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| Our Pot of Brunswick Stew |
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| Neal Starts the Cooking |
Last weekend JR and I went to Louisburg, the home of JR's sister and niece, to make Brunswick Stew. Now if you don't know what that is, I'll try to enlighten you. In times past, it was a wild game stew with rabbit, squirrel, and venison. Some people (well, few) still make it that way, but the most commonly accepted ingredients today are beef, pork, and chicken. To those one adds veggies, broth, and various condiments. JR and I had never done this before (see, education lasts a lifetime!), so Fran gave me the job of cooking and shredding the beef and the chicken. She did the pork and veggies. She said I did a good job! We dutifully went to Louisburg with our offerings, and worked ourselves silly the next day. Fran tells me that it is much easier if you have help...there were six of us...and if you spread the prep work out over the week instead of doing all of it the day before. I believe that!!! Still it was great fun...like a party!!! In addition to us, Michelle and David (Fran's and Neal's friends) joined us and brought stuff for the second pot. Neal, Fran's husband, knows just about everything there is to know about many things, and Brunswick Stew is one of them. He started cooking about 7 a.m. There is a particular order of ingredients and he kept all of us on the straight and narrow as we cooked and stirred. Okay, I assiduously avoided stirring. Instead I washed dishes and documented the process. I think I got dry skin from the detergent! Who would have guessed that there are so many nasty dishes? By 1:00 p.m. we had 61 quarts packaged from our pot and 51 quarts packaged from the other pot. JR and I brought home 30 quarts, but not before JR decided that we needed a pot of our own...so, we went to AgriSupply in Raleigh and got one of our very own. It only makes 16 quarts, but sister Judy has volunteered herself and her husband to inaugurate our own attempt. I hope we can pull this off. However, we're not going to do it anytime soon. Thirty quarts lasts a long time!
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| JR Takes His Turn |
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Now, I have to be about the luckiest mother-in-law in the world. Not only do I have wonderful daughters-in-law, but I have been fortunate to be able to develop relationships with their mothers. They are wonderful women, and I love them both. I know that it was their influence that made Patti and Shanna the wives that they are to my sons. Can a mother ask for more? Anyway, Gina, Patti's mother, lives in Charlotte. Judi, Shanna's mother, lives in Asheville. On Thursday, Judi traveled from Asheville to our humble abode for lunch. (I think she was induced in part by the offer of Brunswick Stew.) We share common grandchildren, Gracie and Avery, who belong to Adam and Shanna and live in Austin, TX. We just had the best time! We busted out the Brunswick Stew and the garlic bread, added a salad and some fruit, and gorged ourselves all the while talking about our grandchildren and Judi's new house. Above is a picture of us together, courtesy of photographer JR. G....you're next. When I come to Charlotte next time, I'm getting a picture with you! Our common grandchildren are Katie, Lauren, and Jon, Jr. who all live in Charlotte with Jon and Patti.
This is Turkey Foot. I didn't know it's name until yesterday when Mountain Man, Alan, told me. Now that I know the name, I can see why it is called that. Jim's mother had some of this stuff on her Chapel Hill property, down in the bottom land that was very damp. It apparently grows in bottom land that is near creeks and streams. That's where this is on a piece of property that we own in Jackson. The best part however, is that it is wonderful greenery for Christmas. It never loses its green color, even though it drys out, and it doesn't wilt. You can put it up at Thanksgiving and it will still be wonderful at New
Years. It must be part of the running cedar family, but it is much hardier than running cedar. It is a prolific grower and no matter how much you take, it will be replaced and multiplied by the next year. If you want some, come on up. I have an endless supply!
Love to all. Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday and hang tight to your families!
Now, I have to be about the luckiest mother-in-law in the world. Not only do I have wonderful daughters-in-law, but I have been fortunate to be able to develop relationships with their mothers. They are wonderful women, and I love them both. I know that it was their influence that made Patti and Shanna the wives that they are to my sons. Can a mother ask for more? Anyway, Gina, Patti's mother, lives in Charlotte. Judi, Shanna's mother, lives in Asheville. On Thursday, Judi traveled from Asheville to our humble abode for lunch. (I think she was induced in part by the offer of Brunswick Stew.) We share common grandchildren, Gracie and Avery, who belong to Adam and Shanna and live in Austin, TX. We just had the best time! We busted out the Brunswick Stew and the garlic bread, added a salad and some fruit, and gorged ourselves all the while talking about our grandchildren and Judi's new house. Above is a picture of us together, courtesy of photographer JR. G....you're next. When I come to Charlotte next time, I'm getting a picture with you! Our common grandchildren are Katie, Lauren, and Jon, Jr. who all live in Charlotte with Jon and Patti.
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