All in Columns
Rutabaga is another one of those “love ‘em or hate ‘em” vegetables, I am not on the love ‘em side but I know many who are. I have tried them every way I know how and roasting was the best but you must eat them hot! So, what do you do with a rutabaga?
In Kinston (Kington) 250 years ago in October 1775, Dobbs County (now Lenoir County) was a time for Patriot political organizing and militia preparations for the American Revolution. While both Patriots and Loyalists initially declared loyalty to the King, they differed on the terms for remaining British. Patriots believed in their natural rights and the British Constitution, arguing for fair treatment and reconciliation, but prepared for armed resistance if those terms were unmet. Loyalists, in contrast, were often intensely loyal to the Crown and feared the anarchy that might result from a break with British rule.
In the 2025 Trends Report retro lives on! Home Chefs and trained Chefs alike are continuing to modernize retro ingredients and dishes. Retro dishes provide familiarity and give us comfort. One Chef quoted, “Elevated nostalgia will always be on trend. The definition of nostalgia is a sentimental longing for the past”, making the unrelatable, relatable.
I have a colleague who does not watch the news. He says it makes him feel down to listen to them talk about all the bad things happening around the world. And he does not appreciate how some media flit from one story to another without sticking to important things in depth.
There are a number of websites on the internet which outline the various stages of grief people normally go through when someone passes away. They vary from denial to acceptance. The Cleveland Clinic says "Grief is never easy.
When the season turns to cooking all things pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, the continuous debate begins, fresh versus canned. Some local bakers swear by the convenience and consistency of canned, others prefer the natural sweetness and texture of fresh pumpkin. Both options have a set of advantages and disadvantages, but are they essentially the same?
Tyler Perry's movie called "Temptation" is not new. It was made available in 2009 I believe. But I just got a chance to sit down and watch it. It is three hours long. But it takes a whole lot of action for that one movie to maturely weave its way. UNC was way behind in the football game, so I turned to BET to watch the movie.
In the last two Faith Forward columns, we have talked about forgiveness and how to walk in it. Like gravity is a universal truth in the realm of physics, forgiveness is a universal necessity in the realm of interpersonal community. There is no human flourishing without the practice of forgiveness.
The landscape of Bucklesberry has changed dramatically since the beginning of its colonization in 1720-1730. Notably, there are considerably fewer wooden clapboard and lap siding structures, although they were commonplace in the South for several centuries. The countryside today is speckled with farm buildings finished mostly with laminate veneer, vinyl, or metal siding.
October first is just around the corner and that means the countdown is on for Halloween!! Children of all ages look forward to the time honored tradition of wearing a great costume and trick-or-treating! There is no excitement quite like coming home with a bag full of free candy, but it is still important to keep your kids safe and the inevitable “sugar rush” manageable.
Katharine Lee Bates wrote these words to "America the Beautiful." O beautiful for spacious skies. For amber waves of grain. For purple mountain majesties. Above the fruited plain. America. America. God shed his grace on thee. And crown thy good. With brotherhood. From sea to shining sea
North Carolina ranks 7th in the US in apple production and is home to over 9,000 bearing acres of apple orchards equaling over 200 commercial apple operations. There are thousands of apple varieties grown across the United State but there are 4 major varieties grown here in North Carolina, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty and Galas.
When my former Sunday School teacher was in a Rehabilitative Assisted Living Center, I visited her to sit and chat for a little while. As we drove to Greenville, my sister and I pondered whether Mrs. Nannie Best-Hargett would recognize us as adults.
In the last Faith Forward column, we began to talk about the single way to healing and wholeness when we’ve been wronged or unjustly treated: forgiveness. You can access that here [insert link]
No matter which team you are cheering for, don’t let the absence of a trip to the stadium stop you from cooking up a win worthy tailgate spread. You will always come out a winner while serving up delicious food and drink for tailgating at home or at the stadium.
On a recent Saturday morning I talked to a good friend who downright lifted my faith by every sentence. You've heard the old saying that if you squeeze a sponge, what it is filled with comes out.
Sweet, juicy, and crunchy, it’s hard to think of a fruit that provides the unique goodness of a fresh fig. A fig's unique flavor makes it a wonderful treat all on its own, but when added to a recipe, the results can be very tasty.
When I was required to take the swimming test as an incoming Freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill in 1972, I was encouraged to learn lifesaving techniques. Now decades later, I was taught another life-saving strategy in an overdose awareness seminar I was invited to cover.
We’ve all lived the scenario: someone wrongs you, and it wounds you or makes you angry. Maybe you’re cut off in traffic, or cut out of a deal. Maybe its gossip or lies. Maybe its once, maybe its repeated: think of all the unjust wounds suffered by someone who is abused.
Digitally archived land records have recently come to light that unequivocally confirm that the settlement of the Bucklesberry area began in the early 1700s. A total of 131 deeds and surveys dated 1729 to 1759 prove Bucklesberry was opened for colonization fully a century before the traditionally held year of 1825.
