harp’s team had been participating in the Wild Game Cook-Offs for years, preparing dishes made to ensure the spec tators didn’t leave the event hungry. The 2022 regional competition was the first time they got serious about the contest.

• ¾ cup sugar

6 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop

• 1 gallon peanut oil

Although the competition was stiff, with a variety of dishes across the wild spectrum – venison, elk, wild hog, catfish and wild turkey – Harp was confident in the team’s dish.

• Sriracha mayonnaise to taste

that really matters – the Lake Martin spot ted bass. Let me tell you where you catch them. Right in the mouth.

• Zatarain’s Crispy Cajun Fish Fri

“When we clean the fish, we drop the fillets in buttermilk,” Harp says. “When we get ready to fry the fish, we take them out of the buttermilk and dust them with the Zatarain’s breading mix. We drop them in the peanut oil at 350 degrees and fry them until they’re golden brown.”

“We’ll probably have some Lake Martin bass there to taste, but there’s a 99 percent chance the next dish will have alligator in it,” he says. “Gator is a real clean white meat, and it tastes good too. What might taste good is gator and Lake Martin bass in the same dish. I might do that.”

• 8 ounces Colby Jack cheese

• 1 quart buttermilk

• ¾ head red cabbage

“At Lake Martin, we decided to enter something fun, and it won,” Harp says. “We entered the same dish in the finals, so that taco is undefeated. Where this recipe starts is the only thing in that taco

Did you know one of the most cutting-edge places for technol ogy is right up the road at your local electric cooperative?

In the early part of the last century, America’s cities were being transformed by this new thing called electricity. But outside the municipal boundaries, people could only look with envy at the glow from over the horizon. Setting poles and stringing power lines miles outside of town for one or two customers was deemed tooLuckily,expensive.go-getters in America’s rural communities believed they could solve the problems that kept the power companies from connecting them to modern society.

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 7

Paul Wesslund 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.

Electric co-ops didn’t spring from a national directive or orga nization. They are truly homegrown products of what local people wanted for their community. Electric co-ops first started forming as early as 1914, and the formation of the REA in 1935 helped smooth the way forward. But it was local community initiative over the next three decades that finally brought electric service to nearly everyone.

While it may seem surprising to think of your electric co-op as a high-tech leader, it’s part of a way of doing business that has been finding new approaches to solving modern problems for nearly 100 years.

And just as co-ops first brought electricity to unserved rural areas nearly a century ago, today many of them are working to bring high-speed internet service to their local communities.

That’s right! Innovation isn’t happening just in computer labs or on satellites rocketing into space. Electric co-ops lead even the highly-technical electric utility industry in such fast-changing areas as renewable energy and installation of smart meters that allow the more efficient use of electricity.

Making light out of darkness

forming their own utilities. They were community-based orga nizations, democratically-run, not-for-profit businesses called cooperatives. Today, there are more than 900 electric co-ops in theItU.S.wasn’t easy, especially at first. They got a huge boost when, after getting the attention of some key politicians, the federal government created the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). The REA made loans available, helping finance expensive utility construction. It provided technical consulting, developing engineering techniques to carry electricity longer distances. The agency drew up model co-op bylaws and even went on the road with tent shows to demonstrate how to use the latest conveniences like electric ovens and washing machines.

In fact, electric co-ops were originally created to solve one of the most basic and complex of needs and desires—making light out of Thatdarkness.legacystill works today, and it’s why time is set aside each October to recognize National Co-op Month. It’s a reminder that business succeeds not just through competition, but also through cooperation.Asaresult of the member-owned cooperative form of business, co-ops stand out in many areas of the electric utility industry. They lead the way in community solar—an initiative in which the co-op utility builds a solar array that is supported by interested co-op members buying shares of the project. Electric vehicles are getting a boost from co-ops as well, with many placing charging stations in public parks and other rural locations.

They called their friends and neighbors together and started

A true grassroots movement

By Paul Wesslund

The electric co-op history of innovation

The story of electric co-ops is of a true grassroots movement of unique, homegrown organizations. The one characteristic that applies to all of them is that they care for and listen to the local members they serve.

But the biggest innovation is simply the co-op itself, and the notion of a utility with only one mission—to make life better for its members, who are also its customers.

For electric co-ops, one size does not fit all—it’s the local com munity that’s in charge. In recognizing that every one of us is different, co-ops make both an electric connection, and a human connection.Andthat’s a truly powerful innovation.

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

AnswerKey:gameconsole,coffeemaker,television,phonecharger

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 done watching your favorite show, unplug the seotnivile

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

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

ENERGY VAMPIRES WORD SCRAMBLE

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

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

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

SUBMITTED

our

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

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

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.

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

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

of our

Alabama

are 27 days apart in age,

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

Banks. Submit to WIN $10!

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.

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.”

Whereville, AL

10 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop Spotlight | October

Jubilee Festival of Arts wins Tourism event award

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.

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!

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

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

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

The 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.

Wetumpka festival highlights wildlife, local arts

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Sarah Turner

and

By mail: Find the Montgomery,POAlabamaDingbatLivingBox244014AL 36124

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.

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.

winner

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

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

your photo.We’ll draw

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

Sonja Eddy, Auburn

AEMC. large

Take us along! Find the hidden dingbat!

Sponsored by

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!

month.

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!

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.

Loved August cover

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.

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.

By Lenore Vickrey

12 OCTOBER 2022

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.

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

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

PHOTO BY ROBIN RAWLS

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.”

familyPreserve recipes in a heirloompersonalizedcookbook

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

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.

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

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 13

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.”

“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.”

Honoring a mother’s legacy

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

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.

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.

A healing process

“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.”

PHOTO COURTESY CREATE COOKBOOKMY

www.alabamaliving.coop

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

“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.

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.

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.

“But when it comes down to it, people still like the printed book,” Christina says. YouTube tutorials offer help and design services are offered. The process is “very easy,” she adds.

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

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

Marcia Weber 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 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.

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.

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.

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

Family reunions and food go together

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).

16 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop

Diane Meyer, Cullman EC:

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!

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.

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.

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

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

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

Jeffrey M. Jones, Langston, Ala.:

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.

Bill Dunbar, Dixie EC and Baldwin EMC:

Readers share their favorite cookbooks

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!

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

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.

Linda Kelso, Joe Wheeler EMC:

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.

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 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

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

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!

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

CREATE MY COOKBOOK

Ashley TallapoosaSmith,River EC:

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.

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.

PHOTO COURTESY

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

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 17

It closed March 18, 2020.

Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo’s beautiful grounds.

“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.

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.

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

PHOTO BY EMMETT

“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.

“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.

18 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop

Gulf Coast Zoo comes roaring back

Ashlyn Kenwright works with Katrina, a black leopard.

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.

PHOTO BY EMMETT BURNETT

BURNETTThe

“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.

By Emmett Burnett

PHOTO COURTESY GULF COAST ZOO

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.”

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

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

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.”

“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

Caring for all kinds of animals

“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.”

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?

“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.”

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.”

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.”

“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.”

20 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop

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.

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.”

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?

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.”

Behind the scenes

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

The 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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.”

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.

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.”

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

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.

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

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.

By Jennifer Kornegay

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.

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

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.

“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.

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.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOUTHWOOD KITCHEN

Variety of cuisine influences set Southwood Kitchen apart



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

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

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.

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

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.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER KORNEGAY

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.

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

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

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 23

• Harvest herbs and late-season vegetables and fruits.

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.

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.

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

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

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

• Sow seed for a cover crops.

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

• Divide perennials.

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.

OCTOBER TIPS

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

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.”

Spidermagic:Findingthespectacularinthespooky

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.”

• Look for fall plant sales.

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.

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.

24 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop | Gardens |

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.”

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.

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

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.

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 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.

Alabama Bookshelf

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.

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.

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

by Myles Mellor

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

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

Report changes in a timely manner

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

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:

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

You can conveniently report your wages using our:

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;

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



• Free SSA Mobile Wage Reporting app for smartphones.

• Have a penalty deducted from your SSI payment; or

Answers on Page 41 October

• Starting, stopping, or changing jobs;

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

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

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.

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

• 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

• 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

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

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.

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

in wages

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 29

6-7

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.

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.

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

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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

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

6-9

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

Wall insulation can be installed during construction or a remod

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

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.

Insulation made easy

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

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.

Insulation rating

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.

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.

PHOTO COURTESY PROJECT HOME

Importance of air sealing

Where to insulate

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

DIY considerations

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

“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.”

“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.”

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.

“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.”

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.

PHOTO BY JOHN N. FELSHER

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.

“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.”

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.

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.

“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

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.

“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.”

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.

“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.

2022 should be a good season for deer hunters in Alabama

Chronic Wasting Disease confirmed in Alabama

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.

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

32 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop | Outdoors |

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

3:51 Sa 19 8:18 - 10:18 8:42 - 10:42 2:45 - 4:15 3:09 - 4:39 Su 20 9:06 - 11:06 9:30 - 11:30 3:33 - 5:03 3:57 - 5:27 Mo 21 9:54 - 11:54 10:18 - 12:18 4:21 - 5:51 4:45 - 6 ;15 Tu 22 10:18 - 12:18 10:42 - 12:42 4:48 - 6:28 5:11 - 6:41 We 23 10:42 - 12:42 11:06 - 1:06 FULL MOON 5:09 - 6:39 5:33 - 7:03 Th 24 11:30 - 1:30 11:54 - 1:54 5:57 - 7:27 6:21 - 7:51 Fr 25 NA 12:42 - 2:42 6:45 - 8:15 7:09 - 8:39 Sa 26 1:06 - 3:06 1:30 - 3:30 7:33 - 9:03 7:57 - 9:27 Su 27 1:54 - 3:54 2:18 - 4:18 8:21 - 9:51 8:45 - 10:15 Mo 28 2:42 - 4:42 3:06 - 5:06 9:09 - 10:39 9:33 - 11:03 Tu 29 3:30 - 5:30 3:54 - 5:54 9:57 - 11:27 10:21 - 11:51 We 30 4:18 - 6:18 4:42 - 6:42 10:45 - 12:15 11:09 - 12:39

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

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Sweet

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

| Alabama Recipes |

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

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

Food styling and photos: Brooke Echols

Potatoes

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:

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

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

1 cup butter

For the Soufflé:

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

Janet CentralParkerAlabama

mail:

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

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup brown sugar

1/8 cup rum

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.

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

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.

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.”

4 eggs

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 cup pecans, chopped

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

½ cup sugar ¾ cup milk ¼ cup rum

1½ cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1½ teaspoons vanilla

For the Rum Sauce: 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon cornstarch

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.

For the Soufflé:

Cook of the Month: Rebecca Quick, Cullman EC

½ cup whole milk

2 teaspoons baking powder

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

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

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

Sweet Potato Soufflé

3 cups cake flour

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Alabama Living OCTOBER 2022 35

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.

Photo by The Buttered Home

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

Sweet Potato Cake

4 cups water

2 packages crescent rolls

¾ cup coconut

½ cup vegetable oil

Sweet Potato Pancakes

1½ teaspoons pepper

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!

Frosting:

Rita Marshall-DeKalbBriscoe EC

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 4 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons vanilla

¾ cup nuts, chopped

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.

2 teaspoons baking powder

BBQ SweetPork-StuffedPotatoes

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups blanched almond flour

4 eggs

Brooke Burks

¾ cup plain flour

1½ cups sugar, divided

8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 box confectioners’ sugar

1 cup sugar-free BBQ sauce

4 cups cooked pulled pork

Kim CovingtonJohns EC

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes or yams

2 cups sweet potatoes, thinly sliced

36 OCTOBER 2022 www.alabamaliving.coop

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

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

½ cup +1 tablespoon coconut

Sweet Potato Cobbler

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup Cinnamon,milk to taste

1 cup pureed sweet potatoes

4 medium cooked sweet potatoes

2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda

Mary TallapoosaAvantRiver EC

½ cup + 1 tablespoon chopped nuts

1¼ cups cooking oil

2 cups sugar

Peggy Key North Alabama EC

1½ sticks margarine

2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon sea salt 8 whole eggs

2 cups tapioca flour

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 Dumplings

½ stick butter

1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese Chopped green onions

1 package sweet potato patties, cut in half

Sugar free syrup

2 cups water

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

2 cups sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

2 cups all-purpose flour

RollCinnamoneachpotato

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

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.

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

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

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

Gary Smith is President and CEO of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative.

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

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

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

Your cooperative, however, will be prepared.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant powers us toward a clean energy future

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.

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

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to puzzle on Page 28

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

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

He did, and the shucking began.

taught my son a skill others could admire.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

But best of all, I love them raw.

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?

Oysters are coming back.

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

Which brings me around to shucking.

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

Then he ate ‘em.

I was worried.

And I stood by, satisfied that I had

Full of himself as a young puppy.

In praise of oysters

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.

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

Then I got the good news.

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.”

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

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.

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Alabama Living October 2022

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