Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Relax, there is no food involved in this posting, but I do want to tell you about one of the most magical places in Alabama, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
My sister would often take me to this place of beauty and serenity. We would just spend the afternoon walking around, she would always have her camera in tow. This place holds some of my most precious memories of a simpler time.

If you ever have a chance to drive through Alabama, stop for a night or two in Birmingham. After all it is called the "City of Magic".

For My Beer and Wings Pal who keeps my seat warm.

On May 14th, 1999 I graduated Fairview High School, that night I took off and started a life of my own. I stated university at my dream school...Jacksonville State University with a double major, Criminal Justice and Psychology with a minor in Criminalistics. Yep, I was a bit of an over achiever, but that my issue.

You know, ever now and then God steps in and brings you a friend that you just don't know how you would have ever made it without them in your life.

I met this friend after started at the university radio station, yes! I was a DJ, and I was a great one at that...my radio name was "Freshman Juli" coz I was the only freshman to have my own radio show. Ok, I'm getting on with my story....
I met this very friend at Freshman Orientation, since I had started school early I got to help out with the meeting and greeting the new students.
We would often find ourselves at a place called Jefferson's eating wings and sharing a pitcher of beer. It was our time to get caught up before I went off to work at the jail and before he would head out for the weekend running some sound board at some concert.

We always had the most fun together and for my 19th birthday he surprised me by taking to see the greatest band in the whole wide world....LIVE. (side note I LOVE ED K.)We spent the night hanging out with one of the bands that opened up for LIVE, like The Suburban Love Junkies, and dancing in the pouring down rain. It was one of the greatest night of my life, and I know....he's one of the greatest friends of my life.
Like I said before....every now and then God places a person in your life...it's those people that leave foot prints not just on your heart, but on your soul.


My Wings (not as good as jefferson's but I'm gettin close)

Step 1
Starting the day/night or ever a few hours before is key to these tasty things!!
Start with how many pounds of wings as you have people eating them, and a feeeewwww extra, so you can have a midnight snack.
In a bowl pour enough butter milk slosh the wings around in add a few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce, salt and pepper. Soak over night or for an hour or so. If you don't have butter milk you can use regular milk just a few teaspoons of lemon juice.
Step 2
Again you must not to forget to season everything the same way!
You'll need some cyan pepper, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and a TINY bit of cumin. Season to your liking, I've never measured.
In a sm/med bowl whisk together an egg with some of the milk you soaked the wings in.
In another bowl mix together all the seasons with some self raising flour.
Dip wings in flour mixture then into egg mixture, now back into the flour....next, you've got it baby into a deep pot of piping hot oil it goes. Fry until golden brown and done. Toss in sauce immediately.
Now the best part...the sauce
In a small sauce pan melt a cup to two cups of REAL butter add a few pealed cloves of garlic. The key here is to melt the butter SLOWLY, I always just place my sauce pan up against to the pot I'm cooking the wings in. Its get the heat it needs without browning the garlic. Once butter has melted whisk together 1 small bottle of hot sauce for every cup of butter you melted.



Serve with celery and Hidden Vally ranch dressing and your choice of beverage, I recommend Budweiser or a tall glass of ice cold sweet tea.

The Summer of....

I wish I had words to describe my daddy, he is the one person I never thought I would need in my life. Now at 28 years old I can never keep the tears back when I think about him, and that is at random moments of every day. Don't worry he's still around, his a McWhorter through and through, I wouldn't surprised if he out lived me. Its just that I haven't been home in over 3 years, and there is no place I would rather be on Earth in snuggled up in my daddy's dirt stained arms.

Every summer of my childhood we had the summer of.........
Sometimes it was watermelon, tomatoes, peanuts, corn, ect. I'm sure you get the point. But I thought I would tell you about the summer of the peanuts coz the way I see it, if your gonna have a summer of something, peanuts are the way to go.



One summer while living in Joppa, Alabama my daddy along with Uncle Wilard planted fields of peanut plants. Once summer was up my daddy pulled all the plants and brought them home. If you don't know anything about harvesting peanuts....consider yourself lucky as all get out! Anyways, peanuts grow on the roots of the peanut plants and you have to pluck them one by one off the bottom of the plant. This took days....hours....and lots of bruises. My sister would often whip then at each other, being 8 years younger...I always ended up wounded and peanuts hurt alot worse then those little green tomatoes.



Ok, carrying on.....

The reason why I say peanuts are the best is because you can have boiled peanuts. Don't even make that 'Ewwwwww' face! You have no idea what you're missin.



Boiled Peanuts

2-5 lbs Jumbo green peanuts are preferred by many, but most standard peanuts work well, so long as they are still green, or uncured (dry). Do not attempt this recipe with roasted peanuts, as they will not become soft, no matter how long you cook them. In the south, farmer's markets and roadside vendors sell green peanuts from early August through mid-October, but the earlier peanuts are usually better for boiling.

Wash peanuts removing loose soil and sprouts, stems, weeds, and leaves. You can place your peanuts in a large pot or bucket and use a sprayer on a garden hose to rinse your peanuts, and when the water floats the nuts, the loose debris will float to the top when the contents of the pot is agitated or stirred.

Place peanuts in a big ol'soup cooker (very large pot) and cover with water add 1 cup salt per gallon of water. To give them a little kick add jalapenos and garlic, or my favorite crab boil seasoning.

Cook for 2-10 hours until yummy. Serve with sweet tea, an extra bowl for the shells, and a great southern story...All Over but the Shoutin by Rick Bragg.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Its only right tha I start this off right, and there is no better way of doing that then starting with my momma and her favrite thang to eat. I kid ya not this lady could eat her weight in fried green tomatoes.

If your over the age of 20 I'm sure you've heard about a little known film call "Fried Green Tomatoes", one of the best movies and stories of my time. Yes, I have spent a LOT of time laughin and cryin during this movie, and it was the first movie I ever bought.

What you may not know about this flick that brings two women from very different worlds, is that some of the story is based on real events.

The Whistle Stop Cafe is a small palce in Irondale Alabama, that by far has some of the best eatin in the world. It was started by one young woman named Bess Fortenberry from Brimingham Alabam, and not long after she opened two other women Lizzie and Sue, joined in to make some of the best snadwichs around. These ladies were known for their cooking and love for life for miles around.

In December 1992 a young woman became a household name, Fannie Flagg. The auther of a moving and compelling story, Fried Green Tomatoes. What you may not know until now is Fannie Flagg's aunt is Bess Fortenberry. Fannie simply told the story of a woman and her beloved friends.

Fried Green Tomatoes

4-5 Frim med/lrg green tomatoes sliced into 1/4 thick slices, a few or more teaspoons of cyan pepper, black pepper, and salt. 1/2 cup or so of self raising flour and 1/2 cup or so of yellow corn meal. 1 large egg wisked with some water. Important part to remember season EVERYTHING!!! The tomtoes, flour, and egg wash! In an iron skilet (if you have one if not go to your granny's house and steal hers) heat some type of fat, I love useing left over bacon grease, but you can use butter mixed with oil (not olive)you need about 1/8-1/4 inch of grease in the pan. Coat tomatoes in flour mixture knock of excess, dip in egg wash, then back into flour mixture, last carefully place coated tomeotoes in skilet. Brown on each side, place on a wire rack or on plate of paper towles. Don't forget to let them cool a bit before you bite in...if you can help it.

Helpful hit: If you wanna know when your grease is hot enough for fryin simpley put a few drops of water in the pan with the grease before you turn on your stove, when you hear the popping sound....you ready to fry.

Comforts of Home

As I live here in the "Great North" I often feel like I'm losing a part of me that is vital to who I am as a person. So in this blog I'm just gonna be me and let it all hang out there in the open.

You're going to find recipes, randomness, and stories. I hope you are blessed and get some belly laughs, but I know there will be the odd moment when you say...."Oh NO SHE DIDN'T JUST SAY THAT"; rest assure that I did say it, and its by your choice you read it.

With all the disclaimers said.

May your kitchens be filled with love, laughs, bacon fat, and flour (self raising only) and a good ol'fashion whoopin spoon after all the kitchen is the heart of a home.