Recipes to take a shine to: StarShine’s chefs share some of their best

Ever wished you could tap into some of the most creative dishes devised by great chefs? Today is your day. Recipes that wowed the crowd — and judges — at the Starkville Area Arts Council’s StarShine culinary extravaganza at The Bistro in Starkville Aug. 7-8 are yours to try.

Caring Cooks: Casserole ministry needs friends helping friends

Some words have the power to shake our foundation. “Cancer” is one of them. Six letters with the ability to turn life inside out. The road to becoming a cancer survivor is a challenging one, often filled with life-altering treatments, all while trying to maintain some semblance of daily life.

Hobby gardener turns swimming pool into veggie smorgasbord

When Nick and Eleanor Hairston decided an in-ground pool installed behind their west Lowndes County home in 1974 had served its purpose, they opted for dramatic changes. Not many months after retiring from his post as Lowndes County administrator, Nick was ready to tackle a new project. With the help of savvy friends, family, the “Garden Tabloid” — and even garden guru Felder Rushing — he transformed the 34-by-17 foot pool into a bountiful backyard garden.

Wonderful watermelon: This summer favorite celebrates its big moment

One bite into a cool, crisp wedge of watermelon takes us back in time. We’re kids again, parked at a picnic table or barefoot in the back yard, melon juice running down our chins, trickling between our little fingers. And we don’t have a care in the world.

Old farm, new life

“I see you,” Scott Enlow grinned, triumphantly plucking a stray squash bug from a plant thriving with bright yellow and green zephyr squash. Then, before heading back to the house where he grew up, the genial Columbus man cast vigilant eyes one last time across rows of summer vegetables in a garden like no other in the Golden Triangle.

Diversified dining: Unique dishes, tableside cooking and mariachi bands

Eating out in Columbus and Starkville is less and less about wolfing down Southern staples. Three recently established restaurants in the cities offer food or experiences that may be new to people.

When the dinner bell rings, volunteers step up for Camp Rising Sun

For 21 summers, peals of laughter from children attending Camp Rising Sun have echoed through the tall pines surrounding Camp Pratt in western Lowndes County. For a few days each June, fishing, archery, arts and crafts, rock walls and talent shows help round out a traditional camp experience for youngsters who have already had to deal with some very untraditional stress in their young lives.

MUW Culinary Camp for Kids’ demos let young chefs shine

Two pretty, young ladies wait in a hushed hallway in the Mississippi University for Women Culinary Arts Institute Friday afternoon. Nervous energy bubbles beneath the surface. They carefully look over their cart one more time to be sure nothing essential has been forgotten. Egg whites, sugar, half-and-half, mixing bowls — all there.

Young gardener nurtures herbs from garden to market

It’s been recorded that the ancient Greeks crowned their heroes with dill and laurel. Mint was credited by long-ago civilizations with mystical powers to neutralize the “evil eye.” Yes, man’s fascination with medicinal, ornamental and aromatic herbs can be traced through the ages, surfacing in romance, religion, food, health and superstition.

Cooking in camo: National Guard members hone skills in the kitchen

The sweet smell of pastries and soothing aroma of tomato soup filled the air last week at the Mississippi University for Women’s Shattuck Hall as camouflage-clad members of the Mississippi National Guard scrambled to hone their culinary skills.

‘Mom and Pop’ roadside market offers fresh produce and good company

Except for the look of the vehicles steadily pulling in and out of the roadside lot, the scene at Don and Linda Beard’s open-air produce and curb market at 5731 Military Road, where Wolf Road intersects, could almost have been plucked from the fictional community of Mayberry.

CONTACT Helpline fish fry helps keep the lines open

Every morning around 8:30 a.m., 92-year-old June Kettinger relies on the phone to ring. The daily reassurance call from volunteers with CONTACT Helpline is one small but vital link that helps the Columbus resident continue living on her own.

Cattlemen’s Association fires up the grills for scholarship fundraiser

For beef lovers, few aromas can rival the enticing lure of a flavorful, tender steak expertly grilled. There will be plenty of temptation to go around as the Lowndes County Cattlemen’s Association prepares nearly 3,000 ribeye steaks May 8-9 on grills set up at the Kroger parking lot on Highway 45 North.

Wok-N-Roll Cafe: Chinese cuisine and global missions mix at youth all-nighter

Nothing says “feed me” like 75 hungry teens bent on staying awake all night. And when it came to satisfying those robust appetites, the mood was decidedly Oriental as youth pastors Pat Davidson, Aaron Lane and Tim Bentley joined forces recently for a Wok In with their respective youth groups from Evangel Church and First Assembly of God, in Columbus, and First Assembly of God in Amory.

Heart of the home: Three kitchens welcome visitors during Columbus Girlchoir fundraiser

The kitchen, it is often said, is the heart of a home, a central place of gathering and sharing. To get it “just right,” to create that place of comfort and welcome, is always an aspiration. And who doesn’t enjoy a glimpse into how homeowners, designers and builders turn the vision into a reality?

Church dessert auction raises ‘hoots, hollers’

It’s an unlikely place for a bidding war, but the action in the church fellowship hall has everyone riveted. Back and forth the spotter’s attention flies, following competition spurred on by a shrewd auctioneer. The dollar amount increases; delighted gasps rise from the crowd.

An antebellum table: Before food was fast and take-out took over, meals were made the old-fashioned way

For imaginative visitors, a stroll through the gracious antbellum dining rooms of Columbus Pilgrimage homes on tour through April 11 just may inspire romantic visions of belles, beaus and balls of a bygone era. What few of us give much thought to, however, is the fare that may have filled those sideboards and tables of old.

Girl Scout cookies take on new starring role

In an innovative blending of tastes — and a sterling example of non-profit and commercial collaboration — popular Girl Scout cookie flavors inspired three new Jubilations cheesecakes this month and are featured on Harveys’ dessert menus in Columbus, Starkville and Tupelo.

Health & Wellness 2014

Salute to Industry 2014

Home & Garden 2014