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Worth the Drive The Ginger Root in Samson is creating a buzz with its combination of great food, inviting decor and excellent service.
Family Reunions
What’s summer without a family reunion? Our readers share some of their favorite snapshots.
Fishing For Smiles
The C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation works to support special needs children through fishing.
Youthful Chefs
Alabama has its share of young cooks who love to share their zeal for cooking with family, friends and online.
Small town business owner Nestley Nicole turns passion into purpose. See story Page 6. PHOTO Kelli Whorton
Three Smart Home Technologies to Help You Save Energy
By Abby Berry
Smart technologies make our homes more comfortable, convenient and energy efficient. By connecting to your home Wi-Fi network, smart devices automate everyday tasks like lighting, heating, cooling and home security––they can even communicate with other smart devices in the home.
While not all smart home products are specifically designed with energy savings in mind, there are several smart technologies that can help you lower home energy use. Here are the top three smart home devices to help you save.
Smart Thermostats
Smart or not, your thermostat is the most effective tool for controlling energy use, as heating and cooling typically account for the largest portion of energy bills. Smart thermostats allow you to adjust the indoor temperature through an app, giving you full control from anywhere on the go. Many smart thermostats include learning capabilities and will adjust the thermostat based on previous behavior and patterns.
According to the Department of Energy, smart thermostats can reduce heating and cooling bills by more than 8% annually, and with models as low as $65, they typically pay for themselves in one year.
Smart Lighting
Smart LED bulbs use less electricity than traditional bulbs and can be scheduled or turned off (or on) remotely through a smart phone app. Smart bulbs are available in a range of shapes, brightness levels, colors and more, so shop for the products that work best for your home lighting needs.
Many smart bulbs include motion sensors that turn on or off based on room activity, further optimizing home energy use. If you’re new to smart lighting, try a home starter kit. Prices for kits range from $70 to $300+ depending on how many bulbs you need.
Smart Plugs
Smart plugs are inexpensive gadgets that can help you save energy. Many electronic devices consume power even when they are turned off (known as “phantom load”), which can take a toll on your energy bills. Smart plugs are simply plugged into an electrical outlet and connected to your Wi-Fi network. When set up, the smart plug can cut power (or return power) to non-smart devices, like coffee makers, phone chargers and other items that draw phantom load. Many smart plugs can be paired with popular smart hubs, like Alexa or Google Nest, or controlled through the plug’s associated app. Smart plugs are simple to use and a set of four can be purchased for as little as $25.
If you’re looking for new ways to save energy, try these budget-friendly, convenient smart home technologies.
A GLANCE:
THE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE NETWORK AT
From booming suburbs to remote rural communities, America’s electric cooperatives are energy providers and engines of economic development. Electric cooperatives keep the lights on and play a vital role in transforming communities.
ELECTRIC CO-OPS ARE PROUD TO POWER
56% of the U.S. landscape.
Distribution co-ops are the foundation of the cooperative network. 830
64
G&T co-ops provide wholesale power to distribution co-ops.
ELECTRIC CO-OPS ARE PROUD TO SERVE
22 MILLION homes, businesses, schools & farms in 48 states.
to 1 in 8 U.S. residents in rural and exurban communities.
From Passion to Purpose
Nestley Nicole’s Journey to Ignite a Community Through Infernos Grill
BY: Kelli Whorton
“You cannot succeed without putting in the work,” she says, and her life proves it.
Nestley Nicole is no stranger to hard work. With a dream to support her family and uplift her community, she took a leap of faith in September 2024 and purchased a restaurant in the heart of Fyffe and named it Infernos Grill. But behind the restaurant’s success is a remarkable story of transformation, perseverance, and heart.
A graduate of Fort Payne High School with a perfect 4.0 GPA, Nestley’s early passion was music. She played in the school band from sixth through twelfth grade and was even offered a scholarship to the prestigious Julliard School in New York City. But like many others, her life took unexpected turns. Her focus shifted, and she channeled her discipline and creativity into another passion – health and wellness.
After losing an astonishing 250 pounds through diet and exercise, Nestley became inspired to help others live healthier lives. She launched a bakery named Mighty Mae’s, in honor of her grandmother. Her mission was simple but powerful – to create baked goods without dyes and overly processed ingredients. She set out to create treats that were both wholesome and delicious. But she quickly realized that the word “healthy” can scare customers away.
Determined not to give up, Nestley transitioned to a food truck, bringing her baked goods and fresh dishes to more people on the go. For a year, she traveled and served her community, but eventually, she craved something more permanent. She opened a small space in Fort Payne called Mae’s, but with limited seating and little room to grow, she soon recognized the
need for a bigger location.
That’s when opportunity met vision. Nestley found a property in downtown Fyffe and opened Infernos Grill, a full-service restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Tuesday through Saturday. With plenty of space and a full menu, Infernos Grill is becoming the place where her dream can finally take root.
Today, Nestley sees Infernos not just as a business, but as a platform to teach future generations the value of hard work and healthy choices. “You cannot succeed without putting in the work,” she says, and her life proves it.
But Nestley’s journey also highlights a broader truth: small businesses are the backbone of local communities. They create jobs, foster innovation, and bring unique character to towns like Fyffe. Yet, they often face uphill battles, rising costs, limited resources, and competition from larger chains. That’s why local support is not just appreciated, it’s essential. Every meal purchased, every kind word shared, and every visit to Infernos Grill helps keep a dream alive and a community thriving.
Whether you’re local to Fyffe or just passing through, Infernos Grill offers more than just a meal. It provides a story worth supporting. Please stop in and experience the flavor, the warmth, and the passion that Nestley pours into everything she does.
COME TRY IT OUT!
BREAKFAST ~ LUNCH ~ DINNER
Mon-Thur 10 am - 3 pm
Fri-Sat 10 am - 5 pm
INFERNOS GRILL
1122 Main St. Fyffe, AL 35974
Stay Connected
Family Reunions
The Duckett Family originally hailed from Holly Pond, and now their descendants travel from all over the state to annually gather for Decoration Day on Father’s Day weekend. We’re a big family full of love and laughs! SUBMITTED by Morgan Haynes, Holly Pond.
The Archie Joseph Crumpton and Blonnie Rasberry Crumpton Family Reunion. First reunion was held at our grandparents’ homeplace in 1994 and each year has a theme. This year’s was “Spill Your Tea.” It was beautifully decorated and a tea pot was awarded to the oldest person present. SUBMITTED by Wanda Stinson, Georgiana.
including the
for a
Mosley family reunion in Orange Beach. Seven first cousins and their children/grandchildren, plus one aunt brave enough to chaperone this crew of 30. SUBMITTED by Renee Beech, Chatom.
October theme: “At the fair” | Deadline: August 31
Submit photos on our website: alabamaliving.coop/submit-photo. Photos submitted for publication may also be used on our website and on our social media pages.
The Huggins cousins,
family of Clarke-Washington EMC General Manager Steve Sheffield, gathered
family reunion in 2024 in Jackson. SUBMITTED by Joyce Sheffield.
The Gary family reunion in Gordonville, Lowndes County, AL. SUBMITTED by Antinique Gary, Hayneville.
Whereville,
AL
Identify and place this Alabama landmark and you could win $25! Winner is chosen at random from all correct entries. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified. Send your answer with your name, address and the name of your rural electric cooperative, if applicable. The winner and answer will be announced in the September issue.
Submit by email: whereville@alabamaliving.coop, or by mail: Whereville, 340 Technacenter Drive, Montgomery, AL 36117. Do you like finding interesting or unusual landmarks?
Contribute a photo you took for an upcoming issue! Remember, all readers whose photos are chosen also win $25!
THIS MONTH IN ALABAMA HISTORY
Satchel Paige Enters Baseball Hall of Fame
In a career stretching more than 2,500 games, 6-foot-3 right-handed showman Leroy “Satchel” Paige threw more than 100 no-hitters. The Hall-of-Famer’s best years as a pitcher took place far from the Major League lights.
Born into a large Mobile family, Paige went to work at an early age. He earned his nickname for handling luggage at a train station, before a shoplifting conviction landed the teenager in juvenile detention upstate for several years. Paige credited the experience with honing his baseball skills.
July’s answer: This obelisk, located along U.S. Highway 411 overlooking the Coosa River in Gadsden, has an inscription that reads: “The Spirit of American Citizenship,” followed by “Never doubt that committed citizens can change our nation. Indeed, they are the only ones who have.” The monument was constructed in 1997 to celebrate Gadsden’s sesquicentennial. (Photo by Allison Law of Alabama Living) The randomly drawn correct guess winner is Paul Bush of Pea River EC.
Awards honor writing in Alabama Living
The Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) recently recognized winners of its annual communications contest, which highlights excellence in writing, photography, graphic design, digital media and overall communication strategy among cooperative communicators.
The awards were presented at the CCA’s annual Institute, held in early June in Colorado Springs, Colo. Three winners from Alabama were honored:
Joe Hobby, humor columnist for Alabama Living magazine, won first place for his writing in the column or series category for a selection of his “Cup o’ Joe” columns.
Allison Law, managing editor of Alabama Living, won second place in the writing – news story category for her story from September 2024, “A Mission Trip for Linemen.”
Michael Cornelison, director of communications at Joe Wheeler EMC, won third place in the writing – informative investigative feature for “Heroes Among Us,” from October 2024.
CCA members work for all kinds of cooperatives throughout the U.S. and Canada. CCA exists to improve the effectiveness of all cooperative communicators; advance professional standards; and exchange facts, research, techniques and opinions among cooperative communicators.
Thereafter, the baseball diamond occupied his entire life as Paige pitched his way through the African American semi-pros, which were called the Negro Leagues. The Chattanooga Black Lookouts signed him in 1926. Two years later, he was traded to the Birmingham Black Barons, who called the storied Rickwood Field home. In 1929, he struck out a record-shattering 164 batters.
In 1930, Paige began a nationwide “barnstorming” trek of the Negro Leagues—town to town and team to team.
After 20 years, he got his shot. In 1948, the year after the color barrier fell, 42-year-old Paige signed with the Cleveland Indians, making him the oldest-ever rookie in the majors. Later that season, he became the first African American to work the mound in a World Series game. He spent six seasons in the big leagues.
Sportswriters and his fellow players lobbied the lords of hardball for Paige’s inclusion in the Baseball Hall of Fame for years. That day finally came on August 9, 1971. Paige was the first player who spent the majority of his career in the Negro Leagues to be inducted.
Last year, Major League Baseball officially incorporated Negro League player statistics into the record books.
The move further solidified Paige as one of the game’s great pitchers. – Scotty Kirkland
Satchel Paige plays for the Kansas City Monarchs in a photo taken between 1935 and 1942.
Find the Hidden Dingbat!
Did we make it too easy last month? More than 500 of you correctly found the Uncle Sam hat on Page 21 in the photo of State School Superintendent Eric Mackey visiting with children in Selma. Several readers reported this was the first time they’d found the hidden object, including Conswelo Stile of Skyline and Tara Marie Cole of Laceys Spring, who said she “can’t wait for the next issue so I can do it again.” Alissa Giddings wrote that “after scouring the magazine to find the dingbat, I decided I needed my good luck charm. My 7-year-old daughter, Piper, found it all by herself! She was so excited I thought she was going to do a flip. It was our first time looking for one. We’ll be looking for them from now on for sure!” Lisa Hartline of Rainsville tells us, “I must say after several times throughout past years, it is very, very rare that I ever spot the dingbat. This was my lucky day.” Allison Mullins of Danville, a member of Joe Wheeler EMC, was glad that July’s hat wasn’t as hard to find as the June brown suitcase. “No doubt, finding a balance between obvious and obscure is challenging,’ she wrote. Our graphic artist would agree with you!
Congratulations to Lynn Cook of Rainsville, our randomly chosen winner who wins a $25 gift card from Alabama One Credit Union. In honor of National Safe Digging Day August 11, we’ve hidden a shovel somewhere in these pages. But remember, it won’t be in an ad or on Pages 1-8. Good luck!
By email: dingbat@alabamaliving.coop
By mail:
Find the Dingbat Alabama Living 340 TechnaCenter Dr. Montgomery, AL 36117
Letters to the editor
Sponsored by
E-mail us at: letters@alabamaliving.coop or write us at: Letters to the editor 340 TechnaCenter Dr. Montgomery, AL 36117
Navy retiree enjoyed July issue
I enjoy each and every monthly issue, especially this one (July 2025). My favorite article was on page 46, “Class Reunion” as our class, Class of 1975, Louisville High School, Louisville, Alabama, celebrated our 50th class reunion. I identified with practically every sentence Mr. Joe Hobby wrote in this article! Well written, sir.
Also, I loved the article on page 13, “Getting a Jump Start on College” (Lenore Vickrey). About 6 weeks ago, I attended the college graduation of my 17-year-old granddaughter, who received her two-year college degree the third week of May 2025. A couple weeks later she received her high school diploma and she will continue her college education in August 2025! I think it is great high schools are participating in college programs for high school students and give these motivated students the opportunity to advance as quick as they desire! These are our future leaders.
Thanks again for a great monthly magazine!
Henry Erwin Miller
United States Navy, Retired Louisville
Take Us Along!
We’ve enjoyed seeing photos from our readers on their travels with Alabama Living! Please send us a photo of you with a copy of the magazine on your travels to: mytravels@alabamaliving. coop. Be sure to include your name, hometown and electric cooperative, and the location of your photo. We’ll draw a winner for the $25 prize each month.
Jimmy and Sonia Burden of Courtland, members of Joe Wheeler EMC, took a trip to Skagway, Alaska, with their magazine.
William Auld of Winn traveled to Tokyo to see the famous cherry blossoms. He’s a member of ClarkeWashington EMC.
be photographed at the famous Christ the Redeemer statue. They are members of Central Alabama EC.
Vicky Boyett of Opp says she “traveled to the great Northwest to visit my brothers for four weeks in June and July. It was great visiting the sites in Washington, Oregon and northern California. This is a picture of me and my brother Dwayne Owens before going in to the Mount Rainier National Park.” She’s a member of Covington EC.
a member of Wiregrass EC, drove 1,422 miles on the Alaska Highway last year, and stopped to visit the Enchanted Highway between Gladstone and Regent, North Dakota.
John Davis,
Dale and Christine Jackson of Prattville traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to
It’s Tea Time!
Beverage’s ties to Alabama are a strong brew
BY JENNIFER KORNEGAY
Southerners seeking refreshment often reach for a tall, cold glass of sweet tea (especially during summer’s swelter). The beloved staple is almost synonymous with the region.
But tea’s ties to Alabama are strong, too. And while saturated with sugar and served over ice is the most common form of tea imbibed in these parts, tea devotees drink it any way they can get it: hot, cold, sweet, unsweet, with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of honey, and maybe even a sprig of mint or some freshfruit syrups. No matter how you take your tea, you won’t regret steeping yourself in these authentically Alabama tea stories.
BY
PHOTO
BROOKE ECHOLS
On the Farm
Many consider Donnie Barrett, owner of The Fairhope Tea Plantation in Fairhope, Alabama, “the grandfather of tea.” Being one of the major suppliers of tea plants for fellow boutique tea farmers (selling up to 5,000 plants annually all over the country) and his tea farm’s longevity earned him the nickname. In 1979, after Lipton Tea Company abandoned tea-farming research it was conducting in Fairhope, he started his tea farm as a hobby. Barrett took three plants Lipton left behind, which had also been burned but survived, and used knowledge gained while working at a local nursery to save and plant them. He kept adding plants and taught himself how to use the leaves, traveling twice to China to learn teamaking methods. In the 1990s, he bought the land he now cultivates, allowing him to expand his tea crop.
While his efforts eventually blossomed into a business, he’s happy staying his current size, which is tiny compared to commercial tea farms. “I’m an artisan tea maker and produce my tea in small batches,” he says. “That’s how I maintain quality.”
Fairhope Tea Plantation also offers tea farm tours and tastings, welcoming approximately 1,000 visitors annually. After Barrett walks guests through rows of squared-off tea bushes, sharing how he hand-picks leaves starting each year in March and ending in early November, he outlines his process for creating a desirable drink from the harvest.
Finally, guests sample his tea and often take some home.
Buying directly from Barrett is the only way to get it, and each year, he sells approximately 300 pounds. “People tell me they love it; some say it’s now the only tea they’ll drink,” he says.
The benefits of Barrett’s tea-growing expertise extend beyond pleasing his loyal customers’ palates. Josh and Stephanie Langley visited him several times and bought some of his plants to start their operation, Langley Tea Farms, in Vincent, Alabama, in 2020. They may be new to tea farming, but not new to the drink. The tea-culture of Josh’s native Hawaii factored into their love story. “When we were dating, we’d go pick out new teas to try together,” he says.
Since tea plants take years to mature, none of the Langleys’ are ready for harvest yet, but they should yield usable tea leaves next year, allowing the farm to finally share the fruits of the couple’s labors. They plan to use a combo of Chinese (wok-fired) and Japanese (steamheated) drying techniques on their leaves, which are hand-grown with no commercial insecticides or weed killers and only natural fertilizers.
While waiting to make tea from tea leaves, the Langleys produced herbal teas from lavender, spearmint and peppermint grown on the farm. And future plans include adding tours. “I want to help people really taste tea’s different notes,” Josh says. “Like wine, terroir (the conditions in which a food is grown that give a food its unique characteristics) applies to tea; the same plant grown in different spots will have flavors distinct to that location’s soil, its weather and other conditions,” he says.
In the Glass
Wes Willis and Golson Foshee founded the Alabama Sweet Tea Company in Montgomery in 2015 with an understanding of tea’s terroir and how the pedigree of the drink’s principal ingredient, the tea leaf, matters. It’s why the company uses a custom blend of whole-leaf black teas. “It’s funny since our name says Sweet Tea, but our tea to brew at home is actually really good without any sugar added,” Foshee says. “You really get a deep tea taste.”
When they moved to Stephanie’s home state of Alabama, they purchased 35 acres of farmland that had been in her family for generations. “We wanted to use the land, and we’re both passionate about tea, so I thought, why not grow some?” Josh says. They learned on the job and made a few mistakes. “We’ve killed thousands of plants,” Josh laughs. “But today, 5,000 tea plants are thriving, with more being planted every year.”
Today, The Alabama Sweet Tea Company sells its teas for home-brewing online, and its food truck in Waco, Texas, (in partnership with home-renovation stars Chip and Joanna Gaines and their Magnolia brand) sells its prepared teas in mason jars, recently serving the company’s 1 millionth jar.
Soon, its story gets even sweeter, when cans of Alabama Sweet Tea show up on shelves at grocery stores and convenience stores. (The cans are already available to order on the company website.) And by summer’s end, the first Alabama Sweet Tea store will open at The Wharf in Orange Beach. “The whole idea was always tied to having a physical store, we just took the long road to get there,” Willis says. Foshee claims it was worth the wait. “We’re so excited to have our first store Alabama and really connect the brand to our home in a big way,” he says.
Customers should be excited too. The Wharf location allows the company to execute more sweet-tea varieties, including those blended with fruit flavors. “We’ve got about a dozen recipes now, so we’ll have a good menu, and, we’re adding some food like biscuits too,” Foshee says.
The Alabama Sweet Tea Company will open its first store at The Wharf in Orange Beach this summer.
Th e Alabama Sweet Tea Company focused on tea from inception, but Lacey Springs-based Piper & Leaf evolved from another idea. It began when owners and siblings MaryClaire Thomas, Connor Knapp and Brigette Christopher, plus Brigette’s husband Caleb Christopher were making compost and selling it at a Huntsville farmer’s market in 2013. They offered iced tea too. When they quickly sold out of tea, but still had a good bit of compost, they pivoted. “They were selling blends Caleb had been making for himself, and people loved them, so they decided to do a tea business,” says marketing manager Hannah Wilson.
Today, the family-owned and operated company dries, blends and packages a variety of hand-crafted green and black teas, plus caffeine-free herbal teas, selling its loose tea and teabags online and at select retailers and its prepared version at its tea shops in Huntsville (two locations), Madison and its headquarters in Lacey Springs, where customers find gourmet sips ranging from tart and naturally sweet Lemon Berry Blush and spicy Sunrise Chai to the classic Front-Porch Special.
Despite the diverse offerings, common threads include using a Russian method to brew tea into a concentrate before adding water, sourcing fruits and herbs for its blends from local farmers whenever possible (although its tea leaves are imported from all over the globe), and a commitment to sustainability. “We sell our tea in glass jars as well as other reusable drinking containers,” says Wilson, “and our tea bags are made of nonGMO sugar cane, so they are compostable.”
Using a love of tea to create community infuses Piper & Leaf’s philosophy too. “We want to engage with people and have this big happy tea family, so we host tea parties, makers’ markets promoting area craftspeople and other events at our shops,” Wilson says. Piper & Leaf also donates 10 percent of its profits to support fostering and adoption initiatives.
The familyowned Piper & Leaf company dries, blends and packages a variety of handcrafted teas.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PIPER & LEAF
Tea Party
Each August, Enterprise welcomes approximately 5,000 people to its annual Sweet Tea Festival. Started in 2023, the free event was brewed in the brain of City of Enterprise’s special projects coordinator Kay Kirkland, who was looking for a way to highlight Enterprise’s Southern hospitality as well as the state’s tea makers and growers.
This year on Aug. 16, crowds will come again to sip and savor samples of the South’s “house wine” at the booths of Alabama tea icons like Milo’s, Red Diamond and Royal Cup as well as newer companies, including The Alabama Sweet Tea Company and Y’all Sweet Tea — a Hayden, Alabama, business founded by two friends and college dropouts that made headlines last year for impressing judges on television’s “Shark Tank” and getting funding to grow.
Homebrewers get in on the action too, entering the event’s sweet-tea-tasting contest. “Festival goers try them all and then vote to decide the ‘people’s choice’ winner,” says Tammy Doerer, the City of Enterprise’s director of Tourism and Community Relations. “But we have professional judges too, folks from Milo’s and Y’all Sweet Tea as well representatives from local restaurants.” Last year, 20 people put their tea to the test.
The tea-chugging contest is more about quantity than quality. “It’s super fun and a favorite part of the festival,” Doerer says. And there’s plenty of food on hand; local restaurants and food trucks serve items that pair well with sweet tea, including barbecue and fried chicken. Live music adds to the mix. But Doerer stresses that the tea-focus remains undiluted. “It will always be about sweet tea and the relaxing, inviting feeling that it represents,” she says.
Sweet Home-Team Teas
Several of the South’s oldest and most famous tea companies have Birmingham roots. Milo’s began as a restaurant in Birmingham in 1946 and became beloved for its burgers covered in a tangy sauce and the sweet tea served alongside them. In 1989, Milo’s started selling gallon jugs of its tea in grocery stores, and it is now available all over the country. Today, the tea side of the company remains in the same family and in Alabama, with headquarters in Bessemer.
Born in Birmingham in 1906, Red Diamond promises both coffee and tea drinkers its products deliver “the perfect sip.” It’s now headquartered in Moody, and in 2024, the company expanded its tea offerings with an extra sweet and sweet tea and lemonade blend.
Royal Cup also has Birmingham beginnings. Founded as the Batterton Coffee Company in 1896, the name was changed in 1950 with new ownership, and it now imports and roasts coffee and tea for restaurants, hotels and offices nationwide.
Reading the Tea Leaves
Green and black tea come from the same plant — camellia sinensis. Tea makers achieve the different designations with different processing parameters. For green tea, minimizing the progress of a chemical process called an oxidation-reduction reaction, which occurs in the leaves during drying, gives that variety its fresher flavor. But, to get black tea, the oxidation reduction reaction must keep going; it’s what turns the leaves dark and produces a richer, robust flavor. And a third variety, white tea, is the least oxidized type, resulting in a light, delicate taste and pale color.
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ON THE CALL:
Alabama’s Minor League Baseball Broadcasters
BY SCOTTY E. KIRKLAND
Jack Sadighian inside the broadcast booth atop Riverwalk Stadium, home to the Montgomery Biscuits since 2004. This is the second season in Montgomery for the young sportscaster. PHOTO
For a small state, Alabama is rich with minor league baseball teams. Six days a week, from April through September, you can likely find Minor League Baseball (MILB).
The Montgomery Biscuits, Birmingham Barons and Rocket City Trash Pandas play in some of the finest ballparks in the South. Their fans don’t have to travel to enjoy the sport. You can tune in, through a tried-and true medium: a radio broadcast of the games. The men responsible for these calls are part of a long, nostalgic chain of baseball broadcasters.
The men behind the mics
The three franchises are part of the eight team Southern League. It is divided into two, four-team divisions. Montgomery plays in the Southern Division, Birmingham and Rocket City in the Northern. Despite their proximity, the three Alabama teams face off sparingly this year, just two or three series each.
The youngest of Alabama’s broadcasters is Jack Sadighian, who is in his second season as the voice of the Montgomery Biscuits (a Tampa Bay Rays affiliate). A native of Chicago, he was raised in metro Atlanta. Last year, during the Biscuits offseason, the sportscaster lent his talents to calls for softball, football, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball and soccer.
With the opening of the Biscuits’ inaugural season in 2004, professional baseball returned to Alabama’s Capital City for the first time since 1980. The 7,000-seat Riverwalk Stadium helped spur a new period of downtown economic development. And with a long-term renewal on the stadium’s lease earlier this year, it seems the “Butter and Blue” will be in Montgomery for many years to come.
That’s just fine with Sadighian, whose first season with the team was one of their winningest in franchise history. “The vibes around baseball here are fantastic,” he says. “We have a great crowd in terms of watching the game and they’re so engaged.”
the Barons lead the Southern League in championships, including the reigning title, secured last year in dramatic fashion against the Montgomery Biscuits.
Baseball broadcasting runs in the family. Doug’s late father, Hank Greenwald, was a longtime MLB broadcaster for the San Francisco Giants. As a kid, Doug would take his tape recorder to the ballpark and offer his own play-by-play.
“A lot of people think I sound like my dad,” Greenwald says. “He had a good sense of humor and a way of connecting with people on a personal level.”
Like Greenwald, the announcer for the Rocket City Trash Pandas (a Los Angeles Angels affiliate) has the job in his DNA. Josh Caray is a third-generation broadcaster. His grandfather was the legendary Harry Caray, who helped set the gold standard for sportscasters with decades behind the mic for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs. Readers of this magazine are likely more familiar with Josh’s late father, Skip Caray, who lent his voice and singular wit to some of the most memorable seasons of the Atlanta Braves.
Up the road in Birmingham, there is a new voice in the historic booth. Although Doug Greenwald is new to Alabama, he has a long tenure in baseball. Greenwald took over the mic from Curt Bloom, who was the Barons announcer for 32 years. The Barons (a Chicago White Sox affiliate) are among the oldest teams in the MILB, with a history dating back to the 1880s and the days of segregated ball played by an allAfrican American semi-professional organization known as the Negro Leagues. Today, the Barons play ball at Regions Field, the largest ballpark of Alabama’s Double-A teams. With eight titles to their credit,
A longtime broadcaster in his own right, Caray has been with Rocket City since the beginning. The pandemic spoiled plans for their first season, but that did not slow the enthusiasm for the new franchise, owing in no small part to its quirky name and a space-bound raccoon mascot named Rocket. The franchise quickly racked up $2 million in merchandise sales.
“The community has been great. We have won the attendance battle in the Southern League the last four years,” Caray says. “We have certainly come a long way since 2020. I remember the stadium had opened, but the season had been cancelled, so we had to throw block parties, movie nights and put the Crimson Tide on the video board to get fans into the ballpark.”
Rising to the moment
Storylines tend to emerge by the time each six-game series begins on any given Tuesday night: A player facing off against a former team; a major-leaguer working his way back from injury; a greenhorn whose star is on the rise. In many ways, pregame preparation is little changed from the days of old, Greenwald says.
Veteran broadcaster Doug Greenwald took over the mic for the Birmingham Barons this season. The storied franchise is one of the oldest in Minor League Baseball. PHOTO COURTESY BIRMINGHAM BARONS
Josh Caray has the longest Alabama tenure currently in Double-A. The thirdgeneration broadcaster has been with the Rocket City Trash Pandas since 2020.
PHOTO COURTESY ROCKET CITY TRASH PANDAS
“I remember my father would get up and prepare at six in the morning, seven in the morning. He would go through newspapers…which I think we still do. It’s just that we read them online now.” While broadcasters today have access to more information, and unprecedented access to players because of social media, Greenwald says that, once the game begins, much remains the same. “You’re still setting a defense properly. You’re still rising to the moment.”
There has been a concerted effort in recent years to speed the pace of play for professional baseball. The pitch clock is the most visible of these changes. Gone are the days of long at-bats, when a batter stalked around the box with ritualistic practice swings or a pitcher engaged in long pauses between throws. Now, just 20 seconds can pass between pitches.
That time between pitches and innings are the places where broadcasters shine, where they ply their trade of scene-setting, stat-spouting, storyline-building broadcast greatness. So you might be surprised to learn how Alabama’s announcers feel about the new rule. “The pitch clock is the best thing to happen to broadcasters,” says Caray. “Fiveminute at-bats had become routine and really made our jobs a lot harder and exhausting…. It makes for a more engaging call because, as broadcasters, we have to stay on our toes.” Sadighian agrees: “I like the flow of the game. I think it makes it easier to call a game when there’s more of a flow attached to it.”
“I’m old school,” Greenwald says. “I’ve always felt baseball was pure because there was no clock. You know, you have to earn your outs. It’s a thinking person’s game. But you know what? I’ve actually come to love it…. The pace is crisper.”
Rickwood Field
Alabama’s broadcasters routinely have the opportunity to participate in one of MILB’s great traditions. Since the mid-1990s, the Birmingham Barons have hosted a Southern League game at historic Rickwood Field. Opened in August 1910, it is the nation’s oldest professional baseball stadium, steeped in the history of the Negro Leagues and civil rights. The annual game pays homage to the league and its players.
At the 2024 Rickwood game, Jack Sadighian bore witness to one of the most poignant baseball moments in recent memory. The Biscuits and Barons squared off on the historic field on June 18, 2024, a few days ahead of the first-ever MLB game played there. Several innings into the game, news broke that Willie Mays, whose career had begun at Rickwood Field and who was among those scheduled to be honored at the upcoming MLB game, had died in California at the age of 93.
“I was throttled,” Sadighian recalled as he broke the news to listeners. “You could feel that somberness over the ballpark. There were people sobbing in the stands next to me.” The young broadcaster’s mic picked up a swelling chant from the crowd honoring one of their favorite sons: Willie! Willie!! Willie!!! Montgomery won the game 6-5.
“What am I going to see tonight?”
Alabama’s broadcasters have seen their share of memorable moments on the baseball diamond. For Sadighian, one such moment came in September 2024 when Biscuits outfielder Chandler Simpson became the first minor leaguer since 2012 to steal 100 bases in a season. “That was just really special,” he recalled, “and the ovation the crowd gave Chandler and how excited he was.” (Tampa Bay called Simpson up to the majors earlier this year.)
One of Caray’s most memorable moments is more ignominious: “In 2023, the Trash Pandas threw a no-hitter and lost 7-5 to Chattanooga. They were winning 3-0 heading into the last inning before four walks, four hit batters, an error and a wild pitch scored seven runs for the Lookouts. The game made SportsCenter and headlines in the New York Times.”
Over a three-decade career, Doug Greenwald has seen an awful lot from his perch in broadcast booths around the country. There was the game-stopping chase that ensued when a Fresno equipment manager’s pet English Bulldog charged onto the field, and a late-night extra-inning game interrupted by an automatic sprinkler system, to name just two. “That’s what I love about baseball. Once that first pitch is thrown, you have no idea what will happen.”
The story of Alabama’s MILB teams for the 2025 season is still being written. Birmingham is looking for a return to the championship, while Montgomery hopes to capitalize on an impressive homefield record and a strong start to the second half of the season. Further upstate, Rocket City is searching for a path back on track for a winning season. With league play scheduled through mid-September, a great deal of baseball remains.
Throughout all of it, listeners seeking distraction from the worries of the workaday world can tune in and, in the process, appreciate the undeniable craft of play-by-play announcing of the great American pastime. You might even hear a little minor-league magic over the air. As Barons announcer Doug Greenwald asks himself before the first pitch, “‘What am I going to see tonight?’”
NOTE: Find the broadcast stations for Alabama’s Double-A teams at www.MILB.com
The sun sets over a game at Toyota FIeld in Madison, AL. The 7,000-seat stadium is home to the Rocket City Trash Pandas.
The Ginger Root
is a dining draw to this small Alabama town
BY MICHAEL TOMBERLIN
If you’re not from Alabama’s Wiregrass region, there is a good chance you’ve never heard of the town of Samson in Geneva County. It’s not on an interstate or even a main road to the beaches.
But Samson has emerged as a dining destination for those in the know, thanks to The Ginger Root.
Owner Keisha Hall is the ginger (redhead) with roots in Samson and the driving force behind the restaurant that has created quite a buzz for a combination of great food, inviting décor and excellent service.
“I think we love people. We love them through our food. We love them through the waitresses that come to their table and treat them with respect. We’ve had people say, ‘We feel welcome when we come in here,’” Hall says. “What we have going for us is our true love for people. Our food is amazing. It’s beautiful. We’re going to treat you like you should be treated so your whole meal, your whole time with us is happy. So I think you boil it all down to love.”
Keisha Hall, owner of The Ginger Root.
The Tomahawk pork chop, with sweet potato rounds and zucchini medley, is on the spring summer menu.
PHOTO BY KRISTIEN
GROWTH AGENCY
PHOTO BY MICHAEL TOMBERLIN
Though she has been a foodie all of her life and has long dreamed of opening a restaurant, the dream was delayed as Hall had a successful, stable career in accounting, closing out her 22 years at Carr, Riggs and Ingram in Enterprise as chief financial officer.
To feed her creative and entrepreneurial sides, Hall opened a clothing boutique. But after retiring from accounting, she realized she wanted more.
“ Truly how it came to life was I decided that I wanted to do something in Samson,” she says.
While getting a massage and doing yoga in Destin, Hall was seeking what to do in her hometown. That dream of opening a restaurant returned with a newfound fire.
So she found a building that was a former police station (and a former clothing store and a former movie theater). She began working with a chef on a menu and opened The Ginger Root three years ago.
“ The only thing I knew about a restaurant when we opened this was how to eat in one,” she says. “So, it’s been three years of trying to figure things out.”
Apparently, The Ginger Root has figured things out, because it has attracted a following. Customers come from neighboring Covington, Coffee, Dale and Houston counties as well as from Geneva County and Florida.
“I would say 90% of our customer base is from out of town,” Hall says. “If you’re coming from a bigger town to me, that means I’m doing something right.”
Sophisticated Southern cuisine
For Hall, so much of her is in The Ginger Root that she is pleased when people respond favorably to it.
“I just wanted it to be me, a reflection of who I am, and serve good food, treat people well,” she says. “I love that the building is beautiful. It allowed me to be creative, to bring some of the things to life that’s kind of been hidden inside and make people happy. If you come in and you’re smiling and you leave and you’re smiling, that’s made my day.”
From the décor to menu input, Hall’s imprint is everywhere at The Ginger Root.
“My motto: … If we cannot make it as good or better than I’ve had somewhere else, it’s not going on the menu,” she says.
That menu reflects the sophisticated Southern cuisine Hall is aiming for.
Diners can start with something like pork belly with fried green tomatoes, fried okra bacon crumble or popcorn shrimp with pickled peppers. Entrees like a tomahawk bone-in pork chop, grouper Tuscana or blackened salmon are among the favorites.
The menu changes seasonally and as much as possible is made from scratch at the restaurant.
“ The core of us is our food,” Hall says.
Hall has always loved to cook and considers herself “a very good cook.”
“I will actually stress release in cooking,” she says. “At home, if I needed to get out of my head, I would cook. I would be so absorbed in what I was doing that I couldn’t think about anything else. One of the few hobbies that I have is cooking. So, why not do this? Why not bring your hobby to life? Could I cook on that line back there? No. Do they want me on that line back there? No, they do not.”
Plans are to expand into the space next door to create a bigger kitchen, more dining space and maybe a place for live music and a piano bar. Big thinking for Samson?
Hall doesn’t think so. She sees no reason why Samson can’t have the kind of place she envisions.
“I think the locals have somewhere nice to come and eat. I hope that it’s the start of growth,” she says. “Maybe it’s a start of rebuilding a thriving town.”
This story originally appeared on the Alabama News Center website.
Loaded baked potatoes, collards and cornbread and a ribeye steak.
A classic Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo is comfort food, but with a little sophistication.
PHOTO BY KRISTIEN PIERCE/THE GROWTH AGENCY
PHOTO BY KRISTIEN
PIERCE/THE GROWTH AGENCY
ISEC Says: Bring Back Our Trophy!
BY BRAD BRADFORD
t seems like it’s been a decade since the SEC last won the National Championship. The Big 10 (with 18 teams) has bragging rights since they won the last two: Michigan in 2023 and Ohio State last year. The SEC has had time to lick its wounds, recruit and rebound.
Today’s college football looks nothing like it did less than 10 years ago. In the “old days,” players signed scholarships that paid for room, board, books, tuition and fees. There was loyalty to the college and transferring to another school meant sitting out. Not today. NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) has turned the game into the “highest bidder wins.” Many of the top college athletes are being paid (legally) millions of dollars. The new transfer rules allow basic free agency among players. Tampering and poaching players used to be a cardinal sin. Now, it’s part of the game.
This creates a double-edged sword for coaches and fans since a new roster can be created almost overnight. The coach’s excuse of “getting my recruited players in place,” went out with leather helmets and no water at practice. It’s estimated that more than 60% of the quarterbacks this year will be transfers. Some of the players have attended 3 or 4 different schools looking for more playing time or more NIL money.
AUBURN NOTES: Pat Dye and Shug Jordan would roll over in their graves if they had to hear the answer to this trivia question: Name the SEC school who has had four consecutive losing seasons. The answer is NOT Vanderbilt. It’s Auburn. The last winning season was 2020, Gus Malzahn’s last year.
Auburn fans are getting impatient, especially when Coach Hugh Freeze has a 2-year overall record of 11-14. He inherited a mess from Bryan Harsin and his poor recruiting effort. Freeze has been recruiting at a level that Tiger fans expect. Can this be the breakthrough year? Most analysts think so.
ALABAMA NOTES: Kalen DeBoer had a huge pair of coaching shoes to fill last year when Nick Saban retired. The Tide started out like gangbusters, jumping all the way to number 1 after defeating Georgia. That’s when the “rat poison” was served. Getting beat is one thing. Getting beaten by Vandy is something quite different.
Bama seemed out of sync for much of the year. Losing to Tennessee and being manhandled by an average Oklahoma team took the shine off the LSU and Auburn wins. Is DeBoer the leader to get the Tide back on top?
Optimism is high since in his second year at Washington, they played for the national championship.
SEC TOP 4 PREVIEW: When the league was divided in East and West divisions, annually you could pencil in Alabama and Georgia to meet in Atlanta for the championship. That has changed. The “Manning Mania” at Texas makes the Longhorns the popular pick to win the league. Question by Steve Spurrier: if Arch Manning is so great, why was he a backup to Quinn Ewers who was a 7th round draft pick? Too much hype?
As long as Georgia has Kirby Smart at the helm, the Dogs will always be in the hunt. Replacing Carson Beck who left for Miami and greener ($) pastures will be a challenge. LSU is loaded this year and has one of the top quarterbacks in the league, Garrett Nussmeier, returning. For Alabama, the defense will be nasty and the wide receiver room led by AllAmerican Ryan Williams will be the difference. Settling on a quarterback early will be important.
Most believe the champion will come from one of these 4: Texas, Georgia, LSU or Alabama.
AUBURN PREDICTION: The Tigers have a favorable schedule as they play Georgia and Alabama at home. It’s imperative to get off to a good start at Baylor on Friday night. They catch a break by playing Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. The tossup will be at Texas A&M.
Coach Hugh Freeze is considered an offensive wizard when he has his quarterback. This year, he brought in Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold to throw to Cam Coleman, a speedster. The offense must improve from its 71st ranking last year. If Auburn beats Baylor, they could start off 5-0 headed into their off week before Georgia. Prediction: 8-4.
ALABAMA PREDICTION: The Tide plays both Georgia and Auburn on the road but catch Tennessee and LSU at home. The opening game at Florida State will be tricky with Gus Malzahn as the new offensive coordinator at FSU. Their trap game will be at South Carolina since offensive coordinator, Mike Shula, has developed quarterback LaNorris Sellers into a Heisman contender.
Who will replace Jalen Milroe at quarterback? Ty Simpson is the leader right now but Austin Mack and 5-star recruit, Keelon Russell, will be pressing during fall camp. The two hidden keys: No player transferred out in the spring and reuniting offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb with DeBoer is huge. Prediction: 10-2.
PLAYOFF PREDICTION: Big 10: Ohio State, Penn State and Oregon. ACC: Clemson and Louisville. Big 12: Kansas State. SEC: Texas, Georgia, LSU and Alabama. Group of 5: Boise State. At large: Notre Dame.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: Texas 38- Clemson 28. And the SEC wins again.
Brad Bradford is a former football staff member at Alabama and Louisville. His wife, Susan Moseley Bradford, is a former Auburn cheerleader. His blogs can be found at hairinabiscuit.com. Brad is also an author and motivational speaker. COACHBRADBRADFORD@GMAIL.COM
Generational Wealth
FISHING
FOUNDATION BRIGHTENS THE
DAY FOR THOSE WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS
BY JOHN FELSHER
Nothing can brighten a day more than a young child smiling after catching his or her first fish, even more so when it’s a special needs child. Since 1991, the C.A.S.T for Kids Foundation made that happen many times throughout the country.
“C.A.S.T stands for Catch A Special Thrill,” says Jeff Barnes of Albertville, the foundation eastern regional director. “The foundation enriches the lives of children with special needs, supports their families and strengthens communities through fishing. We empower families and communities to celebrate children with special needs. This makes these children feel valued and loved.”
The organization has been in Alabama for about 15 years. It scheduled seven events in Alabama this year.
“We’ve been bringing lots of smiles to a lot of wonderful kids for a long time,” Barnes says. “We have some wonderful volunteers, not just in Alabama, but all over the nation. They get their communities behind an event for these kids.”
Volunteer coordinators organize events in their communities. Some events take place strictly on the shorelines. In other events, boat owners volunteer to take children fishing for a few hours.
Catching a fish, any fish any kind of way, like this bluegill, makes kids happy just to have something pulling on their line.
“Our events are put on by volunteer coordinators in their communities to give a morning of fishing to some kids who maybe would never otherwise have that opportunity,” Barnes says. “Every child attending an event receives a rod and reel, a tackle box, a shirt and a hat to keep. We hold an award ceremony when everybody returns from fishing for lunch. Each child receives a plaque with his or her picture on it and a picture of the volunteer who assisted that child that day.”
Each child faces challenges, some physical and some mental or both. Some children must overcome physical disabilities like deafness, blindness or missing limbs. Others battle against mental challenges, such as autism or Down syndrome. Some live with deadly or debilitating diseases including cancer. The organization uses the words “children and kids” very loosely regarding ages.
“Kids with any type of mental or physical disability can attend our events,” Barnes says. “We target six- to 18-yearolds, but we have many events with some people in their 30s and 40s or older. We realize that a lot of young adults also have special needs. Some have attended our events for 30 years.”
Many participants have never touched a fishing rod before or even thought
about it. Adult volunteers – who are often accomplished anglers from fishing clubs, but sometimes just people who want to help – teach the children how to do such things as bait a hook, cast a line or know when they get a bite and set the hook. Volunteer boaters take the participants on the water and also teach or assist the children to do the same skills.
“Some kids are able to do more than others,” Barnes says. “Sometimes, the volunteers end up doing most of the fishing and the kids reel in the fish. We hope in the future the families of those children will take them fishing again and they will keep fishing as a family.”
Kids, parents, volunteers all benefit
These children don’t care what pulls on the other end of the line. Whenever youngsters, especially those with special needs, catch something, anything, their smiles make everything worthwhile to all the folks around them.
“The parents get a good bit out of every event because they get to see their child learn, participate in new activities and act like regular children,” Barnes says. “Many times, the parents learn things and then get interested in fishing themselves. Often, I hear comments like, ‘We weren’t
COURTESY OF JEFF BARNES, C.A.S.T FOR KIDS
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1When used for less than 8 hours per day within the expected service life
going to sign up because we didn’t think she’d like it,’ or ‘We never thought about fishing before and didn’t realize how much he would like it.’”
Everyone who attends an event, volunteers, parents and children, all get something out of it. The volunteers might even get more out of these events than the children. Volunteers get the pleasure and satisfaction of teaching new skills to special people that many others shun or simply ignore.
“For the second year, my husband and I hosted a C.A.S.T. For Kids Foundation event on our property,” says Marguerite Culpepper. “Once again, the community of special needs children enjoyed a wonderful fishing day with their families. It was a day to forget about doctor appointments, and sometimes, daily challenges. All of that was left at the gate. The community volunteers met these
families, gave high fives and cheered them on during the lunch award ceremony.”
For each event, participants must preregister. Sometimes, an event will only include participants from certain schools or other organizations. Some event coordinators open registration to anyone with special needs.
“We like a maximum of 40 kids to participate in an event,” Barnes says. “In my opinion, the volunteers get as much or more out of these events than the kids. They see the face of the children light up when they catch a fish and the children say the darndest things.”
The foundation receives no tax dollars.
The 501c3 organization depends upon donations. Some sponsors help with funding. For each event, the volunteer coordinator raises money to pay for it. The organization must buy all the fishing rods, tackle and other items. The coordinator
finds a place to hold the event, enlists people to help the kids and makes sure everything runs smoothly.
“Our biggest need right now is for more volunteer coordinators, people who will be willing to make an event happen in their communities,” Barnes says. “The volunteer coordinators work with our foundation to plan and conduct an event. Often, our volunteers are people who have fished for many years and want to give back to others. They remember when they caught their first fish. To see one of these young people catch a fish for the first time and get excited, that’s awesome. How can someone’s heart not be warmed by that!”
To volunteer, call Barnes at 256310-4323 or send an email to jeff@ castforkids.org. For more information on the foundation and event schedules, visit cast4kids.org
CROSSWORD
school that is the oldest public secondary school in Alabama
____ T. Washington, one of the great pioneers of education in Alabama
24 Brazilian city known for its carnival 25 Unit of weight measurement, abbr.
Small barrel for liquids
28 ___call: the start of a class 29 Small notes
31 College entrance test, abbr.
32 __-school (for younger kids)
33 Writing point of a pen
34 Chemical formula for water (the answer contains a number)
37 Emotional intelligence, abbr.
38 Abbreviation for carat
| SOCIAL SECURITY | The Social Security Administration column, which usually appears in this space, was not provided to Alabama Living for this
EVENTS
August 2
Albertville, Made on the Mountain Fest, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Albertville. Local musicians, craftsmen, vendors, food trucks and more. This is event was rescheduled from early May. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.
August 7-10
Northeast Alabama, World’s Longest Yard Sale. More than 690 miles of yard sales and unique treasure finds along the Lookout Mountain Parkway from Gadsden to Chattanooga, Tenn. Enjoy the natural treasures of the area during your trip. VisitLookoutMountain.com
August 15-16
Russellville, Franklin County Watermelon Festival. 6 to 10 p.m. Aug. 15 and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 16. Live music both evenings, car and truck show from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., 5K and 1-mile fun run beginning at 7:30 a.m., watermelon cutting and contests beginning at 10 a.m. Aug. 16. FranklinCountyChamber.org
August 15-16
Ozark, 30th annual South AL Pro Rodeo Classic, Dale County Ag Plex Arena. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., with events starting at 7:30 p.m. Search for the event’s page on Facebook or contact 334-726-0730.
August 15-17
Montgomery, The Buckmasters Expo, Montgomery Convention Center. Now in its 30th year, the event features more than 300 booths offering hunting and outdoors products. Hands-on gear demos, show specials and celebrity appearances. Free Bulls and Buckmasters bull riding show is 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, and 7-9 p.m. Saturday. Top Bow Indoor Archery Tournament; kids’ activity zone with mechanical bull, face painting, balloon artist and Italian ice; official Buckmaster antler scoring, free rides on Harriott II Riverboat Saturday and Sunday, food trucks and local vendors. Free admission with $1 donation benefiting the Friendship Mission and Salvation Army. Show hours are 3-8 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Buckmasters.com
August18-24
Birmingham, Sidewalk Film Festival, in downtown’s historic theatre district. More than 200 independent films will be shown, along with filmmaker Q&As, panels, workshops, networking events and parties. Sidewalkfest.com
August 22-23
Mobile, The Loyola Art Show, Crown Hall, 853 Dauphin St. This juried fine art event features more than 60 professional artists from across the Southeast. The show celebrates creativity, community and culture through a vibrant mix of artwork, engaging events and local collaboration. TheLoyolaArtShow.com
August 23
Fyffe, 20th annual UFO Days, Fyffe Town Park. Gates open at 9 a.m.; several bands will play throughout the day beginning at 10 a.m. Several activities for children and the whole family, plus food vendors. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.
August 23
Orange Beach, Third annual Coastal Tailgate Cook-off Challenge, a World Food Championship qualifier, 12 to 3 p.m., the Marina Lawn at The Wharf. Sample a variety of tailgate-style sandwich foods from some of the best culinary teams around. Entrants compete for a golden ticket to the World Food Championships in Indiana. $20 entry with 10 tasting tickets, or five for $10; children 5 and under free. Business.mygulfcoastchamber.com
August 29-30
Alexander City, Labor Day Music Fest at Russell Crossroads. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at The Green at Russell Crossroads, 27 Russell Farms Road. Free. Several bands of different genres will play; acts to be announced. 256-397-1019.
August 31-Sept. 1
Cullman, 29th annual Smith Lake Park Sweet Tater Festival, 403 County Road 386. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday (Labor Day). Live entertainment, food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, and of course “sweet taters.” Car show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday. $5 admission per person or $20 per vehicle; armband allows for entry to both days. Search for the event on Facebook.
September 6
Montevallo, Tinglewood Festival, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Orr Park. See wood carving artists and participate in a whittling contest. Also: car and tractor show, food vendors, live music all day and fun for the whole family. Free. TinglewoodFestival.com
September 12
Montgomery, 13th annual Riverbend Brewfest and Country Jamboree, Union Station Train Shed, 6 to 10 p.m. Dress in your best western wear and enjoy the Brandon Jordan Band and Scott Bartlett of Saving Abel. DJ Ali, line dancing, mechanical bull, lawn games, food trucks and vendors. Admission is $35, $25 for military. Event was rescheduled from May 16. Visit Montgomeryal.gov and scroll to “city events.”
September 12-13
Tuscumbia, Oka Kapassa Return to Coldwater Festival, Spring Park. This festival celebrates the culture and traditions of Native Americans who once thrived in north Alabama. Special performance Friday evening, with music, dance, and storytelling. On Saturday, the festival will continue during the day with vendors, demonstrations, performances, and various activities. OkaKapassaFestival.org
September 20-21
Orange Beach, fifth annual Freedom Fest and Bama Coast Cruisin’ Fall Car show, The Wharf. Featuring a kids’ zone by the Ferris Wheel, patriotic military booths, arts, crafts and outdoor vendors (including food vendors), live music stage and the Gulf Coast Gun Collectors Association collectible firearms show at the Orange Beach Event Center. Festival and car show are free; $10 admission to firearms show. Free shuttles for parking. OrangeBeachAl.gov
September 20
Hartselle, 45th annual Depot Days festival, at the historic depot and downtown area. Event is a tribute to the railroad industry and its contribution to the area. Art show featuring local artists, a car show, kids’ station with games, face painting, inflatables and more, live music and a special feature at the historic Hartselle Train Depot. HartselleChamber.com
To place an event, e-mail events@alabamaliving.coop. or visit www.alabamaliving.coop. You can also mail to Events Calendar, 340 TechnaCenter Dr., Montgomery, AL 36117; Each submission must include a contact name and phone number. Deadline is two months prior to issue date. We regret that we cannot publish every event due to space limitations.
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This year’s Buckmasters Expo will feature a professional bull riding show.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BUCKMASTERS
PROGRAM AIMS TO WIPE OUT CERVICAL CANCER IN ALABAMA
BY LYNNE L. HALL
Cervicalcancer can be prevented through an effective and longlasting vaccine, screening, and follow-up treatment. Yet Alabama has one of the highest cervical cancer mortality rates in the United States and consistently ranks in the top five states in cancer incidence.
To address this serious public health problem, the state of Alabama is leading the charge to wipe out cervical cancer by 2033.
Operation Wipe Out, a partnership between the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), Rotary Clubs and other partners, has earned national recognition for the program they conceived, with accolades from as high up as the White House.
“That was an honor,” says Operation Wipe Out’s Isabel Scarinci, Ph.D. “But it was just the beginning. Many states and even other countries have asked us for help. We’re already seeing great progress here. When people learn that a major cancer can be eliminated, they are eager to help.”
Cervical cancer is 90% curable
If you are female, you have a cervix — a lump of tissue at the back of the vaginal wall that serves as a conduit between the uterus and the vagina. The cervix faces a particularly sneaky threat — the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Male or female, there’s an 85% probability that you’ll become infected by a type of HPV at some point in your life. Most infections are asymptomatic and go away on their own. Some are persistent, however, and cause cervical changes that may result in cervical cancer.
There is good news. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), with early diagnosis and treatment, cervical cancer is 90% curable. Even better, there is an HPV vaccination that’s recommended for males and females between the ages of 9 and 26 that prevents infection, thereby eliminating the cause of cervical cancer and preventing other HPV-related cancers.
Warner Huh, M.D., chair of UAB’s Department of OB/GYN and a partner in Operation Wipe Out, played a pivotal role in development and testing of the HPV vaccine.
“Vaccination is vital. After FDA approval, there’s no question it’s both incredibly effective and extraordinarily safe. It’s going to change the lives of millions of women in the next 50 years,” Huh says.
HPV vaccines are available where you have other vaccinations, such as your pediatrician’s office. ADPH sponsors the Vaccine for Children program, which grants health care providers with free vaccines for eligible children — those on Medicaid, unable to pay, uninsured, under-insured and Native Americans. Contact your local health department for more information.
Spread the word among your friends and other parents about the importance of HPV vaccination and talk to your child’s school about sponsoring a vaccination event involving students. In Chambers County, where Operation Wipe Out got its start and where cervical cancer rates were highest, HPV vaccination was offered at schools and other special events. One high school increased vaccination rates to 60% and the other reached 80%.
Screening and treatment saves lives
Why are so many women dying of a cancer that’s 90% curable? Many reasons,
with a lack of health care access in rural and impoverished urban areas being a main factor, says ADPH’s Nancy Wright. Today just 16 Alabama counties offer OB/ GYN services, necessitating long drives to access care. Other factors include lack of education about the need for screening and treatment, no transportation and lack of insurance.
Cervical screening through Pap and/or HPV testing is recommended for women between the ages of 21 and 65, and thanks to improved technology, is now required just every three years. If a woman is asked to return for further tests, it does not mean cancer was found. It’s could be changes were found that require close monitoring. If so, your health care provider may recommend a colposcopy, which takes a closer look at the cervix. If there are suspicious changes, small bits of cervical tissue might be removed to search for cancer cells. The procedure may cause some discomfort, but it’s short-lived. If cancer is found, surgery is essential. The extent of the surgery and follow-up care depends upon the spread of cancer cells. But, just to reiterate: If caught soon, it’s 90% curable.
Your gynecologist provides Pap and HPV screenings, and many can now provide colposcopies. Additionally, some primary care physicians perform both procedures. If these services are not available in your area or you cannot afford care, contact the ADPH for information on accessing the Alabama Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (ABCCEDP). If you qualify, free screening and colposcopies are available. If you don’t qualify, you can still receive information on how and where to access care.
For more information, contact ABCCEDP at 877-252-3324 or visit operationwipeout.org
ADOBE STOCK
GET COUNTING!
Join the Great Pollinator Census this month
In an era of declining pollinator populations, the Great Southeast Pollinator Census (GSEPC) stands out as a beacon of community-driven conservation.
Launched in 2017 by Becky Griffin of the University of Georgia Extension, this citizen-science initiative empowers residents across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama to take part in a two-day pollinator count each August.
The goal is to create a snapshot of pollinator activity across the region — documenting not only the presence of bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, but also their plant preferences and the timing of blooms. This data helps researchers, educators, and environmental advocates better understand pollinator trends and develop strategies to protect these vital species.
Participation is simple. Volunteers — teachers, students, Master Gardeners, nature lovers, stay-athome parents, 9-to-5’ers, retirees, and everyone in between — commit to spend 15 minutes observing a single flowering plant and tallying the insects they see. The insects are grouped into broad categories such as honey bees, bumble bees, small bees, flies, butterflies/moths, wasps, and others. This approach makes the census something people of all ages and experience levels can do, while still yielding valuable data.
The impact of the census has grown steadily since its inception. In 2024 alone, more than 18,000 pollinator counts were submitted, representing 269 counties across the participating states. Georgia led the way with more than 13,000 counts, while Florida and North Carolina saw significant increases in participation. Even in the face of challenges like Hurricane Debby, South Carolina volunteers managed to contribute hundreds of counts.
Beyond the numbers, the GSEPC has inspired the creation of over 800 sustainable pollinator gardens. It has also been integrated into STEM and STEAM curricula by more than 500 educators in the Southeastern region, reaching thousands of students. The gardens not only provide habitat for pollinators but also serve as nature’s classrooms, fostering environmental stewardship.
The census also plays a role in raising awareness about the importance of pollinators. Bees and other pollinating insects are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. Yet habitat loss, misuse of pesticides, disease, and
environmental changes continue to threaten their survival. By engaging the public in hands-on observation, the GSEPC helps demystify these creatures and highlights their essential role in Earth’s ecosystems and our nation’s agriculture.
This year, Alabama is joining the count, and we can’t wait for all of you to be part of this effort! The 2025 census takes place August 22–23. You can count one day or participate on both days. Visit the official GSEPC website (www.gsepc.org) where you can find counting sheets, identification guides, and educational resources.
In a world where environmental problems can feel overwhelming, the Great Southeast Pollinator Census offers a hopeful reminder: Small actions, when multiplied across communities, can lead to meaningful change. Whether you’re a seasoned naturalist or simply curious about the buzzing life in your backyard, this project invites you to pause, observe, and contribute to a healthier planet — one pollinator at a time.
Bethany O’Rear, a horticulturist for more than 20 years, is a regional agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, specializing in commercial and home horticulture.
Popular CoQ10 Pills Leave Millions Suffering
Could this newly-discovered brain fuel solve America’s worsening memory crisis?
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA — Millions of Americans take the supplement known as CoQ10. It’s the coenzyme that supercharges the “energy factories” in your cells known as mitochondria. But there’s a serious flaw that’s leaving millions unsatisfied.
As you age, your mitochondria break down and fail to produce energy. In a revealing study, a team of researchers showed that 95 percent of the mitochondria in a 90-year-old man were damaged, compared to almost no damage in the mitochondria of a 5-year-old.
Taking CoQ10 alone is not enough to solve this problem. Because as powerful as CoQ10 is, there’s one critical thing it fails to do: it can’t create new mitochondria to replace the ones you lost.
And that’s bad news for Americans all over the country. The loss of cellular energy is a problem for the memory concerns people face as they get older.
“We had no way of replacing lost mitochondria until a recent discovery changed everything,” says Dr. Al Sears, founder and medical director of the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine in Palm Beach, Florida. “Researchers discovered the only nutrient known to modern science that has the power to trigger the growth of new mitochondria.”
Why Taking CoQ10 is Not Enough
Dr. Sears explains, “This new discovery is so powerful, it can multiply your mitochondria by 55 percent in just a few weeks. That’s the equivalent of restoring decades of lost brain power.”
This exciting nutrient — called PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) — is the driving force behind a revolution in aging. When paired with CoQ10, this dynamic duo has the power to reverse the age-related memory losses you may have thought were beyond your control.
Dr. Sears pioneered a new formula — called Ultra Accel Q — that combines both CoQ10 and PQQ to support maximum cellular energy and the normal growth of new mitochondria. Ultra Accel Q is the first of its kind to address both problems and is already creating huge demand.
In fact, demand has been so overwhelming that inventories repeatedly sell out. But a closer look at Ultra Accel Q reveals there are good reasons why sales are booming.
Science Confirms the Many Benefits of PQQ
The medical journal Biochemical Pharmacology reports that PQQ is up to 5,000 times more efficient in sustaining energy production than common antioxidants. With the ability to keep every cell in your body operating at full strength, Ultra Accel Q delivers more than just added brain power and a faster memory.
People feel more energetic, more alert, and don’t need naps in the afternoon. The boost in cellular energy generates more power to your heart, lungs, muscles, and more.
“With the PQQ in Ultra Accel, I have energy I never thought possible at my age,” says Colleen R., one of Dr. Sears’s patients. “I’m in my 70s but feel 40 again. I think clearly, move with real energy and sleep like a baby.”
The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and Dr. Sears receives countless emails from his patients and readers. “My patients tell me they feel better than they have in years. This is ideal for people who are feeling old and run down, or for those who feel more forgetful. It surprises many that you can add healthy and productive years to your life simply by taking Ultra Accel Q every day.”
You may have seen Dr. Sears on television or read one of his 12 best-selling books. Or you may have seen him speak at the 2016 WPBF 25 Health and Wellness Festival in South Florida, featuring Dr. Oz and special guest Suzanne Somers. Thousands of people attended Dr. Sears’s lecture on antiaging breakthroughs and waited in line for hours during his book signing at the event.
Will Ultra Accel Q Multiply Your Energy?
Ultra Accel Q is turning everything we thought we knew about youthful energy on its head. Especially for people over age 50. In less than 30 seconds every morning, you can harness the power of this breakthrough discovery to restore peak energy and your “spark for life.”
So, if you’ve noticed less energy as you’ve gotten older, and you want an easy way to reclaim your youthful edge, this new opportunity will feel like blessed relief.
The secret is the “energy multiplying” molecule that activates a dormant gene in your body that declines with age, which then instructs your cells to pump out fresh energy from the inside-out. This growth
MEMORY-BUILDING SENSATION: Top doctors are now recommending new Ultra Accel Q because it restores decades of lost brain power without a doctor’s visit.
of new “energy factories” in your cells is called mitochondrial biogenesis.
Instead of falling victim to that afternoon slump, you enjoy sharp-as-a-tack focus, memory, and concentration from sunup to sundown. And you get more done in a day than most do in a week. Regardless of how exhausting the world is now.
Dr. Sears reports, “The most rewarding aspect of practicing medicine is watching my patients get the joy back in their lives. Ultra Accel Q sends a wake-up call to every cell in their bodies… And they actually feel young again.”
And his patients agree. “I noticed a difference within a few days,” says Jerry from Ft. Pierce, Florida. “My endurance has almost doubled, and I feel it mentally, too. There’s a clarity and sense of well-being in my life that I’ve never experienced before.”
How To Get Ultra Accel Q
This is the official nationwide release of Ultra Accel Q in the United States. And so, the company is offering a special discount supply to anyone who calls during the official launch.
An Order Hotline has been set up for local readers to call. This gives everyone an equal chance to try Ultra Accel Q. And your order is backed up by a no-hassle, 90day money back guarantee. No questions asked.
The discount offer will be available for a limited time only. All you have to do is call TOLL FREE 1-888-358-9519 right now and use promo code ALUAQ825 to secure your own supply.
Important: Due to Ultra Accel Q recent media exposure, phone lines are often busy. If you call and do not immediately get through, please be patient and call back.
Kids in the Kitchen
Young chefs share their inspiration and recipes
BY LENORE VICKREY
Ellvie Smith would rather watch the Food Network than cartoons. Cohen McKenzie is partial to Brenda Gantt videos on YouTube. And Tillman Oldacre? He loves watching chef Nick DiGiovanni whip up creations on TikTok.
These young Alabama chefs are making their own mark in the culinary world, creating their baked, grilled, roasted or toasted creations for family, friends and even for charities. They somehow manage to juggle time in the kitchen with playing sports and school work.
Tillman Oldacre, 13, an eighth grader at Cullman Middle School, started getting into cooking about three years ago. “We were making Thanksgiving food and I wanted to help my mom and that’s how it started,” he says. From there, he began to help his parents in the kitchen more often, and started watching popular chef Nick DiGiovanni on YouTube and TikTok. “He’s my favorite chef,” he adds. “I try to cook some of his recipes.”
His favorite thing to cook is breakfast food, with his top dish an egg sandwich with fried bologna. He also enjoys making his favorite chunky guacamole, chocolate mousse cups and salsa.
His interests have gone beyond just his home kitchen. Tillman’s mother, Tiffany Green Oldacre, is involved in several nonprofit organizations in the Cullman area. With her help, he organized a fundraising dinner last October at his house for Unsheltered International, which helps homeless in the local area and internationally.
“I made tacos,” says Tillman. “They are easy to make and you can have a variety of them.” Travis Sharp, who heads the Unsheltered ministry, spoke at the dinner which raised about $6,000 for the charity. “Since I love cooking, I wanted to do something special like that,” Tillman says.
He’s also made his special chocolate covered pretzels and sold them on the street in downtown Cullman, donating proceeds of $1,500 to Flourish of Cullman, which helps special needs persons find jobs.
Plans are already in the works for another charity dinner this year, with the Pilot Light Home, a local foster home of the Cullman Pilot Club, as the beneficiary. “The menu will be similar to last year, with shrimp, chicken or veggie quesadillas, guacamole dip, salsa and black beans,” Tillman says.
Tillman's Chocolate Mousse Cups
Hershey chocolate bar
Tub of Cool Whip
Pastry cups
1. Heat and melt chocolate bar (I like to use the double boiler method).
2. Mix with entire tub of Cool Whip. Put in pastry cups. Place in freezer for at least an hour.
3. Garnish with fruit (raspberries, blueberries and blackberries).
4. Serve chilled.
Tillman Oldacre’s favorite meal to cook is breakfast food, including pancakes on the griddle.
Alabama has had its share of young chefs making a splash on national cooking shows. Last year Bryson “Cheese Curd” McGlynn, a seventh grader from Opelika, won the title of “Master Chef Junior” and has been busy making appearances and endorsements ever since. His “Cookin' with Cheese Curd” social media accounts and TikTok videos attract thousands of followers.
One of his biggest fans is no stranger to TV appearances herself. Ellvie Smith of Attalla, who turns 12 in September, recently appeared on the Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship which aired in January this year. (Brooke Waters of Selma was a contestant on the same show in 2019 when she was 11.)
Ellvie interviewed for the show in January 2024, and filming was done for two weeks in California that summer. But she couldn’t tell anyone for six months how the competition turned out. She did not win, but loved the experience.
“Meeting people from all over the world was my favorite part,” says the soccer-playing homeschooled student. The contestants will gather in August for a reunion in Atlanta and take cooking classes together.
“She’s made her own birthday cakes since she was six,” says her mother, Kori Smith. “She’s always preferred the Food Network over cartoons.” When Ellvie was nine, they took her to the Food Network’s food and wine festival in New York City where she cooked saffron risotto live on stage. “She still remembers how to do it,” Smith says.
These days her favorite thing to make is floral cupcakes. “That’s my go-to,” she says. She learned how to make the intricate icing designs that look remarkably like real flowers from her mother’s friend “Aunt” Holly. “She has her own home bakery,” Ellvie says.
She uses some of her great-grandmother’s recipes, eggs from her own chickens, and special cake decorating tools purchased at Hobby Lobby. She proudly posts her realistic cupcake designs on her Instagram and Facebook accounts, @ellviebakes.
Beyond baking, she also likes to cook “basically anything. I got a new Blackstone (flat top griddle) so I think I’ll grill some steaks tonight,” she muses. And she might check in with her friend Cheese Curd, who follows her online.
What about a career? “I want to bake… and be a lawyer.”
Ellvie’s Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing
11/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (Southern-style: use a good-quality Madagascar or bourbon vanilla)
1/2 cup whole milk (or buttermilk for a richer, tangier flavor)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla.
5. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined—don’t overmix.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners (about 2/3 full). Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted
11/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1–2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
1. In a bowl, beat butter until creamy (2 minutes).
2. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing on low.
3. Add vanilla and 1 tbsp cream or milk. Beat on high until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add more cream/milk if needed for consistency.
4. Pipe or spread onto cooled cake!
Ellvie Smith puts the finishing touch on some of her floral cupcake creations. See more on her social media @ellviebakes.
Alabama’s popular online celebrity, Brenda Gantt (featured in Alabama Living, September 2020), inspired 12-yearold Cohen McKenzie of Elberta in Baldwin County, who started watching the Andalusia cook’s videos when he was seven, during the 2020 pandemic and families were cooped up at home. "Me and mama watched it,” says the seventh grader at Elberta Middle School. “Then we got to visit her.” He and his family went to a book signing for one of Gantt’s cookbooks at the Sweet South Market in Andalusia and “we were number two in line,” says his mother, Christin, training and development specialist at Baldwin EMC.
Cohen now has all of Gantt’s cookbooks and he opens his own cooking videos with her Deep South trademark greeting, “Hey, y’all!” On the opposite side of the chef spectrum, he also likes to watch British TV chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay, known for his perfectionism and stern personality.
Despite a busy schedule of school and sports, Cohen likes to help out in the kitchen most every day, he says. “During the summer,
Cohen's Pan-Seared Red Snapper
8 ounces red snapper (2 filets) or other varieties of snapper (such as yellow)
1 tablespoon flour (use gluten-free AP flour, if needed)
Pinch salt, pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon capers
Small handful fresh herbs (such as rosemary, chives or oregano)
1. Pat snapper filets dry. Dust with flour and shake off any excess. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
2.Prepare a heavy pan with the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Heat on medium-high until butter is melted but not browned, then turn the heat down to medium.
3. Place the filets in the pan and cook about 4 minutes. Don't touch the filets until they're ready to flip.
4. Use a thin metal spatula to test the fish. If you can slide the spatula under the fish without the fish sticking to the pan, it's ready to flip. If the filets won't release, give them another 30 seconds. They'll release when they've finished cooking.
5. After flipping, divide the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over both filets.
6. Cook fish another 3-4 minutes until done. Fish will be golden on both the top and bottom and opaque all the way through when finished cooking.
7. Transfer the fish to plates, leaving the excess butter in the pan. Cover fish to keep warm, or set fish in a 200 degree oven.
8. Reduce heat to medium. Add the lemon juice and capers, and stir with a wooden spoon. Add half the herbs and stir again.
9. Serve fish hot with pan sauce and remaining herbs.
he’s always chopping something. He likes special projects,” says his mother. “He’ll come up with random ideas like making a Beef Wellington. He and his dad researched it and made it.”
His favorite recipe is “Momma’s Potatoes,” she says, which are cut in half, tossed with onion, garlic and Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning, and cooked in the oven.
After a recent deep sea fishing trip in the Gulf with his grandmother, he brought back snapper and cooked it for supper in a cast iron skillet with garlic powder, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Cohen also makes vanilla extract and vanilla sugar with his aunt, using vanilla beans and vodka. “Then you’ve got to wait a year,” he says, for the vanilla to infuse and create the traditional dark color. The homemade creations make delicious Christmas gifts.
And he and his grandmother, “Gigi,” also love to make his favorite pecan pie and homemade vanilla ice cream.
Of course, he adds, “We use the fresh vanilla extract.”
Cohen McKenzie and some of his fresh-caught snapper; below, he and his parents got to meet Andalusia cook Brenda Gantt, who has inspired him.
One of the reasons I love to cook like I do is because as a child, I was allowed to help in the kitchen. My Momma, Nannie and Aunt Peggy all had a hand in teaching me to love cooking! While my girls were growing up, I tried to do the same thing with them. Now, as a grandmother (“BB”) to two sweet littles, we are starting to spend time in the kitchen, too. Having the kids with me in the kitchen is not only fun for us all, but it also teaches valuable lessons. This recipe is a new favorite of me and my sweet grandson, Witt! For more fun recipes, visit our site at www.thebutteredhome.com.
Easy Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes
8 ounces cream cheese block, softened
1 ounce cheesecake-flavored instant pudding mix, zero sugar
1/4 cup Half and Half
1/4 cup whipped cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 vanilla wafers
Toppings of your choice (M&Ms, cookie crumbles, gummy candies, etc.)
Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners, 6 to 12. Add one or two vanilla wafers to each one for the base of the cheesecakes. In a large mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, cheesecake-flavored pudding mix, Half and Half, whipped cream and vanilla. Mix with a hand mixer until creamy and smooth.
Scoop cheesecake mixture into each prepared cupcake liner. This recipe will make 6 full or 12 with half filling in each. Top with toppings of your choice and chill for 30 minutes to one hour. -Brooke Burks
Photos by The Buttered Home
Brooke Burks gets help making mini-cheesecakes from her grandson Witt.
Cool Savings:
Refrigerator and Freezer Efficiency Tips
What are some ways I can improve the efficiency of my refrigerator and freezer?
When exploring ways to be more efficient with refrigerators and freezers, we often find ourselves stuck between convenience and conserving energy. While you can upgrade to newer equipment, care and equipment habits can be just as important to saving energy.
Here is some guidance on equipment energy use, including tips to keep your current equipment running efficiently and ways to limit overuse of refrigeration in our homes.
The U.S. Department of Energy helps us understand what to look for in our existing equipment and new appliances. In general, the larger the refrigerator, the more energy it uses. The most efficient models are typically 16 to 20 cubic feet. Models with the freezer on top tend to use less energy than bottom freezers or side-by-side units. A refrigerator 15 years or older uses about 35% more energy than an Energy Star-certified model.
Let’s explore some tips to keep your refrigerator running efficiently
Keep it organized. One of the biggest issues with refrigerator energy use is opening the door or keeping it open. An organized fridge makes food items easier to find, minimizing open-door time and keeping cold air inside. Place items in the same spots so they are easier and faster to find. I tell my kids to take a quick look inside
1) Keep your refrigerator gaskets clean to ensure a tight seal around the door. 2) Clean the vent cover and remove dust and debris buildup in the vent area under the front of the refrigerator. 3) f you have a second refrigerator or freezer, consider ways to avoid food waste and unplug the extra appliance when it is not needed.
at the options and close the door while they are deciding what to eat.
Keep it clean. Regularly cleaning the gasket—the flexible strip around the perimeter of the fridge door— ensures a tight seal between the door and the unit to keep cold air inside. If the gasket is not sealing tightly, it should be replaced. Removing and cleaning the vent at the bottom of the unit can help airflow. For the coils at the back, use an extended cleaning brush instead of moving the fridge and risking injury.
Also, keep food safety in mind. The Department of Energy recommends setting your refrigerator temperature between 35 and 38 degrees and freezer at 0 degrees.
If you have a second refrigerator or freezer, here are some things to consider that can help you save energy
Do you need it plugged in year-round? Perhaps you can keep it empty and unplugged for part of the year. Maybe you only really need it during the holiday season. Unplugging it for the months you aren’t using it will save energy, and you’ll still have it as a backup when you need it.
If you are a hunter or buy meat in bulk, set a goal to empty out your freezer before you restock. This allows you to avoid food waste and unplug the extra appliance when it is not needed.
If possible, consider the location. Keeping the second fridge or freezer in a cool basement versus a hot garage requires less energy.
Instilling simple cleaning and food storage habits are easy ways to be more efficient with your inhome refrigeration.
Miranda Boutelle is the chief operating officer at Efficiency Services Group in Oregon, a cooperatively owned energy efficiency company. She has more than 20 years of experience helping people save energy at home, and she writes on energy efficiency topics for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing nearly 900 electric co-ops.
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WHAT TO DO after finding
young or injured wildlife
What does one do after finding an injured or juvenile wild animal? Many experts say let nature take its course.
“In most instances, the best thing to do is to leave the animal alone, in my opinion,” says Chris Sykes, executive director of the Alabama Wildlife Center at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham. “Most young wildlife are not orphans at all.”
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has similar advice. Its website, outdooralabama. com, says that “it is always best to leave wildlife where it was found, and trust that your intervention is not required.”
For people who find an injured animal and insist on trying to help it, first take a photo of it and send it to a properly licensed and permitted facility so the staff can determine the species. Document any obvious injuries. Then, take the animal to a professional rehab facility, such as the AWC, as soon as possible. Just don’t break the law by taking it across state lines.
“When a bird is obviously injured, bring it to our rehabilitation clinic for immediate treatment,” Sykes says. “A wildlife rehabilitation permit is required before anyone may possess most species of sick, injured or orphaned native wildlife. We’re only permitted to rehab birds.”
Founded in 1977, the AWC rehabilitates injured native birds. Since its inception, the AWC staff rescued more than 100,000 birds comprising more than 100 species.
In south Alabama, the Environmental Studies Center in Mobile, part of the Mobile County Public Schools system, does animal rehabilitation among other things. The facility keeps various animals that cannot be released back into the wild for educational purposes.
“We are an educational facility with the goal of providing high quality environmental education to the students and citizens of Mobile County and beyond,” says Dr. Tracy H. Jay, ESC director. “We use the animals to teach students and others about the wildlife and ecology of Mobile County and in the unique upland Gulf Coast area.”
After finding an animal, place it in a container with a lid. For dangerous creatures, such as birds of prey, wear gloves and other protective gear. A raptor’s beak and talons can rip flesh apart. Put a towel over its head. If immediate transport is not possible, put the animal in a dark, quiet place until transportation occurs.
“When an animal can see what’s happening, it panics,” says Susan Clement, the ESC biologist. “To a wild animal, we are the enemy. If it’s sitting there staring at us, it’s going to be terrified. Once someone covers its head, it calms down.”
Don’t try to feed the animal. Many species require specialized diets. For instance, injured raptors will not eat bird seed. They want meat and prefer organ meat.
“Just like people, many animals go into shock when injured,” Clement says. “Sometimes, they just need some time to calm down, heal, relax, get some food and fluids in them and they will be fine.”
The first thing any rehab specialist would do is give the bird or animal a full exam. They check for injuries and treat anything they can treat. Unfortunately, they can’t fix everything. Some conditions prevent the animal’s eventual release back into the wild.
“When we get baby birds or other uninjured animals, we want to reunite them with their parents,” Clement says. “Humans can never be as good as the bird’s mom and dad are at teaching them how to be birds. However, sometimes, releasing is just not possible.”
Even animals that cannot be released serve a purpose. They help teach new generations about themselves. The ESC provides homes for bald eagles, pelicans, herons, owls, hawks and other native birds.
“Without the rehabilitation program, we would not have the animals that we use in our education program,” Jay says.
“If we didn’t have those animals, we couldn’t teach people about them. We don’t just teach people about the animals. We also teach the conservation of these animals, which is very important. Children learn to protect and appreciate what they experience. Our goal is to give them that place-based experience to see animals that live around them, to not only alleviate some fears about those animals, but to teach them some of those conservation efforts to help protect them.”
Throughout the year, many school, scouting troops and other groups visit the ESC facility. For more information or to help, call 251-221-5000 or visit mcpsesc.com
John N. Felsher is a professional freelance writer who lives in Semmes, Ala. He also hosts an outdoors tips show for WAVH FM Talk 106.5 radio station in Mobile, Ala. Contact him at j.felsher@hotmail.com or through Facebook.
For information about the AWC, call 205-663-7930 or visit alabamawildlifecenter.org
For a list of animal rehabbers in Alabama, visit outdooralabama.com/wildlife/wildlife-rehabilitation.
Susan Clement, biologist for the Environmental Studies Center in Mobile, shows off an injured bald eagle to Penelope Hickman, 10, a center visitor from Mobile. Note the eagle’s deformed bill.
Ever look at your power bill and wonder why it jumps around from month to month? You’re not alone. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) provides electricity to 10 million people across seven states, including Alabama, by supplying electricity to 153 local power companies. Even though each power company bills a little differently, every electric bill has these three things in common: the base rate, fuel costs, and your own usage.
Base Rate: This per-kilowatt-hour fee usually stays the same each month but could change by season. TVA’s Board of Directors sets the wholesale rate each year that is charged to your local power company.
Fuel Costs: These can go up or down each month based on the amount of fuel needed to produce the electricity you use. All customers in the Tennessee Valley pay for the cost of fuel. How it appears on the bill may vary. Some companies list this separately, others fold it into the total, but fuel expenses often account for about one-third of TVA’s monthly wholesale charge.
Your Usage: The biggest factor in your monthly bill is how much electricity you use. Peak seasons - summer and winter - drive up consumption because you use more power to stay comfortable, especially during extreme heat or cold. While you can’t control fuel prices or base rates, you can control usage. That makes conservation the smartest path to saving money on your bill.
Where Does Your Electricity Come From?
At TVA, power doesn’t just come from one source. Our electricity generation relies on a diverse mix to keep the lights on, and each generation source has costs that can fluctuate:
• Nuclear: Runs 24/7 and fuel costs remain very stable.
• Coal and gas: These can generate power 24/7 in any kind of weather, but fuel prices can swing quickly.
• Renewables: Hydro, solar, and wind have no fuel cost, but aren’t always available. Weather plays a major role. If there’s less sunshine, wind, or rain, that can lower power output.
What We’re Doing to Keep Rates Competitive
TVA monitors and plans for changing market conditions and works to maintain competitive rates. As a result of these efforts, TVA’s residential rates are less than what most people across the country pay – lower than those paid by over 80% of customers served by the top 100 U.S. utilities. Industrial customers benefit from rates lower than those paid by over 90% of customers of the top 100 U.S. utilities.
Simple Ways to Save
What drives your bill up the most is your lifestyle and usage. A few easy moves like sealing up drafty windows, using programmable thermostats, adjusting the thermostat slightly, switching to LED bulbs, and unplugging electronics when you’re not using them can go a long way. Small changes add up, especially during peak seasons. And you don’t have to sacrifice comfort – just be smart with how and when you use energy. You can find more energy savings tips and information about rebates on energy efficient upgrades or repairs at TVA.com/EnergyRight.
Kevin Chandler is the South Region Customer Relations Director for the Tennessee Valley Authority.
How To Place an Ad in Marketplace
Closing Deadlines (in our office):
October 2025 Issue by August 25
November 2025 Issue by September 25
December 2025 Issue by October 25
Ads are $1.75 per word with a 10 word minimum and are on a prepaid basis; Telephone numbers, email addresses and websites are considered 1 word each. Ads will not be taken over the phone. You may email your ad to hdutton@areapower.com; or call (800) 4102737 ask for Heather for pricing.; We accept checks, money orders and all major credit cards. Mail ad submission along with a check or money order made payable to ALABAMA LIVING, 340 TechnaCenter Dr., Montgomery, AL 36117 Attn: Classifieds.
Vacation Rentals
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PANAMA CITY BEACH CONDO – Owner rental – 2BR / 2BA, wireless internet, just remodeled inside and outside – (502)7777819, larrysusemichel@reagan.com, www. theroneycondo.com
Answers to puzzle on Page 28
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PIGEON FORGE CABIN – Private and convenient – Sleeps 6 – Over 2 acres – 4 miles to Parkway. For more information pictures, etc. go to vrbo. com number 189535, but contact owner directly to save booking fees. hilltopakc@yahoo.com –(334)365-6976
MILITARY / SERVICE DISCOUNTS on dozens of rentals. No Booking Fees. (251)333-6500, ALAVHR.com
TWO BEACHFRONT CONDOS – 2BR / 2BA and 1BR / 2BA in Gulf Shores. Beautiful accommodations, balconies overlook the beach – (256)636-2884, amariewisener@gmail.com.
OWNERS – Join the fastest growing regional site in Alabama. Low annual fee. Verified Owners, no booking fees or commissions. Alabama Vacation Home Rentals. Locally Owned and Operated. (251)333-6500, ALAVHR.com
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THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU FINALLY GET YOUR CONDO RENTED! You can thank us later. Alabama Living reaches over 455K homes and businesses each month.
Education
FREE MATERIALS: When Church / Government Unite, Enforcing Sunday Law, The MARK OF THE BEAST is HERE! Don’t be deceived, be informed! Leave mailing address only – TBSM, POB 374, Ellijay, GA 30540 – TBSMADS@yahoo. com – (888)211-1715
GROW MUSCADINES AND BLACKBERRIES , half dollar size – We offer over 200 varieties of Fruit and Nut Trees plus Vines and Berry Plants . Free color catalog. 1-800-733-0324. Ison’s Nursery, P.O. Box 190, Brooks, GA 30205 Since 1934 www.isons.com
The Heat is On,
and I don’t like it
It’s 86 degrees and I’m sitting, sweating, and swearing. I’m miserable. That’s because 86 degrees is the indoor temperature.
You see, on one of the hottest, humid streaks of summer imaginable, the air conditioner in my little lake house has decided to quit cooling. And the fans and portable AC unit I’ve brought out aren’t helping at all. What’s worse, I suppose my heating and cooling guy has decided I have leprosy because he’s barely returning my calls and texts. In fact, when I finally talked to him, he told me he couldn’t make a service call to my house because he had to go to a funeral home with an emergency AC problem. I guess someone at a visitation must’ve said it was hotter than hell and upset the deceased’s family.
As I sit in an ever expanding pool of sweat, I’ve begun to wonder about all of us. We’ve become soft. I was almost out of high school before we had air conditioning in my house, and somehow we got by. Usually it was early June when my father would pull out a giant fan that sat on a homemade wooden base. It had no back, so the blades were totally exposed. It’s a good thing I didn’t sleepwalk or I would have lost several fingers. This propeller of death was strategically placed in our hallway. Once we opened the rear windows in the house, Dad hit the button and it roared to life, making a sound that was about as loud as a Cessna airplane. The fan pulled the cooler outside air inside, along with loose paint chips off the wall.
I was telling this story to someone last night and they said, “Well, I know what I would do. I would be checking in a hotel ASAP.” That’s my point. What was once considered normal, even if it was uncomfortable, has now become unbearable.
Looking back, it’s hard to believe that every summer my dad would pack us in a 1963 Chevy Impala with no cold air and drive to Panama City. That was the real reason we left at 4 a.m., to beat the heat. My wife easily one upped me: In July 1959, their family loaded six people into a hot Chevrolet and drove to New York! Nowadays, I won’t get in a hot car to drive to Walmart. When I was a kid, the best way to get temporary relief from the summertime heat was to go to a movie. The theaters even advertised the fact they had air conditioning. Oh, that wonderful feeling of walking through the doors and feeling a rush of cool, cool air! Forget how bad the movie was; you were blissfully comfortable for a couple of precious hours.
It not just homes. For example, if I told you my automobile was not equipped with AC, you would look at me like I had just described an alien abduction. But when I was a child, we never had air-conditioned cars, unless you count the 470 system every automobile had. That’s 4 windows rolled down while you’re going 70 miles an hour. What’s worse is our car had black vinyl seats. It was like riding in an air fryer. If I was wearing shorts, then the back of my legs got a chemical peel without the chemicals.
The first taste of air conditioning in a 1960s house was the window unit. This was a device that made so much noise you couldn’t hear the TV. And since it only cooled part of the house, rooms that weren’t in use were closed off. I remember opening the door to my grandmother’s bathroom and being met with a giant blast of heat. It was like peeing in a sauna. Once I scorched my bottom when I sat on the toilet. It was a black seat lid, by the way.
Eventually, Dad sprang for central air, and when Mom’s next car had AC, the ordeal finally ended. We joined millions of other people on a journey to a softer, more comfortable life. By the way, all of these changes occurred about the same time I was leaving for college. Nice timing by my parents.
As for now, the sweat that’s getting in my eyes is making it almost impossible for me to read what I’m typing. So, I’m going to hydrate, call the AC guy and try to convince him that if he doesn’t move my little house to the top of his service list, soon he may be visiting another place with dead people inside.
Joe Hobby is a standup comedian, a syndicated columnist, and a long-time writer for Jay Leno. He’s a member of Cullman Electric Cooperative and is very happy now that he can use Sprout from his little place on Smith Lake. Contact him at jhobby2000@aol.com.
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December recipe contest: Christmas cookies & treats!
See page 37
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