Chocolate Gravy
By Johnny Sain
Chocolate gravy was a Sunday morning staple of my childhood. A steaming bowl of chocolate gravy with a big pat of butter melting in the middle of it, the smell of buttermilk biscuits, and a side of bacon or sausage crackling in the cast-iron skillet was a delicious way to start the day. The biscuits were crumbled and smothered in chocolate until the concoction looked like a bowl of lumpy gravy. One hand held a spoon and the other a piece breakfast meat; sweet and salty in perfect harmony.
My mom moved to Hector, Arkansas from Nebraska and had never heard of chocolate gravy until a sleepover with a friend in high school. She loved it, and got the recipe from her friend’s mother that day. She still uses this recipe.
Chocolate gravy is a traditional Ozark breakfast. Like many people and their traditions, it came to the Ozarks from Appalachia. From my research, it appears that chocolate gravy is a distinctly southern mountain food. Pockets of chocolate gravy eaters appear throughout the south, but it is a staple in the
From the Ozark Folk Center
BladeSports Cutting Competition, Saturday, May 11
Several world records have been broken in past competitions at the Ozark Folk Center. Come watch this intense sport to see if the trend continues.
Bladesmiths, adrenaline junkies and knife enthusiasts alike will want to join in the fun Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. during BladeSports National Finals Cutting Competition at the Ozark Folk Center.
Stupid is as Stupid Does
“You are going to be afforded some marvelous opportunities to out-think yourself.” ~ Tom Kelly
By Johnny Sain
Anytime my confidence is high, when I’m feeling upbeat and everything seems to be going my way, I can take a trip to the turkey woods and remedy that attitude.
Turkeys … I don’t know how a hickory nut-sized brain can conjure up the mental power to do this to me, but they do it all the time. And now the turkeys are getting cocky about it. The gobbler that punked me this morning had a smirk on his beak.
It’s been a rough season. Responsibilities and opportunities have eaten away at both scouting and hunting time. The turkeys have been quiet too. After three outings, I had heard a grand total of four gobbles. Four gobbles ain’t much to work with, as my empty freezer and featherless truck bed can attest. So, when the gobble rang out from the hollow this morning, and cut me off mid-yelp, a tiny burst of optimism energized my sleep-deprived mind. This could be the morning.
I trotted down the hill toward the direction of the gobble and let loose another series of yelps. He cut me off again with a rattling gobble no more than 80 yards away. Time to find a tree.
I snugged up to the oak, trying for all the world to blend into what
What’s happening at the Ozark Folk Center
From the folks at the Ozark Folk Center
The Ozark Folk Center Craft Village opens this week. Our craft workshops are open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are still undergoing some construction on our sidewalks, so for now, admission is Half-price! Adults are $6 and children 6-12 are $4. Children under 6 are free.
Performing this week
Painless Practice for the Young Hunter
It’s about three weeks until the youth turkey season in Arkansas. Three weeks. You have to make sure Junior, or you’re little huntress, can still squeeze into their camouflage from this fall. You’ve been giving calling lessons and muttering thanks to Mr. Primos for the push-pin type turkey call that sounds pretty good and is dang near foolproof, or at least kid-proof
Good news! The camo still fits, at least for one more year. Your kiddo has mastered the turkey yelp and you’re thinking that this year he or she is old enough to know that “DON’T MOVE” is not a request. Yep, this could be the spring that it happens.
There is one more thing you need to address. And, other than the not-moving part, it’s the most important. What if the camo, and the sweet yelps, and the not moving works? Your youngin’ will be staring down the shaky barrel at a 20-pound bird standing 20 yards away. It’s a sight that causes many grown men to shake like a dog passing a peach pit. The kid needs to be ready when the plan comes together.
Most rural outdoors kids know how to handle a gun for target practice and
For the Turkey Hunter that has Everything
A quiet place to sit and strategize for that ol’ gobbler that’s been giving you the slip.
AGFC Youth Conservation Institute begins this summer
From the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
