Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
PAGE 7A
The joy of a good mud hole
It’s hard to find a good
mud hole these days.
Have you noticed
that? Too much con
crete and asphalt.
When I was a kid,
few things brought
me greater pleasure
than a big, mushy,
soft mud hole.
I couldn’t resist
them. I ran bare
footed to such an
extent that my lit
tle feet ignored the
prickling of thorns,
sweetgum balls or
sticks.
Once, when I was four,
I cut my foot on a broken
glass and did not realize
it until my sister asked,
“What’s that trail of blood?’’
It ran a zigzag path
through the yard, up the
steps, across the porch,
through the den and half
way through the living room
before it was discovered. I
should have had stitches but
I was unfazed by it as much
as Mama who doctored it
and wrapped an old rag
around it.
There is both pleasure
and power in running bare
foot. I’d see a mud hole then
jump flatfooted into it. Since
I preferred playing in dress
es as much as Mama would
allow, if I wanted to spare
my clothes, I would step
gingerly in the mud hole and
feel the oozing wonderful
ness of the silky clay settling
between my toes.
It was a country child’s
version of a spa treatment.
When time came for gar
den plowing, I danced with
excitement, eager to run
through the cool, loose dirt.
It was one of the
biggest treats of
summer.
Aunt Kath
leen laughs about
when I was two
and dressed in
frills and ruffles
from church. We
were visiting my
grandparents so
Mama had taken
off my lace-edged
white socks and
black patent leath
er Mary Janes. A bit later,
they looked out just in time
to see me plop into a mud
hole created by a chicken,
which had dug it out. Mama,
again, was unfazed.
“Leave her alone. It’s
probably the first time she’s
ever been dirty.’’
I think back to the sum
mer when I was 10 and we
were in the midst of a week-
long revival. After morning
service, Mama let me go
home with a friend. Her
family had an egg farm so
I helped pick up stinky eggs
and wash them, we listened
to an album by Loretta Lynn
called “Don’t Come Home
A-Drinldn’” that belonged
to her brother, played with
her sister’s dime store jewel
ry and helped her mama kill
flies that flew through the
open windows in the days
before air conditioning.
When time approached
for night service, we put on
our simple, sleeveless flocks
and sandals and decided we
would walk the mile and a
half to church. They lived
near a river so we crossed
the little bridge; then beneath
enormous shade trees, we
took the red dirt road that
would lead us to church.
There was no gravel. Since
it had rained hard the previ
ous day, it was deep rutted
mud that had been churned
up into small walls by cars
that had sputtered through
it. Unperturbed, we took off
our sandals and carried on.
“What in the world!’’
Mama exclaimed when we
walked into the church yard.
Mud was oozing from
between my toes and I was
stained with the richness of
stubborn red Georgia clay
halfway up my legs. There
was no plumbing at the
church but someone dug out
an old rag from a trunk and
we cleaned up as best we
could. It took days to wash
the stain from my feet.
The day that the grader
finished the punishing task
of fighting rock and dirt
to cut a road into where I
would build a house, I took
off my shoes and, barefoot
ed, walked it. It was Feb
ruary.
Mama stood on the
bridge, watching with a
smile of sweet satisfaction.
I turned to her and, with
full heart, said, “I’ve come
home.’’
She nodded. It’s hard to
separate a girl from the red
mud that raised her.
Ronda Rich is a best-sell
ing Southern author. Visit
www.rondarich.com to sign
up for her free weekly news
letter.
The coin toss heard round the world
Dang. So close.
If you know me
well, you know that
I’m not much of a
sports fan. Just not
my jam.
I do listen to the
Georgia football
games, and now
as a band grand
ma, I’m a faithful
Winder-Barrow
Bulldogg fan.
I’m not much
for basketball, soccer, or any
of the other games, but let
the Braves or the Falcons
get in the playoffs, and then
I’m all about it. I’m a true
fair-weather fan.
What an exciting few
weeks for the Falcon nation
(including ue fair-weather
fans)! Despite all that has
divided us as a nation, as a
state, and as communities,
it has been very refreshing
to see our neighbors come
together with a common
cause — rooting the Falcons
on to the Super Bowl. We
might not agree on matters
of faith and politics, but we
could agree on
our support of
the home team.
At times like
this, I wish I
did know more
about the rules
of the game.
The last play
seemed a bit
too close to
call without a
review, and I
don’t like the
sudden death thing. I had a
bad feeling in my stomach
when they won that last coin
toss. It could just as easily
have gone the other way.
But, despite the loss, it
was a great game! Those
who know statistics, and
follow every play of every
game, may feel differently
and be upset that we lost
such a huge lead.
I myself was seriously
impressed at how well they
played, and that they were
able to get so far out front.
And, even though that
silly sudden-death ending
meant that we didn’t win, I
still think it was one heck of
a game. I hope that we will
all remember how much
we supported them and
believed in them before the
game. And I hope their true
fans will continue to stand
behind them and welcome
them home with a “Job well
done.”
For me, it's back to life
as usual, and I probably
won’t catch another game
unless they make it to the
finals again. It was a fun few
weeks, and the Super Bowl
snacks I made for myself
to enjoy during the game
will make for some nice
leftovers.
Thanks for the thrills, for
the dreams, and for an excit
ing game!
And remember, there’s
always next year!
Cathy Watkins Bennett is
a Barrow County native and
a graduate of Winder-Bar
row High School. Send com
ments about this column to
bencath@aol.com.
cathy
watkins
bennett
Always soil test
Several years ago, I
worked as a nursery special
ist at Lowe’s Home
Improvement.
Often homeown
ers would come in
looking for lime,
which was an easy
enough question.
However, they often
followed with a not
so easy question:
“How much do I
need?”
Cue puzzled
look on my face,
which was mirrored
on their faces when I asked,
“What did your soil test anal
ysis say?”
Soil testing is the only way
to know your soil fertility. Not
only will a soil test show lev
els of necessary soil nutrients
and soil pH, the Agricultural
and Environmental Services
Laboratory will also give rec
ommendations based on what
you want to grow.
If you do not have a soil
analysis, it is like trying to
bake a cake when someone
else has already started the
batter. If you don’t know what
you have, you don’t know
what you need. Adding too
many extra nutri
ents will waste
your money and
will be source
of pollution. For
some crops, like
tomatoes, adding
too much nitro
gen can prevent
plants producing
at all. However,
if you underes
timate lime or
fertilizer applied,
or don’t provide
any amendment to your soil,
you risk underperforming
crops that are more suscepti
ble to pests and disease.
It is best to take soil sam
ples in the fall, but late is
better than never. Taking a
soil test now will allow you to
apply lime before planting a
late spring or summer garden.
To take a soil test, take
eight to 10 soil samples per
plot. Collect samples in a zig
zag pattern to get a good rep
resentation. Mix and submit
in a soil sample bag, which
you can get from the County
Extension Office. You can use
a spade to sample six inches
deep for home gardens and
ornamentals, or 4 inches for
lawns and pastures. Each soil
test costs $10, and you should
get the results back within a
week.
If you have qualms about
the environmental effects
of synthetic fertilizer, also
included in your soil analysis
are instructions for converting
inorganic recommendations
to organic ones, and organic
fertilizers are available at most
home garden centers.
For more details on soil
tests or soil lab recommen
dations please contact your
county extension office.
Alicia Holloway is the Bar-
row County Agriculture and
Natural Resources Extension
Agent She can be reached
by e-mail at aholloway@uga.
edu, by phone at 770-307-
3029, or by stopping by the
County Extension Office at 90
Eanthier St in Winder. Follow
Barrow County Extension on
Facebook @BarrowCoun-
tyExtension.
Cooking with Joyce
Some favorite dishes
I was hoping to be writing
this after a big Super Bowl
win for the Atlanta Falcons.
I am one big disappointed
fan as I write this column after
an overtime loss. If only we
could have won
the coin toss when
it counted.
Being up by
more than 20
points I felt like
we had a great
chance of winning
the game, but then
our defense forgot
they had to keep
playing.
Yes I am a big
football fan, both
college and profes
sional. I had a great
time at National Signing Day
this past week at UGA, seeing
firsthand the new 2017 signees
for Georgia. And next week
will be time to pay the ransom
money to get my season tick
ets for Georgia, which went up
20 percent this year.
So now football season is
over for about six months.
We do have G-Day to look
forward to in the spring and
another record crowd, hope
fully.
1 have a special guy in my
life that loves to eat and loves
the fact I love to cook. He’s
always finding recipes on
Facebook that other people
post and he shares them with
me as a hint he wants me to
try them.
Most of them I do try, and
they turn out good and I add
them to my recipe book. He
has really been sending me
some good ones lately and
we’ve enjoyed them. He
knows I like simple things but
good recipes. This week I’m
sharing some of his recipes
with you that I’ve enjoyed
cooking for him.
Stuffed Garlic
Butter Portobellos
Ingredients:
Garlic Butter:
2 tbsps. butter
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbsp. freshly chopped
parsley
Mushrooms:
5-6 large Portobello mush
rooms, stem removed, washed
and dried with a paper towel
5-6 fresh mozzarella cheese
balls, sliced thinly
1 cup grape (or cherry)
tomatoes, sliced thinly
Fresh basil shredded to gar
nish
Balsamic glaze:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsps. brown sugar
Instructions:
Preheat oven to grill/broil
settings on high heat. Arrange
oven shelf to the middle of
your oven.
Combine all of the garlic
butter ingredients in a small
saucepan (or microwave safe
bowl) and melt until garlic is
fragrant. Brush the bottoms of
each of the mushrooms and
place them buttered side down
on a baking tray. Brush the
insides of the mushroom with
any remaining garlic butter.
Fill each mushroom with the
mozzarella slices and toma
toes and grill/broil until cheese
has melted and golden in
color. (About 8 minutes.) To
serve top with basil, drizzle
with balsamic glaze and sprin
kle with salt to taste.
For making Bal
samic Glaze: com
bine sugar and vine
gar in a small sauce
pan over high heat
and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low,
allow to simmer for
5-8 minutes or until
mixture has thick
ened and reduced to
a glaze.
Chicken Stuffed
Shells
Ingredients:
Large pasta shells
1 lb. cooked shredded
chicken
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup freshly grated Mozza
rella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
cheese
1/2 cup Romano cheese
1 egg beaten
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1(15 oz.) jar garlic Alfredo
sauce
Fresh parsley for garnish if
desired
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9xl3-inch baking
dish with nonstick cooking
spray. Prepare shells according
to package directions. Drain
water from shells and pat dry
with paper towels.
In a large bowl combine
Mozzarella, Parmesan, and
Romano cheese. Remove 1/2
cup for topping. Add cottage
cheese, egg, pepper, and salt.
Stir until well combined. Add
chicken and stir until com
pletely combined. Spoon
1 cup Alfredo sauce on the
bottom of the prepared pan.
Stuff shells with the chicken
mixture either using a spoon
or small scoop. Arrange in
prepared pan in single layer.
Spoon remaining Alfredo
sauce over shells. Sprinkle
with reserved cheese. Bake in
a pre-heated oven for 20 min
utes or until cheese is lightly
browned and bubbly. Garnish
with parsley.
Brussels Sprouts Gratin
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds Brussels
sprouts, halved
8 oz. bacon, cooked and
crumbled
1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese,
grated
1/2 cup Fontina cheese,
grated, optional
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
legg
1 sprig rosemary, minced
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes,
optional
Kosher salt and freshly
ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss Brussels sprouts in
olive oil and season generous
ly with salt and pepper. Place
them in a large baking dish
and roast for 15-20 minutes, or
until semi-softened.
In a large bowl, whisk
together egg, heavy cream,
rosemary, garlic powder,
onion powder and red pepper
flakes (if using), then stir in
cheeses.
Remove Brussels sprouts
from oven and add 3/4 bacon
to the baking dish. Pour cheese
mixture over the top and stir
everything together, then top
with the remaining bacon.
Reduce oven temperature
to 350 degrees, return bak
ing dish to oven and bake for
20-25 minutes or until cheese
is bubbly and just set. Remove
from oven and let cool 5 min
utes before serving.
Joyce Jacks is a cooking
columnist for the Barrow
News-Journal. Send com
ments to Georgiagirl2424@
yahoo.com.
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Joyce
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Low Cost Vaccination Clinic
Saturday, February 25th
lpm to 3pm
Barrow County Animal Control
616 Barrow Park Drive, Winder, GA 30680
ALL SERVICES ARE CASH ONLY
All animals MUST be on leash or in carrier
Rabies (1 year) $10 Microchipping $20
DHPPV (dogs) $10 Deworiner (two doses) $5
FVRCP (cat) $10 Nail trim $5
Information on deeply discounted spay and neuter services
and pet food assistance available
All proceeds to benefit Animal Alliance of Georgia's community
outreach programs. For more information, visit
vvwvv.animalallianceofgeorgia.org or call 678-542-9572