Columns

Crock’n and Rock’n

Let’s get shakin!!!

Happy Fall, time to get out the ole faithful crockpot y’all. That’s right, obviously you can use them all year long, but to me at least, crockpots are just made for cooler weather dishes. Don’t worry it’s still “homemade” and with a little planning it’s easier (and much healthier) than sitting in a drive through and getting takeout after work. I use mine at least once a week. We all know they are perfect for soups, roast, chili, country favorites at the camp, or a family dinner. Did you know you can also make a socially acceptable dinner for guest or even date night without judgement? Follow me!!! This one’s even WW and diet friendly!

Living a Simple Life may be the best way to go, but it can be hard work to stay on track. One way to stay focused is to keep your Simple Life interesting.

When we do something that is interesting, it holds our attention. It makes us want to do it even more. We find we are enjoying ourselves and the process.

Try these fun tips to keep your life interesting. Integrate them into your day or schedule. Just be forewarned! When you keep your Simple Life interesting, you may start searching for things that can help simplify your life even more!

Find Inspiration Start by taping a few Inspirational quotes or Bible verses in conspicuous places. Put them in on the wall next to your bed. Stick them on or beside the mirror in your bathroom. Tape one on the coffee maker.

Offer Compliments The key to offering compliments is to give positive inspiration and feedback. A false compliment is looked upon as insincere and is thought to have an ulterior motive behind it.

Theses area the 3 most important historical sites, in this writer’s opinion, in DeSoto Parish. This is an extremely challenging selection but here goes: The Battle of Mansfield and of Pleasant Hill fought on April 8 and 9, 1864 were the last two consecutive victories for the Confederates. The Battle of Mansfield with Confederate Gen. Richard “Dick” Taylor’s army meeting Gen. Nathanial Banks south of Mansfield. Most of the Confederate’s leadership was killed but French Prince de Polignac stepped forward to lead the victory and saved the State Capitol of Shreveport and the State of Texas. On April 9, the Confederate army continued to push the Union forces back to Grand Ecore to the waiting ships of Admiral Porter. This was the last defeat of the Union forces and one of its greatest defeats.

DeSoto Parish has had a long and happy relationship with its sister parish to the south, Sabine Parish. DeSoto has shared citizens, politics and even land with Sabine. Sabine Parish was organized in 1843 only a couple of months before DeSoto. Actually DeSoto’s southern border was originally a creek but a short time later a land swap between the two parishes created a straight line that followed a state section line.

Let’s get shakin!!!

Some will say gas is convenient, I would agree, but it can be about what you are cooking. I prefer to have both but now I have used a pellet grill but that will have to be a “Tips and Tales” of its own.

A true southerner will tell you there’s nothing like charcoal and if you are using gas, you aren’t country or just lazy. My ole dad instilled that in me till I was out of high school, at which point he went and bought a gas grill. I cherish our times grilling together and I also know learning on charcoal or open flame doesn’t have the forgiveness of a controlled gas grill and I probably learned much more. Getting that gas grill ole Benwood (my dad) admitted, he was aging, sometimes if we want a steak or veggies we want it without the work, this I can also relate to.

By Jann Franklin My Mom Doesn’t Mind-She Tells Me So All The Time

I think as parents it’s hard sometimes for us to determine when our kids are old enough to make their beds, tie their shoes, clean their rooms, etc. I’ve seen a lot of kids unleashed on the world not knowing how to make a budget, shop for groceries, do their laundry. I’ve also seen kids in Elementary School that don’t seem to be able to do much either.

Nathan’s best friend Kyle came over to play with him and Cameron. The boys took cans of soda in the dining room and started to build a master planned maze of highways for their cars on the table. I believe they were about eight years old.

with Chef Hunter Lee Let’s get shakin!!!

I will admit I’ve never been that big into Football and that might make me a bad Southerner BUT I do love LSU and I keep up with our teams here in the parish.

Football season in the south has and will always be the perfect time of year, even for me. It signifies fall, cooler weather, hunting season, holidays, and family and friends.

Going to a football party? Having people out to the camp for a fire? What ya bringin? For campfire get togethers or in the accidental event that someone forces me to go to a football party, one of my favorite “go-to’s” is the country slider. It’s easy, inexpensive, and tasty.

DeSoto Extension Agent

Plant Ornamental Peppers for Spicy Fall Flair

The South has no reason for fall foliage envy. The traditional colors of autumn can be found in ornamental peppers — which can be planted into any sunny landscape to add spice and fall flair.

The typical fall colors are inspired by the seasonal changing of leaves as temperatures cool and days become shorter. The South never seems to get the dramatic color changes that more northern climates enjoy. But look closely when you see ornamental pepper plants, and you will find the traditional colors of orange, yellow, red and purple.

Ornamental peppers (Capsicum annuum) are grown for their colorful, and sometimes edible, peppers. They can be grown both outdoors as a cool-season annual in Louisiana and in containers that can brought indoors to overwinter.

(Originally Ran in March 2020)

With the interest in the preserving of the Nabors Trailers Sign headed up by David Calhoun it appears appropriate for a historical article to be written about W.C. Nabors, the owner and founder of the Nabors Trailers Company. W.C. (Will) Nabors was born in Naborton, La. on Dec. 16, 1977. There aren’t many people living today that knew Mr. Nabors personally. This writer knew him but not on a social level.

The Deserving Teacher

Let’s get shakin!!! Let me start by saying as an adult I realize any teacher that had the misfortune of having me in his or her class deserves a medal and an apology, not a cupcake or dessert. I was a more a nightmare than teacher’s pet. Luckily it was a phase (or I think it was). For some reason most of them like me now and I have a unique respect for them.

Anyway, if you have a child like I was you should probably start now trying to make up for it. But even if you are one of the few that has a good child it’s always nice to show your gratitude. Going out of your way for our teachers is something special, southern, polite, and in my opinion not done often enough. Thank those teachers with these homemade treats you put atop your favorite (or store bought) cupcakes are a perfect way to say thank you.

Apple Cupcake toppers

• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) brick cream cheese, softened

• 36 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups)