Sea Camp!

This past Wednesday I made my way down to the Coast to visit University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs.  

The GCRL is in a new location post-Katrina and is directly on the water.  It's such a gorgeous place! (I would love to live there)

I'm writing a story on USM's Sea Camp, which is a summer day camp program all about marine science for kids ages 6 - 13.  Campers get hands-on experience in both the classroom and on field trips into the surrounding saltmarshes, beaches and Barrier Islands (Deer and Ship Islands).

Oil Spill Curriculum was incorporated this summer to objectively educate the kids on what was going on with this oil debacle.  Being down there, seeing all this, really drives home what is happening.

The camp let me be a fly on the wall and follow a few different age groups out into the field, which was a blast.  

In the morning, I accompanied the younger kids when they went out in the boat.  They could barely contain their excitement as we left the dock and headed out onto the water.

They took the kids out a ways to a good fishing spot.  One of the counselors threw the anchor in the water.  The other counselors put bait (shrimp) on the hook and cast the line for the campers.  It didn't take too long before they caught something!

one group caught a blue crab

Several caught "Croakers" and were dared to kiss their fish on the lips for good luck!

The fish were all thrown back into the water once the kids got a good look at it and were able to touch it.  Once the fishing wound down a bit, we spotted some dolphins swimming nearby!

You'll notice the man in the boat (right top of photo) motoring along by us.  He was out crabbing and threw a few fish to the dolphins.  The dolphins were overjoyed at their luck and went nuts jumping and splashing around.

One came came right up next to the boat!

I talked with several of the kids during our fishing trip.  Some were budding marine biologists, others just loved coming out there to learn about the area's marine life.  Many had been there a few summers in a row already.

They learn so much in their interactive classroom lessons combined with the excursions on the water and interactions with the marine animals in GCRL's aquarium.  I was so jealous that I was not 9 years old, too!

They asked me if there was such thing as a poisonous snake.  Yes, I said.  No, they said.  It's not poisonous, it's venomous!  They filled me in on everything they've been learning and their genuine excitement was quite inspiring.



We didn't have enough time to go to Deer Island (they went after lunch) so after fishing we went on a tour of the surrounding bayou. 

We saw an eagle, too!  The picture I got is just a speck in a treetop...third tree from the left.

After lunch, I tagged along with the 12-13 year old campers and went kayaking through the saltmarshes.  

Initially I was nervous because when you think of a kayak, you get visions of a one person gig which has always seemed intimidating to me.  This set-up was a two-person kayak (I so want one now) and was a lot of fun!

It's so beautiful there.

 This is a wild Muscadine bush...thoughts of jelly and wine filled my head...

Sea Camp Director, Michael Carley, led the group and would stop every so often to quiz the kids on what they've learned and teach them something new.  The marsh grasses can't absorb or use the salt that is in the water so it excretes it. If you run your fingers up a blade of grass and lick your finger, it's salty!

A couple of people spotted an alligator but I never saw it.  I was simultaneously glad and disappointed that I didn't see the scary critter.


We had to go under a small bridge which might make someone who is claustrophobic very nervous.  I'm not claustrophobic but still thought Uh oh.  We leaned back and went under.  It ended up being fun and welcome shade from the heat.

Below was my last picture during the row back.  We were rowing against the current and a North wind so I had to finally put my camera down and get to work.  Feel the muscle burn!

What a great day!  

Speaking of burn, the kayaking trip was the scene of the crime for the unfortunate sunburn incident. (I put sunblock on every part of my body except my legs not realizing I'd be sitting with my legs outstretched like that ...)

Before...(I'm so darn white)

After...(and this was two days after and still bright red - it was bad)

Sea Camp was funner than fun! (not the sunburn but the experience, of course)

Warp Speed Kind of Summertime

Walter and I celebrated our 6 month mark of being married, which arrived at the same time we moved to new digs.  So, since things from our refrigerator were going to be transferred from our freezer to the other house, we decided not to wait until the year mark to see how our cupcakes held up!  heh heh

The cupcakes were still decadent. I hadn't wrapped the red velvet one as well as I did the German chocolate so that one was kind of dry; but the cream cheese icing was still divine!  The German chocolate was the hands down winner by default.  Needless to say, we scarfed our anniversary cupcakes down.

I recently completed a week-long documentary film workshop and had such a great time.  Jackson native Chandler Griffin and his wife, Alison Fast with Barefoot Workshops came to us and gave us an intensive tutorial - and when I say intensive, I mean intensive.  Usually the workshops they conduct are 2-3 weeks long to learn all the information but ours was just a week.   

It's impossible to list it all but we learned how to operate the cameras, put together a story, interview our subjects, and edit.  There was so much to learn in such a short span of time but our excitement outweighed everything else.  Hard to go back to normal life after realizing there are so many stories to be told.  You end up looking at everything a little differently, too, watching light and composition - and thinking, I wish I had a camera to capture that!

After 3 days, the conference room we worked in looked like our very own version of a "war room."  It was great!  Here are a few shots when we were learning about our cameras:

I'm wrapping up my film and looks like we'll have a screening later this week (I think).

This month is chock full of interviews, workshops, road trips and more.  So I'll try to post as often as I can.  Hope everyone is having a terrific summer so far! 

What kind of activities are filling up your summer months?

A Sweet Potatoes P.S.

Truth be told, editing the Culinary Trail (and website) well, makes me hungry.  Yeah, yeah, cry me a river, right?

Especially when I have to add horrible, horrible entries like Sweet Potato Sweets in Vardaman, Mississippi  (That would be a joke... for those in doubt see previous post here).

Vardaman is the sweet potato capital of the world and for all intents and purposes, I might look into relocating - I mean, since we're moving this weekend anyway and our life is packed in boxes at the moment - it's really quite convenient.  (I wonder what my city slicker husband would have to say about that?)  We could even live on Sweet Potato Street. Surely there's a place next to the shop, don't you think?

Cooks Daphna Cook and Karen Wright are married to local farmers who supply all the fresh ingredients for their made-from-scratch recipes like sweet potato fudge, sweet potato pecan cheesecake, sweet potato sausage balls and whatever sweet potato cocoons might be (it's not for me to question, because you know it's divine, no questions asked).

I have been making a running list of sites to visit and though it will be a terrible inconvenience, if I'm in the area next month, I might have to stop by for research purposes...  :)

Picture from the Sweet Potato Sweets website

Cathead Vodka and Sugar's

Last night, Gluckstadt, Mississippi-based vodka company, Cathead Vodka, had a tasting at Congress Street Bar & Grill.

There has been much buzz about Cathead, as it is Mississippi's first legal distillery.  Makes me laugh every time.  But it's true!

They had a signature drink for everyone to try called the "Lazy Cat," which was made with Cathead vodka, pink lemonade and Lazy Magnolia Indian Summer beer.  It was really good!  They also offered free samples of straight vodka to try and it had a great taste to it, very smooth. 

They gave out koozies and stickers for everyone.   (The logo reminds me of a character in Where the Wild Things Are)

While there, we decided to share an appetizer and got the pulled pork nachos.  I was expecting something similar to the ones Corky's sells at the Redbirds games in Memphis (which is nacho cheese, pork and barbecue sauce over corn chips).  These were more upscale and were scarfed down quickly.  I really enjoyed the tangy sauce, tender pork, sauteed onions and jalapenos and melted cheese.  The main surprise was the "chip" which really wasn't what you would consider a real chip at all.  More like triangular sopapilla-type crispy wedge.  Delicious!

Now, this morning, was breakfast at Sugar's.  I have heard mention of Sugar's Place located 168 W. Griffith Street downtown, but haven't ever been.  It seemed high time to make a visit in the name of Culinary Trail research, naturally! They want to be added to the trail, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone.

A group of us decided to meet there at 8 a.m., having convinced ourselves that getting out of bed at an earlier time was worth it for a good breakfast. 

Ah, the best laid plans.  A couple of us overslept (me included), two others couldn't come after all and that left one person there...on time...and waiting.  Awww!  Poor thing!  I felt so bad.  So I threw some clothes on and ran up there.

The restaurant celebrated its 2nd anniversary on Wednesday (May 19).  It's right across from Mississippi College of Law, in the bottom of a high-rise building.

You'll have to forgive me for the lack of breakfast pictures.  I got to chatting and dug in.  They have a choice of breakfast plates that include eggs, grits (plain or cheese), sausage/bacon/smoked sausage and pancakes or biscuits.  You can also order a la carte items as well.

I got the pancakes, grits and smoked sausage. My friend got pancakes, bacon and eggs.  The pancakes are really big and fluffy yet we both thought they were just kind of plain. The smoked sausage I cut up and put in my cheese grits and really enjoyed that (although I prefer cooked grits rather than the instant kind).  Overall, it was a great experience - the lady who took our orders got our names and remembered them throughout our meal.  The coffee was good and strong (always a good thing in my book) and she made sure we were taken care of.  Everyone was super nice to us.

I heard their lunch is good - so will have to go back and try it at some point soon.

Have a great weekend everyone!  Do you have any big plans?

Taqueria Guanajuato

There are so many high-quality taquerias popping up in the area.  I'm such a fool for Mexican and when a good friend of mine came into town about a month ago, we suggested Taqueria Guanajuato instead of a more run-of-the-mill restaurant option.

My friend, Carpe Jackson, wrote about the taqueria in April on her blog and since that time, more of my friends have tried it - and come back raving!

We had a great time catching up and the food was delicious.  They brought out chips and salsa for us to munch while we waited for our dinner.

One of my favorite parts was going to the refrigerator section at the back of the restaurant and picking out drinks.  Walter got a strawberry soft drink and I got a coconut one. 

The coconut was good but a little strange because it was half liquid, half congealed coconut.   Odd, but fun.

Husband and friend both got a chorizo torta which they both devoured! (the picture is blurry because hungry people told me to make it snappy)

I got the Carpe-recommended pork and pineapple tacos, which were really good.

The tacos came with lots of goodies to enhance the flavor, yet no cactus came out like I'd heard other people talk about.  So, that was a little disappointing but it did not mar my Mexican eating experience!

We also ordered the posole, which can best be described as musty-tasting.  It had a strong taste of charcoal or something.  There was a huge bone with meat that sat in the center of the bowl which seemed promising; but the flavor was lacking.  It was a disappointing soup.  Walter makes terrific posole and that's what I'm sticking by from now on!

Overall, we had a fun time and enjoyed the food.  I want to go back soon and try more!

Carpe also suggested La Morena in Ridgeland which looks like is going to be the lunch destination for me on Friday.

The Culinary Trail Launch

Just when I thought things might slow down - ha! - there's no sign of that happening anytime soon.  I've got so many blog posts that need to be written up, it's just ridiculous at this point.

Last Monday was the official press day for both the Culinary Trail and the Agri-Tourism Trail.  It went really well.  The Governor showed up and talked about the oil spill, how much we Mississippians love our food and how important Agri-Tourism and the Culinary Trail showcase two great aspects of our state's culture.

The unveiling took place at the Farmer's Market on High Street (in Jackson).

Ward Emling talking to Ole Miss' Andy Harper

John T. Edge and Sarah McCullough

Gov. Haley Barbour has arrived

Director of Tourism Mary Beth Wilkerson

Gov. Barbour and Leutinant Gov. Phil Bryant both spoke

About to officially unveil the Trails

It was great to finally meet John T. Edge, who provided me with insight and direction during the the Trail's beginning stages over 10 months ago now.

Such a nice guy!

Tom Ramsey, Malcolm White and John T. Edge

John T., Ward Emling (Director of the Film Office) and Sarah McCullough (Manager of Culture & Heritage), both of whom are my supervisors at Tourism, were invited to appear on Tom Ramsey's WLEZ 100.1 FM show "AtThe Cook's Table." The show is broadcast every Monday at noon.  Tom, whose wife, Kitty, is a friend of mine, is a tremendous cook and he invites people on his show for tête à tête and food.  It's so much fun!

I tagged along to take a few pictures and John T. also encouraged me to be a part of it, saying he wasn't exactly sure why they wanted him when I was the one who wrote the Culinary Trail!  But I ain't John T. Edge...!!  He was too nice.

Tom cooked short ribs, a white vegetable mash and cochon grits - DIVINE!  It was absolutely delicious.  For dessert, key lime pie.  I thought of my mother because it's her absolute favorite.  Oh my gosh, it was heaven.

You can listen to the broadcast here.  It was so much fun!  I made a brief appearance at the end.

I must say two very big thank you's:  to Amy Evans Streeter for being a proof reader and providing support and encouragement.  A huge, monumental thank you also goes to Ginger Brook for her consistent support, proof reading, encouragement and suggestions.  Both of them are terrific artists and writers in their own right and I am so proud to work with both of them!

Now, it's Culinary wrap-up.  Over the next several months, I'll be going out into the communities for more interviews, photographs and foodways video documentation.  That's always fun and insightful.  I can't wait!

I am thrilled about another project coming my way that will be working the Choctaws in Philadelphia.  More info on that in the coming week - I am seriously excited!

I'm a Fool for...Sweet Potatoes

I'm a fool for many things and don't have a problem admitting it.  One of top 5 food items, well, lemme say top 10 is the sweet potato.  The Garden & Gun email newsletter just arrived in my inbox and I wasted no time deciding whether to sit on it or not, well, it mentioned sweet potato butter.  I kid you not.  Read the newsletter here.

We got some peach butter and apple butter from the Tomato Place in Vicksburg a couple of years ago and it was love at first bite - we lapped it up!  So I can only imagine how incredible sweet potato butter is!!  The photo byline is "heaven in a jar."  I'm inclined to believe it, sight unseen or rather, untasted.

(Photo from Cunningham Farms website)

Cunningham Farms in Hancock County, Tennessee (bless them!) makes the stuff and you can order it online.  Do they have enough in stock to feed my addiction?!

Fan Mail

This is really great!  I got my first-ever piece of "fan mail."

May 1, 2010

Ms. Kline,

I thoroughly enjoyed "A Family Affair" in the May "Portico."  Your article is very interesting and very well written. 

However, I feel compelled to point out an error.  You wrote, "Mr. Lumpkin is the restaurant's namesake."  Wrong!  The restaurant is the namesake of Mr. Lumpkin. (over)  American Heritage Dictionary defines "namesake" as "one that is named after another."  Mr. Lumpkin is not named after the restaurant; therefore, he is not the namesake of the restaurant.  The restaurant is named "after" (for) him.

Best wishes for continuing success with your writing!

An old English teacher

Whoops. 

Don't you just love it?!  If I met her in person, I would squeeze her to pieces.

Since I don't know who she is, I can't thank her personally but I can give her a small thanks for the heads up on my grammatical error here.

This post is dedicated to my high school English teachers, Mrs. Stephenson and Mrs. Ray.  xoxoA