By Leigha Burnham
I'm very proud to present this 'guest article' by my favorite Southern Belle. In addition to being a great wife and mother she is also recognized by two fine institutions known for educating educators. Having taught literature, language and writing she now spends her days among stacks and stacks of books, out of the formal classroom setting but still inspiring young minds and introducing them to reading, writing and ideas. This particular batch of biscuits is hers....
On a recent trip to my mother's house, I was sharing a meal with my mom and my niece. Mother and I were trying to tell my niece about our Grandmother Edna and her skill as a Southern cook. As we talked about fried chicken and mayonnaise rolls, the memories came flooding back.
For those who don't know, we Southerners associate memory with the foods we eat and vice versa. Edna's cooking was a special treat I enjoyed once a week as we visited her and her aging father. Edna was not my biological great-grandmother but had married and been widowed by my great-grandfather Petty years before. I actually never knew him personally, but he came to life for me through stories my mother and Edna shared over our weekly meals.
Communion is not just for church, you know. It is an act very much a part of our Southern experience. So, I want to break bread with all of you - in a virtual-sort-of-way, by sharing a few of the recipes Edna passed on to me in my first recipe box. Each card was typed on a manual typewriter with the same hands that patted the tender dough that made some of the best biscuits in Georgia, not to mention the best fried chicken.
Mayonnaise Rolls:
2 c. self-rising flour
4 tsp. mayonnaise
1 cup sweet milk (Sam note: "sweet milk" means "not buttermilk")
1 tsp. sugar
Mix all ingredients in a bowl for about 2 minutes. Pour into 12 cup muffin pan. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until brown.
June's Banana Pudding:
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 can condensed milk
3 egg yolks/whites seperated
1 tsp. vanilla
Let cook on low heat until slightly thickened. Pour over vanilla wafers and sliced bananas. Top with egg whites that have been beaten to stiff peaks and brown in a 400 oven. Cool and then refrigerate.
Edna & Malcolm's Buttermilk Chicken - Southern Fried
Skinned chicken - fryer size/clean and dry
2 c. buttermilk
flour
oil
Roll and dip in buttermilk and flour alternately for at least three turns.
Drop into DEEP oil that is hot. Fry until coating is cooked and brown. Inside of ck will not yet be done.
Place on baking sheet in preheated 200 oven for approximately 1 hour.
"Best stuff you've ever had!"
Sunday, May 5, 2013
What Does the Song Mean?
By Sam Burnham
Through the magic of the Internet and a college friend I found myself reading another blog last night. It stuck with me. In fact, it has me listening to some old tunes that I can only imagine are just as good as they were 60 or 70 years ago.
Credit where credit is due: http://www.nextavenue.org/blog/why-harry-connick-jr-couldnt-sit-idle-during-idol is the inspiration for this post, with special thanks to Mr. Harry Connick Jr.
So I read the article. I hope you gave it at least a once-over. The article is all I know of what happened. I'm not an "Idol" fan and that comes as no surprise if you have followed this blog for long. I don't sing or play any instrument. I'm the least musically capable person in my home. But I love music. For me it is so emotional...almost otherworldly. It is oh so very important to me. From a Southern perspective, Blues, Jazz, Bluegrass, Southern Rock, Soul and (though I'm not much of a fan) Country are all a part of our culture. It tells our story...often times to us.
That is why I tend to grow frustrated with popular music. It has no soul, at least not one I can detect. Then someone gets after a song, wailing on, trying to impress with something physical and ruins the whole thing. A perfect example is Joan Baez recalling the anguish of Virgil Caine of which she knew nothing...and it showed.
But the philosophy of today is to sing louder, carry a note farther, belt out a note that will wow the audience, after all the show is what matters. Who cares what the song means?
But that philosophy doesn't end with the music. It infiltrates our history, our philosophy, our language, our literature and our religion. Who cares what it means? Meaning is nothing as long as the presentation is awesome!
So I ask, what does the word "love" mean? We love our spouse, our kids, our dog, our favorite sports team, that joke we heard last Thursday.
When one of these modern day crooners belts out "...that our flag was still there..." do you really feel what Mr. Key was feeling as the first rays of light brought Ft. McHenry into the visible spectrum? Do you even know what Ft. McHenry is? A recent poll of Americans seemed to suggest that a large percentage believed that the song was referring to Ft. Sumter.
Really?
After seeing a video of a youth pastor crashing his dirt bike into a church's interior wall while trying to "make an entrance" this morning...well, that sort of speaks for itself.
Why did we fight the Civil War? The Vietnam War? The Revolutionary War? Not the knee-jerk answers. The truth. When our government tells us they are doing something in the name of "freedom"...what does that mean? We love freedom. Except for that guy over there. We don't agree with him so "common sense" dictates we "regulate" his freedom.
Common sense you say? These are indeed the times that try men's souls.
And so to borrow a quote from a friend. We need to define our terms.
Knowing what the "songs" mean helps us to "sing" them the way they were meant to be sung. We don't have to buy into propaganda, advertising or hype. You can recognize a lie when you know the truth. When the sun comes up in the morning, you can know which fort you are looking at. I can love my wife and kids while I show partiality to my Gamecocks and enjoy the joke I heard last Thursday. I can allow my fellow American to exercise a little freedom while I demand to be allowed to exercise my own.
So you have a song to sing. There is an audience waiting. You can sing in the way the establishment tells you so that you can become rich and famous but your song will mean nothing. Or you can sing your heart out and tell the world your story, the true story.
Is your song worth the risk?
Through the magic of the Internet and a college friend I found myself reading another blog last night. It stuck with me. In fact, it has me listening to some old tunes that I can only imagine are just as good as they were 60 or 70 years ago.
Credit where credit is due: http://www.nextavenue.org/blog/why-harry-connick-jr-couldnt-sit-idle-during-idol is the inspiration for this post, with special thanks to Mr. Harry Connick Jr.
So I read the article. I hope you gave it at least a once-over. The article is all I know of what happened. I'm not an "Idol" fan and that comes as no surprise if you have followed this blog for long. I don't sing or play any instrument. I'm the least musically capable person in my home. But I love music. For me it is so emotional...almost otherworldly. It is oh so very important to me. From a Southern perspective, Blues, Jazz, Bluegrass, Southern Rock, Soul and (though I'm not much of a fan) Country are all a part of our culture. It tells our story...often times to us.
That is why I tend to grow frustrated with popular music. It has no soul, at least not one I can detect. Then someone gets after a song, wailing on, trying to impress with something physical and ruins the whole thing. A perfect example is Joan Baez recalling the anguish of Virgil Caine of which she knew nothing...and it showed.
But the philosophy of today is to sing louder, carry a note farther, belt out a note that will wow the audience, after all the show is what matters. Who cares what the song means?
But that philosophy doesn't end with the music. It infiltrates our history, our philosophy, our language, our literature and our religion. Who cares what it means? Meaning is nothing as long as the presentation is awesome!
So I ask, what does the word "love" mean? We love our spouse, our kids, our dog, our favorite sports team, that joke we heard last Thursday.
When one of these modern day crooners belts out "...that our flag was still there..." do you really feel what Mr. Key was feeling as the first rays of light brought Ft. McHenry into the visible spectrum? Do you even know what Ft. McHenry is? A recent poll of Americans seemed to suggest that a large percentage believed that the song was referring to Ft. Sumter.
Really?
After seeing a video of a youth pastor crashing his dirt bike into a church's interior wall while trying to "make an entrance" this morning...well, that sort of speaks for itself.
Why did we fight the Civil War? The Vietnam War? The Revolutionary War? Not the knee-jerk answers. The truth. When our government tells us they are doing something in the name of "freedom"...what does that mean? We love freedom. Except for that guy over there. We don't agree with him so "common sense" dictates we "regulate" his freedom.
Common sense you say? These are indeed the times that try men's souls.
And so to borrow a quote from a friend. We need to define our terms.
Knowing what the "songs" mean helps us to "sing" them the way they were meant to be sung. We don't have to buy into propaganda, advertising or hype. You can recognize a lie when you know the truth. When the sun comes up in the morning, you can know which fort you are looking at. I can love my wife and kids while I show partiality to my Gamecocks and enjoy the joke I heard last Thursday. I can allow my fellow American to exercise a little freedom while I demand to be allowed to exercise my own.
So you have a song to sing. There is an audience waiting. You can sing in the way the establishment tells you so that you can become rich and famous but your song will mean nothing. Or you can sing your heart out and tell the world your story, the true story.
Is your song worth the risk?
Friday, May 3, 2013
Carrollton
By Sam Burnham
Took a quick morning trip this week. I've been a regular in that particular town for the last 16 years. I even summered there one year. But I had never really got out and explored it on my own.
A few quick thoughts on Carrollton, GA.
The plan was simple enough. A quick stop in Tallapoosa on personal business and then scoot over to Carrollton.
*Ok, side note* Tallapoosa is a beautifully quaint town. It's small and not overdeveloped so if you're looking for crowds or a lot of action, stay on the four lanes. But if you enjoy a slower pace and some beautiful old homes, Tallapoosa is a neat stop.
After following an empty pulpwood truck to Tallapoosa and finding my rendezvous closed on Wednesdays, I proceeded down Georgia Hwy 16 to Carrollton. The drive was much more pleasant than my usual route down US 27 and the sounds of Appalachian Spring via Georgia Public Broadcasting made it that much better.
I was able to make contact with my Tallapoosa business in Carrollton and then headed out to explore a little.
First stop, Adamson Square. Beautifully restored, the square has plenty to offer in shopping and dining. Park benches, wide sidewalks and even a brand new Little Free Library make the area welcoming to visitors such as myself.
A word of caution. Should you visit this area, use caution in crosswalks. The traffic and pedestrian configuration is a bit confusing and I can see that it would not be hard to hit someone or be hit by someone while driving or walking.
Horton's Books & Gifts (410 Adamson Square) is reportedly the oldest bookstore in Georgia. There is much documentation to support this claim so I see no reason dispute it. It is a very nice shop with a respectable inventory of books, nice gifts (games, small decorative items, and other sundries) as well as access to the coffee shop next door. This is a new book vendor with a great atmosphere. They have been doing business in Carrollton since 1892, so they must be doing something right The resident cats are a nice touch...unless you're allergic, like me. But it's a nice place and definitely worth checking out.
I personally had better luck searching in Underground Books (102 Alabama St) which is tucked into a basement just off the main square. Used, antique & rare books are available and this is a buy-sell-trade sort of place. Upon my arrival, a staff member greeted me, let me know they were available and then left me alone to peruse the shelves - exactly what I want from a bookstore. They have a decent variety and the layout lets you walk through a room only to discover there are more books in the next room. Loved it.
Just off the square at the courthouse sits the Confederate Memorial Monument. The plaza has been renovated recently and the monument is well maintained, including the restoration of the concrete cannonballs that had been missing for some time. The stoic sentinel facing north is a standard in small towns throughout the South and this is an excellent specimen. Several churches and municipal buildings are located in this area. Pedestrian traffic is common and there are plenty of sidewalks.
A quick check in at the city cemetery (a usual stop for me when visiting a town) was pleasant. A lot of the town's history can be found there. I had received a tour booklet in pdf format from the Visitors and Convention Bureau (per my emailed request) and found it to be helpful. I found some of the monuments damaged, apparently more by time and elements rather than vandals. My stop in the cemetery was nice and I was excited to find the final resting place of a Confederado - not a common find. Overall, it's a nice place with lots of local history.
But the day was windy and an unmistakable aroma was riding the breeze. A good BBQ restaurant needs no advertisement. I followed my nose from the cemetery back over near the square and found Sam's House Memphis Style BBQ and Blues (108 Alabama St.). I laughed at the thought that the place "had my name on it" and stepped inside.
My waitress was friendly, the music wasn't live (at least not at lunch) but was very good just the same. The atmosphere is relaxing and is filled with images, aromas and sounds that reflect Memphis, BBQ and The Blues. The prices were reasonable for good food and that's exactly what I was served. The yellow bottle with the masking tape label reading "XXX" has some tasty stuff in it. Give it a try if you're brave enough. Although it didn't count on my lunch special, they do offer discounts for military and emergency responders. I'm always thankful for that and told them so. Oh, and the sweet tea is spot on.
All in all, it's a great little historic downtown. I collected this info just before lunch. Given a whole day, I'm sure there is much more to find. There's an Irish pub, a few more restaurants and stores and that is just the square. It's definitely worth checking into if you have plans anywhere near the area. Give it a try if you have a chance.
Took a quick morning trip this week. I've been a regular in that particular town for the last 16 years. I even summered there one year. But I had never really got out and explored it on my own.
A few quick thoughts on Carrollton, GA.
The plan was simple enough. A quick stop in Tallapoosa on personal business and then scoot over to Carrollton.
*Ok, side note* Tallapoosa is a beautifully quaint town. It's small and not overdeveloped so if you're looking for crowds or a lot of action, stay on the four lanes. But if you enjoy a slower pace and some beautiful old homes, Tallapoosa is a neat stop.
After following an empty pulpwood truck to Tallapoosa and finding my rendezvous closed on Wednesdays, I proceeded down Georgia Hwy 16 to Carrollton. The drive was much more pleasant than my usual route down US 27 and the sounds of Appalachian Spring via Georgia Public Broadcasting made it that much better.
I was able to make contact with my Tallapoosa business in Carrollton and then headed out to explore a little.
 |
| Brand new Little Free Library |
A word of caution. Should you visit this area, use caution in crosswalks. The traffic and pedestrian configuration is a bit confusing and I can see that it would not be hard to hit someone or be hit by someone while driving or walking.
 |
| Underground Books |
 |
| Confederate Memorial |
 |
| Grave of a Confederado |
But the day was windy and an unmistakable aroma was riding the breeze. A good BBQ restaurant needs no advertisement. I followed my nose from the cemetery back over near the square and found Sam's House Memphis Style BBQ and Blues (108 Alabama St.). I laughed at the thought that the place "had my name on it" and stepped inside.
 |
| Be brave. You can handle it. |
All in all, it's a great little historic downtown. I collected this info just before lunch. Given a whole day, I'm sure there is much more to find. There's an Irish pub, a few more restaurants and stores and that is just the square. It's definitely worth checking into if you have plans anywhere near the area. Give it a try if you have a chance.
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