WNCTIMES Blog

Green Bean Casserole -- Campbell's Soup  It's the dish everyone's expecting on the holidays, but it's so easy to make, you can serve it any day. Beyond the creamy, silky-smooth sauce and unmatchable flavor, its simplicity is what makes Campbell's Green Bean Casserole so appealing. Just six ingredients and 10 minutes to put together, this family-pleasing side has been a favorite for over 60 years. Not only that, it's easy to make ahead! See Recipe Tips to learn how.  prep time  &nb...

WNC Nature Center Asheville -- Each species found at the WNC Nature Center has its own unique story. Most of the individual animals at the Nature Center have been imprinted, meaning they have no fear of humans and never learned the skills they would need to survive in the wild, or permanently injured. Others have never known a life in the wild.  Capra aegagrus hircus Angora goats have attractive ringlets of soft, fine hair. They have been bred primarily for their fleece, called mohair, whic...

Quarantine Recipes! Tasty, cheap, easy and quick! All of my favorite things! Cheesy Tuna Pasta Recipe PREP: 10 MINSCOOK: 15 MINS Nutrition: per servingcal696fat27gsaturates11gcarbs79gsugars5gfibre4gprotein40gsalt1.5g Ingredients 400g penne200g can yellowfin tuna in olive oil190g jar basil pesto 100g, cheddar grated250g punnet cherry tomato, halvedMethodBoil the pasta. Meanwhile, tip the tuna and its oil into a large bowl with the pesto. Mash together with a wooden spoon. Stir in a thir...

 #SmokiesMemories  Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Welcome to National Park Week's edition of #MammalCrushMonday! Today we are featuring one of the most iconic symbols of the Smokies, the black bear. Candace West snapped quite the shot of one of these beautiful animals from the safety of her van while stuck in park traffic. She later learned these wildlife related backups are called bear jams and "could not believe what a circus this poor gal had to endure... just to eat some bla...

 What local parks and trails are open? Buncombe County's Stay Home-Stay Safe provides for outdoor activity as long as physical distancing requirements are met. This includes space of at least six feet between individuals who do not live in the same household and no more than 10 individuals in a single space at the same time.  The order also mandates closing playground areas to decrease the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. To see if a park, trail, court, or recreation are...

Quarantine Cooking, not so exciting after awhile? Well, take a look below and see what we found on allrecipes.com Simple Beef Stroganoff  Ingredients  1 (8 ounce) package egg noodles1 pound ground beefAmerican Foods Group 80% Lean 20% Fat Ground Beef 16 Oz  (10.75 ounce) can fat free condensed cream of mushroom soup Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup 1 tablespoon garlic powder1/2 cup sour creamsalt and pepper to tasteAdd all ingredients to list DirectionsPrep 20 mCook 10 mReady ...

* It's illegal to borrow your neighbor's dog.  § 14-82. Taking horses, mules, or dogs for temporary purposes. If any person shall unlawfully take and carry away any horse, gelding, mare, mule, or dog, the property of another person, secretly and against the will of the owner of such property, with intent to deprive the owner of the special or temporary use of the same, or with the intent to use such property for a special or temporary purpose, the person so offending shall be guilty of a cl...

Junior

WNC Natrue Center Asheville -- Each species found at the WNC Nature Center has its own unique story. Most of the individual animals at the Nature Center have been imprinted, meaning they have no fear of humans and never learned the skills they would need to survive in the wild, or permanently injured. Others have never known a life in the wild. Eastern Screech Owl Megascops asio Eastern screech owls are one of the smallest owls. Besides their size, they are noted for their large yellow eyes...

​We are all going through this pandemic together. Feelings may feel like a roller coaster ride. The writing below is my personal emotional ride. There's a ShadowAs I hear the birds sing,Sun shining,Wind Blowing,There's a shadow.As I sit here,Thoughts of graditude,Feeling hopeful,There's a shadow.As I go throughout my dayfear follows me,I can sense it,There's a shadow.As evening fallsStars light up the sky,I look up in awe,There's a shadow.Time goes on, Days run together,Hope is at a distance,The...

North Carolina Fun and Interesting Facts from Kids National Geographic! North Carolina got the nickname the Tar Heel State because workers here used to sell tar, pitch, and turpentine from the state's longleaf pine trees to be used in wooden ships. Legend has it that some British soldiers were slowed down when they stepped in sticky North Carolina tar during the Revolutionary War.  North Carolina's diverse regions are home to mammals like black bears, coyotes, and raccoons; reptiles li...

 North Carolina has a rich tradition of folklore, and in honor of Halloween we thought we'd share a few of our favorite folk tales, eerie unexplained natural phenomena and historical mysteries from the Tar Heel State's past. Brown Mountain Lightsby Robert J. Dodge, 2006 Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, site where Brown Mountain Lights can be seen below. Image courtesy of Flickr user Dystopos, taken December 29, 2008.Brown mountain lights are unexplained phenomena that appear low in the a...

Petunia

 Opossum Didelphis virginiana When people hear "opossum," they often picture a giant dirty rat turning over their trash cans or eating the cat food. However, opossums have many unique characteristics and play a very important ecological role. Opossums are about the size of a house cat on average and as our only native marsupial, they are more closely related to kangaroos than they are to rats or mice. They have short legs, a long pointed muzzle, large ears, and a scaly prehensile tail. Thei...

We WatchWe watched as Italy sent their military in to pick up the bodies of the dead. We watched as the number of dead went up in other countries.We watched as people wore masks on the street.We watched as people were ordered to say home.We watched as they showed us empty streets.We watched.We watched as we were told it was a hoax.We watched as we were told it would go away one day, like a miracle.We watched as we were told the numbers were low and needed to stay low.We watched as we were told w...

Fort Fisher Aquarium So much information and so fun to learn! Check it out now and when this  difficult time is over, you can make plans to take a trip in person! Let's lerarn about the sea turtle Womble! How did Womble end up at the aquarium? Why did Womble eat the balloon?What sorts of things could you use instead of plastic bags?What could you use to replace balloons as decorations at parties?How could you convince your parents to use less plastic? What Can You Do? RefuseRefuse sing...

Summary: Analysis of Paleolithic-era teeth from a 28,500-year-old fossil site in the Czech Republic provides supporting evidence for two groups of canids -- one dog-like and the other wolf-like - with differing diets, which is consistent with the early domestication of dogs. Date: February 19, 2020 Source:University of Arkansas Analysis of Paleolithic-era teeth from a 28,500-year-old fossil site in the Czech Republic provides supporting evidence for two groups of canids -- one dog-like and ...

Friday the 13th! Why is it a dreaded day? Where did the fear come from? Well, the History.com provides some information on the dreaded number. 13 has a long history as a sign of bad luck. The ancient Code of Hammurabi, for example, reportedly omitted a 13th law from its list of legal rules. Though this was probably a clerical error, superstitious people sometimes point to this as proof of 13's longstanding negative associations. Fear of the number 13 has even earned a psychological term: tr...

Make Your Own or Print Out

Multiplication Dice Game Objective: To be the player with the highest total score after six rolls of the die. What you need: One die. I won't lie, we love it when each player has their own colored die, which is why we own a gazillion dice and why we own these awesome vintage colors dice.Pen and paper (or go to the link provided below to print one)At least 2 enthusiastic players Gather your materials!See above for the list. Multiplication Dice Game rules Who goes first?Everyone rolls a die. The p...

Scientists monitor brains replaying memories in real time Our brains use distinct firing patterns to store and replay memories Date: March 5, 2020Source:NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and StrokeSummary:In a study of epilepsy patients, researchers monitored the electrical activity of thousands of individual brain cells, called neurons, as patients took memory tests. They found that the firing patterns of the cells that occurred when patients learned a word pair were replayed fra...

ROXBORO, N.C. (AP) — For her 100th birthday, Ruth Bryant crossed a significant item off her bucket list. She went to jail.  The Person County Sheriff's Office helped fulfill Bryant's unusual wish when two deputies showed up at her assisted living facility to serve her a warrant charging her with indecent exposure, news outlets reported.  The two deputies handcuffed Bryant to her walker and placed her in a patrol car, giving her the full experience with lights and sirens flashing and bl...

Cheap, Easy & Tasty Recipes!

Turkey Tetrazzini by MAKINZE GOREMAR 2, 2020 YIELDS:8 SERVINGSPREP TIME:0 HOURS 15 MINSTOTAL TIME:1 HOUR 10 MINSINGREDIENTS Cooking spray1 lb. spaghetti6 tbsp. butter, divided2 cloves garlic, minced1 lb. sliced baby bella mushrooms1/2 c. white wine1/4 c. all-purpose flour2 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth1 c. heavy creamKosher saltFreshly ground black pepper2 lb. leftover roast turkey, chopped (about 5 cups)1 c. shredded white cheddar1 c. frozen peas1 tsp. dried oregano1 c. panko bread crumbs1/2 ...