Historic Stagville and Foods
Historic Stagville
We needed something inexpensive yet adventuresome to do, so we came upon this intriguing place on the internet. Rebecca had heard about it before from friends and had noticed the sign to it in Durham. We made the trip out yesterday. The area originally consisted of the pre Civil War plantation holdings of the Bennehan and Cameron families, which, by the eve of the war, were among in largest in the South. About 900 slaves worked the land, which totaled almost 30,000 acres by 1860. Specifically Stagville lies at the center of this empire, comprising its remnants, which spans several thousand acres.
As well as the Bennehan House above, we also saw the Horton Grove Slave Quarters, which housed probably eighty slaves in four two-story, four-room houses. These were acutally a step up from the orginal ones, which consisted of dirt floors and thatched rooves, a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. That fact alone is horrible. If one person got sick, then most of the time so would everyone else. This visit sparked both of our renewed interests in the horrors of slavery. We both have a copy of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, so we've been reading it tonight.
side note - If you are unaware, it is estimated there is more modern-day slavery than there was in the whole African slave-trade! If you read the Narrative above and are left speechless, then keep in mind that is worse right now! Just to think, we fought a bloody Civil War and guys like Frederick Douglass and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. exerted so much effort to abolish slavery once and for all. Don't believe me? Then do your research.
All about one of our loves...FOOD
Last night, Rebecca cooked a delicious meal: baked chicken, couscous, and fresh green beans. We both personally think that fresh green beans kick canned green beans butt. I’m just saying. Also, if you’ve never tried couscous, and you are at least mildly adventurous, then give it a shot. I would describe the texture as being similar to rice, light and fluffy, but not gritty. I forget the name of the brand, but one of our favorite flavors is Wild Mushroom and Herb. Yeah, I know, awesomeness.
We’ve tried to take some steps toward eating healthier lately, some alternatives to turkey sandwiches, potato chips, and fast food. Rebecca’s friend Mandie has taught her how to make some new things, including whole grain bread from scratch. Shortly after her first “lesson,” we bought about 5lbs of wheat grain from Earth Fare. I looked at the recipe, and it’s actually pretty simple, so if you’re game, then I can probably hook you up. She also made some amazing homemade baked oatmeal! AND, she’s making homemade meatloaf right now! All the ingredients are healthy and mostly organic. ***I know it sounds she cooks all the food, but I assure you that we both partake in this glorious tradition.
The word organic didn’t mean much to me a couple of years ago, but I’ve learned a lot about the natural food industry lately. One relevant category is organic food production - a BIG distinction is that these foods are free of hormones, pesticides, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), chemicals, etc. We live in a country that mass produces just about everything, including food. The problem with the mass production of food is that, coupled with the love of money, 99% of it is produced as cheaply as possible in our country. How else could fast food restaurants sell an all-beef hamburger with tomato, pickles, onion, lettuce, and cheese for 99 cents??? There are several other reasons why one might want to consider organic, but I won’t bore you with details. We can deduce that God intended food to be eaten in its natural healthy state, instead of producing synthetic, processed stuff.
side note - Speaking of stuff, this amazing video, The Story of Stuff, reveals some of the harsh realities of living in a consumer-based economy.
P.S. – look for this logo
when buying organic. It means that it adheres to our government’s standards.
We needed something inexpensive yet adventuresome to do, so we came upon this intriguing place on the internet. Rebecca had heard about it before from friends and had noticed the sign to it in Durham. We made the trip out yesterday. The area originally consisted of the pre Civil War plantation holdings of the Bennehan and Cameron families, which, by the eve of the war, were among in largest in the South. About 900 slaves worked the land, which totaled almost 30,000 acres by 1860. Specifically Stagville lies at the center of this empire, comprising its remnants, which spans several thousand acres.
The Bennehan House
As well as the Bennehan House above, we also saw the Horton Grove Slave Quarters, which housed probably eighty slaves in four two-story, four-room houses. These were acutally a step up from the orginal ones, which consisted of dirt floors and thatched rooves, a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. That fact alone is horrible. If one person got sick, then most of the time so would everyone else. This visit sparked both of our renewed interests in the horrors of slavery. We both have a copy of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, so we've been reading it tonight.
side note - If you are unaware, it is estimated there is more modern-day slavery than there was in the whole African slave-trade! If you read the Narrative above and are left speechless, then keep in mind that is worse right now! Just to think, we fought a bloody Civil War and guys like Frederick Douglass and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. exerted so much effort to abolish slavery once and for all. Don't believe me? Then do your research.
All about one of our loves...FOOD
Last night, Rebecca cooked a delicious meal: baked chicken, couscous, and fresh green beans. We both personally think that fresh green beans kick canned green beans butt. I’m just saying. Also, if you’ve never tried couscous, and you are at least mildly adventurous, then give it a shot. I would describe the texture as being similar to rice, light and fluffy, but not gritty. I forget the name of the brand, but one of our favorite flavors is Wild Mushroom and Herb. Yeah, I know, awesomeness.
We’ve tried to take some steps toward eating healthier lately, some alternatives to turkey sandwiches, potato chips, and fast food. Rebecca’s friend Mandie has taught her how to make some new things, including whole grain bread from scratch. Shortly after her first “lesson,” we bought about 5lbs of wheat grain from Earth Fare. I looked at the recipe, and it’s actually pretty simple, so if you’re game, then I can probably hook you up. She also made some amazing homemade baked oatmeal! AND, she’s making homemade meatloaf right now! All the ingredients are healthy and mostly organic. ***I know it sounds she cooks all the food, but I assure you that we both partake in this glorious tradition.
The word organic didn’t mean much to me a couple of years ago, but I’ve learned a lot about the natural food industry lately. One relevant category is organic food production - a BIG distinction is that these foods are free of hormones, pesticides, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), chemicals, etc. We live in a country that mass produces just about everything, including food. The problem with the mass production of food is that, coupled with the love of money, 99% of it is produced as cheaply as possible in our country. How else could fast food restaurants sell an all-beef hamburger with tomato, pickles, onion, lettuce, and cheese for 99 cents??? There are several other reasons why one might want to consider organic, but I won’t bore you with details. We can deduce that God intended food to be eaten in its natural healthy state, instead of producing synthetic, processed stuff.
side note - Speaking of stuff, this amazing video, The Story of Stuff, reveals some of the harsh realities of living in a consumer-based economy.
P.S. – look for this logo
when buying organic. It means that it adheres to our government’s standards.
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