An English flask, Southern style

This past Friday my brother returned from a month-long study abroad trip to London. Having also gone last year and not bringing me back any sort of souvenir, I made it quite clear to him that I expected him to bring me back something this year since he was fortunate enough to go to London (twice!) while I was not able to go back when I was in school. I did, however, give him little guidance into what I wanted him to bring me, except to tell him that I expected something that I could not purchase here in the US.

So, upon he return this weekend, he produced this flask as my souvenir. At first I wasn't sure what to think, but after reflecting on it a while, I am pretty glad about it.

Now, in spite of how much I love the South, I have never been much a of a "Confederate flag guy." However, I do think that this flask manages to just cross to the better side of that thin line between tacky and charming. It is pewter and was made in Sheffield, England, so it does have a good Anglo heritage. While it isn't another Barbour jacket, it's certainly not something that I would ever buy for myself, but I like it, and am glad that this is my souvenir. Thanks, brother.

New watch: Seiko Sportsman

My brother bought me three NATO watch straps from Gnomon Watches for Christmas, and feeling like none of the watches in my "collection" (I use that term loosely) were up to par with how awesome the straps are, I picked up this watch last week from a local antique shop.

It's a silver Seiko Sportsman manual wind watch with the seahorse back case. From what I've been able to gather from the internet, it is most likely from the 1960s. It is in very good condition externally, and seems to be running well, though it does lose 4-5 minutes over 24 hours, but I can live with that for now. It's also a good size and looks cracking on a NATO strap (as can be seen in the picture). I like the resemblance that it bears to some of the older Omega Seamasters, like the one below (not mine).

I apologize for the picture quality as I am currently without my normal camera since my brother took it with him to London for the month of January, so I did the best I could with his camera (not that my normal photos are anything to write home about). If you actually have any more info on this watch, I would really love to know more.

Southern Staple: Cheese Straws

Cheese straws are, quite simply, a classic Southern snack. Equally at home with a glass of sweet tea on the porch as they are being served at a cocktail party, cheese straws are an unpretentious but delicious choice. And while cheese straws are fairly simple in concept, the ingredient list is basically just cheese, flour, butter, salt and cayenne pepper, it is in the execution that things become tricky.

A proper cheese straw is light and dense and should have a good snap to it. It should not be too gummy or crumbly, nor should it be crispy like a potato chip. The two keys here are proper density of the dough, the proper texture/shape.

My mom (who is a frequent reader of A Trip Down South and will probably be excited that she is getting a shout-out) makes, in my opinion, the best cheese straws in the country (pictured above). They are just the right texture, which is due in large part to the use of a hand-crank cookie press. She has an electric cookie press that she tried once, but they just didn't turn out right. Whenever she makes them, it's usually only a matter of days, if not hours, before they are gone.

Unfortunately, getting your hands on some really good cheese straws can be somewhat difficult. While they do sell them at stores like Publix, they are usually quite expensive ($6 or $7 for a pretty small bag), and even those aren't as good as homemade ones. If you've got a suggestion for readers as to what some of the better store brands are, I'm sure others would appreciate it.

4th Annual Day After Thanksgiving Sporting Clay Shoot

This is a little late, but if you've been reading here for a while, you may remember last year's post on our family's 3rd Annual Day After Thanksgiving Sporting Clay Shoot. Well, this year, we added a few more family members and went back to Brush Creek Sporting Club for the 4th Annual Shoot. Here's a picture of our whole crew:

Here is last year's picture of my brother and I

and the one from this year. If Barbour is looking to endorse us, we're open to discussions.

Oh, and I won for the fourth year in a row. Hopefully I'll be able to hang on again next year as the competition is getting stiff.