September 2014

September 2014 Priceless

Barns of

Madison County End-of Summer

Style

Keep Calm & Sew On!

Featuring

Stacy Ahrens of Asheville Smile Center

A Passion for Porcelain

2 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 3

18 | An

Artist’s Passion

Larisa Morillo’s porcelain ball jointed dolls will simply take your breath away.

48 | Tried and True Jackie Brown helps to stop mealtime madness.

50 | Nutritious & Delicious Medea Galligan shares her answer to better health and lasting weight loss.

Home & Garden 34 | Chiming In Susan Reinhardt confesses her loath of sewing.

35 | Crafty Girl A hoot of a quick and easy sewing project.

Table of Contents Features 12| Confidence For The Big Day Thanks to Asheville Smile Center, Stacy Ahrens’ beautiful smile made her wedding dreams come true.

30 | For The Love of Sewing Camile Wick talks to Kathleen Lewis about the value of sewing.

32 | A Quilt In A Shoe Box Deb Walker shares how children learn to appreciate the art of quilting.

36 | The Barns of Madison County The Appalachian Barn Alliance preserves the memory of old barns.

Beauty & Fashion

Vincent Grassia Managing Editor

JeanAnn Taylor Creative Editor

Debi Manfre Production Manager

Lisa Gallagher Creative Services Specialist

Adalee Elkins Contributor

Carrie Harder

44 | All About Paul Kline builds the perfect fire pit.

Karen Shepard

53 | Garden Bloomers Betty Sharpless sings the praises of the reliable coneflower.

In Every Issue

24 | A Time To Celebrate Makeover Jacqui Perry gives Lisa Morse a new look.

26 | Unique & Sophisticated Styling Original fashions and accessories from Union His & Her Boutique.

14 | So-Social Favorite picks from social media expert, Kirsten Fuchs.

46 | Let’s Get Cooking!

Debi Manfre shares her favorite tomato recipes.

Publisher

38 | Sun and Soil Kristina Urquhart is chomping on the bit to hit the open road.

10 | Quick Tips A variety of inspiration and information.

Healthy Living

smart • sophisticated • savvy

16 | Sophie Celebrates You! The accomplishments and achievements of our readers are highlighted.

45 | Real Men Read Sophie

Proofing Diva Director of Advertising

Patricia Martin Betts Advertising Consultants

Jody Gantt Meg Hale Brunton Pam Hensley Rick Jenkins Jennifer LeBlanc Maggie Leftwich Rose Lunsford LuAnne Sheffield Michael Smith Kimberly White Distribution Manager

Mark Graham Sophie On-line Development

September 2014 Priceless

Dan Jaworsky Share your ideas and inspirations.

Barns of

Madison County End-of Summer

Style

Keep Calm & Sew On!

Featuring

Stacy Ahrens

A Passion for Porcelain

of Asheville Smile Center

4 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

On the Cover: Stacy Ahrens of Asheville Smile Center Cover Photo by Paola Nazati, paolanazati.com Hair by Melissa Wischow and Makeup by Izabel Rivers of Carmen! Carmen!

Salon & Spa at Belk, Asheville Mall

Email writer@sophiemagazine.com with recipes, books, article ideas and calendar listings. Follow Sophie on Facebook and Pinterest.

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SOPHIE MAGAZINE 22 Garfield Street, Suite 100 Asheville, NC 28803 828.210.0340 sophiemagazine.com Distributed throughout WNC, Sophie is a complimentary monthly magazine for today’s woman. Contributions are welcome and may be sent via e-mail. Include your name, address, and phone number, so we can contact you if we decide to print your submission. Sophie reserves the right to edit any editorial submissions. Sophie also reserves the right to refuse any advertisement or article that is deemed inappropriate for the publication. No portion of Sophie may be reproduced without permission of the publisher. None of the information herein is intended as medical or professional advice.

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 5

Contributor Question

MEDEA GALLIGAN

JACQUI PERRY

My favorite way to express my creativity is writing. I enjoy being able to communicate difficult concepts in a way that people “get” and can use to make their lives healthier and happier!

I also enjoy cooking with whole foodsstarting at one of our many fabulous farmer’s markets in Asheville - and ending up with a vibrantly delicious meal that is chock - full of vitamins, minerals, good fats and proteins!

Learning to cook real food is not just good for your body, but it is good for your soul - it gives you a chance to slow down and connect to the source of your food, the magic of cooking, and allows you to be thankful for the nourishment you receive in every bite you take.

I stay very busy so sometimes it’s just nice to not have to be anywhere and simply sit on the sofa and relax! My creative side loves to get in my closet and put together new outfits with my existing wardrobe. It’s like going shopping for free!!!!!

KIRSTEN FUCHS

KRISTINA URQUHART

When I want to get my creativity flowing, I go to my art room and work on mixed media art. To create something beautiful out of torn pieces of paper, books and glue is so enjoyable. You cannot mess it up either. Just cover a mistake up with more paper or paint and voila! The more layers, the better!

6 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

SUSAN REINEHARDT

LINDA WHITE

To relax, I like to go stay at my husband’s farmhouse in Burnsville, grill out, and sit by the fire pit with family members. Or if I have the energy take a scorching Bikram Hot Yoga class.

Relax...what is that? I have been told that I am a “be still” challenged person. That could be true! My early morning quiet time outside calms my spirit & a relaxing manicure calms my mind. Oh, I think I need that mani now!

What do you do to relax, be creative, and express yourself?

Drawing (pencil) and painting are my go-to artistic media for relaxing; I usually don’t do one without the other.

BETTY SHARPLESS I weed in the summer, cook and sew in the winter. I have a quilt on the frame just waiting for snow...

CAMILLE WICK

I find it very relaxing to sew and knit while listening to music.

Recently, I have made stationary and stitched outlines of flowers and attached buttons to create little scenes. It’s nice to feel productive while also winding down and relaxing, and having a finished product at the end is also nice.

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 7

From the Editor

H

appy National Sewing Month! It was 1982 when, “In recognition of the importance of home sewing to our nation,” President Ronald Reagan designated September as National Sewing Month. I agree. Sewing is important. Not only as a hobby, but also as a life skill unfortunately no longer taught in our school system. Today, most students graduate from high school without any knowledge of how to hem a skirt, sew on a button, or mend a tear.

When I was young, I spent a summer with my Grandmother and learned to use her pedal sewing machine. I was intrigued with the idea of sewing, but it was years later, when I took a continuing education sewing class, that I realized my true passion. I was immediately struck with the sewing bug. I loved the fabric, the patterns, and the notions. I loved the concept of having the ability to make anything I wanted. Sewing became my source of expression and contentment.

I recently stopped by a shop in Hendersonville, NC that once sold every color of lace and tricot (a soft, silky type of fabric) imaginable. I was so sad to see that it had closed! I remember when this shop buzzed with the passion of seamstresses searching for just the right shade of mint green stretch lace. To me, the closing of the shop symbolized the closing of an era. Our throwaway, immediate gratification culture doesn’t support the idea of taking time to create a quality product.

Photo by Audrey Goforth

We have several articles to celebrate the art of sewing in this issue. Camille Wick interviewed Kathleen Lewis who began sewing at a very young age. Kathleen made a career using the skills she learned from her mother.You can read her story in For the Love of Sewing on page 30. Deb Walker, a member of the Asheville Quilt Guild, shares how the guild encourages children to take an interest in quilting by offering classes at UNC Asheville.

The story of A Quilt in a Shoebox is on page 32. I have cute ideas using an owl pattern in Crafty Girl on page 35.You can take the basic pattern and use it in as many ways as you can imagine! I realize that sewing isn’t for everyone, as Susan Reinhardt expressively points out in her article, All In Stitches, on page 34. But for many, the benefits far outweigh the frustrations. Fortunately, the television show, Project Runway, has sparked a new desire for learning the craft of creating clothing. Although, while I would love to see more creativity and less drama on the show, at least it is opening the door to a fresh generation.

Occasionally, someone learns to sew and they find that they are blessed with a gift unlike any other. Larisa Morillo creates life-like porcelain dolls that are beyond impressive. After making the doll, she creates stunning garments from luxurious fabrics and adorns them with crystals and pearls.

Her story with spectacular photography from her husband Tom begins on page 8.

We also share the legacy of barns in Madison County. When I moved to North Carolina almost 30 years ago, I frequently passed by an old barn on a hillside that had clearly seen better days. As the years passed, I watched the barn slowly lean until it fell completely to the ground. Now, the only thing left are three posts that stick up from the ground. Whenever I drive by, my imagination runs to the days when barns were a bustling and vital place. The Appalachian Barn Alliance was formed two years ago to preserve the memory of barns just like this one. Their story is on page 36.

Debi Manfre has been busy canning and cooking with tomatoes she found at the local farmers market. Her simple, yet delicious recipe for OpenFaced Tomato Sandwiches will have you coming back for more. We also have a new winner for the recipe contest. Kathy O’Hare from Homosassa Florida submitted her tomato recipe and won a handmade Sophie apron.You can submit your apple recipe for a chance to win an apron next month! See Let’s Get Cooking on page 46 for all the details.

Enjoy!

JeanAnn Taylor editor@sophiemagazine.com

We’re confident, strong, and we like who we are. We’re smart and sophisticated. We’re savvy. We have panache. We’re not afraid to take risks.

We’re edgy and we’re real. We know what we want, and we’re willing to work to make our dreams come true.

8 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

Celebrate with Sophie!

9th Anniversary Celebration Please join us for our

Enjoy appetizers, wine, cake, and mingle with the Sophie staff.

Thursday, September 18 • 4pm – 7pm RENAISSANCE ASHEVILLE HOTEL 31 Woodfin Street Asheville, NC 28801

smart • sophisticated • savvy

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 9

Quick Tips

Tomatoes Every year most of us can’t wait to taste that first garden tomato. Whether we seek them out at the farmers’ market or we plant them in gardens, containers or crazy hanging contraptions. We water, feed, and watch over them waiting for the first fruit to appear. At last it is ripe and ready to pick.

Sometimes they don’t make it to the dinner plate before we bite into them and savor that sweet juicy goodness. Here are a few facts you might not know about the tasty tomato.

• Tomatoes are widely known for their outstanding antioxidant content, including, of course, their oftentimes-rich concentration of lycopene. Researchers have recently found an important connection between lycopene, its antioxidant properties, and bone health.

• There are literally hundreds of different tomato varieties.

• Probably the first tomatoes came from what today is Peru, and wild tomatoes can still be found in the Andes. By the time the conquistadors came to Central and South America, there was widespread cultivation of tomatoes, though there’s much debate about where tomatoes were first raised and about exactly how they made their way north to Mexico.

• The French referred to the tomato as pommes d’amour, or love apples, as they thought them to have stimulating aphrodisiacal properties.

• The high acidic content of the tomato makes it a prime candidate for canning, which is one of the main reasons the tomato was canned more than any other fruit or vegetable by the end of the nineteenth century.

Aster

| fun flower facts

• Butterflies, bees and humans all love this colorful flower!

• Asters are daisy-like perennials with a star-shaped blossom.

• They bloom in late summer and early fall.

• The height can range from six inches all the way to eight feet!

• Their pink, blue, purple, or white blossoms are useful as borders, in gardens and for cutting.

• These butterfly attracting flowers prefer full sun and moist soil.

• You can divide them in the spring to maintain the plant’s flower quality.

• They are susceptible to powdery mildew and slugs.

10 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

A Brief of History of the Singer Sewing Machine Singer Corporation is an American manufacturer of sewing machines, first established as I. M. Singer & Co. in 1851 by Isaac Merritt Singer with New York lawyer Edward Clark. Best known for its sewing machines, it was renamed Singer Manufacturing Company in 1865, then The Singer Company in 1963. It is based in La Vergne, Tennessee near Nashville.

The Singer sewing machine was the first complex standardized technology to be mass marketed. It was not the first sewing machine, and its patent in 1851 led to a patent battle with Elias Howe, inventor of the lockstitch machine. This eventually resulted in a patent sharing accord among the major firms.

Source: wikipedia.org

Comfy Blue Jeans Cooler weather is on its way, which means it will soon be time to put away the summer sun dresses and get out your blue jeans. Denim jeans have been around since 1873 when Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis created them for miners and cowboys. In the 1950s, blue jeans became popular with teenagers and then eventually became the high fashion statement they are today.

To keep your jeans looking their best, it is advised to not launder them in the washer and dryer. Water and detergent will wash away the color, and the dryer will cause shrinkage. To lock in the color, the best advice is to soak your denim jeans in vinegar and cold water for an hour, then hang them up to dry. The vinegar smell will go away when the fabric dries.

If your jeans are not particularly dirty, but need a little freshening up, you can simply hang them in the bathroom while you shower. If it’s a nice day, you could even hang them outside. Be careful to keep them out of the sunlight, which will fade them. Freezing jeans is also a way to freshen them without laundering, as freezing kills the bacteria that causes odor.

Here is a bit of blue jean trivia: • Making one pair of Levi 501s requires 37 separate sewing operations.

• Denim is a woven fabric using two yarn colors.

• Jeans were first dyed with indigo because it hides dirt.

• Jeans originally had the zipper on the front for men, and on the side for women.

• Approximately 450 million pairs of jeans are sold in the United States each year.

• The average American owns seven pairs of jeans.

• Wearing jeans to school and restaurants was not allowed in the 50s through the early 70s because they were considered inappropriate for such activities.

September Gardening Garden Vegetables and Fruits: • When sowing fine seed such as lettuce, mix seed with dry white sand. This helps to ensure proper distribution.

• Now is a good time to plant a strawberry patch. These ornamental plants with white blossoms and red fruit make attractive, low-edging plants for flowerbeds.

• You can plant a fall garden and expect good results from lettuce, radishes, cabbage, spinach, onions, beets and mustard. with sufficient moisture.

• You can sow seeds of cilantro (coriander) and dill herbs. Also, set out transplants or sow seeds of parsley.

• Winter squash and pumpkins store better if you leave a few inches of stem attached when you harvest them.

Miscellaneous Tips: • Save seeds from favorite self-pollinating, non-hybrid flowers such as marigolds by allowing the flower heads to mature. Lay seeds on newspaper and turn them often to dry. Store the dry seeds in glass jars or envelopes in a cool, dry, dark place.

• Hot peppers will keep best if stored after they are dry. Thread the peppers on a string to dry. Hang in a cool, dry place.

• Keep on alert for sales on garden equipment such as tillers, mowers, hoses and weed-eaters. Garden centers want to sell these items to make room for holiday merchandise.

• Plan ahead and think about the colors you might want to see in your garden next year!

Source: carolinacountry.com Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 11

Advertisement

Confidence For The Big Day Written by Forest Christopher Port, DMD Photography by Steven and Lucy Randall of Smitten and Hooked, Charlotte NC

L

ike many young girls, Stacy Ahrens had big dreams. She hoped to grow up, get an education and enjoy a successful, fulfilling career. She passionately longed to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged and mistreated animals. And she steadfastly believed that one day she would meet a wonderfully great guy, fall madly in love, and experience a wedding day that some might say would fall into the “fairytale� category.

Well...that day finally came. Stacy met Dan and fell in love. And once he had asked her to marry him, she began planning the wedding she had 12 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

envisioned for all those years. But Stacy had a problem. And it was a problem she had dealt with for a long time. In fact, since her childhood she had been embarrassed by the appearance of her teeth and smile.

You likely would not have been able to tell, but Stacy grew up missing two of her permanent front teeth. And this significantly affected the look and balance of her smile. Over the years, she underwent multiple procedures to achieve a satisfactory solution. She had braces to properly position the teeth that she did have. And she had basic dental bonding to help make her smile look better. It all helped somewhat, but Stacy still

hated the way her smile looked and felt that it detracted from her appearance and confidence.

With the big day now on the horizon, Stacy decided to do something to improve her smile once and for all. That’s when she contacted Dr. Christopher Port and the team at the Asheville Smile Center. Dr. Port met with Stacy and discussed her options to achieve her goals, and together they decided on a course of treatment to have her smile ready for the big day.

Utilizing modern dental materials and a high-tech approach, Dr. Port crafted the subtle changes necessary to help Stacy balance and whiten her smile. Together they achieved a smile that Stacy truly loves and had her confidently ready to walk down the aisle and experience her big day.

This September, Dr. Port and the Asheville Smile Center team celebrate the seventh anniversary of their south Asheville location on Long Shoals Road.

During that time, they have helped many clients achieve rejuvenated smiles, enhanced confidence and better overall oral health. Many have stated that a visit to the Asheville Smile Center is kind of like taking your teeth to the spa, the smile spa if you will.

If you feel that they might be able to help you rejuvenate your smile or simply improve your overall oral health and well being, you can learn more by visiting them on the web at AshevilleSmileCenter.com.

Or you can simply call 828-684-1633 and they will be happy to assist you.

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 13

So-Social (Sophie Online)

FAVORITE BLOG: Smitten Kitchen

Social Media Favorites From Sophie’s Social Empress: Kirsten Fuchs

I asked my family and friends for their favorite blog sites to share with you and my friend, Caroline, reminded me of Smitten Kitchen. The comfort food recipes that this blog shares are made with fresh ingredients and made entirely from scratch. I loved this recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Bars. They are mixed right in the pan that you bake them in. Can you say quick clean-up? FInd this recipe and others at SmittenKitchen.com.

FAVORITE PINTEREST FIND: Decorating Ideas for Small Spaces Small homes are the rage. I have seen blogs, Pinterest posts and now television shows pertaining to shrinking homes and possessions. I am fascinated by the concept, yet would never dare follow this trend. I do, however, love some of the decorating ideas that I have found on Pinterest. This cute idea for a tight space would work great in any hallway or small room. Just paint your table on the wall and add a low shelf to the top.

Find other great decorating ideas for small spaces on Pinterest and be sure to follow Sophie’s “For the Home” Pinterest page!

FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT: King Daddy’s Chicken & Waffle A couple of weeks ago, I had to go to West Asheville for a photo shoot and walked right past this restaurant. I had no idea it was there and so I had to try it out. One bite and I immediately tagged them on my Facebook page and posted photos of my waffle topped with chicken gravy. It was like a deconstructed chicken pot pie. When I found out that the owners of this establishment also owned Early Girl, I was even more excited. I highly recommend trying them out the next time you are driving through West Asheville.

King Daddy’s is located at 444 Haywood Road in West Asheville. They are open everyday 10 am - 10 pm.

(828) 785-1690

FAVORITE APP: Poshmark Have items in your closet that you love, but just don’t wear anymore? List it for sale on Poshmark in less than 60 seconds. Sell what you have in your closet so you can shop for what you really love today. Poshmark connects you to people whose style you adore, allowing you to shop their closets, anytime you’d like.

Poshmark makes listing an item for sale easy and fun! Snap a photo of the item you want to sell with your iPhone or Android device, filter it with one of our unique filters, and…voila!

Start shopping and selling today. Visit poshmark.com for more details or search Poshmark in your app store.

Cost: FREE

Follow Sophie & share your favorite blogs, apps & inspirations... sophiemagazine.com 14 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

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Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 15

Sophie Celebrates You!

Send your accomplishments, achievements, recognitions, and business news to writer@sophiemagazine.com. Include your full color photograph, saved as high quality JPEG at 300 dpi. Please limit the number of words to 35. Sophie reserves the right to edit content.

Sarah L. Dickson has joined the Adventure Center of Asheville as the group sales coordinator.

Maya Kommineni, M.D., M.P.H., has joined Park Ridge Health as a general cardiologist.

She completed her residency at Boston University and fellowship at the University of Chicago Medical Center, and is accepting new patients.

Dr. Teresa Bradley of Park Ridge Health is pleased to announce her recognition as a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice. Dr. Bradley provides care at Park Ridge Health South Asheville.

John Kogoy, M.D., will be joining the newly formed Pardee Surgical Associates at Pardee Hospital. Pardee Surgical Associates provides patients with the most advanced inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures available. Their office is located at 835 Fleming Street in Hendersonville, NC. Marie Reed, of Exit Realty Vistas is proud to be announced as the Top Lister and Seller for the month of July.

Missy Briones, Infection Prevention Specialist, in Mission Health’s Infection Prevention Depar tment, has been awarded the Anna Woodfin Service Award. The recipient of the Anna Woodfin Award best exemplifies compassion, drive and tenacity in their care.

16 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

Daniel Grace, M.D., will be joining Pardee Fletcher Medical Associates, as an internist. Pardee Fletcher Medical Associates is located at the Mission Pardee Health Campus, 2695 Hendersonville Road, Suite 200, Arden, NC.

Patrick Fitzsimmons, has recently been appointed executive director of Mountain B i z Wo r k s , a n o n p r o f i t organization dedicated to helping small businesses start, thrive, and grow.

Ilona Kenrick, of Exit Realty Vistas is proud to be announced as the Top Producer for the month of July.

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 17

An Artist’s Passion Written by JeanAnn Taylor Photography by Tom Morillo Even as a young girl, Larisa Morillo had one passion; art. Whether it was drawing, sculpting, or sewing, creating was her love. When she was offered a treat, she didn’t ask for candy or any other sweet. She wanted crayons, paints, and paper!

Larisa is originally from the Ukraine. She met her future husband, Tom, in Moscow and after a long-distance relationship, she moved to America to be with him. Together, they lived in New York before moving to North Carolina.

Larisa has studied fashion design, flat pattern making and tailoring, all the while wanting to learn and do more. She had

Larisa Morillo “Lan” is one of my two sister Geisha porcelain ball jointed dolls. She is 35cm (14 inches) and is adorned with silk and embroidered with Swarovski crystals, pearls and gems.

18 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

a burning desire to bring all of her interests and talents into one entity. She remembers as a child thinking that the toys available to her in the Soviet Union were all boring. She wanted toys that were enjoyable to play with and to look at. This led to her idea of making dolls that were beautiful and that would last for hundreds of years. After much trial and error, Larisa now makes porcelain ball jointed dolls that will simply take your breath away.

She begins by sketching out an idea. She then sculpts a body and creates the mold for the porcelain. This pain-staking process is the beginning of the originality that cannot be duplicated. Hair and clothes are made for each doll. The detail and expertise is unmatched. She includes beads, jewels, and intricate stitching to make each garment a work of art in itself.

“I love to use porcelain because it will last almost forever,” she says. “I want my dolls to live longer than I do!” The porcelain ball jointed dolls are very life-like and all of the clothes are removable. Larisa is self-taught from studying books, researching online, and mostly from trial and error. As she explains, “You must be careful because it can take months to make one doll, and one mistake can ruin the whole process.”

The doll begins with an idea. It may come from a fairytale, a painting, or a poem. Larisa loves goth, geishas, and gypsies. No two dolls are alike and they are all named, dated and signed. Although she begins with an idea, the doll evolves as she makes it. “I have to see where she is going and what she is becoming,” Larisa explains. “Sometimes I start with an idea, but as I create the doll, she becomes something else. The dolls seem to have their own spirits and the process becomes a mutual undertaking.”

“Snow” my Snow Princess is one of a kind porcelain ball jointed doll. She is 35cm (14 inches) and is adorned with a cotton dress embroidered with Swarovski, pearls and real silver jewelry.

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 19

Close up of Nesmeyana’s facial details. Hand painted with never fading China Paint.

“Nesmeyana” is my 35cm (14 inches) porcelain ball jointed doll of the Russian fairy tale, The Princess Who Never Smiled.

Her dress is made of velvet and hand embroidered with Swarovski, pearls and beads.

20 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

Larisa with one of her many sketches.

To see more of Larisa’s incredible dolls, please go to larisasdivinecreations.com.

“Alice” from my “Baby Doll Collection” is from the fairy tale, Alice in Wonderland. She is 24cm (9-1/2 inches) porcelain ball jointed doll. She is wearing a hand made cotton dress.

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 21

22 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 23

A Time To Celebrate Makeover Written and Coordinated by Jacqui Perry | Photography by Kirsten Fuchs

If we take a moment to truly think, there is something to celebrate every single day! It may be the natural beauty that surrounds us to thankful our kids are healthy and doing well. Meet our September Makeover model, Lisa Morse, who is a new grandmother, mother, wife and so much more with tons to celebrate!

Jacqui: Tell me why you wanted this makeover.

Lisa: Really, I just wanted to spruce myself up! I am getting older but don’t want to look old. I am a new grandmother, which is so exciting.

I am getting ready to celebrate my 49th birthday and my wonderful husband and I are going to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary soon.

Yes, so much to celebrate so a makeover is perfect!

Before

Jacqui: Being a first time grandmother do you have a special name picked out for yourself?

Lisa: Yes! I will be called Nona which is Italian for grandmother.

Jacqui: What inspires you?

Lisa: My family and the love and trust we share, my friends and my church. Philippians 4:13 are great words to live by.

Jacqui: You shared that volunteer work is very important to you. Tell me about that.

Lisa: I co-lead at women’s bible study at Madison County Jail and I am an advocate for Our Voices which is formerly Rape Crisis. I have always had a heart for those who are hurting and those two areas have a lot of hurt and pain.

Jacqui: Do you have anything special planned for your 25th wedding anniversary?

Lisa: My husband, Sid, has booked us a trip to Mexico! He is my rock and the best husband anyone could ask for. He is also an incredible father to our children and a great mentor for my son and new grandson.

Looking beautiful and ready for Mexico I am sure Lisa’s husband agrees she looks muy caliente!

Clothes and accessories: Belk, Asheville Mall Salon Manager: Linda White for Carmen! Carmen! at Belk Hair: Linda Bellino for Carmen! Carmen! at Belk Makeup: Marc Austin for Lancome at Belk Photographer: Kirsten Fuchs

Lisa after 24 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

Interested in a makeover? Send your photo and 75 words of why you need a makeover to info@luminousyouinc.com.

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 25

Unique & Sophisticated Styling

❚ Betsy & Iya cuff $92 ❚ Urban Expressions black “Highland” vegan bag $88 ❚ Theme sleeveless printed black/white blouse with cut-out back $51 ❚ BB Dakota “ Madge” ponte pants $80

26 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

❚ Renee C kimono $50 ❚ Hudson “Barbara” high waist super skinny jeans $165 ❚ Peach Love crochet trim camisole $35 ❚ Betsy & Iya cuff $59 ❚ Tassle necklace $25 ❚ Liebeskind “Peri” cognac leather bag $298

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 27

❚ Honey Punch navy floral print dress $62 ❚ Long jewel drop necklace $50

28 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Katy Cook

katycookphotography.com 828.442.0337 CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES:

Downtown Asheville 18 Haywood Street Asheville, NC 28801 828.259.3300 unionasheville.com HAIR BY:

Linda White

Asheville Mall 828.296.9463 MAKEUP BY:

Elizabeth Hayward

makeupartistmelissa.com 828.230.9557 MODEL:

Elizabeth Hayward FASHION COORDINATOR:

Angela Ramsey

❚ Infinity scarf $20 ❚ Black ribbed tank $8 ❚ Champagne & Strawberry embroidered skirt $90 ❚ Turquoise pendant $17.50

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 29

Mountain Mornings

For The Love of Sewing Written by Camille Wick | Photograph by Audrey Goforth

S

eptember marks the closing of summer and the beginning of autumn with Labor Day getaways and kids returning to school, and it also serves as National Sewing Month. Kathleen Lewis has sewn for a living for the past 25 years, and she values the importance of sewing, not only for herself, but for others as well.

“National Sewing Month is a wonderful way to remind the public to get back to the basics of life. I feel like it is the responsibility of a tailor or seamstress to pass this skill on to the next generation, and even to adults who would like to learn – as a necessity and a creative outlet.”

Kathleen started a company called SewLink, and she helps her customers turn their ideas into finished products. “I love working with my customers and helping them through the process of their ideas becoming a reality.”

Sewing has played a major role throughout Kathleen’s life. She has fond memories of her mother first teaching her how to sew in her early childhood. “I remember as a young child, around the age of three or four, a big box being delivered to our house, and when it was being unpacked, my mother was so excited,” Kathleen recalls. It was a brand new Singer Model 401A. “My mom made all my clothes and the special dresses at Easter and Christmas.”

Kathleen’s mother studied tailoring and fine couture sewing details and made her own suits that she wore to work. “She was also very strict about sewing straight and even. I would have to take seams out if they were not good enough. I learned it was better to do it right to begin with.”

“As I grew up, I was instilled with the concept that a well made quality garment was very important to be able to withstand time and wear.”

The keys to well made items are quality workmanship and good fabrics, according to Kathleen.

“My mother gave that to me. Of course, she grew up in the depression and WWII, and back then, it was very important to take care of what you had.”

“It was a necessity back then to know how to make your own clothes – no Walmarts or Targets back then. Today, clothing is disposable and wasted. Just wear it a couple of times and give it to one of the many second hand shops, and go buy more.”

Teaching her students how to sew is something Kathleen says she has enjoyed more than anything. “When a student makes something they can be proud of and it is a beautiful finished garment or handbag or sewn toy, then I feel they have been bitten by the textile bug. After that it can be addicting; they understand then that the possibilities are unlimited.”

Kathleen started making her own clothes in her adolescence when she took her first Home Economics class. “I made a bolero vest and long skirt with a waistband. After that, I was off and running making all my own clothes the way I wanted them to look. I loved long dresses, loose flowing tops and fabrics in bright, happy colors. When I showed up in 30 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

Kathleen holding one of her handmade owls.

my designs, people always noticed and asked where I had gotten them. I could say, ‘I made this.’”

Before making her own wardrobe, Kathleen practiced with making clothing for her dolls as a child. “One Christmas I remember getting a Betsy McCall fashion designer set. I was able to design clothes on paper for this paper doll. I spent many hours playing and creating all sor ts of styles for her. I think that helped in understanding the different par ts to garments.”

Camille Wick is passionate about writing and spending time outdoors. She likes to explore new places and read good books. Lately, the majority of her free time consists of training her new puppy, Piper, but she also finds time to create fun crafts and play in the kitchen.

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 31

A Quilt In A Shoebox Written by Deb Walker

Q

uilt in a Shoebox – what is that?? Certainly not fitting a quilt into a shoebox, or actually quilting inside a shoebox. It is a class designed for kids that runs as part of UNC Asheville’s Super Saturday Program. Super Saturday is a 6 week Saturday morning educational enrichment program for creative, highly motivated, and/or academically gifted students in grades 3-8. The program, which began in 1985, runs for 6 weeks every Fall and Spring and offers many hands-on classes in the arts and sciences.

The Asheville Quilt Guild initiated the quilting classes as part of this program in 2007 under the direction of guild member Julie Simpson.

Quilt in a Shoebox is offered twice each Saturday morning during each session. Members of the Asheville Quilt Guild volunteer to teach students the basics of quilting. Students are taught both hand and machine quilting as they prefer. Materials are given to the students along with a plastic shoebox to keep them in – hence, the name of the class. Fortunately, the class is self-sustaining due to an honorarium.

Quilt in a Shoebox classes have been enormously popular to the point that now up to 68 Guild members support this program by volunteering on Saturday mornings over the Fall and Spring sessions. Guild members look forward to working with youngsters who are interested and motivated to learn the art of quilting and helping them to develop their skills. Classes always end with “show and tell” allowing students to share their inspirations, what they have learned, and the resulting project. As the class has developed, many students choose to return after their first session (bringing their shoeboxes) to hone their skills and expand their artistic and creative talents. As a result, the curriculum is now offered at three levels: Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced.

More experienced students often enter their creations in national quilting contests offered by The American Quilter Society (AQS,) a national quilting organization, and MODA, a fabric company. Students are guided through the contest rules and some have earned ribbons.

Students are also encouraged to enter their quilts in the Junior Category of the Asheville Quilt Guild’s annual Quilt Show. The 2014 Show will be held September 26 - 28 at the WNC Ag Center. More than 250 exquisite quilts, from all parts of the US, are expected to be on display during the three days of the show.

Quilt in a Shoebox and the Asheville Quilt Show are just two examples of the community outreach that is an integral part of the mission of the Asheville Quilt Guild.

This young student carefully stitches her quilt square.

For more information visit ashevillequiltguild.org Deb Walker is an active member and volunteer of the Asheville Quilt Guild.

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Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 33

Chiming In

All In Stitches

“

Written by Susan Reinhardt

Never underestimate the power of a woman with a sewing machine.

”

This is my editor, JeanAnn Taylor’s favorite quote. Bless her heart. She loves to sew. I admire anyone who can take a piece of fabric, cut it into small pieces, stitch them together, and make something that can actually be worn in public. I can give you great skincare advice, but please don’t ask me to sew. Anything.

It all started with Mama. Daddy bought her a Singer back in the 60s, and since she had the cutest little figure, she’d make herself these half-tops and low-cut pants to match. And she’d pump her pedals, thread her needle and conjure up quite a few oh-so-fetching outfits for my sister and me.

But instead of finding sewing a relaxing hobby, a way to rewind like her bobbins, Mama would holler at her machine, cuss words a-flyin’. That was before Jesus took over and her Bible and Sunday School lessons settled her soul in place of a sewing fix.

Prior to the Lord stepping in, she insisted Lil sis and I take free sewing classes offered in our hometown of LaGrange, Ga. I was in the 7th grade. It was summer-time, and the cool kids listened to rock music at the city pool and splashed on baby oil and Iodine to get that pecan-toasted tan.

I sat in an air-conditioned room, trying to make a pair of shorts and matching top. This was not fun. In order to entertain myself, I’d take the iron, heat up a metal ruler for measuring, and scorch everyone’s arms with a flick of this hot weapon. Needless to say, Mama got a phone call from the teacher.

“Mrs. Gambrell?”

“Yes, this is she.”

“Are you Susan’s mother?” A question Mom had come to fear.

“What did she do now?”

“She’s terrorizing the more serious sewers with a hot ruler, and we’ve decided it’s best she not return.” Well, darn. I didn’t get my 75-cent weekly allowance for that little incident.

At least my sewing sessions were over. And they never returned, except the occasional attempt to fasten a button or two Back in the day, sewing was a bit of a necessity. The price of clothing was high, and fabric much cheaper. This is why the housewives took to their Singers during the day, prior to playing Bridge during the evenings. Now, with all the thrift stores, second-hand shops and Goodwills on every corner, it’s much cheaper to buy stuff than sew – unless this hobby brings one peace, joy and great feelings of accomplishment.

I wondered how some of my good friends felt about sewing and did a little poll. Here’s what they said.

“I despise sewing. One, because I suck at it (unless it’s simply reattaching 34 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

Susan gives stitching a try. a button) and two, because the way I was raised, it was a ‘woman’s duty’.

The feminist/rebel in me prefers working on cars.” says Cyndi Lou Ammons of Cullowhee.

Another friend had my art of “sewing” down pat. “I am the glue queen. I have a gazillion adhesives for every project and need,” said Tami-Lu Barry, an artist, actor and musician. “I took a sewing class in college, and the woman was never there! She would leave instructions on the wall, and then walk out of the class. We had no idea what we were doing.”

Now, to be fair, let’s look into the sewing spirit of Karen King-Smith who adores this art and craft. “I loved sewing and creating fashions MY way.

Loved the smell of new fabric. But these days....no time! Although the idea of ‘refashioning’ old clothing is a new trend coming our way.”

Sonja Contois of Waynesville said she loves to “design to my heart’s content.” “I can change the length of pants that are made for 6-foot women. I can choose colors whether they’re ‘in’ this year or not. I can make a table cloth or drapes the length and width of my tables or windows.”

Well, I’m happy there are those who can sew for those of us who can’t!

Susan Reinhardt is the author of the hilarious and quirky novel “Chimes from a Cracked Southern Belle,” along with “Not Tonight Honey, Wait ‘Til I’m a Size 6,” “Don’t Sleep with a Bubba.” and “Dishing with the Kitchen Virgin.” susanreinhardt.com

Crafty Girl

Give A Hoot Created by JeanAnn Taylor

Here’s a sewing project you can whip up pretty quickly. You can applique this cute owl to a bag or backpack, or make a stuffed pillow for your little ones to snuggle up to. With the basic owl pattern, you can enlarge it or make it smaller to ďŹ t whatever design you can imagine!

For the basic owl pattern, please visit sophiemagazine.com.

All Supplies Available at Hancock Fabrics, River Ridge, Asheville, NC

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 35

The Barns Of Madison County Written by JeanAnn Taylor

T

here is a group of people in the mountains of Madison County, NC, who just couldn’t stand by and watch the barns that held so many memories and history fall down without a fight. These barns were an integral and essential part of life, yet they have sadly become forgotten by many as our culture has changed and moved “forward”. Fortunately, as some watched barns slowly fall to ruin, others came together. Two years ago, the Appalachian Barn Alliance was formed to preserve the memory, if not the barn itself.

First Place 2012 photo contest winner, Jeannie Blethen

In the early days, Madison County was the largest producer of burley tobacco in the state of North Carolina. In fact according to Jeannie Blethen ABA member, at one time there were 25 thousand barns compared to 18 thousand people in Madison County. Now, what’s left of those barns sit silently on a mountainside. The chickens, cows, hay, and tobacco are gone, along with the activity that was once commonplace.

Children no longer create memories of playing hide and seek in the hay, or jumping from rafters, or milking cows. As Jeannie says, “I love barns. I have more memories of playing in the barn than in the house!”

The purpose of the ABA is to create awareness and to encourage people to preserve their barns. Jeannie explains, “Our barns symbolize rural life. It makes me sad that children will grow up without memories of playing in a barn.”

Photo by Taylor Barnhill

Oscar Young Barn 36 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

While our lifestyle isn’t always conducive to owning a barn, it is important to tell the stories, preserve the memories, and to appreciate the importance of what barns meant in the lives of our ancestors. Barns were more than just a place to store tobacco or keep livestock. Barns were where dances were held, where men told talltales, and where a young boy could steal a first kiss. Barns were where memories were made.

While the ABA cannot monetarily support maintaining the old barns, they do document and learn as much history as possible so that when the barn is eventually gone, there will be something left.

On September 13, the ABA will hold a celebration of barns. The “Barn Day Tour and Dance” event will begin with a bus tour of several barns in the county. Narrated by Taylor Barnhill, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and take photos. The tour will end at the Mars Hill “party-barn” owned by Reese and Lynn Steen. A live auction will be followed by a barbeque dinner. The auction will include an original painting of the Steen’s red barn by artist, Polly Gott. The Bailey Mountain Cloggers will perform and the evening will wrap up with a square dance in which all are invited to participate.

Photo by Taylor Barnhill

W. Gaither Shelton Barn

For more information on the Appalachian Barn Alliance and The Barn Day Tour and Dance, please call 828-380-9146.

Appalachian Barn Alliance member, Jeannie Blethen

First Place 2013 photo contest winner, Regina Fowler.

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 37

Sun & Soil

Wanderlust Written by Kristina Urquhart

B

y late summer most years, I’m chomping at the bit to hit the open road and discover the world. Where I grew up in south Florida, the late summer months (August and September, especially) are a brutally, thickly, melt-inducing kind of hot. Most locals are smart enough to pack up the car, drive to the mainland, and seek refuge in cooler climates.

Seeing as it’s also hurricane season, few Floridians needed additional reasons to take to the road.

As an adult living in the mountains of Western North Carolina with my own family, I’m grateful for the cooler summers, evening breezes, and mountain air. Summers can be humid, but they don’t leave your skin damp and your spirit soggy, as it does further south. Even so, crisp mountain air does nothing to curb the wanderlust. Just before most youngsters are heading back to school, settling into the yearly routine, I still want to get up and go. So, what’s holding me back?

The responsibilities that a farm or homestead commands can leave its steward cripplingly stagnant. As anyone who tends to animals or land can attest, there’s always something to be done on a homestead – whether it’s minor weeding, collecting eggs, milking a goat, mending fences or tending lame livestock, life on the farm is never boring. Sometimes that busy, but stationary existence can leave you wanting the spontaneity of travel 38 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

and the freedom of living out of a suitcase. For many of us without a homestead, but with busy local lives and work that ties us to home, finding respite from the daily grind can be a challenge. What’s a homebody to do?

I’ve found that reveling in the mini-getaways rejuvenates the static soul.

At the very least, set aside some time for yourself each night. If you’re a cinephile, like me, escape with a movie. Don’t just pull up Netflix – go to an actual movie theater, buy the overpriced candy (the cost pales in comparison to a hotel minibar), and watch a movie in those painfully uncomfortable seats (it’s like being on an airplane!). If films aren’t your fancy, plan a weekend (or even a single night) getaway to any of the nearby vacation hot spots – like Lake Lure or Hot Springs. If the hustle of the big city calls your name, take a drive to Charlotte; if your toes are itching to feel sand between them, head east to the beach (it’s not nearly as hot as south Florida – promise!). The hardest part isn’t choosing what to do: it’s getting off your couch and actually doing it.

Now, if only I would take my own advice.

Follow Kristina Mercedes Urquhart’s homesteading exploits on her blog, kristinamercedes.tumblr.com.

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 39

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Kirsten Fuchs photography 828.216.9141 kirstenfuchs.com Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 41

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Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 43

All About | Building a Fire Pit Written by Paul Kline Photography by JeanAnn Taylor

There are few things in life more relaxing than sitting by a fire on a chilly fall evening. Here is an idea for creating a fire pit that will give you many hours of relatively maintenance free serenity.

First, determine the area you want to convert into your fire pit. Using a garden hose to mark the area is an easy way to visualize the space. Now for the fun part (not), dig out the space so that the area is level. I used metal landscape edging around the circumference to define the area and to help keep the gravel in the pit. Cover the area with plastic sheeting and then fill in with pea gravel.

Large flat rocks work as stepping-stones and offer an aesthetic appeal. Each stone must be embedded and leveled into the gravel. I placed a back wall of large rocks to contain the fire.

I also installed a path to the fire pit. The same process of digging and leveling is key to achieving a safe path.

Bring out the marshmallows; this fire pit is ready!

Paul Kline is the owner of North Star Construction. Visit nscbuilds.com.

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REAL MEN READ SOPHIE

We know that men read Sophie, so send a photo of your manreading Sophie to writer@sophiemagazine.com, and you may see your photo published in the magazine!

Joel Misler, Clinical Director and Travis Herman, Community Relations Representative for October Road Inc.

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 45

Let’s Get Cooking

“I Say Tomayto, You Say Tomahto” Written and prepared by Debi Manfre

No matter how you pronounce it, tomatoes are delicious. You can enjoy them in many differents ways, raw like a fruit, or as an ingredient in many dishes. Here are just a few tasty recipes for you to try.

• Top with slices of tomato. If using a very large tomato, only one slice will be needed.

• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

• Put cookie sheet in oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and bread is crisp.

Visit sophiemagazine.com for photos showing assembling directions of the sandwich.

Red, White & Green Summer Salad Submitted by Kathy O’Hare of Homosassa, Florida

Open Faced Tomato Sandwiches When I was a kid, my mom would make these tasty sandwiches when my dad’s garden was bursting with delicious tomatoes. These sandwiches were an inexpensive and nutritious dinner for a family of six. My brothers, sister and I would gobble them up.

When fresh tomatoes are in season, this is one recipe I can’t wait to make. Over the years, I have put a little different spin on my mom’s original recipe. Mom would always use sliced American cheese. I like to use other cheeses such as swiss, mozzarella, or pepper jack. It just depends on my mood. I sometimes add a few basil leaves underneath the sliced tomatoes. Recently I experimented with spreading basil pesto on the bread instead of butter. The results were delicious.

Ingredients: • Slices of your choice of sandwich bread. About 2 slices per person.

• Slices of tomatoes.

• Slices of cheese of your choice. Mom always used American cheese.

• Bacon. 1 slice per sandwich. If you love bacon cook more.

• Softened butter • Salt and pepper Directions: • Preheat oven to 380 degrees • Fry bacon until crispy..

• Butter slices of bread and place on a cookie sheet • Put a slice of cheese on each slice of bread • Break slice of bacon in half. Lay on top of cheese.

46 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

Ingredients: • 3 cups of fresh tomatoes, seeded and chopped. In the photo shown, cherry tomatoes were used.

• 1 can hearts of palm. drained and thinly sliced • 2 Haas avocados, chopped • 3 tblspns. chopped fresh basil • 1 tblspn. minced garlic • 2 tblspns. olive oil

Directions: • Mix ingredients together, chill and serve!

This month’s recipe winner.

Kathy will receive a free handmade apron!

The apple has been called the loveliest of all fruits.

I think they are the most versatile when it comes to cooking. Share your favorite apple recipe with me.

One recipe submission will be chosen to receive a free apron handmade by JeanAnn Taylor, our Sophie editor. Go to sophiemagazine.com and fill out the recipe form or you can email your recipe to me at writer@sophiemagazine.com. Please include a detailed list of ingredients and instructions plus your full name, address and phone number.

Photo by Kirsten Fuchs

Let’s get cooking!

Debi Manfre

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 47

Tried And True

Stop Mealtime Madness Written and prepared by Jackie Brown Does the thought of crazy school days make you cringe? So you want to throw in the family mealtime towel and go ahead and invest stock in your favorite take-out restaurant? Perhaps you or your children are running in all directions and you think it’s impossible to have a sit down dinner until 8 or 9 o’clock? The following tips and tricks will help you stop mealtime madness. Whether you are going back to school or your kids are going to four different schools, (yes, this is my season) about 2 hours of weekend planning will keep your sanity and you save money, time and energy. Here are 3 tips to live by during your hectic schedule.

6. Freeze ham and cheese roll-ups, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, refried bean and cheese wraps, or breakfast burritos. Thaw and eat on the run.

3 TIPS TO IMPLEMENT:

9. Take soup, stews or chili in a thermos. Don’t forget a loaf of crusty bread or whole grain crackers on the side.

1. Always plan ahead: Crockpot freezer meals are the rage. Prep three to four weekly if you know your family will be eating at various times. The crock pot will keep the meal warm and promise a healthy dinner. Plan all your meals and snacks and shop for them weekly.

2. Snacks or dinners will travel: Don’t waste your money or health at the concession stand or drive-thru. Pack your own dinner or snack before heading out. Wraps and pitas hold leftover meats well. Individually wrap in foil and throw in a cooler for an easy chill.

Grab a healthy side of prepped raw veggies and/or fruit. Boiled eggs, homemade trail mix, string cheese, or whole grain crackers are excellent choices.

7. Google crockpot freezer meals or check out momonamission.me for prep, freeze, and crock pot ideas. Slide the prepped meal into your crock pot and crock all day; come home to a healthy meal to enjoy at the game or practice. Try the Chickadilla Soup recipe below.

8. No time for grilling? Pick up a rotisserie chicken or two and make chicken salad, tacos, cobb salad, or quesadillas for the road.

10. Prep enough salads in a mason jar for the week. Place dressing on the bottom and layer hearty to light ingredients to the top. Shake when you’re ready to eat and enjoy a healthy treat.

Implement these tips and tricks and the madness ends. Now you can concentrate and be your kid’s #1 cheerleader. Or perhaps enjoy a spa treatment with the money you saved from eating out.

Crock Pot Chickadilla Soup

3. Eat an early dinner: Go ahead and eat dinner after school instead of random unhealthy snacks. It will give the family more energy to last through the evening. Eat a protein snack before bed like cheese, yogurt or cereal.

From freezer to crock pot, this hearty Mexican soup will satisfy your whole family. Pack it in a thermos and enjoy on a chilly evening. Consider prepping two meals at a time.

10 SMART IDEAS FOR THE MAD RUSH:

1. Prep edible portions of fruits and veggies in baggies or small containers to grab and go out the door.

Go to sophiemagazine.com for list of ingredients and directions for making this quick and easy soup.

2. Dish out your crock pot meal and take dinner to practice or a game in foil pans placed in a cooler.

3. On Sunday, grill extra chicken breasts. Cool, slice and portion into Ziploc bags for salads, wraps, enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos and more throughout the week.

4. Make homemade trail mix with the items your family prefers: almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, dried fruit or dark chocolate chips and portion them out in individual bags.

5. Make homemade meatballs and create quick meals like meatball sliders, subs, quick pasta meals. The delicious Italian Meatball recipe (see recipe on sophiemagazine.com) will kick start all your favorites.

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Jackie Brown is a food blogger at momonamission.me with freezer cooking tutorials, tips, tricks and ministry opportunities to serve the community.

Freezer Fairy, Jackie Brown

Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014 | 49

Nutritious & Delicious

Coconut Oil Your Answer To Better Health & Lasting Weight Loss Written by Medea Galligan, MS, CHHC, AADP | Photograph by Marie Taylor Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened substance that really only benefits processed food shelf life and corporate profits — just about all experts now agree, hydrogenation does nothing good for your health.

These manipulated saturated fats are also called trans-fats — and you should avoid them like the plague. But if one form of saturated fat is bad for you, does that mean all saturated fat is bad for you? Absolutely not!

The Tropics’ Best Kept Secret

Y

ou’ve no doubt noticed that for about the last 60 years, the majority of health care officials and the media have been telling you saturated fats are bad for your health and lead to a host of negative consequences, including high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Meanwhile during this same 60 years, the American levels of heart disease, obesity, elevated serum cholesterol and Alzheimer’s have skyrocketed.

Did you know that multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60 percent of their total caloric intake from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease? (1) The fact is, all saturated fats are not created equal. The operative word here is “created,” because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the manmade process called hydrogenation.

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The truth about coconut oil is obvious to anyone who has studied the health of those who live in native tropical cultures, where coconut has been a primary dietary staple for thousands of years.

Back in the 1930s, Dr. Weston Price found South Pacific Islanders whose diets were high in coconut to be healthy and trim, despite high dietary fat, and heart disease was virtually non-existent. Similarly, in 1981, researchers studying two Polynesian communities for whom coconut was the primary caloric energy source found them to have excellent cardiovascular health and fitness. (2) Where were all the clogged arteries and heart attacks from eating all of this “evil” saturated fat? Obviously, coconut oil was doing nothing to harm the health of these islanders.

It may be surprising for you to learn that the naturally occurring saturated fat in coconut oil is actually good for you and provides a number of profound health benefits, such as: • Improving your heart health.(3) • Boosting your thyroid. (4) • Increasing your metabolism.

• Promoting a lean body and weight loss if needed.

• Supporting your immune system. (5) Coconut oil even benefits your skin when applied topically and has been found to have anti-aging, regenerative effects. So, what are coconut oil’s secrets to success?

How Coconut Oil Works Wonders in Your Body

Nearly 50 percent of the fat in coconut oil is of a type rarely found in nature called lauric acid, a “miracle” compound because of its unique health promoting properties. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties. (6) Coconut oil is also nature’s richest source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.

LCTs are large molecules, so they are difficult for your body to break down and are predominantly stored as fat.

But MCTs (7), being smaller, are easily digested and immediately burned by your liver for energy — like carbohydrates, but without the insulin spike. MCTs actually boost your metabolism and help your body use fat for energy, as opposed to storing it, so it can actually help you become leaner.

Back in the 1940s, farmers discovered this effect accidentally when they tried using inexpensive coconut oil to fatten their livestock. It didn’t work!

Instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active and hungry.

Coconut oil has actually been shown to help optimize body weight, which can dramatically reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes (8).

Besides weight loss, boosting your metabolic rate will improve your energy, accelerate healing and improve your overall immune function And several studies have now shown that MCTs can enhance physical or athletic performance.(9) And finally, as we have already discussed, coconut oil is incedibly good for your heart. The truth is this: it is unsaturated fats that are primarily involved in heart disease and too much sugar and processed foods, not the naturally occurring saturated fats, as you have been led to believe. (10)

There is only one oil that is stable enough to withstand the heat of cooking at medium to high temperatures, and that’s coconut oil. So, do yourself a favor and ditch all those “healthy oil wannabes,” and replace them with a large jar of organic, unrefined, heart-supporting coconut oil!

Medea Galligan, MS Nutrition, CHHC, AADP, has been practicing as a Holistic Health Coach since 1998, helping thousands of people find an enjoyable relationship with food, radiant health, and a healthier lifestyle. She teaches Corporate Wellness Workshops and Healthy Cooking Classes in addition to working with individuals and families. She and her husband Dan recently opened Medea’s Espresso & Juice Bar in Arden so they can share the many benefits of organic cold-pressed juices, as well as delicious gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and paleo options to all.

Visit EspressoandJuiceBar.com and HealthyCookingConcepts.com to learn more.

Coconut Oil in Your Kitchen

Personally, I use only two oils in my food preparation. The first, extravirgin olive oil is the best monounsaturated fat and works great as a salad dressing. However, olive oil should not be used for cooking at any temperature above low. Due to its chemical structure, heat makes olive oil susceptible to oxidative damage. So for cooking at medium to high heat, I use coconut oil exclusively.

And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to cook with.

Why? Three primary reasons: 1) Cooking your food in omega-6 vegetable oils produces a variety of very toxic chemicals, as well as forming trans-fats. Frying destroys the antioxidants in oil, actually oxidizing the oil, which causes even worse problems for your body than trans-fats.

2) Most vegetable oils are GM (genetically modified),including more than 90 percent of soy, corn and canola oils.

3) Vegetable oils contribute to the overabundance of damaged omega-6 fats in your diet, throwing off your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Nearly everyone in Western society consumes far too many omega-6 fats — about 100 times more than a century ago — and insufficient omega 3 fats, which contributes to numerous chronic degenerative diseases.

(1) Kaunitz H, Dayrit CS. Coconut oil consumption and coronary heart disease. Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine, 1992;30:165-171 (2) Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: The Pukapuka and Tokelau Island studies, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1981;34:1552-1561 (3) Raymond Peat Newsletter, Coconut Oil, reprinted at heall.com. http://www.heall.com/body/healthupdates/food/ coconutoil.html An Interview With Dr. Raymond Peat, A Renowned Nutritional Counselor Offers His Thoughts About Thyroid Disease (4) Baba, N 1982.Enhanced thermogenesis and diminished deposition of fat in response to overfeeding with diet containing medium-chain triglycerides, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 35:379 (5) Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century (6) Isaacs CE, Litov RE, Marie P, Thormar H. Addition of lipases to infant formulas produces antiviral and antibacterial activity, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 1992;3:304-308. Isaacs CE, Schneidman K. Enveloped Viruses in Human and Bovine Milk are Inactivated by Added Fatty Acids(FAs) and Monoglycerides(MGs), FASEB Journal, 1991;5: Abstract 5325, p.A1288. Mitsuto Matsumoto, Takeru Kobayashi, Akio Takenakaand Hisao Itabashi. Defaunation Effects of Medium Chain Fatty Acids and Their Derivatives on Goat Rumen Protozoa, The Journal of General Applied Microbiology, Vol. 37, No. 5 (1991) pp.439-445. (7) St-Onge MP, Jones PJ. Greater rise in fat oxidation with medium-chain triglyceride consumption relative to long-chain triglyceride is associated with lower initial body weight and greater loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue, International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 2003 Dec;27(12):1565-71. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12975635 (8) Geliebter, A 1980. Overfeeding with a diet of medium-chain triglycerides impedes accumulation of body fat, Clinical Nutrition, 28:595 (9) Fushiki, T and Matsumoto, K Swimming endurance capacity of mice is increased by consumption of medium-chain triglycerides, Journal of Nutrition, 1995;125:531. coconut-connections.com/hypothyroidism.htm (10) Barry Groves, PhD. Second Opinions: Exposing Dietary Misinformation: The Cholesterol Myth, parts 1 and 2

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52 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

Garden Bloomers

Reliable Coneflower Written By Betty Sharpless

L

ast year I sung the praises of the common coreopsis tickseed, as my go to perennial. This fall, my heart belongs once again to the stunning and reliable purple coneflower also known as Echinacea. This sturdy perennial starts blooming in May and will continue blooming until a hard freeze. It is drought tolerant, a great cutting flower, easy to propagate and bee friendly. This lovely flower also boasts a root that is the source for the homeopathic herb Echinacea, a good tonic for colds, flu and allergies.

While the easiest way to introduce coneflower into your garden is to buy plants to set out; if you are willing to wait for one year, you can simply throw down spent blooms from coneflowers and let nature do her work.

By the following summer you will have your first blooms and the plants will only get stronger every year. As the petals fade you will want to cut the blooms off and throw them into your bed for more plants next year. Over the last few years, nurseries have developed many varieties of coneflowers.

There are now coneflowers in every color except blue. The configuration of the petals has many variations as well, with puffy centers instead of prickly “cones” or narrower petals with more space between them. So far, I have found that the seeds from these newer varieties seem to come true, producing identical offspring.

As lovely as the flowers of coneflower are, the real power of Echinacea is in its roots. When the plant is a year old (and if you are willing to sacrifice it) on a fall night with a strong moon, you would pull a few plants with good strong roots. Wash and pulverize the roots with a hammer or small food processor. Use good vodka and a sterile jar to steep a tonic. You can get a better recipe with measurements from the internet.

As fall approaches, stop cutting the heads off of your plants to give goldfinches one of their favorite winter treats. You will be rewarded with finches flying in and balancing on the seed heads to nibble on the seeds. Once the birds have had their fill, or in the spring, cut the dead tops back and stand back for the newer, bigger taller plants to come. Every few years you will want to thin your plants to keep them from starving each other out.

Trust me, you will have no trouble finding homes for them!

Betty Sharpless is a professional free-lance gardener who is already contemplating next year’s favorite perennial.

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The Pink Pages

Congratulations!

Charline Perry was our recipe winner in August.

Charline received a free apron handmade by JeanAnn Taylor for her Peaches ‘N Cream recipe.

Go to Let’s Get Cooking on page 46 to see details on how you can win a free handmade apron.

Go to sophiemagazine.com to download Charline’s winning recipe.

Debi Manfre poses with Charline Perry, who is wearing her new apron.

56 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

CONCERNING OUR COMMUNITY Eliada Is Pleased To Announce That The 2014 Corn Maze Will Highlight A Recreation Theme And Feature Mr. Moon Of The Asheville Tourists!

Friday, September 5th is the opening night of Eliada’s Annual Corn Maze. With over 4 miles of maze trails, and a field full of attractions, this year’s event is sure to please children and parents alike!

This year, Eliada is featuring a recreation theme in the maze, with tennis racquets, basketballs, wrestlers, and a mini bike being cut into the corn. Eliada is also excited to feature the Asheville Tourist’s Mr. Moon logo in the maze! Event organizers hope that this year’s theme will encourage maze attendees to take notice of the wonderful recreational opportunities available on Eliada’s campus and in the community.

All the popular attractions will be back, including the corn cannons, corn box, spider web climb-on, and giant slides. Storybook maze favorites Cinderella and Spookley the Square Pumpkin will once again guide younger attendees through the maze while teaching them about farm-totable agriculture and the harm caused by bullying.

For more information, please visit their website, eliada.org.

Another First For Historic Biltmore Village

September 6, 2014, Historic Biltmore Village will be hosting its first annual Vintage Fall Festival featuring the Bee Happy Market.

The event will be held in the Wells Fargo parking lot at 11 Kitchen Place from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM. Starting at 2:00, all of the restaurants with outdoor seating will be featuring live entertainment. Participating retail merchants will host clearance sales and a look at the newest fall fashions throughout the Village.

Historic Biltmore Village is excited to be working with Emily Growden, owner of Bee Happy Wares & Whimsies, to host a premier open air artisan, vintage, antique, and collectibles market. It’s no secret that these types of markets are being held all over the country and are in very high demand, gaining momentum with the help of shows like HGTV’s Junk Gypsies. “Whether it be a result of enduring a recessed economy or simply a love for all things nostalgic, we have embraced the continuing demand of giving old pieces new life,” explains Emily. “There are so many local artisans with a passion and gift for refurbishing and repurposing, and yet no specific venue in Asheville to come together in one event of this nature.”

Historic Biltmore Village plans to grow this vintage market from year to year, likely becoming a juried event. If you would like any additional information regarding the Bee Happy Market, please contact Emily Growden at emily@beehappywares.com.

Kate Steckbeck, Fred Lemmons and Amy Brucksch open Pan Harmonia’s 15th Season with trios for flute, clarinet and guitar

Pan Harmonia - Season 15

PHOTO CREDIT: Micah MacKenzie

As September arrives, Asheville’s own chamber music repertory company, Pan Harmonia, celebrates 15 years of offering joyful and adventurous programming to diverse audiences throughout our region. Flutist and artistic director Kate Steinbeck promises a new season of beautiful and passionate music making from a roster of 25 leading instrumentalists in more than 25 concerts from September through May. Based in Asheville, artist collective Pan Harmonia brings professional chamber music performances to audiences of all ages in diverse settings ranging from traditional concert halls to homeless shelters and prisons.

Now in its 14th season, Pan Harmonia has been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the North Carolina Arts Council for its artistic excellence.

Pan Harmonia offers subscription packages for its Haen Gallery and Sonata Series concerts. For more information call, (828) 254-7123 or visit their website, Pan-Harmonia.org.

Local Businesses Support Friends Of Connect Buncombe’s Greenways To Trail Campaign

Motion Makers Bicycle Shop, The Asheville Track Club and Harmony Motors have recently joined Friends of Connect Buncombe’s Greenways to Trail Campaign for the Brevard Road Corridor with generous donations to support their efforts to connect West Asheville and Biltmore Park through greenways and trails.

At the beginning of June, Friends of Connect Buncombe launched a $20,000 crowdfunding campaign for a feasibility study for Greenways and Trails from the existing French Broad River and Hominy Creek Greenways to connect to the Farmers’ Market, NC Arboretum and Bent Creek Trails and Biltmore Park. To date, they have raised over $17,500 towards their goal.

For information on supporting this project and to help Friends of Connect Buncombe reach their $20,000 goal, please visit weconnectbuncombe. org/campaign or call Suzanne Molloy at (828) 216-3290.

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CAPES – Caring for Aging Parents Education Support September 15, 5 - 6:30pm A support group that meets monthly to help those caring for elderly parents.

Meeting will be held in room 4402 at 1 Hospital Drive in Asheville, NC. For more information, call the Council on Aging of Buncombe County at (828) 277-8288.

September LABOR DAY September 1 Us TOO of WNC September 2, 7pm A prostate cancer support forum for men, caregivers and family members will meet at First Baptist Church of Asheville on 5 Oak Street. This month’s speaker is James Biddle, MD of Asheville Integrative Medicine. No fee to attend. For information call (828) 338-0290.

Energy Efficiency Class September 4, 5:30 - 7:30pm Class will be held at OnTrack WNC offices - 50 South French Broad Ave., Asheville, on the 2nd floor. Pre-registration required.

Call today at 255-5166. This class is free thanks to sponsorship by Biltmore.

The Laurel Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America Meeting September 4, 10am This month’s meeting will be a Stash Sale in which chapter members will be selling a variety of new and used needlework items.

The meeting/sale will be held at Cummings United Methodist Church, 3 Banner Farm Road in Horse Shoe. For more info, call Carol Foster (828) 686-8298 or Janet Stewart (828) 575-9195.

NC Mountain State Fair September 5 - 14 Live music on the Heritage Stage, racing pigs, and newborn calves in the Mooternity Ward, are just a few of the events during the fair’s 10-day run. For more info on events and to purchase advanced tickets call (828) 687-1414 or visit their website mountainfair.org.

WNC Knitters and Crocheters for Others Meeting September 8, 7 - 9pm Asheville’s charity knitting and crochet 58 | Sophie SEPTEMBER 2014

group will meet at New Hope Presbyterian Church, 3070 Sweeten Creek Rd. If interested, contact Janet Stewart, (828) 575-9195.

125th Anniversary of Historic Dillsboro September 6, 10am - 4pm Join the townspeople of Dillsboro as they celebrate 125 years of history with entertainment, vendors, demonstrators, exhibits, children’s games, and touches of history. Call Brenda Anders for more information, (828) 506-8331.

Asheville/Western North Carolina Out of the Darkness Walk September 6, 10am - 12pm The Out of the Darkness Community Walks are AFSP’s signature fundraising campaign, bringing together family, friends, colleagues, and supporters at 3-5 mile walks in communities across the country.

The walk will be held at Carrier Park in Asheville. Registration is at 9:30am. For more info, contact Charlene Gavin, (828) 550-9353. Register online at afsp.org.

American Business Women’s Association Meeting September 11, 5:30 - 7:30pm The meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Asheville. Our guest speaker will be Megan Sheiring, a reporter with WLOS - TV. Her subject will be “A Woman Reporter, In A Man’s Field”. Come enjoy our dinner meeting, $25.00 each and network, learn and have some fun! RSVP abwaskyhychapter@gmail.com or go to our website: abwaskyhy.com Music at the Mill September 13, 10am - 4pm This Bluegrass, Dixieland, Jazz, BBQ event is to promote our musical and historical heritage. This is a fund raising event for the 127 year old Francis Grist Mill. Event will be held at 14 Hugh Massive Rd. in Waynesville.

For info email, tannatimbes@gmail.com

Asheville Quilt Guild Meeting September 16, 10am Cheryl Alderman and Nancy Zuk, members of the Asheville Quilt Guild, will present a slide show about Indonesian Batiks as members and guests “Take a Vicarious Trip to Bali”. It will be held in the Folk Art Center Auditorium. Guests are welcome. Visit ashevillequiltguild.org for more info.

In Good Company: Breast Cancer Support Group September 18, 5:30 - 6:30pm A support group for breast cancer survivors facilitated by Denise Steuber, RN. Husbands, children and/or anyone interested in the topic are welcome to attend. Issues discussed include fear of recurrence, art therapy, family dynamics, friendship, nutrition and lymphedema.

The group will meet at the SECU Cancer Center in room R-120 at 21 Hospital Dr. in Asheville. For more info, call Denise Steuber at (828) 213-2508 or Janet Magruder at (828) 213-2507. Registration is required due to limited space.

Play Daze September 20, 9am - 12pm Come join us for a morning of FREE PLAY, with Hoola-Hoops, Balls, Sidewalk Chalk, Relay Races, Tag, Kites, games and more!

This is a FREE event! Event will be held at Buncombe County Sports Park, 58 Apac Cir, Asheville, NC. For more information, call (828) 250-4269.

FIRST DAY OF FALL September 22 28th annual Greek Festival September 26 & 27, 11am - 9pm September 28, 11am - 7pm The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Asheville warmly welcome you to come and share in the festivities! Sample some of our traditional foods, take a tour of our church, music, dancing, and so much more. Festival is held at 227 Cumberland Ave. in Asheville. For more information call (828) 253-3754 or check website at holytrinityasheville.com/greek-festival.

Brevard’s 4th Friday Gallery Walk September 26, 5 - 9pm Enjoy an evening stroll in downtown Brevard, NC as you explore the art

galleries, art stores, retail stores and restaurants. Experience art, music and wine. Be sure to look for the animal sculptures and the murals located in downtown. For more information call the TC Arts Council at (828) 884-2787 or go to artsofbrevard.org.

32nd Annual Asheville Quilt Show September 26, 27 9am - 5pm September 28 10am - 4:30 pm An exhibition of over 250 quilts from all over the USA. You will enjoy demonstrations, a silent auction, an opportunity quilt for a lucky visitor, lunch available and group discounts. Show will be held at The WNC Agriculture Center, Expo Building, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC. Admission: $6. For more information go to ashevillequiltguild.org.

Reading or Reading Comprehension Improvement September 30, 6:30pm Free talk about how to improve your ability to read and/or comprehend. If you or your child hates to read, this talk is for you. Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road, Asheville. RSVP (828) 2164444 or Wes@WesBeach.com

ON GOING Strength in Survivorship First and third Saturday of each month, 11am-12pm Meeting is free and led by cancer survivor and Licensed Professional Counselor, Julia Derouen, 808-7673. Meeting is held at the Mills River Library, 124 Town Drive, Mills River, NC AL-Anon Support Group Every Wednesday, 11:30am - 12:30pm Support group of peers who share their experience in applying the Al-Anon principles to problems related to the effects of a problem drinker in their lives. Group meets at Pardee Signature Care Center at 1800 4 Seasons Blvd. in Hendersonville. For more information, call (828) 692-4600.

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Send an e-mail to writer@sophiemagazine.com.

The deadline for calendar submissions is the 8th of every month.

Please send them to: writer@sophiemagazine.com.

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