by Chloe Tuttle
on March 5, 2014
Did you know that Grits are made from corn? And stone ground grits are the best.
Atkinson Milling Company in Selma, NC produces some of the best grits. I’ve tried many kinds and theirs are the best.
I was looking for local stone-ground North Carolina grits to serve at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast and I found them at Atkinson Mill in Selma, NC. Joseph Wheeler, whose grandfather owns the mill, gave us the grand tour of this fascinating and quite extensive mill. You could just tell that Joseph loves this business and he loves the mill and its history.
Wandering around in the mill there is a yellowish haze everywhere. We had corn dust all over us! [continue reading…]
by Chloe Tuttle
on January 29, 2014
Lynda Oden and her family have been running Oden’s Store since 1904
Oden’s Store and Antiques is chock full of treasures: depression glass, old tools, furniture from the turn of the last century, old doors, some junk, but all of it is interesting. It is the kind of place where you have to poke around in all the corners; if you don’t, you might miss something. If you are lucky, some of Lynda’s buddies will be there around the pot-bellied stove talking in that wonderful down-east brogue. [continue reading…]
by Chloe Tuttle
on January 2, 2014
Pull Candy Recipe – Old Time Stewed Sugar
Old Fashioned Pull Candy is still the best!
My mother called this wonderful confection pull candy or stewed sugar. Some folks call it taffy. When she described a child’s pretty blond hair she would say it was the color of stewed sugar — a gorgeous translucent white color with a faint golden tint.
Making this recipe during the holidays or in the New Year seems appropriate for me – it brings back memories of winter on the farm in the kitchen with my mother who was also named Chloe. She told me that when she was growing up, folks in the neighborhood would have a Candy Pulling party and they had so much fun. Click to read more about Pull Candy
by Chloe Tuttle
on November 21, 2013
The holiday season brings up memories of holidays past
For me, they are often memories of wonderful food and recipes from my farm bed and breakfast. I have been writing Chloe’s Blog since 2007 and have gathered some great old family favorites and some new and exciting recipes that my mom never heard of.
Click to get all 7 holiday recipes
by Chloe Tuttle
on November 10, 2013
We folks in eastern North Carolina celebrate our farm heritage
Every year since 2003, we have a big Farm Heritage Fair at the Senator Bob Martin Ag Center in Williamston, NC. Sadly, this fair happens no more, but it was fun while it did. Our “old timers” who knew how to bale hay, make cracklins and old farming techniques are no longer able to participate.
It wasn’t just about tractors. It wass about how life on the farm in eastern North Carolina used to be. Early on Saturday morning, there was a hog killing. And you can see how sausage was made on the farm up until the sixties. You would see parts of the hog you might not want to see. [continue reading…]
by Chloe Tuttle
on October 26, 2013
What do you do with all those corks you’ve saved? Make a Cork Wreath.
It isn’t difficult if you follow my directions and take it one step at a time.
Here is how to make the perfect Cork Wreath. Cork wreaths are pretty any time of year, but folks like them for the holidays. [continue reading…]
by Chloe Tuttle
on October 23, 2013
Updated: 10/08/25 Every year on the first weekend in November, the Yankees and the Rebels fight the Battle of Fort Branch on the banks of the Roanoke River near Hamilton in eastern North Carolina. Reenactment is November 1 & 2, 2025
Click to learn about the bloody Battle of Ft. Branch
by Chloe Tuttle
on October 13, 2013
While waiting on the plane to carry me back to Big Mill B&B, I decided to dash off a quick blog post in honor of Vegetarian Awareness Month (October).
I’ve been 95% vegetarian for decades, so it is second nature for me. But it can be quite a fun adventure to explore the tastes and textures of vegetarian recipes.
Here are eight recipes from Chloe’s Blog to make it easy to dip your toe in:
Rutabaga & Rice Soup
Gazpacho – Chilled Tomato Soup
Good-For-You Couscous Salad
Zucchini Grape Tomato Quiche
Barney’s Killer Salsa
Hayman Sweet Potato Fries
Chloe’s Sweet Potato Soup
Bon Appetite!
Big Mill Bed and Breakfast 252-792-8787
by Chloe Tuttle
on October 4, 2013
We all know that birds add beauty and intrigue to our garden; that’s exactly why we add bird feeders and houses to our yards in the first place, but the truth is that the benefits the feathered creatures bring go far beyond aesthetic appeal.
Birds play a great role in preventing insects from eating and destroying the flowers and vegetables we work so hard to plant.
I hope you enjoy this guest article by Ernie Allison:
1. Sparrows
Chipping Sparrows eating suet at Big Mill. photo by Guy Livesay
Chipping Sparrows (sometimes called Chipper Sparrows) and song sparrows, most commonly found in North America, can be great sights to see in your backyard. They feed on some of the most destructive insects (grasshoppers, beetles, ants, etc.). They also utilize garden weeds for food as well as nesting materials. [continue reading…]
by Chloe Tuttle
on September 27, 2013
It’s time to save seeds for next year’s flower garden.
These datura or Devil’s Trumpet seed pods will dry out and turn brown. That is the time to harvest them. Georgia O’Keefe liked Devil’s Trumpet or Jimson weed as it is often called.
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To everything there is a season. It’s late September and, like clockwork, the flowers in the Big Mill garden are going to seed and then they will die. I will save the seeds, plant them next spring and these same flowers will live again.
There is a real science to this seed-saving and though I actually understand it, I prefer taking the easy route — I save the same seeds my mother saved – seeds from heirloom or old varieties of annual flowers (flowers that must be planted every year). [continue reading…]
