Historic Nashville

Baking Under 30 Minutes Top Is Here!

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Ooey Gooey, half-baked brownies are a delicious treat that can be baked in less than 30 minutes!

If you are looking for a chocolaty, fudgy-tasting treat, these brownies are the perfect snack for you!

Start off by pre-heating your oven to 350 degrees and greasing the bottom of your 13×9 pan with coconut oil. If you do not have coconut oil, butter or margarine will do just fine. Coconut oil is a healthy alternative to butter or margarine.

Next, pour your brownie mix into a large bowl and add 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and 1/4 cup of water.

Next, either with a baker’s mixer or a wooden spoon, stir the batter until all of the powder is gone and the clumps are completely disintegrated.

Pour the batter into the greased pan and spread the batter around with a rubber spatula.

Next, place the pan into the oven and start your timer for 25 minutes.

You should check your brownies regularly to make sure they aren’t burning, etc. and even check the consistency of the brownies about halfway through your cooking time.

Once you have the brownies at the consistency you would like, pull them out of the oven and let them cool.

Wait 20 minutes until they cool and wallah! Delicious treats baked in less that 30 minutes!

Baking Tips for A Fast Clean Up Afterward

admin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

When you’re trying to save time while baking, an important thing to consider is how much time it will take to clean up the mess made. For a fast-clean up after baking, think of simplifying your process during preparation, mixing, and baking.
First, limit the number of measuring cups you use to measure ingredients. Ideally you should have two larger 4-6 cup measuring cups. Use one for all dry ingredients and use the other for all wet ingredients. These larger cups can also measure out a range of sizes, like quarter or half cups, and often times include measurements in metrics.
Second, keep a clean rag or wet paper towels handy to wipe up any messes as you go along. If you have a stand mixer and are waiting for ingredients to be mixed together, wipe up spilled ingredients. Use any time you are not adding or mixing an ingredient to clean-up as much as possible.
Finally, fill your kitchen sink with warm soapy water. As you finish using supplies, like measuring spoons and bowls, put them in the sink to soak. While you are waiting for your food to bake, finish washing the dishes that were already soaking. By soaking the dishes before-hand you will soften any stuck on food and make it much easier to wipe everything clean.

Family Baking: Quick Simple Treats for Cheap

admin — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Having family time is a hard thing to come by these days. Between the kids’ sports practice, school, and work it just seems like family time is non existent. You long to spend time together, but your schedules simply do not allow for it. Sound like your family? Though it may be hard to work out, family time is a very important part in anyone’s lives. However, getting everyone to agree on the activities that will be done during this time can prove to be a challenge. Solution? Family baking! Who doesn’t love moist, warm chocolate chip cookies or those yummy fudge filled brownies?

It may sound difficult but family baking is a very easy and fun way to spend time with everyone. While some recipes are more of an individual activity, there are recipes that everyone can have fun with. You can cut your favorite cookies into different shapes and decorate them with icing and sprinkles. Another popular baking adventure for families has always been rice krispies treats. These gooey marshmallow treats can be topped with anything from chocolate candies to sprinkles, use your imagination! Baking together can be a very fun, not to mention rewarding family activity for parents and children of all ages.

Downtown Franklin has Historic Charm

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Nashville is a city rich in history but also on the cutting edge of modern music. Just 15 minutes an ten miles outside of downtown, however, lies the sleepy hamlet of Franklin. Franklin, established back at the end of the 18th century, is a community of just under 100,000 people and home to some of Nashville’s biggest celebrities. It’s a far safer oasis for some than the bustling city of Nashville and crime in Franklin is low and very few families report the need for a adt home security systems, unlike in Music City. In addition to numerous boutiques and antique shops that line the picturesque downtown corridor, several world class restaurants exist as well. Diners can grab a cone at one of the nearly 8 ice cream and frozen yogurt stores in downtown Franklin, as well, so it’s a great place for kids and families alike to spend a Friday night. Town square isn’t far and just past that visitors will find rows and rows of adorable bungalow and Victorian homes. What Franklin lacks in size it certainly makes up for in charm, making it one of the most historic destinations just outside of Nashville, Tennessee!

Hear Hank One More Time in Nashville

www.historicnashville.org — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:36:44 +0000

Hear Hank One More Time in NashvilleWhat is historic Nashville tradition without a little Hank Williams “Family Tradition”? The first performer to ever receive six encore ovations at the Grand Ole Opry, Hank made Nashville his home away from home, actually relocating to the Country Music Capital of the World later in life. Join in on the celebration of one of the all time great artists to grace the storied Nashville music scene, as SunTrust Bank and the Ford Motor Company present “Family Tradition: The Hank Williams Legacy,” an entertaining and informative exhibit based on the adventurous singer’s time in the spotlight, housed at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Family Tradition will open from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, until it closes at the end of next year (with the exception of Tuesdays in January and February, and Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day). Tickets cost 19.99 for adults, 17.99 for individuals over the age of 60 and 11.99 for kids age 6 to 17. Children under age 5 are not charged for admission.Hank Williams recorded 11 number one hit songs over the course of his career, ended prematurely by a life long battle with substance abuse, not to mention several other songs that reached top 10 positonin the charts. The exhibit features each of his top billed hits prominently, including “Why Don’t You Love Me?,” “Cold, Cold Heart,” “Jambalaya,” “Lovesick Blues,” “Kaw-liga,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart, “Take These Chains from my Heart, “Hey Good Lookin,” “Long Lonesome Blues,” “Moanin the Blues” and of course Hank’s final song “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive.” If you’ve never been to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, there’s never been a better time than now to reacquaint yourself with the musical musings of Hank Williams and the rest of the country music greats immortalized within its hallowed halls.

Inside the Grand Ole Opry

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:15:30 +0000

No stage is more highly esteemed in the inner circles of country music than that of the Grand Ole Opry. With humble beginnings as a talent showcase for local, rural musicians, the Grand Ole Opry radio program has ballooned into a nationwide powerhouse in the country music industry. A right of passage for the genre’s top artists, playing the Grand Ole Opry is a major milestone for any musician’s career, with membership in the Opry’s Country Music Hall of Fame reigning supreme as country music’s utmost honor. Beginning its broadcast in 1925, for the better half of a century the Opry has made a distinct point to celebrate contemporary country crooners while still recognizing and promoting the history and heritage of country, bluegrass, folk and gospel alike.Once the Grand Ole Opry’s live show number increased with popularity, the program found its first permanent home in Ryman Auditorium in 1943. From this location, the Opry truly grew to national prominence. The Ryman would feature some of the biggest names in country music to grace its stage, though in this era, the Grand Ole Opry viewed itself as a strictly traditional country forum, with little room alternative or countercultural sounds. Elvis Presley only made one appearance, in 1954, his gyrating hips and soul-infused chords proving too much for the Opry audiences of the time. Over time the Opry would adapt to cater to a larger fan base, and ultimately become not only accepting but encouraging of unique vocal styles.The Grand Ole Opry house was built in 1974, since housing the Grand Ole Opry ina 4,400 seat venue, just 9 miles east of downtown Nashville. The new stage took with it part of its history, featuring a large cut of wood from the original Ryman stage. Today, performances continue several times a week, with hundreds of thousands of country music fans a year making the pilgrim to Nashville, just to take in the stage that put country music on the map.

Nash Trash Tours

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:41:38 +0000

Hot pink school buses, small coolers filled with adult beverages, and tour guides who specialize in improv comedy? If you’re looking to spice up your tour of Nashville, I think you’ve found the right place.The Nash Trash tours are lead by Sheri Lynn and Brenda Kay, two sisters, who have musical theater backgrounds and years of experience in improv comedy. They lead a slightly historic but mostly comedic tour through downtown Nashville and a bit of the Music Row, focusing on scandalous stories about country music legends. The sisters take a load of 32 passengers on a 90 minute tour in their hot pink school bus, and alcohol is permittedmore like encouraged.The tours have gotten raving reviews from adults of all ages (the content isn’t appropriate for children) and was rated Nashville’s 1 attraction by Trip Advisor, who states, “You’ll laugh your face off!” The sisters take the time to get to know their passengers (you’ll most likely be pulled into their comedic banter) and at the same time acquaint you with all that Nashville has to offer.Because the company is so small, tours are usually booked months in advance. If you’re interested, you can make a reservation by following the instructions on their website, http://www.nashtrash.com/.

Visit the Home of President Andrew Jackson

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:36:52 +0000

President Andrew Jackson is among the most influential people in American history. Well known as a protector of democracy, he was also a kind man known to allow visitors into his home. In over 200 years this has not changed. Andrew Jackson’s home, dubbed The Hermitage, now stands as a museum celebrating the history of our nation and our seventh President.The museum preserves many relics from Andrew Jackson’s life and early America. You can visit the log kitchen from Jackson’s first home, which still stands to this day. The Hermitage mansion itself has been restored to appear as it did after Jackson’s second term in office. There is even original wallpaper still hanging on the walls and Jackson’s personal possessions still adorn the rooms.After experiencing The Hermitage from the inside, take a stroll through the gorgeous gardens first grown by English gardener William Frost in 1819. Though somewhat re-designed, the breathtaking views of vibrant flowers and elegant arrangements of plants tell a lifetime of stories about the Jackson family. In the corner of the garden, you will find the tomb that holds President Jackson’s wife Rachel who died in 1829 and Andrew Jackson himself who died in 1845.On Sundays, the Jackson home puts on a series of fun summer activities during Sundays Live!. Programs include a living history exhibit complete with costumes and educational discussions of historic events. If visiting on a Sunday, you should take advantage of the free event (free with the purchase of regular admission) taking place in the backyard of the mansion from 1:30-4:30pm every Sunday.

Historic Vanderbilt University

admin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:01:51 +0000

Vanderbilt University, situated just a mile and a half from the downtown area, has helped shape Nashville’s cityscape for over a century. Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt’s generous 1 million donation in the spring of 1983 paved the way for what is today regarded as one of the South’s most prestigious private academic institutions. In his honor, the school was renamed “Vanderbilt University” and its athletic teams, nicknamed the “Commodores,” still pay homage to his title. Originally founded by bishop Holland McTyeire as “Central University,” in its early years the university maintained strong ties with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. After a series of escalating conflicts with the Methodist church, including the employment of non-Methodist teachers and the lack of representation of Methodist leaders on the school’s Board of Trust, culminated in a formal spit from the church at the General Conference of 1914. Despite no official ties to the Methodist church, Vanderbilt is still shaped and influenced by its history of Methodist tradition.The school itself serves as a welcome oasis from the Nashville’s predominantly urban city center. In 1988, the campus was recognized as a national arboretum by the Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta, with over 300 varying species of both plants and shrubs. The oldest tree on campus, known as the Bicentennial Oak, predates the American Revolution. Main campus boasts architecture dating back to the turn of the century. Kirkland Hall, the university’s oldest structure, now serves as an administrative building. The elegant edifice features a breathtaking tower that reaches upwards toward the blue Tennessee sky, making it campus favorite for photo opportunities and one of the school’s most recognizable landmarks. The campus as a whole is consistently recognized as one of the most picturesque college settings in the nation, providing the city of Nashville with both natural beauty and a jolt of youthful energy.

Relive Tennessee History at the State Museum

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:20:51 +0000

If you’re going to be in the Nashville area and enjoy a bit of history, you should definitely plan a stop at the Tennessee State Museum. The initial version of this museum began in 1817 when an artist of the time began displaying works in the Nashville public square. In 1937, the museum was given an official home in the War Memorial Building and later moved to the James K. Polk Center in 1981. Permanent exhibits at the museum take you all the way back to prehistoric times when mastodons roamed what are now the streets of Nashville. The settlement and defeat of the British are chronicled in the Frontier exhibit, which even has a sword that was surrendered by the British during the Revolutionary War at the Battle of King’s Mountain. Other permanent exhibits take visitors through the antebellum period and the Civil War, all the way to current times in The New South displays.This museum also offers new and changing exhibits throughout the year. This summer the Tennessee History Comes Alive showcase is being presented by the Tennessee General Assembly Arts Caucus and presents a collection of artifacts that are traced to actual Tennessee families. Other traveling exhibits at the museum include Hoof beats in the Heartland: Civil War Cavalry in Tennessee, and Bagels and Barbeque: The Jewish Experience in Tennessee. If war history is of interest to you, there is a Military Branch Museum located in a separate building with exhibits from the Spanish-American War to World War II.When you’ve had your fill of history for the day, stop by the Museum store and look through crafts, jewelery, books, and other souvenirs from your day walking through history. Times and exhibit dates can be found on the museum’s website. Most admission is free except for a few of the temporary exhibits.