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Now back in the day, folks didn’t need no fancy scores posted on the wall. Mama could take one look at a kitchen and tell you quicker than a June bug on a porch light if it was fit to eat from. She used to say, ‘If the kitchen ain’t clean, the food can’t be trusted, and that’s the Lord’s honest truth.’ These days, the health department does that job for us. They start every restaurant off with a bright, shiny hundred points, and for every greasy stovetop, forgotten handwash, or sneaky critter track they find, they start knocking ’em down a peg. So when you walk in and see that score up front, that’s your first clue — higher the number, safer the supper

Velma’s Short intro  song.

Velma singing

French song

Disclaimer:

Cornbread & Buttermilk is all about sharing stories, traditions, and the wisdom of the Southern kitchen, but we are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before adding new foods, supplements, or home remedies to your routine—especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Listen to your body, trust your doctor, and enjoy the journey of good food and well-being!

Thank you for listening; please share our Podcast with friends and family members who would find our stories interesting. It would certainly help us, it would be a blessing, it certainly would.

© [2025] Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. The original music of Velma Sugarcane Jones and Obe Monroe is the exclusive property of Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. All rights reserved.

Let us know if you enjoyed the program. What’s on your mind? We would love to hear from you. Contact us at: [email protected]

Title: Ragged and Dirty

Performed by: William Brown

Recorded by: Alan Lomax

From the album: Negro Blues and Hollers

Courtesy of: American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

You can reach History By Mail for more information at, www.historybymail.com

...

Send us a text

“In these parts, luck is a slippery thing—more like a snake than a song. Folks will grip a rabbit’s foot ‘til the fur wears thin, or wear out a pew praying to a God they ain’t spoken to since the last hard winter. All for the hope that today, just today, their horse will outrun the devil waiting in the last turn.

They say a good horse is hard to find—harder still than a good man. And even the ones that shine like silver on race day can stumble when the thunder rolls in. Maybe it’s the blood, maybe it’s the break, maybe it’s just that some creatures are born unlucky and don’t know it till the gate swings open.”

“Today on Cornbread & Buttermilk, we’re stepping into that beautiful madness called the Kentucky Derby, where ladies wear their fortunes on their heads, men dream of riches over ice-cold juleps, and the track runs not just with horses but with hope—and more than a little heartache.”

Velma’s Short intro  song.

Velma singing

French song

Disclaimer:

Cornbread & Buttermilk is all about sharing stories, traditions, and the wisdom of the Southern kitchen, but we are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before adding new foods, supplements, or home remedies to your routine—especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Listen to your body, trust your doctor, and enjoy the journey of good food and well-being!

Thank you for listening; please share our Podcast with friends and family members who would find our stories interesting. It would certainly help us, it would be a blessing, it certainly would.

© [2025] Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. The original music of Velma Sugarcane Jones and Obe Monroe is the exclusive property of Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. All rights reserved.

Let us know if you enjoyed the program. What’s on your mind? We would love to hear from you. Contact us at: [email protected]

Title: Ragged and Dirty

Performed by: William Brown

Recorded by: Alan Lomax

From the album: Negro Blues and Hollers

Courtesy of: American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

You can reach History By Mail for more information at, www.historybymail.com

...

Send us a text

“Well hey there, friends — welcome back to Cornbread & Buttermilk, where every story’s seasoned with a little love and a whole lotta flavor. Today, we’re steppin’ out under the open sky, right into the heart of Canton, Georgia, where the Farmers Market is about to swing open its gates and set the town abuzz. There’s somethin’ mighty special about food that comes straight from the earth to your table — fresher, cleaner, and full of life, just the way the Good Lord intended. So pull up a chair, pour yourself a glass of sweet tea, and let’s talk about how farm-to-table living is not just fillin’ our plates, but mendin’ our hearts and buildin’ our communities, one fresh-picked peach at a time.”

Velma’s Short intro  song.

Velma singing

French song

Disclaimer:

Cornbread & Buttermilk is all about sharing stories, traditions, and the wisdom of the Southern kitchen, but we are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before adding new foods, supplements, or home remedies to your routine—especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Listen to your body, trust your doctor, and enjoy the journey of good food and well-being!

Thank you for listening; please share our Podcast with friends and family members who would find our stories interesting. It would certainly help us, it would be a blessing, it certainly would.

© [2025] Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. The original music of Velma Sugarcane Jones and Obe Monroe is the exclusive property of Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. All rights reserved.

Let us know if you enjoyed the program. What’s on your mind? We would love to hear from you. Contact us at: [email protected]

Title: Ragged and Dirty

Performed by: William Brown

Recorded by: Alan Lomax

From the album: Negro Blues and Hollers

Courtesy of: American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

You can reach History By Mail for more information at, www.historybymail.com

...

Send us a text

They say just ’fore sunrise on Easter Sunday, when the dew clings like lace to the dogwood blossoms, and the whip-poor-wills hush their call, a long-eared shadow slips through Bean Creek Holler. No sound but the soft thump of paws on pine straw, no witness but the mockingbirds and the moon.

Out behind Auntie Lou’s house—past the henhouse, past the clothesline that always smells of lye soap and lavender—you’ll find a basket sittin’ like it sprouted from the earth itself. Woven of cane and honeysuckle vine, it’s filled with eggs—painted in swirls of butternut, pokeberry, and mustard seed yellow.

Folks whisper it’s the Holler Hare, a creature older than Easter sermons, born of spring magic and long-ago moonlight. Auntie Lou just chuckles when the children ask. She tells ‘em, “Baby, that bunny don’t need no chimney. He slips in through cracks of kindness and leaves behind a little joy where sorrow once sat.”

Mr. Rhymes says he seen it once—just a flicker behind the sassafras tree—and wrote this:

“In the dark of the night ‘fore the rooster can crow,

A rabbit runs quiet where the wildflowers grow.

He don’t speak a word and he won’t leave a track,

But he’ll drop you a blessing in a little brown sack.”

So today on Cornbread & Buttermilk, we’re settin’ the table with sweet Easter stories, old-time traditions, and maybe even a spring recipe or two. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a glass of mint tea, and let’s follow them rabbit tracks wherever they lead.

Velma’s Short intro  song.

Velma singing

French song

Disclaimer:

Cornbread & Buttermilk is all about sharing stories, traditions, and the wisdom of the Southern kitchen, but we are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before adding new foods, supplements, or home remedies to your routine—especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Listen to your body, trust your doctor, and enjoy the journey of good food and well-being!

Thank you for listening; please share our Podcast with friends and family members who would find our stories interesting. It would certainly help us, it would be a blessing, it certainly would.

© [2025] Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. The original music of Velma Sugarcane Jones and Obe Monroe is the exclusive property of Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. All rights reserved.

Let us know if you enjoyed the program. What’s on your mind? We would love to hear from you. Contact us at: [email protected]

Title: Ragged and Dirty

Performed by: William Brown

Recorded by: Alan Lomax

From the album: Negro Blues and Hollers

Courtesy of: American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

You can reach History By Mail for more information at, www.historybymail.com

...

Send us a text

Spring has come to Georgia like a hymn on the breeze—dogwoods in bloom, festivals in full swing, and treasures hidden in the holler. In this episode of Cornbread & Buttermilk, we wander through fairs, feasts, and a secret or two buried just beneath your feet.

Velma’s Short intro  song.

Velma singing

French song

Disclaimer:

Cornbread & Buttermilk is all about sharing stories, traditions, and the wisdom of the Southern kitchen, but we are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before adding new foods, supplements, or home remedies to your routine—especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Listen to your body, trust your doctor, and enjoy the journey of good food and well-being!

Thank you for listening; please share our Podcast with friends and family members who would find our stories interesting. It would certainly help us, it would be a blessing, it certainly would.

© [2025] Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. The original music of Velma Sugarcane Jones and Obe Monroe is the exclusive property of Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. All rights reserved.

Let us know if you enjoyed the program. What’s on your mind? We would love to hear from you. Contact us at: [email protected]

Title: Ragged and Dirty

Performed by: William Brown

Recorded by: Alan Lomax

From the album: Negro Blues and Hollers

Courtesy of: American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

You can reach History By Mail for more information at, www.historybymail.com

...

Send us a text

 Down at the bend where the road splits—one way toward comfort, the other toward change—there’s a little table set for supper. The lace is old, the candles flicker low, and the scent of something creamy and sinful hangs in the air like a whispered memory. That’s where we find ourselves today, sittin’ knee to knee with temptation in the form of a heaping bowl of Fettuccine Alfredo.

But this ain’t the Alfredo of your mama’s Sunday dinner or the kind that made you loosen your belt and swear off good sense. No sir, this here is a redemption dish—where the noodles are clever, the sauce is light, and the burden of guilt has been cast out like a demon at a revival.

We’re talking about wrestlin’ down the wild horses of carbohydrates and lectins, not with scorn, but with grace and a bit of kitchen wisdom. Because down here in the South, we know how to make even a compromise taste like it came from heaven’s own pot.

So pull up a chair, say grace, and pass the healthy Alfredo—because Cornbread and Buttermilk are fixin’ to teach us how to eat clean without losing our soul.

Velma’s Short intro  song.

Velma singing

French song

Disclaimer:

Cornbread & Buttermilk is all about sharing stories, traditions, and the wisdom of the Southern kitchen, but we are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before adding new foods, supplements, or home remedies to your routine—especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Listen to your body, trust your doctor, and enjoy the journey of good food and well-being!

Thank you for listening; please share our Podcast with friends and family members who would find our stories interesting. It would certainly help us, it would be a blessing, it certainly would.

© [2025] Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. The original music of Velma Sugarcane Jones and Obe Monroe is the exclusive property of Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. All rights reserved.

Let us know if you enjoyed the program. What’s on your mind? We would love to hear from you. Contact us at: [email protected]

Title: Ragged and Dirty

Performed by: William Brown

Recorded by: Alan Lomax

From the album: Negro Blues and Hollers

Courtesy of: American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

You can reach History By Mail for more information at, www.historybymail.com

...

Send us a text

Deep in the Southern woods, where the land itself keeps its secrets, the Black walnut tree stands like an old sentinel, its roots tangled in the past, its fruit bitter and rich as memory. Folks used to crack those stubborn shells by the fire, their hands stained dark as if marked by the knowledge of something ancient, something almost forgotten. But what if that old-time staple, once a necessity, now an afterthought, could find its way back to the table—not just as a relic, but as a key to a long and healthy life?

Tonight, we gather around the fire once more, stirring up a new kind of alchemy: Black Walnut Pesto, a Southern Blue Zone twist on an heirloom ingredient. And as we speak of roots, we must also bid farewell to a mighty one. James Lawson, arborist, keeper of forgotten apples, and quiet guardian of history, has left this world at the age of 99. His hands grafted life onto dying branches, his work a testament to the stubborn endurance of the past. Now, he himself becomes a memory—one we will not let wither.

Settle in, let the night press close, and listen. The past still has something to say.

Velma’s Short intro  song.

Velma singing

French song

Disclaimer:

Cornbread & Buttermilk is all about sharing stories, traditions, and the wisdom of the Southern kitchen, but we are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before adding new foods, supplements, or home remedies to your routine—especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Listen to your body, trust your doctor, and enjoy the journey of good food and well-being!

Thank you for listening; please share our Podcast with friends and family members who would find our stories interesting. It would certainly help us, it would be a blessing, it certainly would.

© [2025] Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. The original music of Velma Sugarcane Jones and Obe Monroe is the exclusive property of Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. All rights reserved.

Let us know if you enjoyed the program. What’s on your mind? We would love to hear from you. Contact us at: [email protected]

Title: Ragged and Dirty

Performed by: William Brown

Recorded by: Alan Lomax

From the album: Negro Blues and Hollers

Courtesy of: American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

You can reach History By Mail for more information at, www.historybymail.com

...

Send us a text

The old folks knew things science is just now catchin’ up to. Remedies whispered from porch swings and pinewood kitchens, passed down in the language of cast-iron and calloused hands. And in the heart of every cure—something golden, something ancient.

Turmeric, they called it. A root dug from the earth, sharp on the tongue, warm like a memory. Granny swore by it for achin’ joints and tired bones, stirring it into stews and steeping it in teas. Not just for flavor, no—this was medicine, the kind that don’t come in bottles but from the wisdom of soil and seed.

Tonight, we’re unravelin’ the mystery of this golden spice, diggin’ deep into its past, and seein’ how it can fit right into a Southern table where tradition and health shake hands over a simmerin’ pot. So pull up a chair, settle in close—this is Cornbread & Buttermilk, and tonight, we’re stirrin’ up somethin’ old made new again.

Disclaimer:

Cornbread & Buttermilk is all about sharing stories, traditions, and the wisdom of the Southern kitchen, but we are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before adding new foods, supplements, or home remedies to your routine—especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Listen to your body, trust your doctor, and enjoy the journey of good food and well-being!

Velma’s Short intro  song.

Velma singing

French song

Disclaimer:

Cornbread & Buttermilk is all about sharing stories, traditions, and the wisdom of the Southern kitchen, but we are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before adding new foods, supplements, or home remedies to your routine—especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Listen to your body, trust your doctor, and enjoy the journey of good food and well-being!

Thank you for listening; please share our Podcast with friends and family members who would find our stories interesting. It would certainly help us, it would be a blessing, it certainly would.

© [2025] Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. The original music of Velma Sugarcane Jones and Obe Monroe is the exclusive property of Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. All rights reserved.

Let us know if you enjoyed the program. What’s on your mind? We would love to hear from you. Contact us at: [email protected]

Title: Ragged and Dirty

Performed by: William Brown

Recorded by: Alan Lomax

From the album: Negro Blues and Hollers

Courtesy of: American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

You can reach History By Mail for more information at, www.historybymail.com

...

Send us a text

The past lingers in the South like the scent of something slow-simmering on the stove—rich, deep, impossible to ignore. History doesn’t just live in books here; it rides the wind through the Spanish moss, it hums in the cicadas’ song, it turns up unexpected, folded into an old recipe or tucked inside a letter from long ago.

Buttermilk’s been savoring the latest mailing from History By Mail, a collection of stories and artifacts that bring the past right to your fingertips. This time, it’s about Lady Bird Johnson—the woman who planted beauty along America’s highways and stood steady as a live oak beside LBJ. A first lady who understood that what we nurture, we become—whether it’s wildflowers along the roadside or the food on our plates.

That notion runs deep in our Blue Zone journey—preserving the best of our traditions, dusting off the heirloom recipes, and stirring in just enough wisdom to carry us forward. Today, we’re serving up another dish steeped in Southern history, brimming with the kind of goodness that’s fed generations and might just help you live a little longer.

So pull up a chair, get comfortable—because here at Cornbread & Buttermilk, we’re dishing out more than food. We’re serving up stories, one spoonful of tradition at a time.

Velma’s Short intro  song.

Velma singing

French song

Disclaimer:

Cornbread & Buttermilk is all about sharing stories, traditions, and the wisdom of the Southern kitchen, but we are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before adding new foods, supplements, or home remedies to your routine—especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Listen to your body, trust your doctor, and enjoy the journey of good food and well-being!

Thank you for listening; please share our Podcast with friends and family members who would find our stories interesting. It would certainly help us, it would be a blessing, it certainly would.

© [2025] Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. The original music of Velma Sugarcane Jones and Obe Monroe is the exclusive property of Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. All rights reserved.

Let us know if you enjoyed the program. What’s on your mind? We would love to hear from you. Contact us at: [email protected]

Title: Ragged and Dirty

Performed by: William Brown

Recorded by: Alan Lomax

From the album: Negro Blues and Hollers

Courtesy of: American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

You can reach History By Mail for more information at, www.historybymail.com

...

Send us a text

Since we are focusing on Blue Zone-inspired meals with a Southern twist, how about a Sweet Potato and Black-Eyed Pea Bowl? It’s hearty, plant-based, and pulls from Southern staples with a Blue Zone flair.

The black-eyed peas whole would be just right! The whole peas add a nice, toothsome texture that balances the softness of the roasted potatoes.  After simmering them with garlic, onions, and a splash of apple cider vinegar, you can spoon them over the brown rice, top them with a dollop of collard greens, and tumble a 1/4 cup of the roasted sweet potato cubes over this mound of savory deliciousness.

As the flavors meld, you could even drizzle a bit of the seasoned broth from the peas over the bowl for an extra layer of flavor.  We like to add a dollop of StonyField Organic Whole Milk Yogurt, then top it with a sprinkling of chopped pecans.

 Here’s a quick rundown:

   •   Base: Roasted sweet potatoes, seasoned with smoked paprika and a bit of olive oil.

   •   Protein: Black-eyed peas simmered with garlic, onions, and a splash of apple cider vinegar for that Southern tang.

   •   Greens: A mix of collard greens and spinach, wilted with a touch of garlic and red pepper flakes.

   •   Toppings: Chopped pecans, a dollop of  Stonyfield Organic Whole Milk  yogurt, and maybe a drizzle of hot honey if you’re feeling fancy.

   •   Serve: Over brown rice or farro for that whole-grain goodness.

Velma’s Short intro  song.

Velma singing

French song

Disclaimer:

Cornbread & Buttermilk is all about sharing stories, traditions, and the wisdom of the Southern kitchen, but we are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before adding new foods, supplements, or home remedies to your routine—especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Listen to your body, trust your doctor, and enjoy the journey of good food and well-being!

Thank you for listening; please share our Podcast with friends and family members who would find our stories interesting. It would certainly help us, it would be a blessing, it certainly would.

© [2025] Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. The original music of Velma Sugarcane Jones and Obe Monroe is the exclusive property of Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast. All rights reserved.

Let us know if you enjoyed the program. What’s on your mind? We would love to hear from you. Contact us at: [email protected]

Title: Ragged and Dirty

Performed by: William Brown

Recorded by: Alan Lomax

From the album: Negro Blues and Hollers

Courtesy of: American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

You can reach History By Mail for more information at, www.historybymail.com

...