Tasty and Nutritious Leatherbritches Beans Electricity didn’t reach most parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains until the 1930’s. No electricity meant that there were no modern conveniences for food storage, such as refrigerators and freezers. So until a couple of generations ago, food was preserved the old-fashioned way: by drying and canning. Drying fruits and [...]
Nothing says “southern cooking” like a big bowl of grits. Most Americans have never eaten grits; some confuse “grit” with “dirt”. To those folks I say: thanks! More grits for me. To the un-initiated let me say: grits are just corn. In gourmet circles, it’s known as polenta. It’s not new, and it’s not just [...]
Welcome to Sparta, North Carolina Guest Post By Kermitt Ham In Northwestern North Carolina, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is the under-appreciated gem of Sparta, the county seat of Alleghany County. Alleghany is one of the smallest counties in the state and Sparta NC boasts a population of less than 2,000 inhabitants. [...]
By Wayne Jordan Orignially published in Antique Trader Magazine Read Wayne’s column Behind the Gavel bi-weekly in Antique Trader! Progress comes slowly to the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia. It was not until after WWII that highways, electricity and telephone service became available to many of the rural areas between the mountain metropolises of [...]
Blue Ridge Parkway Motorcycle Road Trip Guest Post By Deborah L Moore With summer here there is the feeling of wanting to break free, get on the motorcycle and take off. Time to get away from work, routine, and the have to’s in life. Across the United States there are mountain passes, desert land, ocean [...]
All the World’s a Stage in Shakespeare’s Staunton Guest Post By Elizabeth Pellicane If Shakespeare’s ghost decided to flee gloomy old England for a warmer home in the New World, he might well choose the city of Staunton. After all, Staunton is home to the Blackfriars Playhouse, a modern-day re-creation of Shakespeare’s original indoor theater. [...]
Guest post by Bob Robert Foster Most people sleep in the same bed each night. They shower in the same bathroom each morning, and brush their teeth at the same sink. While it’s true that people are creatures of habit, most of us don’t really have a choice about this-we have one bedroom, and if [...]
