by amvandenhurk | Lifestyle, Small Town Life, Travel
Hurricane Matthew Flooding Recovery
Destruction from Hurricane Matthew flooding as far as the eye can see, yet people are hopeful. People are in recovery mode. They are returning to their homes. Families and volunteers are helping clean out homes while waiting to rebuild.
I made my first trip over to Princeville since the Hurricane Matthew flooding in October 2016. The historic African-American town has been destroyed for the second time since 1999. I brought my son with me since I felt it was important for him to see what the flood had done only a couple miles from our home across a bridge.
It was a sobering moment. People have lost everything. Broke my heart to see piles of children’s toys and books. I cannot imagine as a parent having to tell my son he has lost his special toys.
Families, disabled, and the elderly are still in shelters and waiting for the opportunity to move to temporary housing. People are still visiting the community feeding station in Tarboro. The animal shelter is still filled with animals rescued or surrendered as people evacuated. The donation center is still making sure people have the basic needs met. The FEMA center continues to be open. Many lives are in flux currently.
Give Thanks, Donate.
The hardest work is beginning now. As member of the community spared, I feel compelled to continue to use my voice to share the story of recovery. Consider donating to assist with long-term recovery as the season of thanks comes upon us.
My friend Brandy Paige Chappell who is a teacher at a local school where over 120 children have been displaced has a GoFund page to help the children with recovery. The North Carolina Community Foundation has a fund just for Edgecombe County.
Some of the sights I saw today, but photos cannot fully show the destruction and the spirit of the people…
by amvandenhurk | Lifestyle, Small Town Life
My Mom asked me, “If I was becoming Southern?” when I told her I made collard greens.
There are many foods, which come to mind when someone says Southern cooking and collard greens is at the top of my list… Other than fried green tomatoes, okra, and sweet tea.
Collard greens are a staple in eastern North Carolina. People grow them. Pick-ups parked along the road sell them. Restaurants serve them. Every grocery store stocks them year round. They are cheap, abundant, and easy to prepare.
After two years of living in the South, I finally made collard greens. I purchased a shopping bag full at my local farmer’s market.
Collards in general are a healthy leafy veg; however, the traditional preparation is less than so… Pork, lard, etc. While that tastes really yummy, it isn’t exactly good for our health or waistlines.
I made my collards with turkey bacon, sliced garlic, chicken broth.
I cut out the stems then cut the collards into smallish pieces. Then I sautéed the sliced turkey bacon and garlic in olive oil until cooked. I added the collards sautéing for a couple of minutes. I added enough chicken broth to cover the mixture simmering over low heat for an afternoon allowing the collards to becoming tender. When serving, finish it with apple cider vinegar and a dash of red pepper flakes. Yum.
Here’s the finished dish:
I served it with grilled pork chop and rice.
Maybe, I’ll tackle brewing sweet tea… Or maybe I’ll just to continue go to McDonald’s…
– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
by amvandenhurk | Life, Lifestyle, Small Town Life
Hanging my head in shame. I admit since we left Lexington, KY two years ago, I haven’t visited a local farmer’s market, but that changed today. Now that I live in downtown Tarboro, I have no excuse not to visit the market on a Saturday morning. It is a 15 minute walk from my new house. And a pretty walk at that… Tree lined sidewalks pass grand old houses. As I walked I wondered what goodies I might find.
The Tarboro Farmer’s Market is very small. There are great efforts to expand it. This community needs a farmer’s market where small family farms can sell and share the bounty of their labors as well as their pride in what they do. And where the community can go get fresh, quality produce at reasonable prices.
Today, there were two booths: a veg farmer and a pie maker. The farmer had wonderfully fresh veg on offer. All picked very early this morning. And the mini pies the baker had were still warm from the oven. Both were proud of their offerings and shared advice on how to prepare the veg. You rarely get this passion at a big box grocery store. Nor the freshness.
My taking from the farmer’s market. I can’t wait to prepare and eat all of this! Especially the pies!
So go out to your local farmer’s market. Discover what wonderful food is produced locally!
– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Hello! I'm Ann Marie and I wear the well-worn apron. Join me as explore plant-based eating while I live on an island off the U.S. state of Rhode Island.