"The Biscuit Dive Guide"

The Biscuit Dive Guide
by Maryann Byrd

"The Rise of the Southern Biscuit is a documentary that relishes the history and uniqueness of the Southern biscuit. This appetizing program features the South’s best biscuit makers, cafes, and restaurants that keep the tradition of Southern biscuit making alive.

The book, The Biscuit Dive Guide is a roadmap to the best biscuit-making cafes and diners in the South. It doubles as a cookbook, as biscuit makers from these Southern cooking restaurants reveal their recipes and biscuit making success tricks. The Rise of the Southern Biscuit and The Biscuit Dive Guide are tributes to a key element of Southern tradition and hospitality - the Southern biscuit."

I was contacted by Maryann the other day and am I glad I was! What a great idea she has had come to fruition.

She traveled the South searching out the best biscuit-serving restaurants and recipes she could find. She interviewed biscuit makers throughout the South who agreed to share their biscuit recipes and biscuit making advice.

In the end, not only does she have a great book, but a documentary airing on various PBS stations throughout the South!

You can see the documentary on:

The Documentary Channel seen on:
Dish Network Channel 197
CharterDigital Channel 176
Nashville Comcast Digital 241

and

Public Television stations:
The documentary has been airing on South Carolina Public Television. The show will be airing in Atlanta, Milwaukee and Missouri in the upcoming weeks - as well.

The book can be ordered thru Maryann's website: http://www.theriseofthesouthernbiscuit.com

I'm gonna go watch the documentary now and then give some biscuit recipes a try!

Dixie Stampede, Pigeon Forge, TN

The Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge, TN.
Owned by Dolly Parton


My family recently went to the mountains in Tennessee for a week and while there we decided to splurge (and I do mean splurge since adult tickets are $41.00 and children $20.50!) and go to the Dixie Stampede Dinner Show.

We had been several years ago when the smaller children were free (if they can sit on your lap and eat off your plate they are not charged.) It was a great show with the North Versus the South and cowboys and indians. This year we went after the Christmas show had started.

The show is almost 2 hours long and one hour before it starts you can wave to the beautiful horses in their outside stalls (no touching!) and then go into a "bar room" where some of the local music comes out and entertains you for 1/2 hour or so. Lots of Country and Bluegrass music.

The show consists of horseback riding tricks, pig races, ostrich races, lots of wonderfully choreographed horse displays, singing, some ice skating, audience participation and of course for Christmas... Santa.

It is a fast moving show with something for everyone. My husband got bored in parts, but those might be parts that thrilled the kids or some of the older folks.

The food was a very interesting part of the show. NO UTENSILS! Everything is eaten with your hands! You get a whole chicken, a piece of pork loin, corn on the cob, a fried potato. creamy veggie soup, rolls, etc. You do get a warm, wet towel at the end. :)

The photo below is a little misleading as Pigeon Forge is a completely "dry" town, including restaurants so your choices of beverage at the show are only Pepsi, tea or coffee. There are three other locations in the South though and I imagine they probably serve alcohol.


At the end of the show the riders stay in the arena right at the edge and you can go down and pet the horse, shake the rider's hands or have them autograph the photos they take when you come in, if you have purchased them. (I thought about buying the photos, but the backdrop doesn't actually say Dixie Stampede, it's just a backdrop, so I decided why bother for $20.00.) Oh, personal cameras and videos are NOT allowed.

It's an expensive little outing, but if you can forget that part, it's a fun show that kids and adults alike will enjoy.

And you sure the heck don't leave hungry!

Thanksgiving Break

Idgie and gang will be taking a vacation during Thanksgiving week. I don't want anyone who sends a submission to think they're being ignored... I just won't be here to review and post for you.

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday, cook up a huge Turducken (recipe here) with lots of cornbread stuffing and enjoy!

**After Thanksgiving I'll get to work on updating the sidebar with new festivals, Southern books and the such --- If you know of a festival with a website, that's longer than 2 days, please send me a note about it.**

REPRIEVE

While sauntering down an oak filled lane one crispy, autumn day
I sensed a quiet, hidden gaze directed in my way.

With searching eyes I scanned the limbs, to find the Peeping Tom
And sure enough, though well concealed, the turkey sat-so calm.

Apparently 'twas in his heart approaching Turkey Day, so he was
Hidden, with the hope, to be nobody's prey.

I could not help but sympathize as I went strolling by, all knowing
I would live in fear if each year I might die.

I struck a pose of non-chalance; my pace I kept it steady,
Deciding this Thanksgiving Day.....
My meal would be SPAGHETTI !!!

Jane-Ann Heitmueller

Thanksgiving, 1995

James Taylor Concert in Huntsville, Alabama

Review by: C.A. Marks
http://alabamaimproper.com


Well, what can I say? It was James Taylor! Awesome concert. I hate to call it a concert because when I think of a concert I think of drunkards falling all over the place, loud loud loud music, being packed into a stadium like sardines and whatnot.

But not so with Mr. Taylor, of course. It was in the smallest arena of our Huntsville Civic Center, I believe. We had great seats; right smack dab in center and towards the front. Actually we were probably 25 - 30 rows back. But still. Excellent viewage. Heh. That is once we got in.

You see, I haven't been to a concert in ages so when my friend told me
about printing the tickets off of the internet, on his printer, I was
a little skeptical; bar codes and all. Sure enough, we got to the
entrance and the first ticket that the attendant scanned started
beeping negatively with flashing lights and all - it was the
attendants first night on the job, he said so. He tried scanning it
again and this time it worked but he started freaking out because of
the first time when it rejected it, so he called his boss over. In the
meantime the second ticket scanned just fine and while the manager and
my friend were talking about the first "questionable" ticket I was
about to grab the good one and make a run for the concert hall when
the manager just shrugged and said, "eh, go on in, I'm sure you're
good."

I had no idea that ole J.T. was such a comedian. He really did put on a good show. I was impressed with a lot of things. The first thing I noticed when he walked on stage was that he is a very tall man. After that I was surprised to see him wearing regular clothes, I have no idea why I was surprised by
this fact, really. Just regular slacks, a button down blue shirt, and
a sports coat.

On the stage sat two guitars, a stool, a table where a laptop was
sitting, to the left of Mr. Taylor was a piano. The backdrop was a simple red velvet and very large curtain, pulled back to one side. Above the stage hung various sizes of beautiful, gorgeous but simple chandeliers and they hung in different height positions - very elegant, simple, and beautiful.
Definitely a fantabulous mood setter. I now have a new idea for a
decorating theme for my house!

You know I have to be honest - I only recognized a handful of songs
that James Taylor performed last night but it didn't matter to me, the man is great at what he does and his voice is still just as smooth as when he first recorded his stuff. Earlier I stated that I had no idea that James Taylor had such a comedic ability. In between songs, he would show pictures on a big screen and tell little stories, kind of introducing the next song and the man is quite a story teller - hence the great songs he has written. :-)

Of course we had a few people in the audience shouting things out -
nothing bad mind you but Mr. Taylor handled them like a pro. For example, one lady kept insisting he play Sweet Baby James. I reckon about the 3rd time of hearing her shout out the request he picked up his song list from the floor and while looking at it he said something like, "Hmmm, let's see, yep...it's on here." You had to be there to appreciate it I guess.

Anyway....I had a great time. I sat there trying to take every single
second of the event into memory, trying to pay attention to every
little detail. What a voice, what a generation, what a man! He did
three encores.

I'll just say one more thing...James Taylor is one HOT babe!

Bucky

Written By
Jane-Ann Heitmueller

Bucky has no idea she is a calf. She thinks she is the child of her "Mommy", Ray Heitmueller. It is said that we learn what we live and due to her beginning Bucky is correct in her assumption.

Sometime, in the chilly, early morning hours of May 23, 2003 Bucky's mama delivered her in the woods of the Heitmueller pasture. For some unknown reason her mama had no desire to care for the new born calf. Many times, in the animal kingdom, if the off spring has an imperfection Mother Nature instinctually passes on the message to the parent and it does not accept its baby. Thus, nature takes its course in the cycle of life. For an entire two days and nights, as Ray heard the baby bellowing and running from cow to cow in search of nourishment, he felt that he should not interfere with Mother Nature's wishes. However, as the human element of kindness and concern reached out and stroked Ray's heartstrings, he decided to attempt to rescue and feed the spunky, noisy little bugger. Perhaps, he thought, he could at least give it a chance at life since it so desperately displayed the desire to live.

Ray carried the little white, pink-nosed calf to the warmth of a hay lined stable and in doing so he was very surprised by the strength of his little charge. This little girl was going to be a real handful as she bucked and squirmed in his strong arms. For the next few days Ray made repeated treks to the stable, nippled metal bucket in hand filled with a few pints of warm supplemental milk. At first it was quite a battle between the two of them as Ray attempted to place the foreign, cumbersome, rubber nipple into the eager, searching lips of the little twisting, turning mass of humanity. They both struggled, in their own manner, to reach the desired position for nursing. After several days and numerous attempts they hit upon a position that suited both the man and the calf. Ray straddled the little squirming fellow, forced the nipple into her mouth and they were finally successful in their united technique. Once the desired method was achieved the ravenous calf could not drink fast enough. As the days passed and the two of them settled into a rhythm of nourishment the trip of friendship had begun. As soon as Ray entered the stable with the bucket of milk Bucky would grab his trouser legs and start sucking away at the pant leg. This was his mama…his life source!

Soon, as Bucky grew and thrived Ray began feeding her sweetfeed, a combination of various grains, corn and molasses . Bucky loved her new food and before long she no longer needed the milk and was soon able to be placed in the yard to graze on the verdant, juicy grass. Because Ray was afraid the other cattle in the pasture would not accept Bucky and perhaps harm her, he decided to place the calf on a collar and chain attached to various feeding stakes throughout the yard. For the next few months Bucky grew and was happy with her living arrangement. She was given the refurbished hog parlor as her own private dwelling. After all, she wasn't an ordinary calf. She needed to be protected from the rain, cold and heat.

Bucky dearly loved her Momma Ray. Each time Ray entered the yard, either walking or driving, Bucky would give out a loud bellow for his attention and not quiet until he met her demands. On a few occasions, when Bucky was grazing near the clothes line, she would grab items off the line and munch away happily. Strangely enough, the items she chose were clothing that belonged to her momma. Apparently soap and clorox had, in no way, diminished the aroma of her mama's scent.

As Bucky got stronger and needed more space for her grazing she learned how to tug at her chain until she was successful in freeing herself. She loved those escape sessions and although she never left the yard, she had a grand adventure munching on the delicacies of various shrubs, flowers and yes, Ray's laundry. Several times she explored in various barns and outbuilding on the farm. Sometimes she even ventured onto the patio of the Heitmueller residence to peer inside…perhaps looking for Mama!

Bucky is nearly 16 months old now and needs to be off a leash and have her freedom. It is doubtful if she will ever, due to her small stature, be able to adjust to life in a pasture among her own kind. And so, the decision was made to share this cunning little calf with the children of our community. Our good friends, the Peinhardt's , have graciously agreed to add Bucky to their county petting farm. She will be delighted to be petted and pampered by little hands of smiling children who, otherwise might never get the opportunity to view and enjoy such a creature up close. Perhaps this is the legacy intended for the spunky, hungry, eager little calf who would not give up until she found the attention she needed.

GROSSPAPA AND THE CROW

Written by:
J.A. Heitmueller

A lack of companionship was one concern Great Grosspapa Edd Heitmueller certainly did not have as he performed his daily farm chores in the spring, summer and fall of 1948. For you see, Edd had been "adopted" by a large, black crow with mysterious red paint markings on his legs and feet. Whether plowing the field, repairing broken farm machinery, planting and hoeing the garden, or feeding the horses, he was constantly accompanied by his feathered friend.

Although the fowl arrived unexpectedly one spring day and disappeared that fall in the same manner, he left behind a host of tales which Edd enjoyed sharing for years with friends and neighbors. One incident occurred on a clear fall morning as Edd worked diligently to repair a flat tire on his rubber tire hay wagon. Discovering, upon careful examination, that he must travel to Cullman from Vinemont for a tire patch, Edd placed the wheel bolts together beside the wheel. The curious crow sat nearby observing Edd's every move. Upon his return, Edd was noisily greeted by the frantic squawking of his feathered friend, pacing back and forth along the eaves of the barn. The bolts were nowhere to be found! After a thorough, but fruitless search of the barn Edd began to sense that his jittery companion could solve the mystery. In a stern, commanding bellow, hands planted firmly on his expansive waistline, Edd glared at the sheepish crow and demanded, "Son-of-a-gun, you go get those bolts right this minute! " With seemingly total understanding the crow spread his massive wings and disappeared into the near-by pine grove. Moments later he returned with a missing wheel bolt and placed it on the barn floor. With total astonishment and patience Great Grosspapa watched as the crow made trip after trip as all but one of the bolts joined its' mates in a pile beside the wagon wheel.

The crow not only observed Edd doing his farm work, but that fall, as the family worked diligently gathering sweet potatoes, the crow joined the workcrew. He would fly along the rows of dug potatoes, grasp a sweet potato string in his beak and drag or fly with it to the wooden crates. Once there he would deposit the potato into the crate along with the other potatoes.

The crow departed late that fall, never to return. However, he left behind a very special surprise in his absence. One dark, stormy afternoon the following spring, while struggling to repair a leaky barn roof, Edd was startled and overjoyed to discover a very unusual sight. There, nestled safely between the eaves of the horse barn was the crow's nest. It was a literal treasure chest of colorful, shiny trinkets. With total amazement Edd viewed a rainbow of glass chards, marbles, scraps of metal and to his astonishment, the one missing wheel bolt. These treasures sparkled as brightly as did Edd's eyes when he recalled, for years to come, the special antics of his friend, the crow.