Watts Consulting

More than you ever wanted to know about Alabama native Joe Watts

Photos

Our Trip to Alaska

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Have been wanting to scan a few of our photos in from this trip. I added an entry about our Honeymoon trip to Alaska a few months ago, but never got around to scanning in photos. I just scanned in these two this afternoon–boy was I thin! That has got to be the best hat I have ever had–and if you’ve read much of my blog, you know I have a certain interest in hats. The Outdoor Research Seattle Sombrero was awesome. It kept me dry in Alaska. It kept me dry on my trip to Minnesota several years ago. I still reach for it when I think I may get wet.

Ann, of course, looks the same–a little better, actually!

A Slow Week for Blogging, a fast week for everything else

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Update: just posted some of my favorite photos from the trip to my flickr account.

Haven’t really been doing a lot of posting this week. Have been doing a lot of work. Trying to wrap up an annual report for the Alabama Association of RC&D’s, picked up a nice new client this week, took a trip to the Black Belt to work on an Antique Trail along Highway 14–a three-day festival in the fall that I’ll be developing a website for. To many irons in the fire….

Here’s the Greene County Courthouse in downtown, Eutaw, Alabama. I do find the Veterans monuments in each county interesting–I consider the one in my home county of Marengo to be one of the better ones I’ve seen so far in my travels–but I may be a bit prejudiced. The courthouse is in disrepair and surely needs some love. More photos to come.

Christmas 2008 at the Watts Home in Octagon

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For the third time since I can remember, not all my sisters managed to make it to our annual Christmas Eve celebration in Octagon, but we still had a wonderful time–particularly Morgan, my niece Stacy’s child and my great niece. (She is adorable.) I’m uploading some of the photos we took this year–they should be out shortly, but I’ll go ahead and post a link. www.joewatts.com/christmas08

Christmas 2004

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Sorting through some old photos. Came across this one of all of us in 2004. Left to Right: Mama, me (Joe), Madeline, Julia, Margaret, Suzanne (back), Cynthia.

A Departure, but great for Traveling to the Gulf

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gull-1.jpgWell, I don’t normally do this sort of thing, but I’ve been reviewing applications for National Scenic Byway Designation over the past week + and just really wanted to share the itinerary that my friend Colette Boehm at the Gulf Coast Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has put together to highlight the great experiences someone can have on a trip to Alabama’s Coastal Connection.

There are many ways to enjoy Alabama’s Coastal Connection, but none offers more scenic views than our Connecting with Nature itinerary. Take two days and experience the beauty and variety of the natural assets of Alabama’s Gulf Coast and the interpretive facilities that help visitors understand their connection. Spring and fall are the best times of year to enjoy this itinerary, and completion times will vary depending upon the degree of interest in hiking and/or biking along the variety of trails.

Start: Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary

After beginning your drive along the rural farmlands of Mobile County and by the scenic docks of Bayou La Batre, continue across the Dauphin Island bridge onto the island. Arriving at the Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary, you’ll find parking and picnic areas and interpretive signage describing the habitats and birds to be found here, and along the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, on which the sanctuary is a stop. Explore the 1000-foot handicap accessible boardwalk from the parking lot to “Gaillard Lake” or the raised walkway through the Tupelo swamp. The sanctuary encompasses more than a mile of trails through a variety of intact habitats including preserved maritime forest.

[Read more…] about A Departure, but great for Traveling to the Gulf

Roasted Garlic Soup

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Sunday night was chilly here in Birmingham. Decided to warm things up with something simple–that, and the cabinets didn’t really hold loads of food as I have been avoiding the grocery store. Settled on a variation of garlic soup.

Roasted Garlic Soup

1 head garlic
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
several sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup white wine, optional
3 VERY small potatoes, diced (no bigger around than a 1/2 dollar–hopefully smaller)
1 can vegetable or chicken broth
freshly ground pepper
1 cup milk (I used 2%, but half and half would give it an extremely rich flavor)
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Rub the head of garlic until the outer layers of skin come off (leave the part that is directly on the individual cloves). Place in a small container, drizzle with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until very tender. Remove and let cool.

Heat a skillet (I like my stainless chef’s pan for this) over medium heat until hot. Add remaining olive oil and onions. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook another 2 minutes. *You may need to turn the heat to low for part of the cooking time. The idea is to caramelize the onions and brown them only slightly.

Squeeze roasted garlic cloves gently. The clove should pop out of of the skin with ease.

Add white wine, if using. Add potatoes, roasted garlic and broth. Season with pepper. Cook over low heat for about 10-12 minutes, or until potatoes are very tender.

Transfer to a bowl and blend in batches until smooth. Return to pan, add milk and heat thoroughly. Spoon into bowls and top with cheese. Makes two servings. Use a little more milk and another couple of potatoes and this would easily stretch to feed three.