6A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, May 11,2022
Life’s best friends
On the first day
of P.E. class in
seventh grade, I
met Lisa who was
to become my
best friend
through the
school years that
followed.
Seventh grade was a big
deal. Country kids from
five elementary schools -
where most of us were in
classes of around 30 - con
gregated into a junior high
that was attached to a high
school. We had gone from
simple grade schools with
six or seven rooms, one
principal and an assistant to
a place with five offices
packed with administration.
Now, we had lockers.
Before we had stored our
books under our desks and
stayed in one room from
morning until school was
out. We were required, in a
sudden grown-up way, to
find our classes, flowing
down a hallway filled with
other students.
Our elementary class had
been tightly knit. Over six
years, we shared see-saws,
played softball on the field
behind the school and often
sat on the steps leading into
the 1937-stoutly built brick
building while we nibbled
on Lance crackers or an
afternoon ice cream bar.
Yet, when we stepped up
to the big leagues, we scat
tered. My best friend since
first grade - a friendship
formed when I became
enthralled with her yellow
and green dress that resem
bled a Sprite bottle -
became someone I passed
fleetingly in the
hall and called out
a “hello.”
The day I
stepped off the
school bus at the
front entrance of
the new school as
other scared kids
walked, heads down, to
their new destiny, was one
of the biggest days of my
life. I swallowed hard and
started down the journey of
life to adulthood.
I came from one of the
two most country schools.
There was a light shadow
cast on us kids who lived
on farms and, in a few
cases, trailers. The ones
from the more citified
schools lived in neighbor
hoods or new-fangled sub
divisions filled with eye
pleasing split-level houses.
One of the most horrify
ing days of my life
occurred when the school
bus pulled to a stop in front
of our house. Daddy, facing
a lack of pasture grass due
to a drought, had fenced in
our front yard and filled it
with Hereford cattle. There,
scattered throughout our
yard, were a dozen cattle
doing what cows do mostly
- eat and relief themselves.
To add to my embarrass
ment, my sweet, simple-
minded aunt, wearing white
Keds and bobby socks, was
chasing my toddler niece
around the cow patties, spit
ting out tobacco juice.
I dropped my head and
slumped around the front of
the bus, near tears. I real
ized that it was a major set
back in my being accepted
RONDARICH
Columnist
as anything other than a
farm girl.
Lisa helped to shine up
my image. She came from
a subdivision and lived in a
tri-level, more impressive
than a split level. Her father
was a respected teacher in a
technical school. Though
she was slicker than me, we
shared common values. Her
mother, like mine, took joy
in being a homemaker.
Suppers were home cooked
and, importantly, both of
our families were deeply
involved in our little Baptist
churches. Hers, of course,
was bigger than mine.
Lisa continues to be a
close friend in heart though
she lives hundreds of miles
away. In an instant, we can
pick up the phone and
reconnect like the young
girls who spent the night at
each other’s houses and
learned to knit in Mrs.
Trotter’s Home Ec class.
Last year, Lisa and her
husband, Dan, came for a
leisurely lunch. When we
were still young, our fathers
had died three days apart.
Mama had joined the Lord
and Lisa’s mother had
decided to leave the tri-level
for a condo.
“I brought you some
thing,” she said, smiling.
She handed me one of her
mother’s crystal cake plates
trimmed in gold. It was a
meaningful gift.
Every day I see it and
remember the power of life
long friends and humble
childhoods.
Ronda Rich is a best-selling
Southern author. Visit www.
rondarich.com to sign up for
her free weekly newsletter.
Get your grill on
Warm weather
signifies lots of
things—flowers,
green grass, butter
flies, gardening,
and of course, grill
ing outdoors. I love
those nights when
every aspect of din
ner is grilled—no
hot oven or hot stovetop in
the kitchen is necessary.
Here are some super sim
ple, but delicious grilling
recipes to try. Enjoy!
I love grilled vegetables.
They make a great side
dish, but there are many
other ways you can use
them. Try chopping them
up and tossing them with
pasta. You can also add
them to a frittata or a
quiche, even an omelet.
Grilled Vegetables
• 3 red bell peppers,
seeded and halved
• 3 yellow squash, cut
into y 2 ” planks
• 3 zucchini, cut into
1/2” planks
• 3 Japanese eggplant,
cut into y 2 ” planks
• 12 mushrooms,
stemmed, cleaned
• 1 bunch asparagus,
trimmed
• 12 green onions,
roots removed
• 1/3 cup olive oil,
plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon salt
• y 2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons bal
samic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic,
minced
• 1 tablespoon Italian
parsley leaves,
minced
• 14 cup fresh basil
leaves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh
rosemary leaves,
minced
Brush vegetables with the
1/3 cup olive oil. Sprinkle
with salt and pepper. Heat
grill over medium-high heat
and grill vegetables until
they have grill marks before
flipping them. You can also
use a grill basket, but you
won’t get the grill marks.
When vegetables are done,
remove to a platter and tent
with foil. In a bowl, whisk
remaining olive oil, salt,
pepper, balsamic vinegar,
garlic, parsley, basil and
rosemary. Pour dressing
over the grilled vegetables.
Grilled chicken might
sound boring, but this lem
ony one is anything but. Do
marinate overnight
for the best lemon
flavor. Enjoy the
chicken alongside
some grilled vege
tables, and then use
the leftovers for
tossing into a salad
or making it into
chicken salad.
Lemony Chicken
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 4 lemons, juiced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• y 2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless
chicken breasts
Place chicken breasts
between plastic wrap and
pound lightly. Whisk
together olive oil, lemon
juice, Dijon, honey, salt and
pepper. Place chicken
breasts in a plastic zipper
bag and pour marinade over
all, massaging to distribute.
Refrigerate for 24 hours.
When ready to grill, heat
grill to medium-high heat
and grill chicken about 5-8
minutes per side. Do not
overcook. Remove to a
platter and tent with alumi
num foil for a few minutes.
Portobello Burgers
• 2/3 cup whole milk
Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons pre
pared horseradish
• 4 tablespoons olive
oil
• 3 large red onions,
thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• y 2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 'A cup honey
• 14 cup red wine vine
gar
• 1 clove garlic,
minced
• 2 tablespoons bal
samic vinegar
• 4 large Portobello
mushroom caps,
stemmed and some
of the gills scraped
and discarded
• 5 hamburger buns
• Lettuce leaves
Whisk together the Greek
yogurt with the horseradish
and set aside. In a large pot,
heat 2 tablespoons olive oil
and add onions, 1 thyme
sprig, y 2 teaspoon salt and
pinch of pepper. Cook until
onions are very soft, about
20 minutes, stirring often.
Add red wine and raise
ADLEN
ROBINSON
Columnist
heat. Cook until onions
have absorbed most of the
red wine. Add honey, red
wine vinegar, remaining
salt and pepper. Cook
another 15-20 minutes until
onions are “jammy.” In a
bowl, whisk together
remaining olive oil, garlic,
and balsamic vinegar.
Brush mushroom caps with
the balsamic mixture and
grill until mushrooms are
cooked through, about 5
minutes, turning once. Top
hamburger buns with
cooked mushrooms, onion
jam, a dollop of the horse
radish yogurt, and lettuce.
Potato Salad with
Bacon Vinaigrette
• 7 red potatoes, quar
tered
• 1 sweet potato,
peeled and cubed
• 14 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon
• 2 teaspoons onion
powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic
powder
• 14 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon salt
• y 2 teaspoon pepper
• Bacon Vinaigrette
(recipe follows)
Place red potatoes in a
saucepan, and cover with
cold water. Bring to a boil
and cook about 10 minutes.
Add sweet potato cubes and
more water if needed. Boil
until all are tender, about 10
more minutes. Drain and
cool potatoes. Meanwhile,
whisk together mayonnaise,
Dijon, onion powder, garlic
powder, cayenne, salt and
pepper. Toss the cooled
potatoes with the mayon
naise mixture. Heat grill
over medium-high heat.
Grill until there are grill
marks on all sides, 1-2 min
utes per side. Remove to a
bowl and toss with the
bacon vinaigrette.
Bacon Vinaigrette
• 1 slice bacon,
chopped
• 14 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red
wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon
• 2 tablespoons pars
ley leaves, minced
• 2 green onions,
chopped
• y 2 teaspoon salt
• 14 teaspoon pepper
Cook bacon in skillet
until crispy. Whisk bacon
grease, olive oil, red wine
vinegar, Dijon, parsley,
green onions, salt and pep
per. Pour over potatoes.
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