Author: Debbi Covington

I had the most fun with my column in the last issue! Thank you, Beaufort folks, for emailing, calling and stopping me in the grocery store to reminisce about fatback, streak o’lean and souse meat. More often than not, in these Eastern North Carolina foodie conversations, the one thing I heard over and over again was, “You know what I really miss? Chicken and Dumplings. I never learned how to make them like my grandmother used to.”

When I talk about going home or people from home, I usually mean Wilson, North Carolina. After twenty-five years of living in South Carolina, I’m learning that home folks to me are actually people from up and down the eastern stretch of North Carolina’s highway I-95. People who have a bit of vinegar and pepper in their blood.

I take lots of food photos. Those of you who follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, you know that I also post lots of food photos. I cook so many different things that sometimes it’s hard to remember what I’ve tried and liked. It’s fun to scroll back through the photos on my computer and think, “Hey! I forgot about that one. It was delicious. Gotta make it again.”

What a fun time of year to be in the kitchen! I love preparing all of the savory goodies and sweet treats that I grew up with at Christmastime. This is the time of year for sausage balls, cheese straws, baby fruitcakes and yule logs. I’ve been feeling inspired to try some new sweets recipes. With a holiday party at our house on Saturday night, this week was the perfect time to experiment.

Who doesn’t love a green bean casserole made with canned cream of mushroom soup and canned fried onion rings? We all grew up with some version of cream-drowned green beans at Thanksgiving. We love the old recipes because they remind us of family, happy times and traditions.

Steamy summer nights have all of a sudden turned into busy autumn evenings. Where does the time go every day? The sun comes up late and goes down early. I find that I’m spending more time chasing my tail than actually accomplishing my tasks.

Tailgating: Part Two Happy Football Season! This week I’m sharing five more delicious and easy recipes that are great for tailgating. I’ve gotta send a thank you shout out to my dear friend and fabulous photographer, Susan DeLoach, for shooting all of the yummy photos. Enjoy!

Tailgating: Part One ‘Tis the season! It’s once again time to break out the coolers and team banners and head back to college to watch football teams pass, toss and kick a pigskin ball up and down a field of green grass. Some folks that I know actually plan their lives around football season and travel up and down the east coast to attend every game.

Tailgating: Part One ‘Tis the season! It’s once again time to break out the coolers and team banners and head back to college to watch football teams pass, toss and kick a pigskin ball up and down a field of green grass. Some folks that I know actually plan their lives around football season and travel up and down the east coast to attend every game.

As another wonderful summer comes to an end, I have found myself with an excess of some of our favorite vegetables. Unlike my grandmothers, my mother and my aunts, I never got the knack for canning vegetables. I think after eating jar after jar of gray-colored green beans during my childhood, the idea of “putting up” vegetables just wasn’t appealing.