Lakeside November 2019 - January 2020

PROVIDING THE S ERVICES YOU N EED.

McLeod Health Clarendon is here to provide you and your family with the highest-quality healthcare available. Our highly-skilled physicians and medical staff provide a wide range of medical services designed to meet the unique needs of the communities we serve.

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• McLeod Safe Kids • Occupational Health • Orthopedics • Paramedic Program • Pediatrics • Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery • Podiatry • Rehabilitation: - Cardiac - Physical - Occupational & Speech Therapy

• Sleep Lab • Surgical Services • Swing Bed Program • Urology • Women’s Services - Maternity Care - Midwifery - Pelvic Health • Wound Care

McLeod Health Clarendon Most major insurance and Medicaid and Medicare are accepted.

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A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 3

about from the lake us PUBLISHER Vince Johnson EDITOR Kayla Robins COPY EDITORS Rhonda Barrick Melanie Smith WRITERS Shelbie Goulding Sharron Haley Bruce Mills Ivy Moore Kayla Robins J. Scott Sewell Melanie Smith COLUMNISTS Dan Geddings

VINCE JOHNSON PUBLISHER

Micah Green Cary Howard ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Karen Cave karen@theitem.com Mark Pekuri mark@theitem.com Xavier Platt xavier@theitem.com

on the cover

Carolyn Hodge and her family are continuing the “Southern, delicious and nutritious” tradition started by her grandmother through Savor the Flavor.

Photo by Micah Green

36 W. Liberty Street • Sumter, SC 29150 www.theitem.com 4 NOVEMBER2019 - JANUARY 2020 | LAKESIDE

to do and where to go also inside: What this holiday season pg. 6

8 10

Clarendon lands a BIG ONE

PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Ryan Galloway

Bassmaster Elite Series fishing tournament for the first time in a decade, a Manning native celebrates a life of creative design, and, of course, we celebrate the holidays with lists of gift ideas, festive events and recipes.

We hope this magazine brings you some piece of joy as you read it, but more than that, we hope that this holiday season brings your life a renewed sense of hope and a time of celebration for the gifts that surround you.

We appreciate you being a part of our community and region.

Bassmaster Elite Series tourney coming to Manning for first time since 2009

PHOTOGRAPHY Micah Green

Welcome to the Holiday Issue of Lakeside magazine. When I think of the holidays, I think of celebrations and gatherings, a time when communities of people build each other up and enjoy the gifts of their life.

That’s the ideal, certainly. It’s easy to fall into the trap of the mundane, the trials, the sadness that sometimes impacts all of our lives, but with this issue, and with the holidays in general, there’s an offer of new hope and celebration.

Our cover story embodies this, building on generations of a family business as they “savor the flavor” of delicious food and cherished memories.

Also inside this magazine of celebrations, Clarendon County celebrates the landing of the

44 40 24 28 18 14

Holiday recipes

will help create sweet memories

Stocking stuffers made by local artists for everyone on your list

Scott’s Branch High Alumni Association keeps valued history alive

Carrying on the tradition

Swamp Log Artisans creator dives for cypress logs to be used for stunning art

From river bottoms to gallery shelves

Family business thrives, grows

Savor the Flavor

Don Chestnut designs beautiful arrangements for events, homes

The man behind the flowers

what’s inside

FEATURE STORIES

A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 5

What to do & Where to go BERKELEY • CLARENDON KERSHAW ORANGEBURG • SUMTER

KERSHAW COUNTY

The Carolina Anglers Team Trail’s Lake Wateree Open No. 17 will be held on Saturday, Nov. 9, at Clearwater Cove Marina, 2029 Baron Dekalb Road, Camden. Visit www.cattteamtrail. com/divisions/catt-lake-wateree-opens/ for more information.

The 6th Annual Oysters and BBQ Bash, benefiting the Community Medical Clinic of Kershaw County, will be held 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, at 833 S. Broad St., Camden. This event will feature an array of delicious oysters and barbecue with all of the fixings. Tickets are $45. Contact Kim Hudson at (803) 427-1735 or khudson@cmcofkc.org. Visit www.cmcofkc.org.

The Carolina Anglers Team Trail’s Lake Wateree Final will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Clearwater Cove Marina, 2029 Baron Dekalb Road, Camden. Visit www.cattteamtrail.com/ divisions/catt-lake-wateree-opens/ for more information.

The Columbia City Ballet will present “The Grinch” at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5, at the Wood Auditorium of the Arts Center of Kershaw County. Adult general admission $25; student/military admission $20. Visit artscenterofkershawcounty.wildapricot.org.

Find something for everyone on your Christmas shopping list at the Holiday Sales Show from Dec. 6-14 at the DouglasReed House. Browse through wonderful handmade gifts of jewelry, stained glass, pottery, wood items, food items and more from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit artscenterofkershawcounty. wildapricot.org.

Colonial Christmas at Historic Camden will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, at Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site, 222 Broad

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St., Camden. Event will feature treats, carolers, hot cocoa and a visit from Santa. Only $10 per car. Contact Margaret Buckelew at (803) 432-9841 or margaret@historiccamden.org. Visit http://bit.ly/33Rq9X3.

The Candlelight Tour of Homes, a Camden Junior Welfare League benefit for the children of Kershaw County, will be held Saturday, Dec. 14. Visit www.camdenleague.org/candlelighttour-of-homes.

“The Nutcracker” will be presented by the Dance Place on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 3 p.m. and at 7 p.m. at Wood Auditorium. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit artscenterofkershawcounty.wildapricot.org.

FLORENCE COUNTY

A variety of sights, sounds, smells and sensations will delight both you and your dog during Dog Daze from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Moore Farms Botanical Garden, 100 New Zion Road, Lake City. Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times. Admission is free, but donations are accepted with all proceeds benefiting the Florence Area Humane Society. Call (843) 210-7592 or email Leigh Collins at lcollins@moorefarmsbg.org. Visit moorefarmsbg.org/events/dogdaze-3/.

You don’t want to miss Jingle Bell Market Friday-Sunday, Nov. 22-24, at the Florence Center, 3300 W. Radio Drive. This spectacular holiday event will feature handmade crafts, gifts,

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vintage finds, apparel, monogrammed items, jewelry, beauty products, gourmet food items and more. Event hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Single-day admission is $10 or multi-day admission of $18. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Visit www.jinglebellmarket.com.

Downtown Christmas Magic celebration will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, on the 100 block of West Evans Street in Downtown Florence. Bring the whole family out to kick off the holiday season with free hot cocoa and s’mores stations, live holiday entertainment, ice skating, ugly sweater contest, the Jingle and Mingle kids area filled with crafts and games, Santa Claus meet and greet, holiday gift market and more.

The 2019 Downtown Chocolate Crawl will be held from 5:45 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, in Downtown Florence.

Tickets are $10, and price includes chocolate tastings in 13 locations, a complimentary chocolate bar with chance to win one of the golden ticket prizes and a box to collect your chocolate treats along the way. Adult tasters will be able to upgrade their experience to sample chocolate cocktails, wines and brews. Visit http://bit.ly/2MC2Ri1.

LEXINGTON AND RICHLAND COUNTIES

A family celebration of food and arts, tree lighting, stage performances and more, Vista Lights will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Vista in Columbia. More than 60 galleries, shops and restaurants will open their doors to showcase their holiday treasures and scrumptious dishes. There will also be live entertainment and performances. Visit www.vistacolumbia.com/ special-events/vista-lights.

The 52nd Annual Columbia Gem and Mineral Show will be held Friday-Sunday, Nov. 22-24, at the Jamil Temple, 206 Jamil Road, Columbia. Friday and Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ,and Sunday hours are noon to 5 p.m. More than 25 dealers are expected at this year’s show, and they will have a huge variety of materials from rough and cut gemstones, beads, fossils, finished jewelry, wire wrapping, lapidary supplies and excellent mineral specimens.

Admission: $5 for adults; children 16 and under admitted free with paid adult; military and their spouses are also admitted

free. Visit www.cgms.rocks/.

Columbia’s longest-running holiday tradition, the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden Lights Before Christmas will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 23, 24, 27, 29 and 30, and Dec. 1, 4-8, 11-15, 18-23 and 26-30. Cost: $12 for adults; $10 for children 2-12; and free for anyone under age 2. Call (803) 779-8717 or visit www. riverbanks.org/events/lights-before-christmas.

The Midlands largest drive-through lights show, Holiday Lights on the River, will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Nov. 27Dec. 31. Every year, Saluda Shoals Park comes alive with more than a million sparkling lights and more than 400 animated light displays of all shapes and sizes. Cost: $20 per car; $40 per 15-passenger van; and $60 per bus. Visit www.icrc.net for complete details or call (803) 772-3903.

The Junior League of Columbia’s Holiday Market is one of the most popular holiday shopping events of the season.

Each year, thousands of shoppers head to the Cantey and Goodman buildings at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds, 1200 Rosewood Drive, Columbia, to find the perfect Christmas gifts from the more than 150 merchants. The four-day shopping event will be held as follows: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5; 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 6-7; and noon to 5 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 8. The popular “Ladies Night Out” is already sold out. To purchase tickets, visit www.jlcolumbia.org/support/ holiday-market/.

One of the most anticipated holiday parades in the Midlands, the Holiday Parade of Lights will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, in front of the Cayce Municipal Complex, 1800 12th St., and proceed down 12th to 12th Street and Highway 1 in West Columbia.

Call (803) 794-6504 or visit cwcchamber.com/ holiday-parade-of-lights.html.

ORANGEBURG COUNTY

The Junior Service League of Orangeburg’s annual Holiday Market weekend will be held Friday-Saturday, Nov. 8-9, at the Cinema, 1225 Orangeburg Mall Circle, Orangeburg. There will be more than 30 vendors from across the state. The market will be open 1-6 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Pictures with Santa available from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Lunch is

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served from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday. General admission tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door.

The Junior Service League of Orangeburg’s 5th-Annual Boots, Brews & BBQ Event will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, at The Garden Room, Orangeburg. Bidding for silent auction will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets: $30 per person in advance or $35 at the door.

The Town of Elloree Christmas Parade will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23. Call (803) 897-2821 or visit www. elloreesc.com for details.

The Orangeburg County Christmas Parade will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1, in Downtown Orangeburg. Call (803) 534-6821 for details.

The Santee Tree Lighting and Luminary Service will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Call (803) 854-2152, extension 202 or 205, for details.

The Holly Hill Christmas Festival featuring food vendors, crafts, children’s activities and more will be held FridaySaturday, Dec. 6-7. All activities take place at the Train Depot, Visitor Center, Downtown Holly Hill, 8603 Old State Road.

Friday’s hours are 5-10 p.m. with Saturday’s hours 10 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, including an activities and events schedule, visit www.hollyhillchristmasfestival.com.

The Santee Christmas Parade will be held on Sunday, Dec. 8. Call (803) 854-2152, extension 221, for details.

BERKELEY COUNTY

The City of Hanahan will host its Annual Red, White & Blue Festival, held to honor our nation’s veterans, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Hanahan Amphitheater, 3100 Mabeline Road. Local bands and magicians will provide entertainment. Call (843) 266-0723 or visit www.cityofhanahan. com for details.

The Mepkin Abbey 17th-Annual Creche Festival will be held Nov. 18-24 and Nov. 29-Dec. 7 at Mepkin Abbey in Moncks Corner. Reservations should be made by visiting www. mepkinabbey.org. Please call (843) 761-6580 for reservations only if you do not have computer access.

The 7th-annual Tinsel Trot Holiday Fun Run/Walk will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, at Old Santee Canal Park, 900 Stony Landing Road, Moncks Corner. Take an

apply today at

uscsumter.edu 8 NOVEMBER2019 - JANUARY 2020 | LAKESIDE

What’s your path?

evening run, walk, dash, dance or prance through the two-mile course that offers a “sneaker preview” of the Celebrate the Season Holiday Driving Tour. There will be a special appearance

by Santa Claus. Contact Brad Sales at (843) 899-5200 or brad@oldsanteecanalpark.org.

The Celebrate the Season Holiday Driving Tour will be held 7 days a week from 6 to 9 p.m. from Nov. 29 through Dec. 30, with the exception of Dec. 24 and 25. The tour starts at 1 Riverwood Drive and ends at the park. Admission is $5 per vehicle, and proceeds benefit Berkeley County charities. Visit www.celebratetheseason.org.

SUMTER COUNTY

Sample a variety of wines paired with delicious hors d'oeuvres as businesses in historic downtown Sumter open their doors to ticket holders for the annual Sip and Scream from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. Complete the evening at the green space across from the Opera House with desserts prepared by Hamptons’ pastry chef. Tickets: $30; $25 for military personnel or ages 60 and up; or $10 for designated driver. Tickets will be $40 at the door. Visit www.sumtersipandstroll.org.

As part of its Main Stage Series, the Sumter Opera House currently has scheduled: Saturday, Nov. 16, the Sicilian Tenors; Saturday, Dec. 14, Tab Benoit with “Whiskey Bayou Review”; Friday, Jan. 17, Artrageous; and Friday, Jan. 24, Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Visit www.sumteroperahouse.com or call (803) 436-2500.

The USC vs Clemson Bigger Wednesday Tailgate Party will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the USC Sumter Nettles Building, 200 Miller Road. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. Cost: $20 per adult; $10 for students and children over 4; free for children under 4. Ticket includes dinner catered

by Willie Sue’s, beverages, beer, wine, music by DJ Howie D, dancing, mascot appearances, appearances by USC and Clemson cheerleaders, door prizes, silent auction, face painting and more. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.com or by calling (803) 938-3782.

The Sumter County Museum’s 22nd-Annual Carolina Backcountry Oyster Roast, one of Sumter’s most anticipated events, will be held 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 122 N. Washington St. Tickets: $40 for members; $50 for non-

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members; and $55 at the door (if available). Call (803) 7750908 or visit www.sumtercountymuseum.org.

The Daffodils & Silver Bells Arts and Craft Show will be held 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, and noon-4 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 24, at 30 Artillery Drive. Santa will visit on Sunday from 12:30 to 4 p.m. with photos available. For every three nonperishable food items you donate, your name will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card.

Take your family, your friends and your pets to the Sumter Family YMCA’s Turkey Trot 5k Run/Walk on Thursday, Nov. 28. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. with the race beginning at 9 a.m. Call (803) 773-1404 or visit www.ymcasumter.org for registration information.

Sumter County will sponsor its Christmas tree lighting program at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, on the front lawn of the Sumter County Courthouse, 141 N. Main St. Immediately following the tree lighting program, attendees can enjoy the annual Walk with St. Nick, which includes storytelling, caroling and refreshments.

While you are out viewing the holiday lights, don’t forget to add the Swan Lake Fantasy of Lights at Swan Lake-Iris Garden to your list. Open nightly Dec. 1-31, the lights are on until 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with the exception of opening night of Dec. 1, which starts with a 6 p.m. ceremony.

Visit www.sumtersc.gov/fantasy-oflights. For more information, call the Sumter Convention and Visitors Bureau at (803) 436-2640.

The 10th-Annual Town of Pinewood Christmas Parade will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7.

Departs from Manchester Elementary School, 220 W. Clark St., Pinewood. Call (803) 452-5878 or text Jack Spann at (803) 404-7674 for details.

The Evening Optimist Club’s annual Sumter Christmas

Parade will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, on Main Street.

The theme for this year’s parade is “A Storybook Christmas.”

The Carolina Backcountry Christmas, a delightful afternoon filled with sights, smells and tastes of Christmas in the 1800s, will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Sumter County Museum, 122 N. Washington St. Call (803) 775-0908 or visit www.sumtercountymuseum.org.

CLARENDON COUNTY

The Fall Open Bass Tournament will be held Saturday, Nov. 2. Call Ericka at (803) 435-4405 for details.

The Miss Manning High School pageant will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, at Weldon Auditorium, 7 Maple St., Manning. Tickets will be available at the door.

The HopeHealth 3rd Annual Golf Classic will be held on Thursday, Nov. 21, at Wyboo Golf Club, 2565 Players Course Drive, Manning. Team format is Four-Person Captain’s Choice.

Event will feature barbecue lunch 11-11:45 a.m., shotgun start at 11:45 a.m., tournament noon-5 p.m., and awards social 5-7 p.m.

The awards social will be held at Deercreek Community Center, 1048 Deercreek Drive, Manning. Call (803) 473-8718 or email scogdill@hope-health.org.

The Manning Christmas Parade will begin after sunset on Saturday, Nov. 30, on Old Georgetown Road traveling south down Brooks Street and turning right onto Boyce Street.

Manning Primary School will present “Babes in Toyland” at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at Weldon Auditorium, 7 Maple St., Manning.

Barrineau Christmas Parade will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, and the route will include St. James and Barrineau roads. Barrineau Pentecostal Holiness Church will have plenty of goodies on sale throughout the parade.

Enjoy the magic of a Small Town Christmas in Turbeville from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. The annual Christmas parade will begin on Main Street near the IGA and travel south on U.S. 301/Main Street. Visit http://bit.ly/35VugTV for details.

The Carolina Dance Academy’s Christmas Special will be held on Thursday, Dec. 19, at Weldon Auditorium, 7 Maple St., Manning.

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A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 9

10 NOVEMBER2019 - JANUARY 2020 | LAKESIDE

Clarendon lands a BIG ONE Bassmaster Elite Series tourney coming to Manning for first time since 2009 Story by Bruce Mills | Photos submitted

A

s a fishery, one of the sweetest rewards is landing a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament event, and Clarendon County has reeled one in for the first time in a little more than a decade with the release of next year’s nine-tourney schedule.

Local and national organization officials spoke recently about Santee Cooper Lakes hosting a four-day Elite Series tournament April 16-19, 2020.

The world’s best professional bass anglers that make up the Elite Series will descend on Manning that weekend

trying to catch some big largemouth bass on Lakes Marion and Moultrie.

The Elite Series is composed of about 82 to 84 anglers, mostly from the U.S., according to Emily Harley, communications manager with Bass Anglers Sportsman Society based in Birmingham, Alabama.

It will be the first time since 2009 that Santee Cooper Lakes has hosted a major BASS tournament, but the vast fishery has held 13 major events in the organization’s 50-plus-year history.

The county can likely expect a big draw that weekend. Lake Hartwell in

A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 11

Anderson and Winyah Bay in Georgetown each

hosted an Elite Series tournament earlier this year with an average attendance of 11,000 between the two of them, Harley said.

During the week of a typical Elite Series event, a host city can expect a direct economic impact of about $1 million when considering tourists, according to data and estimates provided by BASS. During a two-year timeframe, that total impact can multiply several times over, given media coverage from the likes of ESPN2, ESPN Classic and numerous other outlets, BASS said.

Like all Elite Series events, viewers can live-stream full tournament action on the water through ESPN+ and bassmaster.com.

Each four-day tourney is then condensed to an hour-long highlight show and shown on ESPN2 and ESPN Classic, generally a couple weeks after the event, Harley said.

She said viewing the sport of professional bass fishing can really draw in

2019 for a tournament was $575,000.

Santee Cooper Lakes is ranked ninth overall in Bassmaster Magazine’s annual Top 100 Best Bass Lakes list for this year and is third in the Southeast, which consists of seven states.

Officials with the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce said they are really looking forward to the Bassmaster tournament.

“We’re excited to have them come,” said Tiffany Myers, tourism director for the county Chamber.

“It’s certain to be a big draw and have a big the audience, even to a casual observer. economic impact on our county.”

“It can be incredible to sit and watch,” The Bassmaster association runs Harley said. “Bass will kind of fight, so it’s each tournament, and the Chamber not like you cast and you pull them up. will help tourney officials with hotels, You are sort of fighting this fish trying to accommodations and food during the get it caught. And then, because the guys four-day event, she said. only get to weigh their five biggest fish, The Bassmaster Elite Series event on there is that drama. These tournaments are Santee Cooper Lakes will actually be one won and lost by ounces.” week to before Clarendon Tourney winners in $100,000, she The take ONLY SC Dealership Carry the County’s annual said. A second-place finish generally earns striped bass festival, slated for Saturday, HIGHEST QUALITY-BUILT April 25.ZONE 3 HOMES! about $25,000. The average total purse in WIND

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2020 Bassmaster Elite Series

SCHEDULE DATE EVENT SITE Feb. 6-9 St. Johns River, Palatka, Florida Feb. 14-17 Lake Chickamauga, Dayton, Tennessee March 6-8 Bassmaster Classic, Lake Guntersville, Birmingham, Alabama April 2-5 Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Alabama April 16-19 SANTEE COOPER LAKES, MANNING May 29-June 1 Sabine River, Orange, Texas June 5-9 Texas Fest, To be announced July 23-26 St. Lawrence River, Waddington, New York July 30-Aug. 2 Lake Champlain, Plattsburg, New York Aug. 13-16 Elite makeup date (if a rainout) Aug. 20-23 Lake St. Clair, Macomb County, Michigan

A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 13

14 NOVEMBER2019 - JANUARY 2020 | LAKESIDE

Carrying on the Tradition Scott’s Branch High Alumni Association keeps valued history alive

P

Story by Bruce Mills | Photos submitted

assing the torch and carrying on the tradition of heroes.

That’s one way to describe the work of the Scott’s Branch High Alumni Association, based in Summerton.

The 501C-3 non profit organization was fully established 20 years ago in 1999 to strengthen and preserve the bonds between the school with lots of history attached to it and the community. Annually, the association awards financial scholarships each spring to Scott’s Branch High seniors who are about to graduate and enter the world. The alumni association also wants to pass along to today’s youth the strong values that helped history be made in the small town.

BRIGGS V. ELLIOTT Summerton has always been small and rural, but a movement that started here in the 1940s with a group of local parents requesting bus transportation for their children to school ended up with the desegregation of public schools across the nation.

As Terrance Tindal, a lifelong Summerton resident and 2002 Scott’s Branch High School graduate, explains it: Black children were walking several miles from home to school in those days when their parents decided to sue for transportation. Scott’s Branch and Summerton schools were segregated, as was legal according to Plessy v. Ferguson. But they were not equal.

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Turning the issue into a larger fight to challenge the constitutionality of school segregation, Harry Briggs Sr., his wife, Eliza Gamble Briggs and 20 other parents sued R.W. Elliott, president of the Clarendon County School Board.

Their children and teachers had to chop wood for fire to heat their schools. They had no desks, only benches.

“We hear more about Brown [v. Board of Education], and Briggs is known, but a lot of people don’t know the significance,” said the Rev. Robert L. China, pastor at Liberty Hill AME Church.

Levi Pearson asked for bus transportation in 1947. His case was thrown out on a technicality of where he paid taxes – his property was on the county line. Three years later, black parents’ petitions for equal resources in schools continued to be ignored. With the help of the Rev. Joseph A. DeLaine, a school principal, and a young Thurgood Marshall with the NAACP, Briggs v. Elliott was filed in 1950.

After a three-judge panel at the U.S. District Court denied the request to abolish segregated schools, the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court – more than 100 Clarendon County residents eventually signed – was combined with four other desegregation cases to become part of Brown V. Board of Education of Topeka, Shawnee, Kansas.

Brown is the name that is most associated with the landmark reversal of Plessy v. Ferguson’s “separate but equal,” but Briggs was the first of the five.

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HARDSHIPS The fight didn’t come without sacrifice though, according to numerous accounts. Briggs was fired from his job at a gas station, his wife from her job at a motel. Briggs was forced to flee Clarendon County for his safety, moving to Florida to work and send home money. He never returned.

Threats of retaliation were common, according to Ruby Pinnex, a 1966 graduate of Scott’s Branch High and the current national president of the alumni association.

‘A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD’ In response to Brown v. Board of Education and Briggs v. Elliott, the white community in Summerton didn’t send its children to the public schools but instead formed private school Clarendon Hall, Pinnex said.

Despite their socioeconomic status, the black community and youth were able to excel because of what the school system fostered, she said.

“Even though the schools remained segregated, the quality of education was there because they maintained the hard-core values of a very strong work ethic and the value of an education,” Pinnex said. “Even though these were parents who picked cotton for a living and a lot of them didn’t go to school, they saw to it that their children got educated. At Scott’s Branch High School,

SCOTT’S BRANCH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BY THE NUMBERS:

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In scholarship awards through the years

100+

Number of students receiving scholarships

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Years of awarding scholarships, dating back to 1994 To learn more about the alumni association: www. scottsbranchhighalumni.com

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we had some dynamic teachers and the advantage was the schools were like a “village raising a child' concept.'

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WORK Scott’s Branch High School alumni have been awarding scholarships for 25 years, dating back to 1994, said Terrance Tindal, the 2002 graduate.

The alumni association was fully established in 1999 as a non profit organization by Henry Canty.

The association consists of five chapters, and Tindal is vice president of the Eagles At Large Chapter.

Other chapters cover South Carolina, New York, Washington, D.C., and Florida.

In total, alumni have given out more than $150,000 in scholarships to at least 100 students

through the years, he said.

Pinnex and Tindal, who both have relatives that signed the historic Briggs v. Elliott petition, said the alumni association currently has more than 500 members, but at one time the total was more than 600. Every other year, it has a bi-annual alumni reunion.

Generally, on average, about five Scott’s Branch High seniors meet the criteria annually and are awarded from $1,000 to $2,500 in scholarships.

Many high school graduates and current alumni have gone on to tremendous accomplishments, they said. About five are physicians, one is a veterinarian, many became public educators, others went on to become architects, work in Information Technology, and several have had noteworthy military careers, Pinnex said.

Public educators themselves, Pinnex and Tindal said values the association wants to instill in the local youth and high school graduates include

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integrity, diversity, initiative, perseverance, responsibility, vision and purpose.

Tindal said the “heroes” of the past made an impression.

“As far as students, it made us want to strive harder,” Tindal said. “It made us want to show that we appreciate the efforts that everyone made so we could have that opportunity.”

Pinnex said the association’s work continues.

“Still, that wherewithall, is so deeply ingrained in the minds of the community,” Pinnex said, “and that is what we are trying to preserve so we don’t lose that.”

Local alumni are encouraged to become mentors of current Clarendon School District 1 students.

Since July 2015, the association’s headquarters has operated out of the former Clarendon 1 district offices at 1 Larry King Highway in Summerton. The headquarters’ building is named The Eagles’ Nest.

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18 NOVEMBER2019 - JANUARY 2020 | LAKESIDE

From river bottoms

to gallery shelves Swamp Log Artisans creator dives for cypress logs to be used for stunning art

A

Story and Photos by Shelbie Goulding

fter turning his fondness of scuba diving into a lifelong career, Alec Blalock decided to expand his business even more two-and-a-half years ago with an art gallery called Swamp Log Artisans Gallery.

What do scuba diving and an art gallery have in common?

Well, to put it bluntly, wood.

Blalock started his own business, Virgin Heart Sinker Cypress, 10 to 12 years ago, diving for cypress logs that sank to the bottom of rivers during the 1880s into the 1920s. He said loggers used oxen to drag harvested logs down waterways.

“They were so heavy that the easiest way to move them was by water,” Blalock said, “and at the takeout points, a good percentage of them would sink. They didn’t have the capabilities to try and retrieve them.”

With today’s technology, Blalock has the equipment to retrieve the cypress logs, but it’s not easy work. He gets permits from the state to dive in and pull these logs out from the rivers, and he does it all by touch.

“I like it because it’s challenging,” Blalock said. “It’s dark water. You can’t see anything at all, not even with a light.”

Luckily, he’s never crossed a gator’s path in the rivers of South Carolina, but he’s seen many sinker cypresses that are hundreds of years old.

A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 19

After bringing them to the surface, Blalock sells the lumber to skilled artisans, who take the lumber and create unique artworks with the sinker wood.

That’s when he got the idea to open an art gallery to showcase the sinker wood’s potential and the skills of these artisans.

“The backbone of this business is to feature things made from lumber we have cut from those logs we recovered from underwater in South

Carolina,” Blalock said. And he wasn’t kidding. The first thing you see when you go to the Swamp Log Artisans Gallery is sinker wood.

The front door, made by Bill Barret at Southern Custom Doors & Hardware, is made of sinker wood. Blalock points out the door has a natural trim called pecky, a fungus that gets into the top of cypress trees and works its way down to the base.

He said in the old days, loggers figured the fungus

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destroyed the wood, but it actually made beautiful, natural trim work for the artisans.

“We have over 50 highly skilled artists, some professional, and others are hobbyists,” Blalock said. “We strive to have products that are unique and high quality.”

The artisans are primarily spread across South Carolina, but some are from states such as Georgia, Kentucky and more. The majority of the

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A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 21

Swamp Log Artisans Gallery 229 N. Main St. Bishopville, SC 29010 Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday-Monday, by appointment only Phone: (803) 483-2424

art in the gallery is made from logs from Blalock’s business, but some artisans make art with other wood and mediums that is still considered high quality to Blalock.

“When I first started this, I already had some customers buying my wood that were building things, and that’s kind of how I got into this,” Blalock said. “I was trying to figure out ways to sell their materials.”

At Swamp Log Artisans Gallery, there are chainsaw carvings, ceramic and wooden pottery, Southwestern- and Southeastern-influenced jewelry, pine straw bowls, pyrography, paintings, photography, fossils, animal fur, sculptures, knives, soaps, Native American artwork, wooden musical instruments, mantels, furniture and much more.

A popular item, and one of Blalock’s favorites, are sinker wood bowties, and they’re great for every season and occasion, including weddings.

An award-winning artist, Rand Rowe of Lugoff, sells his sinker wood Native American flutes at 22 NOVEMBER2019 - JANUARY 2020 | LAKESIDE

Swamp Log Artisans.

“I’ve been making flutes for years,” Rowe said.

“They are tuned with a digital tuner and are pentatonic in tuning. The sinker wood is beautiful wood and causes the flutes to have a real nice tone.”

Another artisan at the gallery mentioned Rowe’s talent to Blalock, and he contacted Rowe immediately. Rowe said he and his wife do everything together, so she has ceramic pottery in the gallery as well.

Blalock said the Swamp Log Artisans Gallery doesn’t focus on making money as much as it does promoting talented artists like Rowe and his wife.

The artists are encouraged to not only use the sinker cypress wood in their crafts, but they are also encouraged to place business cards with their merchandise to get their names known.

“When I started this business, I made up my mind that all of our decisions won’t be on how we can make the most number of dollars today

and tomorrow,” Blalock said. “We want to make decisions that will make us be a blessing generator, and I feel like we’ve done that with some of our artisans.”

With the holidays coming up, he said the busiest time is September to December. The items that really sell for the holidays are homemade ornaments, felt figures, face and figure carvings, furniture and other home décor items.

Although Swamp Log Artisans Gallery has more than 50 artists showcased, Blalock said he’s always looking for more artisans, even to hold art classes, events or shows in the gallery as well.

“I came into this thing late in life,” Blalock said.

“We want to be a blessing. We don’t put something in here just because it’ll sell. We pick items that play to our heritage and our history.”

For more information on Swamp Log Artisans Gallery or to become an artisan, visit www.swamplogartisans.com.

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13028 Hwy 260 • Manning, SC 29102 803-478-3805 A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 23

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A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 27

r o v Sathe r o v a l F s s e n i s u b Family s w o r g , s thrive

Story by Ivy Moore Photos by Chris M. Moore / Barnabas Marketing 28 NOVEMBER2019 - JANUARY 2020 | LAKESIDE

A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 29

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Mary Ann Morris Banking Officer BEST OF Consumer Mortgage Lender

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counties.You’ve made us proud to serve yo • Best Source for a Mortgage Loan MANNING • SANTEE• •SUMMERTON SUMMERTON • SUMTER MANNING • SANTEE • SUMTER WYBOO Here’s how you voted• WYBOO to•show your confid inMANNING Clarendon County 803 433-4541 bankofclarendon.bank 803 433-4541 bankofclarendon.bank • SANTEE • SUMMERTON • SUMTER • WYBOO • Best Loan Officers: Chris Lee in Sumt 803 433-4541• bankofclarendon.bank MANNING • Come SANTEEsee • SUMMERTON SUMTER • WYBOO L. Lee Mary Ann Morris us. Let us keep showing in Chris Clarendon 803 433-4541 bankofclarendon.bankThanks to Senior Vice President Banking Officer our BOC customers friends.

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S

he’s been “savoring the flavor” of her late grandmother’s cooking all her life, and Carolyn Hodge has continued the business Betty Lee Brunson began shortly after her retirement from teaching. Brunson started off catering, but she found it was just too much, so she decided to leave the cooking to customers of the new business, appropriately called Savor the Flavor.

“She started making packaged rice products that people could cook at home,” Hodge said. “Her first was Charleston Red Rice.”

The side dish, traditionally getting its color from tomatoes, is still one of the business’ bestsellers. Simmons Seafood in Mount Pleasant was the first commercial business to carry it.

“Bubba Simmons is still one of our largest clients,” Hodge said. “He said tourists ‘eat it up.’”

Brunson started developing recipes for other rice dishes – there are now 10 different ones, each named for a location in the Lowcountry. Grits dishes were added later. All of the side dishes were developed from old family recipes, Hodge said.

Savor the Flavor products are now sold throughout the U.S. Hodge and two uncles inherited the business when Brunson died, so it remains

in the family.

“I grew up helping my grandmother,” Hodge said. “I lived in Charleston with my mom, but my dad would pick me up on weekends every other week, and I spent a lot of time with my grandmother. I’ve been sealing and packaging grits since I was very young. When I started driving, I took deliveries to customers. Cheese grits have always been a bestseller, and people looking to make shrimp and grits love it. I love shrimp and grits.”

After she moved to Sumter, and when her grandmother could no longer run the business, Hodge took over the financial and other business aspects of Savor the Flavor and continued to make the dozen or so mixes. She also works full time as a nurse at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital.

“I had a lot of help from my grandmother’s best friend, Ella Jane,” Hodge said. “When Mimi couldn’t do it anymore, I worked with Ella Jane. I’ve known her since I was a child.”

Almost the entire local family contributes to making, packaging and distributing Savor the Flavor products. Her husband, Jay; her stepfather, Bill Stack; and even her two daughters, ages 9 and 2, help with such tasks as labeling the bags.

While the mixes are fully self-contained dishes, Hodge said they can be used in

Currently on the menu are:

• Southern Garlic Cheese Grits • Speckled Grits with Bacon Bits • Charleston Red Rice • Dewees Island Yellow Rice • Edisto Herb Rice • Grand Strand Primavera Rice • Hilton Head Parisian Rice • Isle of Palms Curried Rice • Kiawah-Seabrook Spicy Rice • Litchfield Lemon Dill Rice • Murrells Inlet Long Grain Wild Rice • Pawley’s Herb Rice

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various recipes. She recommends pork chops with Isle of Palms Curried Rice and kielbasa or Boston butt cooked with red rice, “but most of the mixes are just a side. My favorite rice is the curry. My husband’s is the Hilton Head Parisian Rice. It’s brown rice with almonds and raisins.”

Hodge added that each side dish can be prepared in about 30 minutes.

Each is low in fat and cholesterol, and she said her “vision is to make something for everyone,” such as gluten-free products. Pimiento cheese grits and perhaps bleu cheese grits may be added to the Savor the Flavor line.

“I’m interested in barbecue sauce,” she said. “My grandmother did it. It’s really good on turkey. She used to bring it to family reunions.

“I found a letter from my aunt that said, ‘Hey, Betty Lee, make that sauce. You bring the barbecue sauce and the aspic.’”

New packaging is in the works, Hodge said, “and we plan to add nutrition information. It will still be ‘Southern, delicious and nutritious.’

The new bags will reduce the labor a lot and double the output.”

She is also contemplating a Sumter rice, and because Brunson was “a Gamecock fanatic,” Cocky Grits.

Might there soon be a Sumter rice?

“I love Sumter,” Hodge said. “I love it. I loved coming here on the weekends. We had Sunday dinners. There is a real sense of family.”

What would Sumter rice be called?

Hodge laughed and suggested she might call it “Gamecock City Dirty Rice.”

“Betty Lee Brunson was one of the first of her kind,” her granddaughter said. “She continues to inspire me.”

While Savor the Flavor products can be purchased across South Carolina and other locations, find them in Sumter at The Farm Store, Carnivore, Piggly Wiggly on South Guignard Drive and Bradley’s Market.

For more information about Savor the Flavor, check out the website, savortheflavorsc.com. You can also order the products through the site.

A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 33

34 NOVEMBER2019 - JANUARY 2020 | LAKESIDE

flowers The man behind the

Story by Sharron Haley | Photos submitted

A

love of music that was instilled at a young age from his father’s side of the family, along with a desire to create wonderful works of art using elements that were gathered while traipsing through the woods with his mother and grandmother, led to an incredible career as a sought-after interior and floral design master based in Atlanta.

Born in Kingstree, Don Chestnut moved to Manning about age 19, and the slightly larger rural town became home.

“I’ve always felt that Manning is my home,” Chestnut said. “All my memories from Manning are wonderful. I may have been born in Williamsburg County, but Manning is home.”

Today, Chestnut resides in Atlanta. The large metropolitan city is not only home to Chestnut’s hugely successful interior and floral design businesses, but also to the Atlanta School of Floral Design, a school he founded to teach budding designers unique techniques to make a successful career out of their own creative designs.

“My entire life has been creative,” Chestnut shared. “From my father’s side of the family, I got my love for music; and from my mother’s side of the family, I got my love for the arts and crafts. My grandmother and I would spend hours traipsing through the forests collecting things to make our arts and crafts.”

As a teenager, Chestnut said he took a part-time job as the driver for a locally owned and operated florist delivering flowers, and it wasn’t long before his desire to work with all things botanical blossomed.

Chestnut’s inspiration for his creations comes from everywhere -- his clients, his experiences, his students, his surroundings and even just driving from one place to another.

On a recent trip from Manning back to Atlanta, Chestnut traveled past cotton fields, and immediately he began thinking of ways to use the cotton bolls to make wreaths and floral arrangements.

“These days, I don’t do anything until I have a vision first,” he said. “I can sketch and draw three dimensionally. My creations start as a vision,

and from there I give my creativity free rein.”

Having confidence in the ability to create from a simple idea or vision is a stumbling block for many young designers, Chestnut said.

“So many young designers are scared to go outside of the realm of the way people live and think,” he said. “They need to develop a confidence in their abilities.”

Developing an artist’s confidence is what Chestnut strives to do with his Atlanta School of Floral Design.

“I felt pushed to open a school where I can encourage young designers,” he said.

“There are no manuals for creative people.

They need to be open to the unknown.

Creative people look at things differently than people who have formatted jobs where they do the same thing over and over.”

Through his school, Chestnut said he gives new designers “timeless elements and techniques” that they can use in developing their own unique designs.

“I give them an arsenal of techniques that they can go out and use to create timeless creations,” Chestnut said. “Then it’s their design. It’s something that is uniquely theirs and something that only they can do.”

By giving young designers the techniques, Chestnut says he gives them the process needed to build their own signature designs so when someone looks at a creation, that person knows who the creative mind was that developed the design.

Where does the inspiration come from to design the themes of an entire wedding, home or business?

“Flowers and events are part of a person’s life,” Chestnut said. “One idea, one color, one thought, one desire can lead to the overall concept for an entire event, whether it’s a wedding and reception, a home designed for the holidays or a business. I’ve planned entire weddings, helped people choose everything for their new home from the colors on the walls to furniture and even the towels. People keep coming back.

After I’ve planned a person’s wedding, they will come to me for their daughter’s wedding or their home for Christmas. They have complete confidence in me. They know that I will give them what they want, no A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 35

I never get bored,” he said. “I never know what I am doing next, but I do know that whatever it is that it will be fun and creative. I just love my job. Change doesn’t intimidate me.

Change is a challenge where everything is possible.

-Don Chestnut

questions asked.”

Chestnut said that during his 35 years plus, he’s never done the same exact design twice.

“I never get bored,” he said. “I never know what I am doing next, but I do know that whatever it is that it will be fun and creative. I just love my job. Change doesn’t intimidate me. Change is a challenge where everything is possible.”

Taking a single idea, magnifying it, enhancing it and then turning that single idea into a person’s vision is the part of the job that Chestnut said he enjoys the most. While Chestnut loves every aspect of his job, decorating for Christmas is his most favorite job.

“I do love Christmas decorating,” he said with a huge grin. “My clients tell me that I just use Christmas as an excuse to go over the top with glitz and glitter.”

While he wouldn’t mention names, Chestnut has decorated the homes of famous entertainers, actors and musicians.

“I was doing the home of a movie star / television personality and had to have 12 people help me get a 25-foot Christmas tree into his home,” Chestnut added. “I had to flock the tree once it got inside the home. Here I was shooting fake snow onto the tree in a room with paintings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars hanging on the walls around me. It was quite daunting, but it was also a lot of fun.”

Along with designing and creating interior and floral masterpieces, Chestnut has turned his talents to writing with three books slated to be published soon. The first book will focus on teaching young artists about experimenting with floral artistry so that they can develop their own style.

“They need to open themselves up to the unknown,” he said. “It’s hard to do when you’re just beginning. They need to feel confident in their abilities and let their creativity show through. This book will offer them several techniques that can be used to develop their own style and give them the confidence they need to move outside the box with their visions.”

In another book, Chestnut said he talks about “confident placement.”

“A design does not need to be perfectly geometrical,” he shared. “Confident placement is about building your design from the placement of the first element through the placement of the final element. Each placement builds on the next.

It evolves into the final project.”

What’s new for Christmas 2019?

“The trend is toward black-and-white check with red,” he said. “It’s a crisp design that’s super

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popular. Blushes, pinks, rose gold and champagne are also very popular. Deep moody colors like burgundy, greens and black are also popular.”

For a warmer feeling, Chestnut said homeowners are using the “magnolia look” with earthy tones that are warm and cozy. They’re also using lots of greenery, pine cones and logs.

A very feminine look is also popular along with a “global” design featuring elements from cultures around the world.

“That’s more of an eclectic look,” he said.

With more and more design elements available from retailers, Chestnut said that homeowners are better able to express their individuality in the styles that they choose for decorating their homes.

How does Chestnut describe his designs?

“Vibrant. Lots of movement.

Whimsical,” he said. “I have a vision of the entire design before beginning.”

For a design to emote comfort, Chestnut said he uses curved, flowing lines. For a design showcasing excitement, he said he chooses swirling, static lines.

“It all goes back to the elements or techniques of a design,” he said. “You choose the elements or techniques that show the emotion that you want, and you design from there. It’s all about having fun and letting your creativity flow. Through the use of timeless techniques, it’s an easy process to make it happen.”

To keep up with Chestnut and his exceptional designs, check him out on YouTube and Instagram by typing in Don Chestnut of the Atlanta School of Floral Design.

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Holiday

RECIPES will help create sweet memories

W

Story and Photos by Melanie Smith

e all probably start thinking about special holiday treats about this time of year – leaves are falling, the temperature is dropping, and Santa will be visiting before we know it. This year, we’ve put together a few delicious recipes to share with our readers, from a biscotti that can be packaged with some festive ribbon as gifts to cinnamon rolls you can freeze weeks ahead, perfect for an easy Christmas breakfast. Also on our list is an easy side dish that can be made a day or so in advance to stash in the fridge, ready for baking on the big day. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our Lakeside readers. We hope you have some sweet family moments to remember throughout the next year.

44 NOVEMBER2019 - JANUARY 2020 | LAKESIDE

By Jennifer with Bake or Break

Ingredients

1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for shaping the 2 dough) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons orange extract ¾ cup dried cranberries 2 tablespoons orange juice sanding sugar, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the extract and juice.

Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Shape the dough into a rectangle about 3 ½ inches wide and ¾ inch tall. The dough will be a bit sticky, so dust your fingertips with a bit of flour if necessary to help you shape it. If desired, sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes (or until it's cool enough to handle).

Use the parchment paper or liner to transfer the biscotti to a cutting board. Cut the biscotti into ¾-inch crosswise slices.

Or an

ge

e r ry B b n Cra

iscoti

Line the baking sheet with a fresh sheet of parchment paper or clean silicone liner. Place the biscotti, cut side down, onto the pan. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Selena’s Cheddar Spoonbread

By Selena Johnson

dar Spoonbread hed C a's en

Se l

Orange Cranberry Biscotti

Ingredients 2 eggs

cups shredded sharp 2 cheddar cheese 1 can (8 ounces) creamed corn can (8 ounces) whole kernel 1 corn, drained box (8 ounces) Jiffy corn muffin 1 mix 1 cup sour cream 6 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

Beat eggs in medium bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of cheddar. Add all remaining ingredients, and mix thoroughly. Pour into greased 2-quart casserole. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 4550 minutes, or until center is set. Top with remaining cheddar, and bake 2-3 minutes more until melted.

Cinna-Buns

By King Arthur Flour

You can make these in advance by freezing the dough after it’s risen the second time in the pan.

Wrap well and freeze. Defrost overnight in your fridge, then let come to room temperature the next day. Then bake as directed.

An easy way to slice the

Cinna Buns

A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 45

Dough

1 cup lukewarm milk 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 3/4 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast, active dry yeast Filling 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar, packed 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon Icing generous 1/3 cup cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 1/2 cups (170g) confectioners' sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the dough: Mix together and knead all of the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer or bread machine — to make a smooth, soft dough. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to grease all sides, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise until it's nearly doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

To fill and shape the buns: Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. Roll the dough into a 16" x 21" rectangle. Spread the dough with the 1/3 cup butter. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle it evenly over the dough. Starting with a short end, roll the dough into a log, and cut it into 12 slices.

Place the buns in a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.

Cover the pan, and let the buns rise until they're nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. While the buns are rising, preheat the oven to 400°F. Uncover the buns, and bake them until they're golden brown, about 15 minutes. While the buns are baking, make the icing.

To make the icing: In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter,

46 NOVEMBER2019 - JANUARY 2020 | LAKESIDE

Everyday brownies

By Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter 1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda Pinch salt 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract About 6 ounces milk chocolate, chopped (or 1 cup chips)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Melt the butter over a gentle heat in a medium-sized saucepan.

When it's melted, add the sugar, stirring with a wooden spoon (still over a low heat) to help it blend with the melted butter.

Whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and pinch of salt, and then stir into the pan; when mixed (this will be a very dry mixture, and not wholly blended at this stage), remove from the heat.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla extract and then mix into the brownie mixture in the pan. Stir in the chopped chocolate and quickly pour and scrape into a foil-lined baking tin or disposable foil pan, spreading the mixture with a spatula, and cook in the preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a rack to cool a little before cutting into 16 pieces and dusting with confectioners' sugar.

s

ay b row ni e

Ingredients

sugar and vanilla. Remove the buns from the oven. Spread the icing on the buns while they're warm. Serve buns warm or at room temperature. Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for a day or so; freeze for longer storage.

Every d

dough into rolls is to use dental floss. That way, the rolls won’t be squished as you cut them.

LAKESIDE Life outdoors from Wateree to Santee

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Lakeside is an award-winning bi-monthly lifestyle magazine that features people, events and trends that are near or appeal to those who live at or around the lakes of the Midlands. From Wateree to Santee, we cover Clarendon, Sumter and Lee counties as well as Berkeley, Kershaw and Orangeburg. From hunting and fishing to hiking and everything in between that involves life outdoors, we want to tell the stories of you and your neighbors’ lives.

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