I am a southern, born and bred. Growing up in the South definitely has its advantages. Visitors may admire our beautiful scenery, hospitality, slow-paced life and southern drawls but when asked, most will admit to being most impressed with our food.
With this reasoning, I have to agree. We have a way of seasoning and preparing foods unlike any other region. While a little battering and frying generally makes everything taste a little better, I am convinced that food prepared with love, is the key to the best the culinary experience.
I fondly remember my mother scurrying around the kitchen preparing for her favorite day; Homecoming Sunday at our small church, Emmanuel Baptist. She would spend the entire day prior making caramel or coconut cakes, banana pudding, caramel, chocolate, and coconut pies, vegetables, and potato salad (always served warm). She would get up early Sunday morning and fry mounds of golden crispy chicken. Oh, that chicken! I have yet to find any other chicken which compares to Marthie’s.
Many family gatherings were had around Momma and Daddy’s table, much advice was given, tragedies and triumphs were shared. Southern moms know a secret. Food, when prepared with love, you see, has healing properties.
I remember her fixing chicken and dumplings or a meaty casserole for the sick or for those who had just lost a loved one. No, going through the drive-thru, just would not do. Her food and precious words of comfort were no less than magical. I remember coming to her house to cry on her shoulder, after losing my first patient as newly registered nurse. She fixed me breakfast and let me cry. She then encouraged me to press on understanding that this would be one of many days like this. Those shoulders were my soft place to fall numerous times over the years.
My mom will be gone from this earth for five years on February 26th. Life has not been the same, but I have found my new normal. I took my next spot in line and continue to carry on traditions with my own family, that meant so much to her. I wear many hats, but my favorite by far is one of a southern mom and grandmother. May the food just be one more way for my family to know how much I cherish each and every one of them.
In episode 16, we discuss the world’s worst pedophiles. EXTRA BIG TRIGGER WARNING: Though we do not discuss specifics for the most part, there are still some things that are really hard to hear about. It gets DARK.
Host: April Simmons
Co-Host: Sahara Holcomb
Theme + Editing by April Simmons
http://anchor.fm/april-simmons to donate to our fried chicken fund
In episode 16, we discuss the world’s worst pedophiles. EXTRA BIG TRIGGER WARNING: Though we do not discuss specifics for the most part, there are still some things that are really hard to hear about. It gets DARK.
Host: April Simmons
Co-Host: Sahara Holcomb
Theme + Editing by April Simmons
http://anchor.fm/april-simmons to donate to our fried chicken fund
In episode 16, we discuss the world’s worst pedophiles. EXTRA BIG TRIGGER WARNING: Though we do not discuss specifics for the most part, there are still some things that are really hard to hear about. It gets DARK.
Host: April Simmons
Co-Host: Sahara Holcomb
Theme + Editing by April Simmons
http://anchor.fm/april-simmons to donate to our fried chicken fund
The Salvation Army’s Empty Bowls luncheon will be serving up soup and bread for the soul for the 22nd year in a row at their fundraising benefit event at the Tupelo Furniture Market on March 4 at 11 a.m.
The event started based on the concept that most hungry people could only get a bowl of soup, a piece of bread, and some water.
“People ask, ‘Why only soup, bread, water, and a pottery bowl?’ This is a luncheon fundraiser to bring awareness to the hunger right here in our community. This is usually more food than most hungry people and children get in a day.”
The Salvation Army in Tupelo served over 123,729 meals in the last program year (Oct. 2018 through Sept 2019). That might sound like a lot for this area, but this number is actually much lower than usual due to having no kitchen during their recent campus renovations. Many people in Tupelo partake of our Salvation Army’s varios meal programs, in addition to area homeless.
The Empty Bowls Luncheon benefits the funding of Tupelo’s Salvation Army food programs, such as the regular lunch line held five times per week to feed the homeless, the unemployed, and struggling.
Other food programs funded by Empty Bowls include groceries packed daily for the needy, three daily meals per person at The Salvation Army homeless shelter, and two Meals on Wheels routes that run five days per week.
“We have a lunch line five days a week, which anyone can come eat at — and it’s not necessarily all the homeless. It’s also people who have a job, but can’t afford to go out and buy or fix lunch every day.”
Last year, the Empty Bowls event raised $43,500 at the Empty Bowls event to donate to the Salvation Army’s food programs.
Local potters like MidNite Pottery, Michael Ashley of Ashley Pottery, Lynn Barnwell of Hinkle Creek Pottery, Antoinette Badenhorst and Harry McBride have donated around 300 bowls.
The Mud Ladies made around 2,000 handmade bowls for the event, and the 4-H Club from Louisville will also be donating some as well!
Women’s Auxiliary introduced a new activity at the event last year and it will have it again this year: the “Bowl Bid” which is a silent auction of bowls of goods donated by area businesses.
In addition to the luncheon, there will also be sales tables full of items made by the Mud Ladies, as well as several area potters who will also have booths set up with a portion of their proceeds being donated to the funds raised. There will also be a bake sale.
The Salvation Army’s Canteen Food Truck will be stationed in front of City Hall from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. to bring the Luncheon to those who may not be able to attend the Furniture Market event. As with the main luncheon event, $15 at the Canteen Food Truck will get you soup, bread, water, and a souvenir pottery bowl to keep, and they will also be selling bake sale items from the truck as well.
This is volunteer Kristi Hillhouse’s third year as chair of the event, although she has been a volunteer for seven years.
“Everybody knows Salvation Army helps the homeless, but if there are disasters, we’re able to go out there with the Canteen Truck as well. Sometimes it’s hard for people to go downtown to get out to the Furniture Market, so we thought it would be a great idea to provide soup to people downtown and make people aware of some of the other services we’ve got,” Hillhouse said.
A funny thing happened last week. Let me start by telling you that my 83-year-old dad lives with me. He is a Calhoun County native. In other words, he’s from the country y’all.
Growing up, my mother’s grandmother, Mamie, and my dad’s mother, Mamaw Myrtie, lived with my family. Mamaw Myrtie was even more country than Daddy. So, as you can imagine, all kinds of country slang circulated around my house. I’m sure to some, it seemed as though we were speaking a foreign language!
Well, I’ll get back to the funny story. My daughter-in-law, Hanna, was working with me in the Bake House, when Daddy called my cell phone. I answered, putting him on speaker, because I had my hands full.
He said, ”Amanda, do you have any Arsh Potatoes out there?”
I told him I did, and I took some to the house for him.
Hanna looked at me like I had three eyeballs and asked, “What did he ask for?”
I laughed and told her that he asked for Arsh Potatoes. She had never heard this term, so I explained that really, he was referring to Irish Potatoes or any white potato versus a sweet potato.
We had a good laugh, but truly it was a great teaching moment to help the younger generation understand a little more about the older generation.
Life is too short, eat all the Arsh Potatoes you want!
Stewed Potatoes:
4 to 5 peeled, washed and diced potatoes
½ stick butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Water for boiling
Flour for thickening
Place diced potatoes in a boiler pot, then cover with water.
Bring potatoes to a boil, and then add butter, salt and pepper.
Decrease to medium heat.
Mix together 3 tablespoons of flour with ½ cup hot water until there are no lumps.
After potatoes are tender, add the flour mixture and stir.
Let potatoes cook for a few more minutes until thickened.
Good morning Tupelo! Today is Wednesday, February 26, 2020. It is the 57th day of the year. There are 309 days left in the year and 28 days left of winter! Spring starts in 29 days.
Our Tupelo has a FAMILY FOUR-PACK of tickets to see the WWE Wrestlemania show at the Bancorpsouth Arena on March 28 to give away to our followers here at OurTupelo! For rules and how to enter, just click the green button below!
We also have a pair of tickets to give away to see Championship Wrestling featuring WWE’s Jerry the King Lawler at Tupelo Con coming up on Saturday, March 7th, for our followers! For rules and how to enter, just click the orange button above!
Today in Tupelo, here are the things going on around town:
Chik-Fil-A in Tupelo hosts Breakfast and BINGO every Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m.. This event is free and open to the public, and kids are also welcomed guests. All first time bingo guests may receive a free coffee!
Tupelo FPC will be having their Remnant Revival tonight. Services will begin at 7:15pm with PreService Focused Prayer and Service tentatively to begin at 7:30pm. Guest Speaker will be Rev. LJ Harry. Guest Ministry Team will be Students from the MS All-State Choir will lead in worship.
In Columbus, the Columbus Arts Council presents their Main Gallery Exhibit, Frank McGuigan and Joy Phillips, open at 9 a.m. for the entire month of February.
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
Hannah Roye will be at Steele’s Dive in Tupelo tonight at 7 p.m.
Jason Ringenberg will be at the Blue Canoe tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Misbehavin’ will be at Old Venice tonight.
We’re here to keep YOU in the know, and we don’t want to miss a thing!
To notify us of an event we’ve missed listing, or that you want us to know about coming up, you have options!
Everyone has eaten the proverbial “gas station food,” right? Sure, you have. More times than not, it probably also wasn’t your favorite. Though some offer actual delectable bites, most are mediocre. Enter Chesterville Grocery in West Tupelo. This is not your ordinary filling station food. Their food doesn’t come prefabbed; it’s made from scratch right in the store.
The gang at Chesterville Grocery gets up early in order to supply the community with tasty morsels that are hot and ready, so you can swing by and pick up breakfast on the way to school or work.
My favorite is the tenderloin biscuit. It overflows with thinly sliced, crispy fried, and yes, tender, tenderloin. They offer them plain, or with cheese, or egg and cheese. Any way you get it, it’s good! Also available are sausage biscuits, bacon, ham, and smoked sausage biscuits. If you are lucky, and get there early enough, you can grab a fried bologna biscuit! Boys and girls…they are good!
Lunch? There’s a bunch! Delicious vegetable and meat plate lunches, ginormous smoked burgers, with or without cheese, and dressed any way you like them, smoked sausage dogs, corn dogs, fried chicken, chicken tenders, the best (and biggest) fried pork chops in town, ribs, rib tips, pizza, pizza sticks, and potato logs — not to mention the best dough burger I have ever eaten.
Friday is catfish and hush puppy day, y’all!
Chesterville also offers a nice selection of freshly baked desserts, and they also have a cold-cut counter.
Remember hoop cheese and saltines? They have it!
Be sure and check their Facebook page for daily plate lunch specials.
Their prices are low, but the quality of their food ranks high on the totem pole.
Good people and good food. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Chesterville Grocery is a one-stop shop for many of your needs. They have adult beverages, colas, milk, bread, snacks, gas, lunch meats, ice cream, and so much more. Located at 6512 Chesterville Road in Tupelo. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday 6:00 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Good morning Tupelo! Today is Tuesday, February 25, 2020. It is the 56th day of the year. There are 310 days left in the year and 29 days left of winter! Spring starts in 30 days.
Our Tupelo has a FAMILY FOUR-PACK of tickets to see the WWE Wrestlemania show at the Bancorpsouth Arena on March 28 to give away to our followers here at OurTupelo! For rules and how to enter, just click the green button below!
We also have a pair of tickets to give away to see Championship Wrestling featuring WWE’s Jerry the King Lawler at Tupelo Con coming up on Saturday, March 7th, for our followers! For rules and how to enter, just click the orange button above!
Today in Tupelo, here are the things going on around town:
Old Venice Pizza Co will have Tuesday Night Trivia tonight at 6 p.m.
O’Charley’s will have Tuesday Night Trivia tonight at 7 p.m.
In Columbus, the Columbus Arts Council presents their Main Gallery Exhibit, Frank McGuigan and Joy Phillips, open at 9 a.m. for the entire month of February.
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
Wes Sheffield will be at Steele’s Dive in Tupelo tonight at 7 p.m.
Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys with Sarah Borges & The Broken Shingles will be at Proud Larry’s in Oxford tonight at 7 p.m.
There are no upcoming events.
We’re here to keep YOU in the know, and we don’t want to miss a thing!
To notify us of an event we’ve missed listing, or that you want us to know about coming up, you have options!
Do you miss your childhood, or at least parts of it? Man, I sure do. I miss that little bitty Texas town I grew up in. I miss the good folks I went to school and church with, and I miss being surrounded by my family. Times back then were so simple. You never had to worry about hopping on your bike, riding through the East Hooks Courts, or being abducted. You never had to question whether or not someone was being honest with you. And you never had to fret about someone slipping a Mickey in your food or drink. (For clarification purposes, Mickey, when I was growing up, was a funny, little cartoon mouse we watched on television on Saturday mornings!)
I often tell my grandchildren, “I wish you could just spend one day in my life when I was your age.” How wonderful that would be for them; no fears, just good, clean, and electronic-free fun!
Unlike the present day, when I was a child, we didn’t have a perpetual supply of store-bought sweets around the house. Candy bars, Cokes, ice cream, and gum were reserved for special occasions, and usually came into our lives only a few times each month.
But man, I remember every single candy that Moore’s Grocery in Hooks, Texas stocked. Being able to walk in and see all of those sweet confections sitting on the shelf made me feel like Santa had just dropped a bag full of toys into my lap!
And now, thanks to the folks at a little place called Dixie Country Store, I am able to do a little morph back in time and allow my grandchildren to experience with me a smidgen of that same happiness.
And for the record, when we are there, cell phones and iPads are the last things on their minds! You see, Dixie Country Store is a candy store. Not just any candy store; it’s a blast from the past candy store!
If you hop on the Natchez Trace, Dixie Country Store is a mere half hour from Tupelo. Picture this: an old country store filled to the brim with literally ALL of your favorite childhood candies!
It’s a straight-up walk right down the middle of memory lane! In fact, I dare you to mention your favorite candy as a kid and not be able to find it there. Trust me. It’s there. And most of the candies are packaged just as you remember them.
When you drive up, you are greeted by a quaint little white-washed frame house with a metal roof. You’ll also spot an old rusty truck, various signage from days gone by, antiquated gas pumps, and well-worn wooden barrels filled with flowers of the season; a perfect place to take a few family snapshots.
Once you step through the door, you had better be mentally prepared. You will have to practice serious restraint, for you are going to want one of every candy they carry — and that’s a LOT of candy.
“No!” says the voice of reason rattling in your head, as your gaze wanders to and from each delectable morsel stacked neatly on the shelves.
“Listen to me! You cannot have one of everything! You must only buy a few pieces of candy! Stop it! No! Put that down. Think about your budget!”
“Oh! A buggy! That’s what I need!” you exclaim silently.
“No! I did not say ‘buggy’! I never said that word. They do not have buggies! I said, BUDGET!”
Don’t you just hate the voice of reason?
So, what candies DO they have? Actually, it would be much easier to list the ones they don’t have.
But just for grins, here are a few of my favorites: Atomic Fireballs, Lemonheads, Cinnamon Suckers (the square ones!), Nesco Wafers, those cool wax lips that you can play with and then chew, Pop Rocks, Fruit Striped Gum, Golden Eagle Caramel Corn, Wacky Wafers, Gold Mine Bubble Gum (the gum shaped like chunks of gold and packaged in the little cloth bag), Clove Gum, Candy Cigarettes, Razzles, Nik and Nips (the little wax bottles filled with juice), Bottlecaps, Candy Necklaces, Now and Laters, Sweet Tarts, all things chocolate, vintage cold drinks, and of course…hand dipped ice cream cones!
LIONS, AND TIGERS, AND BEARS, OH, MY!
Those are just MY preferred candies. Don’t worry if I didn’t list the ones you liked as a kid. They have a massive selection of what I lovingly call, ‘Woodstock candies,” so I am certain the ones you long for are there!
Why not pack up the family on Saturday and head over to Dixie Country Store? I guarantee that it’s a trip the entire family will enjoy.
Be sure to check out their Facebook page for a full list and pictures of the products they carry!
