55, Augusta
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Catholic Social Services of Augusta
Author: Kristy Johnson
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Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Photography by Todd Stone
Recipe by Lara Lyn Carter- 1 (8-ounce) block of cream cheese
- 1 cup Wicker & Whisk Homegrown Herb Dressing
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Mix cream cheese and dressing together with a mixer until smooth. Gently stir in peppers and black pepper. Serve with toast points, crackers or an assortment of fresh vegetables.
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Zesty Asparagus
- 1 pound tender fresh asparagus
Photography by Todd Stone
Recipe by Lara Lyn Carter - 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Wash and dry asparagus. Cut off bottom 1/2-inch of stems to remove tough parts. In a large bowl, whisk remaining ingredients together. Add asparagus to bowl with the other ingredients and toss them well to coat with the mixture. Spread asparagus on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
- 1 pound tender fresh asparagus
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Pimento Cheese Grits
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Photography by Todd Stone
Recipe by Lara Lyn Carter
1 cup course ground grits (I use Gayla’s Grits from Shaw Farms) - 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 ounces mascarpone
- 4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces mild Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup diced roasted red peppers
In a large pot bring grits, broth and butter to a boil. Boil for one minute, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally and adding water if needed. Turn heat to simmer, and stir in cheeses and peppers. Once cheeses are melted, remove grits from heat and serve.
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Paddle Extra-“oar”-dinaire
Photography by Addie Strozier It’s a paddle, a concert and a festival all in one. It’s the fifth annual Benderdinker.
Benderdinker is no “oar”-dinary event. The winning combination of a leisurely paddle on the Savannah River, plus good music, good food and a fun-filled festival, add up to a great time for all.
Faithful ’Dinkers are familiar with the itinerary. For the uninitiated, the playlist goes something (well, actually a lot) like this – (a) enjoy a leisurely six-mile paddle on the Savannah River; (b) listen to awesome musicians play on pontoon boats and sample foods from local growers at stops along the route; (c) stick around for more music, food and lawn games at the post-paddle Riverfest.
“Benderdinker grows every year,” says Kristina Williams, who founded the event. “I just want people to have fun, get outdoors, enjoy each other’s company and enjoy the river.”
Paddlers can sample locally sourced food such as “branch mix” with Georgia peanuts, local pecans and Georgia blueberries; BBQ nacho shots and boiled or roasted peanuts. Water and sweet tea will be available as well.
For paddlers’ listening pleasure, country musicians Daniel Johnson, Me and Molly, Nick Brown and Jason White will pull double duty on water and on land. The Mason Jars, who have performed at Benderdinker in the past, will play at the festival only.
“We always have good musicians, but this year we have several Nashville recording artists,” Williams says.
Riverfest lawn games will include corn hole, giant tic tac toe, ladder ball, mini disc golf and bocce ball. If teamwork is more to your liking, then you can join a pickup sand volleyball game. Outdoor sports vendors will offer demos of their wares. Twisted Burrito will provide food at the festival, and thirsty festivalgoers – well, those who are at least 21 – can cool off with craft beer.
Proceeds from the event benefit Augusta Locally Grown and Benderdigger. Augusta Locally Grown gives residents the opportunity to purchase locally grown food at area farmers markets and from its online market. Benderdigger is a youth foodie program that teaches children how to grow, find, harvest and prepare healthy food.
Registration for the paddle is available online through Monday, April 25. Paddlers that prefer to do things the old-fashioned way (and avoid extra fees), can register in person at Escape Outdoors. Check-in will be held 5:30-7 p.m. Friday, April 29 and 8-10 a.m. Saturday, April 30.
If You Go:
What: Benderdinker
When: Saturday, April 30; paddle launches 10-11:30 a.m.; Riverfest noon-5 p.m.
Where: Riverside Park at Betty’s Branch, Evans
How Much: $35 per vessel in advance; $40 per vessel day of event. Cost to rent a kayak or canoe is not included. Food, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase at the festival.
More Info: benderdinker.com
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Port Wine Mustard Fondue
- 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Photography by Todd Stone
Recipe by Lara Lyn Carter - 1/3 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown ale (I use Newcastle)
- 4 tablespoons Wicker & Whisk Port Wine Mustard
In a large bowl toss cheese and flour together. Heat fondue pot to manufacturer directions for cheese fondue. Pour beer into fondue pot and allow it to heat before adding cheeses. Whisk cheeses and mustard in with the beer until all of the cheese is melted and the fondue is heated thoroughly. Serve with assorted breads, apple slices and vegetables.
- 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
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Magic Touch
An award-winning magician offers no illusions — wait, yes he does — about his entertaining styleSelf-taught performer Adam Trent is not your stereotypical magician.
“I’ve always thought that magic should be entertaining first and tricky second. I don’t want people to remember just the ‘tricks,’ but also the laughs and the memories that were made,” he says.
His shows are part magic, part concert and part stand-up comedy, and he will appear in Evans on Saturday, April 16. The 17-year veteran of magic and stage performance blends dancing and singing to his original pop music with innovative stage illusions, wit and emotion. In the past year, he has performed more than 300 live shows in 19 countries at venues including cruise ships, colleges, comedy clubs, theaters and civic centers. He also has appeared on the Disney Channel in a feature performance.
Trent is one of the youngest international award-winning magicians in history, and U.S. News & World Report named him one of “The 10 Most Influential Youths in the Nation.”
Tickets can be purchased online at augustaamusements.com or by calling (706) 726-0366.
If You Go:
What: The Futurist, Adam Trent
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16
Where: Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center
How Much: $40
More Info: augustaamusements.com
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Face the Music
Irish eyes and rock ’n’ roll fans will have plenty to smile about with these coming musical attractionsFrom Celtic music to rock ’n’ roll nostalgia, the Jabez will be jammin’ this month as Augusta Amusements presents its March lineup.
On Thursday, March 3, “Women of Ireland,” a 20-member touring company of Irish performers, will take the stage with other world-class musicians, singers and dancers. A guest of the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra during a 12-week tour of North America in 2009, the group has toured the United States every year since.
While fans of the Eagles still might be mourning the untimely death in January of founding member Glenn Frey, they can honor the late performer’s legacy when 7 Bridges presents “The Ultimate Eagles Experience” on Friday, March 4. The tribute band re-creates the experience of an Eagles concert from the band’s most prolific period.
Music lovers can enjoy another blast from the past when the one-man show, “One Hit Wanderer,” written and performed by Sha Na Na co-founder Henry Gross, comes to Evans on Friday, March 18. The veteran singer, songwriter, recording artist, actor and comedian will take an autobiographical look back at the pursuit, realization and subsequent demise of his rock ’n’ roll dreams.
The performances start at 7:30 p.m. at Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center. Tickets, which are $37.50 for “Women of Ireland,” $35 for 7 Bridges and $43 for “One Hit Wanderer,” can be purchased online at www.augustaamusements.com or by calling (706) 726-0366.
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Deviled Eggs
1 dozen eggs- 4-6 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Dash white pepper
- Paprika for garnish
Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes. Drain pot and fill with cold water and ice. Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks and mash in a bowl with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard and cayenne and stir with fork until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon yolk mixture into egg whites or fill a pastry bag and pipe into egg whites. Garnish lightly with paprika. Makes 24 halves.
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From the Heart
A Martinez brain surgeon publishes his second children’s book to encourage young people to share his passion for science and medicine.Neurosurgeon Cargill H. Alleyne Jr. hopes that children will take a page from his book and get excited about human anatomy.
And Alleyne, professor and Marshall Allen Distinguished Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, is doing what he can to influence them. He recently published his second children’s book, “Bart’s Heart,” which is part of a series of children’s books that he is writing about the human body.
“I want to encourage young kids to think about science, and this is a fun, unique way to do it,” Alleyne says. “If you can lead them in the right direction, they may get turned onto something.”
“Bart’s Heart” follows his first book, “Ned’s Head,” which was published in 2012 and includes limericks that examine what’s inside a little boy’s head. The interactive books, geared toward 7- to 13-year-olds, include catchy rhymes, colorful illustrations and a glossary of definitions and pronunciations of medical terms associated with the heart and brain.
Colby Polonsky, a medical illustrator in the school’s Neurosurgery Department, included a small heart in each of her illustrations for Alleyne’s latest book. Michael Jensen, now an assistant professor in Augusta University’s Department of Medical Illustration, concealed small brains in each picture in “Ned’s Head.”
As the director of MCG’s neurosurgery residency program, Alleyne teaches young physicians to hone their skills and to become specialized in the field.
“Many of them are following in someone’s footsteps,” he says, “but if your parents aren’t in medicine or science, you may not be exposed to this.”
“Bart’s Heart” won a second-place award at the 2015 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards, and “Ned’s Head” received an honorable mention at the 2012 Fall Royal Dragonfly Book Awards. The books are available at local bookstores or online at amazon.com.
Alleyne plans to publish additional books including “Joan’s Bones,” “Nelly’s Belly” and “Malichi’s Eye.”
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Mutts and Music
Dog lovers and Paul McCartney fans will have lots to bark about with Augusta Amusements’ performances this month.A dozen-plus dogs will have their day on Friday, February 12 when Johnny Peers and the Muttville Comix perform. Peers, who has appeared in Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus and on “Late Show With David Letterman,” will lead his kennel of canines through challenging and funny tricks in the slapstick comedy act.
The Muttville Comix debuted in 1980, and Peers, a graduate of Ringling Brothers’ Clown College, performs with many dogs that have been rescued from shelters or pounds. The show stars pooches such as Daphne, the world’s only skating-boarding basset hound; Squeaky, a ladder-climbing fox terrier; Mr. Pepe, who responds only to commands in Spanish; and Sir Winston, a pointer mix who only answers to “Sir.” Tickets are $29.50 for adults and $12.50 for children 12 and under.
In addition to reveling in the antics of talented hounds, people can reminisce about the 1970s in a tribute to Paul McCartney.
On Friday, February 28, Dutch-born Yuri Pool will star in “The McCartney Years,” a note-for-note recreation of McCartney’s 1973 “Wings Over America” concert. Nothing is pre-recorded as every song is played live according to the standard set by Sir Paul himself in the early 1970s.
Pool is true to McCartney in his vocal styling and presentation on tracks such as “Live and Let Die,” “Let it Be,” “The Long and Winding Road” and “Jet.” Beatles promoter Sid Bernstein has praised the period-true, technically stunning, sonically explosive show as “the best on the scene today.” Tickets are $45.
Both performances begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center in Evans. Reserved seats can be purchased online at www.augustaamusements.com or by calling (706) 726-0366.
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Roasted Potato & Bacon Kabobs
4 baking potatoes- 4-6 slices thick-cut bacon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 stick butter
- Paprika, for garnish
Cut bacon into short slices and place in freezer about 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bring a pot of salted water to boil. Slice potatoes and add to the boiling water; boil about 4 minutes. Remove, let cool, then pat dry. Melt butter and rub on the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Thread potatoes and bacon onto greased skewers and bake about 60 minutes or until the outsides are browned and crisp. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and garnish with paprika. Makes 4 servings.
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Lip Service
For decades SafeHomes Inc. has endeavored to turn victims of domestic violence into survivors. However, the nonprofit organization is making even more noise with “Fake It to Make It,” a lip sync challenge fundraiser to support efforts to end domestic violence through advocacy, awareness and education.Inspired by “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and LL Cool J, the event will give contestants the opportunity to battle for bragging rights as the inaugural lip sync champion. More importantly, however, each contestant is trying to raise $10,000 to support SafeHomes’ mission, which includes construction of a new 14,500-square-foot, 36-bed shelter and increasing outreach programs and services.
Supporters can make a donation or buy a ticket to the lip sync challenge on behalf of the contestants. They include Ryan Mahoney; Eddie Writer, featuring Dave Brendza, Dave Jaugstetter, Ben Young, David King and Patrick Mulvehill; Abu Khan; Ray Lewis; David McDaniel, Heather Seigler and Haskell Toporek; and Jorge Lopez, with a surprise special guest.
Judges, hosts and masters of ceremony will include Ashley Campbell-White, Barclay Bishop and Jay Jeffries of WAGT 26; Elizabeth Lamb of Doctors Hospital; Francois Leger of FPL Food and Karen Gordon of Garden City Jazz.
“This helps people know who we are and what we do,” says Jennifer Frantom, SafeHomes’ development director. “We want to engage the community and get people involved.”
SafeHomes has about $700,000 left to raise in its $3.2 million capital campaign, she says, and the shelter should open in the spring.
If You Go:
What: Fake It to Make It
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 22
Where: Imperial Theatre
How Much: $12 – $32
More Info: safehomesdv.org or (706) 736-2499
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Fine Tunes
The stage will rock with country favorites when “Live From Nashville” comes to the Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center Friday, January 8. Singers and dancers, along with a band of Nashville musicians, will cover songs by country music icons such as Patsy Cline and Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton. The production is designed to celebrate a century of stars and songs from Music City.Another music legend, Glenn Miller, will be honored on Friday, January 22 when the Glenn Miller Orchestra takes the stage. The popular bandleader played to sellout crowds before his plane disappeared in a 1944 flight across the English Channel. The present Glenn Miller Orchestra was formed in 1956, and it has been touring the globe consistently ever since. The band will perform classic Miller tunes such as “In the Mood,” “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “A String of Pearls,” “Moonlight Serenade” and “Tuxedo Junction.”
The performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, which cost $43 for each concert, are available by visiting augustaamusements.com or by calling (706) 726-0366.
