9.3.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, and welcome to Woman's World on RADIOIE. As a reminder,
RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
read printed material. Today I will be reading from Southern
Living Magazine dated September twenty twenty five, and other publications

(00:23):
as time allows. Your host today is Carolin Brown. Newspaper
and magazine articles presented in Woman's World are for general
information only. RADIOI does not endorse or recommend any of
the subjects mentioned First, It's easy being green. These simple

(00:44):
containers of ornamental cabbage and kale will carry you from
fall into spring. By Cameron Beale. Brighten up to add
a splash of color while maintaining a monochromatic look. Mark Thompson,
co owner of Shop of Birmingham Garden Store Incorporated. A
mix of purple and white pansies and violas, but any

(01:08):
shades will do. Begin by breaking up the roots of
two peacock white kale plants and pushing them into the
soil at the center, next place creeping wire vines all
the way around, tucking them in toward the outer edges.
Fill in the remaining space with pansies and violas quote.

(01:30):
Use your pointer and index fingers to press down each
plant into the soil really well so you get out
all the air pockets. He says this helps with water flow,
letting the roots absorb nutrients properly. Surround the vessel with
moss to dress up an outdoor tablescape quote. Mood moss

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is great to use in the late fall and winter
because it'll look good all winter long, he says. Peak
interest low lift Rassica plants make an impact and are
known for withstanding light friezes. The cool weather enhances their coloring.
Nestle red bore kale in the center of the vessel,

(02:14):
then add ornamental cabbage around it. Quote. The kale grows
taller and is more showy, while the cabbage stays lower
and rounder. Thompson explains in this sixteen inch pot, the
garden Expert included one kale and five cabbages, but for
larger containers, he suggests positioning two or three kale plants

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in the center. While the plants shown here are low
maintenance and hardy, they thrive in part to full sun,
requiring at least four hours. Bold and beautiful traditional osaka
ornamental cabbages are the stars of this container. Fill a
large pod nearly to the top with loose potting soil,

(02:58):
and press in each plant from leaving plenty of room
for growth underneath. Quote. Be sure to break up the
roots with your fingers, because they come root bound in
the nursery pots, advises Thompson. Here he used seven cabbages
in six and eight inch sizes. Quote. When it's still
fairly warm outside, be sure to keep them consistently watered

(03:21):
and well drained, he says. Although cold tolerant, they should
be covered during hard freezes. Next from Ivy's kitchen, touch
down Dip for the wind. This warm and cheesy appetizer
brings the heat no matter who's playing. By Ivy Otum,
certain foods have the magical ability to transport you to

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a different place. When I was in college at the
University of Georgia, our family tailgates were never complete without
my Mama's dog food dip. A nod to Ugah, the
team's bulldog mascot. One taste of this bubbling hot combo
of Elveda and Rotael takes me back to a red

(04:06):
and black tint on the South campus in Athens, where
everyone crowded around a slow cooker for a last bite
of the cheesy mixture before kickoff. Back at home in Birmingham,
I have recreated her recipe for game days, but with
a twist I picked up from my travels. I visit
New Mexico's Hatch Valley every fall to help family friends

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put up green chilies, and then fly back with a
cooler slam full of our efforts. Over time, I have
found plenty of inventive ways to use up my stash,
like my spicy lemonade recipe at right, but the touchdown
dip below is easily the fan favorite. My version takes
a few creative liberties with my mom's classic caso, like

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using green Chili's in place of rotel, but it's just
familiar enough to make you dream of Saturdays in the
South rivalries. It may be strong, but nothing brings us
all together quite like hot melty cheese touchdown dip. If
you're not eating this right away, transfer it to a
slow cooker set on low and garnish just before serving.

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Active prep time twenty five minutes, Total time twenty five minutes.
Serves eight ingredients eight ounces fresh Mexican cheriso casings removed
one twelve ounce can evaporated milk, one pound white American cheese,

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chopped or torn. One cup shredded pepper jack cheese about
four ounces, three four ounce cans diced, green chilies, drained,
slice jlapino, chili, fresh cilantro leaves, pickled red onions, and
crumbled caso freshed. Go for garnish, tortilla chips and green

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hot sauce such as El yugatko for serving. First, heat
a ten inch cast iron skillet over medium. Add cherizo, cook,
stirring to crumble until browned about eight minutes. Drain on
a paper towel lined plate. Wipe skillet clean. Two. Add

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evaporated milk to the skillet. Heat over medium until the
edges begin to bubble about five minutes. Reduce heat to
medium low. Add American and pepper Jack cheeses. Cook, stirring
constantly until melted six to eight minutes. Stir in green chilis.

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Cook until heated through about two minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
Top with cooked churiso, jalapino, cilantro, pickled red onions, and
caeso fresco. Serve with tortilla chips and hot sauce. Next

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the recipe for green chili lemonade. Stir together three cups water,
one and a half cups each fresh lemon juice and
simple syrup, and two four ounce cans diced green chilies
in a pitcher. Chill at least two hours or overnight.
Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring

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cup or bowl, and discard green chilies. Return lemonade to pitcher,
serve over ice, and garnish with lemon wheels. Active prep
time twenty minutes. Total time twenty minutes plus two hours.
Chilling serves six to eight. Next, Mister Southern Living Ready

(07:56):
for Game Day, the Today Show anchor kick off the
season with this super Southern dessert. For Craig Melvin, it's
not a real tailgate without a little competition. Quote. You
need to have fans from both teams. There's got to
be trash talking. He says. You can't engage in that
if everyone's for the same squad. Quote. He roots for

(08:20):
the game Cocks. A native of Columbia, home to the
University of South Carolina, his devotion only deepened when he
returned to the area for his first postgrad news gig
after attending Wofford College and Spartanburg. Quote. My house was
in the Rosewood neighborhood, within walking distance of Williams Bryce Stadium.

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I spent many saturdays tailgating there, he says. But whether
you're celebrating on campus or watching in the living room,
Craig maintains that a game day gathering hinges on the menu. Quote,
You've got to have fried chicken from either Bojangles Bojangles
or Bojangles. He says. There should be plenty of libations

(09:05):
like beer and bourbon, plus non alcoholic options too. Quote.
If my mom's there, you've got to have the kind
of sweet tea where the sugar congeals at the bottom
of the plastic container that's been in your family for
roughly forty years. He adds, you can also count on
desserts like these pretzel crust bourbon pecan bites. Quote. They

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combine my favorite pie with my favorite beverage, says Craig.
And when it comes to his pronunciation of that ever
polarizing nut, the Palmetto State native remains loyal to the
way he's always said it. Quote, I say pecan, why
do we have to conform? He asks? Recipe for one

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bite pretzel crust, bourbon, pecan pies active thirty minutes, total
time one one hour thirty five minutes makes twenty four
first pretzel crust one and a fourth cups finally crushed
pretzel crumbs from four cups pretzel twists, six tablespoons unsalted butter, melted,

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one fourth cup packed light round sugar. Filling ingredients one
fourth cup unsalted butter, six tablespoons light brown sugar, two
tablespoons light corn syrup, one tablespoon bourbon, one have teaspoon
vanilla extract, one large egg, one cup pecan halves chopped. Instructions, One,

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prepare the pretzel crust, preheat oven to three hundred and
twenty five degrees fahrenheit. Line a twenty four cup mini
muffin tray using paper liners. Generously coat liners with cooking spray.
Two Stir together pretzel crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar

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in a medium bowl until mixture is the consistency of
wet sand. Three spoon a heaping tablespoon not packed of
crust mixture into bottom of each paper liner. Using the
bottom of a round teaspoon, create an indentation in center

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of crust mixture. In each muffin tray well set aside four.
Prepare the filling. Cook butter in a small saucepan over medium,
stirring often until milk solids have browned three to five minutes.
Transfer brown butter to a medium sized heat proof bowl

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and let cool slightly about two minutes. Whisk in round sugar, corn, syrup, bourbon,
and vanilla, extract until smooth. Whisk in egg until homogeneous.
Stir in chopped pecans. Divide filling evenly among prepared wells,
about one and a half teaspoons in each five. Bake

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twelve to fifteen minutes until edges are golden brown and
filling a set cool in tray about five minutes. Remove
pies from tray and let cool completely on a wire
rack about forty five minutes. Next from the grape vine,
Lace up your boots. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy celebrates one

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hundred years of protecting one of the country's best hikes.
Although plans for the legendary route started in nineteen twenty
one and it wasn't completed until nineteen thirty seven, it's
the nineteen twenty five founding of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
that we have to thank for the longevity of this
groundbreaking footpath. Created to manage and preserve the entire two thousand,

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one hundred and ninety mile span of the Appalachian Trail
or AT from Georgia to Maine, as well as the
natural area around it. This organization has a big job
to do after working tirelessly to reopen more than four
hundred and thirty miles that were closed due to damage
from Hurricane Helene, the group is taking a moment to

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toast its centennial and says there's never been a better
time to explore jumping off points. These communities each make
a great home base. One. Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Nearly seventy six
miles of the AT can be found inside the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park along the Tennessee North Carolina border.

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Book a cabin and then set out on a rewarding journey.
Two Hot Springs, North Carolina. This mountain town is nestled
along Spring Creek and the French Broad River, with a
host of mineral springs to show for it. The AT
runs directly through its vibrant main street. Three Damascus, Virginia.

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The intersection of seven nationally known pathways has earned Damascus
the title quote Trail Town, USA. Its annual Appalachian Trail
Day's Festival draws about twenty five thousand outdoor enthusiasts. Four Blairsville, Georgia.
This Blue Ridge Mountain spot is near the only covered

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portion of the trail which passes through Neil's Gap, and
is convenient to short sections for casual trekkers. Number five, Waynesboro, Virginia.
If you want multiple options for exploring, you'll have easy
access to the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline, drive, Blue Ridge

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Mountains and at as well as a charming historic downtown
and finally, Harpers Ferry, West, Virginia. Be sure to stop
by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters and visitor Center, which
is located in this scenic settlement that's also a National
Historic Park. Next a country place world's Away, a Poplarville,

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Mississippi farmhouse goes against the grain thanks to contemporary architecture
and a collection of antiques sourced from near and far
by Betsy Watson. When Trishawa Donzali needs a break from
the day to day frenzy of running her New Orleans
clothing and home goods shop, Lecca, she makes the ninety

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minute drive to her family's Poplarville, Mississippi farm. The place
has been a cherished spot since she was young, when
her parents bought the property as an escape, one where
they could ride their horses over the rolling terrain and
spend weekends introducing their children to the delights of wide
open spaces and fishing on the lake. They named it

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Shapuri Farm. Quote. When we were kids, we would go
every Friday through Sunday. Monsally recalls, I learned to swim there,
I learned how to ride there. We would play croquet,
soccer and badminton, and we had a trampoline. There's an
awesome little rose garden, and we would grow strawberries, blueberries, pears,
and watermelons. It was just a blast. Quote. Her parents

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tapped a good friend, the late architect Arthur Q. Davis.
His firm Kurt and Davis designed New Orleans fixtures like
the Superdome to build their home away from home. Quote.
They were enthralled by his approach to things, says Monsali
of his celebrated modernist bent, which translated to the cedar
and brick farmhouse with sky high ceilings and sometimes quirky angles,

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a far cry from much of the local architectural vernacular. Quote.
He called the house the embodiment of rustic contemporary. They
wanted to make it so that wherever you were inside,
you could see the expanse of land. That's why there
are tons and tons of windows. Quote. They dubbed it
quote the House on the hill, acknowledging its enviable position

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in the landscape, the highest point in town at the time.
From the blue prints to the interiors, her parents took
what she calls a quote very hands on approach, prioritizing
nods to their shared home country of India. Quote. There
were Indians in New Orleans and both avid art collectors,

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says Bensali. I think they wanted that East meets West
perspective to carry over into the design space. This mindset
is clear from the front porch, where you're welcomed by
a pair of intricately carved doors that were sourced from
a seventeenth century Indian temple, as well as sculptures that

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reflect the family's devotion to Jainism and ancient Indian religion.
This commitment to global influences continues in the living room,
a large space with a wall of windows in a
two story ceiling. Quote. I don't know how those light
bulbs ever get changed. On Sol equips The airy area

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features Indian tapestries and African masks, plus a pair of
cushy sofas that set opposite Welsh chairs. Quote. They're not
very comfortable, she admits with the laugh, but they do
the trick and add a rustic element to the house.
In quote, shelves stuffed with vinyls and good reeds reveal
a southern sensibility. Quote. There are a lot of old

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Mississippi books, some cookbooks and others about design and flowers.
She says. The true gathering place, though, is the adjoining
eating kitchen, where house plants and leafy arrangements forage from
around the property underscore the indoor outdoor connection that's so
carefully woven through the home. Quote. On Sundays, we'd let

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the horses out since no one was going to ride
them for the rest of the week. On Soli recalls
remembering childhood weekends there. Quote, so we'd have breakfast and
the horses would all be grazing in front of us,
which was just you know, magic end quote. It's this
same shimmer of wild wonderment that continues to call her

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back to Shipuri Farm whenever she needs a little peace
and quiet. Quote. I spent a long time in New York,
and being in New Orleans is one step away from that.
But being here in Mississippi is pin drops silence, she says.
Quote There's something eerie but also really cool about a
place like this. You look up, you see every single star,

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and there's absolutely nothing detracting from your views. It's so
expansive and quiet. I think that's why it's so special
to me. End quote. This article is accompanied by several photographs. First,
textured surroundings, the tapestries on the walls foster a cocoon
like atmosphere in the airy living room, says Mansali, quote

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Having those soft furnishings up high brings everything that's on
the ground upward too. She adds. The legs of the
wooden coffee table depict Hindu gods, and the rug is
a newer Indian find. Next is a photograph of the
entry to the kitchen. The home's most used entrance, opens

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into the kitchen and showcases more of the family's extensive collections,
including a Russian chest, Italian plates, and a host of spoons.
And ladles that are just for show, even though the
whole crew loves cooking. Terra Cotta floors camouflage the area's
signature pink red soil, a clever choice given all the

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dirt the riding and gardening boots track In the antique door,
another one from India is bolstered by a new frame
collected details. A seventeenth century Welsh dining table is the
site of many meals. In the sunny front foyer, the
family displays artwork from around the world on Sali's pup.

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Wilie holds court on the back porch, surrounded by an
antique Indian blanket and killum pillows and finally storied layers.
As a designer and curator of Indian made clothing and textiles,
she has introduced her own selections to the house over
the years. In the guest room, her sourcing trip fines

(22:00):
include the eighteenth century quilted tapestry on the wall in
an antique bedcover accented with small sequin like mirrors. Next
their Grumpy Gardener column by Steve Bender, Dear Grumpy, I
recently moved from Ohio to South Carolina and want to

(22:23):
grow a pecan tree. But when I went to the
Home and Garden center and asked about one, they all
looked at me like I was loony and told me
they didn't sell any pecans, only pacns. Is this some
weirdo regional dialect, asked Pete. Answer. It may be regional, Pete,
but it isn't weird at all. It's just how distinguished, classy,

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sophisticated Southerners talk. Pecns conjures up images of elegant ladies
dressed in silk, linen, crape and pearls, sitting for afternoon
tea beneath a mass of live oak. Pecons evokes appliance
salesman decked out in plaid jackets and spectator shoes. Now

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that you're one of us, you'll have to adapt. I
do hope you got your pecan tree, though, give it
a sunny spot and lots of room because it will
get big. Next crabgrass control. Crabgrass, I missed my opportunity
to apply a pre emergen serviside the spring, and it's
taking over my lawn. I tried a crab grass killer,

(23:32):
but it still looks healthy. What's the best thing to do,
asked Becky. Answer? What weed killer? Did you put down
old bay that never works? Though the crabgrass smells delicious,
I would let it be. Just mow it until it
dies with the first fall frost. But prevention next spring

(23:53):
is key. When shrubs like Forscythia, spyriea and flowering quince
bloom put down a granule weed preventer like Scott's halts.
According to the label directions, this keeps crab grass and
similar weeds from germinating. Then encourage your lawn to fill
in the spots formerly occupied by crabgrass by fertilizing it

(24:15):
in spring and mowing it no lower than one and
a half inches. Do this for two years in a row,
and your plague will vanish. Next saving Miss Sandra. I've
had two Miss Sandra crape myrtles in the ground for
two to three years. I promise not to commit crape murder,
but I do want them to have multiple beautiful trunks.

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How do I choose the growth to remove? And when
do I do this? Ask Gina, answer, you have excellent taste.
Miss Sandra is a gorgeous purple crape myrtle in our
Southern Living plant collection that grows fifteen to twenty feet tall.
One of the main reasons that people commit crape murder
hacking them into thick, ugly stumps every spring is planting

(25:01):
them where they get too big and eventually block windows
and hide porches. Make sure yours won't do that. Next,
choose three to five well spaced upright trunks and remove
the others. Those you've saved will become the main trunks
as through a grow taller. Gradually start cutting off any
side branches on them up to about four feet, then

(25:25):
just let them go. Next, unhappy hibiscus. What's happening to
my beautiful Chinese hibiscus. It's in its second year here
in Wilmington, North Carolina. Each bloom drives up slowly from
the center out. No one has been able to help me.
Ask Melissa, answer no one until now, Melissa. I suspect

(25:50):
the culprints are thrips, tiny insects that invade the flower
buds and eat their way out, ruining the blooms. To
control them, pick off all infested flowers and buds and
throw them out with the trash. Then treat your plant
according to the labeled directions with a systemic insecticide called BioAdvance.

(26:10):
Tree and shrub insect killer spray. Next mulch to die for?
Does colored mulch have any negative effect on plants? As
Christen answer, I don't know what red, green or black
dye will do to anything to hurt the flowers and shrubs,

(26:30):
but I dislike unnatural coloring and see no need for it.
Plants should be the stars of your garden, not mulch.
Grumpy's grape of the month. It never ceases to amaze
me how many herbal supplements you can buy that contain
plant ingredients not tested or approved by the FDA. These

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products often originate in foreign countries with little regulation. Taking
them because some knucklehead on the Internet says they're good
for what ails you is rolling the dice. For example, Comfrey, Cava, pennyroyal,
and chaparral can cause liver damage. The FDA recently discovered
a number of supplements claiming to contain Mexican Dakote route

(27:14):
that featured deadly yella oleander instead. So ask yourself, is
losing your love handles worth losing your life? Grumpy's thumb
is pointed down. This concludes Woman's World for today. Your
reader has been Caroline Brown. If you have any questions, comments,
or suggestions about this program. Please call us in our

(27:35):
Lexington studios at eight five nine four two two six
three nine Ozero. Thank you for listening, and please stay
tuned for continued programming here on RADIOI