Featured Recipe: Easy, Zesty Chicken Nuggets The Family Will Love
July 22, 2012
The humble chicken nugget isn’t just for kids anymore. And there’s no more frozen with this zesty homemade version.
Featuring six different seasoning blends plus Italian bread crumbs, these bite-sized delights are packed with flavor. Frying them fresh means they’ll be extra crunchy – perfect for dipping in a favorite sauce like barbecue or honey mustard. But be careful – they’re addictive.
For a printable pdf of today’s featured recipe, click the image below.
Molino Resident Named Florida’s Social Worker Of The Year
July 22, 2012
A Molino resident has been named the Florida Social Worker of the Year.
Rikki Vidak received the award from the Association of Social Workers, Florida Chapter after she was first named the Social Worker of the Year for the Northwest Unit. She will now be in the running for the national Social Worker of the Year award.
Vidak is a behavioral science coordinator for the Family Residency Program at the Navy Hospital in Pensacola where she has faithfully served Pensacola’s military and their families for decades.
She is also the unit chair for the Northwest Unit of the NASW-FL, and has been a strong leader building community among social workers in Northwest Florida. She was selected as Social Worker of the Year because of her leadership, her service to the community, and her outstanding professionalism, according to the group.
Cruisers Unlimited Shows Off, Grills Out For Ronald McDonald House
July 22, 2012
The Cruisers Unlimited car and truck club of Atmore recently provided a grilled dinner for the family staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Pensacola. The group also had a few of their classic vehicles on hand for small car show for the residents.
The local Ronald McDonald House provides a home away from home for family members of children who travel from their homes to receive medical treatment in Pensacola.
Each of the 26 rooms at the Ronald McDonald House has been full for most every night for the past two weeks, leaving the RMH in need of items that are used on a daily basis. Some of the items on the RMH wish list include:
- Paper plates, napkins and plastic utensils
- Large boxes of cereals
- travel/trial size deodorants
- 13-gallon trash bags
- kitchen and bathroom sponges
- brownie mix
- one and two gallon zip top bags
- ranch dressing
- breakfast bars
- 8.5 x 11 copy paper
- dryer sheets
- stamps
The Ronald McDonald House is located at 5200 Bayou Boulevard in Pensacola. For more information, contact (850) 477-2273.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local Students Attend 69th Boys State
July 21, 2012
Two upcoming seniors at Northview High School attended the week-long 69th Annual Boys State event at Florida State University recently.
Corry Baggett and Trey Johnson were selected by their counselors, principal, and the Oversight Committee of the American Legion Post 90. Jason Knight of Jay also represented the North Escambia area.
Local Alabama students Blake Clark, Michael Glick and Andrew Sasser from Escambia Academy, and Domineque Hubert from Escambia County High School attended their sessions in Tuscaloosa.
Students learned about city, county and state government throughout their week-long sessions and have the opportunity to earn dual enrollment credit for their efforts.
From Santa Rosa County, Stewart Campbell of Gulf Breeze was awarded a two-year scholarship to Tallahassee Community College followed by a two-year scholarship to Florida State. The Lance Cpl. Andrew J. Aviles scholarship was named for Andrew Aviles who delayed attending FSU in order to join the military and whose life tragically ended as a result at just 18.
Pictured top: Attendees at the 69th Annual Boys State at Florida State University. Pictured inset: Corry Baggett and Trey Johnson represented Northview High School at the event. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Some Veggies Can’t Take The Heat, But Others Thrive
July 21, 2012
When it comes to vegetable gardening in Northern Florida, gardeners should take advantage of our year-round growing season. Yes, even in the torrid depths of summer there are delicious, heat-tolerant vegetables you can plant now to keep your garden productive.
Popular vegetables such as tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and squash generally need warm-but-mild daytime temperatures – in the 70s and 80s – to produce well. The scorching heat we experience in midsummer seriously reduces the numbers of flowers these plants produce, and always remember that it is the flowers that ultimately become the fruit (vegetable). In addition, high populations of many pests, such as spider mites, leaf miners, beetles and caterpillars, are present now and will cause increasing amounts of damage through the summer.
Once they are past their prime and production dwindles, remove early summer vegetables and replant your garden with a wonderful selection of vegetables that thrive in midsummer heat.
The University of Florida – IFAS recommends a wide variety of vegetables that can be planted now. Most of these vegetables are near and dear to Southerners and form an important part of our regional cuisine. Among them are okra, eggplant, Southern peas, hot peppers, sweet peppers and more. It’s also a good time to start growing your own transplants for fall tomato production.
I’ve pulled out a few gardening vegetables that do well here but this is just the tip of the iceburg:
Okra
Native to tropical Africa, it never gets too hot for okra to thrive here. Direct-seeded into the garden now, okra will come into production in late August or early September (even sooner if you plant transplants) and produce until the weather cools down in late October or early November.
Reliable okra varieties include Clemson Spineless, Cajun Delight, Emerald and Burgundy.
A common mistake gardeners make is growing okra plants too close together. Once the okra seedlings are a few inches tall they should be thinned to provide 12 inches of space between plants.
When the plants are about knee high to waist high they begin to produce their pale yellow, hibiscus-like flowers. Harvest okra pods frequently when they reach a length of about 3 inches for best quality, although some varieties stay tender if harvested when the pods are larger.
Eggplant
Unlike their relatives, the tomatoes, eggplants thrive in the heat of mid- to late summer, and you can purchase transplants to plant into the garden now.
I generally have found the oriental types, such as Ichiban or Tycoon with long, narrow fruit are especially productive during stressful summer weather. Large-fruited cultivars such as Blackbell, Classic, Midnight and Florida Hi Bush, as well as green, white, lavender and pink cultivars also are recommended.
Plant eggplant transplants 18 inches to 24 inches apart in well-prepared beds. Production should begin in early September and increase through late October or early November.
Do not go by the size of the fruit when harvesting eggplants. Eggplants are eaten immature and should not be allowed to become old and bitter before harvest. The skin should be shiny and tender. Once the skin starts to dull you should harvest the eggplant immediately – no matter what the size – because that indicates it is getting past its prime.
Legumes
Although it is too hot for reliable production from legumes like snap beans and lima beans, Southern peas such as purple hulls, crowders, cream peas and blackeye peas produce abundant crops during the summer.
Direct-seed these peas in rows about 18 inches apart, and thin young seedlings to stand 4 inches to 6 inches apart. Most cultivars produce short, somewhat bushy vines and do not require a trellis to grow on. Other legumes that could be planted now include yard-long beans, winged peas (these need trellises to grow on) and edible soybeans.
Peppers
Bell peppers often produce poorly during high temperatures, but hot peppers and sweet peppers such as Sweet Banana, Gypsy and Pimento produce very well despite the heat.
Plant transplants now spaced about 18 inches apart. Bell pepper transplants also can be planted now through August for production this fall when the weather cools down.
Tomatoes
Spring-planted tomatoes are about finished with their main crop, and if the plants are in poor condition, they should be removed to make way for heat-tolerant crops. On the other hand, cherry and Roma types may still be producing well and could be left in place.
If you want to grow your own transplants for fall tomatoes, seeds should be planted now. Transplants for fall tomatoes will be available at area nurseries in late July and August and should be purchased and planted into the garden then. Good cultivars for fall production include Hawaiian Hybrid, Solar Set, Heatwave, Bingo, Celebrity and Pelican.
Others
Other heat-tolerant vegetables that may planted now include cantaloupe, pumpkin, watermelon (these three are a bit of a challenge in the home garden), peanuts (easy to grow and a great crop for kids) and sweet potatoes (plant rooted cuttings or “slips” as soon as possible for harvest in November).
NJROTC Cadets Complete Basic Leadership Training
July 20, 2012
Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps cadets from across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties took part in a Basic Leadership Training camp last week that culminated with graduation exercise about Pensacola NAS.
Eight cadets from Northview High School took part in the Basic Leadership training camp — Lane Carnley, Sean Allister, Joshua Borelli, Elijah Harbinson, Jeniya Odom, Talia Syria, Andrea Miles and Deidre Steele.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The week-long camp included academics, drill, physical training and tours of Pensacola Naval Air Station facilities. Highlights of the week were running the Marine Corps obstacle course, observing Navy Fire Fighting training, aircrew survival swimming training and a tour of the Naval Air Technical Training Center.
Two two other Northview cadets, Jonathan Moretz (executive officer for the BLT company) and Zacarra Davis were graduate assistants during the week, helping the NJROTC instructors run the camp. Their responsibilities included assignment as platoon leaders, watchstanders, barracks staff and administrative duties. Their duties were essential to the success of the camp and ensured the cadets were properly trained during the camp and moved from one location to another throughout the week.
There were a total of 73 NJROTC cadets that participated and graduated from the camp from Northview, Pine Forest, Escambia, Washington, Milton, Pace and Navarre high schools. An additional 23 cadets were assigned as graduate assistants from the seven schools.
Pictured top: There were 73 NJROTC cadets from seven schools that graduated from a week of Basic Leadership Training at Pensacola NAS. Pictured inset: Northview’s Jonathan Moretz, standing by to receive the Cadet Achievement Award. Pictured below: Northview cadets (L-R) Talia Syria, Deidre Steele, Andrea Miles Elijah Harbinson, Lane Carnley, Jeniya Odom, Sean Allister, Zacarra Davis (graduate assistant) and Joshua Borelli. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
South Alabama Old Time Fiddler’s Convention Is Saturday
July 19, 2012
The 32nd annual South Alabama Old Time Fiddler’s Convention will be held Saturday in Atmore.
Registration will be held from 10 a.m. until 1:45 p.m., with no registration fee.
The competition categories are fiddlers, vocal groups (including a cappella), bands, dobro, banjo, guitar and mandolin. Prizes in the Fiddler’s category are $1,000 for first, $200 for second and $100 for third. All other categories have prizes of $100 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third place.
Admission to the event beginning at 2 p.m. at Escambia County High School is $9, with children under 12 free.
Proceeds from Fiddler’s Convention funds the Atmore Rotary Academic All Star Scholarship program that awards students at Northview High, Escambia High and Escambia Academy that maintain all A’s and B’s all four years.
For a printable flyer with rules and registration information, click here.
For more information, contact Keith Castleberry at (251) 368-2106 or the Atmore Chamber of Commerce at (251) 368-3305.
Olympic Countdown: Torch Passes Through England (With NorthEscambia Photo Gallery)
July 18, 2012
Tuesday marked 10 days until the official opening of the 2012 Olympics in London, with the Olympic Torch Relay carrying the flame through the town of Crawley, England.
A Molino family living in England was there Tuesday with photos for NorthEscambia.com. To view the photo gallery, click here.
Crawley, with a population of about 106,600, is located 28 miles south of London.
According to organizers, a very precise ritual for the lighting of the flame is followed at every Games. It is lit from the sun’s rays at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, in a traditional ceremony among the ruins of the home of the ancient Games.
After a short relay around Greece, the flame is handed over to the new host city at another ceremony in the Panathenaiko stadium in Athens.
The flame is then delivered to the host country, where it is transferred from one torchbearer to another, spreading the message of peace, unity and friendship.
It ends its journey as the last torchbearer lights the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony in the Olympic Stadium, marking the official start of the Games. The flame then stays lit until it is extinguished at the closing ceremony to signify the end of the games.
Pictured top: The Olympic Torch passes through Crawley, England, about 28 miles south of London Tuesday. Pictured inset and below: The flame is passed from one Torch bearer to another as crowds look on. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Care Residents Go ‘Nuts’
July 18, 2012
The residents at Century Care Center went “nuts” Tuesday for boiled peanuts.
The regular Covenant Hospice Coffee Club was combined with a big batch of boiled peanuts donated by Lowry Farms in Jay.
“Yelling ‘boiled peanuts’ or ‘watermelon’ is like yelling ‘Fire!’ around Century Care Center,” said Mae Hildreth, Century Care Center’s activities director. “The only difference is the direction they run in.”
Pictured: The residents at Century Care Center enjoyed a peanut boil Tuesday. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Updated: Local Woman Seen On ABC’s Good Morning America
July 17, 2012
Several area women made a brief appearance on Good Morning America Monday morning on the ABC television network.
Diane Johnson, three-year old teacher at the Friendship Learning Lodge on Wolf Log Road, was one of the women. She was seen in the New York City crowd, happily waving at the camera. The sign she’s holding had a peace symbol, a heart and “& Roll Tide” (that’s Peace, Love and Roll Tide).
Johnson is in New York with several friends that also received a little airtime — Shirley Manning of Brewton, Barbara Swinney of Gulf Shores, Diane White of Brewton and Sharon Chavers of Brewton.
Pictured top: Shirley Manning, Barbara Swinney, Diane White, Robin Roberts of GMA, Diane Johnson, and Sharon Chavers. Pictured inset: Diane Johnson (right, waving) of Flomaton was seen on ABC’s Good Morning America Monday morning.Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
