51 minute read
Spice Up Your Holiday with Christmas Carnitas
LAURA TUCKER
When planning your Christmas dinner menu, what foods typically come to your mind?
A traditional Southern Christmas dinner usually consists of ham or turkey, enough casseroles to feed a small army and an array of homemade desserts that will undoubtedly put you into a blissful food coma that can only be remedied by an afternoon nap on the couch. For most of us, Christmas dinner is deeply rooted with family traditions and heirloom recipes that have been passed down for many years. We tend to feel a little nostalgic as we pile on the ham and a second helping of dressing and green bean casserole onto our plate, knowing that these foods are always bringing us a little comfort and joy during the holiday season.
But what if I told you that it’s okay to switch things up a little bit? Hang with me here – I know that may sound a little bit crazy to some. The idea of not doing what you’ve always done may not sound nearly as exhilarating to others as it does to me, and I completely understand that. I love and respect family traditions, and nothing speaks truer to my heart than diving into a plate full of Southern food during the holidays, but there’s an abundance of truth in the old saying, “Variety is the spice of life.”
I am certainly not suggesting that you ditch the family traditions, but rather add a little something unconventional or unexpected to your holiday menu! Many families find themselves having multiple holiday dinners with extended family, which can mean having the same or similar meals over and over again. In situations like this, I think it’s a great idea to switch things up a bit and serve something that may not typically be considered a traditional Christmas dinner. These Christmas Carnitas, for example, are perfect for feeding a small crowd and feature a beautiful variety of colorful and fresh ingredients that are perfect for the cheery holiday season!
Carnitas are very similar to a taco in how they’re served, but differ from traditional tacos in the cut of meat that is used. Carnitas are traditionally made using pork shoulder that is cooked low and slow, creating a beautiful fork-tender meat that nearly melts in your mouth. I chose to zhuzh this dish up a little and make the carnitas festive by only choosing Christmas-colored toppings such as red and green bell peppers, fresh salsa, Pico de Gallo, jalapenos, cilantro and crumbled cotija or queso fresco cheese to resemble fresh fallen snow - something we don’t typically see too often here in Alabama!
The beauty of this meal is that the slow cooker takes care of the bulk of the work for you, freeing up more of your time to spend with family. Once you’ve got your pork shoulder simmering away in the slow cooker, all you’ll need to do is chop a few veggies and you’re good to go! Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
Christmas Carnitas
Ingredients:
For the carnitas:
4-5 pounds pork shoulder 1-1/2 cups vegetable or beef broth 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup salsa 5 teaspoons minced garlic 1 Tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon oregano
For the toppings (think Christmas colors!):
Corn tortillas Red and green bell peppers, diced Fresh jalapenos Cherry tomatoes, cut in half or diced Pico de gallo or fresh salsa Cilantro Lime wedges Guacamole Crumbled cotija or queso fresco cheese Sour cream Instructions:
Place pork shoulder into the slow cooker and pour wet ingredients over the meat. Sprinkle remaining herbs and spices over the pork shoulder, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Prep your vegetables ahead of time by pre-slicing and dicing and arrange on a platter for people to easily build their own carnitas. When the pork shoulder is finished cooking, remove from slow cooker and drain off excess liquid. Place meat in a serving dish, shred and serve. Be sure to heat up the tortillas before serving as well!
My Christmas wish for you this season is that you get to spend quality time with your loved ones at the dinner table - especially after the unprecedented times we’ve been facing over the last year and a half. Fellowship, laugh, and enjoy a home-cooked meal and the company of others, no matter if you’re serving up a traditional ham or turkey, or if you’re going a less-traditional route and cooking up something fun and unique. Food has such a magical way of bringing us all together to experience something wonderful that goes far beyond what’s on the plate, and that’s truly something to be excited about this holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from my table to yours!
HOW’S YOUR GARDEN
SIMPLE TIMES THE CO-OP PANTRY
BY LOIS TRIGG CHAPLIN
A Tropical Christmas Tree
Norfolk Island pine (Auracaria heterophylla) is a houseplant often sold during the Christmas season because it looks a bit like a Christmas tree – especially when decorated with lights and ornaments. Small trees do well on a table top, and larger ones make good floor specimens that then remain as a nice houseplant after the holidays. Not really a pine, this tree is a tropical relative of the monkey puzzle tree. In New Zealand, where it is native, trees grow to 200 feet tall. No worries, it won’t burst through the roof. Here it makes a nice potted plant that must be protected from freezing weather, but will stand well on a patio in spring, summer and fall. Indoors it needs bright light on a sun porch or south-facing window. If you are looking for something a little different for another room of the house, or even as a gift for a houseplant-loving friend, consider the bright-green-needled, Norfolk Island pine.
Norfolk Island pine makes a good houseplant Christmas tree.
Wheat in a Container?
A plant with many faces, wheat isn’t just about the grain. Wheatgrass, the tender young seedling leaves of wheat plants, are regarded as a healthy dietary supplement for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They contain many vitamins and minerals, too. Seedlings are sometimes seen in produce departments for folks to include in a morning smoothie. Trays of wheat seedlings sown so thickly that they look like sod also provide a munchy for cats and dogs that live exclusively indoors. And for gardeners, it’s also a pretty, tall, wintertime green grass for containers! Planted in fall or late winter, the seedlings grow during mild weather to make a nice pot of green grass through winter and early spring. The green is so fresh and bright that it doesn’t matter if there are no flowers. And the tall, grassy texture is interesting and different for use as a winter annual. So, if you are looking for something different for an empty garden pot, sprinkle some wheat seeds into a pot and see what you get.
With a little help from their friends, a few culinary herbs will yield regular harvests of leaves through winter. Even a small plant can be useful since it is used only a pinch at a time. Although garden centers may not have herbs at this time, potted plants are often found in supermarket produce sections at this time of year. It’s a logical way to market fresh herbs to cooks, but we gardeners know how to take them further. These plants will be tender because they have come out of heated environments, but the naturally hardiest species – dill, rosemary, cilantro, thyme and mint—can be carefully moved to a cold frame, greenhouse, or low tunnel during a mild spell to acclimate and grow through winter. They will respond with spring-like growth, especially after the days grow longer. In spring, the rosemary and thyme, which are perennial, can be moved to permanent places in the garden. The dill and cilantro are annuals, so they will bloom and die. Mint is best moved to a container because its runners can spread like a weed. Next winter, the garden-acclimated mint, thyme and rosemary will withstand frost.
Rosemary is one of the most cold-hardy herbs.
A Good, Easy Gardener Gift
No matter how hard they might be to buy for, most gardeners are usually happy with a Christmas present that they can use outdoors. This year consider a simple bird feeder to add to the list of potential gifts. Hummingbird feeders are especially economical for the recipient because sugar water is much more economical than bird seed. It takes only one cup of sugar to make a quart of sugar water that will last for several days. It a nice touch to include an ant moat that can be the difference between success and frustration by keeping ants from getting to the sweet treat inside the feeder.
Hummingbird feeders make a nice gift. Help Greens Through Winter
The on-and-off nature of winters can be hard on leafy greens. A freeze following a period of unseasonably warm weather is more likely to damage lettuce, mustard, and other leafy greens than a slow, steady chill. And, when we experience an unseasonably long cold spell, winter greens such as lettuce, mustard, collards, and many others just don’t grow much, especially during the shortest days. However, a little help from a frost cloth can provide just enough freeze protection or extra warmth to keep the plants going. Once the days start to lengthen, the plants that have been protected respond with continued growth yielding well into spring. We cover all of our greens under a low tunnel fashioned from gray, ½-inch-diameter, UV-sunlight-stable, schedule 40 PVC conduit as the support for a 7-foot-wide length of frost cloth. To make the hoop, each end of the PVC length simply slips over a short piece of rebar pushed into the ground a few inches.
HOWLE’S HINTS
BY JOHN HOWLE
THE HERB FARMER
HOW’S YOUR GARDEN
December
SIMPLE TIMES “When angry count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred.”
Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson Memorial, Washington D.C.
Thomas Jefferson was a founding father who was instrumental in America’s early beginnings. Jefferson was considered the main drafter of the Declaration of Independence and on July 4, Congress approved the final draft. Ironically, Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. During his lifetime, Jefferson was governor of Virginia in 1779, became a U.S. minister to France in 1785, was elected vice president under President John Adams in 1796, was elected president in 1800, doubled the size of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in
1803. This led to the Lewis and Clark expedition known as the Corps of Discovery being charged with exploring the Louisiana Purchase and the Pacific Northwest. In addition to his contributions to American Government, Jefferson added a few items to the American plate. Carrying his love of French food back to America, we now have ice cream, macaroni and cheese, and THE CO-OP PANTRY French fries, thanks to Jefferson. Many more interesting facts about Thomas Jefferson can be found at www.monticello.org.
December is a great time to get a quick shot at a coyote while you are feeding cows or you might get a shot at a deer. The last thing you want to happen is to have your sights be off on your scope. If the rifle bounces around in your truck or you accidentally drop it, the scope can get off sight.
A quick way to sight in or zero the scope on your hunting rifle is to set up a target at 25 yards. Place the gun in a solid position on a shooting table in a gun vise or use sandbags to hold the rifle steady. Fire three rounds after aligning the cross hairs on the bull’s-eye. Look through the scope to see where the three bullets hit. While the rifle is in an unmovable position, move the cross hairs on the scope with the windage and elevation adjustment until the cross hairs line up in the center of the three bullet holes. The gun should be roughly sighted in at this point.
Fire three more shots to determine if your scope is exactly on target. This way, you can sight your rifle in with no more than six shots, and this will save you
Homemade Mineral Feeder
Mineral feeders for cattle are expensive. They can range from $200 to $300, and if they are made of steel frames, they will corrode and rust out quickly due to the salt. The food-grade 55-gallon drums make an excellent mineral feeder for suspending from rafters or tree limbs. With nothing more than a reciprocating saw, a hanging bracket and a section of rope, you can build one for the cost of a used barrel.
As you saw out the hole with a reciprocating saw, leave the top portion of the hole attached. This upper flap will act as an awning or rain shield. Make sure the hole is large enough for cattle to stick their heads in with no obstructions.
A food-grade 55-gallon plastic drum makes an ideal mineral feeder.
Pasture Prescribed Burns
A propane torch burner makes an efficient prescribed burn starter.
from a burn, a pasture can get benefits as well. A prescribed burn can help eliminate annual warm-season weeds and seeds in overgrown fields, add nutrients to the soil, and create ideal conditions for spring growth of new plants. Before conducting a prescribed burn, make sure you have plenty of clean firebreaks. In addition, contact your local forestry commission for a burn permit. Next, check the weather conditions and wind speed the day of the burn. Finally, alert your neighbors and have plenty of water on hand in case the fire gets out of control. An ATV spray tank full of water can quickly extinguish escaping flames.
Stockpile Winter Grazing
Forage such as fescue, rye grass, and clover makes ideal winter grazing if it is stockpiled. Subdividing some paddocks with solar-powered electric fencing will allow you to get the most out of this winter forage. Subdividing into smaller paddocks forces cattle to clean graze the forage instead of picking and choosing.
Even though some forage may be tougher, the intensive grazing model will force cattle to intake more of the tougher grasses, and they will often consume more of the undesirable weeds they wouldn’t normally eat. Finally, in this densely-packed grazing style, you’ll get the added bonus of free nitrogen in the form of the cattle droppings. Be sure to rotate the cattle regularly so they graze the entire pasture.
This December when you are celebrating the true meaning of Christmas with your friends and family, don’t forget to visit your local Co-op. It’s a great place to buy Christmas gifts for agriculturalists and outdoor enthusiasts.
Creating small grazing paddocks allows cattle to more cleanly graze winter stockpile forage
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172+/- AC - Properties along the Cahaba River are rarely available for purchase, and this tract has approximately 1/2 mile of frontage on what is our longest free-flowing river in the state. The property lies along the east side of the river. The timber on this property is a good mixture of 20–25-year-old pine plantations, 4-8 year old pine plantation, and upland and bottomland hardwoods.$346,400 cherokee County #3611
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60+/- AC - About 55 of those are fenced and currently house cattle. There’s a small creek that runs through the middle of the property that makes it easily accessible for farm animals. Power, water, and County utilities are accessible on the Hwy 49 road frontage. There is also dirt road frontage across the back of the property on Stanford Circle. $220,000 NEW PRICE! $214,900 lownes County #3324
255+/- AC - This property has been managed to produce big deer, turkey, and ducks. There is a well established road system throughout the property making all areas easily accessible. $499,000 NEW PRICE! $382,500
Merry Christmas WISHING YOU A FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT POULTRYSOUTH!
RANDALL UPCHURCH
PoultrySouth Co-Founder 256-239-5379 randall@selandgroup.com
ROBERT KING
PoultrySouth Co-Founder 844-855-0680 robert@selandgroup.com
SIMPLE TIMES THE CO-OP PANTRY
BY SUZY McCRAY
Twinkling Lights
It seemed to me to be an awful lot of work for only about three or four weeks of use, and to me all those decorations just weren’t what Christmas was all about. Why did our new-to-us little church even bother?
Maybe it was the time I grew up in, or maybe it was living in a rural area which made me ask such questions. I’m not sure. My parents always stressed that Christ was truly the reason for the season and all the hoopla wasn’t important. And maybe it was somehow tied to how some of those decorations of long ago, ALWAYS made me physically sick!
For the first few Christmases of my young life, EVERY CHRISTMAS NIGHT I wound up at our small rural hospital’s emergency room seeing our family doctor Dr. Wittmeier. Struggling to breathe, I sometimes wound up in an old-time oxygen tent whose shiny plastic was scary to a toddler who lived in the country.
The first couple of years, the doctor and others figured my problems were just caused by the “excitement” of Christmas. But my skinny little frame really didn’t get that excited about much of anything. Then many trips to an “allergy specialist” in “far away” Bir-
December 2021 57
mingham led to some other conclusions.
We always spent Christmas Day at my grandparents’ house in Oneonta, along with most of the others in the ever-growing family of their seven children, their spouses and numerous offspring like me. Granny ALWAYS had a REAL Christmas tree, usually a cedar, which Grandpa carefully cut from a nearby wooded area. Guess who was allergic to that beautiful sparkling tree? Add to that allergy the fact that way back then many of my aunts and uncles smoked (this was well before the dangers of cigarettes were documented) and filled the house with those vapors and you had the recipe for disaster – or the recipe for a gasping preschooler to be raced to the hospital after a day of merry-making.
So from then on, in our own house, we had an “artificial” tree and we didn’t put up many decorations because they would collect dust which was also a way my allergies could be set off. A tree with giant Christmas lights (which wouldn’t work if even one light had shorted out) and shiny Christmas bobbles that we didn’t dare touch, or they would break. Our only other decorations were my daddy’s work socks that we hung on the mantle on Christmas Eve. Evidently those decorations were enough because Santa always seemed to find our house which my allergist described in some of my old records (which I now have) as being “in a rural hollow beside a creek.”
Somewhere along that time, we got our manger scene. Back then you could get the most beautiful elaborate figurines at the five and dime store. We had Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus in a manger, a cow, a donkey, three wise men and a couple of shepherds (one with a lamb across his shoulder) with several carefully painted sheep which surrounded them. There was a little wooden barn to house them all and it was clearly beautiful! That first year I tucked a tiny plastic cat behind the manger, because in my mind a cat would surely be there worshiping too! That manger scene sat on our TV throughout all my growing-up years (and I kept it until it was destroyed in my little family’s house fire back in 1983!).
So when we joined our new little non-denominational church back in the spring of 2019, Christ-
mas was far from our minds. I came from a more “reformed” back-to-the-basics Baptist Church while Mack grew up in what can almost best be described as a worshipful small country church. Then summer led to fall and fall led toward winter. Our little church bulletin listed a time on a Wednesday night for “decorating” the church. We went not knowing what to expect. Big plastic tubs that had been stored elsewhere were brought in. Each one was filled with things designated for different areas of the sanctuary. Candle arrangements were placed in each window. Small white lights hung everywhere across the front it seemed. And a beautiful manger scene was placed on the baby-grand piano I am privileged to play each week, surrounded by fluffy clouds of lacy white fabric intertwined with many more of those tiny white flickering lights. It all looked nice and we enjoyed them throughout the month of After many December. Then we all got together and faced the task of stowing weeks of not them away in those big plastic knowing if I tubs once again. Really didn’t would even be mean all that much to either of us, but they did look pretty … but yes on this earth they WERE a lot of work! at Christmas, Then came 2020. What a year! each twinkling light I spent five and a half weeks during August and September fighting COVID.had a special I was able to return to church glow! in October 2020, but after hearing the minutes of a business meeting (which I had attended) reread a few weeks later, I realized I didn’t even remember being at those first few services! Soon the bulletin had a familiar announcement. We would all meet to decorate the church! I couldn’t be of much help so I mainly just sat in a pew while Mack and the other men climbed ladders to place the twinkling lights. I was able to place the manger scene amid its fluffy white bed of twinkling lights atop the piano, with the figures now-safely sheltered in a manger which Mack had built. AND I don’t think I had ever seen anything so beautiful!!! After many weeks of not knowing if I would even be on this earth at Christmas, each twinkling light had a special glow! We would go to church on Sunday mornings and Sunday nights, and it was so peaceful and beautiful to sit amongst the lights and feel God’s Spirit filling
our little building and our hearts.
I was sad when everything had to be placed back in the many-colored rubber totes!
I am writing this article in early October for you to read in December. And guess what? Last week in our Sunday bulletin there was a “look ahead” noting a time to get together to decorate the church
I still don’t have all my strength back and haven’t regained all my energy, but I plan to be there to help all I can. And I’m already looking forward to those beautiful decorations and how they just exemplify God’s wonderful sacrifice to us by sending His only Son to die for us those many years ago. And I think that this year, instead of our Wednesday night services being held in the Fellowship Hall that we move them into the sanctuary for the month of December so that we can get those added days of enjoying those peace-filled decorations.
I know that when Jesus was placed in that likely-straw-filled manger, there were no decorations adorning the walls. Not only were there no Christmas decorations, there were no nursery decorations of pink and blue, with animals, building blocks, and other designs to encourage the young parents faced with a tiny life to tend. But there was a star outside that shone so brightly it led folks to his whereabouts, even later, for weeks. And there was such a spectacle of angels singing and glowing in a nearby shepherd fold that they HAD to go into town to see what all the excitement was about.
But most spectacular of all, was tiny baby Jesus.
The animals in that cave-manger were aware I’m certain. Because all creation worships Him.
And Mary’s heart was so full! She kept each special thought and word of encouragement and hid them in her heart.
So whether you deck out your whole house, simply put up a tiny table-top tree, or have no decorations at all, this season is still for you! Each tiny light, each shiny ball, each wad of tinsel, or simply that warm feeling of God’s Spirit in your heart, all represent the same thing: God’s love for you!
That little baby did not stay in the manger!
“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
May your Christmas be simply-lived and Christfilled, from Mack and Suzy and all the critters at McCray’s Old Field Farm!
(Suzy and Mack live on a small homestead in Blount County and can be reached on Facebook or at suzy.mccray@yahoo.com.)
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Holiday Season is not the time of the year you want a
Food-borne Illness
Preparing for the holidays, we will encounter a variety of sumptuous food offerings - from eggnog and unique cookies to appetizers and roasted meats. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) Food Safety Agents and website are offering recommendations to consumers to help them avoid foodborne illness while enjoying these seasonal feasts.
From office parties to traditional get-togethers at home, many kinds of foods will be present throughout the month. People should remember food that has been sitting out for more than two hours invites bacterial growth which can lead to foodborne illness. Folks that are more at risk for foodborne illnesses are the young under the age of 5, the elderly and those with a weakened immune system who are going through treatments or have been in the hospital.
The best thing to do is to follow the Four Basic Food Safety Steps when preparing food to help reduce foodborne illness. Those steps are:
• Clean - Wash hands and surfaces often. • Separate - Don’t cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat and poultry apart from cooked foods. • Cook - Use a food thermometer to be sure meat and poultry are safely cooked. • Chill - Refrigerate or freeze promptly.
The Holiday Buffet
Foods that have been sitting out for too long on the buffet or table at holiday parties can cause foodborne illness. Many parties go on for several hours and food is often left at room temperature. Be wary of any foods - hot or cold - that have been left out for more than two hours. This is also known as the “Danger Zone” – when food is between 40ºF-140ºF it allows bacteria to multiply.
Any perishable foods on the table that are not served with a heating source (chafing dishes or slow cookers) or chilling source (nesting serving dishes in
bowls of ice) should be discarded after remaining for two hours at room temperature.
Safely cooked hot foods like turkey, ham, stuffing, chicken fingers and meatballs, should be served hot and replenished frequently. While on the buffet, hot foods should be kept at a temperature of at least 140 ºF. Cold foods, such as chicken salad or potato salad, should be served and kept cold - at or below 40ºF. A helpful hint is to prepare extra serving platters and dishes ahead of time, store them in the refrigerator or keep them hot in the oven (set at approximately 200250ºF) before serving.
The Dessert Table
Bacteria can also multiply quickly in moist desserts that contain dairy products. Keep eggnog, cheesecakes, cream pies and cakes with whippedcream or cream-cheese frostings refrigerated until serving time.
Some of America’s favorite holiday foods may contain raw eggs or lightly cooked eggs. Most commercially-sold eggnog is pasteurized, meaning the mixture has been heated to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria that may have been present in the raw ingredients. However, if you’re making your own eggnog, be sure to use a recipe that calls for slowly heating the mixture to 160ºF. This will maintain the taste and texture while also killing bacteria.
Do not allow children (or adults) to eat raw cookie dough or lick the beaters after mixing batter containing eggs. Raw eggs could be contaminated with Salmonella – a leading cause of foodborne illness.
Helpful Resources
Alabama Cooperative Extension System Food Safety website and food blog www.aces.edu/foodsafety/ and our Facebook site with Alabama Cooperative Extension Food Safety. Come Like our page to keep up-to-date on our program and Zoom offerings all throughout the year.
There is no place like home for Food Safety is a handout covering food safety when shopping for foods, storing foods, cooking foods correctly, serving and storing leftover foods.
ACES Local County Extension Office and Regional Food Safety and Quality Agents are available to answer questions you may have on Food Safety and Quality.
Holiday Buffets Fact Sheet A concise onepage summary about common types of foodborne bacteria associated with holiday foods. The fact sheet also provides recommendations from USDA’s Meat and Poultry hotline that will help you have a safe holiday party. This is from USDA.
Cooking For Groups Brochure Helps hosts of large dinner gatherings and parties prepare and serve food safely for large groups. This is from USDA.
Fight BAC website www.fightbac.org
There are many other food safety websites too that you can find great information on. Just be sure they are from a reliable source such as Extension or other educational sites. If you find yourself in a pickle and need some help with holiday food safety questions, please call your local County Extension Office or Angela Treadaway at 205-410-3696.
December 2021 61
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The Christmas Guitar
In 2010, I began volunteering my services at an addiction recovery program for men. The program required that these men spend one year away from all their addictive influences at a halfway house in Huntsville, Alabama. Every Monday night, I loaded my guitar and Bible into my truck and made the forty-mile drive to the halfway house. Each night I visited, I would conduct a Bible study with the men and encourage them in their journey to sobriety. Before each Bible study, I’d lead the men in a time of inspirational singing as I played my guitar.
As the years went by, several of the men at the halfway house took a special interest in my guitar playing. Several of them told me of their desire to learn how to play the guitar. In 2014, there was one particular young man in the program who came up to me and asked, “When are you going to teach me how to play?” At first, I thought he was just making “small talk” with me, so I didn’t give it much thought. But, as the months progressed, he continued to plead with me to teach him. So, when I saw that he was truly sincere about learning to play, I agreed to teach him a little bit each week after the Bible study was over.
Now, the biggest obstacle to teaching him how to play the guitar was that he didn’t have a guitar of his own. So, I had to teach him on my guitar. It’s sort of difficult to show another person how to play a guitar if there aren’t two guitars in the room. I’d show him how to make a chord on my guitar, then hand the guitar to him, and he’d try to hold his fingers on the frets as I had shown him, but he’d forget the placement. So, I’d have to take the guitar back from him and show him again. We’d go back and forth like that frequently, so we didn’t get much accomplished since I only had a few minutes to teach him during each visit.
Well, one Monday night, just a little over a week before Christmas, the young man asked me to show him some more chord progressions on my guitar. I looked at him and said, “We’re gonna have to get you a guitar for these guitar lessons to be effective!” I told him that I’d be
on the lookout for a good used guitar for him so he could continue to practice even when I wasn’t around. I said, “If you’re serious about this, you need to pray that I can find a good, cheap guitar for you somewhere.” He agreed to do so, and I packed up my guitar and headed out.
On my way home that night, I had to stop by a music store to pick up a new tuning key for my guitar. After paying for my merchandise, I decided to look around in the used guitar section to see if I could find one to buy for the young man at the halfway house. Since it was so close to Christmas, though, all of their used guitars were sold out. I was about to walk out of the store, but something inside me told me to inquire further. I asked the girl behind the counter, “Do you by chance have an old, used guitar hidden somewhere that you could sell to me pretty cheap?” She asked, “What do you need it for? Who will be playing it?” I told her about the young man at the halfway house who was recovering from drug addiction. She said, “We don’t have any in the store, but I personally have a good, old guitar at home that would be perfect for someone to learn on and practice on. It would be just right for this guy.” I asked, “So, how much do you want for it?” Her reply thrilled my soul. She said, “Oh, I’ll just give it to you for free. You see, I myself went through a drug recovery program just four years ago, and it changed my life. To give this guitar to this guy would be a way for me to ‘give back’ and help someone else out of the same mess I was once in.”
To me, it was a “Christmas Miracle!” Less than one hour earlier, I had told the young man, “You need to pray that I can find a good cheap guitar for you somewhere.” Those prayers were answered quickly! It wasn’t just “cheap” ... it was “free!” The details still needed to be ironed out, though, since the young lady lived in Huntsville and I lived in Hartselle. She agreed to bring the guitar with her to the music store on the next Monday (just four days before Christmas) so I could pick it up on my way to the Bible study.
Now, I had no idea what that used guitar looked like or sounded like. But, the way things had lined up and worked out so perfectly, it was obvious to see God’s fingerprints all over the situation. When I went to pick up the guitar that night, I was amazed at how beautiful the old
64 Cooperative Farming News
guitar looked. It had a shiny, emerald green, rosewood top that looked practically new ... and it sounded fantastic!
I thanked the young lady for giving this beautiful gift to the young man she had never met before, and then I headed to the halfway house. Oh, that you could have seen the look on that young man’s face when I walked through the front door of the halfway house holding that guitar! As I handed it to him and wished him a Merry Christmas, he was thanking me over and over again, but I had to stop him. “I can’t take any credit for this,” I said. “You see this guitar is being given to you by a young lady who just four years ago was in the same situation you’re in right now. When I told her about you, she wanted to give this to you as her way of helping someone who’s in the same situation that she was in. Maybe four years from now you’ll be able to do the same thing for someone else.”
What a beautiful Christmas Guitar story that turned out to be!
That reminds me of another Christmas Guitar story that happened over four decades earlier for another young man who wanted to learn how to play the guitar. That young man woke up on Christmas morning 1978 to find a beautiful, classical guitar with a bow on it underneath the Christmas tree. That guitar became the young man’s constant companion. He learned to play it as he shut himself in his bedroom for hours at a time and diligently practiced week after week. When the young man became more adept at playing the guitar, his pastor asked him to lead the worship service at his home church. As the young man’s musical talents continued to develop, he was asked to play and sing at conferences and youth rallies. He would go on to lead worship services in congregations all across North Alabama. And, in the distant future, he would play his guitar at a drug recovery program for men, and would spark the musical interest of another young man who wanted to learn to play the guitar, just like he did.
So, you see, the beauty of the first Christmas Guitar story I told is overlapped by two other stories. Had a young lady with a used guitar not recovered from her drug addiction, this story would have never been told. Nor would it have ever happened had a young man not received his own Christmas Guitar four decades earlier, and surrendered the use of that guitar in service to his Lord. You just never know how the story of your life will influence the story of someone else’s life!
God is such an awesome conductor! He can use both our failures and our victories and blend them together into a beautiful story that will bring a blessing to other people’s lives. He is the One who orchestrated this story. You can trust Him to orchestrate the story of your life as well.
Merry Christmas from Grazing Grace!
THE CO-OP PANTRY
BY MARY DELPH
Garlic Bread Leftover Turkey Potpie
1 Tablespoon olive oil 5 ounces mushrooms, sliced 4 Tablespoons butter 1 onion, finely chopped (brown, white, yellow) 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 carrot, peeled, chopped into 1/3-inch pieces 4 Tablespoons flour (plain/all purpose) 2-1/2 cups milk 4 cups cooked chopped turkey or chicken 1-1/2 cups frozen peas 1 teaspoon chicken or vegetable stock powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Garlic Bread Topping
4 Tablespoons salted butter 2 garlic cloves, minced 5 packed cups bread chunks 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated (optional) 1 cup mozzarella or other melting cheese, shredded or sliced (or enough slices to cover most of top) Heat oven to 350 F.
Topping: Stir together melted butter and garlic. Place bread chunks in a bowl, drizzle over butter, toss. Set aside. Brown mushrooms: heat oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned - about 4 minutes. Remove. Sauté garlic & onion: Lower heat to medium high. Melt butter in same skillet. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add carrot then cook for 1 minute.
Add flour, cook for 1 minute. You’ll have a pasty mix. Don’t worry if it looks dry (depends how sweaty your onions get). Make roux: while stirring, add half the milk and mix quickly to dissolve the paste into the liquid (this happens quite quickly). Add remaining liquid and stir. Add stock powder, salt and pepper, stir. Thicken sauce: Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring regularly. It should start steaming and bubbling a bit, and the sauce will thicken. Thickness test: coat back of wooden spoon, you should be able to draw a line across it. Add turkey, peas and mushrooms, and mix into sauce. Top with bread, spread to cover surface. Grate over Parmesan if using, top with melting cheese. Bake: Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the cheese gets some brown spots. Tent foil over so it doesn’t stick to the cheese, then bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Creamy Broccoli Casserole
1-2 pounds broccoli florets, small to medium 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter 4 garlic cloves, minced 6 Tablespoons plain flour 2 cups milk, preferably warm 1-1/2 cups chicken broth/stock, preferably warm 1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese, freshly grated 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper
Topping
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1-1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Heat oven to 350 F. Mix topping ingredients in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until it smells incredible.
Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. While whisking, slowly pour in half the milk. Once fully incorporated, whisk in the remaining milk plus the chicken broth. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, whisking every now and then and more towards the end, until the sauce thickens so that it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Turn off heat, add cheeses, stir in (don’t worry if it doesn’t melt fully). Then do a taste test and add a bit of salt if required. Add broccoli and stir well to coat. Pour into a casserole dish, pat down to fill. Sprinkle over topping, cover with foil then bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes until the topping is deep golden and the broccoli is tender. Stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Fondant Slow-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
3 pounds sweet potatoes, 3 thick ones 1-1/2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted, melted 1-1/2 Tablespoons olive oil 3/4 teaspoon salt, kosher 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1-1/4 cups chicken stock, low sodium (or vegetable stock) 1 garlic clove, finely minced
Maple Butter Pecan Sauce
1/2 cup pure maple syrup 2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted 1/3 cup pecans, chopped 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Pinch of salt 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Fondant Potatoes
Heat oven to 465 F. Cut the potatoes into inch discs. Place the potatoes in a large roasting pan or baking sheet with tallish sides (we’re adding liquid later). Drizzle with butter and oil, sprinkle with half the salt and pepper. Squidge around, turn potatoes, sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Turn, continue roasting: Carefully turn potatoes, then roast for a further 15 minutes. Baste, add stock: Spoon the butter/oil collecting in the pan over the potatoes. Then carefully pour the stock in around the potatoes, and scatter the garlic into the liquid.
Return to the oven, and roast for a further 15 to 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed/ evaporated. The exact time depends on the height of pan walls / how heavy-based your pan is, etc.
Transfer potatoes to serving platter, scraping up some of the pan juices as you go, and piling them high on the plate. Pour over Maple Butter Pecan Sauce and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves just before serving. Serve warm - or at room temperature!
Maple Butter Pecan Sauce
Place pecans in a saucepan or small skillet over medium high heat. Stir for 30 seconds until you can smell the pecans. Add remaining ingredients, then once the butter melts and it starts bubbling, simmer on medium heat for 1-1/2 minutes until it reduces and thickens slightly (it gets thicker as it cools).
Transfer to serving jug. Serve over potatoes.
3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup margarine, softened 1-1/2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed. Cover dough, and chill for 2 hours. Heat oven to 400 F. Grease cookie sheets. On a clean floured surface, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are barely brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire.
Note from Mary: The easiest way to decorate is to sprinkle with colored sugar sprinkles before baking.
Sugar Cookie Icing
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract clear 1-1/2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
Beat powdered sugar, vanilla, corn syrup and 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl until smooth.
Add milk a little at a time to reach desired consistency. Stir in food coloring to reach desired color. Decorate cookies and allow icing to set.
Note from Mary: If icing starts getting too stiff, cover with a damp tea towel.
Christmas Tortilla Roll-ups with Salsa
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1 package ranch dressing mix 1 jar (4 ounces) pimentos, drained and patted dry 1 jar (4 ounces) green chilis, drained and patted dry 1 can (2.25 ounces) sliced black olives, drained and roughly chopped 2 green onions, chopped 1/4 cup chopped yellow pepper - plus a piece cut into a star shape 3/4 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese 4 12-inch green flour tortillas 10-12 cherry tomatoes Salsa for serving
In a large bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese and the ranch dressing mix until evenly combined. Then add the pimentos, green chilis, black olives, green onions, yellow pepper and cheddar cheese. Stir gently until they’re evenly distributed in the cream cheese. Divide the cream cheese mixture on the four tortillas. Then, using a spatula, spread the mixture on each tortilla in an even layer. Keep the mixture a 1/2 inch from the edge. Roll up the tortillas. Set them on a plate and cover it with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or until firm. Then using a serrated knife, cut the tortillas into 1/2inch slices. Stack in layers to form a “tree.” Garnish with cherry tomato “ornaments” and a yellow pepper “star.” Serve with salsa.
December 2021 67
CHRISTMAS PARADE December 1, 2021
Grove Hill - Downtown 4:00 p.m. Call 251-275-4188
CHRISTMAS ON THE RIVER December 1-4, 2021
Demopolis - Downtown Call 334-289-0270
NORTH POLE STROLL December 1-31, 2021
Athens - 100 N Beaty St. Call 256-232-5411
MOBILE SCAVENGER HUNT: PARADE THROUGH MOBILE December 1-31, 2021
Mobile - 111 S. Royal St. 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Call 833-202-7626
Oneonta - Palisades Park 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Call 205-274-0017
MAGIC CHRISTMAS IN LIGHTS AT BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME December 1-31, 2021
Theodore - Bellingrath Gardens and Home - Admission 5:00 p.m. Call 251-973-2217
ICE SKATING AT THE WHARF 68 Cooperative Farming News December 1- January 18, 2022
Orange Beach - 4820 Main Street Admission Call 251-224-1000
SANTA ON MAIN December 2, 2022
CITY OF CENTRE CHRISTMAS PARADE December 2, 2022
Centre - Main Street Call 256-927-8455
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS FESTIVAL December 2-25, 2022
Montgomery - Montgomery Zoo and Wildlife Learning Museum Admission - 5:30 - 9:30 p.m. Call 334-240-4900
CITY OF CENTRE CHRISTMAS PARADE December 3, 2022
Birmingham - Main Street Call 256-927-8455
Fairhope - Downtown 7:00 p.m. Call 251-928-2136
CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK December 3, 2022
Foley - Heritage Park Pavilion & John B. Foley Park - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Call 251-943-1300
IT’S ALL BLACK & WHITE BULL AND FEMALE SALE December 3, 2022
Montgomery - Montgomery Stockyards - Noon Call 334-797-4870
CHRISTMAS PARADE 2021 December 3, 2022
Opp - North Main Street Call 334-493-3070
CHILI COUNTRY CHRISTMAS December 3, 2022
CHILI COUNTRY CHRISTMAS December 3, 2022
THE LOVELIEST VILLAGE HOLIDAY FAIR December 3-5, 2022
Auburn - Downtown Auburn Call 334-501-3281
51ST ANNUAL MONTGOMERY GEM, MINERAL & JEWELRY SHOW December 3-5, 2021
Montgomery - Garrett Coliseum Admission Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Sunday: 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 334-356-6866
CHRISTMAS LIGHT FESTIVAL 2018 December 3-25, 2021
JINGLE JOG 5K December 4, 2021
GCAA ART MARKET December 4, 2021
Gulf Shores - First Presbyterian Church Call 251-948-2627
YULE Y'ALL: HOLIDAY MARKET AND WHISKEY TASTING December 4, 2021
Huntsville - Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment - 11:00 - 7:00 p.m. Call 256-533-0399
MILLBROOK CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL December 4, 2021
Millbrook - Village Green Park 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Call 334-285-7231
LIVING HISTORY CREW DRILL December 4, 2021
Mobile - USS ALABAMA and Submarine USS DRUM - Admission 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Call 1-800-GANGWAY
Monroeville - Downtown Call 251-743-2879
CHRISTMAS, CRAFTS AND COOKIES AT OLD CAHAWBA December 4, 2021
Orrville - Old Cahawba Archaeological Park - 10:00 a.m. Call 334-872-8058
SOUTHERN SUPERIOR SIMANGUS & ANGUS BULL SALE December 4, 2021
Waverly - Cato Farm Call 678-687-5421
PHOTOS WITH SANTA December 4-19, 2021
Foley - OWA Call 251-923-2111
DOWNTOWN AUBURN CHRISTMAS PARADE December 5, 2021
8TH ANNUAL DADEVILLE'S SPIRIT OF A HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS PARADE December 5, 2021
Dadeville - Downtown - Events begin at Noon - Parade begins at 3:00 p.m. Call 256-825-4019
WIREGRASS MESSIAH COMMUNITY SING-ALONG December 5, 2021
Enterprise - First Baptist Church 4:30 p.m. Call 334-406-2787
HISTORIC HOMES TOUR December 5, 2021
Marion - Marion Female Seminary Bldg. - Admission 12:30 - 5:00 p.m. Call 334-406-2787
GOVENOR’S MANSION CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT TOURS December 6,13, & 20, 2021
A COLONIAL CHRISTMAS LUNCH & TOUR December 6 - 16, 2021
Montevallo - American Village www.americanvillage.org Call 205-665-3535
CHRISTMAS PARADE December 7, 2021
DICKENS DOWNTOWN December 7, 2021
Northport - Downtown Fee for Participants Only 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Call 205-758-8651
CHRISTMAS IN A RAILROAD TOWN December 10, 2021
OLE-TIME CHRISTMAS December 10-11, 2021
Troy - Pioneer Museum of Alabama Admission 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Call 334-566-3597
REINDEER EXPRESS December 10-12, 2021
VICTORIAN FRONT PORCH CHRISTMAS TOUR December 10-14, 2021
Opelika - North Opelika Historic Neighborhood District Call 334-745-4739
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS FEST December 11, 2021
NORTH ALABAMA BULL EVALUATION CENTER SALE December 11, 2021
Cullman - Cullman Stock Yards Sale begins at Noon Call 256-734-4531
Auburn - Auburn Marriott Opelika at Grand National Call 334-737-2114
***Please note that some of these events may be postponed or canceled due to COVID-19. Please contact the event directly in order to find out more information about the event.***
“What’s Happening in Alabama” Policy The AFC Cooperative Farming News publishes event listings as space allows, giving preference to agricultural events of regional or statewide interest and those that are annual or one-time events. The magazine assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information submitted for publication and advises calling ahead to confirm dates, locations, times and possible admission fees.
To be included in the calendar, send listings to: Cooperative Farming News Calendar of Events P.O. Box 2227 Decatur, AL 35609 -oremail to Calendar of Events at subscribe@alafarm.com
*Please include name of event, where it will be held (both town and physical location), a phone number for more information, and an email or website.*
