Lee Magazine Nov/Dec 2014 by Lee Magazine

LEE

November/December 2014 FREE

VOLUME 7• NUMBER 5

Holiday Tastes and Tales FROM LEE COUNTY

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR included some food for thought and action in this issue. There’s a story about how a group of local women from very different backgrounds shared a holiday meal that led to the founding an amazing, compassionate organization. Another story, about a local man’s passion for Japanese maples, offers a gift of garden beauty. Our calendar of events offers a long list of opportunities to share the season and our lives with one another. And, of course, our columnists share thoughtful words of advice and inspiration on how to make this season and the coming months happier and healthier. While this issue only scratches the surface of Lee County’s many flavors and gifts, we hope it gets you thinking, and we want to hear what you think. Share your stories, recipes and ideas with us by email (beth@lee-magazine.com), on our Facebook page or by giving us a call at 334.332.2961. And we also hope you’ll share yourself with this community by donating your time and/or money to the area’s many worthy causes. For example, as we celebrate food and community in this Katie Lamar Jackson with grandsons Judson, 1, and Hueston, 3

issue, we also know there are many here who don’t have enough to eat, so please consider making a donation to the Food

s you can probably guess from our cover, this issue of LEE Magazine focuses on food — lots of cookies and other sweet things, as well as breads,

side dishes, main courses, nibbles and festive beverages — all collected from people right here in Lee County. For each of our cooks, these recipes help make the holidays especially delicious and memorable and bring comfort and warmth to the colder days of winter. Most of these recipes also share a primary ingredient: A story. After all, any dish tastes better when it is flavored with a memory. But even better, these recipes offer a taste of our community’s flavor, a sampling of the diversity of our traditions and lives. We thank all the people who have so willingly shared their recipes and stories with us, and we only wish we had more pages to fill with these treasures! In addition to stories about food for the body and soul, we

Bank of East Alabama (http://foodbankofeastalabama.com, 334.821.9006 or food-bank@foodbankofeastalabama.com.) or the Beat Bama Food Drive (http://beatbamafooddrive.weebly. com). Or find another worthy cause that’s near and dear to your heart: Drop money in a Salvation Army bucket, buy items for the “Toys for Tots” campaign, bail someone out of the Lee County Humane Society’s “No More Wasted Lives” dog pen, or just make a donation to the cause of your choice as a holiday gift to someone you love. Whatever you do to celebrate this season, we here at LEE wish you all a merry, merry holiday; a happy, happy new year, and we look forward to celebrating Lee County with you in 2015!

LEE

The Place to Find

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FOOD: HEALTH: BRAWN: HOME: PETS

Serena Cosmo Dr. Lee Sharma Lisa Gallagher Jacquelyn Dixon Dr. Glen Puckett

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contents

November/ December 2014

8 Garden The Glorious Japanese Maples of William Shell

10 Home Get Your Holiday Sparkle On!

12 Health Winter Blues? Seasonal Affective Disorder May Be the Cause

14 Pets If All You Want for Christmas Is a Puppy Let These Tips Be Your Guide

15 Cookies Cookies Cookies The 19th Annual Habitat for Humanity Cookie Walk is Dec. 6

16 IWPU Opening Up the World: International Women for Peace and Understanding

18 Holiday Memories Food Traditions that Define the Holidays

22 Savory Sides and Mains Recipes to Remember

24 Sweets for the Sweet Preheat Your Oven for These Delectables

30 Cheers! Recipes to Quench Your Thirst

31 Calendar What's Up in Lee County?

34 The Guest Room Judith Wilson Nunn Shares Her Holiday Memories

2011 - 2014 Super Lawyers

LEE MAGAZINE 7

A GARDENER'S PASSION The Color and Grace of Japanese Maples By Karen Hunley

f you don’t know much about trees — or “dendrology,” the science of trees — you might not guess that all the trees on William B. Shell’s property in Auburn are various types of Japanese maples, with the exception of a few conspicuous pine trees. They almost all look different. Shell, 86, has grown and maintained hundreds of Japanese maples on his five acres since he bought the property nestled at the end of a long, wooded driveway in the Willow Creek subdivision in 1968. The trees appear everywhere, from the front yard to right alongside the house to a scenic, winding pathway that branches off the backyard and showcases a variety of the “awe-inspiring trees,” as Shell describes them. “[ Japanese maples] have a strange mutability,” Shell explains his fascination with the trees. “You get a bunch of seedlings and such a different appearance in each tree.” There are only four different species of Japanese maples, but there are many cultivars, or varieties, within each species. At their most mature, the trees range from delicate potted plants just several inches 8 LEE MAGAZINE

high to as tall as 40 feet — the tallest maple on Shell’s property. The leaves can take several forms, including an intricate lace pattern, hence the term “lace leaf” and a larger, sturdier palm-shape. Depending on the season, just one Japanese maple can treat your eyes to a rainbow of colors: bright green, a luminescent gold-green, deep reds, eggplant purples and even pinkish-white. Shell says it’s difficult to be biased toward any season when it comes to his beloved trees, because each one offers a new type of beauty. “In spring and fall, the leaves turn such beautiful colors as red and orange. You get interesting colors in spring, too, with new leaves,” he says. “And in winter you get a nice silhouette of trees … a Japanese maple is ever-changing beauty.” Surprisingly, despite his love for dendrology and a Ph.D. from Auburn in science education, Shell never earned a living as a biologist, an arborist or even as a biology teacher, as you might have assumed. He actually taught in both the College of Education and the School of Pharmacy at Auburn University, and even

taught high school chemistry at one point. He retired from teaching in 1989, when he began working in environmental health and training at Harmon Engineering and Contracting Co. in Auburn. He and a partner started their own environmental health training business about a year later, certifying facilities like paper mills and trucking operations to work with hazardous materials and training businesses how to remove asbestos. o for most of Shell’s life, his efforts at studying, growing, and caring for Japanese maples has been mainly a hobby. His self-described “infatuation” with the trees began in about 1950, when he really noticed his first maple growing in front of the First Baptist Church in Carrollton, Ga. The tree’s beauty struck him so deeply that he went into the church to ask about it. “I didn’t know anything about [maples] then, but I had two sisters who lived there (in Carrollton), and I always kept my eye on that maple,” Shell remembers. “I was drawn to its unique beauty — with its small, crazy limbs — and its charm. “It was ever-changing — green during

G A R D E N summer, red in the fall. And in the winter, it lost its leaves.” Now Shell actually has a direct descendant of that special Carrollton tree in his own yard — in 1992, he went and took scion cuttings from the tree and grafted those scions onto his own Japanese maple rootstock. (To successfully transfer scions, you have to match the species of the two trees, which he did.) He named the new graft “Jeanne’s Dream,” in memory of one of his four sisters. This wasn’t his first Japanese maple, as he’d begun planting them around his Auburn home in about 1970. Since the early 1990s, when he’d retired and had more time to focus on his hobby, he began devoting most of his waking hours to Japanese maples — learning about, maintaining, planting or even teaching others about them. If you plant them in the right place, Shell says, this particular type of tree, truthfully, doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. It does best in “high shade and morning sun,” and it doesn’t need much fertilizer. But he admits Japanese maples aren’t as prevalent here as they are in states like Oregon and Washington, where an overall cooler climate helps cool off the trees’ root systems and produce healthy, vibrant maples. Here in the South, the roots don’t get much relief from the heat. ater in the 1990s, Shell’s passion grew to a point where he began searching for a Japanese maple society so he could interact with other enthusiasts and swap ideas. He couldn’t find one in the U.S., but he eventually discovered and joined The Maple Society in 2002, which was founded in Gloucestershire, England, by Peter Gregory, manager of Westonbirt Arboretum. “I got a two-page, hand-written letter from Peter, thanking me for joining,” Shell recalls with a proud smile. It’s no surprise that the two maple lovers — though from different parts of the world — became close friends. In fact, Gregory visited Shell in Auburn, and they traveled together to Asheville, N.C., to meet with a group of people who shared their desire to start a North American branch of The Maple Society. That venture was successful, and the two friends also helped organized the first International Maple Symposium, which took place in England. The event is now held about every three years in different locations. This year’s meeting was held at the Morris Arboretum at the University of Pennsylvania in October. Shell even hosts workshops devoted to his favorite hobby, focusing on the growth and maintenance of Japanese maples. What better classroom than his own home and backyard? He will host his sixth annual grafting workshop in February. Not just anyone can attend these workshops, however; Shell said he likes to see the same sort of passion for Japanese maples that began brewing in him more than 60 years ago, when he first noticed the Carrollton tree. “I hand-pick the participants,” he says. “They have to be pure in heart with a certain gleam in their eye.” -lm

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Deck Your Halls

Add Sparkle for the Holidays

By Jacquelyn Dixon ‘Tis the Season Let’s get your house ready to celebrate in style for the holidays using seasonal touches of tradition with inspirational design. Let’s use whatever you collect. MIRRORS

I love mirrors — new ones, odd-shaped ones, even the very old beat up ones with damaged frames. Mixing mirrors together on a mantle creates an illusion of depth. Hang them high and at varying levels, while setting others on the mantle. Don’t worry about symmetry — asymmetrical designs are perfect for all the odd shapes and sizes. I also love all kinds of glassware, especially colored patterns. I place them all along the mantle and fill them with candles, twigs of berries and the traditional magnolia leaves. I mix many of my glasses with vases on table tops as well as on my kitchen island. This is a great way to tie the rooms together — a great set up for the holidays. TIN CAN LIGHTS

Whether using hot spots of color, all that glitters or natural beauty, decorating is a balancing act. Highlight your favorites and sprinkle your holiday mainstay 10 LEE MAGAZINE

throughout the house. Start outside and offer your guests a little insight at the main entrance. Punch holes in tin cans you’ve painted your favorite color in a holiday theme, then light them with tea lights and place them on the steps leading to your front door. Go BIGGER and use one gallon paint cans. Use a “nail punch” for piercing the cans, bought from your local hardware store. SPHERE-SHAPED HOLIDAY LIGHTS

I am obsessed with lighting up the outdoors with a unique take on holiday lights. I love, love, love anything sphereshaped for outdoor lights. Grape vine balls come in many sizes, so I combine clusters in odd numbers — three, five, seven, etc. Styrofoam balls from hobby shops work well too. Take a strand of mini-lights and wrap around the sphere evenly. If you don’t have an exterior outlet, battery -powered lights can be used. Arrange them high and low, or use pots with greenery flowing from underneath. Place them creatively, even hang some from low tree branches. Using lights rolled around spheres is so much easier than figuring out the logistics of wiring lights for the house exterior — not

to mention the time it takes. And doit-yourself, sphere-shaped holiday lights can also be brought back out for summer evening parties. CHRISTMAS TREE CUTOUTS & LIGHTS

More Christmas spirit wanted! You can make Christmas tree cardboard cutouts using heavy duty cardboard. Punch holes randomly from back to front. Using strands of mini-lights, insert the lights in the rear making sure the bulb part is past the cardboard. These are great anywhere inside the house, and you can place several together for a Wow! affect. Still not enough pizazz? Wrap some batteryoperated mini-lights around your dining room chandelier. Mix them with candles on the dining table to create a warm spirit for the holidays. DIY Holiday ideas are endless. Create what makes you happy, and let your imagination run wild. Feel free to reach out to me for any advice or questions you may have. I’m only a click away. -lm Jacquelyn Dixon is a licensed contractor with over fifteen years of experience, who builds custom homes and reinvents existing ones in the Auburn/Opelika area. Jacquelyn can be reached at: reallifebuilders@gmail.com

LEE MAGAZINE 11

his time of year doesn’t infuse everyone with a great sense of celebration and festivity. For many people, the change in seasons may also cause changes in mood and energy. Shorter, colder days and less daylight, along with changes in sleep, may produce a type of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). As the amount of daylight decreases, the amount of serotonin (our “happy protein”) produced by the brain may also decrease. Longer nights can lead to changes in our sleep cycle, disrupting our natural daily rhythm — also known as Circadian rhythm — and affecting our mood. Less daylight can also lead to decreases in melatonin, which also can affect our sleep cycles. Women and young adults have a higher risk of suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. Where you live can also affect the occurrence and severity of the symptoms. The further you live from the Equator (or the closer you live to the North or South poles), the more likely you are to experience symptoms with SAD. Symptoms are similar to those associated with depression, such as depressed mood, fatigue, feeling agitated or sluggish, and loss of interest in daily activities. Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness and difficulty concentrating are also common with SAD and depression. With Seasonal Affective Disorder, you may also experience an increase in feeling rejected or difficulty in getting along with other people, oversleeping, craving such foods as carbohydrates, and a heavy “leaden” 12 LEE MAGAZINE

Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Let's Throw a Little Light on the Subject By Lee Sharma, M.D.

feeling in your arms and legs. If you have feelings of wanting to hurt yourself or someone else, you should address these impulses immediately with a physician or a mental health care provider. Before your appointment, write down a list of symptoms and bring all your medications and over-the-counter supplements with you. When Identifying SAD, it is also important to note the timing or onset of your symptoms. If you are diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder, there are several effective treatments available. Light therapy has been shown to be very effective in treating symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. A light box, which simulates sunlight, can help to provide the light you need that’s missing in the winter months and alleviate symptoms. Spending more time outside — such as taking walks or eating lunch outside — may also provide more daylight and thus prevent or ease the depressive symptoms of SAD.

Increasing exercise can be very beneficial also, by increasing your energy and providing more blood flow and oxygen to your brain, which may in turn increase the production of serotonin. In some cases, antidepressants may also be prescribed to help the brain make more proteins associated with good mood and energy. Psychotherapy may also be very helpful in providing ways of coping with symptoms during the colder months. The holidays are a time when we’re expected to celebrate, which for many individuals can be a very difficult time. If you experience symptoms that seem to indicate Seasonal Affective Disorder, discussing them and getting treatment will help you feel better, faster, and perhaps even allow you to enjoy this festive time of year. -lm Lee Sharma, M.D. is a board-certified gynecologist in private practice. Trained at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, she lives in Opelika with her husband Shash, children Sam and Rachel, and her puppy Ryker.

Are You Living With Pain?

isa had been suffering from chronic pain for more than five years and did everything she knew to do at home prior to seeking medical help. Lisa reported to her primary physician that she was still experiencing constant pain

in her lower back that also traveled down her thigh. Her doctor referred her for several treatments, without any lasting relief, and her pain was slowly worsening. One of those previous treatments even included back surgery, which provided only temporary relief. However, things began to turn around when Lisaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary physician referred her to Dr. Eric Robinson at Auburn Pain Specialists for a consultation. When Lisa first arrived at Auburn Pain Specialists, she noticed the relaxing and calming atmosphere of the practice. The professional staff obviously enjoyed working there and admired Dr. Robinson. When Lisa spoke with him regarding her pain, Dr. Robinson took the time to explain her condition and discuss his treatment plan to alleviate her pain. Dr. Robinson is a fellowship-trained, interventional spine and pain management physician. He is board certified in both Anesthesiology and Pain Management and, thus, has both the education and strong knowledge base required to evaluate individuals who suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain. As the only fellowship-trained pain medicine physician in Lee County, Dr. Robinson possesses the solid clinical and procedural skills necessary to help his patients achieve relief through fluoroscopic-guided (X-ray) epidural steroid injections, nerve root blocks, facet joint medial branch nerve blocks, radio-frequency ablation, sympathetic blocks, spinal cord stimulators and intrathecal pump implants. Fluoroscopy and contrast dye are used to ensure that medication gets to the site of pain, and that the procedure is done as safely and accurately as possible. These procedures are performed with precision every day in the comfort and convenience of the Auburn Pain Specialists office. Lisa was so relieved to know that there was another option in the Auburn/Opelika area for her to receive treatment for her pain. She could make an appointment with Dr. Robinson, with or without a referral, and find pain relief. Lisa considered it an added bonus that there were no high outpatient facility copayments attached. She received the safe and effective procedures she needed for her usual office copayment. If you are experiencing chronic pain, make an appointment for a consultation at Auburn Pain Specialists. Dr. Robinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s solid clinical and procedural skills are only outmatched by his integrity and ethics. We in Lee County are lucky to have him.

AUBURN PAIN SPECIALISTS 890 North Dean Rd, Suite 100 Auburn, Alabama 36830 334.501.2005 www.auburnpainspecialists.com

P E T S going down this road. In the Internet age, anyone can make a pretty website with cute pictures of puppies. An aesthetically pleasing website does not necessarily correlate to a top quality breeding program. I would strongly recommend speaking with people who have visited the kennel or previously purchased a puppy. As a general rule, avoid pet stores that sell puppies and kittens, because most of these stores acquire these animals from puppy mill operations and sell them for exorbitant prices.

Now that your new pet is home and settling in, what do you do first?

Guess Who’s Coming for Christmas By Glen Puckett, DVM

ets can be found in nearly two thirds of U.S. households. In fact, since 1970, pet ownership has more than tripled to reach 67 million families with pets. As the Holidays approach, how many of you are thinking of adding a four-legged friend to your family? The Holidays seem to be our favorite time to acquire a pooch. These furry presents will become some of the most memorable and wonderful gifts, although they do require a decade or more of responsibility and loving care. Everyone wants that cute puppy or kitten, but are you ready for all that comes with it? Here are some pointers to help guide you through some of the importance aspects of acquiring, caring for and training your new Holiday addition.

Where do I find my new friend? Local humane shelters and rescues around the country are packed full of pets. Each year, an estimated 3 to 4 million animals are euthanized at these facilities due to pet overpopulation. Puppies and kittens are often adopted quickly from shelters, making them hard to come by. If you are willing to adopt an adult pet, you will most likely find a plethora to choose from at your local shelter. Adoption prices are generally less expensive than purchasing a pet, and many times shelter pets are already neutered and current on their vaccinations. If your heart is set on a pure-bred puppy, you will most likely have to purchase your new pet from a breeder. Extreme care must be taken to avoid puppy mills and substandard breeders when 14 LEE MAGAZINE

Avoid the urge to go directly to the pet store and spend your monthly salary on toys, treats, beds, leashes and doggie outfits. You should make a beeline to your veterinarian first. Both adopted and purchased pets often come with a short window of health guarantee and need to be examined very soon after they join your household. This can help prevent your new puppy or kitten from posing a risk in transmitting disease or parasites to other pets or people at home. Even animals that are vaccinated may be affected by a number of conditions that occur more commonly in highly populated areas like shelters, rescues and breeding kennels. Your veterinarian also can make appropriate recommendations for pet food, toys and treats, so that you don’t purchase the wrong things at the pet store. This first visit is also the time to begin thinking about training your pet appropriately, so he or she doesn’t develop bad habits.

The Training Basics Training of your new pet is often an afterthought that only occurs once that cute little monster has soiled your favorite rug 63 times and dismantled every pair of shoes that you own. In reality, the training process should begin from the very first moment the pet joins the household. The most important thing to remember is to use a reputable source of information when it comes to your pet’s training. Your veterinarian will be able to recommend books, websites and other reference materials that teach scientifically proven training techniques that work and will not create potential behavioral issues. The internet can be a great source of information, but there are countless blogs and pages full of misguided training tips that likely will be ineffective and may create harmful behaviors. One website with trusted information regarding training and the health of your pet is www.veterinarypartners.com. Puppy classes can be a great way to introduce socialization to other dogs and people as well as basic obedience. Just make sure that your pet is vaccinated and protected against disease prior to enrolling in a puppy class. Seek out a training class led by a knowledgeable instructor in a clean facility. Your veterinarian can often recommend a reputable trainer to provide this service. Enjoy the Holiday season with your pets, new and old. -lm Glen Puckett, DVM graduated from Auburn's School of Veterinary Medicine in 2008 and has been in practice at Moores Mill Animal hospital ever since. He lives in Auburn with his wife Heather, two children, and three dogs.

Take a Walk on the Cookie Side! The 19th Annual Habitat for Humanity Cookie Walk Dec. 6, 2014

tart your holiday season out with a gesture of generosity. For the 19th year in a row, area residents can enjoy The Great Christmas Cookie Walk of Lee County, which benefits Habitat for Humanity. You can come and select from the tens of thousands of cookies while also helping to build a comfortable, safe new house for a family in need. What could do more for your holiday spirit? This year’s event will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, in the Fellowship Hall of Grace United Methodist Church on Glenn Avenue in Auburn. If you’ve never attended a Cookie Walk, plan to come and hand select from a dazzling array of delicious, beautifully decorated holiday treats that are perfect for serving or giving away during the season. Shoppers receive a plastic glove and small cardboard box in which to store their selections while walking through rows of long tables filled with trays of sweets and treats. Cookies are traded for donations of $6 per pound. Old timers know to come early and be ready when the doors open to get the best cookies. The Cookie Walk was started in 1995 by the late Dr. Bob Norton, who introduced the idea as a fund raiser for Habitat for Humanity to a few members from local churches. Today the event has grown to offer 30,000+ beautifully decorated cookies and such other delicious treats as chocolate, gingerbread, banana nut bread, snicker doodles, and rum balls. There’s a little bit of

everything that makes the season special. It’s an easy way to stock up on beautiful, delicious, homemade, decorated treats to share with friends and family. Members of the eleven churches compose the We Help Coalition of Habitat for Humanity, and they have been planning, baking and decorating to make this the biggest and best Cookie Walk ever. After the excitement of making your choices, you can relax at the hospitality table: drink coffee, hot apple cider or cocoa and munch on a few sample cookies while you enjoy Christmas entertainment — children’s choirs, instrumental trios, gospel singers, praise team dancers and other local talent. At 9 o’clock, Santa will arrive to visit and have photos taken with the children. A raffle will be held at noon to award one lucky winner with a beautiful quilt designed and handmade by the local Cotton Boll Quilters Gild. Tickets are being sold for $2 each, or three for $5, and will be available until the raffle. You don’t have to be present to win. Organizers hope the Cookie Walk will raise between $8,000$12,000 again this year. All proceeds will help to build another Habitat for Humanity house right here in Auburn. When all is said and done, everyone involved will walk away with a warm glow of holiday cheer. See you there! LEE MAGAZINE

Peace on Earth

IWPU Women Promoting Peace and Understanding By Katie Lamar Jackson

mazing, important things can happen when we gather round a table together. That’s exactly what happened on Dec. 12, 2002, when, at a time when Earth was far from at peace, a dozen or so women from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds shared a holiday meal and conversation that led to the creation of an organization set on improving our understanding of one another, the International Women for Peace and Understanding. The catalyst for that dinner actually occurred three months earlier — on Sept. 11, 2002, to be exact – when Terry Rodriguez and Nighet Ahmed happened to share a sidewalk and a conversation in downtown Auburn. Terry, an Alabama native and long-time Auburn resident, and Nighet, a native of Pakistan who had moved to Auburn some 16 years earlier, both were headed from a candlelight vigil that was being held on Auburn University’s Samford Hall lawn to commemorate the first anniversary of 9/11 to an interfaith service being held around the corner at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church on Magnolia Avenue. The two women didn’t know one another, but as they fell into step together they began talking and soon discovered that they were both grappling with shared concerns, among them the impending war in Iraq and the growing lack of trust and understanding in the world. They connected that night through their mutual sense of helplessness in stopping the conflict and turmoil. 16 LEE MAGAZINE

In the days after that chance meeting, Nighet, Terry and, soon, other likeminded local women hailing from different cultures and countries began to meet and talk about what they, as women and mothers, could do to foster peace and understanding here at home. As December approached and their connections with one another grew, the women realized that, in a rare confluence of religious calendars — observances of Hanukkah, Christmas and the Muslim holy day of Eid were all occurring within days of one another that year. In the spirit of increasing understanding of, and appreciation for, one another’s cultures and beliefs, Nighet hosted a small multi-cultural holiday meal at her home, a gathering that included women from Eurasia, the Middle East and the United States. According to Azerbaijan native Rasima Bakhtiyarova, one of the women who attended that pivotal meal, the evening not only introduced her to new friends from many backgrounds, it also illustrated how much they all had in common. “We all wanted to create a peace between all international people and help them to keep friendship and understanding in this situation in Auburn,” she said. Inspired by that shared philosophy, that handful of women officially founded IWPU in 2003 with a mission to “…bring people of all faiths and cultures together to work to promote understanding, trust and peace in our community.” Since then the IWPU membership, which now totals some 45 women, has

been promoting peace and understanding in a variety of ways. Not only do they come together to learn more about each other, they have reached out to learn more about the many different faiths represented in our local community — Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Buddhist among them — and have shared their diverse cultures with school children and others in the Auburn area. hey’ve also supported local charities, organized awarenessraising meetings and, since 2003, hosted an annual International Dinner where anyone from the community (men, women and children alike) can gather to enjoy food and music from various countries and get a glimpse of this area’s cultural diversity. This fall they launched a new project: a Community Fair that drew more than 300 people to the Auburn United Methodist Church’s Epworth Center to see and sample the foods and cultures of 22 countries. The Community Fair, which included everyone from local residents to international students and faculty to recent immigrants, represented a range of cultures and socio-economic sectors. It was a huge success, in part because those who participated were so eager to share their culture with the community. As Nanette Chadwick, current IWPU president, noted, it brought out the best in people as they eagerly, peacefully, showed off their cultural pride. “We’re already planning for next year’s Community Fair,” she added.

IWPU’s first Community Fair, held in October, drew more than 300 people to learn about the foods and customs of some 22 countries. The women of IWPU find all sorts of ways to get involved in the community and beyond, such as this gathering of World Youth Seminar.

It’s just that sort of multi-cultural exchange and excitement that has drawn women to IWPU. Carolyn Coker, another long-time Auburn resident and member of IWPU, laughed that she was initially interested in IWPU because, “I’m always interested in other people’s lives.” But she found in IWPU something bigger. “It is a good way to grow and know people from all over the world. Your world is so much more expanded. You can travel every day.” “One of the great things about IWPU is all the people I have met that I would not have met otherwise, even people from the United States,” noted Terry, a sentiment echoed by Nanette and Kathleen Tajeu, another long-time IWPU member, both of whom had lived in Auburn a number of years before they truly felt connected to the community through IWPU. “If you walk around Auburn you may think it’s a typical southern town, yet we have such a diversity of cultures here — a lot of hidden diversity,” said Nanette, something that IWPU has made more obvious to her. For Nighet, IWPU has not only connected her with other women and the community, it has helped her realize how interconnected we all are with one another.

“As I look back and think about how these connections were made, there are so many stories that led to this,” she said. In Nighet’s case, her first realization of the need for more peace and understanding began when, prior to the 9/11 tragedy, she went home to Pakistan for a visit and found that the once closely connected international community she had grown up in had become divided and separated. Then the events of 9/11 shook her further. fter 9/11, the Ahmeds and other Muslims in the area were warned to be careful — there was concern that they would become targets of retribution for the 9/11 attacks. “All of the sudden I had to be concerned about the safety of my children,” she said. But at the same time, she noted, “there were people who reached out to us, our neighbors and co-workers came over to show their support.” Her conversation with Terry and other connections she made in that time after 9/11 all led her to realize how important it is to reach out to one another. “There was so much need for us to come together,” she said, and IWPU has helped do just that.

“And it all started with us just getting to know each other and talking about what our lives are like,” said Terry, something that continues today at IWPU meetings and retreats and even when they get together one-on-one. As she and others noted, “The stories keep coming when we get together.” Though the membership is fluid as women come and go from Auburn, an often transient community thanks to the university, their connections are permanent. Rasima, for example, has moved from Auburn to New Mexico, but she remains closely connected to her IWPU friends. “I am very proud to be part of IWPU because this group makes all of us stronger as women and as a community,” she said. “I will always remember my friends from my hometown — AUBURN.” “I wish everywhere we could have a similar group like IWPU,” she added, noting that she has begun to do just that by embracing the international community affiliated with her new job at New Mexico Mining and Technology University, and has organized a small group of local students and other women to provide support and guidance to international domestic workers. While all of these women readily acknowledge that we still have many obstacles to overcome — as Kathleen and Nighet noted, segregation within our community remains a problem, as do class and cultural divisions — they all remain committed to trying to make that happen and to making a difference. As Nanette said, “We have to break down (barriers) consciously.” And, as Carolyn noted, “We know that there should be something better and that should be peace.” To learn more about IWPU, contact Nanette at nanchad@gmail.com. -lm Katie Lamar Jackson is a freelance writer based in Opelika, Ala., who has been covering everything from agriculture to the arts for more than 30 years. LEE MAGAZINE

Recipes & Remembrances

Holiday Food for the Body and Soul Editor’s Note: Holiday celebrations, be they religious or secular, almost always involve special foods that, whether sweet or savory, snacky or substantial, are often flavored with stories and memories. Some of Lee County’s finest cooks kindly shared their favorite holiday recipes with us for this issue of Lee Magazine. In fact, folks were so generous we couldn’t use all of the recipes we received, but we have used at least one from each of our culinary storytellers and the others can be found at www. leemagazine.com. We hope you enjoy reading about how these recipes became favorites of our cooks and, better yet, we hope you’ll try some of them out for yourself and let us know what you think, or post some of your own storied recipes on our Facebook page.

By Katie Lamar Jackson KITCHEN STORIES

or many of us, the kitchen is at the heart of the holidays. It’s the place where some of the sweetest, most savory memories are made. And the stories behind those recipes make them, well, even sweeter and more savory.

avorite recipes are often part of our family histories. They’ve been passed down from one generation to another and, now, are creating holiday memories for our children and grandchildren. Take, for example, a recipe that is a favorite of Auburn resident Beth Guertal, a recipes that came from her mother and have since become a favorite for Beth and her own young family. “I love cut-out cookies. LOVE THEM,” said Beth, noting that a big part of the fun in baking these cookies is decorating them. However, she pointed out, most cutout cookie recipes are so bland they are merely a cardboard platform for the icing. Beth’s mother, though, found a recipe that tastes good, iced or not. That recipe, The 18 LEE MAGAZINE

Good Form Cookies, produces buttery, short-bread-like cookies that Beth’s husband, Brian, prefers to eat un-iced. Beth still uses the hand-written recipe for these cookies that her mother scribbled in 1968 on the back of an Ohio state fertilizer tonnage report, scrap paper that Beth’s father brought home from his work at the state fertilizer labs. The paper has a few holes in it, it’s greasy and torn, and every time I take it out I think I need to re-print it in case the whole thing falls to bits,” Beth said. “But I don’t think it will be the same if I make these cookies without reading it from Mom’s handwriting.”

ffie Piliouni Albrecht of Auburn also bakes one of her mother’s cookie recipes every year for the holidays, a recipe that has a long history in Effie’s family and their Greek heritage. According to Effie, her parents wed in an arranged marriage right after WW II and Greece’s civil war ended. As a new bride, Effie’s then-20-year-old mother moved from her home in central Greece

to Athens knowing “nothing about marriage, in-laws, household chores or cooking,” said Effie. But Effie’s grandmother, Yiayia, the family’s “sweet but firm matriarch” who also supervised everything that was cooked or baked at their family’s restaurant, taught Effie’s mother “every secret of the pots, pans and utensils and every traditional Greek recipe. Her most important advice was that the ingredients had to be of the best quality – the most basic condition for success,” said Effie.

ach Christmas, Yiayia baked cookies for their large family and for the workers and their families at the restaurant. But at that time, with the war so recently over and the famine that had been imposed for four years of German occupation still, as Effie said, “wet in people’s memories,” not everybody had access to vital ingredients. One of the most traditional of Greek Christmas cookies, Kourabiedes, were made with butter, almonds, eggs and sugar, which were not in great supply at that time. Ingredients for another traditional cookie, Melomakarona (translated as “Honey Macaroni” because of its oblong shape), however, were easier to find. “It is

a cookie that has no dairy or eggs, but is preserved by the honey syrup it is dipped in once it is baked,” said Effie. That Melomakarona recipe became a staple of Effie’s family. “My mother has been making them all her life, and I have been making them every Christmas for my family,” she said.

Judith

Lechner of Auburn has two sweet breads that she makes each Christmas, a Bavarian-style Stollen that her mother-in-law, Leni Lechner, generously shared with her and “without which Christmas is not Christmas for my husband, Norbert,” she said. “What made my mother-in-law’s sharing the stollen recipe and baking technique special is that she learned to make stollen in a time when ovens were heated by wood and were quite unreliable,” Judith said. “Her kitchen was drafty and so a constant temperature was hard to achieve and making yeast cakes was always an adventure fraught with the possibility of failure.” According to Judith, Leni passed on a great many admonitions about protecting the rising dough and baking bread draft-free: The dough was protected in a feather bed and the oven door was never to be opened prematurely. These admonitions and the drama surrounding fallen stollens-past were scary to Judith’s sister-in-law, Inge, who was afraid to even try the feat of stolen making. “Not having grown up with the perils of stollen-making I fearlessly embarked on the enterprise and have learned that making stollen in the modern kitchen is a pretty fool-proof activity,” said Judith. Though Judith adores stolen and is thankful to her mother-in-law for sharing the recipe, her heart belongs to another sweet holiday bread. “For me, Christmas isn’t Christmas without Hungarian Beigli,” she said. “As much as I like stollen, I love beigli even better.”

ary Belk, also of Auburn, grew up with a mother who cooked prodigious amounts of sweet goodies for the holidays. “She made

all kinds of cakes for Christmas dinner – three-layer chocolate, lemon cheese, caramel, coconut and Lady Baltimore cakes,” said Mary, as well as Toll House cookies and brown sugar bars for the family to munch on. But there was one particular dish that was the holiday standard bearer: “Throughout the holidays, it seems there was always a pan of gingerbread, covered with a clean dishcloth, on top of the washing machine in the corner of the kitchen,” said Mary. “Mama’s gingerbread perfumed our house like nothing else.” “Now, when I think back to Christmas, most of all I remember my sisters coming home. They’d push the back door open and, carrying a sleeping baby on one shoulder, call out to Mama, ‘Did you make gingerbread?’”

eg Callahan, sister of Lee Magazine publisher Beth Snipes, also has a favorite recipe, Chrusciki (also known as Polish Bowties), that came from their mother. “I have wonderful memories of being in the kitchen with my mother and Beth while listening to Christmas music and making these Polish cookies,” said Meg, who didn’t have a copy of her mother’s specific recipe but finally found one that was a close second to it. Beth, who provided us with a recipe for Stuffed Chicken Breasts that is perfect for the holidays and beyond, also offered her own favorite recipe, Angle Bars. “Years and years and years ago, a friend gave me a copy of The Joy of Cooking as a wedding shower gift,” she said. “It was the cookbook back then and it gave me the courage to try the handheld mixer I got at the same shower. Angel Bars is the first recipe I tried and I haven’t stopped making them since. The Joy of Cooking suggests that St. Peter gives these to little children at the gates of Heaven to help with homesickness. I think that must be right.”

or Marian Carcache, another Auburn resident, oranges play a big part in her family holiday memories. “Decades before anybody ever heard of ‘going green,’ my great aunt Evelyn saved

things to re-use or to make into art,” said Marian. “She saved keys and rocks and colored glass and fabric scraps, but she also saved eggshells and orange rinds.” Aunt Evelyn, said Marian, would turn those eggshells into ornate Easter gifts, and at Christmas, she also made presents from other re-purposed items, including those orange peels. “Every year, in addition to whatever else she made for me, Aunt Evelyn also enclosed a tin of candied citrus peelings made from the rinds she had saved after squeezing morning orange juice,” said Marian, who now makes Candied Citrus Peels as part of her own holiday tradition. When Marian was growing up, her family owned a country store that carried a wide range of amazing inventory and was also “the closest thing to a community center or ‘country club’ that Jernigan, Ala., had,” said Marian. Of the many recollections Marian has of their store, though, the Christmas ones are the best and most vivid. “Right after Thanksgiving, we decorated the store with lights and tinsel to provide the backdrop for the toys, candy, nuts, eggnog, fruit and other seasonal products that were on their way,” she said. “Soon Bing Crosby and Elvis took turns crooning ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Blue Christmas’ on the tape player behind the counter, while wind-up monkeys clapped and battery-operated dogs barked. At Christmas, the world sparkled and smelled like oranges. My favorite Christmas dessert is still, to this day, Orange Slice Cake, made with candy orange slices.”

hen it comes to family recipes, the Lipscomb family of Auburn has a sleigh tull, many of which are collected in their own family cookbook, Magic Menus from Magnolia. Wesley Ellis, one of the Lipscomb tribe, guided the publishing of that book, cooking each of the recipes himself, then sharing them with LEE MAGAZINE

family members. One of Wesley’s own in the cookbook is Bourbon Balls that are perfect for the holidays. And the cookbook contains more than a few from Wesley’s nephew, Lan Lipscomb. One of those, Lan’s Corn Souffle, has an in-law family history. “I’ve been married three times,” said Lan. “I stole and adapted this from my first mother-in-law. My second mother-in-law and sister-in-law stole it from me. I finally married into a family that has honor, or just doesn’t care enough for it to thieve it.”

nd speaking of in-laws, when my sisterin-law Anne Lamar, who lives in Gold Hill, married into our nutty family (my father owns Lamar Pecan and Peanut in Auburn), she readily adapted by perfecting a pecan pie recipe that she is now virtually required to make for all of our family holiday gatherings. Not to mention she can’t come visiting without her Hashbrown Casserole.

hough family members are a great source of recipes, it turns out so are almost complete strangers. Lan, for example, has for years made a fabulous French Onion Soup – just right for cold winter nights – the secret to which he learned as a teenager. “We went on a family trip to Quebec City when I was about 14,” Lan recalled. One night while dining in a tiny café, Lan (using his best high-school French) complimented the restaurateur on the meal, which apparently so impressed the French Candadian that he divulged to Lan the secret for making the best French onion soup… “consommé de poulet, jamais de beouf,” which translates into “use chicken stock, never beef,” advice Lan has followed ever since.

ne of the favorite holiday recipes of Auburn artist Terry 20 LEE MAGAZINE

Rodriguez came from a Texas tea shop. “My family moved to Houston, Texas, in 1968, the summer before my senior year at Auburn (University),” said Terry. “I was there for the entire summer, I had no friends and nothing to do but hang out at the pool. Fortunately, I found a job (in a cooperative art gallery). They needed someone for Friday nights and I could show my work there.” “I always arrived a little early to walk around and see the stores,” she continued. “I happened into a small tea shop run by two sisters, little old ladies who had somehow ended up in Houston. They were British, I found out. They knew Winston Churchill and told me stories about him. Looking over the menu, I ordered tea and scones. I had never heard of scones, but they were in my budget. They were soft, warm, puffed up triangles that were just sweet enough and had raisin and nuts in them. I’ve always remembered the two sisters and the scones.” Terry has since honed that scone recipe and its health benefits by adding oats, buttermilk and, more recently, flaxseed. “I serve them often, but somehow they always seem perfect for Christmas morning,” she said.

mily Melvin of Auburn discovered a heavenly confection, Heavenly Hash, that has become part of her holiday tradition from some sisters, too. She found this delicacy while attending a meditation retreat at the Sisters of the Sacred Heart convent in Mobile Alabama. “They sold this confection in the gift shop,” she said. “I have enjoyed making it ever since.”

pelika native Clay Humphries has a signature cheesecake, always in demand for holiday gatherings or, actually, all year long, that originated from a well-known LaGrange restaurant, but which he has since adapted and refined. It was, said Clay a “fairly ordinary’ cake,

but at the suggestion of a friend, he began amaretto for the vanilla. “After cooking this cheesecake for 30 years, I’m sure that is the ingredient that makes it special,” he said.

heila Eckman of Auburn (and a Lee County Commissioner) has found many of favorite recipes –and their ingredients –through friends, including a Muscadine Pie that she first ate one night at the home of former Auburn resident John Bedford. “I made a fool of myself over it, going back again and again. He had no written recipe, but I wrote down his verbal instructions, which work well.” And she went to her friends, Gene and Caroline Hunter of Opelika, for the muscadines. Another recipe for which she relies on the Hunter’s bounty is Persimmon Cake, though it was a bumper crop on her friend Ann Pearson’s persimmon tree that inspired it. “It had a bountiful harvest one year,” said Sheila. “I got totally carried away, ordered pudding tins and made puddings for one and all. When Ann’s tree grew lax the next year, I was able to get persimmons from Gene and Carolyn.” Ann is also the source of Sheila’s favorite praline recipe, which Sheila said requires a leap of faith, but is the only one that she’s ever been able to make with reliable success. “When Ann demonstrated this recipe to me, she said, ‘You just have to put your hand to it; you can feel when it’s ready.’ I had absolutely no confidence in that remark, but found it to be absolutely true.”

nother friend-ly recipe is the one that Leanne Lamke of Auburn is always asked to bring to parties, holiday or otherwise – Cheese Olive Puffs – a recipe she got from the friend of a friend (who is now her friend) in Knoxville and which Leanne later discovered through a non-olive-loving friend are just as good without the olives. Though holiday food is often about tradition, it’s not uncommon for folks

to establish their own customs by being unconventional. For example, Beatrice Harris – one of Auburn’s most beloved mothers to her own children and grandchildren as well as a slew of other little ones she’s helped raised through the years – spices up her holiday meal with a beautiful and flavorful Holiday Cornbread.

Mary

Counts, part of the PannieGeorge’s Kitchen family, dresses up traditional dressing with squash. “It’s a family favorite because it gives a nice twist on traditional dressing,” she said. “We featured it in the restaurant a few years ago and customers really enjoyed it. I think it’s time we reintroduce it!”

And, as the holidays progress toward

the New Year, there are those who give a creative nod to tradition, such as a recipe refined by Clay’s late wife, Pat Humphries, and made famous at their church – Collard Green Soup. “My mother calls it ‘better than it looks soup,’” said Clay, adding that it is originated from one of his aunts, but Pat made it her own. “Our church has a “Souper Bowl Sunday” fund raiser for the youth each year and Pat was always expected to supply Collard Green Soup. We would stay up late on Saturday nights cooking several pots so there would be extra to sell in half-gallon bags.” “The key ingredient is white vinegar,” he said, adding, “I’ve always thought that if you substituted kale for collards you could call it Tuscan soup to give it a little more class.”

hen there’s Auburn’s Gail Langley, whose family’s traditions change every other year. “I have a small family, a trinity counting

my husband and son,” she said. “So, holidays are challenging. Should I cook a 20-pound turkey and accouterments for three? The same question arises while dragging an innocent tree out of the woods (actually tree farm) and decorating it with a thousand points of light. Just venturing into the attic to retrieve the unending boxes of decorations causes Vesuvius-sized heart palpitations.” As soon as Gail’s son, Rivers, stopped believing in Santa Claus (“approximately age 18,” she said), they adopted a new tradition and began celebrating High Christmas and Low Christmas on alternating years. “High Christmas involved the total package: the turkey, the lights and the wassail,” said Gail. “At Low Christmas, we ignored traditions for travel to exotic destinations such as Key West, Disneyworld or the Hotel Talasi. I’m ashamed to admit that one very Low Christmas we celebrated with potluck at the Flora-Bama. I’d like to think that this speaks to our family’s diversity, but I fear it says more about our redneck roots.” Those roots, said Gail, may also have something to do with her family’s favorite turkey side-dish: Turnip Green Casserole, which was a staple of the old, now defunct, hotel in Tallassee, Alabama. “I’m not sure I have an accurate rendering of the ingredients of the sumptuous dish, as it is kept under wraps in the hills of Tallapoosa County.” However Gail thinks hers is at least a close cousin. Truth is, all these cooks and their recipes only scratch the surface of the culinary flavors and stories here in East Alabama, but maybe it will start a new tradition…an annual issue of great food and thought for Lee Magazine! Katie Lamar Jackson is a freelance writer based in Opelika, Ala., who has been covering everything from agriculture to the arts for more than 30 years.

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Savory

Savor the Season H

oliday meals can be as traditional or as unconventional as you wish, but either way it’s nice to have some savory meats, snacks, side dishes and breads to sink our teeth into. Here is a sampling of what our local cooks cook up for the table. CHEESE OLIVE PUFFS From the kitchen of Leanne Lamke, who got the recipe from a friend in Knoxville and has found that these cheesey bites are good even without olives! 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated, softened to room temperature 1 cup flour 1 stick unsalted butter, softened Pimento-stuffed olives Paprika to taste

Combine cheese, butter and flour to make a soft dough. Pinch off a small bit of dough, flatten it and then wrap it around each olives. Sprinkle with paprika and bake at 400F for 8 minutes. You can prepare the puffs in advance and freeze them for cooking later. HOLIDAY CORNBREAD From the kitchen of Beatrice Harris 1½ cups self-rising cornmeal ½ cup self-rising flour 1 egg ½ cup chopped frozen broccoli flowerets ¼ cup canned whole kernel corn (drained) ¼ cup chopped onions ¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded ½ cup cream cheese (Laughing Cow) ½ cup vegetable oil 1 cup buttermilk Water, if needed to make a thinner batter

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients and bake in a greased pan for 45 minutes. HOLIDAY STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST From the kitchen of Beth Snipes, who said this is delicious any time of year, but has a wonderful flavor and festive pop of color that adds holiday cheer to the table. 1 onion, minced 2 clove garlic, minced 22 LEE MAGAZINE

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 roasted pepper, diced 1 pound cleaned and washed baby spinach ¾ cup shelled pistachios 6 boneless chicken breasts Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F. Sauté the onion, garlic and red pepper in the oil until tender. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts. Remove from heat and cool. With a sharp knife, butterfly the breasts by slicing lengthwise through the thickest side to the opposite side. Open up like a book and pound with a flat mallet. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the prepared chicken with the cooled filling. Sprinkle each with Parmesan and pistachios. Roll them up and secure the filling by tying the breast with string. In a large heavy bottom sauté pan, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Sauté the chicken until golden brown. Turn over and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add wine and stock and reduce by half. Transfer the chicken to an oven-proof baking dish and bake until the temperature reaches 165F, about 15 minutes. Serve the chicken sliced with the reduced sauce. SQUASH DRESSING From the kitchen of Mary Counts (and Pannie-George’s Kitchen) 5 cups grated yellow squash 1 medium onion chopped ½ cup red bell pepper, chopped ½ cup celery, chopped 1 cup cream of celery soup 1 cup cream of chicken soup 1 cup self-rising flour 2 cups self-rising cornmeal 1 cup of milk 4 eggs, beaten 2 sticks of melted butter 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine squash and onion and mix well. Mix flour and cornmeal together, then add eggs, milk, butter and salt. Mix well and pour into a buttered baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until dressing is golden and set. LAN’S CORN SOUFFLE From the kitchen of Lan Lipscomb

1 teaspoon of sugar Salt, pepper to taste ½ of can cream of mushroom soup (double the recipe and you won’t have to figure out what to do with the other half can of soup.) ½ cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons of wine vinegar 1 teaspoon, or more, of horseradish 2 eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all ingredients together and pout in a greased casserole dish. Cook until bubbling. Serves 3 with leftovers.

Holiday Stuffed Chicken Breast

4 eggs, beaten 2 cans cream-style corn 2 cans whole kernel corn 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, grated Chopped green chilies to taste (optional) Breadcrumbs Melted butter

Mix the first four ingredients (plus chilies, if desired)). Top with breadcrumbs and melted butter. For an extra kick, you can sprinkle with ground hot chili powder, too. Bake 1 hour. HASHBROWN CASSEROLE Anne Lamar adapted this one from Bertha Capps recipe in Calling all Cooks and it’s a favorite at all holiday family gatherings. 1 2-pound bag of frozen hashbrowns, shredded or chopped ½ cup chopped onions 8 to 10 ounces shredded cheddar cheese 1 small carton sour cream 1 can cream of mushroom soup (original recipe called for cream of chicken) 1 teaspoon salt Dash of pepper 2 sticks margarine, melted Breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan. Mix together hashbrowns, onions, cheese, sour cream, soup, salt and pepper and half of the melted margarine. Pour into pan and cover with breadcrumbs. Pour remaining margarine evenly over breadcrumbs and bake for 1 hour or until browned. HOTEL TALISI TURNIP GREEN CASSEROLE From the kitchen of Gail Langley 1 can of Glory-brand chopped turnip greens

FRENCH ONION SOUP From the kitchen of Lan Lipscomb 2 medium onions, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon flour Salt and pepper to taste 1 bay leaf 1 quart chicken stock French bread, sliced Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Heat pan and add butter until it foams. Add onions. Lower heat and cook slowly for 15-20 minutes until onions are pale brown. Stir in flour and cook for a few minutes. Heat the stock to boiling point; remove pan from heat and add stock to the onion mix. Add seasonings and bay leaf and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Have ramekins or a casserole dish ready with bread slices arranged on the bottom. Remove bay leaf and pour boiling soup over the bread slices. Sprinkle grated cheese thickly over the top and bake at 400F for 10 minutes. PAT’S COLLARD GREEN SOUP From the kitchen of Clay Humphries 1 pound country sausage 3 Irish potatoes, diced 1 small onion, diced 1 small bell pepper, diced 1 can chicken broth 2 cans navy beans 1 can great northern beans 1 can diced tomatoes 1 large can seasoned collards 3-4 teaspoons white vinegar

Cook sausage in a large soup pot until done and crumbled. Remove and wipe grease from pot. Saute onions and pepper. Add remaining ingredients and sausage plus the cans of water and cook until potatoes are done. LEE MAGAZINE

Sweet

Don’t Be Naughty or Nice:

Be Sweet

t’s important to be sweet for the holidays, but it’s also important to eat sweets, and these recipes from our community of cooks should be able to satisfy almost any sweet tooth during the holidays.

BOURBON BALLS From the kitchen of Wesley Ellis 1 box vanilla wafers, finely crushed 1 cup chopped pecans 2 tablespoons cocoa 1 cup powdered sugar 3 tablespoons corn syrup (Karo) ½ cup bourbon

Combine vanilla wafers, pecans, sugar and cocoa in a large bowl. Mix well. Combine syrup and bourbon and pour this mixture over wafer mix. Stir well. It may be necessary to add more Karo syrup to make the dough workable. Add syrup a little at a time, working it in thoroughly before adding more. Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container, preferably in the refrigerator. Will last up to 2 weeks if you can keep the family out of the container.

Crisco for EVERYTHING. This, perhaps, might be why all Ohioians have major heart attacks at age 58.) 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1/4 c of milk 2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the flour, salt and butter. Mix thoroughly with the fingers. Add the sugar, eggs, soda-milk mixture and vanilla. Mix well. Chill. This will be a stiff dough. Rough dough out on waxed paper to a ¼-ich thickness. Cut out your shapes. As with all roll cookies do not overwork the dough as it will become tough. Keep the dough chilled as you work. Place on parchment paper to cook. Bake at 375F for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly brown on bottom. Do not overcook - they have better flavor if not crispy.

Icing Mix Crisco (yes, more Crisco!) and confectioner’s sugar, then add enough milk to make icing spreadable. Add vanilla to flavor. I typically start with 4 tablespoons of shortening and add two cups of confectioner’s sugar, and then add about 2 tablespoons of milk to get a consistency. Add sugar to get the taste you prefer. Do not chill this icing. If you do have to chill the icing (if preparing in advance, for example) simply allow it to return to room temperature and add milk to bring to the correct consistency. BEST COOKIES EVER (adapted from Southern Living’s Sharon Brock’s Best Cookies Ever) From the kitchen of Anne Lamar

THE GOOD FORM COOKIES From the kitchen of Beth Guertal 4 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter (I actually use Crisco. I grew up in Ohio - we use 24 LEE MAGAZINE

2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 cups uncooked oats (old-fashion or quick-cooking oats) 1 cup sugar 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1 cup chopped pecans 1 cup Craisins or coconut 1 cup white chocolate or semisweet chocolate morsels 1 cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat over to 350F. In a large bowl, stir together first nine

ingredients. Add oil, eggs and vanilla and stir well. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Let cool on baking sheets for 1 minute. Remove to wire racks to fully cool. Makes six dozen.

PECAN PIE From the kitchen of Anne Lamar 1 deep-dish pie shell ½ cup melted butter or margarine 3 eggs 1 cup light brown sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ up light corn syrup 1 1/3 cups pecan halves

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix butter, eggs, brown sugar, salt and vanilla in a bowl. Beat with wire whisk until smooth. Blend in corn syrup and pecans. Pour in pie shell and bake 40-45 minutes until set and pie crust browns. Cool on rack. MELOMAKARONA From the kitchen of Effie Piliouni Albrecht, who said this recipe from her childhood in Greece makes lots of cookies that can last through the

holidays (if not devoured by family) with no refrigeration. And the cookies can be arranged in layers to form a mountain shape: thanks to the walnuts, they won’t stick together! 1 ¾ cups extra virgin olive oil 1 ¾ cups sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon orange rind (fresh) 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice ¼ cup brandy 8 ½ cups flour mixed with 5 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix first seven ingredients in a bowl and beat with whisk so that there are no lumps. Add flour/baking powder mixture, a couple of cups at a time. The dough should be soft. Let the dough rest for an hour and shape it into 2-inch, oblong cookies. Press the cookie with the rough side of a foursided cheese grinder to give its top some decoration. Place on cookie sheets, one inch apart, and bake for 20-30 minutes. Let them all cool down and place them on clean baking sheets, close to each other. Make a syrup with 2 pounds of honey, a cup of water and a cup of sugar. Add some cinnamon and cloves. Drench the cookies with the hot syrup, one batch at a time. Once you see they have absorbed enough syrup, place them on a platter and sprinkle them with chopped walnuts. Makes about 100 cookies. ANGEL BARS From the kitchen of Beth Snipes ¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 3 large eggs, divided 1 ¾ teaspoons vanilla, divided ¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus additional 1 1/2 tablespoons 1 cup packed light brown sugar ¼ teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups chopped toasted, pecans or walnuts 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut, lightly toasted

Lemon glaze: 1 1/4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted 1/4 cup fresh lemon, orange, or lime juice 1 teaspoon vanilla

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Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan lined with foil. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, 1 egg yolk, and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla in a medium bowl until well blended. Stir in 3/4 cup of flour until well blended and smooth. Press the dough evenly into the baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat 2 eggs, light brown sugar, 1½ tablespoons flour, baking powder, salt, and 1½ teaspoons of vanilla in a medium bowl until well combined. Stir in nuts and coconut. Spread the mixture evenly over the hot baked crust. Bake until the top is firm and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly wet, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a rack. If desired, while the bars are still warm, spread evenly with Lemon Glaze (recipe below). Let stand until the bars are cool and the glaze is set. Makes 12 bars.

(Mama used the thick pan that came with the oven) for 20-25 minutes. Ice with confectioner’s sugar icing.

Icing 1 cup confectioner’s sugar 2 tablespoon hot water ½ teaspoon vanilla

Mix together and spoon on hot gingerbread.

Lemon Glaze Beat confectioners’ sugar, juice, and vanilla together until smooth. Drizzle over warm bars. HEAVENLY HASH From the kitchen of Emily Melvin, who suggested freezing the marshmallows and nuts for better results than if they are at room temperature. They help cool the chocolate mixture and the marshmallows, which are supposed to stay whole, do not melt. 6 ounces of pecan pieces 1 10½-ounce package miniature marshmallows 1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate morsels 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 2 tablespoons butter

CHRUSCIKI (POLISH BOWTIES) From the kitchen of Meg Callahan

Line a 13 x 9-inch pan with wax paper, letting the paper extend over the edges of the pan. Place the milk, chocolate and butter in a saucepan and heat just until melted. Do not overheat. Cool. Combine frozen nuts and marshmallows in a bowl. Add the chocolate mixture. Mix well and spread evenly in prepared pan. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Invert on wax paper. Peel off wax paper and cut into squares.

4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup cold butter 4 egg yolks 1 cup evaporated milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Oil for deep frying Confectioner’s sugar

MAMA’S GINGERBREAD From the kitchen of Mary Belk ½ cup sugar ½ cup oleo (1 stick) 1 egg 2 ½ cups sifted flour 1 cup hot water 1 cup cane syrup (Roddenbery’s Cane Patch) ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ginger ½ teaspoon cloves ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream shortening and sugar. Add beaten egg, syrup and dry ingredients that have been sifted together. Add hot water and beat until smooth. Bake in greased 13 x 9-inch pan 26 LEE MAGAZINE

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, beat egg yolks until foamy; add milk and vanilla. Stir into crumb mixture until dough is stiff enough to knead. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times. Divide dough into four pieces. Roll each portion into a very thin rectangle. Cut into 4-inch by 1½inch rectangles. Cut a 2-inch lengthwise slit down the middle of each strip; pull one of the ends through the slit like a bow. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry dough strips, a few at a time, until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioner’s sugar. Yield: 40 to 50 cookies depending on the thickness. AMARETTO CHEESECAKE From the kitchen of Clay Humphries 3 eight-ounce blocks of cream cheese e (not low fat)

3 eggs 3/4 cup of sugar 3 table spoons of amaretto (this is a guess - I just pour it in)

Prepare a graham cracker crust with a sleeve or crackers plus a few extra. Grind the crackers in a food processor with several tablespoons of sugar and half a stick of melted butter. Pour into 8-inch spring-form pan and press down tightly with the flat bottom of a glass. Oil or spray Pam on the sides of the pan to prevent sticking. Put this in the oven as it warms for a few minutes to set. Cream, but don’t fluff, the cream cheese in the food processor. (Added air makes the cake rise too much, then crash.) Add the sugar, the eggs and the amaretto and just blend in. Pour this over the prepared crust and cook for 45 minutes at 375 degrees or until a straw comes out clean. Turn the oven off. Let much of the heat escape and leave the cheesecake in to cool to prevent cracking. Top with fresh blueberries, strawberries or raspberries in a sauce that includes a little Chambord. The easiest way to make a sauce is to melt some seedless jam and add sugar and Chambord. If you have a bigger pan or want a higher cheese cake it is a very simple recipe to adjust - one more block of cheese, one more egg, another quarter cup of sugar and another tablespoon (or more) of amaretto. JOHN BEDFORD’S MUSCADINE PIE From the kitchen of Sheila Eckman, who said the recipe is a little labor intensive but worth it! Boil a couple of quarts of muscadines for about 15 minutes, then cool them. Pinch each muscadine to remove the seeds and put the “meat” into another bowl, along with the skins. (This is where you will begin to wonder if this is all really worth it, but the skins provide texture and a tangy “bite” to the flavor.) Add a little sugar and cornstarch and cook till thick. (It looks simply awful, like a big gloppy mess, but don’t pay any attention to that. It will turn a pretty color later.) Pour into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Put a yellow cake mix and a stick of butter in a bowl. Cut it with a pastry cutter until you have fine chunks. Sprinkle it over the grape mixture and sprinkle it all with sugar and cinnamon. Dot with chunks of butter. Bake at 350F for about ½ hour, until it is nice and brown on the top. Delicious hot or cold, but especially hot with good vanilla ice cream.

PERSIMMON CAKE From the kitchen of Sheila Eckman, who said this recipe calls for a 2-quart mold, but she uses two smaller ones, which allows it to steam faster. Persimmons have a nectar-like quality, which keeps this moist. Rich – a little goes a long way. First, grow a persimmon tree, pluck the fruit, peel it and puree it in a blender. (Or, make friends with Gene Hunter, who has a persimmon orchard!) Pudding 1 cup raisins ½ cup brandy ½ cup persimmon puree 1-¼ cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter, softened 1 1/8 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon cardamom ¼ teaspoon cloves ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup pecans ½ cup cream 2 egg whites

Brandy Sauce ½ cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg ¼ cup brandy

Melt the butter and sugar together in the top of a double boiler. When melted, cook for an additional minute. Cool slightly. Beat the egg in a small bowl, then whisk it into the melted butter. Whisk in brandy. Either serve immediately or keep warm over hot water. STEP 1 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons butter, softened

Butter the lid and sides of a 2-quart pudding mold. Dust with the sugar. Prepare a heavy, deep pot for steaming by placing a trivet or small rack on the bottom. Put in enough water to come about half way to two-thirds up the mold. Bring to a simmer while preparing the pudding. STEP 2 Put raisins in a small bowl and cover with the brandy. Puree persimmons and place in a large mixer bowl; add sugar and butter and beat together. Sift flour, baking soda, salt and spices together. Fold dry ingredients into persimmon mixture by hand, mixing well. Add pecans and raisin mixture. Gradually stir in cream, mixing thoroughly. Whip egg whites to soft peaks. Fold them into the pudding and pour into the prepared mold. LEE MAGAZINE

Secure lid. Tap pudding on the counter several times to break up any air bubbles. [Make crème brulee with the yolks!] Carefully lower mold into the simmering water, placing it in the center of the pot so steam circulates around the mold. Cover the steam pot. Simmer 2½ hours over low heat [1½ hours for two smaller molds], checking to maintain an even water level. The pudding is done when a skewer inserted in it comes out almost clean. Cool in pan until pudding shrinks from sides of pan, about 15 minutes. Invert on a serving platter and serve with warm sauce. ANN PEARSON’S PRALINES From the kitchen of Sheila Eckman, who said she likes to use toasted, salted pecans for a sweet/salty flavor. 1 cup light brown sugar 1 cup white sugar ½ cup half and half 2 tablespoons real butter ½ cup pecans

1 pound chopped dates 1 pound chopped candy orange slices 2 cups chopped pecans 1 can flaked coconut 1 cup fresh orange juice 2 cups powdered sugar

Cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk, and add to creamed mixture. Put flour in large bowl. Add dates, candy orange slices, and nuts. Stir to coat. Add this mixture, along with the coconut, to the creamed mixture. The dough will be stiff and will probably have to be creamed by hand at this point. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake at 250F for 2½-3 hours. Combine orange juice and powdered sugar. Pour over cake while still hot. Let stand in pan overnight. Enjoy!

Mix together first three ingredients and bring to a boil. Then drop heat down to boil gently. Stir continually! When thick, add butter and pecans. Stir more, until right consistency—you can feel it change! Drop onto two layers of waxed paper. Cool.

CHRISTMAS STOLLEN (GERMAN) From the kitchen of Judith Lechner CANDIED CITRUS PEELS From the kitchen of Marian Carcache 1 cup orange peel, cut into strips ½ cup white sugar ¼ cup water

Place strips of peeling in large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes longer. Drain. Repeat this process two more times. In a medium saucepan, heat sugar and 1/4 cup water over high heat until boiling. Place peel in sugar mixture, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Remove peel with slotted spoon and dry on wire rack overnight. Store in airtight container. It is important that candied peelings remain dry. ORANGE SLICE CAKE From the kitchen of Marian Carcache 1 cup butter 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ cup buttermilk 3½ cups plain flour 28 LEE MAGAZINE

6 cups flour ½ cup thinly sliced almonds ¼ cup warm milk .14 ounce bitter almond extract if possible 2 envelopes regular yeast 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 3 eggs ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ½ cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ginger ¾ cup milk 1/8 teaspoon cardamom 1½ sticks butter (or butter substitute; e.g. Earth Balance) ½ cup currents or cranberries 1 cup raisins soaked in rum over night (if you remember) 1/3 cup candied orange peel Confectioner’s sugar for sifting over finished Stollen 1/3 cup candied lemon peel 1/3 cup candied ginger

Start yeast in a pre-warmed bowl with the teaspoon of sugar in the warm milk (1/4 cup). When the yeast has begun to rise, add the flour, eggs, sugar, salt and enough milk (of the ¾ cup of milk) to make a not-too-soft dough. Add the almonds, candied fruits, raisins, spices and butter. Knead through and through or use a dough hook if you have a strong mixer. Knead until the dough is smooth and shiny. Tear the dough into quarter segments and throw it with great force back together, in order to achieve a fine mix. Knead it together so it’s smooth, place in a bowl and cover with a dishcloth. Place in an evenly warm but not hot place. The oven works if you preheat it for 1 minute then turn off the oven and put the oven light on. It also helps to put the bowl in a larger bowl of warm water. Let rise for about 2 hours or until dough doubles. Form two loaves. For each loaf, using a rolling pin or your palm, flatten one end (about two-thirds of the loaf) out so it is twice as wide as it had been, sprinkle with cold water, and fold flattened end over the top of the fat end, creating a new loaf at 90 degrees from the original loaf. Place the loaves on a buttered baking pan in preheated 375F oven for 45–50 minutes. Test for doneness with a skewer – skewer should come out dry. When the loaves come out of the oven immediately paint them with a little butter and sprinkle a little powdered sugar on them. Allow stollen to cool, then tightly cover in aluminum foil and zip lock bag to keep from drying out. Best wait until next day or thereafter to eat. Good for a long time if you don’t allow it to dry out.

Mix flour, butter and sugar to create a crumbly mixture. Add egg yolk, milk-yeast mixture and salt. Knead and divide into four portions. Let rise about 15 minutes. Poppy Seed Filling ½ cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoon lemon juice ½ teaspoon lemon rind grated ½ pound poppy seeds (ground) Pinch of cinnamon Pinch of cloves ½ cup water

Mix sugar and water and cook until syrupy. Add honey, butter, lemon juice and grated rind. Remove from heat and stir in poppy seeds and spices. Keep warm. Walnut Filling 3 cups ground walnuts 1 cup sugar (I use 2/3 cup sugar – that’s plenty sweet) moistened in a little water A little cocoa Mix all ingredients and set aside until dough is ready to be filled. Preheat oven to 370°F. Stretch each portion into thin sheets (less than a ¼-inch). Spread each with filling and roll up tightly. Beat egg white with a teaspoon of water and brush rolls. Let rolls rise while egg white dries and place on baking sheet. Prick rolls in 3–4 places. Bake 35-40 minutes. (Test after 30 minutes to make sure it’s not too dark). TERRY’S OAT SCONES From the kitchen of Terry Rodriguez, who said you can use dried apricots, cranberries, golden raisins or a combination of them all in this recipe.

BEIGLI From the kitchen of Judith Lechner, who noted this Hungarian/ Slovak Christmas roll can have poppy seed or walnut fillings. The recipe can be made gluten-free by using Bolt’s Red Mill Pizza Crust (whole grain) flour. Dough 1/3 cup milk ½ envelope dry yeast (not needed if using the gluten-free pizza crust flour, which comes with a packet of yeast) 1 pound flour 2 sticks butter 4 ounces sugar Pinch of salt 1 egg separated

Warm milk and dissolve yeast in it with a teaspoon of sugar.

1½ cups old-fashioned oats (not quick-cooking oats) 1½ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup ground flaxseed (grind your own for most health benefit) 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (available at Dayspring Natural Foods in Auburn) ¼ cup sugar ½ cup finely chopped dried fruit ½ cup chopped walnuts (or pecans or almonds) ½ cup butter, melted ½ cup buttermilk 1 egg

Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine dry ingredients. In a small bowl, stir butter, buttermilk and egg until well blended, then mix into dry ingredients. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. Cut into 12 wedges. Place slightly apart on a cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Serve plain or with butter, honey or preserves. LEE MAGAZINE

sparkling wine or other spirits to the Party Punch to give it an extra punch. CHRISTMAS PARTY PUNCH From Good, Good, Good 1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice, thawed 1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade, thawed 2 1/2 cups pineapple juice 1 1/2 quarts cranberry juice Ice cubes Add water to orange juice and lemonade according to package directions. Pour all ingredients into punch bowl. Stir to mix. Add ice cubes. Serves 50. MAMA’S EGGNOG From Good, Good, Good 12 eggs, separated 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups bourbon 1 quart whipped cream Beat yolks and add 1 cup sugar. Slowly add bourbon. Beat egg whites stiff and add ½ cup sugar. Fold in whipped cream. Top with nutmeg. Serves 20.

Happy Sipping

Warm or Cold, Holiday Beverages Hit the Spot Holiday revelers do not live by food alone: A little liquid holiday cheer is also needed, so here is a small sampling of some festive beverages that have been passed down from earlier generations. The first three recipes are from Good, Good, Good, a collection of recipes from the late Polly Jernigan, one of Opelika’s most legendary party-givers. Polly originally compiled these recipes for her newly wedded daughter in the late 1970s but soon everyone wanted a copy and it became so popular it’s since been reprinted five times, most recently in 2011 by the Arts Association of East Alabama. The final beverage is from Magic Menus from Magnolia, a collection of recipes from the Lipscomb/Ellis family. According to Lan Lipscomb, “This hand-written recipe was found in Mama’s (Mattie Ellis’) favorite cookbook, in her handwriting and simply titled ‘Port.’ Mama was an ardent teetotaler so it was quite a surprise to find a wine recipe in her cookbook!” While there’s an extra kick of alcohol in most of these, you can skip the spirits — though Polly might not approve of that — and make them “dry” (all except the Port, that is). Or add some 30 LEE MAGAZINE

MIDWINTER PUNCH From Good, Good, Good 3 cups cranberry juice 2 quarts apple juice 4 sticks cinnamon 1 teaspoon whole cloves 3 cups vodka Lemon slices studded with whole cloves Combine cranberry juice and apple juice. Place spices in a cheesecloth bag and tie tightly. Add spice bag to juice mixture in a saucepan and heat to boiling over medium heat. Simmer over low heat 5 minutes. Remove spice bag. Cool slightly. Add vodka. Serve hot, garnished with lemon slices and more cinnamon sticks. (Makes 28 drinks.) MATTIE NORMAN ELLIS’ PORT From Magic Menus from Magnolia 1 quart grape juice 2 quarts water 2 pounds sugar 1 package raisins 1 yeast cake Combine all ingredients and let sit in a covered crock (a churn is good) for 2 weeks. Stir twice a week. Strain and bottle. Leave caps loose for a few days. -lm

Auburn Chamber of Commerce, 714 E. Glenn Ave., Auburn. Information: 334.887.7011; www.auburnchamber.com.

Auburn Public Library, 749 E. Thach Ave., Auburn. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 2–6 p.m. Information: 334.501.3190; www.auburnalabama.org/ Library. Check the website for holiday hours. Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center Gallery, 222 E. Drake Ave., Auburn. Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–9 p.m. Information: 334.501.2963; www. auburnalabama.org/arts. Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, 901 S. College St., Auburn. Hours: Tuesday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:45 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–4:45 p.m.; Sunday, 1–4 p.m. Information: 334.844.1484; www. jcsm.auburn.edu. Check the website for holiday hours. Lewis Cooper Junior Memorial Library, 200 S. 6th St., Opelika. Hours: Monday–Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; Wednesday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 1–5 p.m. Information: 334.705.5380; www. cooperlibrary.com. Check the website for holiday hours. Lee County Historical Society, 6500 Stage Road (Hwy. 14), Loachapoka. Open second Saturdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Information: 334.887.3007; www. leecountyhistoricalsociety.org. Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve, 3100 Hwy. 147 N., Auburn. Open daily from sunup to sundown. Information: 334.707.6512 or http://wp.auburn.edu/ preserve.

WHEN

Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau, 714 E. Glenn Ave., Auburn. Email: info@ aotourism.com; 334.887.8747; www. aotourism.com.

Opelika Chamber of Commerce, 601 Avenue A, Opelika. Information: 334.745.4861; www.opelika.com.

WHERE

calendar

November/December

Ongoing Events A Little Art Talk. Take your lunch break at Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art each Wednesday and hear a short (15-minute) talk focused on a single piece of art in the JCSM collection. You’ll still have ample time to drop by the café for lunch or the gift shop. Information: 334.844.1484; www.jcsm.auburn.edu. A Little Lunch Music. Enjoy lunch in our café while listening to a casual performance, noon–1 p.m., presented by the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art and musician Patrick McCurry. Information: 334.844.1484; www.jcsm. auburn.edu. Baby Time. Bring your newborn to 24-month-olds to the Auburn Public Library each Tuesday for Baby Time, held weekly at 10 a.m. and again at 1 p.m., to enjoy 20 minutes of stories, songs, bounces and tickles. Information: 334.501.3190. Brown Bag Lunch and Learn. Join the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) on Mondays, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., for Lunch and Learn sessions held at the Clarion Inn & Suites in Auburn. Information: 334.844.3105; www. olliatauburn.org. Classic Book Discussion. Join writers and readers the second Thursday of each month at The Gnu’s Room in Opelika for a classic book discussion. Nov. 13 will feature a discussion of the book I am Legend; Dec. 11 will focus on The Catcher in the Rye. Admission: free. Information: 334.705.0484; thegnusroom@gmail.com. Family Story Time. Bring the whole family to Auburn Public Library on Nov.

23 and Dec. 1 for our monthly Sunday Family Story Time programs featuring stories, songs, games and family fun at Family Story Times. Information: 334.501.3190. First Fridays. “Shop Late, Eat Local” in downtown Opelika the first Friday of each month. Specialty stores stay open until 8 p.m. or later, so come eat, shop and enjoy live music on the streets. Information: www.opelikamainstreet.org; 334.745.0466. First Fridays with Satin Soul. Satin Soul, a smooth jazz and R&B band, plays on the first Friday of each month at The Event Center Downtown in Opelika. Doors open at 8 p.m.; show starts at 9 p.m. Admission: $5. Information: 334.705.5466; www. eventcenterdowntown.net. Live Jazz at the Museum. Hear live jazz, tour exhibits and enjoy food from the café each Thursday, 6–8 p.m., at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Information: 334.844.1484; www.jcsm. auburn.edu. Pajama Time. Put on your pajamas, grab a blanket and a favorite bedtime “lovey,” and join the Auburn Public Library staff on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. for cozy stories, music and family fun. Information: 334.501.3190. Preschool Time. Bring your preschoolers (ages 3–5 years) to the Auburn Public Library on Thursdays, held weekly at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., for stories, songs, movement rhymes and a fun craft during Preschool Time. Information: 334.501.3190. Read and Reflect Book Club for Seniors. Join Auburn Public Library Director Chris Warren beginning at 10 a.m. at Auburn’s Harris Center on the last Tuesday of each month as he leads a discussion on a selected book. Light refreshments will be provided.

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Each month’s book selection can be checked out at the library. Information: 334.501.3190. Second Saturdays. Visit the Lee County Historical Museum on the second Saturday of each month 9 a.m.–3 p.m. for a day of historical fun and education featuring metal and fiber/ textile arts demonstrations, open-hearth cooking, food, old time music and more. Information: 334.887.3007; www. leecountyhistoricalsociety.org. Toddler Time. The Auburn Public Library hosts this event each Wednesday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. for toddlers ages 18–36 months and their favorite adults to enjoy stories, songs, movement rhymes and a fun craft. Information: 334.501.3190. Wine Down Wednesday. Held every Wednesday at 5 p.m., this event offers half-price house wines, full bar and free snacks. Information: 334.705.5466; www. eventcenterdowntown.net. Young at Heart Bingo and Lunch. Seniors can enjoy bingo and lunch, 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m., at Auburn’s Hubert and Grace Harris Senior Center on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Upcoming dates are Nov. 18, Dec. 2 and Dec. 16. Admission: $3 or bring a cover dish. Information: 334.501.2930; www.auburnabalabam.org. Upcoming Events Nov. 14–22. “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Join members of the Auburn Area Community Theatre for this classic, nostalgic holiday story. Performances are at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center in Auburn on Nov. 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 16 and 23 at 2 p.m. Tickets: $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and students. Information: www.auburnact.org; info@ auburnact.org. Nov. 20. Poetry Night. Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts hosts a reading by poet Kendra DeColo from 7–8 p.m. Admission: free. Information: 334.844.1484; www.jcsm.auburn.edu. Nov. 20: The Brain Games for 50+. Are you a fan of Jeopardy, Minute to Win It, 32 LEE MAGAZINE

Name that Tune and other game shows? Better yet, are you competitive? Join us at Auburn’s Harris Center beginning at 6 p.m. for the first edition of the Brain Games, as we split into two teams and compete for prizes in three rounds of craziness and fun. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team and dinner is provided. Admission: $5 (includes dinner). Information: 334.501.2930.

Dec. 5: The 23rd Annual AUUF Auction. Come bid on everything from art and collectibles to meals and services at the annual Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Auction 6–9 p.m. (live auction begins at 7 p.m.), at the AUUF building at 450 E. Thach Ave. in Auburn. Food, beverages and lots of fun will be provided. Information: 334.887.3208 or www.auuf.net.

Nov. 30–Dec. 2: No More Wasted Lives. The Lee County Humane Society holds its annual holiday fundraiser starting at noon on Nov. 30 and running through 6 p.m. on Dec. 2. Information: 334.821.3222; lchs@leecountyhumane. org.

Dec. 6: Polar Express. Children ages 12 and under (ages 7 and under must be accompanied by an adult) are invited to help Auburn Parks and Recreation re-create this magical ride to the North Pole at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. The “train” departs at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Activities include arts, crafts, sweets, treats, games and much more. Children are encouraged to wear their favorite holiday pajamas while they participate in indoor and outdoor activities. Admission: $10. Information: 501-2963.

Dec 1–22: Holiday Art Exhibition: Small Works. This invitational exhibition and sale of works in a variety of art media will be held in the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center Gallery. Information: 334.501.2963; www.auburnalabama.org/ arts. Dec. 2: Auburn University/Community Orchestra Concert. This public concert will be held at Telfair Peet Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Admission: $10; $5 for students and children. Information: 334.501.2963; www.auburnalabama.org/arts.

Dec. 6: Christmas Wishes. That’s the theme of Opelika’s annual Christmas Parade, sponsored by the Opelika Chamber of Commerce and set for 11 a.m. in downtown Opelika. Information: www.opelika.org.

Dec. 3: “Hansel and Gretel.” Come see a puppet show featuring these two favorite fairy tale characters, 3:30-4 p.m., at the Auburn Public Library. Information: 334.501.3190. Dec. 4: 2014 Auburn Gingerbread Village. The festive holiday celebration kicks off with the unveiling of the famous Gingerbread Village at 5 p.m. Come enjoy hot cocoa, cider, cookies and the sounds of a bell choir while witnessing Auburn re-created in the Gingerbread Village. Information: 334.844.5140. Dec. 4–5: Rocky Brook Rocket Reindeer Express. Children in second grade and younger are invited to come ride the Reindeer Express around Opelika Municipal Park, 5–8 p.m. See the lights and enjoy food, hot chocolate, face painting, entertainment and pictures with Santa. Admission: $1 per train ride. Information: www.opelika.org.

Dec. 6: Toys For Tots Races — 5K, 10K, 1 Mile Fun Run. Auburn High School. Raising toys and money for the local chapter of Toys for Tots, participants donate a toy as part of their registration. 5K and 10K begin at 7:30 a.m.; 1 Mile Fun Run begins at 9 a.m. Pre-register online before Nov. 22: runsignup.com/Race/AL/Auburn/ AORTAToysforTots5K. Information: 334.737.1835 or monkennis@gmail.com. Dec. 6: Holiday Wreath Workshop. Sponsored by Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve and Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, this event begins at 2 p.m. at Auburn’s

Ham Wilson Arena and includes an afternoon of making wreaths or sprays with natural elements. Snacks will be served. Children ages 6 and older can join a parent to help make an ornament. Registration begins in November and space is limited to the first 25 registrants. Admission: $25 per wreath or spray. Information: preserve@ auburn.edu. Dec. 8: Daddy-Daughter Date Night Tickets Go On Sale. Reserve your tickets to the annual Daddy-Daughter Date Nights, to be held Feb. 6–8, 2015, for dads and their daughters ages 12 and under. Admission: $30 per couple; $5 for each additional child. Information: www.auburnalabama.org/ parks; 334.501.2930. Dec. 8: East Alabama Community Band Christmas Concert. This 60-piece ensemble directed by Rusty Logan will play holiday favorites and lead an audience sing-a-long beginning at 7 p.m. at the Auburn Junior High School Auditorium. Information: www.eastalabamaarts.org; 334.749.8105. Dec. 9: Christmas Reception. Come join us for the Opelika Chamber of Commerce holiday gathering, 4–6 p.m., at the chamber office on Avenue A. Information: www. opelika.org. Dec. 10–14: Victorian Front Porch Christmas Tour. The front porches of the North Opelika Historic Neighborhood will be adorned in Victorian Christmas splendor including Old World Santa’s, angels, toys, teddy bears, carousel horses, sleighs and Victorian ladies and gentlemen. Open for driving tours 5–10 p.m. on Dec. 10, 12 and 14, or walking tours 6–9 p.m. on Dec. 13. Admission: free. Information: www.opelika. org. Dec. 10: Fractured Fairy Tales. Join the staff of the Auburn Public Library, 3:30– 4:30 p.m., to hear the traditional tale of The Gingerbread Man followed by the funny “fractured” tale of The Gingerbread Girl. Stay afterward to decorate gingerbread cookies. Information: 334.501.3190. Dec. 11: Auburn Christmas Parade. Celebrate the season at the Auburn Chamber Christmas Parade beginning at 5 p.m. in downtown Auburn. The parade, sponsored by Thames Orthodontics, will include Aubie, Santa, Christmas characters,

live music and lots of other Christmas favorites. Information: 334.887.7011; www.auburnchamber.com. Dec. 11: Collinwood Neighborhood Luminaries. Collinwood, one of Opelika’s older neighborhoods (located just off of 10th Street) will feature its annual “pathway of luminaries” leading to a live Nativity scene from 5–9 p.m. Information: www.opelika.org. Dec. 12: Christmas in a Railroad. From 6–9 p.m., come to downtown Opelika to visit with friends, have dinner, enjoy live entertainment and shop. Bring the kids to write letters to Santa and enjoy s’mores, pony rides, caroling, entertainment, a craft village and other activities. Information: 334.745.0466; www.opelikamainstreet. org. Dec. 12–13: Oh Joy! Art Show and Sale. Come join the Art π creative collective for its annual holiday show and sale at the Heritage Gift and Gourmet and Gnu’s Room space on 8th Ave. in Opelika. Enjoy refreshments, chat with the artists and stock up on original art and unique hand-made holiday gifts. Information: 334.332.2923. Dec. 13: JDCAC Holiday Art Sale. Enjoy hot cider and holiday cookies while shopping for ceramics, knit scarves, paintings and prints, Christmas decorations and much more. 9 a.m.–4 p.m., at the 8th Annual Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center Art Sale. Admission: free. Information: 334.501.2963; www.auburnalabama. org/arts. Dec. 13: Ho! Ho! Ho! Hike. Join us at the Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve for a “Santa Hunt,” 10 a.m.– noon, to hike the preserve looking for this elusive visitor in red. The hunt culminates with hot cocoa, a warm fire and a chance to get your picture made with our special guest. Admission: $3; $10 sitting fee for a 5-by-7-inch portrait; donations of canned goods for the East Alabama Food Bank encouraged. Information: 334.707.6512; preserve@ auburn.edu.

Dec. 15–16. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” Auditions. Open auditions for children ages 10–18 will be held from 4–6 p.m. at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center for the Auburn Community Children’s Theatre production of this beloved children’s book. Information: 334.332.6834; supersugarmel@gmail.com. Dec. 17–21: Teddy Bear Tea. Children, parents and all teddy bears are cordially invited to Teddy Bear Teas at Piccolo in The Hotel at Auburn University. Tea, hot cocoa, sandwiches, sweets and cookies will be served while children snuggle up around the fireplace with their favorite teddy bears. These old-fashioned high teas will be held each of these five days from 3–5 p.m. Admission: $25 per person. Information: 334.844.5140. Dec. 18: “Be a Santa to a Senior” Wrapping Party. Come help wrap gifts for the “Be a Santa to a Senior” program starting at 2 p.m. at the Opelika SportsPlex. Information: www.opelika. org. Dec. 27: Christmas Tree Recycling. Recycle your Christmas tree from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at the Opelika Chamber of Commerce parking lot. Information: www.opelika.org. Jan. 5–Feb. 6, 2015: Winter Invitational 2015. Mark your calendars for this invitational exhibition featuring twoand three-dimensional works at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center gallery in Auburn. Information: 334.501.2963; www.auburnalabama.org/arts.

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LEE MAGAZINE

THE GUEST ROOM

Never Mind Daylight Saving Time A

By Judith Wilson Nunn

s soon as days get shorter and darker, and the oak leaves in my neighborhood begin to turn, or I catch a whiff of wood smoke as I walk, I can feel a holiday spirit stirring. And nothing — not even my mother’s heart attack, as we waited at the Thanksgiving table for my parents to arrive, or my father’s death on a Christmas morning — can shake my love of those celebrations. For many, the holidays begin with football tailgating and parties. For others with children, Halloween ushers in a triumvirate of festivals, all with ancient origins. Apparently Halloween has changed since my own children went trick-or-treating in their homemade costumes of altered sheets, straw sticking out of flannel shirts, the butterfly wings I made by inserting colored cellophane in glittered poster board for our daughter. Now both children and homes are lavishly themed. "Most people skip Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas," a sales clerk said the other day, as she discounted pumpkins and other fall decorations. But that’s when my holiday season begins. Who isn’t grateful for the very blue skies of October, for fields of golden soybeans, for harvests of cotton, sweet potatoes and end-stage tomatoes, for life itself and comfort and each other."Babette’s Feast" reminds all who have seen the movie that a beautiful meal can be a loving gift — honoring both the harvest and all who come to the table. The menu at our house varied little. Dad proudly served the wild turkey he had provided, its breast and tough legs 34 LEE MAGAZINE

roasted golden on a platter in front of him. There was always a sweet potato casserole, and green beans, a cranberry or jelled green salad, Mamma’s tender yeast rolls, and pecan pie. I still have the relish dish that held the stuffed celery and green tomato pickles. Assorted relatives often made the trip from Montgomery or Selma or Graceville to join us. If the frost is on the pumpkin for Halloween, and our first freeze usually occurs around Thanksgiving, the darkest days come at Christmas, a season so filled with lights and candles and glorious music my heart is warmed. Quilts are on the beds, fuzzy comforters on chairs and fires in the grates, as we settle in to read Truman Capote’s stories—"A Christmas Memory," "One Christmas" and "The Thanksgiving Visitor." We can decorate from the woods alone: pine cones and boughs, shiny magnolia leaves with velvety undersides, berries and boxwood, smilax and dried hydrangeas. Doors say "Welcome" framed with garlands and wreaths. And for a while, we remember the birds, the poor, the ill, the lonely. Only two of the many Christmases of my life have been disappointing — one, because I was jealous, and the other, because it was too dark to see what Santa had brought. When Dad was in chaplain school during World War II, and my mother was expecting their third child, I was taken to live with my grandmother in the country. Momma and my toddling sister moved in with Dad’s parents in Florida to be near medical care. I missed my family terribly during those quiet months, but at Christmas Dad came

back to gather his family for moving near Wright-Patterson Field in Ohio. On Christmas morning, my little sister Ginger and I received Madame Alexander dolls. I wanted the one I knew was in her chair of gifts. It had blond, curly hair like my little sister, and blue eyes. My doll, which I ignored, was an elegant ballerina, and I can’t to this day remember what I eventually named her. I claimed "Jeanie," and our parents had to separate a fight. Two years later, we lived in half a frame house (retired minister Dr. Moore lived in the other half) while we waited for the new parsonage to be finished in Opp. All I wanted for Christmas was a baton. I desperately wanted a baton. Ann Avant was getting one. So before good daylight had arrived on Christmas morning, I tiptoed into the living room to see what Santa had brought. On the floor for me was a tiny plastic Tom Thumb Circus with teeny pegged animals and performers. I went back to bed and cried. When the rest of the household woke up and it was light enough to see, I found the baton in the stocking hanging from the mantel. Even then I think I recognized that something was wrong with wanting something so fiercely. These days, I couldn’t care less about a gift. Christmas, itself, is a gift — a season of feasts for the senses, right down to the fresh spices. I love the cards from old friends, the spiced tea and eggnog, grandchildren in new pajamas, warm hugs from visitors with frosty cheeks. This is a good time to be thankful — for Hanukkah, for Kwanzaa and the new year coming, and for all the splendid holidays of winter. Judith is a writer, editor and a member of The Mystic Order of East Alabama Fiction Writers. She lives in Auburn.

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