By Sherman Shifflett (Ed. Note: This was the last article Sherman sent me before he passed away) During the fall of 1956 I was a freshman at Albemarle High School in Charlottesville and was enrolled in Agriculture I. I was also a member of the FFA (Future Farmers of America) club. The very first day of school our teacher informed us about the opportunity to purchase FFA … [Read more...]
Bird Houses: It’s Time
Some folks take down their bird houses after the summer to save on wear and tear through the winter months. If you are one of those people, now is the time to put the house back up. The birds are shopping early. I saw my resident pair of blue birds checking out their old house this week. The male perches on the entrance hole and peers around a bit, while the hen sits patiently and … [Read more...]
Creamed Peas and Pearl Onions
I saw a list of recipes from the 1950s and scrolled through, remembering many. One that I recall having often as a boy was Creamed Peas and Pearl Onions. Sometimes it’s hard to beat those recipes we enjoyed from way back. Here’s how to do it. I hadn’t had that dish in eons, so I gave it a try this week. For starters, use frozen pearl onions. Kroger’s has them. This makes the recipe a piece of … [Read more...]
Patience, Fellow Gardeners, Patience
In years past, I would have already had pots in my windowsill with tomato or squash seeds. Trouble is, when the little fellows have sprouted, grown a bit and would be ready to transplant, the ground is too cold. If the frost doesn’t get them, they simply languish in the cold soil. This year, I’ll be patient. Though I recently saw some tempting seeds on display, I am resisting the urge to … [Read more...]
Huge Bluefins off Oregon Inlet
Fishing is hot now out of Oregon Inlet where some monster bluefin are being gaffed. Bigeye tuna and a few sailfish were also reported. At Hatteras, it’s a few pups along with an occasional black drum. In the bay, a few puppy drum and trout are coming from the Elizabeth River, and the lower bay inlets. Boats off Virginia have been scoring in the Norfolk Canyon with grouper, … [Read more...]
Tigers in Virginia
Not Bengal Tigers. Tiger trout. They are now lurking in Virginia trout waters and if you are a minnow or a stone fly, you’re in trouble. They are vicious predators. According to the DWR, a tiger trout is a sterile hybrid created with a female brown trout and a male brook trout. Although rarely, tiger trout do occur in the wild where both wild brown trout and wild brook trout occur. Tiger trout … [Read more...]
Wait Till the Midnight Hour
The lives of Boomers can be defined by chapters of music. In the first chapter, just after the war, America wasn’t sure in which direction music should proceed. There were crooners like Sinatra and Bennett as well the remnants of the Big Band Era. Country stars like Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and Teresa Brewer had frequent hit songs as chart toppers, so it was a mixed bag of musical … [Read more...]
Pizza Muffins
I tried a fun dish for the family I cook for. I know the kids like pizza – who doesn’t? So, I tried something called Pizza Muffins, basically a mini pizza in a muffin tin. I used the extra-large size muffin tins, but you could use the regular size. I also had my first experience with making my own pizza dough. In the past, I have either bought the pre-made pizza crusts or the pizza dough in a can, … [Read more...]
DOMA Korean Kitchen
We went out to eat recently with my daughter, Laura, and her friend Rene. They asked us to join them at a Korean restaurant on the Downtown Mall. I’m not crazy about going to the Downtown Mall, but I had heard that this restaurant, DOMA Korean Kitchen, was very good, so we gave it a try. It is very good. I enjoy good Chinese food. Korean is similar, but different in many regards. For … [Read more...]
Sharp Knives with Sharpal
Knife sharpening is not one of my skills. My Daddy could sharpen knives. About once a month, he’d go to the kitchen sink, get out his worn-down whetstone with a red handle and methodically sharpen each knife in our kitchen drawer to a scalpel-grade edge. If you reached in the knife drawer and weren’t paying attention, you’d come out with a handful of blood. He could sharpen knives. I can’t - … [Read more...]
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