Today I’m sharing the third video in an ongoing series which shows evidence of the goodness that abounds in Appalachia.
There’s often a cardboard cut out held up for what Appalachian lives are supposed to be like. I’ve always wanted to knock that piece of cardboard down and shine a light on the wonderful life one can have living in Appalachia. I’ve tried to accomplish that by sharing my family’s life with you all.
I hope you enjoyed the peek into our world!
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Do you use plain cornmeal or cornmeal mix/cornbread mix? Cornmeal mix has as much flour as it does corn meal! It also has baking powder and baking soda if it is buttermilk cornbread mix. Plain cornmeal is getting hard to find around here.
Ed-I use both! I think I like it better with the cornmeal mix because it gets thicker 🙂
Try some cornstarch with plain cornmeal. That will thicken it as good as the flour in the mix without losing the corn flavor plus it will remain gluten free. Just an idea, if everybody likes it made with the mix then there’s no reason to change.
Ed- I’ll try that! Thank you for the tip!
I really enjoyed the snowy walk through the woods, and hearing the creek. There’s a creek that meanders all through my neighborhood, and today I took my walk so I could see the part with the waterfalls. Part of the creek is inside culverts, and it eventually winds its way to a larger creek that goes into a nearby river. That water looks so cold! I wash out ziplocs, too, and reuse them. Just a wonderful video!
Aw shucks, I forgot to add when I saw Chatter or Chitter dying her yarn it brought back memories of Mother showing me a dress and a slip to match that she had dyed. She used Poke Berries. I was stunned as it made the most beautiful deep rose color. After my Mother passed on to heaven, I pulled out that slip and took it home with me. I know my Grandmothers used Black Walnut, and berries to dye. Just wished I had asked more questions.
I love this series, Tipper! God bless you and your sweet family.
I didn’t have time yesterday to leave a comment on “Shut Ins” and I wanted to so I will put it here. I had never heard that song and it did bring tears to the eyes. Paul always sings beautiful. I always loved to make flower arrangements and take them to shut ins especially at Christmas. This year has been really hard because everyone has been encouraged to stay home but we can still use our phones and call a shut in and send cards too.
Today’s post, I absolutely loved going on a walk in the woods with “ya all.” The snow draped softly over tree limbs and bushes and the beautiful creek is spectacular. I love, love walking in that type of environment. I followed my Daddy down many a creek and across into beautiful woods. The girls will always remember those walks with their parents.
Loved the song the girls and Paul were working on!
I also enjoyed just watching your daily activity. I must say your chickens are the most beautiful healthy chickens I’ve ever seen. Tipper, at first I thought you were going to make what my Mother called “Milk Gravy,” as it looks just like your finished product. When you said you used cornbread, I knew it was different. I will try that sometime. Mother put fatback or lard in cast iron skillet, added flour, little salt and pepper, and I think she might have put in a tsp of sugar. Stir that until it becomes a lite brown, add Milk and it will thicken up. Looks like yours. Oh my goodness, Milk Gravy it is so delicious spooned over your biscuit or on some rabbit or squirrel. My Daddy always preferred Red Eye Gravy but Mother made the Milk Gravy most of the time and we continue to make it today. Both my sons make it too.
I love you chickens. We had some just like them. Cooking all that breakfast food was making my month water. Lol it look so delicious.
Caught your video, and loved it. It is rare but occasionally I find something that is familiar to you that I never knew. We never ate sawmill gravy, but I have heard the term. Your cooking reminds me so much of my Mother’s. We always laughingly called her a “loud cooker.” I suppose now I understand better, as she had either bacon or ham really often. Keep up the great work.
Nice video, from beginning to end. Brought back a ton of memories.
I liked watching this video and I loved seeing the woods in the snow. When the Deer Hunter ,I think, was cutting the pine knots it made me think of going through the woods in the fall with my Granddaddy Kirby and looking for these pine knots only we called it lighter knots. I have got to where I sit and listen to your family singing on you tube for hours at a time. I can not get enough of them singing the gospel hymns. Your videos should come with a warning, dangerous to watch if hungry!
We call them “rich pine”!
Nothing beats a woodstove for heat – I’d rather have a woodstove than propane any day! And don’t you just LOVE Sow True Seed? I sent my order off yesterday!
The sawmill gravy sounds interesting; I may have to try it one morning. Question: what did you use for your fat in the gravy, the bacon grease?
Catherine-I do use bacon grease sometimes that day I used grease from fatback or streaked meat.
Lots to notice in your video, starting with the way you slice apples. I do it completely different, first quartering then coring then slicing ‘longways’ while I hold it in my hand. I’m sure your way is much better, both safer and faster.
I’m guessing that was Chatter dyeing the yarn? I’ve always wanted to do some natural dyes; shrub yellowroot walnut hull, oak gall etc. But I have never researched about the ‘fixer’ to make it colorfast nor had a plan for what I would do with anything I did dye.
I have a suspicion the Deer Hunter is real partial to that hand axe and would miss it badly if it got gone. I understand that. I have a Hudson Bay pattern axe that was the handiest thing I owned around the place until I broke the handle out. Every guy should have one.
I got a smile out of the walk in the snowy woods. And not for why you might think. Many years ago I read (maybe in the book “Cache Lake Country by John Rowlands) that you could tell ‘city people’ and ‘woods people’ by the way they walk. And it is very true. The Deer Hunter and the girls walk with their feet very straight ahead. If you watch people walk you will find that most people ‘toe out’, that is their feet are spread apart and angled outward. That does not work in the woods. I can watch a person take as few as four steps and know whether they are woods walkers or not. But I don’t know what it is that ‘trains’ people to walk a particular way.
About the “cardboard cutout” people, I had the thought yesterday that just maybe success in life could be summed up as being a whole person. I’ll let that rest there. I can be a pain to some people else.
That’s yarn? Shucks! I thought she was making blueberry spaghetti!
I had no idea what that was.
Tipper, you’re very blessed to have such a wonderful and close knit family! I really enjoyed seeing you cook and what you eat. I can say after watching your video ( the last one) my cornbread took a pleasant turn with 2 eggs and my husband bragged on it! I love the chickens and think they’re beautiful not to mention those brown eggs were really nice eggs! The walk in the snow was just refreshing and I liked hearing the crunching as you walked! Yesterday I looked up where Brasstown is located and I must say you’re in the middle of some premium land. I had a friend from a Star, SC ( near Greenville.) To say their land was premium is to put it lightly. I knew Hiawassee you speak of was in GA, but you’re centrally located next to it all it looks like to me. I wonder if you ever make it to Rome or if it’s even nice to go to anymore. God bless you all and thanks for the video.
Margie, I do not live very far from the Starr, Iva area of SC. My daddy’s family all lived in a community called Saylors Crossroad. This community is less than 10 miles from Starr. Still go back often to my grandparent’s grave located at Mt. Bethel Church. I think this is one of the oldest Baptist churches in Anderson county.
Great job! I am reading Kephart’s “Our Southern Highlanders” for the 2nd time and just reread the book “Back of Beyond” about his life. All this reminds me of life in the mountains when I was a kid. Great memories, but I try not to live in the past….God gave me today so I don’t have to.
Tipper, I watched this video on your YouTube Channel last night and was totally enthralled! It’s a beautiful walk in the snow in the mountains we love. I could even hear the hush that fills the mountains when the snow falls. I am so glad to live in these mountains. There is so much more to mountain life than meets the eye, these mountains have a soul and it’s only in the hushed silence that you can hear it beat.
Thank you!
I had forgotten how, when I was growing up, I’d always twist the stem on the apple until it came off, to see what the initial of my future husband would be!
Normally when I see any video over five minutes long, I pass on by because I don’t like long videos. But I love these that you make. They are so calming. My knees hurt too much to go out and play in the snow, but I still like to just go out and walk around a little in fresh snow. Everything is so still and quiet and bright, with fresh snow on the ground. I most envy the fact that you have someone to sing with. I have to sing and play my guitar alone, but I always long to be in a circle of folks, all singing together. The only place I have to sing with people is at church, but it seems like everybody is afraid to lift their voices and sing loudly. As though they don’t want anyone to hear them!