Accent Modification

I have a confession y'all...

Sometimes, around certain company...I change my accent.  Yes, I know.  It really is against everything I preach but it has been pointed out by others (namely my wife) that I do it.  I'm aware, but not really ashamed.  No matter what I do I'll always have a bit of an accent.  It shows my roots and my heritage.  Sometimes I do it because to some people in some parts of town find a drawl like mine hard to understand.  Sometimes I do it to show that the perception of people from my neck of the woods isn't always true.  Sometimes I just want to sound a little classier normal.  It's not like I'm a 14 year old girl sporting some generic/fake British accent; I'm not pretending to be someone else, just something different.  It's like putting on nice clothes before meeting important people.  

Other times when I'm around old high school friends I notice my accent is stronger.  It also seems to happen when I'm out and about and someone makes mention of my Southern heritage or talk about how they think I live in the meth capital of the greater Birmingham area.  

Do you change your accent up depending on the situation?  Has someone else pointed out that you inadvertently do it?  Let us know in the comments.

Southern Word of the Week - Hot Mess

(adj.) I know she thought she looked good, but she looked like a hot mess.
(adj.) After partying last night I feel like a hot mess.
(adj.) You can't spell hot mess without me.

Is it Southern?  I have no idea, but I've heard it a lot lately.  Bascially a hot mess is something that went awry somewhere whether it be the way someone looks, feels or acts.  The final example listed above came from a friend and I thought it would be the perfect t-shirt at one of those stores that has all the t-shirts at the beach or whatever. 

So make sure you aren't a hot mess, but also be sure you know what a hot mess looks like because you know you want to point them out to your friends.

Shameless Plug

So I found out about this amazing job at Hopscout.com.  They are taking video submissions and the top 20 with the highest votes move to the next round where 5 of them will become Hopscout editors.

Here's the job description:

Work at home, in your jammies! Write guest blog posts once every five weeks Test out our products and make video reviews once every five weeks Be a social butterfly - host twitter parties, social contests and ask questions on our community forum Be a hero - find one special child in your community that we'll host a birthday party for Be a buyer - attend exclusive trade shows at our expense!

And here's the compensation:

We offer a competitive salary of $40/hour for your time! Holy wow! Did we say "equity?" I think we did! You'll get your fair share of our great company. An apple - not the crunchy kind - the Macbook Air kind. hopscout business cards, email address and all the works. Travel expenses related to hopscout (as specified by us) A $200/month contribution to your kid's college fund A $200 monthly grocery stipend A fully paid family vacation one week per year!

So I need your help.  Please go to the Lilluxe fansite on Facebook and "Like" them.  Then find the Millionaire Mom link on the left hand side of the page and click it.  My video should be easy to find, look for Andrew B.  Right now I think I'm the only dad entered.

You can find out more about the full rules and how you can enter at Hopscout.com/Careers

Thanks y'all!

Southern Word of the Week - Eat Up

ex. (adverb?) That boy is just eat up with stupid, bless his heart.
ex. (adverb?) She is eat up with meanness.  She don't never say nothin' good about nobody.

Eat up is something you use when the person you are talking about is basically just inundated with whatever affliction you put after it.  You can also get eat up with mosquitoes or ticks, but for the most part being eat up is how you diagnose someone elses shortcomings.

A rant about cooking and food and other slightly related things

I have talked with far too many people, women in particular, that mention their shortcomings in cooking.  And I'm not trying to be sexist saying, "they aren't cooking for their husbands and food should be on the table at 6pm sharp, and dessert better be involved."  I'm just kind of shocked by what seems to be a lack of cooking happening in homes.  I also mentioned to a friend that I was stoked about making biscuits for my wife's birthday earlier this month; her response, "You know those come in a can, right?"  I will say she wasn't from the South and may not fully understand the taste, mouth feel and satisfaction a homemade buttermilk biscuit means to a Southerner but come on!  I love cooking dang near anything and I just happen to have a great biscuit recipe that gives me a sense of accomplishment every time I pull a batch out of the oven.

Food is just too easy.  We have everything served to us as we ask for it nowadays.  Fast food, television, music, nearly everything we used to have to go out and buy that took time and effort to prepare for is now ready for us to consume, throw out or toss aside.  If my dad wanted music he had to go to a record store.  Not only that but he had to go into town for it!  If you want fried chicken KFC can have a bucket ready for you in minutes.  No need to marinate, batter or fry your own.

Am I the pot calling the kettle black?  Yes, I am but I also make a conscious effort to do more cooking from scratch and learn the way things were done.  I'm the kind of guy that watches food shows and wants to attempt cooking it rather than watching it for the food porn others do.  You don't have to wish you could make that from scratch, you can!  The recipes are on the internet waiting for you to dive in a tackle them!

Southern Word of the Week - Hissy Fit

Hissy fit: a temper tantrum. 

(n.) Nadene is gonna throw a hissy fit when she finds out you got bleach spots on her new dress
(n.) That kid laid down in the floor of the T G & Y and had a hissy fit like you've never seen! 

Kids often throw hissy fits, and often it applies to adults that become unreasonable when faced with a certain set of facts.  There is a time and a place for hissy fits, but they occur far more frequently than they should.  You can also just have a hissy, which is practically the same.

Southern Word of the Week - Tag

The registration plate for your automobile
(n.) Did you go to the courthouse to get your tags yet?

I asked one guy from New Jersey about his tags once.  He didn't know if I was talking about something you wear (i.e. credentials, press pass, etc.), or what.  Then I said, "No, a car tag."  He still had no idea.  He thought he was supposed to put something in the rental car.  I explained that it went on the back of a car and he said, "Oh, you mean my plates."  I honestly had no idea that anyone would not know what I was talking about when I mentioned a car tag.  Just another reminder of how wonderfully different the language is in different regions of the United States.

Friday Fun - The Cleverly's

I guess I stumbled upon these guys on a Neatorama post a while ago.   I thought they would be one trick ponys and not have anything more to offer . . . boy was I wrong!  They are really talented bluegrass players that do modern covers.  And not just like Hayseed Dixie that I've talked about before, they'll  do hip hop, 80's, Motown, dang near anything.  I won't go into their backstory but you can go to their website at TheCleverlys.com and click about to watch the video of their backstory.  I suspect they are studio musicians that wanted to do something between sessions or when times got lean and came up with their schtick.  My Facebook friends will vouch that I have spammed their News Feed with videos from these folks.

I couldn't decide which to post so here's Billionaire followed by I Gotta Feeling.  For more check out their YouTube channel.




Word on the street is they're supposed to be available for show dates soon so check out your local music establishment to see if they're performing near you!

Lemme know how you like 'em, or if there's new music I need to discover out there in the comments!

Holiday Charities

We see the Salvation Army volunteers ringing the bells every year and sometimes we put a few coins in or maybe some cash and that may be most of the charitable giving we do for the season.  I'd like to know what you are volunteering for or what you are donating and to whom this holiday season.

Personally my band is doing a toy drive for Jesse's Place. You can read about the show here.

So let me know in the comments or email me at drew [at] Okra Cola (dot) com to let me know about how you are giving back.  Even if it was last month at Thanksgiving it would still be good information for people.  Thanks and Happy Advent, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Southern Word of the Week - Ignernt

Lacking knowledge. Pronounced IG-nernt
(adj.) Some folks is just plain ignernt.

My daddy always used to say, "Everybody's ignernt about something."  Of course he didn't pronounce it that way, but I think I'm embracing more of my Southern roots than he did.  I sound extremely Southern when around my high school/grammer school friends.  What was I talking about?  Oh yeah, ignernce.

There are many people in the South that are ignorant about many things.  But do you wanna know how to clean and butcher a deer?  That same person you thought was ignernt, will be able to not only how to properly clean that deer, but probably be able to tell you the why's and what for's too.

Southern Quotables - Dolly Parton

"It takes a lot of money to look this cheap."
-Dolly Parton

The Grand Ole Opry

85 years ago yesterday the WSM Barn Dance aired on AM 650 in Nashville, Tennessee.  That may not sound very exciting, but on December 10, 1927, it was renamed The Grand Ole Opry.  Before doing a little research I had no idea that after an artist passes he or she is no longer a standing member of the Grand Ole Opry.  I assumed it was like a Who's Who or a Hall of Fame, but Nashville already has the Country Music Hall of Fame.  At one time they had to make 26 appearances a year and only got paid $44 which made being a member a hardship on some performers.  Things have changed since then.

Anybody that has been to Nashville knows that the Ryman Auditorium is the most famous former home of the Grand Ole Opry.  If you know that you probably also know that there is a circle of the stage, about 5 feet in diamater, that was taken from the Ryman and was installed on the current Grand Ole Opry House stage.  That circle, as well as the rest of the stage, was submerged under 46 inches of water during the May 2010 flood.  The circle had to be refurbished but was reinstalled on August 25, 2010 with help from Little Jimmy Dickens and Brad Paisley.

Speaking of Little Jimmy Dickens he is the oldest living member of the Grand Ole Opry.  The Opry website says his mailbox is the only one out of alphabetical order at the Opry House to cater to his 4'11" stature. You probably saw him at the 2010 CMA's and if not check out the YouTube video.


 
Other members include, but are not limited to (in no particular order): Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Trace Adkins, Loretta Lynn, Blake Shelton, Vince Gill, Roy Clark, Emmylou Harris, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton and many more.

Shows are still played at the Ryman and of course you can see a show at the Grand Ole Opry House too.  Click the links, take a visit to Music City and take in a show or two while you are there.

Got a Nashville or Opry story, or see something I overlooked/left out/got wrong?  Lemme know about any and all in the comments.

The Great (cheap) Bourbon Discovery

I'm cheap and I like bourbon, and I was out to find the bourbon that gave me the best bang for the buck.

Jim Beam 750mL - $14.99
Jim Beam is the old standby; currently the most popular bourbon in the U.S.  For smoothness and all around flexibility Jim beam is pretty awesome, but I was interested in how some cheaper alternatives tasted.



Evan Williams (Black Label) 750mL - $11.99
Evan Williams was just a little to harsh for me.  Something didn't hit me right, it would probably work well as a mixer.

Old Grand Dad 750mL - $11.49
Old Grand Dad had some kind of interesting character that I couldn't put my finger on, but it wasn't a good kind of interesting.  It reminded me of amaretto or some other kind of nutty liqueur.  I say pass.

Old Crow 1 Liter - $10.29
For my money Old Crow is the winner.  It's a little harsh if you drink it straight (I still do it after adding a touch of water) but it is awesome when mixing with coke and probably even with Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale (I'll have to try that combo soon).  It was once the most popular bourbon in the U.S.



Bourbon facts from Wikipedia:

• Bourbon must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn (maize).^[1]
• Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume).
• Neither coloring nor flavoring may be added.
• Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. ^[1]
• Bourbon must be entered into the barrel at no more than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume).
• Bourbon, like other whiskeys, may be bottled at not less than 80 proof (40% alcohol by volume.)
• Bourbon that meets the above requirements and has been aged for a minimum of two years may (but is not required to) be called Straight Bourbon.^[2]
• Straight Bourbon aged for a period less than four years must be labeled with the duration of its aging.
• If an age is stated on the label, it must be the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle.
• Only whiskey produced in the United States can be called bourbon.^[3]

All whiskeys reviewed above are legally bourbon.


*All prices are from the Alabama Beverage Control Board PDF.

My (Eastern Euorpean) South

It seems I was working harder on this My South post than I had to.  This was from the very first OkraCola.com post:

My paternal grandfather's family came over from England before this country was founded. He married a lady who was born in India to a very posh British family. So I'm only half Southern by blood. My maternal great-grandparents (all 4) came over from Slovakia in the past 100 or so years so I grew up on fried okra from her backyard as well as pirogies.  So I'm only 1/4 southern by having family down here for a long time depending on how you count it, but my Slovak grandparents adapted quickly to southern living and ideals so I consider myself 100% southern! 

That was eaiser than I thought; but wait, there's more!

Brookside, Alabama is not known to everyone as an Eastern European treasure trove of delicacies and traditions, but that’s what I think of when I go there.  My Great-Grandparents immigrated from what is now the Republic of Slovakia and raised 10 kids in Wylam, Alabama.  My maternal Grandmother married another son of another Slovak immagrant family and they settled in the small town of Brookside.  It is such a small town that when there was still a Catholic Church there my Mom and her whole wedding party got ready at my Grandparents house and walked to the wedding. 

I would always go to my grandmother's house (My grandfather died before I was born) where she would fix fried okra from her garden, make meatloaf and banana pudding, fix me chocolate milk and bake tradtional favorites from the old country.  Most of them involved cheese, potatoes and onion; plentiful and relatively cheap staples.  Pagachi, halushki, pirogies, real food.  Every Christmas she would pack a paper grocery sack full of baked goods and remind us that if we left hungry it was our own fault.

Pagachi is everyone's favorite.  (Here's a recipe that looks close.  Scroll down 2/3rds) It is a yeast bread dough filled with a potato and cheese mixture (sharp cheddar) then rolled flat and round like a pizza, and brushed with oil that had been cooking with onions.  She would always make a special batch for my Uncle Joe because he liked dill baked in his.  To this day pagachi is still part the traditional dinner in our family after Christmas Eve Mass.  We go to my mom's and eat ham and pagachi sandwiches.  Once I made a huge mistake by saying I didn't like the pagachi that was served at a cousin's wedding.  It was too thin and nothing like my grandmothers.  My mom's first cousin heard me say it and said, "don't let Momma (my Great-Aunt) hear you say that."  Oops.

My Paternal Grandmother was born in colonial India to a physician, so it was a whole different vibe.  She never really cooked.  We call it the Allan gene.  People say, "what is the Allan gene?"  Well, it took 6 Indian servants to run the Allan household of 4, so the Allan gene is laziness.  If you visit this blog with any frequency you can attest to the presence of this gene.  My love of sweet tea obviously didn't come from that side of the family.

Eating Christmas Pudding with brandy butter and having Christmas crackers were also normal and expected during the holidays in our house in Walker County, Alabama.  Not only that but also weekly calls from my father's first cousin in Edinburough and yearly visits from him with the cool and tasty stuff we couldn't get.  Now we can get most of it from World Market and Whole Foods.


Thanks again to Wade and Rachel to their contributions and let me know if you have a uniquely Southern raisin'!  drew [at] okra cola (dot) com

Buffalo Rock update

Wade has been doing a series on Birmingham's Best Eats and has a brief history of Buffalo Rock as well as some libations made with the stuff.  He even used the photo featured on this blog.

Link