Welcome! My brother served in the Alabama, Birmingham mission. He had some great stories to tell.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
Your family may have fed my brother on his mission, then!
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
"The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path. Our path is uphill most days, but the help we receive for the climb is literally divine." --Elaine S. Dalton
My family fed lots and lots of missionaries. We were a sort of haven for the Elders and Sisters who came here without a clue to spare. We even had the priviledge of EDUCATING several of them as well.
It is SO sad to see people come to the Sunny South and call the area to which they have been asked BY THE LORD to serve 'the armpit of the universe'. Talk about people with no understanding.
We could always tell that 'they had poor training at home'.
Like my Momma always told me, "Some people are just plain tacky and don't have the good sense to KEEP IT TO THEMSELVES."
I hope your family member enjoyed his time in the mission field. There are SO MANY wonderful people here who have become good and strong members. Some because of the missionaries and many others in spite of them.
Of course, we did have missionaries who came PREPARED to serve humbly and willingly. That was just an anomaly.
I'll have to ask my brother which areas he served in. I know that he really loved the people there. Although there are the inevitable cultural differences, such as how people give directions. I had to get used to that on my mission in Ukraine too. For instance, there you had to be careful to ask what type of street it was, not just the name. Because they could easily have a dozen copies of that street, only called by different street types (street, boulevard, avenue, parkway, etc.) in a small geographic area. Or they also had address by "quarter". There'd be a huge city block with many, many apartment buildings. If you were looking for building ten, for instance, it may be nowhere near buildings 9 and 11. I think one area that my brother served in was Selma.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
Yeah, directions and how to give them accurately are always a source of frustration and humor.
We have streets here that inexplicably become a different name partway down a block. Others change names after crossing an intersection but they are still the same street.
And then, there are the streets which are NOT connected at all that share the same name with only a giblet of difference. Jefferson Street, South Jefferson Street (which is in the NORTH part of town!) North Jefferson Street (which becomes a highway just past the local country radio station) and the part of Jefferson Street that is behind the old A&P that isn't even aligned with any other parts of Jefferson!
That was the preferred way for people who weren't really interested in the Church to ditch the Elders. They gave them some vague address 'over on Jefferson'. I've seen them pedalling around trying to find the 'ghosts of converts past' in a vain attempt to locate what might be a golden prospect.
We always tried to help them with the nomenclature so that they could discern who was yanking their chains and who was really investigating.
Selma is southwest of me as the crow flies. I'm up in the top of the state near the border with Tennessee.
Welcome, Bama! I could nickname you Belle, but I have a precious horsey named Belle and I'd get confused.
Although I live in Utah now, I lived in Kentucky for two years and absolutely loved it. I didn't want to leave. I love the South itself and the people, too.
I served a mission in Indiana, so that's "almost" like the South in ways...
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
Indiana, almost the south? I don't think so Coco. Try telling that to my sister and her husband who live there now. We had someone try to tell us we lived in the south when lived in Utah when we told this person we hailed from Ohio. Longitugionally if you look at a map, Utah is more southern than Indiana or Ohio. (Sorry, I couldn't resist pointing that out).
In the interest of educational outreach to my geography deprived friends, to those of us who were 'born and bred' south of the Mason-Dixon line, here is the 411 on where your feet are planted on southern sod.
This boundary became referred to as the Mason-Dixon line because it began in the east along the Mason-Dixon line and headed westward to the Ohio River and along the Ohio to its mouth at the Mississippi River and then west along 36 degrees 30 minutes North. It was during the Congressional debates leading up to the Missouri Compromise that the term "Mason-Dixon line" was first used to designate the entire boundary between free states and slave states.
That comprised the states of: Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama (except for Winston County, Alabama which DID NOT seceed from the Union - look up 'The Incident at Looney's Tavern), Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi (the birthplace of my maternal Grandparents!), Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, with a nod given to Oklahoma as a consideration.
In the song "If You're From Dixie", one of the stanzas states: 'if you're from Alabama, Tennessee, or Caroline, anyplace BELOW the Mason-Dixon line, then you're from Dixie, Hurrah for Dixie, 'cause we're from Dixie, too!"
So, if you served in Indiana you were, I am SO very sorry to be the one to inform you of your misfortune to not have served in the South, a missionary (GASP!) to the Yankees.
Of course, that's good because someone has to save the heathen nations.
Oh, my heck people. Indiana is what - 10 minutes from Kentucky? I don't see the Ohio River making that big of a difference. 'Sides, if you've ever eaten at that little cafe in North Vernon, Indiana - the one where nothing on the menu is over $5, that's about as South as you can get ... for all you who need a MAP to get the picture.
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
If you woke up there with no idear where you were, you could mistake it for the South. Especially Brown County in the fall... sigh... And the hoosiers are nice, like the Southerners.
Git off my back, ya'll!
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
about Coco calling Indiana almost like the South: do you mean the hospitality of Indiana people is similar to that of Southerners? I find people from Indiana are very friendly, similar to that of Southerners.
"If you were looking for building ten, for instance, it may be nowhere near buildings 9 and 11." Why do people do this?? There is a neighborhood in our ward that is like this, numbers are at the opposite end of the street from where they "should be" per numerical logic.
And Alabama! we have lots of streets like you describe here- one major road must have a dozen different names at the different segments. And I hate those streets that we have that turn a bunc of times yet insist on keeping the same name. It is so confusing!
after years of living both in the God kissed South and in the various areas of 'the holy land' in Utah during my early married years, I got used to the descriptions of how the land of my nativity was described. most were downright hilarious. and the immitations of how to speak southern were shamelessly horrible!
if you ever venture to the land of hospitality, magnolia blossoms, and REAL BBQ, then there are TWO recommendations for places to eat.
And by the way, places where all the food is under 5 bucks are nice but real food costs you . . . and it is worth every bite and every buck you will spend.
For wonderful hickory smoked BBQ that comes in three choices (beef, pork and turkey) try a place called WHITT'S Barbecue. it's awesome and get the slaw ON the BBQ and get the white sauce. (the red sauce is for Yankees and weenie tourists who don't know any better)
For a honest to goodness hand shaped hamburger that defies the laws of medicine, you want to eat at Dub's Burgers.
In either case, prepare yourself for an experience that will leave you licking your fingers all the way up to the elbow.
Of course, my own dutch oven potatoes and simmered beef tips in my own special sauce will set you off on a gastronomic tour de force that makes you wanna shove helpless children and old people out of the way for seconds. And I make a wicked three berry cobbler, too.
Did I mention that homemade PEACH ice cream goes with that cobbler?
Y'all come on in a set a spell, take your shoes off and relax in the rocker. How's your Momma 'n' them?
As for bringing a sleeping bag, yes, we do have some air mattresses, but y'all are gonna be almighty cold if you don't bring something to cover up with at Christmas time. Just 'cause it's South of the Mason-Dixon line don't mean their ain't no frost on the punkin! I don't have enough blankies for everyone and the dog won't share!
'Sides which, folks down here invented sleepin' on the floor when you go see the folks on account of there never are enough beds when the whole family goes to see MeeMaw and PawPaw.
Dutch oven recipes: (and yes, I am well aware that everyone has recipes for their own outdoor delights. SO SHARE THEM!!!!)
Potatoes:
1 pound of hickory smoked thick sliced bacon cut up into 1 inch pieces 1 large onion cut up into small pieces (THIS IS OPTIONAL!) 15 - 20 potatoes, washed, peeled and cut up into pieces salt and pepper to taste
put half of bacon and onion on the bottom of a 12 inch dutch oven. put potatoes atop the bacon & onion layer top with remaining half of bacon and onion.
Cover and cook using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 12-14 briquettes top heat. Stir pot gently every 15 minutes.
Partway through cooking, add 1 can beef consumme and 1 can cream of mushroom soup PLUS a little bit of water (this is an 'eyeball it' thing - just enough to make a nice sauce, not enough to make the dish soupy)
Cooks for about 60 minutes total cooking time.
Peppered Beef Tips
5 - 6 pounds of beef tips, cut into relatively equal sizes for cooking 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 medium red pepper, cleaned and chopped 1 medium green pepper, cleaned and chopped 1 medium yellow pepper, cleaned and chopped 1 large onion, chopped coarsely 2 stalks celery, chopped 3 TABLESPOONS of liquid smoke (any brand is fine) 1/2 cup hickory smoke BBQ sauce (again, any brand is fine) 1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar (trust me folks!) 1/2 cup STRONG beef broth
Place ALL liquid ingredients in Dutch oven and GRADUALLY add brown sugar, stirring until it dissolves into the liquid completely. Heat using 8-10 briquettes bottom and let simmer until all sugar has been dissolved.
Add meat and peppers GRADUALLY tossing in liquid mixture until ALL meat and vegetables have been added and tossed in liquid.
Use 6-8 briquettes bottom and 8-10 briquettes top for about an hour.
Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and to check for overcooking. Meat should be completely cooked through prior to serving. (CUT IT OPEN)
THREE BERRY COBBLER
1 stick of BUTTER (this is not a diet food people, USE the real deal please!) 2 cups flour 2 cups sugar for cobbler part 1 TABLESPOON baking powder 1 TEASPOON salt 1 1/2 cups milk 4 cups of your favorite berries (thawed, if you like frozen ones) 1/2 cup sugar for berries 1/4 cup water 1 TEASPOON cinnamon 1 cup chopped nuts (whatever your favorite is) 1/2 cup brown sugar
PREPARE DUTCH OVEN BY LINING WITH HEAVY DUTY FOIL
coat foil with the butter on the bottom and sides. USE THE WHOLE STICK!!
sprinkle a generous helping of brown sugar over the butter, coat sides too! scatter chopped nuts over the brown sugar and butter on the bottom of the dutch oven
IN A SEPARATE BOWL: combine berries, 2 cups sugar and 1/4 water
2nd separate bowl: combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir to mix. Add milk and beat until batter is smooth. Pour batter over brown sugar and nuts -- DO NOT STIR!!
Carefully SPOON berries over top of the batter -- DO NOT STIR!!
Sprinkle cinnamon over top.
Cover and bake using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 18-20 briquettes top for 45 to 60 minutes rotating the oven and lid 1/4 turn in opposite directions every 10 minutes until crust is golden brown. (ROTATING THE OVEN AND LID BOTH PREVENTS HOT SPOTS!!)
My innate modesty prevents me from telling you just how good this is.
Alright, there's no way we're waiting for summer and dutch ovens for this! So 10-12 briquettes... what does that translate to in the oven? Like... 375*? What about 6 on bottom, 8 on top? Like... 375*? (Things in the oven for an hour fits right nicely with my dinner-makin schedule.) I don't think I'll peel the potatoes, though...
*kicks mirk in the * "Would too!!"
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
"The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path. Our path is uphill most days, but the help we receive for the climb is literally divine." --Elaine S. Dalton
btw, haven't posted a greeting to the lady from alabammy! So Greetz! I've enjoyed your thoughts thusfar... though I may be too simple to understand what you're talking about most of the time. :)
--Ray
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I'm not slow; I'm special. (Don't take it personally, everyone finds me offensive. Yet somehow I manage to live with myself.)
Dutch oven temperature conversions are fairly fluid but here goes:
I have been able to cook almost everything there is to cook with just four temperatures..... slow, medium, hot, and very hot. Anything I can cook at home I can cook Dutch on camping trips and vice versa. It makes me very popular at Girls Camp. ha ha
For a 12-inch Dutch oven:
Slow oven is 300 +/- 25 degrees F. Medium is 350 +/- 25 degrees F. Hot oven is 400 +/- 25 degrees F Very hot is 450 to 500 degrees F or so.
For the record, MOST stuff cooks in a medium heat setting around 350 F. Unless you are frying donuts or something.
That translates to 6-8 briquettes underneath and 8-10 on the lid.
Hope that helps.
We have shoveled snow on campouts to cook dutch. There is no bad season to cook for me.
Hey, I figured if mirk'll censor, I may as well censor, too.
Okay, that conversion sounds good. I don't think I'll be doing any shovelling to accomodate my cooking, though. *checks calendar for upcoming campouts* Nope, nothing on the agenda for that...
Bama- Have you ever done the beef tips more slowly? Like 3-4 hours? Ready for after Church type thing? (Although we're close to enough to run home between Sac. and SS...)
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
1 pound of hickory smoked thick sliced bacon cut up into 1 inch pieces 1 large onion cut up into small pieces (THIS IS OPTIONAL!) 15 - 20 potatoes, washed, peeled and cut up into pieces salt and pepper to taste
put half of bacon and onion on the bottom of a 12 inch dutch oven. put potatoes atop the bacon & onion layer top with remaining half of bacon and onion.
Cover and cook using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 12-14 briquettes top heat. Stir pot gently every 15 minutes.
Partway through cooking, add 1 can beef consumme and 1 can cream of mushroom soup PLUS a little bit of water (this is an 'eyeball it' thing - just enough to make a nice sauce, not enough to make the dish soupy)
Cooks for about 60 minutes total cooking time.
droooooooooooling.....
I am going to have to try that...I don't know why we've never thought of bacon...
as for taking the beef to another level for slow cooking, oh yes, the evil extends to a process known to Southerners as hickory pit cooking.
when making a cooking pit, you must create a nice bed of comfortably warm (250F - 300 F) coals mixed with glowing hickory wood chunks. We bank the coals and use a few shovels full of the hot coals and ash to BURY the oven.
a poke in the coals now and again keeps things moving along and you should plan on keeping a small fire going to replace coals as needed
use a WHOLE 6 lb beef brisket DO NOT CUT!!
marinate the night before in a delightful mixture of: 4 TBSP of minced garlic 2 TBSP onion powder 2 TBSP celery salt 2 TBSP liquid smoke seasoning 3 large chopped onions 1/2 to 3/4 cup of WHITE GRAPE JUICE 1/2 cup of chili sauce 1/2 cup of worcestershire sauce
the day of the pit cooking:
POUR ALL MARINADE INTO 12" DUTCH OVEN AND ADD:
1/2 cup brown sugar and MIX THOROUGHLY 2 TBSP liquid smoke 1/2 cup plain BBQ sauce.
use 8-10 briquettes directly under the bottom of the Dutch Oven and let simmer until all sugar has been dissolved.
Place the beef brisket in the Dutch oven and arrange onions and sauce back over the top.
Cover and bake using 6-8 briquettes bottom and 8-10 briquettes top for 5 hours.
this recipe works very well when the oven is buried in the hot ashes and allowed to slow cook all day.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
I'm with Roper, it's nice to have you here.
I don't think so Coco. Try telling that to my sister and her husband who live there now. We had someone try to tell us we lived in the south when lived in Utah when we told this person we hailed from Ohio. Longitugionally if you look at a map, Utah is more southern than Indiana or Ohio. (Sorry, I couldn't resist pointing that out). 
Git off my back, ya'll!
Mmmmmm!
