All in Columns

Mike Parker: Sunrise, sunset, and Thanksgiving traditions

Thanksgiving is a generational holiday in our family. When Sandra and I first married, we spent Thanksgiving Day at her mother’s house. Her mom, Rebie Dawson, was an old-fashioned farm cook. When Rebie fed us, we were fed. A typical Thanksgiving spread was turkey and dressing, ham, creamed potatoes, corn, lima beans, field fields, string beans, collard greens, and homemade biscuits.

John Hood: Carolina Leaders Should Heed Cicero

North Carolina has an official state bird (the Northern Cardinal), an official state reptile (the Eastern Box Turtle), an official state insect (the honeybee), an official state mammal (the Gray Squirrel), an official saltwater fish (the Channel Bass), an official freshwater fish (the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout), an official state marsupial (the Virginia Opossum, which seems awfully unpatriotic), and two official state amphibians, the Pine Barrens Treefrog and the Marbled Salamander.

Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Have you tried Spaghetti Squash

I am a huge pasta fan, I wish I weren’t, but if you feel like me, it might be time to try a different type of spaghetti: spaghetti squash. I am not going to tell you that it is just as yummy and comforting as true pasta, but it is a great healthy alternative!! Spaghetti squash is a yellow-orange vegetable harvested in early fall. When cooked, the inside of the squash can be shredded into long, thin strands similar to angel hair noodles, and can be used in comparable ways.

John Hood: State is ready for potential recession

Just months ago, the housing market was blazing hot. Now median prices are dropping, even in states like North Carolina that continue to attract new residents. The Federal Reserve isn’t done pushing up interest rates to combat inflation. Consumers are responding to higher prices by cutting back on expenses.