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November 18, 2009
by Callie Foss
What beautiful weather. Ethel and I have enjoyed sitting on the porch in the sun the last few days. Anytime a few nice days are strung together, it is truly a blessing. It seems that those days have come late in the year this year. We both recognize that we needed the rain to help out with the drought situation, but we are also appreciating the warmer temperatures and blue skies.
Last year, if you remember, we were having chilly weather and the ski slopes were already open. I’m sure our friends waiting to hit the slopes are anxious. It shouldn’t be too long before they’ll be able to make snow and cover the slopes for locals and visitors alike to swoosh and shred – that’s what the youngsters call it when they snowboard – down the hill.
Time’s running out to vote for our local hero, Doc Hendley. You may remember back in the early fall, Doc was selected as a CNN Hero. He was among hundreds then. Now he is in the top 10 and needs your help to be the top vote getter. Doc’s organization, Wine to Water, plays on the parable of turning water into wine, except he takes the funds he raises from wine tastings and sales and turns them into clean water in places like Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Cambodia.
Doc says, “You can be a bartender in Raleigh, North Carolina; you can be just a regular anybody. And you really, really can change the world," he says. "You can touch thousands of lives. I'm walking truth of that." One person with a simple idea can change the world. If you can, go to www.CNN.com/Heroes and cast your vote for Doc.
I was visiting with Tessa at the Taylor House Inn. She told me that when she is working with brides that are planning their weddings and receptions, she always suggests using Wine to Water because it helps others in the world. Another great idea – a celebration of a lifetime can help save a life!
Congratulations to the Appalachian Mountaineers! With their win over the weekend, they are Southern Conference Champions. They need a win this weekend over our arch rivals Western Carolina for the title out right. Here’s hoping for a victory.
Ethel and I are working on a menu for Thanksgiving. I’m sure that LC and Weezie will give us a call to invite us over, so we don’t have to prepare a whole feast. Usually, I’ll take over a turkey breast, which is my specialty. Ethel says that the way I make it is “not normal” (her words). It may not be “normal,” but she seems to finish off her share.
Here’s what you do – Take a turkey breast and remove the skin. Wash the breast and then rub about a tablespoon or a little more over it. In a baking pan with 3 inch sides, run a piece of foil crosswise long enough to make a tent over the breast without touching it. Then run another piece of foil perpendicular to it and fold the sides of the foil over the end to hold the “tent” in place.
Put your turkey breast in the pan and season with salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, oregano, and basil. You may need a little help in maneuvering it around to make sure the herbs and spices go everywhere. Then put about a quarter inch of water in the pan and build your tent over the turkey. Make sure it doesn’t touch the sides. Put the turkey in the oven a 325-350 degrees for the right time depending upon its size. This will be the tenderest, moistest (are those words??) turkey you’ll put in your mouth.
On another note, the pumpkin chili we whipped up with some of our giant pumpkin puree turned out pretty good. The jalapeno made it just warm enough. Let me know if you’d like the recipe. We’ll try to remember what modifications we made.
Mark your calendars for Santa Paws at the Original Mast Store. This is an annual fund raiser for the Watauga Humane Society. It is set to happen on December 5 and 6. Bring your dog, cat, or guinea pig to have its picture taken with Santa. It’s great for Christmas cards or for a holiday memory.
Also on December 6, the businesses in Valle Crucis are again hosting the Valle Crucis Fireside Tour. Tickets are $10 each and proceeds benefit the Valle Crucis Community Park. If you are free that day, it’s a great opportunity to see all of the B&Bs and some other places that you just don’t think about going every day. Ethel and I enjoyed seeing the Inn at Little Pond Farm last year and hope to go on the tour this year to see the Valle Crucis Farm and Apple Hill Farm, which are new to the tour. For more information, you can visit vallecrucis.com/fireside or call 828-963-6511.
Speaking of the Park, I heard some exciting news about a project that will honor H. W. Mast. A class at ASU is working on a project that will result in a movable stage that will host performances at the Park and can also be used at other venues in the community. Go to hwmaststage.blogspot.com/ to find out more…and I encourage you to watch the videos on the left side of the blog.
Happy birthday wishes go to Jim Brown on November 18, Emma Ringler on November 20, Anna Lisa Hart on November 21, Lucy Binning on November 22, Serge Storelli on November 23, and Francis Pressly on November 24. Happy Anniversary to Tom and Claire McDonough on November 22. I hope all of your celebrations are great fun!
Write to us on e-mail at callieandethel@hotmail.com.
If you need to send it by the postal service, mail it
to:
Valle Crucis News
c/o Sandy Shook
Watauga Democrat
474 Industrial Park Drive
Boone, NC 28607
Here’s a great quote for Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. Edward Sandford Martin. Have a wonderful week! |
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