FASM210 FINAL: Digital Publication

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Southern

Crafted Summer

Summer 2015

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Editor’s Letter

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ith the humidity high, school ending for the year, and grills firing up, it is quite evident the summer season is inevitably upon us.

I spent my younger years prowling through the thick woods of Calhoun County, Alabama, slapping at mosquitos and plunging through creeks surely infested with water moccasins and God knows what else. At that point in time, the smallest venture into the wilderness fostered vivid memories that remain some of the best of my life. It was all fun and games until the sun began to creep behind the horizon, and my siblings and I were forced to retreat to my grandmother’s quaint home.

Growing up in the south allows for one to have an unparalleled access to all the joys that create consistently unforgettable summers. In putting together this publication, I considered what the composes the quintessential southern summer. Immediately, I learned this can mean many different things to people, but there are a few common denominators. Music, food, alcohol, the outdoors, and good company are across the board factors to be considered of great importance. I hope this magazine inspires you to create your own forgettable summer with a southern backdrop.

Ellie Kennedy Founder & Editor

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Contents 4 The Ranch

An evening of good conversations and good BBQ

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Tips on How To Host a BBQ Ideas, tips, and even recipes on how to host a great BBQ

Smith’s Olde Bar

Atlanta’s finest bar

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The Chief Ladiga Trail

+Bike Ride Essentials, pg 18

Kentucky Boubon Trail Hits and Misses

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Summer Road Trip

The Ultimate Guide

33 Boose & Beach

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Wake & Bake

Preparing the Best Southern Breakfast

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Submitted Recipes For Our Readers 3

The Ranch Written & Photographed By: Ellie Kennedy

Guntersville, Alabama An evening of southern comfort, good conversation, and fresh air

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ucked away in a valley of Guntersville, Alabama lies a small cabin and horse barn rarely visited, but on this particular night, it has come alive.

Upon approaching the driveway, a chalkboard sign proclaiming “Jonathan and Stephanie” caught my eye. The gravel driveway was lit with tea candles in white paper lunch bags. After a short golf cart ride from the parking corral, I arrived at the party. The front of the horse barn was set with a stage for entertainment, and a crowd of

approximately 100 had gathered to celebrate the engagement of Jonathan and Stephanie. The night promised to be full of food, friendship, and celebration.

After speaking to the bride, I discovered how this quaint farm came to be. In the early 2000’s, the Duncan family purchased this farm in hopes of creating their retirement home.

After Mr. Duncan’s passing, plans quickly changed. Mrs. Duncan began allowing family friends use the cabin and barn for events. In particular, Stephanie’s annual birthday sleepover.

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“Many flocked to the smores bar in a drunken stupor courtesy of the beer and wine bar.�

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The bride’s family is very close to the Duncan’s, and Mrs. Duncan has always taken great care in planning events for Stephanie. As predicted, the precision and elegance typical of Mrs. Duncan’s taste was evidence in the smoothness of the engagement party.

Immediately the smell of BBQ fills the air, and I followed my nose. Under the commercial sized tent, I stumbled upon a whole roasted pig and smoked turkey catered by award winning Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ out of Huntsville, Alabama. The sides consisted of corn salad, baked beans, and cole slaw.

The taste was absolutely divine. Next, dessert was served in the form of a smores bar. This delicate arrangement created a quaint scene directly in front of the entrance to the cabin and consisted of any possible smores topping that could come to mind. From chocolate chips to pineapple, everything was made available. As the local elite began to slough off, many flocked to the smores bar in a drunken stupor courtesy of an open bar. Guests were offered to choice of pinot nior, merlot,

chardonnay, Michelob Ultra, Bud Light, or Yuengling (or liquor if you chose to sneak in a cooler). As the drinks flowed, the entertainment for the evening made its presence known rapidly.

A local cover band named The Love Apples provided music for the evening, complete with a serenade for the lovely engaged couple and a inebriated karaoke for the bride to be.

However, as I strayed from the bar, the landscape and setting of the gathering really began to stand out. A barn lined with lights, and a cabin softly glowing as the sun began to sink over the rolling hills just west of the farm. Subtle details began to stand out. There was an oil candle on each table, creating a rustic feel, and the simplicity of it all was nearly uncanny.

Striving for perfection, the mother of the bride pulled out all of the stops. She pointedly stated, “You only truly get married once. So, why not party it up along the way?” I must say I agree with her. You’re giving your entire self up to another person, why not enjoy the ride?

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Tips for the ONE

Choose a theme & decor

Try to go for something non-cliche. Rustic Modern is very popular at the moment. Choosing a theme will also help you narrow down menu options and decor. Deciding on a color scheme is another option. Choosing a theme will also help you narrow down menu options and decor. Choose colorful tablecloths to brighten up eating spaces. If you’re going for a rustic modern look, add rustic-looking serving-ware. If you want things more sleekmodern, opt for modern pieces. And as the sun sets, you will want to add some lighting. Citronella candles will provide additional lighting and keep away mosquitoes, while lanterns and Christmas lights will help your outdoor space feel super cozy.

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Create a guest list

Do you want a small get together or a large social gathering, you decide. With technology at our finger tips we are able to connect with people in a matter of Milli-seconds.

So whether it be through social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or just opting for and group text message invite you can always get creative when inviting. Start a hashtag and use it as a RSVP. This not only gives you the benefit of knowing who will attending you BBQ but also people can post pictures and use the hashtag. So everyone will be able to share their photos amongst each other.

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Perfect BBQ Written & Photographed By: Ellie Kennedy

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Plan the perfect men

This includes the main course, side dishes, deserts, and drinks! When planning your menu look at your guest list and figure out if you’re have a small group or a large one and then you have a better idea of how much food you have to prepare and how detailed you can be with you meals. If you have a larger group you might want to be pretty basic when it come to the meals. By basic I mean, buns, condiments, and cheese. IF you preparing for a smaller group you can have more of a variety. Adding exotic food to your menu is always interesting. When if comes to side they can be the most important part of your BBQ if you have vegetarian guests.

Its really easy to take advantage of all the great summer vegetables by using them in salads. And don’t forget to prep you foods the night before your BBQ. Chop up fruits and vegetables you will need for side dishes and marinate the meat.

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Entertainment

Once guest have finished eating it is best to have activities to keep them entertained. Have music, dancing, or even karaoke. Take advantage of thing you have at home whether it be pool, hot tube, or if you live by a lake or ocean. Card games such as Rook, Uno, and War or board games like monopoly, life, or candy land (for the kids) are easy way for entertainment. With a little research you might could even find themed game that go with your party theme. Keep the party going until guest want to leave.

For Drinks....

If you’re not planning on serving alcohol at your BBQ, first ask yourself is anyone going to actually come. Otherwise, drinks are always a great addition and it’s fun to have something different that guests will try, and probably want more of. Mojitos and Sangria are always great, and usually well received. Beer is an always, just keep it simply with a Miller or Bud light.

For something a little more on the summer refreshing side, try a rum punch.

1 quart fresh Strawberries 1 cup fresh lime juice 1 cup pineapple juice 1 cup simple syrup

-- Boil equal parts sugar and

water until dissolved 2 cups light rum 1 cup dark rum 2 cups ginger ale 1 cup orange juice Cut the strawberries up and add all the liquids Garnish with a lime wedge

And just a friendly reminder: Do not let someone who has had a little too much to drink drive. An idea to keep drunk drivers off the road is to collect keys at the beginning of the BBQ in a basket and give them back to the guest as they leave.

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“Booze and tunes will always be an essential part of summer, and SOB creates a pleasant atmosphere to enjoy both.�

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Smith’s Olde

Bar

Written & Photographed By: Ellie Kennedy

Atlanta, GA

Personally, when I see a bar that looks like its going to be a dive on the inside I make a point to step inside. Bars that are rough looking on the outside seem to always have a better atmosphere and back story.

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n a warm Sunday in May, I decided to venture into one of Atlanta most historic bars, Smith’s Olde Bar (SOB). SOB projects a certain dredge that draws in free spirits like myself. Booze and tunes will always be an essential part of summer, and SOB creates a pleasant atmosphere to enjoy both. It is certainly the stereotypical small venue or dive bar. I immediately knew I had to experience this bar scene. With much excitement, I entered and was immediately exposed to a more than comfortable environment.

In my opinion, bars that are old, rough, and dirty are the most entertaining. I believe a bar is not a real bar unless it gives off this rustic vibe. Booths line the walls and high top tables

are scattered through rooms filled with pool tables. The walls are covered from the dingy floor to the twenty-foot ceiling in music memorabilia ranging from The Kings of Leon to Cake, as well as sport memorabilia from across the country. Musically speaking, there is something for everyone. As I seated myself at a vintage, clearly refurbished booth, I quickly realized a waitress is hard to come by in SOB. So, I managed to snag the one page menu filled with stereotypical pub food, ordered some pretzels and beer cheese, as well as a tall Abita Purple Haze, and went along for the ride. From artichoke dip to wings, they have a menu full of great appetizers and entrées.

The first thing you need to know when you arrive to SOB s that the “Bar” consists of three rooms: The Bar Room, The 11

Atlanta Room, and The Music Room. SOB regularly has musicians and DJs there performing. Of course to enter these rooms, one must pay a nominal fee of ten dollars or so depending on the entertainer. The Bar Room is the main venue, and in turn, holds the most people.

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My entertainment for the night consisted of Matthew Curry’s blooming guitar skills in the Atlanta Room of SOB. Of the three available venue rooms, the Atlanta Room is the smallest, comfortably seating approximately 50 people maximum. Curry created a vibrant blues atmosphere in the Atlanta Room that

cannot be replicated. The alcohol was flowing, and adults were vibing like LSD was pulsing through their veins. Curry’s soul was left on the stage and reverberated through the remaining crowd post-performance. The personal size of the venue allows for a special connection with artists not available at a

normal concert.

Thousands of musicians have paved their road to fame right through the doors of Smith’s Olde Bar. In typical Southern fashion, it allows for the laid back feel desired on hot summer nights with the convenience of a metropolitan location. If 13

“The walls are covered from the dingy floor to the twenty-foot ceiling in music memorabilia ranging from The Kings of Leon to Cake, as well as sport memorabilia from across the country.�

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If the experience I had is any indication of longevity, Smith’s Olde Bar is here to stay.

Smith’s Olde Bar boasts a huge bar, boasting just about anything liquor or beer your young functioning alcoholic heart could desire.

Summer can be a bummer in sales for college town bars, but here, the good times are rolling. Smith’s Olde Bar hosts multiple drink specials weekly in order to force Georgia Tech’s stereotypical brainwizzes into alcohol fueled social situations, and believe me, to observes is an event within itself. So what’s so special about the drinks at Smith’s Olde Bar? To put it in short, absolutely nothing is special. Its dirty, its old, and most people would not even walk through the front door. Smith’s Olde Bar provides something different from the average bar. Its provides genuine atmosphere, and for bar hoppers like myself, atmosphere has to be a given.

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The

Jacksonville, AL

Chief Ladiga 16

Trail

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he Chief Ladiga Trail extends 32.5 miles from the Georgia state line to Weaver, Alabama. It is a paved recreational trail on the bed of the former Seaboard/CSX Railroad and extends into Georgia an additional 63 miles, making it the longest continuous paved rail trail in the United States.

In all, the trail took 17 years to complete, and since then has been a favorite to locals an trails seekers alike. Students at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama commonly frequent the trail as a means around campus and around town. The trail runs straight through campus and has an astounding view of the university’s fraternity row.

It is highly commonly for natives of Calhoun County to cycle over to Piedmont on sunny Saturdays. The approximately 25 miles round trip provides stunning views and the serenity of nature all at your back porch (many homes back up to the trial). Upon arriving in Piedmont, cyclists commonly stop at a sandwich and coffee shop called the Rock Solid Cafe. Boasting a huge menu ranging from hot dogs to lattes and gelato, the Rock Solid Cafe has something for everyone. After a short break, cyclists will either continue into Georgia and begin the Silver Comet Trail, or hop back on the Chief Ladiga Trail for a scenic, relaxing ride back to civilization.

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What You’ll Need for Your Ride A Bike

Backpack

A Helmet

Water

The trail is not just a flat stretch of pavement.

It can get pretty rough and bear in mind there are hills.

So when deciding on a bike you might want to go with something multiterrian rather than just a leisure bike.

Before purchasing a bike always ask for a professional opinion from a bike expert and they will lead you to the right bike

People get the idea that helmets are not necessary when riding a bike when you are not riding with cars around you. Wreck can happen just as easy or easier on bike trails. Whether you loose control of you bike or you crash into someone wrecks happen on a regular basis. So stay safe and wear a helmet. Helmets can be bought at just about any sporting goods store. Just check and make sure they are up to standard.

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Backpacks or any light pack you can wear or stick on you bike are always a good idea. There you can store food, extra water, and even you camera. Always keep a form of identification on you while bike so if you were in an accident you will be easily identified. Consider carrying you cell phone as well.

When riding you should always have some sort of hydration. Whether it be water or Gatorade you need to stay hydrated. Along the trail there are several towns they you can stop at. They have restaurants and gas stations so it fairly easy to get your hands on some form of hydration throughout the trail. Also it is recommended that you bring some snack as well. Light snacks like crackers or granola bars are easy to throw in you backpack

“Piedmont, AL is one of the last cities you will reach 5rbefore you get to Georgia�

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