believe
december 2011 AtUrbanMagazine.com
lifestyle entertainment
Catherine Frederick
18 20 22
Urban Reader Now Hear This Jesse Dean
people
MANAGING EDITOR
Magical The Green Tree All God’s Children
26 30
Meet Aunt Chick The Dog Whisperer
taste
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PRESIDENT
7 8 12
34 36 38
Apple of My Eye The Grinch A Cheerful Giver
destination
Subscribe to @Urban and receive 12 issues per year for only $20. Send check or money order payable to: Read Chair Publishing | 3811 Rogers Ave, Ste C | Fort Smith, AR 72903
@INSIDE
43 46 48
Capturing the Lights of Christmas Light of the World Ice Skating in Arkansas
Marla Cantrell
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Marla Cantrell Marcus Coker Catherine Frederick Laura Hobbs Saidee Holmes Tonya McCoy Anita Paddock Buddy Pinneo Todd Whetstine
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Marcus Coker Jason Donnelly Catherine Frederick Laura Hobbs Andy Lyons Todd Whetstine
DESIGNER
Jeromy Price
WEB GURU
David Jamell
PUBLISHER
Read Chair Publishing, LLC
Advertising and Distribution Information
Catherine Frederick at 479 / 782 / 1500 Catherine@AtUrbanMagazine.com Editorial or Artwork Information
Marla Cantrell at 479 / 831 / 9116 Marla@AtUrbanMagazine.com ©2011 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions contained in @Urban are exclusively those of the writers and do not represent those of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. as a whole or its affiliates. Any correspondence to @Urban or Read Chair Publishing, LLC., including photography becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. @Urban reserves the right to edit content and images.
@LETTER FROM CATHERINE
E
ven though we’ve just polished off the last of the Thanksgiving turkey, it’s time to tune in the Christmas music and trim the tree. Oh the tree. Small or tall, slim or full, even a Charlie
Brown sprig of a tree. In our house, it’s a must have for the holidays. Hubby and I have a history of purchasing things that are too large for the space. We’ve done it with dining sets and living room furniture, and yes, even a Christmas tree. I remember our first Christmas together. We set out to find the perfect tree. I wanted a real one, the kind I remembered from my childhood. I longed for the smell of fresh pine, minus the silver artificial tinsel. Then, there it was - our tree. Standing tall and full, it beckoned us. We got our perfect tree home and trimmed a bit off the top, so it wouldn’t scrape the paint off the ceiling. Isn’t it funny how things tend to look smaller in the store than in your home - especially when they’re encased in white, tight netting? It was time to set this baby free. Remember the scene in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when Clark cut the ropes off of the tree and the branches busted out all over the place, filling the living room? Yep, that’s what it looked like. Biggest tree EVER. For years after, we put up an artificial tree, but not this year. We’re going back to nature — and we have all intentions of keeping it small. Our staff has the same problems. Each month we jam-pack big stories into limited space. Take this month for example. We’re taking you ice skating, to see 2 million lights, to a cabin where spring water is piped inside, and of course, to a Christmas tree farm. And we’ll introduce you to the legendary Aunt Chick, a woman you’ll absolutely love. So enjoy. And be merry. After all, it’s almost Christmas!
To reserve this space for your charitable non-profit organization, email: Editors@AtUrbanMagazine.com
@LIFESTYLE
I love the wind I realized this as I stood on my porch in the middle of a breeze I loved the way it smelled of maple and oak I loved the way I could hear its footsteps as it danced with the oak in my front yard It aggravated me at the time how I could not see it But now looking back I see that is what made it so... Magical!
@lines Saidee Holmes – age eleven
7
A
family, not all that different from yours or mine, parks their car on Christmas Tree Lane in Rudy,
and steps into the frosty air. The adults stop to zip their jackets and bury their hands in their pockets, but the children are already off and running. Pine needles crunch beneath their sneakers as they search row by row for the perfect tree. On it they will hang their favorite Hallmark ornaments, as well as the ones they made from Popsicle sticks.
@story and images Marcus Coker
For Buddy and Connie Lollis, owners of Lollis Christmas Tree Farm, Christmas actually begins in February. At least that’s when Buddy, who’s seventyeight, starts planting trees. “I thought about retiring, but I have diabetes, and I need the exercise,” says Buddy. Connie jokes that he works thirteen months out of the year to get the trees ready—planting, spraying, and trimming. It takes five years to grow a six foot tree, and the average ones are eight or nine. Buddy and Connie opened to the public for “tagging” the weekend before Thanksgiving. The most dedicated tree hunters show up first, ready to survey the thousands of Virginia pines on the eighteen acre lot. Some of them look for hours, marking their favorites with a scarf or a glove. Some even bring a picnic lunch to eat amongst the timber. When they
8
@LIFESTYLE
find what they’re looking for, a reservation tag marked with the
trees,” says Buddy as he smiles and describes the adventure
buyer’s name is hung on one of the branches, and the trunk is
in more detail. Upon arrival, the tree shoppers are given a long
painted orange. This process ensures they can return at a later
plastic pole, which is used to measure the trees and determine
time to pick up the right tree.
their prices. The trees are priced by the foot, ranging from $10 to just under $100. The average tree sells for $25 to $40. Also,
“Everybody’s looking for something different,” says Buddy.
Buddy and Connie sell homemade wreaths, which sell for $25.
Some want smaller trees for apartments or trailers. Others want large ones, as big as sixteen feet tall, for houses with high
Once they find “the one,” the shoppers turn the pole—painted
ceilings. “I had one guy say, ‘I want the thinnest tree you’ve got,
orange at the bottom—upside down. A spotter, who stands on
one you can see through from any direction,’” says Buddy, who
a rooftop above the tree line, looks for the orange poles and
helped the man find just such a tree, ideal for displaying a large
sends someone on a four-wheeler to help. The tree is then cut
collection of glass ornaments.
down and hauled back to base on a trailer.
The tree farm opened full time for tagging and pick up on
The trunk of the tree is then placed in a machine called a
Thanksgiving Day. “When we first started, Buddy took his
Shakee, which shakes out the dead pine needles. (When Buddy
vacation to sell the trees. Thanksgiving got to be a big weekend,
opened the farm in 1990, he shook the trees by hand.) Next,
and a big tradition,” says Connie. “People have their dinner at
the tree is run through a baler, which wraps the tree in netting,
noon time, then come out to walk off their meal and pick a tree.
holding down the branches and making the tree both smaller
Or some pick a tree first, then go home and eat dinner in the
and more manageable. Lastly the tree is loaded, ready to be
evening. It’s such a family thing.
taken home. The farm provides baling twine to tie down the trees, but recommends customers bring their own blankets or
“This year, it’s over four weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas,
other padding to help cushion the trees, especially if they’re
which is really too long for a fresh tree to last,” Connie says. She
being tied to the top of a car. Most people bring trucks or SUVs
recommends three weeks from the time the tree is cut until it’s
for transportation, but one man comes every year in a Porsche
taken down, adding that many of the live trees sold in stores are
convertible. “He stands the tree up behind the seat, throws on
actually cut in August or September. They are then kept either
his jacket, and takes off,” says Buddy.
in a snow bank or refrigeration until they are shipped across the country and sold. One advantage to buying locally is that the
Live trees, just like artificial ones, need a tree stand. For those who
trees are fresher. Plus, there are more to choose from.
don’t have one already, Buddy and Connie sell them. The stands for live trees have a basin which holds water, necessary for keeping
The process of buying a tree is simple, although deciding upon
the tree alive throughout the holiday season. “A lot of people want
one might not be, especially for families. “If there’s one kid,
to add aspirin or 7-UP or sugar, but the Christmas Tree Growers
they pick out one tree. If there are four kids, they’ll pick out four
Association says water works just as well, if not better,” says Connie.
9
@LIFESTYLE
Once a tree is cut down, its sap begins to harden at the base of
As the children prepare to leave the tree farm, Connie Lollis
the trunk. “It’s part of nature’s defense system,” says Connie. If
hands each of them a candy cane. Smiles break across their
the tree is watered while the sap is still hard, the water won’t
faces, and that makes Connie (sometimes called The Candy
enter the tree’s trunk. Buddy and Connie tell their customers to
Cane Lady) smile too. This is her favorite part of the job.
water their Christmas trees with warm water the first couple of
Everyone who leaves with a tree takes away a small miracle —
times, which allows the sap to melt and the pores to open. After
the beginning of Christmas.
that, room-temperature water is fine. Additionally, if the tree is not put up soon after being purchased, it should either be kept in a bucket of warm water, or a half-inch of its trunk should be
Open daily through December 22 from 10 AM until dark.
cut off before it’s put up. Just like the warm water, cutting the
Cash preferred. Checks accepted.
trunk removes the hard sap.
For more information, call 479-474-2102.
Beyond keeping a live tree watered, customers need to keep
DIRECTIONS
their trees away from fireplaces and heating vents, either on the floor or the ceiling. What’s important is that the tree doesn’t
FROM NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
dry out. “If the needles get brittle, I’d take it out of the house,”
South on 540 to Exit 24 (Rudy)
says Buddy.
Turn right onto Highway 282 Go just over 3 miles (through Rudy) to Highway 60
Because of the time involved in picking out and caring for a live
Turn right on Highway 60 and go a half mile
tree, an artificial tree may be an easier option for some people.
Turn left onto 348 and go just over 3 miles
They can be used year after year, and it’d seem that they are a
Follow the signs
more environmentally-friendly choice. However, most artificial trees are imported, which adds to their environmental footprint.
FROM VAN BUREN
Plus, many artificial trees are non-biodegradable since they are
Take Highway 59 North to Figure Five
manufactured with metal and petroleum-based products.
Turn right on Highway 348 Go 3 miles and turn left on Christmas Tree Lane (dirt road)
What Buddy and Connie offer is an experience, the chance to
Go a quarter mile
hand-pick your holiday centerpiece, to start (or continue) your
Signs along the way
own tradition. “People come from everywhere, as far as Tulsa and Dallas,” says Connie. “They grew up here and come back
FOR TIPS ON DISPOSING YOUR TREE
to visit for the holidays. We have one customer who’s been
pickyourownchristmastree.org/disposing.php
coming since she was six years old. Now she’s married and has a six-year-old of her own.”
10
Part One
{ Feeding the Homeless }
by Marcus Coker It’s a Saturday morning in downtown Fort Smith, between the railroad tracks and the Arkansas River, and a small group gathers by an open pavilion. There’s a concrete divider that blocks the view from the road, so they remain mostly unnoticed. The clouds have not yet broken, and a cold wind blows. A man zips his coat up, and a woman shoves her hands inside her pockets. Hats and gloves, like the sunshine, are scarce at times. At 11:15 a large white van pulls off Clayton Expressway onto “H” Street. On its side is printed St. Paul United Methodist Church, and it’s towing a trailer full of supplies. The driver, Darlene Morris, parks by the pavilion, then gets out and begins working. She’s joined by a dozen volunteers. They, along with some of the regulars who come here to eat, set up tables and metal folding chairs on one end of the pavilion. On the other end, they put out aluminum pans filled with lasagna, vegetables, bread, and dessert. The work goes quickly, they’ve done this before. They’re here the first Saturday of each month as part of a program called COTS—Church on the Streets. COTS is a ministry shared by several local churches, and its aim is simple—feed the area’s homeless and hungry. The crowd, which has grown to at least fifty, sits down. There trell & Marla Can rcus Coker @story Ma r Marcus Coke @images
12
are a lot of men, most of them unshaven. There are women with children, with babies. “There are more homeless people than you think. Of course, some have homes and are simply in need of food,” says Darlene. “We try to make sure they get a good
@LIFESTYLE
healthy meal, with carbohydrates. We are serving them, and we
redeeming the care packages, to make sure there’s enough for
make them feel special when we do that.”
everyone. “Whether it’s the food or the packages, we never know how many to prepare for,” says Darlene. “People find out about
Darlene is smiling, talking to as many as she can and patting
it at the last minute, and we just don’t know how many will show
them on the shoulder, giving them a hug. If you ever meet
up. Sometimes we have extra food, but sometimes we run out.
Darlene, she’ll hug you too. It’s simply who she is. “I try to go
If that happens, we give out gallon-sized bags with cheese and
around and make contact with everybody,” says Darlene. “The
crackers, beef jerky, and Vienna sausages. We call it Plan B.”
tendency toward homeless people is to look away, or look down. But we all put our clothes on the same way. We are all
The people involved with COTS show up no matter what the
God’s people.”
weather. Darlene says, “Do you stop eating when it’s cold outside, or because it’s too hot? They expect us to be here,
Once everyone is served, Darlene stands in the middle of the
and we’re here. We’ve been here when it was so cold we would
tables. She asks that God bless each and every person there.
huddle together to keep warm. Karney passed out this past
“We always pray with them and we always say a prayer before
August because it was too hot.”
we leave the church to come here. We ask for God’s guidance.” St. Paul United Methodist got involved with COTS after the Each month, St. Paul United Methodist plans their menu, and
program was started by Evangel Temple, which provides meals
Karney More, who’s retired and has been helping with COTS
at the pavilion on the second of fourth Saturdays of each month.
for nearly fifteen years, buys the food. “We’ve never received
Westark Church of Christ volunteers the third Saturday, and
any money from the church budget. It’s all from volunteering
Woodlands Church the fifth. Many of the volunteers, however,
and donations—monetary donations and food donations,”
come from other area churches, or simply the community.
says Karney. Everyone is welcome, and the church never knows who will show The volunteers meet at 9:00 in the morning to make the food
up to help. “We’ve got one volunteer with Alzheimer’s, another
and load the trailer. Today they met earlier to put together
who’s blind. We have back problems and heart problems, but
care packages—Ziploc bags filled with socks, gloves, and a
that doesn’t matter,” says Darlene. “We’re misfits, but we’re
hat. “We gather items all the time,” says Darlene. “A couple of
good misfits. We’re mission oriented, so this is what we do.”
us are always scrounging around. We’re forever needing hats, gloves, and coats. At Christmastime, we’ll hand out blankets.
It’s just past noon, and most everyone is finished with their meal.
Sometimes we pass out healthcare packages with deodorant,
As the volunteers start to pack up, people approach the trailer
soap, and a wash cloth.”
to redeem their tickets for care packages. Darlene’s talking to everyone as she distributes the socks, hats, and gloves. A young
People are still eating, and Darlene hands out tickets for
boy asks for an extra package to give to his brother.
13
Darlene explains why she helps with COTS nearly every month. “I’ve always been involved in helping others. I’m a people person, and I can relate,” says Darlene. “I’ve been there—so poor—almost homeless. We didn’t know where the next meal was going to come from.” Darlene starts to cry and walks away for a moment. When she returns, a man named Lucky approaches to thank Darlene. He has a headache because of the cold, but says, “I’m fortunate. The good Lord gets me up every morning and puts me to bed every night. I’m old, so he lets me take a nap in the afternoon.” Darlene and Lucky laugh. Darlene places her hand on top of his. “Helping others makes me feel good.” Darlene looks around. Most everyone has gone home—wherever that is. A few still linger in the sun. For now, the clouds have broken. Darlene says, “Hopefully, we can give them hope. We all need hope.”
Part Two { No Home for the Holidays } by Marla Cantrell Chuck was one of the fifty who showed up at the pavilion for the lunch served by the Church on the Streets. He invited me to visit him at his campsite the following week. This is his story. In December 2009, Chuck was working at a factory in Fort Smith. He lived in a rooming house where he had a bed, a hot plate, and a key to lock his door at night. But before Christmas the job ended, a result of the crumbling economy. “The work just dried up,” Chuck says. His money
14
@LIFESTYLE
dwindled, the rent came due, and Chuck had nowhere to go. “I
Empty water bottles spring up like bulbs beneath the trees.
knew some of the guys who live down on the Arkansas River. I
What’s not in all the clutter are liquor bottles. There’s not one
went down there and I asked them if they had a place for me
in sight.
to stay. “I don’t drink,” Chuck says. “I don’t use drugs. Most people “It was scary. I was getting close to sixty and I’d never been
think that’s what the homeless do. Only problem I ever had was
homeless before. But you adapt. In the spring of 2010, I got
gambling,” Chuck says. “I liked to go to the casino. I try to stay
me a bike with a buggy behind it. I started scrapping - what
away now.”
everybody else calls dumpster diving – to make a few dollars. I get up every morning at 4:30. Usually, I make some oatmeal,
So he keeps busy. Every morning he goes to the Community
coffee. Then I’m on my bike, going in and out of alleys, looking
Rescue Mission to shower and shave. He eats most of his
for any metal: copper, aluminum, anything God makes available
evening meals there as well, and goes to the pavilion on “H”
for me. I’ve never stolen a thing.”
Street when local churches stop by with hot meals.
God has given Chuck a stash of metal over the past two years.
At camp, he has Styrofoam coolers to keep milk fresh, a propane
Chuck is telling this story at his campsite, near a tumble of
heater to keep his nine-by-thirteen tent warm, and a battery-
computer shells. Milk crates overflowing with plastic-covered
powered radio to keep him entertained after night falls.
wiring fill a spot behind his tent. In time, Chuck will rip the metal from the plastic and take it back to town to sell to a
“If you’ve got to be homeless, this is the place to do it. So many
recycling center.
people help. The churches help. The Community Rescue Mission’s great,” he says, and holds up a green canister of Coleman propane
At the entrance to the makeshift camp is a gray-haired man,
the director of the non-profit has recently given him.
hunched over, trying to pick up an armload of firewood someone dropped beside the paved road that borders this
A dog, nearly as tall as the folding table where Chuck is sitting,
homeless community.
wanders by. “That’s Tigger,” Chuck says and smiles for the first time. A few of his teeth are missing, and he quickly covers his
The wind is sharp today and it burns as you breathe. I watch the
mouth. But the dog continues to nudge him, so he pets it, then
man, who’s dressed in layers - thermal shirt, T-shirt, flannel shirt -
runs a finger beneath the dog’s blue collar, checking to make
scurry down the steep embankment and disappear in the woods.
sure it’s not too tight. The dog is brown and spotted, and has one eye that is so pale it’s almost white.
Oak and birch and maple hide the fifteen scattered campsites right now, but that will end when the leaves fall. Near the sandy
“This life’s not for everybody, but we take care of each other. We
path a decaying sleeping bag lies half buried in the woods.
don’t ask many questions. It’s mostly men here, but we did have
15
@LIFESTYLE
There is graciousness about Chuck. As he walks me out, he takes my arm as we navigate a steep hill. He assures me repeatedly during the course of the hour we spent together that I am safe with him beside me. I feel safe. The camp, which could easily be described as a place of squalor, seemed to shift as Chuck a family here for a while. The woman stayed with the two kids
explained the mechanics of how he lives and the work he does.
while the man worked. They got an apartment. We were glad. It’s no life for a kid,” Chuck says, and shakes his head.
When we reach civilization again, another car pulls up, letting out three more of Chuck’s campmates. They grab their backpacks
“If it wasn’t for unemployment insurance, this river would be
and head back to camp, steeling themselves for another cold
lined from bridge to bridge with the homeless.”
night on the river.
Tigger lays his head on Chuck’s knee. The river sways against the bank. Yellow leaves from a nearby birch flutter and then fall. Chuck takes out a metal box no bigger than a sardine can, taps in some tobacco, and cranks it until an unfiltered cigarette emerges. He holds the cigarette between his fingers and looks past his tent, which is draped with mismatched tarps that are tattered and flapping in the wind. He is speculating about the coming winter, and then the following spring when thunderstorms will inevitably hit. He fears he’ll face another ice storm, another hail storm, another flood. If he can survive another year he’ll be sixty-two and eligible for the Social Security he’s earned over
The Fort Smith Community Rescue Mission takes donations at 310 North “F” Street from 8-6 daily. URGENT NEEDS: »» Turkeys and hams for the mission to serve through the holidays »» Tents »» Sleeping bags »» Cold and flu medicine
the course of his life.
»» Large tarps
“Yeah,” Chuck says, “one more year. Then I’ll have enough to get a
You can find a complete list at http://fscrm.org
little place. I won’t forget these guys, though,” he says and points to his best friend, who’s recovering from the flu, and is huddled beneath a tarp at the next camp. I wouldn’t have made it this long without them.” He pulls a silver lighter from his shirt pocket, flips it open and then cups his other hand around the cigarette.
16
You Can Help
COTS is gathering blankets, stocking hats, heavy socks, and gloves this month. To donate, or to volunteer, call St. Paul United Methodist Church at 479-783-5908.
years ago when my husband gave me The Random House Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged. A diamond ring would not have thrilled me more. He also bought me a nice stand, and it sits by my computer today, seemingly gloating in the arguments its pages have settled over the years when somebody wondered about the pronunciation or the meaning of a word and settled it with Mom’s dictionary. Here are my suggestions to help you buy that perfect book for that perfect person you want to remember this year. For the child who makes you smile, here’s the most beautifully illustrated and engineered pop-up book I’ve seen this season.
It’s called Puff the Magic
Dragon, (Sterling Publishing $26.95) and it comes with a CD with four songs. Don’t dare say “this is so impractical for a child.” It’s Christmas, isn’t it? And be sure to sign it with your name and the year it was given. I guarantee it will be a keepsake. @reviews Anita Paddock
H
I rarely read a spooky Stephen King book,
ere it is, Christmas. We celebrate by lighting candles,
but this one, (Scribner 960 pages $35.00)
singing carols, cooking up a turkey, whipping up
11-22-63, is about a man who goes back in
some divinity, and buying gifts. And then, way back deep
time to save JFK from being assassinated in
in the hidden holes of our hearts, we wonder what next
Dallas. Jake Epping, a thirty-five-year-old
year will bring.
high school teacher goes to a small Texas town. He’s mothered by the stern principal, directs a school
Enough of that, I say. Let’s live for the day. Christmas is
play, and falls in love with Sadie, an awkward librarian.
coming and there are books to buy! King paints a perfect picture of life in the late fifties and early
18
I’ve always given books to my family and friends for Christmas.
sixties, with its bad smells from factories, racial strife, and
And I’ve always received them. I remember one Christmas
poverty. Dallas is particularly sinister, and he gives us a creepy
@ENTERTAINMENT
insight into JFK’s killer, Lee Harvey Oswald and his family. Give
Joan Didion found herself grieving for both husband and child,
this book to your parents, your favorite aunt and uncle, or to
while living alone for the first time in her adulthood. Her doctor
the couple you consider your best friends. I think it will hit the
said she was only having “an inadequate adjustment to aging.”
spot for just about anyone, no matter which generation they
Didion admits that all her life she thought she’d always be
came of age.
healthy, maybe have a few gray hairs she would color at the local beauty shop, and have a few age spots pop up here and
For the history buff in your life, Catherine the Great,
there. This is a bittersweet and brave look at loss and aging.
by Robert K Massie (Random House 656 pages
You will know the right person for this book, and she will not
$35.00) has received much praise for its story of
feel so alone after reading it.
how a young German princess married the heir to the Russian throne. All Catherine had to do
The last book is for all dog lovers, and there
was become a mother and continue the Romanov dynasty.
are millions of us. Rin Tin Tin, the Life and the
Catherine, the author tells us, was dropped into a marriage with
Legend by Susan Orlean (Simon&Schuster
Peter, a petty and selfish man who was unable to perform all
$26.99) begins when Lee Duncan, an
his husbandly duties, and for nine years they lay together in
American soldier, finds a German shepherd
their marriage bed without touching each other. Catherine did
puppy in the ruins of a bombed kennel in
produce an heir (who was the real father?) and she eventually
France in 1918. He adopts the dog and takes
became a great ruler of Russia whose compassion and
him home with him to California where the dog eventually
intelligence endeared her to her subjects. She adopted their
stars in twenty-three films for Warner Brothers and saves the
culture, language, and religion. Catherine wrote in her memoir,
company from bankruptcy . This novel also is a history of film
“The title of queen fell sweetly on my ears.”
in the twenties, as well as the story of how a man and his dog changed the attitudes we now have about our dogs.
The next book is sad but it’s also breathtaking. If you read Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking,
I suggest you wrap up a dog bone in an old newspaper. Tie a red
which won The National Book Award in 2005, then
ribbon around it. Give it to Rufus or Jake or Dottie or Taffy or
you’ll know that she wrote that book after the
Jessie or Chloe, and after everyone has gone home for the night,
death of her husband , author John Gregory Dunne.
settle down in your favorite chair. With a new book in your lap
It was so beautifully written about how she faced life without
and an old dog at your feet, be thankful. Christmas comes just
her husband. Now, in her last book, a memoir, Blue Nights
once a year.
(Knopf 208 pages $25.00) she tells us about the death of their adopted daughter, Quintana, who died of pancreatitis, a year and a half after her father.
19
@ENTERTAINMENT
In position two is, “Have I Got A Present For You,” with Toby Keith. It’s really an extension of the “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” spirit. Funny idea, but it probably doesn’t have a great shelf life. Things turn instantly beautiful with track three, the delightful “Please Be Patient,” set to the music of “Angels We Have Heard
now hear this
stephen colbert — a colbert christmas: the greatest gift of all @review Buddy Pinneo
T
On High,” a modern-day ode to telephone customer service sung by none other than Feist. “Nutmeg” follows soon after, starring John Legend. And little more needs to be said. It’s sophomoric, but so soulful in its delivery, that you forgive all offenses.
he idea of a Stephen Colbert Christmas album is not exactly traditional – or sensible in the slightest. But in a world of
Colbert even performs a duo with icon Willie Nelson, which
wonderfully rendered holiday classics by an endless string of
brings back memories of the classic collaboration of Bing
pop stars, it is refreshing. The album is almost entirely original
Crosby and David Bowie’s “Peace On Earth/Little Drummer
material. And in 2008, it became quirkily classic.
Boy” from 1977. As comedy, this is nearly perfect. And it sounds beautiful.
Anyone who has watched Colbert throughout his career knows that he is shockingly good-natured, as well an extremely
Everyone comes to the party on the next track, which includes
versatile performance artist – in all genres.
a very straight rendering of guest Elvis Costello’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?” It’s a brilliant
On Broadway just this year, he appeared in a revival of Stephen
recasting of the classic by Colbert in the holiday spirit.
Sondheim’s musical Company, and soared. It was Sondheim, himself, who wanted Colbert to star, even telling him, “You have
Closing the album are the sweet “There Are Much Worse Things
a perfect voice for musical theater.” Table set. Thank you, Mr. S.
To Believe In,” an appeal to both spirituality and humanism in a way that doesn’t offend – and a silly cowboy song, “A Cold,
The first track on Christmas is the snappily upbeat “Another
Cold Christmas,” performed by Colbert solo, which doesn’t
Christmas Song,” which is really a lyrical dismantling of modern
feel silly at all.
Christmas conventions; an intense exercise in Colbert wit, and it swings, in all the ways that American holiday songs from the Sinatra era do.
20
I Rate It
@story Tonya McCoy @image Todd Whetstine
22
@ENTERTAINMENT
I
n the quiet woods of Winslow, Jesse Dean picks up his ax
often as he could. And along with his knack for playing, Jesse
and chops at a white oak tree. He’s always been good with
inherited his dad’s love for Southern rock and blues.
his hands, and today he’s earning his paycheck by gathering firewood. Tomorrow he may be piecing together some intricate
Jesse was raised on Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pink Floyd, Bad Company,
rockwork for a nearby home. However, it’s the work he does on
CCR, Tom Petty, and Blackfoot. The pop sensations of today hold
the weekend that’s garnered him local acclaim. Come Saturday
no charm for Jesse, who’d rather hear the classics. In fact, he
night, he picks up a guitar with those same work-worn hands
doesn’t even listen to the radio.
and strums as he belts out “Somebody holds the key, but I can’t find my way home,” from a song by Blind Faith.
“Dont get me wrong, I don’t have anything against radio, but if I’m listening to some tunes, I’d rather it be an album that fits my
His voice is rich and bluesy and women sway in dark silhouettes
mood that particular day.”
around The Crazy Horse Saloon in Prairie Grove; the song is a crowd pleaser. But this song doesn’t hold true for Jesse because
By the time Jesse was fifteen he was sneaking his guitar in to
he’s never had a problem finding his way home. That’s because
school and jamming with friends. He and some pals started
he never really left. He grew up in Winslow and this is where
playing local talent contests and annual Christmas programs
music wove its way into his life.
at Winslow High School. And if singers from his school needed piano accompaniment, Jesse was their man.
When Jesse was only four years old his father sat him down at the family piano and began teaching him to play. “Anytime I needed
Now the kid who learned to play all his instruments by ear,
help he was right there. Otherwise, he just showed me what I
has come of age. He’s twenty-five and fronts the band Left of
needed, and I ran wild with it.” Jesse, his four sisters and mother,
Center, which is growing in popularity in Northwest Arkansas. In
also knew how to play the piano and sing. “I was totally into it and
Fayetteville, at The Rowdy Beaver, on select weekends you can
started learning immediately. Spent all my time on it.”
find Jesse, long blonde hair and sultry voice, on stage singing his favorites from Lynyrd Skynyrd to CCR.
As Jesse grew, his dad fostered his musical interests by introducing him to more instruments. His dad was patient
While the band plays a lot of covers, Jesse peppers in his
and open to Jesse’s creativity. “I did most of my practicing at
originals as well. And the songs Jesse has written and recorded
home, which consisted of loud CDs playing in my room, and me
actually played a part in bringing his new band together. Jesse
practicing along with piano, drums, guitar.”
met his bass guitar player, Vince Turner, when he held a release party for his CD Theory of a Revolution. Vince also plays in Earl’s
Jesse didn’t stop at just two or three instruments, he also learned
Garage Band with drummer Kevin Bonner. Intrigued by Jesse’s
to play fiddle, mandolin, and banjo. He watched and listened to
sound, Vince and Kevin joined him to form the trio Left of Center
talented family and friends while sitting in on jam sessions as
and have been rocking together for a couple of years
23
@ENTERTAINMENT
And as a writer, Jesse has spent a couple of years polishing
no indoor plumbing. His water is piped down from his spring-
original songs. “I’m a believer of taking your time and making
fed pond just above his cabin. In the cooler months you can
it right, before you put it out there.” He’s recorded CDs in his
catch Jesse sighting a deer with a rifle while he stands in his
home for his own entertainment. Acting as a one man band,
own backyard. Jesse admits that lately he just likes to watch
he plays multiple instruments one at a time, and then layers
them, instead of hunting them. He was raised as a minimalist
the sounds together and adds his vocals. He spends a lot of
and believes that everyone should strive to be more in tune
time working to get the sound just right. And when he has the
with the environment.
opportunity, he likes to play those originals solo at acoustic sets anywhere he can get a booking. Jesse is so creative that some
This winter he will spend his time at home working on a new
sets include spur of the moment song creations, where he just
album to be released sometime next year. In his newest project
makes up a song off the top of his head. He says many times
he’s stepping away from his practice of performing everything,
these sets are like comedy ‘improv’.
and he’s invited a few guest musicians to play on the CD. In the months to come he’ll also continue to do what he loves the
But Jesse also has a serious side. In some of his lyrics he sings
most: perform live as often as he and his band can get a gig.
about wrestling over tough life-changing choices, as well as his political views on protecting the environment. “Everything
“The music moves people. It’s a lot of fun. Anything that
drives me to make music, it’s sort of my way of stating opinions.
makes someone smile and have a good time, is probably
I write music about things that are important.
worth doing.”
“You don’t just play music, you’ve got to feel it.” You can catch Left of Center December 9 at Billy’s in He records his music in his house, a two-story cabin he built
Fayetteville, and December 10 at The Rowdy Beaver
himself just outside of Winslow. Jesse chopped the pine and
in Eureka Springs. Follow Jesse’s progression as an
oak from the surrounding woods for the lumber. “I like carpentry
artist and keep track of performance dates by checking
and many other forms of hands-on work, because you are always
out Jesse Dean’s Facebook page or Left of Center’s
creating and challenging your mind.” His father ran a saw mill at
Facebook page. For a direct link to those pages, log on
their home when Jesse was growing up, and woodwork is just
to aturbanmagazine.com.
another talent that runs in Jesse’s blood. He’s a country boy in the truest sense. Gardening for food, growing his own Kentucky Burley tobacco, and building most things he needs, this mountain man survives off the land. And he lives more simplistically than most of us would dare: he has
24
C
arrie Greno, from the great state of New York, faced a problem. Christmas was right around the corner and the
Aunt Chick cookie cutters that had become a tradition in her family were falling to pieces. Carrie’s grandmother found the kits at a hardware store in the winter of 1949, one of those seasonal items brought in for the holidays. They were sturdy plastic molds of “Santy,” a stocking filled with toys, an angel, a tree, and a star. She filled her basket with five sets, one for each of her daughters.
@story Marla Cantrell @images Carrie Greno
In the Decembers that followed, the families gathered mixing bowls, dropped in flour, eggs, sugar and vanilla. They’d let the kids help as they mixed the dough, and watch as they formed dozens of Christmas cookies. The kitchens grew cozy with the warmth of ovens and the smell of baking cookies. And for a while, at least, everything in the world seemed right. When the cutters, which were more like embossed cookie molds, began to wear out in the late 1980s, Carrie’s family tried to save them, using glue at first, and when that failed resorting to dental molds to try to recreate the originals. Nothing worked. So Carrie began to search for replacements. She eventually tracked down a seller in Tulsa, who had the Aunt Chick “Merry Christmas” set. She bought it on the spot.
26
@PEOPLE
“I called him up and asked where he’d found them – they
applied for the job. According to a story posted on Tulsa’s
hadn’t been in production since the 1970s - and he told me
library site, Sam, who was the vice president of National Bank
there was a gym teacher in town who had a warehouse filled
and Commerce, had a few concerns about his working wife,
with 18,000 of them.”
even though she was using the pen name “Aunt Chick” in the Tulsa World column.
The gym teacher had gotten his stash from Aunt Chick’s granddaughter and intended to sell them to local vendors.
“That crazy woman will start a run on the bank if people think
Carrie offered him another option: he could sell the whole
she has to work!” Sam said.
lot to her. Sam survived, the run on the bank didn’t happen, At the time she was working as a graphic artist and web
and plucky Aunt Chick, a former home economics
designer, and hadn’t been looking to switch careers.
teacher, continued to write. Housewives from across
Her quest had only been to return a part of her family’s
the city clipped her recipes, and followed her
tradition. What she’s uncovered was dizzying. She took
directions to a tee.
a deep breath, turned over several sets to her cousins, and then to her cousins’ kids, who were thrilled to have
Soon, Aunt Chick was getting recognized outside the
the originals back in their possession.
Tulsa area. She toured, showing other cooks the tricks that made her recipes so invaluable. She invented a fail-
The question then became: What do you do with the rest of
proof pie tin, developed a cover for rolling pins that kept dough
the 18,000 cookie cutters? If you’re Carrie Greno you build a
from sticking, and created a new kind of cookie cutter. “Aunt
website called grammascutters, take out an ad in Martha Stewart
Chick’s was one of the first companies to use plastics in baking
Magazine and hope for the best. “Within three months,” Carrie
products,” Carrie said. “They’re easy to use. The dough pops right
said, “I’d made my investment back.”
out. And they have character. You can dress them up or leave them simple. And they have a little bit of quirkiness, especially
Carrie was now in the cookie cutter business. Something else
the Santa.”
was going on as well. She was getting to know Aunt Chick’s story. Aunt Chick, whose real name was Nettie McBirney,
Carrie was soon getting a taste of the success Aunt Chick had
landed a job with the Tulsa World in 1935, smack dab in the
enjoyed. The 18,000 cookie cutters didn’t last long. In 2004
middle of the Great Depression, earning fifteen dollars a week
she bought the original injection molds that were in a storage
for a cooking column that ran from Tuesday through Saturday.
unit in Tulsa. “They had to be altered a little bit for today’s assembly lines. But it’s not like I had to reinvent the wheel, and
Nettie should have been celebrating with her husband, and
I love that I have them made in America.
she likely would have, if she’d told him beforehand that she’d
27
@PEOPLE
“I put a lifetime guarantee on them because they’re quality
a shortning company called Swift & Company. She wonders
products. They’re actually stronger than when she made them
what her life would be like if she hadn’t found a gym teacher
sixty years ago, and hers lasted forty to fifty years.”
who was holding on to the last of Aunt Chick’s famous cookie cutters. She certainly wouldn’t have found out the story behind
The New Yorker doesn’t know where this adventure will end.
the Oklahoma legend. She wouldn’t have gotten the hundreds
Right now, she’s collecting the stories of those who owned
of calls and letters from people across the country who’ve
the original cookie cutters, and researching Aunt Chick’s rise
told her what it means to find the cookie cutters, which are
from local columnist to one of the most respected cooking
verifiable pieces of family history, stoked in nostalgia, and filled
authorities in the nation.
with holiday cheer. “That’s what I wasn’t expecting,” Carrie said, “those stories. People call, sometimes they cry. The stories are
Before her career ended Aunt Chick had sold her products to the
of their families, their past, their childhoods. They make Aunt
likes of Macy’s and Wrigley’s Gum. Wrigley’s ordered 70,000 of
Chick’s cookies and take them to their mother in the nursing
her cookie cutters for one of its nationwide promotions. They
home, where she hasn’t seen anything like them in years.
sold out in six weeks. “I can bring back the memories of that time with their families. Her most impressive sale, however, happened “across the pond.”
It’s meant a great deal. That’s worth more than money. And I think
In 1952 Princess Margaret bought a set because she wanted her
Aunt Chick would be proud that I’ve kept that tradition alive.”
nephew, Prince Charles, to have Aunt Chick’s cookies. But no matter how successful her business became, Aunt Chick kept a level head, offering straightforward advice she printed
Aunt Chick’s cookie cutters are available
and included in her cookie cutter kits. “If you don’t follow
at Creative Kitchen in downtown Fort
directions, Heaven help you,” she wrote.
Smith and at grammascutters.com.
Even at ninety, she gave cooking lessons to the staff and
For one of Aunt Chick’s famous cookie recipes,
residents at her nursing home. She’d often talk about her
check out our story at AtUrbanMagazine.com.
twenty-year career at the Tulsa World, remarking on her salary of fifteen dollars a week. She’d smile and tell those listening
And if you have stories from your past about
she would gladly have written about good cooking without
Aunt Chick’s cookies, you can email us at
making a dime.
Editors@AtUrbanMagazine.com. We’ll post it on our site and send a copy on to Carrie.
Today Carrie continues to piece together Aunt Chick’s history. Right now she’s focusing on the Oklahoma cook’s work with
28
I
t’s high noon in Fort Smith and Lindsey Vincent, who owns The Collected Canine, is about to take on four rowdy miniature
schnauzers that live, travel and go to work with their loving owners. She’s come armed with a clicker, which is about the size @story Marla Cantrell @images Marcus Coker
of a coach’s whistle and makes the sound its name implies, and an apron-like garment that has pockets filled with kibble. Before the door opens, you can hear the quartet. They are barking, their voices rising together until finally one of them starts to howl. Inside Lily, Pretty Boy, Teddy and Buttons shake with excitement. Three of the dogs are silvery white. The youngest, Buttons, is black and silver. They’ve just been groomed, and their coats shimmer in the bright light. Teddy, quicksilver smart and just as fast, jumps, and his owner, Gina Hale, turns in one fast movement so that her back is to him and he’s not getting her attention, which was his goal all along. If dogs lived with the same rules we do, Teddy, who’s now six, would probably be sitting in a church basement somewhere, sipping coffee from a Styrofoam cup and waiting his turn to say, “My name is Teddy and I have a jumping problem.” That’s not to say he hasn’t improved. When Lindsey first met Teddy, he’d jump on doors, push his way past his owners on his way out of their RV, and he bit a little, not hard, but still not something that won him any points. “He’d just get a little too excited,” Lindsey says. None of what Teddy was doing was all that uncommon. “He’s a sweetheart. You can look in his eyes and see how soft and kind he is. And in a dog’s world jumping is the polite thing to do,”
30
@PEOPLE
Lindsey says. “Get up in your face and greet. That’s what they’re
behavior that can be used in
hard-wired to do. It’s really unfair to punish a dog for that.”
the real world.”
In fact, punishment has no place in Lindsey’s world. Instead,
Buttons is standing still, looking
she uses the clicker technique, which marks good behavior with
at Lindsey. “Starting off I don’t
the sound the clicker makes. So when a dog sits, if that’s the
have any treats.
technique they’re working on, Lindsey makes the clicker sound.
our body language more than
In addition, she’ll say what she wants them to do, usually one
verbal commands.” She kneels
word such as “down” or “sit.” She’ll use a hand signal, like
down, says “down” and when
keeping her hand outstretched near the ground, teaching them
Buttons lies down she clicks,
to stay. When the dog complies, he’s rewarded with a little
and says “good boy.”
Dogs read
kibble. In time, the clicker stops, the treats end, but the good behavior remains.
He’s doing great until a passerby grabs his attention and he’s up again. Lindsey doesn’t respond, doesn’t say a negative word.
Lindsey is a CPDT-KA trainer, only one of approximately six in
Instead she waits a few seconds, says “down” again, and he’s
Arkansas. The title means she’s a certified professional dog
back in the game.
trainer, has 300 hours of verified experience, and that she’s taken courses in everything from the history of dog training
Lindsey stands up. “I’m slowly raising my criteria for him. First,
to psychology.
I just asked for a down. He pops right back up, or he barely gets his elbows into it and he’s back into sit. It’s kind of like we’re
“Clicker training doesn’t use force or intimidation. It’s completely
playing ‘You’re Getting Warmer’. So now I use my finger to point
dog friendly. We use the way they think. Dogs are smart. Some
and he’s thinking, Yeah, I get that. Even standing after kneeling
studies show they have the intelligence of a three-year-old
on the ground with him is raising the criteria. As soon as he lays
human. They’re smart and they’re problem solvers.”
down I give him a click and a treat.”
Today, she’s here to give these happy little schnauzers a
A few minutes of clicks, kibble and thank-you’s later and Buttons
refresher course. She takes Buttons outside on a long twill
is a champion at this. “Basically, this training allows the dog to
leash that’s about twenty feet long.
predict what’s going to happen.”
“To get the best training, I recommend owners pick a few
When the training is completed, Buttons will be able to follow
behaviors and work on them. If a dog has a good automatic
commands through words only. “The unwanted behaviors just
sit, that can go a lot of places. A dog needs to sit at the door
kind of end on their own.”
before you go outside, or when a stranger pets him. That’s a
31
@PEOPLE
Next, Lindsey works with Teddy, who’s had a little trouble walking
lot more difficult, but it’s workable. It’s a matter of getting the
on a leash. She keeps the leash slack, and it hangs like the letter
dog to learn it’s okay to be alone.”
“J” between her hand and Teddy’s collar. When she turns, she calls his name and he trots along beside her. She never tugs on
Word about Lindsey’s success is spreading. She’s recommended
the leash to get him to follow. “If you pull on a leash, they pull
by several local veterinarians, and she thinks it helps that she
against it. Dogs have what’s called an opposition reflex. That’s
comes to the dog’s house. “It’s hard to fix a car chasing problem,
why you have the “J” in the leash, so when I turn he can feel the
or a fear of strangers coming to the door if you’re not there.”
slack coming and he automatically turns to me.” Lindsey is offering some free advice for the holiday. “You see Lindsey’s fallen a little bit in love with these four schnauzers.
a lot of biting at times when there are groups of people that
They seem to be a little bit in love with her as well.
dogs aren’t used to seeing. Your dog is scared. He doesn’t know what’s going on so he’s protecting himself by growling or biting.
When Lindsey goes home she’ll be greeted by a Chihuahua
Put him in a back room and make him comfortable.”
named Dinky and a bulldog named Cartman. “I grew up in Greenwood, in the country with farm dogs, horses and chickens.
For all the other days of the year? “Love them,” Lindsey says, “be consistent, make sure they get enough exercise, and play
“I was that kid who watched Animal Planet and was always
games with them. They’ll change your life,” she says. “I think
trying to train my own dogs. I’m addicted to training. It’s a way
they’re fascinating.”
to learn how to communicate with animals that’s just amazing. You can contact Lindsey at thecollectedcanine.com “Now I have these two dogs waiting for me. Dinky likes to cuddle. Cartman’s really big, but if I’m sick he’ll lay his head on the couch next to me. We’re really bonded.”
Tips for Busy Dog Owners Instead of feeding your dogs from a dish, feed them out
Lindsey, who’s twenty-five, worked a regular job while she built
of puzzle toys like Kongs or Tug-A-Jugs. They love to
a client base. When her book filled up she took the leap.
solve problems and they love to eat. It’s a win/win.
She can handle almost any problem - from biters - “Most of the
Play games with them as often as you can. Fetch is a
time they’re afraid and biting is a way to get the threat away, so
good one.
the dog sees it as effective,” - to barkers. “If the dog is bored, we can solve that. If he’s watchdog barking, we’ll take whatever
Get your dog out of the house once a day. They need the
he’s barking at away. It could be as simple as closing the blinds
exercise and change of scenery, just like you.
if he’s barking at an outside cat. If it’s separation anxiety, it’s a
32
When I was working at a law firm in Fayetteville, @recipe & images Laura Hobbs
one of the attorneys was the campaign coordinator for the county’s circuit clerk. As a thank you gift, the circuit clerk would bring an apple cake to the office every Christmas, which all the attorneys on diets would drool over while keeping their distance, and all the staff would wildly devour within the hour. The cake was moist, crumbly and oh-soapple-y, and had a crisp, crackly glaze that was poured over top and seeped its way into the crumb. I asked the circuit clerk for the recipe, and was surprised to learn it was actually her husband’s recipe – and one that he kept under lock and key. Like, literally. Like, locked away in a safe. Like, she didn’t even know how he made it. Bummer. Fast forward to the present, and I’m perched at my computer in torn yoga pants and a sweatshirt three sizes too big, sipping my fourth cup of coffee at 11am. (The barely-employed can do these kinds of things, m’kay?) A fellow food blogger, Jen at foodorleans.com, had posted about an apple cake that her friend Diana used to make. Jen says, “Diana was famous at the music store in Fort Smith, Arkansas, for this cake. She’d bring it once or twice a year, usually in the fall and winter, usually on a yucky day when everyone needed a sugar boost.” My eyes widened and my jaw slacked – this was it! This is what I’d been looking for! This was the recipe! This was no longer a mystery akin to that of the Loch Ness Monster! I printed off the recipe, hopped in the car - OK, so first I made myself worthy of public viewing - and buzzed on over to the grocery store, where I picked up a few items I needed.
34
@TASTE
For those who are familiar with cake baking, you know the
Diana’s Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze
drill: combine dry ingredients, combine wet ingredients,
(adapted from FoodOrleans.com)
mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, blah, blah,
3 cup all-purpose flour 1 3/4 cup sugar 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. kosher salt 3 eggs 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp. vanilla extract 4 cups chopped, peeled Red Delicious apples 1 cup chopped pecans – butter and flour for pan
blah. It’s a no-brainer, really – and this cake is no exception. Everything’s thrown together in a haphazard style, as this recipe is rather forgiving, and the whole thing works its magic in the oven over the course of an hour. The apples soften, the flavor intensifies, the cake turns into a crumblyon-the-inside-crackly-on-the-outside work of art. The only thing that could make this cake better? Caramel, duh. The pictures on Jen’s foodorleans.com of the caramel oozing
Preheat oven to 325°. Butter and flour a standard Bundt pan.
down the sides of the cake had me licking my screen, and I
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, mixing very well. In a medium bowl, beat eggs together, then add oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing well. Stir in apples and nuts. The batter will be stiff and mostly apples and nuts - that’s good. Scoop out the batter and pat it into the prepared pan, evening out as much as possible.
was determined to replicate what I saw. Too bad I epically failed. That’s right, you heard me: I failed! Completely, totally, utterly failed. I’m not sure what happened; maybe it was the heat or the altitude or the humidity or the fact that the Sugar Gods have it out for me, but I ended up with more of a “praline glaze” than a caramel glaze. Meh. No worries. It tasted just as yummy, and not only did I get to eat my cake, but I also got to eat it with pralines on top! I’ve supplied
Bake at 325° for one hour. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert cake onto rack and cool another 20 minutes before glazing.
you with the caramel glaze recipe just as Diana and Jen
Caramel Glaze
provided it, so it’s up to you to do it correctly. Don’t screw
1 cup sugar 1/2 cup buttermilk 4 tsp. butter 1/2 tsp. baking soda
this up, y’hear? This is a wonderful cake to take to a holiday party or have as dessert after a big Christmas meal. The warming cinnamon and toasty pecans give the cake a holiday flair, and the Bundt shape makes it easy to serve to a crowd. Now that this recipe is no longer a mystery, I’m going to have to make up for lost time. Enjoy!
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a metal spoon. Boil gently for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage, where it’s sticky like caramel, coats a spoon like caramel, and is still loose enough to pour over a cake. If it threatens to boil over, just lift the pot off the heat and keep stirring until the foaming subsides. Pour over the cake and serve.
35
@TASTE
@image Catherine Frederick
1 oz Melon liqueur 1 oz Sweet and Sour mix 1 oz Triple Sec 3 oz Vodka Candy Cane for garnish (optional) Mix first four ingredients in shaker with ice, shake well Rim chilled martini glass with Sweet and Sour mix and dip rim into crushed candy canes Pour mixture into martini glass Garnish with candy cane
36
what you’ll need
@story Catherine Frederick @recipe and images used with permission from Food Gifts® magazine ©2011 Meredith Corporation. All rights Reserved.
Each year, right before Christmas, my family bakes pans of cinnamon coffee cake. It’s not for us, it’s for our neighbors. We deliver a little holiday cheer, often still warm from the oven. It’s our way of saying Merry Christmas. This year I discovered a magazine called Food Gifts®- a Better Homes and Garden special publication, filled with 150 food gift ideas (photos & recipes included). I’m sharing just a few, but I invite you to pick up their publication and see what kind of holiday cheer you can deliver this season.
BROWN CRAFTS FOAM CRAFT EYEBALLS AND RED POM-POM BROWN PAPER LUNCH SACK
To make the antlers, trace around your hands on foam and cut out. Press together paper at bottoms of cutouts to form pleats. Attach hand cutouts to the backside of sack using crafts glue. Add two craft eyes and a red pom-pom for the nose. Fill the paper sack with snack mix just before you’re ready to give it away so the mixture stays crisp and crunchy. Or for longer storage, place the mix in a resealable plastic bag and slip it into the sack.
Caramel Corn Party Mix Prep: 15 minutes Bake: 20 minutes
1 1
Oven: 300°F
4 cups popped popcorn 2 cups bite-size wheat or bran square cereal 1/2 cups small pretzels or pretzel sticks 1/2 cups pecan halves 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 6 Tbs. butter 3 Tbs. light-color corn syrup 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 300°F. Remove all unpopped kernels from popped popcorn. In a 17×12×2-inch roasting pan combine popcorn, cereal, pretzels, and pecans; set aside. Butter a large piece of foil; set aside. In a medium saucepan combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate, without stirring, for 5 minutes more. Remove pan from heat. Stir in pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, vanilla, and, if desired, a dash cayenne pepper. Pour over popcorn mixture in pan; stir gently to coat. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir mixture; bake 5 minutes more. Spread caramel corn on the prepared foil and let cool. Break into pieces. Makes 16 (1/2cup) servings.
Photography by Andy Lyons. Used with permission from Food Gifts® magazine. ©2011 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
38
make-ahead directions: Place caramel corn in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
@TASTE
Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Mix Prep: 25 minutes Bake: 12 minutes*
Oven: 350°F
*Bake time for monster cookies
1
1/4 cups rolled oats 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/8 tsp. baking soda 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts 1 cup miniature chocolate-covered peanut butter cups, halved
In a 1-quart jar layer oats, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and peanuts. Place peanut butter cups on top. Fasten lid; include directions for making cookies. Makes 1 jar (enough for 12 monster cookies or 36 regular cookies).
Photography by Jason Donnelly. Used with permission from Food Gifts® magazine. ©2011 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
To make cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Remove peanut butter cups from jar; set aside. Empty the remaining contents of the jar into a large bowl. In another bowl whisk together 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/4 cup softened butter, 2 eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add to flour mixture; stir until combined. Gently stir in peanut butter cups. Use a 1/4- cup measure or scoop to drop mounds of dough about 4 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet. Flatten dough mounds to about 3/4 inch thick. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. (For regularsize cookies, drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes.) make-ahead directions: Store jar of mix in a cool, dry place for up to 1 month.
what you’ll need
QUART JAR WITH DISK AND BAND LID RECIPE CARD FELT RIBBON
Trace the disk lid on a piece of felt and cut out the circle. Fill the jar with the cookie mix. Place the disk lid on top of jar, then place the circle of felt on top. Secure the band lid around felt and disk. Write a recipe card with directions for mixing and baking the cookies. Wrap the recipe card around the jar and secure it with a ribbon. Affix ends of ribbon together with fabric glue. It’s the recipe card that gives this jar its graphic style. When choosing cards, select those that reflect your character and personality.
39
@TASTE
Spiced Pumpkin Snaps Dog Treats Prep: 30 minutes Bake: 45 minutes
1 1
Oven: 300°F
Stand: Overnight
1 cup natural apple juice 1 cup canned pumpkin 1/4 cup honey 2 Tbs. canola oil 1/4 cups rolled oats 1/3 cup wheat germ 1 cup whole wheat flout 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 300°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large saucepan heat and stir apple juice, pumpkin, honey, and oil until mixture simmers. Remove from heat. Stir in oats and wheat germ. Allow mixture to cool slightly. Stir in whole wheat flour and cinnamon. Stir in the all-purpose flour until a dough forms. Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface roll one portion of the dough at a time into a 10×10inch square. Using a pastry wheel or knife, cut dough into 2-inch squares. Place squares close together on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake on separate oven racks for 45 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking. Turn oven off; let dry overnight. Transfer to two 1-quart canning jars. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 6 cups (50) treats.
Photography by Jason Donnelly. Used with permission from Food Gifts® magazine. ©2011 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
what you’ll need
40
QUART JAR TWINE RIBBON 3×12-INCH STRIP SCRAPBOOKING PAPER
make-ahead directions: Place treats in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Trace the disk lid on scrapbooking paper and cut out circle. Fill the jar with treats. Place the disk lid on top of jar, then place the circle of paper on top. Secure the band lid around the paper and the disk. Wrap the twine around lid and tuck end under to secure. Tie the ribbon around jar at base of lid. Wrap the paper strip around the jar and attach ends using crafts glue. Create label using white press-on letters and brads. Glue label to front of jar. Every good dog deserves a treat, especially a homemade one. Adjust the label according to gender—boy or girl.
@DESTINATION
@story Todd Whetstine
I
t’s a magical time right now. There are Christmas displays, yards filled with
Santa’s reindeer, and nativity scenes, all lit up for the world to see. The lights of the season give us a great excuse to grab the photo gear and hit the road. Photographing light displays is always tricky. You either get the beautiful lights on a dark background, or you get all the surroundings with no detail or color. You see, our cameras, incredible as they are, can’t see the same range of light to dark as our eyes. People ask me all the time, “Are you enhancing those colors in Photoshop?” The truth is I do make minor enhancements with that popular computer program. I shoot a raw file that
43
@DESTINATION
requires Photoshop adjustments. But the fact of the matter
feature. This will help avoid getting a bad color cast from the
is to get a good result out of Photoshop, you have to have all
lighting. By setting the white balance to Tungsten you’ll notice
the correct camera settings and be ready to snap the shot as
another effect will happen. The sky will be a deep royal blue
the moment arises. You can’t take a bad shot and save it in
as the light balances out. White-balance adjustments create
Photoshop. If a sloppy photo goes in, a sloppy photo comes out.
different, yet interesting effects. I always use the cloudy whitebalance setting when I shoot sunrises or sunsets. It makes the
You’ve already seen tons of Christmas light photographs where
colors I’m dealing with have a bit of a wetter look, which gives it
all you see is a string of lights on black. This is caused from
a much more saturated effect.
shooting your photos at the wrong time. Photography is all about getting the right light. Getting the right light depends on timing.
The next thing I look for is a way to frame the shot. This could
And timing is everything. If you photograph the lights during the
be anything from a tree branch to an open gate. Use your
middle of the afternoon you’ll see the pretty house, but no lights
imagination and get there early enough to study the scene.
will be visible. I prefer to be out before it gets dark. We’re not
Don’t just pull up in front of the house, stand in the street, shoot
really looking for a black sky, maybe a dark blue, and we’re trying
your photos and move on. That’s what everyone else does. Get
to balance the ambient light in the sky with the Christmas lights.
that shot no one else sees. That’s what makes a great Christmas
The good thing about digital cameras is if you arrive early enough
light photo: originality.
you’ll be able to fire off a few test shots. Your much needed light will fade quickly, five to ten minutes tops. Be prepared by
Get out and practice with your camera a little each night. The right
knowing what you’ll need and have it ready.
balance of light fades so quickly, you’ll only have a few minutes to shoot. There’s not much more to it. Be prepared, organized,
You don’t need a high-end camera or high-dollar tripod. This
and be on time. Fill the frame and set the controls for desired
may surprise you, but many of my shots have been steadied
effect (white balance). Then enjoy the beauty and the Christmas
by placing my camera on a bag of beans. Once you find
spirit this wonderful season has to offer. It’ll come to pass way
your spot, set up at a low angle to get as much night sky in
too soon, but your photos will live on for years to come.
the photo as possible. Also remember to get close enough to fill the frame with the subject. With most cameras the photograph will be five to ten percent larger than what you
Todd is available for photography lessons.
see in the viewfinder. Stepping close enough will save you
Contact him at:
from having to crop the subject. Cropping the photo is not
Wild Woods Photography
good. It causes you to lose sharpness.
479.806.2852
Since we’re photographing Christmas lights, you’ll want set the white balance to Tungsten, if your camera is equipped with this
44
I
t’s one of those brisk nights, cold but not freezing, and the wind, thankfully, had died down. From miles away the lights
of Rhema Bible Church and Training Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, shine like stars in the cloudless sky. As I approach the campus, the traffic thickens. SUVs, tour buses, and even a limousine form the line in front of me. We’ve all come to see the same thing: 2 million Christmas lights. I pull in between a gray sedan with a gray-haired driver, and a double-cab pickup carrying a family of five. The kids scramble from the backseat of the truck, tugging on gloves and stocking
light of the world @story Marla Cantrell @images Courtesy Rhema Bible Church
caps. They hurry toward the arch of lights that welcomes us to the light show and stand for a moment looking straight up. Forget candlelight. Everyone here looks amazing in the glow of Christmas lights. Seven-foot-tall trees, created from 3,500 lights that shift colors every few seconds, line the path. A gazebo stands nearby, awash in blinking lights. Christmas music plays through the sound system, and the animated lights swish and sparkle and flash to the beat. The park pulses with rhythm, clutches of people stop and watch as an orchestra version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” plays. There is a concession stand selling funnel cakes, and a young mother is eating one while using her free hand to maneuver a three-wheeled stroller. An elderly couple, each leaning on a wooden cane, watches as a girl dressed in red, no older than four, waits to talk to Santa. It is a festive mood. A group of teens stands on the footbridge. They are surrounded by the light. It is reflected in the small lake
46
@DESTINATION
below, and rises above them in a series of arches that covers the
And the lights, which have become a trademark for Rhema, do
structure. On the bridge alone there are 100,000 lights.
make a difference.
On a nearby trail, a horse-drawn carriage passes by. The couple
“Our students sell concessions and they use that money for
inside waves, and they seem regal somehow, as if they’re used
missions. We have donation buckets, and all that money goes
to greeting passersby.
to Broken Arrow Neighbors, an organization that helps those in need. A few years ago, when the economic climate shifted, we
The entire scene feels like something out of a Christmas movie.
had to take a hard look at our budget. We talked about the
There is laughter everywhere, a children’s choir is singing carols,
Christmas lights, and we decided it was important to keep
and the air smells of popcorn and hot chocolate.
them. It costs us about $100,000 a season just for power, but it means a lot to our community. The lights are wonderful, they’ve
It’s not effortless, though. Twenty-five workers began putting
become a tradition for many families, but the real message is
up the lights in August, while you and I were still complaining
that Jesus is the light of the world.”
about the 100 degree weather. Every day they add more lights, all the way until Christmas Day.
The lights are wonderful. When I finally leave the park, I’m that particular kind of tired that comes from letting go and just
The show, which is free to attend, started twenty-nine years
giving in to the joy around you. The world tonight is a bright
ago with only 60,000 lights. Every year the show grew bigger,
and sparkling place. Christmas is around the corner. And for a
and more people attended. Before this season ends, 250,000
little while, at least, nothing else seems to matter.
people will have come to see the display. Walking through the lights takes between one and two hours. You can also drive through the park, or take a carriage. David Wildman, a spokesperson for Rhema Bible Church, says in 2007, the year the ice storm hit, they opened their gym to house those without power. The campus had limited electricity, and they discussed whether they should have the light show. “We decided to keep the lights going. You’d be surprised how much it helped people,” David says. “There was a sense of normalcy, a sense that life still goes on, and it’s still Christmas. You never know who you’re going to impact and what it’s going to mean.”
For more information log on to rhemabiblechurch.com Rhema Bible Church and Training Center is at 1025 W. Kenosha St. (71st Street) in Broken Arrow, about 124 miles from Fort Smith. There is no charge for the light show; however, there is a charge for carriage rides, concessions and pictures with Santa. The show runs from now through January 1, from 5:30 until 11:00 pm.
@DESTINATION
ratio of skater to ice. “We never have more than 220 people in the rink at one time. We are in Arkansas, where most of us haven’t done much ice skating, so most of our skaters are leaning on the rails,” David said. “The middle of the rink is fairly open. If we were all fantastic skaters, we might have to draw that number down.” That could change in the coming years, as the little skaters start
ice skating in arkansas @story Marla Cantrell @image David Wright
T
to grow up. “We had a ton of younger people come out last year. We had to go out and order more smaller skates. We had lots of four and five year olds.” On select nights through December 21, there are free holiday movies showing on the 25-foot inflatable outdoor screen.
here aren’t that many excellent ice skaters in Arkansas. But
Families come and sit in the park’s amphitheater, or gather on
there are a lot of them. Last year, when Lawrence Plaza
quilts or sit on lawn chairs to watch the classics.
in Bentonville opened its outdoor ice skating rink, more than 10,000 people took to the ice to try out the winter sport.
It’s been a big hit. And with the newly opened Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art that is close by, David expects this
This season, David Wright, Bentonville’s director of parks and
year to attract an even larger crowd.
recreation, is ready for round two. There are 370 pairs of ice skates for rent, a crew ready to get you on your feet, and dozens
The rink will stay open until January 22, with the exception of
of holiday songs that will play on the P.A. system during your
Christmas Day.
hour and fifteen minute session. If you think that’s not long enough, you’ve probably never ice skated before. “You’re welcome to re-up and skate another session, but I don’t know many people who do,” David said. “It will wear you out. Your muscles are burning by the time you’re
The cost is $5 per session, $3 is you bring your own skates.
done. It’s great family fun and good exercise.”
Hours of operation are available at bentonvillear.com/ parks_lawrence_plaza.html (No skating on Christmas Day.)
David has approved every song that plays, worked out the
“Movie Night at the Rink” will be held Dec. 3, 10, 17 and 21 at 6:30 p.m.
schedule for skating, and has even come up with the perfect
48
Lawrence Plaza is just north of the Bentonville City Square, at the corner of Northeast “A” and Blake Streets. The trip from Fort Smith will take you about an hour and a half.
Read Chair Publishing, LLC 3811 Rogers Avenue Suite C Fort Smith, Arkansas 72903