BEEN THINKIN’ ABOUT… SEASON’S ENDS. One week ago, I was told to resign as Sunday School director, music leader, and deacon, of Smyrna Baptist Church by my fellow deacons after 16 years of Smyrna being my church home. The accusation (which was news to me) was occultism, heresy, and witchcraft. Appropriate for the Halloween season,…
BEEN THINKIN’ ABOUT… WORDS, ARTS, CRAFTS & TOMATOES. “It always comes back to the words,” I type on my comfortable old laptop this balmy late-April afternoon as the dogs drape themselves over the furniture, dozing, awaiting their walk. The StateoftheOzarks season hasn’t opened, not quite. But the clock is ticking. Five days. The StateoftheOzarks (formerly…
The Order of the Red Boar pose before the noon fight. StateoftheOzarks Fest ’22 by StateoftheOzarks staff StateoftheOzarks Fest ’22 took place Saturday, September 17, on Historic Downing Street in Hollister. The street festival is hosted by Hollister-based StateoftheOzarks.net and is the company’s sixth annual event. “This was our biggest festival,” notes editor-in-chief, Joshua Heston.…
Great Pumpkin Sheet Cake from Dale Grubaugh Cake: 4 eggs beaten 1 cup oil 2 cups sugar 1 16-oz. can pumpkin 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking soda in 1 teaspoon water Mix eggs, oil, sugar, pumpkin and soda. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder and…
Apple Butter Makin’ by Dale Grubaugh There’s a great big pan of cat-head biscuits a’bakin’ off in the oven…. Made from scratch of course. Settin’ before me is a butter dish with a fresh stick of real butter and a jar of homemade apple butter. All three of us are a’waitin’ fer those biscuits to…
Ozark Cooking by Joshua Heston I think it is darned near impossible to separate Ozark culture from Ozark cooking. And with culinary sensibilities long-inherited from a tradition best described as “Southern by way of the Cumberland Gap,” I’m happy to now preside as editor over this section. Berliner Pfannkuchen | Corn Bread | Cushaw Pumpkins…
Ozark Spring Houses by Dale Grubaugh Springhouses were just that — houses (rock structures) built over a flowing spring. Their purpose? To keep food cool. Back in the day, there were no ice boxes or refrigerators. During the summer, milk and cheese would be put in crock jars or glass jugs and immersed in the…
The Old Rugged Cross Sung by Dale Grubaugh. WORDS AND TUNE OLD RUGGED CROSS, GEORGE BERNARD, 1913. FIRST VERSE: On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suff’ring and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain. SECOND…
Ozark Easter by Dale Grubaugh Howdy folks! It’s Easter and this here is my story: Easter was always a big time at our house when I was a youngin’. All the city kinfolk would come for the weekend. There would be lots of food and fun. We kids would help color the boiled eggs and…
Moon Plantin’ by Dale Grubaugh Winter has come to the Ozarks. The ground is white with snow and the temperatures have dipped down to single digits and below to make it bone chillin’ cold. It’s a good time to sit by the fire with a hot cup of coffee and read a favorite book, magazine…