By Julian Brunt Two Brooks farm in Tallahatchie County has an interesting history. Owner Mike Wagner is a pretty interesting fellow, the quintessential Mississippi Delta farmer, with emphasis on being an old school gentleman. As I go over my notes from my winter’s morning interview with Mike, it’s hard to think of any aspect of Mr. Wagner and Two Brooks that is not exceedingly interesting. P.H. Brooks bought the farm from a timber company that had cleared the land in the 1920s, and set about creating a plantation with some pretty lofty ideals. To start with, no juke joints were allowed, a mandate that must have caused some consternation amongst the field hands. Brooks installed a saw mill so his tenet farmers would have access to good lumber to build their homes, and built a church for them, as well. He also instituted a policy of selling land to hard working tenet farmers, an admirable act, but one that eventually broke his farm into two main pieces, Brooks Number One and Brooks Number Two, thus the name that Wagner gave to the sections he bought, Two Brooks. In the 1980s, Wagner found himself in Tallahatchie County and took a liking to the land he considered renting. The soil was what he described as “buckshot:” lots of clay, and sticky, making it hard to work. However, he realized it was on the same longitude as his home place in the boot heel of Missouri. Locals told him it would grow nothing, but Wagner thought he could make a go of it. He explains, "Difficulty breads opportunity. When I first looked at that place, all I could do was dream of getting my hands in that earth. Now, that rich, thick ass earth is part of what runs through my veins, the rest of it is sheer determination.” The whole community laughed at him then, but they are not laughing now. “It’s all about the efficient use of space and water,” says Wagner, but conventional farming was just not going to work. Because of the clay content of the soil, it rutted easily, which requires a lot of tractor time to level. Rice fields have to be level to be efficient, but Wagner figured it out. All of his equipment has tracts, not wheels. They do far less damage to the land. But that was just a beginning. He was the first farmer to land form his fields, making them absolutely flat with the use of a laser. No levees are needed to hold the water in place, just the roads that border the fields. Wagner also conserves water in a big way, capturing the winter rains in lakes and cannels, so only a very small amount of water needs to be pumped up from the aquafers, 100 feet below. Wagner figured out the next step was to flood the fields in the winter, after the harvest. Most farmers burn the rice stubble off or plow it under, both acts that Wagner considers wasteful. Burning pollutes the air, and plowing wastes fuel. The flooded fields attract thousands of geese and ducks which feed there, trampling down the rice stalks so that they compost in the soil, enriching it even more. The birds also leave their nitrogen rich droppings, so very little nitrogen has to be added, an additional savings. The wind causes a small, wave-like action on the fields, something with further levels the land, and means less tractor work is required. “It’s not perfect, but it’s a good system,” says Wagner. An understatement if there ever was one. Two Brooks is all about efficient and innovation, but a lot of what Wagner does there is an attempt to be good to the earth he farms. “Years ago, after watching the overwintering waterfowl population explode, and the benefits they give to the land, after watching the eagles roost around, after watching the deer population go up, I started thinking about what I was doing. I started thinking about the soil microbiology and biology. How, by the fact that we had curtailed tillage and allowed waterfowl to do the tillage, we were beginning to rebuild the soil structure with naturally living organisms that enhance the rice plants health, and require far fewer synthetic inputs (to this day I use no insecticides or fungicides).” Wagner states, “I want to enhance the biological systems that were in place before we cleared this land. I finally realized that we were reintegrating our farm into the ecosystem and environment from which it came. There are a lot of woods and riverbanks and bayou banks on the place. And there is a lot of open farmland, too. I intend for this place to serve both mankind and nature to the maximum capable.” Wagner is turning more and more of the responsibility of running the farm to his children, Abbey and Lawrence, and you can see some of the touches they have added on their Facebook and website. The page opens with, “Tastefully cultivated, naturally,” and goes on to say, “What do you want from your food? What do you want for your environment? For mankind? Surely, the best!” When you take a look at the Two Brooks Facebook page, make sure to look at the many creative recipes they included. Things like rice and tomato fritters, chard and brown rice au gratin, pimento and cheese gritsotto, Thai inspired rice meatloaf and spinach egg and brown rice breakfast. You will be surprised at the number of rice related products Two Brooks sells. There are at least 16 types of rice, rice flour and rice grits from which to choose. There is brown, white, red and black rice, basmati, wild and jasmine rice to choose from, far too many varieties to list here. Mike Wagner is quite the Southern gentleman, but he is also a progressive thinker, a man who loves the land he farms, and is passionate about doing the right thing, for all involved. Visit Two Brooks at www.twobrooksfarm.com.

Are you looking for a new cocktail to sip by the campfire? Or maybe one that’s a bit reminiscent of that rich campfire smoke when you’re stuck indoors one rainy weekend? This drink is just what the doctor ordered. With the smokiness from the mezcal and sweet and punchy taste of honey simple syrup and pineapple juice, this cocktail may just be your new go-to. Pineapple Mezcal Sour Materials needed: Cocktail shaker Strainer Rocks glass, chilled (or any glass, really) Ingredients: 1 ¾ ounces mezcal ¾ ounce pineapple juice ½ ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed 1 ounce honey syrup (recipe below) Honey syrup: 2 cups honey (preferably local!) 1 cup hot, filtered water Add the honey and water together, mix until honey is dissolved and mixture is uniform. Seal in a glass container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Syrup will keep up to one week. For the cocktail, add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously until well chilled. Pour into your chilled glass filled with ice and garnish however you’d like (including no garnish). Enjoy!

By Brandi Perry Located just a few miles off Highway 61, Doe’s Eat Place has called Greenville home for more than 80 years. Snuggled along the muddy bluffs of the Mississippi River, this iconic restaurant has a history that is nearly as thick as its porterhouse. Dominick “Doe” Signa and his wife, Mamie, opened the famous restaurant in 1941, but this was far from where the history started at this Nelson Street location. Doe’s father had moved to the Mississippi Delta in 1903 and opened a grocery store in what is now the restaurant. The store was a huge success, and the family lived in a house just behind the building. However, the Mississippi River Flood of 1927 dramatically changed the lives of all the residents of Greenville. Two levees threatened to breach in the immediate Greenville area, and the residents here had prepared as best they could for the flood—they all knew it was just a matter of time. The prearranged signal, a fire whistle, sounded on the morning of April 21, 1927. After several years of making ends meet, Signa decided he would open up a honkytonk in the front of the old grocery store, and it was just for local African-Americans to enjoy. Around the same time, Mamie received a partial recipe for hot tamales, and after trying to perfect the recipe, she began selling them out the back door of the building. The Mississippi Delta is known for hot tamales, and many restaurants try to recreate the flavor of what Mamie developed many years ago, but none have been able to replicate it yet. Even at this point, the Signa’s had no idea their cooking was about to put them on the culinary map in Mississippi. A local doctor stopped by once to get something to eat between calls. Big Doe threw a steak on the grill for him, and the doctor enjoyed it so much he began to make regular trips. It was not long before he started bringing others with him as well. Signa knew that word was spreading about his steaks and Mamie’s hot tamales, so it was time to make a decision. Little did he know this decision would take Mississippi’s culinary world by storm, and people would drive up to four hours a night for one of his steaks. Big Doe Signa knew that he could not make this restaurant successful on his own, so after calling his family and in-laws, he shut down the honkytonk, and his restaurant quickly became the talk of the town. Even though Big Doe retired in 1974 and passed the family busy on to his sons, they kept everything as he had originally had it. Guests still enter the front kitchen and pass that grill with steak stacked high and enter the main dining with walls adorned with pictures from Doe’s early years, vintage signage and photographs with signatures marking the visit of professional athletes and movie stars throughout the years. In addition to their hot tamales and chili, Doe’s Eat Place also serves fried and boiled shrimp. However, their steaks are the star of the show. Their menu is small, but the taste of their cuts of beef is gigantic. The ribeye is a traditional favorite, while the filet mignon is the most tender steak on their menu. However, their porterhouse and sirloin are the stars of this show. The porterhouse includes a T-bone and is fresh cut from choice short loins right there in the store. Their sirloin is also fresh-cut and is big enough to serve three or four people. The house salad is something you have not experienced before. They use the perfect blend of olive oil, lemon juice and garlic to create the perfect dressing for their house salad, and it leaves no need for additional dressing. Visitors to Doe’s Eat Place have been sharing all the delicious details about this place for more than 80 years, so it is no wonder that steak lovers outside of the south have come to notice this special place. The porterhouse steak was ranked “1 in 100 Best Things to Eat in America” by Men’s Journal. Southern Living Magazine went as far as to say that Doe’s Eat Place is one of the South’s Best Road Foods in May 2011, while Food Network’s Bon Appetit Magazine called the steaks here “one of the best steaks in America.” All these tremendous praises cannot be wrong but one of the most spectacular awards this location has garnered was the 2007 James Beard American Classic Award, which puts it on a map of which very few restaurants ever get to be a part. Doe’s Eat Place started expanding through several wonderful franchises throughout the south and now boasts fourteen locations in seven states. If you are interested in taking the name of Mississippi’s most notable steak restaurant to another level, the information you need can be found on their website. If you are ready to make the journey to Greenville, Mississippi, and sink your teeth in one of the best steaks you will ever have, they are open Monday through Saturday, 5 pm to 9 pm. If you have any questions or want to study the menu before visiting, please call (662) 334-3315 or go to their website at doeseatplace.com. A trip to Doe’s Eat Place in Greenville should be on the culinary bucket list of everyone that considers themselves a foodie or a steak connoisseur. It is suggested that you make a reservation because getting into Doe’s is often a challenge. The outside of the restaurant could indeed use some work but it just adds to the character of the historic restaurant. From experience, it seems as though restaurants with this type of character offer far better foods than those newer, well-built establishments. There is one thing for sure: you will not regret your dining experience at the original Doe’s Eat Place in Greenwood.

By Kathy K. Martin John and Lauren Stokes host a house party every night in Oxford. Located in an older one-story home along Jackson Avenue, the married couple invites guests to experience Old World comfort food in their restaurant, Tarasque Cucina. “John and I always had a dream to open our own place,” explains Lauren, who recounts how she designed the layout and menu for her future restaurant when she was just a little girl growing up in Maine. Ironically, John had the same dream as a boy and eventually began cooking at a former Oxford restaurant, The Hoka, when he was 15 years old; and then continued to work at restaurants in Dallas, Nashville and Alaska in his early 20s. Their dream restaurant concept came together as they converted the vacant house into Tarasque Cucina in 2014 and opened in early 2015. “We want diners to feel that they’re at the most fun, welcoming house party,” explains Lauren. She believes that they’ve succeeded in that feeling as they welcome regular diners every night and witness the chatter and laughter as the regulars mingle with new diners and transform the place into one big family around multiple dining tables. “We have worked really hard to keep our space welcoming, positive, and inclusive for everyone,” says Lauren, “We just want you to have fun and eat some good food!” They enjoy greeting and feeding guests, especially people who knew John from his growing-up years, and visit to see his dream now a reality. The name for the restaurant comes from French folklore and the story of Saint Martha, the patron saint of cooks. As the story goes, a wild beast named Tarasque terrorized many villages, and the people tried to fight back but couldn’t conquer the beast. Saint Martha overcame the dragon using her grace and charm. John especially loves this parable. “It shows that through honest grace you can make anything happen,” he says, “even tame the beast.” The food at Tarasque Cucina centers on salads; classic pasta dishes such as spaghetti and sugo di pomodoro and pappardelle Bolognese; and rotating small plates. The couple uses ingredients from local sources as much as possible, along with vegetables from their own garden at their home in Water Valley. “We really love food ourselves, so we cook what we want to eat,” says Lauren of their mission to just make delicious dishes prepared with care. Their rendition of a Caesar salad is a particular favorite of guests. Instead of the traditional Romaine, theirs is made with chopped napa cabbage and sunflower shoots grown by Nathan Richardson, a farmer in Water Valley. The dressing is made with roasted garlic and an Italian fish sauce. Another customer favorite is the house-made sourdough ciabatta, which is baked daily using a sourdough made by a family of bakers in Alaska, which Lauren’s mother gave to John over a decade ago. The variety of small plates, especially those that feature fish, are always enjoyed as well. Some of their featured summer vegetable small plates were squash blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and fresh oregano over a green strawberry vinaigrette and a green bean panzanella with aioli, local tomatoes and their homemade bread toasted into chewy yet crunchy croutons. The restaurant also features a variety of dessert choices such as chocolate cream puffs, vanilla bean panna cotta and vanilla wafer tiramisu, which they call “nillasu.” Alcohol is not on the menu, but a liquor store is just a few steps away from the restaurant. Guests are welcome to bring their own bottles with a $2 per person glass fee. John and Lauren are grateful for staff members who feel more like best friends; and they are thankful that their restaurant weathered the COVID pandemic. “We have dealt as gracefully as we possibly can with the same issues everyone else is dealing with across the board,” explains Lauren. “It’s good to have a five-year plan and a 10-year plan, but we’ve learned the importance of staying flexible and staying positive.” Realizing the dream of their restaurant coming to fruition leaves the couple feeling humbled and joyful. And much like their favorite Saint Martha parable, they also bring charm and grace to serve diners like friends over for a house party. Visit www.tarasque.net for more information and the full menu. Tomato Toast Recipe and foreword from Lauren Stokes Here is our "recipe" for tomato toast. It sounds silly to have a recipe for something so simple, but just a few extra steps really make an already perfect dish go from delicious to next level! You'll need: 1 perfect tomato Bread (ideally a sourdough or sturdier bread, sliced white bread has its time and place but won't hold up as well in this dish) Salt and pepper 1 garlic clove Mayo Olive oil 1. Peel the tomato (trust us, John's Mimi does this and she is never wrong!), then slice into chunky rounds and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let them sit. 2. Glug olive oil onto a cutting board and rub your bread slice all around in it (both sides) until it is covered. 3. Toast the bread. 4. When the bread is toasted and still hot, rub one side with a peeled garlic clove. The garlic will melt into the bread. 5. Add mayo to your toasted bread on the garlic side. 6. Top with tomato slices and basil if you're feeling extra. Enjoy!

By Brandi Perry Located halfway between Quitman and Waynesboro in Clarke County is a farm that may have the largest muscadine crop in the entire world, but their story does not end there. These grapes are just a small sampling of what makes up this large farm. The former owner had set up the vineyard and production facility for his new venture to create jams, syrups and other muscadine products. He even collaborated with Mississippi State University to find more types to be used for the juice market. But his dreams for the vineyard never came to fruition. Owner Charley Phillips bought 900 acres of land from the Meridian businessman without much thought of what it truly took to run a muscadine farm. Before he became the owner, the farm had fallen into disarray with major overgrowth throughout the property. After some hard work and dedication to the grapes, they were off and running, even though at that time they were not truly sure what that meant. What resulted was the largest muscadine vineyard in the country that ships its valuable juice all over the East Coast, particularly the Carolinas. Ever had good Carolina wine? There is a good chance that the juice to make that wine came from Mississippi. Even though they pick around three million pounds of the tasty fruits a year, not all of them are sold and shipped in bulk. Farmers markets throughout Mississippi have enjoyed their muscadines and not just because they are delicious. Native to the southeastern part of the United States, muscadine grapes have been utilized for more than 400 years. Native Americans would not only dry the muscadines for a food source but would also use the blue hue found in the juice of the grapes as a source of blue dye. Even though they continue to grow wild in areas throughout the south, especially along creek and riverbanks, many people are not aware that there are so many types of these delicious fruits. For instance, scuppernongs were named for the area in which they were discovered but just represent the bronze-colored muscadines. Dark fruited muscadines are usually referred to as “bullis” with variations such as Bullace, Bullet Grape or Bull Grape. While the bronze and black varieties are the most recognizable, 100 years of muscadine breeding has yielded a dozen or more new strands. So, when the Phillips say they grow nine or 10 different grape varieties on their farm, it is not a stretch to understand how that happens. Like most fresh fruits, there are a great deal of health benefits from consuming muscadines and their juice. First, they are fat-free and high in fiber. Additionally, they are high in antioxidants, especially ellagic acid which has demonstrated anticarcinogenic properties in the colon, lungs and liver in studies. In 2020, the family decided they would enter the produce world and started using 20 of their acres to produce fresh vegetables for sure. The farmers market on their property is open from mid-May until mid-September. At any given time, you can find purple hull peas, crowder peas, tomatoes, watermelons, blueberries, okra, corn, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, butter beans and snap beans, in addition to jellies, jams, pickles and even muscadine ice cream. However, even during the off-season when the actual farmers market is not open, you can still buy the juice, syrup and jams and jellies from them. A new addition to their farm just in the last month is the You Pick Flower Garden. There are very few places that visitors can visit and pay to pick whatever variety of flowers they want. That is exactly why the Phillips introduced this new trend that is sure to catch on for all ages and all special events. Breckenridge Farm is no stranger to events. They hosted A Day on the Farm in July and offered food, music, produce and shopping with more than 20 vendors. The turnout was spectacular and that has them very excited about what possibilities may be just on the horizon for them. Their Touch the Truck event that was scheduled for June 25, brought in a police car, ambulance, tractors, harvester, motorcycle, firetruck and a helicopter in addition to live music from Brooks Wood. For just $5, kids had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the vehicles they see nearly daily and ask questions of those who drive and work on them. While the kids were occupied, the parents found time to relax and enjoy some good food and music. There is no doubt these two events will pave the way for many more at Breckenridge Farms! If you are going to visit, follow the signs to the farmers market. They are open Monda through Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm from mid-May to mid-September. There is nothing quite like picking up fresh fruits and vegetables that are still hanging on the vine just a few hours before. The taste is unmatched, and you will be not only helping a locally owned business but also ensuring local farmers can continue to provide for their families. Every year, the number of farm families in Mississippi diminishes, and we must do everything in our power to support them. Breckenridge Farms is located at 181 Americana Drive in Shubuta, Mississippi. Check out their Facebook, where they post when they have events scheduled and when there is a new crop available at the farmers market. If you have any questions before making the trip to Clarke County, give them a call at 601-776-7477 or email them at breckenridgefarms@yahoo.com. If you have more questions or want to learn more about their farm and what they do there, go to their website at breckenridgefarms.net and it should answer most of your questions! Do not make any other plans for the day when you head out to Breckenridge Farms because you are going to want to spend the day!

By Brandi Perry It is no secret that Mississippi has some of the strongest literary roots of any state in the country. With names like William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright, John Grisham, Greg Iles and more hailing from the Magnolia State, it is easy to see why there was a desperate need to have a book festival not only to pay homage to the ones that have come before but to help pave the way for the literary legends of the future. The Mississippi Book Festival is held in one of the most iconic and beautiful scenes in the state, complete with shade trees and streets full of stories, a perfect setting for storytellers, writers and readers. The Mississippi Book Festival was founded in 2015 and launched that August on the grounds of the State Capitol in Jackson. Nicknamed the “literary lawn party,” it is not uncommon for nearly 10,000 people from around the country to converge. By the fifth year of the festival, they drew 9,300 visitors with 47 official panel discussions, in addition to activities at 10 different locations. The music, food and social scene give visitors a nice vibe as they wander through the grounds, meeting some of the top authors in the country. Hundreds of authors from around the country, state and locally converge on Jackson to meet with fans and new readers and are given chances to explore a more in-depth look into the themes and characters in their books through panels. But the contemporary authors are not the only ones involved in these spectacular events. Authors Alley is the hub for self-published and small press authors. The growth of this incredible event can only be attributed to how well organized the event is. For example, in the first year, the event launched with John Grisham and Jackson State’s “Sonic Boom of the South” marching band. Over 100 authors, including Greg Iles and Curtis Wilke, and 3,750 people attended. Since then, the event has grown exponentially every year and has included nationally known authors such as John Meacham, Jesmyn Ward, Rick Bragg, Charles Frazier and Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Even with COVID-19 closing the in-person portion of the event in 2020, it did not stop the festival from happening. Instead, they took the event online through one-on-one interviews, group conversations and Reader Features with community guests from across the state. The result was staggering, with 2,500 online sessions and 27 authors on 28 panels. Their dedication to the event during one of the most difficult years proves just how special the Mississippi Book Festival is to everyone. This event is full of family-friendly activities, making it the perfect place to spend the entire day with the family. Young readers will have a ball in the Kid’s Corner. The focus of books and authors here is to ignite the imagination of young readers and encourage a lifelong love of books. Additionally, capitol tours are available that day as well as a variety of delicious culinary offerings from food trucks throughout the southeast. The 2022 Mississippi Book Festival will be held on August 20. The event is free to attend, and the official panelists for this year’s event are going to be some of the most popular to ever attend. Alice Walker, an internationally celebrated author and poet, will be an official panelist this year. Author of “The Color Purple,” the novel was first published in 1982 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction the following year. Walker was the first African American woman to win this award. In 1983, she won the National Book Award. “The Color Purple” is commemorating its 40th-anniversary release this year. Other official panelists include Matt de la Pena, who is a Newberry Medal-winning author of seven books, Jennifer Eagan, who won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction for her 2017 novel, “Manhattan Beach,” and Robert St. John, who is the author of 11 books and the owners of Crescent City Grill, Mahogany Bar, Tabella, Ed’s Burger Joint, The Midtowners and El Rayo Tex-Mex. This is just a sampling of the 26 authors that will make up these spectacular panels. Additionally, booksellers from across the state will be joining in on the fun and assisting authors and visitors alike with books. Having them in attendance also gives self-published and small press published authors an opportunity to introduce themselves to the bookstore owners and staff and maybe land an event or signing at their respective stores. There are so many ways you can make a difference in this special event. Without contributions from around the state from businesses and individuals, this event would not survive. If you are passionate about books and the people who write them, head over to the Mississippi Book Festival website (msbookfestival.com) and contribute. They are a 501c3 nonprofit organization. The Mississippi Book Festival also would not be successful without its contingency of volunteers that help every year! If that is something you are interested in, you can sign up on their website as well. From there you can choose a day to help, an available task and a time slot. All the work begins on Wednesday, August 17, and wraps up Saturday, August 20. The options for you to help include the pre-event, author hospitality, the kick-off event, Kidnote, special events, set-up, information tent, check-in, book signing tent or cleanup. Finally, if you want to join the Mississippi Book Festival as an exhibitor, they offer an incredible opportunity for individuals, retailers, organizations and vendors to sell or distribute books, goods or information. The directions on how to sign up are also on the website. If you are planning to attend the Literary Lawn Party, get there early and plan to spend all day! The Mississippi State Capitol is located at 400 High Street in Jackson, Mississippi, and the event will start at 9 am and end at 5 pm. It is free to the public so prepare to have one of the best times of your life. It will be an event you return to year after year.

By Chere Coen When we caught up with Jerome Trahan, General Manager of the Threefoot Brewing Company, Mississippi was in the grips of brutally high pressure, causing temperatures to soar. Trahan laughed it off. “That’s why I stay in a cold, cold brewery,” he said. Mississippi’s latest craft beer company — Trahan claims it’s the state’s first microbrewery — opened in August 2021 in a renovated Merchant and Farmer’s Bank in downtown Meridian. The 10,000-square-foot space was built in 1924 and still announces the bank’s slogan of “Safety, Strength, Service” above the front door. But it’s the three-foot walls that keep both heat and air conditioning inside. “This place is solid,” Trahan said. “It’s the best place to be in a tornado. I always tell people when the weather is bad, come in and have a beer.” Threefoot owners John and Bridget Purdy began brewing as a sideline to their careers — Bridget works as an educator and John, an architect. Over time, as they established their beers, they looked to a location to expand the brewery and offer a taproom for visitors. Threefoot beers may be found in regional restaurants, but 80 percent of the beer is served in-house. “Everything is brewed here in the brewery,” Trahan said. “We’re brewing Mondays through Fridays and constantly running out of beer and making new ones.” Brews run the traditional gamut from sours, Old Worldstyle beers and IPAs, to browns, ambers and stouts. Many sport fun names like Mr. Blue Sky blueberry sour, Midnight Train chocolate raspberry stout, Patrick Hayze IPA and Dark Sarcasm coffee stout. The beer menu changes according to seasonal ingredients and the brew master’s imagination. Sometimes, they offer something fun to the mix. During that recent heat wave, John Purdy combined two thirst quenchers, serving up a mango sour ice cream float. In addition, the taproom serves up what Trahan calls “comfort food.” Items include tater tots, burgers, Reuben sandwiches and a unique chicken and waffles dish consisting of Belgian waffles and chicken strips in a creamy and sweet jalapeno sauce. The brewery also caters special events and private parties. One wedding rehearsal dinner menu consisted of boudin and cheese eggrolls, Mississippi “hummiss” (purple hull peas, garlic and tahini), beef brisket and chicken tarragon with roasted Brussel sprouts. THREEFOOT TRADITION Threefoot Brewing is not connected to Meridian’s newly opened Threefoot Hotel, although the name is related. German immigrant Abraham Driefuss and his family moved to Meridian in the 1800s and changed their name to the easier “Threefoot,” since “Driefuss” means tripod or three foot in English. Descendants later built the multi-story, art deco building in 1929, making the Threefoot Building the tallest in Mississippi. Ripley’s Believe It or Not played on its name, calling it “a 15-story building on a three-foot lot.” The building became vacant in the 1990s, but a recent restoration effort by Marriot turned it into the elegant Threefoot Hotel, a Tribute Portfolio property. The unique name was never lost on the city of Meridian. The town hosts the annual Threefoot Festival every spring in the downtown district. Threefoot Brewery takes advantage of the name — plus there are those three-foot walls — and has created a pilsner specifically for the hotel. They also contribute to downtown festivals, such as the Threefoot Festival. Family-Forward The taproom may sell alcohol, but it’s family and pet-friendly. The open bottom floor of the historic building offers plenty of seating space, plus a large bookshelf of games to be enjoyed. Televisions showing sporting events grace a bar at the end of the room. Visitors can view beer being made in the massive tanks off the side. For those who visit with four-legged friends, Threefoot created a special dog treat from the brewery’s spent grain. They combine peanut butter and bananas to the grain for “The Hound Dog” dog biscuit. “It’s just like Elvis would have loved,” Trahan said. For a quieter experience, the mezzanine level seats 40 with a view of the taproom below. The outside Beer Garden includes a space for live concerts. “We have three goals,” Trahan said. “We offer a chilled environment, we’re family-forward, and we serve quality beer.” Threefoot Brewing Company is located at 517 23rd Avenue in downtown Meridian. Taproom hours are from 4 pm to 10 pm Tuesday through Friday; and 11 am to 10 pm on Saturday. The taproom is closed on Sundays and Mondays. For more information, visit www.threefootbrewing.com. For information on taproom concerts, special events and beer and food specials, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ threefootbrewing.

By Mrs. Qula Madkin, MSU Extension Service Most children tend to go through picky eating phases. Sometimes, there’s more to picky eating than simply not liking a food. There are many things that could cause a child to be selective about what they eat, including unpleasant food textures, odors, and allergies. Here are a few tips you can try to entice your picky eater: Let them help. There are many age-appropriate ways to get kids in the kitchen. Allowing children to touch, prepare, and grow food is one of the best ways to get them to try new dishes. You may be pleasantly surprised with some of the great recipes they come up with! Make food fun. Use fun shapes, sizes, and bright colors. Appealing to their eyes is a great way to get to their stomachs. Creativity in the kitchen can go a long way. Keep things calm. Children are easily distracted. If mealtime is a struggle, limit distractions and allow your picky eater to focus more on the meal when it’s time to eat. Examine your own eating habits. Children are observant. It may be challenging to get them to eat foods you don’t prepare because you don’t like the food yourself. So, remember, they are watching and can pick up similar food preferences and habits. More tips: For most toddlers, picky eating is normal. It may take up to 8-10 attempts of offering a new food to a child before they try it. So, don’t give up. Be sure to serve food in small portions. Large portions of food on a plate can be overwhelming for a child. For more information and tips for coping with picky eaters and planning nutritionally balanced meals and snacks, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the MyPlate websites.

By Susan Marquez If you’re looking for a barbecue sauce with a funky history, look no further than Bootsie’s Delta Funk BBQ Sauce. Pete Grumbles runs the distribution operation from the funky worldwide headquarters in Pope, Mississippi. He says he slid into the barbecue game in a roundabout way. Raised in Arizona, Pete got a job in Arkansas after college. He moved to Mississippi from Little Rock in 2011. “We have family from Mississippi,” he explains. Soon after arriving in the Magnolia State, Pete met Adrian Boyd, and the two became business partners. They started as a catering company. The sauces were so popular people were asking if they could buy them. They kept the name, Bootsie’s, and let people know they were all about southern funk! “Adrian had the recipe,” says Pete. “It dates back to the 1920s. His people were sharecroppers who left Mississippi during the great migration to Chicago. The recipe was passed down through generations. Adrian moved back to Mississippi from Chicago after he retired from the Navy.” For eight months, the duo worked to make the barbecue sauce recipes something that could be mass-produced. “We were determined to keep as close as possible to the original recipes. They didn’t have preservatives in the 1920s, so we don’t use preservatives today. We source all of our ingredients as local as possible, and as natural as possible.” Pete estimates that 90 percent of the ingredients used to make the sauces are sourced from either Mississippi or the South. “We went to local farmers markets and talked to the growers about what we were looking for.” Right out of the gate, the funky sauces were a hit. The company has been in business coming up on six years, and already they have won numerous awards, including the Delta Regional Authority Entrepreneur Fellow in 2017, Silver Medal Scovie award for best fruit barbecue sauce in 2018, Yahoo’s Lifestyles Must-Have Sauces of the Summer for Bootsie’s Hi-Tone White BBQ sauce in 2019, and a Bronze Medal Scovie award this year for the best mustard barbecue sauce with their Pineapple Xpress sauce. That’s not bad for a kid who aspired to be a saucier after watching a movie with his dad. “We watched Apocalypse Now, and one of the characters was a saucier from New Orleans. I had never heard of such a thing but soon became obsessed with sauces,” says Pete. Putting himself through college working at Outback Steakhouse gave Pete a strong education in food. He became even more obsessed with sauces, an obsession that continues today. “Every time we develop a new product, I take it to local chefs to try. I want their feedback; then I make adjustments.” There are currently eight products in the Bootsie’s product line. “We are currently working on developing hot sauces.” Bootsie’s is a small manufacturer with big dreams. “We use only organic ingredients, but we are not highfalutin,” laughs Pete. “We just want to be true to our roots.” Everything is hot cooked in a kettle. “That first taste should be as smooth as listening to Sly and the Family Stone,” says Pete. “We use local honey that dissolves as it goes down. You should taste layer by layer, then get that back heat.” Bootsie’s products are sold throughout the state as well as on the company’s website. The barbecue sauces in the Bootsie’s product line include Pineapple Xpress, Sweet n’ Smoky, Hot as Funk, Hi-Tone White and summer peach. They also carry a line of rubs which include All-Purpose Spice n/ Rub, Sweet Heat Funk and Whiskey Lemon Fusion Funk.

By Ms. Natasha Haynes, MSU Extension Service Most of the time water is the best choice before, during, and after physical activity. However, there are times when you might benefit from a sports drink. You can save a considerable amount of money by making your own homemade version. You may even feel better about what you and your family members are drinking, because you know exactly what ingredients you put in it! Homemade Sports Drink (Makes 4 Servings) Ingredients: - 1/4 cup sugar - 1/4 teaspoon salt - 1/4 cup hot water - 1/4 cup orange juice - 2 tablespoons lemon juice - 3-1/2 cups cold water In the bottom of the pitcher, dissolve the sugar, salt, and hot water. Add the remaining juices and add water. Chill in the refrigerator before your next sporting event or physical activity! Thanks to University of Georgia Extension Food Talk Blog for this recipe! If you aren’t a fan of plain water, there are ways to enhance the flavor without adding sugar. Try out these Three Flavored Water Recipes to Beat the Heat for water infused with fruit and herbs. These tips from Qula Madkin, Extension instructor and registered dietitian, can help you get more water in your diet. Follow The Food Factor on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! And if you like our recipes and videos, we’d love for you to share them with your friends! It really helps!

By Brandi Perry Long gone are the days when family-owned general stores dotted Mississippi’s backroads and byways, taking with it the sense of community and the ability to buy your hardware or houseware right down the road. Fortunately, there are still a few general stores still standing throughout the state, but very few of them are still open for business. However, just 20 minutes north of Meridian sits the small town of Kewanee. Population counts have not occurred here in a long time, and besides the rumble of trucks passing by or the whine of a train as it comes through town, things move a little slower here. That may be exactly why the Simmons-Wright Company survived all these years. The original store was made of solid wood and was built here in 1884 by William Simmons and Tom Wright. What is now the back of the store was facing the Old Dixie Highway and ran from Meridian down to Key West, Florida. The location of the store was not only important for the highway but also for the railway. Being so close to the railroad allowed the train to stop and deliver goods needed by the farmers in the area. This one general had such an incredible impact on the livelihood of the people in this community. By the 1880s, the store included a blacksmith shop, a gristmill for grinding corn and wheat, a cotton gin, and a sawmill, plus it carried everyday items such as groceries, clothing and other necessities. Money was a funny thing back in the day because farmers from the community were able to pay off any debt, they had in the store by using the cotton from their fields. In return, the farmer and the store owner get exactly what they needed. Even though farmers nor anyone else can use cotton as currency here anymore, that seems to be about the only thing that has truly changed here in Kewanee. The original store burned to the ground in 1926 and was replaced by the one that is standing now, a two-story brick structure the same year. Success continued for the store even through the Great Depression and wars but in the 1950s, ownership of the store slowly started to change. Ms. Bernice Simmons took over the store in the mid-1970s and ran it until she passed away in 1998 at the age of 96. She had lived in the Kewanee area all her life and left just briefly so she could attend college. After her studies were finished, Bernice returned home to be the bookkeeper of the store and then the owner. After she passed away, she left the store to Gary and Manning Pickett in her will, and the store is currently run by Gary and his wife, Janice. The store has not changed much in the last 138 years. When visitors walk into the store, they undoubtedly feel as though they have just been transported 100 years in the past. The bottom floor of the store is the sales floor, and it is packed full of history, antiques, hardware and food. Yes, the store still carries all the necessities their neighbors may need. The creak of the old screen door sent this writer back nearly 30 years to hearing that exact same sound on the front porch of my grandmother’s house in Neshoba County. I knew in that instant that this would be a special experience. Coming from the brightly lit exterior inside will make visitors squint in the dimly lit room. But, once their eyes adjust, they can see why thousands of visitors from around the world step through those doors every single year. A spiral notebook just inside the door has hundreds of signatures in it. While flipping through the pages, it was easy to see visitors from nearly all 50 states, Australia, South Africa, Britain and Canada. No matter where you are from or how long you intend to stay, the history of the store beckons you to every nook and cranny. Old home remedy bottles have found their home under a glass cover after being pulled off the shelves many years ago, while farm tools and seeds are ready to be picked up by whoever is planting the latest garden. Upstairs there are so many incredible antiques that may have been there since the first store existed. It is so important to take your time while you wander around Simmons-Wright because you do not want to miss anything! In 2011, Gary and Janice decided to open the 1884 Café, a nod to the year the store was open. Between the catfish, fried chicken or Mr. Gary’s pecan-smoked pulled pork, there is not only plenty of delicious items to enjoy but just as good conversation. You see, the general store has become the place the local men have their coffee or lunch and share the news of whatever is going on in the community. Sit a bit and enjoy the conversation. They will make you feel like friends no matter how far you traveled to be there. In addition to the delicious food, there are plenty of Mississippi gifts for sale as well such as candles, soap and books. If you want to take a little taste of Mississippi home with you, there is also local salsa, pickles and chowchow. If you are just stopping in for a snack, grab a piece of homemade fudge, freshly fried pork rinds or some hot boiled peanuts. That and an ice-cold bottled coke can fix any problems you may have! Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Simmons Wright Store is located at 5493 Highway 11/80 in Kewanee. From Interstate 59, just follow the signs. The store is open Monday from 7:30 am to 4 pm, Tuesday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, Wednesday from 8 am to 4:30 pm, and Thursday and Friday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. If you have any questions before your visit, reach out by phone at 601-6321884 or by email at info@thesimmons-wrightcompany.com. For more information, check out their website at www.thesimmons-wrightcompany.com.

By Ms. Susan M. Collins-Smith, MSU Extension Service I love having fresh herbs to use while cooking in my kitchen. This fact was the catalyst that led me to plant my first herb plants a few years ago. For the most part, they’ve been easy to grow. While every attempt hasn’t been successful, I’m learning more as I go. You’ll always find these three herbs in my herb garden: Rosemary: This evergreen shrub comes in two types: upright and creeping. It is a hardy perennial, but you may find that you need to replace it after a few years. Our hot, humid climate can be brutal on herbs. Basil: This annual herb comes in several different flavors, but sweet basil is my go-to. I use this a lot, especially in the summer when I have fresh tomatoes. If you like flavored vinegars, the purple leaf types make for a pretty presentation in glass bottles. ‘Purple Ruffles’ basil (Ocimum basilicum) was featured among the 2004 Mississippi Medallion winners. Dill: This is an annual that prefers cooler weather, so it does well in the spring and fall. You can make dill pickles or try it on eggs. But if you enjoy fish, this is an excellent herb to grow and elevate your dishes. Herbs get their flavors and scents from oils. Over fertilizing, over watering and planting them in shade will lower the oil content, making them less flavorful and aromatic. Any of these herbs will do well in containers, so put them on the back porch so they’re within easy reach when you’re whipping up a meal. For more about herb gardening, visit the Extension website. Herbs can be used to make a variety of flavored vinegars. For a video and step-by-step instructions for making flavored vinegar, check out our previous blog post.

Ms. Bonnie A. Coblentz, MSU Extension Service The state’s sweet potato growers will have a wealth of information available to them in a half-day event Aug. 25 in Pontotoc. The Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station are hosting the 2022 Sweet Potato Field Day at the Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station. There is no cost to attend. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with the station tour starting at 8:30. Lorin Harvey, Extension sweet potato specialist, said topics covered will include cover crops, soil fertility, sweet potato physiology, sweet potato variety development, mechanization of packing lines, and insect and weed management. “We will take attendees on a guided tour of the station’s numerous sweet potato projects, giving participants an opportunity to look at and learn about research underway at MSU,” Harvey said. The event ends with a barbecue lunch. Certified Crop Advisor Continuing Education Units are available. The station is located at 8320 Highway 15 South in Pontotoc. MSU is an equal opportunity institution. For disability accommodation or other information, contact Harvey at 662-490-1954 or lh1853@msstate.edu.

By Susan Marquez In a state where food deserts, diabetes and obesity are prevalent, a group of people is working to turn those problems and more around in a positive and healthy way. Choctaw Fresh Produce was designed to improve the community in a self-sustaining way. The program has proven to be a major component of both improved health and economic security for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. As one of the United States’ original first nations, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is the only federally recognized American Indian Tribe in Mississippi, with close to 11,000 members. Recognizing that the best way to thrive and remain self-sufficient is to succeed economically, Choctaw Fresh Produce checks all the boxes. The farm is based in Choctaw, Mississippi: an area that provides ideal weather for longer growing seasons and greater yields, allowing the organization to specialize in direct store delivery throughout Central Mississippi to a broad variety of organic-focused food buyers. From grocers to casinos, schools and restaurants, Choctaw Fresh Produce provides fresh, organic produce nearly year-round due to the use of high tunnel greenhouses. In the high tunnels, vegetables grown exceed production in less space. The use of technology, including fans, automatic shutters, pre-wired thermostats and vented heaters assure growing success by controlling temperature, keeping out disease and saving water. John Hendrix serves as the Director of Economic Development for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Since the growing operation started, he has gone from being a backyard gardener to a serious proponent of large-scale organic gardening. “I’ve seen what access to fresh produce can do for a community,” he says. “We don’t have statistics, but our hopeful outcome is a healthier population.” The tribe offers produce boxes to those with diabetes, the elderly and a food program for those with low income to get more nutritious food to at-risk groups. Grown on a three-acre organic farm on reservation land, Choctaw Fresh puts more nutritious food in areas where it has not always been accessible. It started with a phone call John received from the food and beverage manager of their casino. “He had food shipped in from all over the country. I learned that the tribe was importing nearly one hundred percent of its food. Most people had forgotten what a good quality tomato tastes like,” John explains. “That’s when we took a serious look at growing our own food here on tribal lands.” The farming project not only addressed the need to have locally grown produce but has also created employment opportunities. “It is a win-win solution,” says John. As the farming program grew, visits for elementary school students began, which got the students excited about eating vegetables. A Food Ambassador program was created, introducing young people to agriculture as a healthy, alternative career path to manufacturing or hospitality. “This absolutely benefits the health of the community,” says John. “It gets kids re-engaged and excited about the local food system and eating healthier; that spills over to multiple generations, from kids to elders.”

By Ms. Mary Michaela Parker, MSU Extension Service Summertime is a great time to try new recipes with in-season produce. Whether you garden yourself or have several friends who share their produce with you, there is always plenty of fresh produce to choose from this time of year. If you’re anything like me, you’re constantly looking for new recipes to try with fruits or vegetables. Delicious homemade jams and jellies can seem daunting to make, especially if you’ve never made them before. Extension Publication 220, “Pickles, Relishes, Jellies, Jams, and Preserves,” has plenty of great jam, jelly, and preserve recipes that will put that fresh fruit to good use! Give a few of these featured recipes a try: Fig Jam - 2 quarts figs - 4 cups sugar - 1/4 cup lemon juice Wash, stem, and peel figs. Crush or chop figs. Add sugar. Cook slowly, stirring often until the mixture is thick (about 1/2 hour). Add lemon juice and stir. Pour into hot, sterilized jars. Seal immediately. Process in boiling water 5 minutes. Remove jars; cool and store. Yield: 4 half-pint jars. Spiced Blueberry-Peach Jam (without added pectin) - 4 cups chopped or ground peaches (about 4 pounds peaches) - 4 cups blueberries (about 1-quart fresh blueberries or two 10-ounce packages of unsweetened - frozen blueberries) - 2 tablespoons lemon juice - 1/2 cup water - 5-1/2cups sugar - 1 stick cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon salt - 1/2 teaspoon whole clove - 1/4 teaspoon whole allspice Sort and wash fully ripe peaches; peel and remove pits. Chop or grind peaches. Sort, wash, and remove any stems from fresh blueberries. Thaw frozen berries. To make jam, measure fruits into a kettle; add lemon juice and water. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sugar and salt; stir well. Add spices tied in cheesecloth. Boil rapidly, stirring constantly, to 9 degrees F above the boiling point of water (221 degrees F) or until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat; take out spices. Skim. Fill and seal containers. Process 5 minutes in boiling water. Remove jars; cool and store. Yield: 6 or 7 half-pint jars. Strawberry Jam - 4 cups crushed strawberries - 4 cups sugar Sort and wash berries; remove stems and caps. Crush the berries. To make jam, measure crushed strawberries into a kettle. Add sugar and stir well. Boil rapidly, stirring constantly, to 230 degrees F, or until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat; skim. Fill and seal containers. Process for 5 minutes in boiling water. Remove jars; cool and store. Yield: 4 half-pint jars. This publication is great because it also has several recipes that feature fresh vegetables in it like homemade ketchup, pickles, relish, and more! If you want to learn more about canning your produce, check out our blog post on the basics of canning fruits and vegetables.

By Lisa LaFontaine Bynum In 1989, The National Honey Board designated September as National Honey Month. Bees provide more than just honey; they play a vital role in our food chain. Celebrate all month long with these sweet and savory recipes using everyone’s favorite natural sweetener. Roasted Corn Salad with Honey Lime Dressing 1/2 cup olive oil, divided 5 ears fresh corn 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion (about 1/2 small onion) 3/4 cup quartered and diced fresh cucumber 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 ounces fresh lime juice plus 1 tablespoon 2 teaspoons honey 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 avocado, diced into ½ inch pieces Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the husks from the corn. Brush with 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast the cobs in the oven for 10 minutes. Flip and roast for another 10 minutes. Remove the corn cobs from the oven and allow them to cool to the touch. Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels from the cobs. Place the kernels in a large mixing bowl. Add the red onion, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and cilantro. In a liquid measuring cup, combine two ounces of lime juice, the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, honey, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir until the salt is dissolved. Pour the dressing over the salad. Stir to combine. Salad is best when allowed to chill for several hours before serving. Just before serving, toss the avocado in the remaining tablespoon of lime juice. Gently fold the avocado into the salad. Honey Chipotle Chicken Drumsticks 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons paprika 4 pounds chicken drumsticks 1/2 cup honey 3 whole chipotle peppers in adobo 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon chili powder Salt and pepper to taste In a medium bowl, combine oil, cumin and paprika. Stir until combined. Place the drumsticks in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour the spice mixture over the chicken. Toss until evenly coated. In a blender or food processor, puree the honey, chipotle peppers, mustard and chili powder. Reserve half the sauce for basting. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Arrange the drumsticks on a greased baking rack over a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 15 minutes. Baste chicken with the reserved honey chipotle sauce, flip, and baste the other side. Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes or until juices run clear. Alternatively, prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Place chicken on the heated grill and cook for 10-15 minutes. Bast with honey chipotle sauce, flip drumsticks, and baste the other side with sauce. Grill for an additional 10-15 minutes or until juices run clear. Before serving, coat with additional honey chipotle sauce or arrange drumsticks on a platter with sauce on the side. Honey Cake 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup honey 1 egg 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and honey. Add the egg and buttermilk and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, sift together salt, flour, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon. Add ½ the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add the remaining flour and mix until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into a greased 10-inch cast iron skillet or round cake pan. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

With fall on the horizon and temperatures (hopefully) dropping in the next couple of months, many of us are looking forward to camping trips, tailgating or even backyard bonfires. If you’re not one for outdoors-ing, but you know someone who is, this list is a perfect gift guide to buying for the avid camper in your life. No matter what you have planned this autumn, these gadgets are perfect for upgrading and simplifying your outdoor cooking. Folding Camping Table, $69.99 Table, prep station and storage all in one place. This folding table from Amazon is ideal for camping and tailgating, making prep work and cooking a breeze. With the extra counter-like space, meals made on the go just got 10 times easier. This compact table has the added bonus of an insulated cooler cubby; store meat, veggies or cold drinks and keep them cool without worrying about whatever heat Mississippi may throw our way. Find this table and others like it at Amazon.com. Ozark Trail Tripod Grill, $22.88 Have an open fire pit but no adjustable grill? No problem. This tripod grill sold at Walmart is the answer you’re looking for. With a sizeable 17-inch diameter, grill anything from large portions of meat, vegetables or aluminum trays. Adjust the grill height to your liking with the shock-corded steel legs to ensure that you can get the char you’re looking for or the low and slow cooking technique you need. This grill also comes with its own carrying bag, making it an easily packable asset for every camping or tailgating weekend. Find this tripod grill at Walmart.com. Woods Nootka Anodized 5-pc Camping Cook Set, $45 For those who do a lot of open-fire cooking, this anodized cooking set is the answer to your prayers. This 5-piece cook set includes two pots, one frying pan, two cups, one universal gripper that works with any pot or pan and a dishcloth. The cookware is made of anodized aluminum, making it stick-resistant, scratch-resistant and easy to clean. This set is ideal for two campers. Find this set at WoodsCanada.com. Percolator, $36.95 Camping with coffee fiends, or consider yourself one? This percolator from GSI Outdoors is your ticket to keeping your camp caffeinated. This enamelware pot brews 12 cups of great-tasting, old-fashioned java. Built from heavy-gauge steel with a classic speckled enamel finish, every piece has been kiln-hardened twice at 1000 degrees F to stand up to scratches and chipping. An unbreakable resin cap lets you view the joe as it perks. Find this percolator at GSIOutdoors.com. Cast-Iron Skillet, $27.95 Would it really be a camping gadget list if we didn’t include a skillet? Although most devoted campers already keep this useful tool in their arsenal, it’s not a bad idea to add another to your collection. These skillets are great for searing, sauteing, frying or even making dips thanks to the cast iron's ability to evenly distribute high heat. This 10.5-inch cast-iron skillet from REI is perfect when cooking for two to three people or making a dip to share with the camp. Find this skillet and more at REI.com. Campfire Popcorn Maker, $52.70 Love fresh popcorn? How about fresh popcorn popped over the open fire? This vintage-style popcorn maker from Mud Pie can be used over your hearth, campfire or barbecue to cook up a classic tasty treat without the added chemicals and artificial flavors found in many microwaveable bagged popcorns. This 2-piece steel popper features a removable lid and extended metal and mango wood handle, complete with a suede hanging strap for convenient storage. The safe, 27" length keeps your hand far from the heat. Bowl and lid measure 7"H x 7"W. Find this popcorn maker listed on Amazon.com. Campfire Gloves, $13.99 An accessory most of us don’t think about, packing a pair of gloves for campfire handling is a necessity—especially when cooking! These grilling gloves are made of top-level Aramid Fabric and imported yarn, making them heat resistant (up to 1472°F) and more cut resistant than leather. The non-slip silicone design helps you keep a grip while handling hot off the flame foods and bakeware. Made to be one-size-fits-all, these gloves fit most men and are a bit loose for most women, so be sure to double-up if you need a snugger fit. Find these gloves on Amazon.com. Collapsible Sink, $24.99 The main drawback with outdoor cooking is the impossible number of dirty dishes. And if you’re not near a water spigot, that means washing them in camp bathrooms. However, this two-pack of collapsible sinks is perfect for rinsing and washing right on your campsite. Simply fill the basin with water, drop dishes and utensils in as needed, and wash up after your meal. Find this set of two collapsible sinks at Amazon.com.

From Family Features Whether your family's ideal summer day consists of swimming, hiking, biking or simply enjoying the sunshine, all that time in the heat calls for a sweet way to cool off. It's hard to beat a homemade treat loaded with favorite summertime flavors that's as cold and creamy as it is sweet and delicious. For a lighter, better-for-you solution, this Watermelon Gelato has about half the fat and fewer calories than traditional ice cream but with equally mouthwatering flavor. In fact, the word "gelato" means "ice cream" in Italian, and while the two frozen desserts have much in common, gelato is typically lower in fat with more density. If you're looking for an added touch of tastiness, try adding a few chocolate chips to the mix in the last few minutes of churning in your ice cream maker, or simply add some on top before serving. When a summer weekend offers opportunities for morning kitchen lessons with the kiddos, they can help measure ingredients for Watermelon Ice Cream Bars and watch the magic happen as you mix up a watermelon curd, homemade crust and whipped cream. Once your creation freezes completely throughout the day, turn out and cut into bars for a cold afternoon treat following all that fun in the sun. While sweet and tasty, these desserts also provide a bite of hydration with the power of watermelon, which is 92% water for a delicious way to rehydrate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, daily fluid intake is defined as the amount of water consumed from foods, plain drinking water and other beverages, meaning you don't have to rely only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. Because what you eat also provides a significant portion of daily fluids, fruits and vegetables like watermelon can help you and your family stay hydrated for whatever summer days bring your way. Find more sweet summer recipe ideas at Watermelon.org . Watermelon Ice Cream Bars Servings: 8 Watermelon Curd : 3/4 cup watermelon juice 2 tablespoons lime juice 1/2 cup honey 1 pinch salt 3 eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), cut into small cubes Crust : 8 graham crackers, crushed 2 tablespoons honey 1 pinch salt 4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled basil leaves, for garnish Whipped Cream : 1 cup heavy whipping cream To make watermelon curd : In medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine watermelon juice, lime juice, honey and salt. Stir to combine then add eggs. Place pan over medium heat and cook, adding cubed butter to pan and stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats back of wooden spoon. Immediately remove from heat and carefully pour through fine mesh sieve. Cool completely in refrigerator. To make crust : Preheat oven to 350 F. In food processor, pulse graham crackers until rough crumbs form. Add honey, salt and melted butter; pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Line 8-by-8-inch pan with parchment paper then press graham cracker mixture into bottom of pan in even layer. Bake crust about 10 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Allow crust to cool completely. To make whipped cream : When crust and curd are completely cooled, in large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Gently push cream to one side of bowl and pour in watermelon curd. Using spatula, gently fold cream and watermelon curd together until no streaks are visible. Pour creamy watermelon mixture over graham cracker crust. Freeze dessert completely, 4-6 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, loosen sides with small spatula or butter knife. Turn out onto cutting board and use large spatula to flip so graham cracker crust is on bottom. Cut into eight bars and top each with basil leaf. Watermelon Gelato Servings: 8 2 cups pureed watermelon 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup fat-free half-and-half 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 cup whipping cream In blender, blend watermelon, sugar, cornstarch, half-and-half, lemon juice and whipping cream until smooth. Using ice cream maker, process gelato according to manufacturer's instructions. SOURCE : National Watermelon Promotion Board

By Ms. Qula Madkin, MSU Extension Service Grilling is a great way to cool off your kitchen and lean out your diet. Meat typically comes to mind when we think about backyard barbecues, but you can cook much more than that on the grill. Try adding fruits and vegetables this summer to go along with your protein choices. Here are a few of my favorite tips to get you started: Focus on in-season produce. When produce is in season, it’s tastier and less expensive. Check your local grocery store, local farm, or Farmers Market. Grill your favorite fruits and vegetables until they are tender. Take the flavor up a notch by marinating the produce or serving it with a tasty vinaigrette. Try one of our salt-free seasoning blends and combine with oil, vinegar, or lemon juice, to make a marinade, sauce, or vinaigrette. Go lean with protein. Choose proteins lower in saturated fat, like seafood, ground turkey, skinless chicken, and lean cuts of beef and pork. Don’t forget vegetarian options like veggie burgers and tofu, which are great on the grill. Always use a food thermometer to ensure your meat reaches the correct internal temperature. Keep this chart handy for quick reference: Looking for a meal in minutes? Try one of our fold-and-go packet meals on the grill. It’s simple. Just choose your ingredients, put them in a sheet of foil folded into a packet, and cook. It’s easy cleanup, too! Try this Bacon Ranch Potatoes recipe for your next grilled meal. Bacon Ranch Potatoes - 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled - 7 to 9 small red potatoes, quartered - 1/2 onion, sliced - 1 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning - 1/2 teaspoon pepper - 1/2 teaspoon salt - 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped or dried - 1 cup cheese - Drizzle of olive oil Tip: Add 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts (cubed), tofu, or your favorite beans to add protein. For more foil packet meal ideas and detailed instructions for making them, check out our Extension Publication 3567, “Fold and Go Meals.” Bottom line: Grilling is an excellent option for any meal. So, fire up your grill for healthy meals year-round. For more helpful tips like these and healthy recipe options, visit extension.msstate.edu and join our MSU Nutrition and Wellness Facebook group. For even more healthy grilling ideas, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics web site.

Need a morning or afternoon pick-me-up? Here are some of our favorite coffee shops in the capital city!

By Ms. Natasha Haynes, MSU Extension Service These tuna cakes are a family favorite, and they are quick to pull together because canned tuna is a pantry staple. Canned tuna is a great source of protein and a budget-friendly option compared to fresh tuna. Look for tuna packed in water, instead of oil, to cut down on calories. We all know cooking tuna cakes can be messy at times! If they fall apart, don’t worry. The flavor is still the same! Tuna Cakes Ingredients: - 2 (6 ounce) cans low-sodium or no-salt-added tuna in water, drained and flaked - 1 (6 ounce) package low-sodium stuffing mix (we used chicken flavor) - 1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded - 1 cup water - 1 carrot, shredded - 1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise - 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Heat a large nonstick skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray on medium heat. Use an ice cream scoop to add 1/3 cup portions of tuna mixture to skillet in batches. Flatten into patties with back of spatula. Cook 6 minutes or until golden brown on both sides, carefully turning patties over after 3 minutes. Thanks to Texas A&M University Extension for this recipe! For more great recipes and terrific kitchen tips, be sure to follow The Food Factor on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! And if you like our recipes and videos, we’d love for you to share them with your friends! It really helps!

Dr. Gary R. Bachman, MSU Extension Service As the host of Southern Gardening, I promote primarily ornamental landscape and garden plants through newspaper articles, TV segments and social media posts. So, I find it interesting that most of the questions I receive revolve around the vegetable garden. Our ornamental plants give us the landscape and garden aesthetics that we consume with our eyes. But the vegetable garden provides the home gardener a tangible, consumable product: perhaps a tomato or pepper in the summer or radishes, carrots or salad greens in the winter. As a “typical” home gardener, I really love to grow and experiment with my vegetable garden. Every season, I learn something new to share with Mississippi gardeners. This year, tomatoes have been generating the majority of the questions sent to me. So I’d to share a couple of tips and tricks that I have learned over the years to help you be successful in growing your own tomatoes. The goal of most gardeners is to grow that perfect, vine-ripened fruit. But most years, bugs, birds, squirrels and rats seem to conspire to make harvesting a vine-ripened tomato as magical as finding a unicorn. The fact is, the longer that tomato is on the vine, the more chances there are of something bad happening. I like to harvest my large-fruited tomatoes when they start showing the first blush of color. I bring them inside to finish ripening. At this point, the fruit has as much sugar as it’s going to have and will ripen nicely on a warm counter or windowsill. If you have a coffee maker on the counter, place your ripening tomatoes close to it, as it will be a couple of degrees warmer, especially if its plugged in. I place my blushing tomatoes on a germination rack to fully ripen. While this process works for large-fruited tomatoes, the smaller cherry tomatoes mature much quicker and usually can be allowed to ripen on the vine. Tomato hornworms can cause frustrating problems for gardeners. These caterpillars of the hawk or sphinx moth seem to appear out of nowhere and can consume an entire tomato overnight. To make matters worse, they are masters of disguise as they hang on the undersides of tomato stems. Sometimes the only sign of them you can find are the piles of frass on leaves after massive damage has been done. But all is not lost. I discovered a technique to easily find these guys at night. Under an ultraviolet flashlight, these caterpillars fluoresce and actually shine like a beacon in the dark. I don’t do much in terms of disease control because in Mississippi, our tomatoes will get almost every leaf-borne fungal disease known to tomato-kind, and it can feel like a losing battle. But what I’ve learned is that tomatoes can be very regional in adaptation, and even with affected leaves, if you’ve selected the right varieties, the plants will still produce an abundance of fruit. My advice usually involves asking home gardeners whether they want great-looking plants or excellent-tasting tomatoes. A great resource to help you be successful with tomatoes is the newest version of the “Mississippi Vegetable Gardener’s Guide,” formerly known as “The Garden Tabloid.” It can be found online at http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/mississippi-vegetable-gardeners-guide.

Sometimes, it can be a challenge to find a restaurant or bar that's open when you're in the mood to have a Sunday Funday. Here are some great spots that are open on Sunday in Jackson!

Ms. Bonnie A. Coblentz, MSU Extension Service STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Farmers markets are multiplying across the state as they combine two of the things that Mississippians value most: fresh produce and socializing. The concept of a central place for area farmers to sell their goods has been around for decades, but the recent, increased focus on shopping locally has caused an uptick in the number of farmers markets across the state. “You’re not going to find fresher produce at the grocery store or friendlier vendors,” said Marie Rogers, Mississippi State University Extension Service Itawamba County agent. Ann Tackett, Aberdeen Main Street manager and farmers market coordinator, said these events provide the community with healthy food choices. "Our whole effort is to shop local as we try to preserve our community and the farming experience,” Tackett said. The MSU Extension Service is a key force behind many of these community resources, with the county Extension office often organizing the area’s market. The Extension Center for Government and Community Development has become a driving force behind the movement, helping communities organize new markets and improve the ones they have. Courtney Crist, an Extension food safety specialist in the MSU Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion, said these informal markets allow individuals to operate businesses. “Farmers markets foster entrepreneurship and creativity in multiple sectors such as agriculture, art and food, without the burden of significant investment and the costs of operating a large business,” Crist said. Rachel Carter, Extension community planning specialist in the Extension Center for Government and Community Development, said farmers markets benefit a community in more than one way. “Shopping for a good that is produced locally has a greater economic impact on a community than purchasing a similar good that was produced elsewhere because input costs and any wages stay in the community,” Carter said. Many communities in Mississippi are food deserts, which means they do not have access to healthy food from a store within a reasonable distance. Having farmers markets temporarily alleviates some of that problem on a seasonal basis by providing fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods and more. In addition, farmers markets are social events, giving community members opportunities to gather. “Farmers markets are a draw in the community,” Carter said. “They are a way for people to meet each other, build relationships and be entertained.” Vendors benefit as well. “Farmers markets are minimally risky for a small business, because the costs of selling products there is low,” Carter said. “Selling products at a farmers market allows the vendor to test a new product and it serves as a way to promote your business to new audiences.” Chelsea Best coordinates the Hitching Lot Farmers Market in Columbus, Mississippi. “People love to know about our farmers,” Best said. “They get to meet them face-to-face, learn about what they do and how they make their products.” MSU Extension recently received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service to promote local foods. The Extension Center for Government and Community Development is administering the From Gravel Roads to City Streets grant as part of the statewide MSU Extension Growing Your Brand effort. Grant funds were used to help farmers markets in Itawamba, Lowndes, Clay, Noxubee and Monroe counties. Projects included marketing materials, new signs and a walk-in cooler available to merchants selling fresh-picked produce.

By Brandi Perry Mississippi was one of the first states to pass some form of prohibition legislation, nearly 10 years before the 18th amendment made it the law of the land. The Magnolia State was also the first state to ratify the amendment and the last to repeal prohibition in 1966. Although Mississippi has had a long, tumultuous relationship with alcohol through history, there's no denying that it is a popular culture symbol, found in the pages of many Mississippi authors and in the lyrics that bounce off blues club walls all over the state. William Faulkner, for example, is known for his love of whiskey and his distaste for Prohibition. In his book “Sanctuary,” a bootlegger was a critical character that assisted with the development of the book. It is no secret that many of the famous blues songs written in Mississippi have featured alcohol, including “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” by John Lee Hooker, and “Sittin’ Here Drinkin’” by Muddy Waters. So, when Richard Patrick and Austin Evans decided Mississippi needed its own distillery in 2010, it made sense to give a nod to the Mississippi blues scene, by calling it Cathead Distillery. Musicians often call their fellow musicians “Cat” as a compliment. James "Son" Thomas started sculpting catheads out of river clay in the 1940s as a way to help support his musical career. The owners are huge fans of the blues heritage and history as well as the arts so by using a rendition of the cathead as the logo on all their bottles, they are keeping the history and memory alive, one sip at a time. Patrick and Evans were college buddies who dove into the liquor industry right out of college. Evans' focus was management and hospitality while Patrick focused on import and distribution. While at a Blues Festival in the Mississippi, the inspired pair knew it was time to launch their dream as being business partners, and Cathead Distillery was born. Even though the ideas were flowing and the eagerness was building within the business partners, it took a bit of time to work through the red tape with the state. "It took a good while working with the state, there wasn't really language in the regulations to allow the distillery. Nothing said we couldn't, but we had no text to base any of it on," Patrick explained. "It was literally one step at a time. We'd come back to them after each step and find out what was required next." Even though rewriting liquor laws in the state took time and a great deal of effort on both sides, eventually Patrick and Evans had the ball rolling toward success. Not long after, Cathead started producing their vodka and became the only distillery to put honeysuckle and pecan vodka on the market. There are not many distilleries that can tell you that they source the sweet blossoms of honeysuckles and the best pecans in the south to produce their popular vodka, but that is exactly what happens at Cathead. The honeysuckle vodka is made by hand in small batches using all-natural ingredients. One sip of this soft, floral vodka will take you back to summers as a child, where times were simple and the smell of honeysuckles meant freedom. The pecan vodka uses fresh Mississippi pecans and Louisiana cane sugar to reach every possible flavor a roasted pecan can yield. There is also a non-flavored Cathead Vodka that is made in batches of 500 gallons or less at a time. Vodka is not the only thing that Cathead has to offer. Old Soul Bourbon Whiskey is distilled by Phillip Ladner and is aged for different amounts of time. As the Cathead Distillery website says, "Old Soul is the perfect metaphor for our bourbon. One that is thoughtfully crafted with a nod to both tradition & the future." Bristow Gin is also a product of the distillery. They use their vodka as a base before adding ten botanicals to the mix. This juniper and citrus-based gin soaks in the botanicals for two weeks before it is aged in stainless steel for three more weeks. Additionally, HooDoo is a chicory liqueur that pays homage to the black magic traditions that were brought to the United States by way of Africa and the Caribbean region. The spiritual practices of HooDoo run deep in the southern culture just as the dried fruits and earthy spices do in this liqueur. Most days at Cathead Distillery are extremely busy, welcoming guests from all over the country. In addition to tours and tastings, the distillery also offers multiple events throughout the year such as crawfish boils and ping pong tournaments. Unfortunately, while the country is still in the throes of a worldwide pandemic, those events, tours and tastings have had to be on hold for the foreseeable future. However, by visiting their website, you can collect all their newest merchandise and sign up for their newsletter, which will update you on events when they start back. Even though 2020 was a tough year for a lot of people, Cathead will be working on some exciting new projects and expansions this year. There are a lot of ways to support them, even if you cannot go visit yet. Check them out at catheaddistillery.com. Stores and restaurants throughout the southeast carry Cathead products, so it will not be hard to get your hands on their unique bottles. Plus, there is nothing more special than supporting a Mississippi small business. If you are looking for a recipe to go with that delicious honeysuckle vodka, here is one of the most popular! 2 ounces of Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka 1 ounce of honey simple (2 to 1 honey and water) 1 ounce fresh lemon juice 1 sliced jalapeño Shake all with ice and double strain into your glass. If you are up for a little extra heat with your drink, garnish it with lemon or jalapeño.