A Simple Crowd Pleaser

Since it's January, I have been staying home a lot.  The weather is too dreary to gad about.  I have been a prolific cook in the past couple of weeks.  One dish of which I am particularly pleased is my Chicken Marinara sauce.  I can't take full credit for the recipe, because I got the idea from Holly Clegg's Trim and Terrific Meat Sauce recipe.

It all started when I asked my husband what he wanted for supper.  In the past week I had cooked a pot roast, white beans with ham, lemon pie, meat loaf with mashed potatoes, garlic cheese grits and eggs.  He said: "spaghetti with chicken."  So I got out my cookbooks and searched the Internet for a good recipe.  When I couldn't find one I liked, I improvised.  I took Holly's tried and true Meat Sauce recipe and added a few touches of my own.  I substituted chicken for ground beef and made an entirely different tasting main dish.

I posted a picture of this huge pot of Chicken Marinara on my Facebook wall and had requests for the recipe.  It is repeated here in case you want to try it.  I have included all the details to make it a success.  If you are tired of staying inside because of bad weather, you can try this.  I guarantee that your house will smell wonderful while this is simmering.

Dot's Chicken Marinara Sauce (adapted from Holly Clegg's Meat Sauce recipe)

-Saute' 2 cups of chopped onions in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.  (I used Pictsweet frozen seasoning blend) and a generous 1 Tablespoon minced garlic.
-Stir in one 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, one 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (I used Cento), 1 6 oz. can tomato paste ( I used Shurfine) and one cup of chicken broth ( I used Swanson's reduced sodium)
-Add dried Italian seasoning mix to taste.  I used 1/4 cup and added about 1 Tablespoon dried basil as well.  About a cup of red wine is an optional ingredient, but one of my diners doesn't care for food cooked in red wine, so I left this out.
-Meanwhile,  sprinkle pepper and coarse salt on chicken pieces ( used 4 drumsticks, 6 thighs, and 3 breasts all "bone-in" and with skin)
-In a separate pan, brown the chicken pieces in another 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.  (Tip:  don't crowd the skillet....brown a few pieces at a time)
-As the chicken pieces are browned to a golden color, add them to the tomato sauce.
-Stir in about 1/4 cup granulated sugar to cut the acid taste of the sauce.
-Simmer covered for about 2 hours or longer if you want the chicken to fall off the bones.
-Serve over boiled pasta and garnish generously with fresh grated Parmesan Cheese.

Add a salad and some hot bread and you have a meal.

Here's an easy salad recipe idea that I stole from Darcy, my sweet neighbor:

-Combine butter lettuce pieces, sliced fresh (or canned pears) and crumbled Goat Cheese.
-Dress the salad with a vinaigrette.  I used Brianna's Blush Vinaigrette.

Enjoy.  Have a second helping and skip dessert.
This is enough marinara to serve 8 ravenous appetites.

By the Way:  I have been shopping at Zachary's newly remodeled LeBlanc's Food Store.  Thanks to those folks for upgrading the grocery shopping experience.

P.S.  my sous chef didn't help.  She was too busy getting to know Mike the Tiger!

Uncle Robert

My Mom's brother, Uncle Robert, died this week.  He was almost 90 years young and had Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.  They said he died peacefully. His last days were spent at the VA Medical Center  in Prescott, Arizona and his ashes will be spread in the National Cemetery there.  I began thinking of snippets of memories of his life.  I didn't know him very well as he always lived afar.

As a young man, he enlisted in the Army during WWII.  Nothing unusual about that as that was what one did during that time in history.  He saw combat in Europe.  My Mom told the story of one of his foxhole mates being shot as Uncle Robert lay beside him and prayed for his own life.  I am sure there are many people alive today who heard stories about such from their parents.  My Mom said the war changed my uncle and not for the better.

Somehow, during his war service, he became a cook.  He grew up on a dairy farm where there was lots of home cooking, so I suppose that's where he got the idea of cooking.  He became an Army career man and somewhere along the way he learned to bake.  He married a young woman from Armenia whom he met while in Europe.  They moved back to the states and had one son, Jack.  He got a job as a baker in a fancy Miami Beach hotel.  That marriage didn't last, but he married again.  He moved across the continent to Nevada and married Blanca, whom we adored, and who was his wife for over 40 years at the time of his death.

My details are sketchy, but he ended up in Las Vegas with a job as a Pastry Chef at the Stardust Hotel.  His claim to fame was that he baked at least two wedding cakes for Wayne Newton.  He said that Mr. Newton was a good guy, but couldn't keep a wife.  I remember being told this story at a very young age.  I was so impressed about the wedding cakes.  There may have been some pictures, but they have been lost. The Stardust was demolished in 2007, but I can imagine it was a grand place at one time.

Uncle Robert and Blanca did visit Louisiana and his birthplace of Greensburg occasionally. Once I cooked a meal for them when they came to Baton Rouge.   It was thirty years ago, but I remember it very plainly.  I served them Shrimp Creole and corn muffins.  The dessert was Pecan Pie. They thought I was a pretty good cook.  On that visit he shared his famous cheesecake recipe with me.  Of course it was for about 6 cheesecakes and I had to cut it down quite a bit to bake for my family.

In retirement, Uncle Robert and Blanca moved to Prescott, Arizona.  My brother, Mackie, and his wife, Karen, accompanied my Mom to visit them a few years ago.  He was somewhat of a celebrity in Prescott.  He treated his visitors to meals at restaurants and the waitresses knew him by name.  My Mom was so impressed.  She said that he lived the "Big Life" and enjoyed it! The picture shows my Mom, Karen, Uncle Robert and Blanca.

He was very generous and sent us a Christmas card yearly.  When we didn't hear from them this year, we knew something was wrong.  When our daughter was married in 2006 he and Blanca sent a beautiful gift of brightly colored bath towels and table linens.  Odd, how such details are remembered.  I think the cards and the gifts signified a desire to remain in touch and part of the family even though miles separated us.

As a young man, he loved to stay at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans.  This hotel has undergone a renovation to restore it to its former glamorous state and I was sorry that it was under renovation during his last stay there.   Each time that Uncle Robert visited Louisiana he made a Monteleone stop.  It was his Louisiana headquarters.  I think it is wonderful that he was able to revisit and relive some great memories of his youth. I hope he got to sit at the Carousel Bar on that last visit.

The last time he came to Louisiana my Mom declined a visit from him.  In her very structured life, she told him that she had to "have her hair fixed" that day.  I have often thought that was such a loss of opportunity.  I guess she thought they would live forever and there would be other opportunities.  But that was not to be as she preceded him in death by four months.

Here is the Cheesecake Recipe.  (This makes about 6 cakes and the recipe is near to his own words. )

-Beat together:  2 pounds of cream cheese, 4 cups of sugar, and several spoons of vanilla.
-Add 16 eggs, one at a time.
-Stir in 6 cups of sour cream.
-Pour all into pans lined with graham cracker crumbs and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes or until center is set.
-Top each cheesecake with about 1 cup of sour cream that has been combined with a little sugar.

Lemons and Lagniappe

My last post on Lemon Pie made from fresh Louisiana lemons created quite a stir.  (no pun intended!).  I received many comments and some  recipes for further use of this seasonal (for us) fruit.  I believe the variety of lemon is Meyer, but am not sure.  That seems to be a common variety that grows well in our climate.  This post is dedicated to the further use of the quart of lemon juice we still have in our refrigerator.

In September we were served a delicious meal prepared especially for us by our Oregon friends, Judy and Steve Carroll. We are lucky to have their children and grandchild as neighbors.  The entire menu is featured in another post, but the dessert features lemons.  Lemon Pudding Souffle' is a delightful recipe that uses fresh lemon juice and peel.  As the name would suggest it is light a fluffy and very satisfying at the end of a perfect meal.  Judy was kind enough to share the recipe:

Lemon Pudding Souffle' ala Judy

3/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1 8 oz. carton lemon flavored yogurt
1/2 cup milk
salt, pinch

1. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and set aside
2. Combine sugar, flour, pinch of salt, melted butter, lemon zest and lemon juice.
3. In another bowl, beat egg yolks and then add yogurt and milk.
4. Stir in lemon mixture and then fold in egg whites.
5. Pour into a greased 8" by 8" baking dish.

6.  Baked in a water bath (larger pan of water with souffle' dish set inside it)
7.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes.  Best served warm with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Another use for all that lemon juice was sent by my cousin Melanie Mitchum. She offered it as a simpler method to my Lemon Meringue Pie.  I haven't tried it yet, but wanted to share it with you.  In her words:  "That's it!  Super easy and really delicious!"  Melanie adds that when her husband, Mark, prepares it, he doubles the filling recipe to make the pie extra thick.

Melanie's Lemon Pie

1 can condensed milk (10 oz)
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup lemon juice

1. Stir all ingredients together and pour into a graham cracker crust.
2. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F or until pie is "set" and egg yolks have cooked.
3. Chill before serving with dollops of whipped topping.

The last recipe I will share with you was given to me by my friend, Lydia Cook.  Lydia and I have known each other for years, and have since reacquainted through the Third Tuesday Book Club of which we are both members.  At our club's recent Christmas lunch, Lydia brought this recipe to me.  She had read the blog about Lemon Meringue Pie and had this recipe that also features the bountiful lemons.  Haven't tried it yet, either, so am picturing it with a version I found on Google Images.  It's Sue Tweedy's Lemon Curd.  The making of Lemon Curd is not uncommon as I also had some earlier in the year that was prepared by my friend, Kaye Hurst.  Hers was delicious, so I am anxious to try this.

http://jacobskitchen.wordpress.com/

Lemon Curd


1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups sugar
Zest of three lemons
Juice of three lemons
4 eggs, well beaten

1.  Combine all ingredients in the top of a double boiler saucepan.
2.  Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly for about 20 minutes or until thick and smooth.
3.  Refrigerate and use as desired on scones, biscuits, pound cake, etc.

Now for the Lagniappe.  In another post I mentioned "tenting" a pie crust with foil.  Several readers contacted me to know more about the tenting method.  It is used to prevent excessive browning of a crust while a pie is baking.  Estimate a length of aluminum foil about half the circumference of the pie.  Tear that length in half.  With the shiny side out (to reflect heat best), shield the crust of the pie.  When there is about 15 minutes of baking time left, remove the tent to allow the crust to brown.

Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas!  My helper was busy today learning to play the piano with her Paw Paw, so she didn't assist me with this post.  

Lemon Pie Time of Year

My sister-in-law, Donna, brought to us a huge bag of lemons from the tree in her backyard.  In Louisiana, this is the time for the lemons to produce.  This was the perfect gift since my hubby loves lemon in his iced tea.  He got industrious and squeezed the entire bag and saved the juice for later use.  This morning he requested that I help him "use up" some of the juice by baking a Lemon Meringue Pie like my Momma used to do.

My first thought was: "Oh boy,  what a request!"  I remember my mother working for several hours at a time to produce this delight, but my Dad loved it and she persevered.   I dug out the cookbook that she had used and got to work.  The recipe stated that it takes about an hour to make the pie, so I wasn't too discouraged.   It's been about two months since we laid my Mom to rest in the cemetery next to my Dad, so I thought about her as I prepared my pie.  I remembered some tips she gave to me as I watched her bake when I was a kid.  It is important to note that the cookbook was published in 1953 and was the only one I ever remember her using.  I laughed as I opened it.  It was full of handwritten notes and newspaper clippings.  For such an old book, it is still in pretty good shape.  She used it for baking, but for everything else she had her own recipes, so I am supposing this book was taken care of well.  I don't ever remember that she bought books, so I am thinking this might have been a gift.  That question will remained unanswered.

Here is the recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie by Elise with a few adaptations by Dot along with the thoughts and tips that came to mind as I was preparing it.

The first step is to organize all the ingredients.  Once beginning the filling, the timing is important.

The Better Homes and Gardens book supplies detailed instructions for making a pie crust.  I do know how to make a pie crust and am pretty good at it, but I have a secret that I will now share with you.  I use ready made crusts that can be found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store.  I always use Pillsbury brand.  They cost a little more than the store brands, but they are worth it.  I have passed them off as my own for many, many years!  They can be frozen, too, so you can always have them on hand.

Prepare the crust and bake at 425 degrees F for about 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow it to cool while making the filling and meringue.  Make the crust appear to be homemade by crimping the edges between your fingers.  My mom taught that crimping technique to me as she made her own crusts, but it works for me on my cheater crusts as well!  Reduce the oven to 350 degrees F.

Filling: (differs slightly from the recipe found at the link given above, but this is how my Momma made the pie according to her notes)

-Squeeze enough lemons to get 6 tablespoons of juice.  Before juicing, however, use a microplane or zester to remove the peel that will be used in the filling. (My Momma didn't have either of these, so she used the fine side of a grater)

-Separate 4 eggs. The tool I use to separate the eggs is shown in the photo.  It is a Tupperware product and I don't know if they still sell it, but mine has been used many times.  It is a foolproof way to separate eggs.   Place the whites in a small mixing bowl and reserve for the meringue. Place the yolks in another small bowl and beat them slightly. (Very important:  Use a separate bowl for separating the eggs because any hint of yolk in the whites will cause the meringue to FAIL!  That is the gospel according to my Momma and she was right about that!! )
-Combine 1 cup of sugar with 1/3 cup of cornstarch and 2 cups of water in a medium sized saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. This takes about 10 minutes  (A Momma tip:  start with cold water to avoid lumps in the filling caused by undissolved corn starch)
-Remove from heat and stir about 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks.  Then pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and stir until well blended.  Use low heat this time.
-Add 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter to the mixture and cook and stir for about 5 more minutes.
-Pour in lemon juice and zest and stir well.  Remove from heat and make the meringue.

Meringue:

-In a small mixing bowl, combine the egg white with a pinch each of Cream of Tartar and salt. Use the highest speed of your electric mixer and beat the egg whites until frothy.
-Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar (granulated or powdered) and continue to beat on high speed until the egg whites are glossy and will hold stiff peaks when the beaters are removed.  This is very important.  An "underbeaten" meringue will "weep" as the pie cools.  (another Momma tip)

Assemble the Pie:
-Pour the warm filling into the prebaked crust.

-Top the filling with the meringue and use a spatula or table knife to spread it over the edges of the filling.  Momma always used the table knife because it was easier to manipulate the meringue with the skinny surface of the knife.  Also, you can "pretty up" the pie by flipping the meringue with the knife to make small peaks on top.   I have tried using a spatula, but resorted to the knife.  Again, she was right!

Finish:
-bake the pie for about 10 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown.  Allow the pie to cool and then place it in the refrigerator until serving time.  

Enjoy and as you eat the pie, remember that it is a special dessert and is served as a special treat for special people!

A Pow Wow with Wow!

It was a beautiful day in September.  In Louisiana, that means it was not 100 degrees F outside!  Via Facebook, about 400 Istrouma High School Indian alums had reconnected after 40 some odd years.  About 100 of those including spouses, that we graciously allowed into the "Teepee", gathered for a "Pow Wow" at the beautiful country home of Frank and Kathy Parker for a Cochon de Lait!

Cochon de lait, translated strictly, means "sucking pig," but in Cajun land it means roasting a whole pig and partying! Cochon de lait is one of Acadiana's most famous and most delectable dishes -- marinated, pit-roasted young suckling pig, sliced thin and served with gravy, on a plate or on a po-boy.  The Master Chef, Frank, was in charge and did not disappoint.  The roasted pork was the best I have ever tasted.  Each of the "IHS Indians" brought a side dish to share.  What a feast!  Pictured is the huge pit where Frank and his helpers cooked the pork.  

The eating was not the only highlight of the day.  We wore name tags because some of us had not seen each other in person since high school graduation.  The hair styles were different, but the smiles and friendships were still intact!  Of course we said to each other:  "You haven't changed a bit!"  Our group was happy to be together and remember the mid sixties with fondness.  Swapping stories and catching up with each other was so much fun.  We shared sorrows and happy times and those times have bound us even closer.  There were lots of hugs and handshakes all around!  

Before the feast, the US Armed Services Veterans gathered around flags representing the various branches of the military.  Ours was the generation of Vietnam and we wanted to show our appreciation for all those brave ones that served us well.  There was a toast and a round of applause for all those present.  We also paused to remember those who didn't make it back.  This was a very touching experience for those of us present.  It brought tears to my eyes.  

A blessing was said as we stood in a circle and held hands and then the eating began.  We thanked our Creator and Lord for the blessings we had and continue to receive through His graciousness.  There was pork aplenty, gravy, beans, corn pudding, green beans and on and on.  And the desserts were to die for!  I have never seen so many pies and cakes in one place.  We also had generous servings of Baskin-Robbins ice cream, courtesy of an Indian and her Bulldog spouse!  Those of you from the Baton Rouge, LA area will understand the significance of that particular bond.  What good cooks we had become over the years since existing on the "Reservation" as we referred to our high school campus!

Many of our classmates are musicians and some had played in organized "bands" back in the day.  After consuming our fill of the goodies, we adjourned to the back porch for a little "jammin'".  Our music makers played some oldies but goodies and they still could put together some good tunes.  They kept apologizing for not sounding better, but to me, the music was wonderful.  There was a lot of toe tapping, applause, requests and even some dancing!  One thing that can be said is the Indians of Istrouma still have that school spirit and cohesiveness that kept us together in spirit throughout the years.  

As the day waned, we began to pick up our folding chairs and what was left of the "fire water" and said our goodbyes.  But not to worry....our Pow Wows have become more frequent and we pledged to see each other on Facebook!  
and......Thanks to Pam Pennington-Firmin for most of the pictures!  

Can't Keep a Good Woman Down

Elise was born on December 8, 1922 in Greensburg, Louisiana and died on September 12, 2011 at 3:45 a.m. in her “apartment” at Ollie Steele Burden Manor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana from complications after multiple strokes.  Elise saw much in her almost 89 years.  She was a Baptist and her last church membership was Emmanuel Baptist Church of Denham Springs where she was known as the “flower lady.” She grew beautiful roses and was quite accomplished at arranging them.  Every Sunday she would provide a beautiful arrangement for the pulpit.  She and her husband, Maxwell, Sr, raised their children in Baton Rouge, “retired” in Denham Springs, and before moving to Ollie Steele she lived 7 years at Lake Sherwood Village.  During her Denham Springs years, she and dad grew a huge garden.  Some of the grandchildren helped her with harvesting and the blueberries were the favorite crop!  That acreage is now the site of a small subdivision named after her.  

She and my Dad eloped in 1938.  She was 16 and dad was 20 years old. She told her parents that she was going to spend the night with her cousin.  She and dad drove to Woodville, Mississippi where you could, at that time, get married without parental permission.  After World War II and following the births of their four children, Elise went to night school to receive her high school diploma.  How she got four children fed, ready for bed and still had time for classes and study is beyond me.  That diploma was a valuable commodity.  She valued education more than anything.  She often stated that no one could take an education from you.  When I received my master's degree, she insisted on throwing a fine party to celebrate.  She told everyone that I was a teacher!  

She took her children to church each Sunday and sometimes twice a day.  We all went to "Training Union" at night.  She was a Sunday School teacher at Istrouma Baptist church in the 1950’s.  Two women who were influenced by her teaching were in attendance at her funeral.  Our childhood Saturdays were spent getting our Sunday clothes ready.  She made sure everything was clean and we were responsible for polishing our shoes and preparing our lesson.  

She was an immaculate housekeeper.  The Baton Rouge home, where my three siblings and I grew up, had wood floors.  These floors were not like the new ones that are permanently finished when installed.  On a weekly basis she got down on hands and knees to apply paste wax.  Before she purchased an electric buffer, we kids assisted her in shining the floors with soft cloths in hand.  

She cooked three meals a day and was an excellent cook. Having lived through the Great Depression, she was very thrifty.  When she was a young wife, she earned extra money for Christmas gifts one year by baking pies and selling them to friends. Today I am known for my pies because I often assisted her with pie baking.  She did not use "convenience products".  Everything was made from "scratch".  If she made a coconut pie, she began with a fresh coconut.  She would drain the coconut milk, break the shell with a hammer, cut the meat of the coconut away from the hard shell, then grate it into a usable size for the pie. A lemon pie always began with fresh lemons.  My dad's favorite was Lemon Meringue Pie and she was an expert at preparing it.  One sister often joked that she didn't know you could purchase precooked baked goods until she married and started buying her own groceries. 

Momma also preserved fruit and honey. We had a huge fig tree in our backyard and dad had two beehives.  She peeled the figs before canning them.  I have never seen anyone else do that.  We kids shelled numerous bushels of peas and beans until our fingers were raw from the task.  These were frozen for consumption during the cold of winter. She is the only person I ever knew who "tipped and scraped" fresh corn for creamed corn.  Grandchildren vied to see who could get the most of that delicacy on their plate for holiday meals.  You would have thought that corn was gold!  

I compiled her simple recipes one year, had them printed in a booklet and gave a copy to each relative.  Her dumplings were the best you ever tasted. She also made a salad of Jello, carrots and raisins that no one really liked, but it was always included in the menu.  We didn't have the heart to tell her we didn't like it.  Every meal had either homemade biscuits or a pan of hot cornbread to go with the meat served with rice and gravy and the precious vegetables they had grown and preserved.  

She kept abreast of world affairs by reading the newspaper “cover to cover” each day. She admired and loved to read Smiley Anders' daily column in The Advocate.  When the newspaper moved to a different type style and format she was outraged that she had to turn to another page to finish reading Smiley!  In her later years, she got to meet him three times and cherished her pictures with him.  She loved to cut out articles of advice on life and housekeeping and pass them along or stash them for later use. My sister and I spent yesterday going through some of her remaining belongings.  We chuckled as we discovered news clippings she had stashed in her jewelry box.  We wondered what possessed her to save some of these articles and laughed that she had highlighted every word of one clipping. When she was living at Lake Sherwood Village she would set her clock for 5:30 am each day to retrieve and begin reading the newspaper.  It was that important to her.  

She loved watching musical programs on the “idiot box” as she referred the her television, even though she was not particularly musical herself.  I shall miss those phone calls of her alerts about the times and station of programs she knew I would want to watch.  It was like having my own personal TV Guide via telephone!  Louisiana Public Broadcasting was her favorite station. She respected the educational value and the quality of programming. Once I took her to see Andre' Rieu and that was a highlight of her cherished memories. My husband and I gave her front row tickets as a Christmas gift that year.  The picture here is of that evening.  We attended a reception before the concert and she was thrilled.

She loved classical and gospel music and admired those who could sing or play an instrument.  In her last years my sister spent many Saturday afternoons with her just to watch the Gaither Brothers and Lawrence Welk.  There are several musicians and vocalists among her surviving family and several played or sang at her funeral.  She would have been so honored and we know she was listening from heaven.  

Her family is fond of remembering some of her eccentricities including the fact that she advised everyone to work hard, get an education and to avoid those left turns in life and in traffic.  She would drive a mile out of her way to find a traffic light with a left turn signal.  She never went a day without her makeup and nice clothes.  She advised her daughters to do the same. She could never bring herself to play Bingo with the other old folks because she considered it “gambling”.  Her family teased her endlessly about that.  We thought she would enjoy it, but could never bring herself to try it! The wager was $1.00 and I thought it was an inexpensive way to enjoy an afternoon, but she stuck to her convictions on that.  

In her time, the wife of the family bore most of the chores of house and child rearing and she diligently accepted those responsibilities.  It wasn't an easy life.  Her work effort was Puritan-like .  When she was 82 years old we kids encouraged her to leave the five acres my Dad had intended for her perpetuity and she moved to Lake Sherwood Village for independent senior living.  She loved her small apartment and we made it as comfortable for her as we could.  She gave up her big Cadillac (aka "The Land Yacht") and began enjoying the conveniences and amenities of her beautiful surroundings.  

Early this year she began having strokes and was hospitalized several times.  It became necessary for her to have around the clock care so she moved to Ollie Steele Burden Manor.  We arranged for her to have a private room and brought many items of her own furniture and her comfortable chairs.  She never thought of Ollie Steele as a nursing home.  She told the nurses it was her "apartment without a kitchen".  We would like to remember that she was happy there...as happy as she could be, was more the case.  The staff took good care of her and we appreciate that.  Some were genuinely fond of her and she felt the same about them.  

Her long life on earth was filled with the blessings of a large family.  She is survived by four children and a multitude of grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren.  She will be missed.  In the last conversation I had with her, she thanked me for taking care of her.  She ended every conversation with me by reminding me that she loved me.  I love you, too, Momma!


Elise's Chicken and Dumplings 

In a large Dutch oven, boil 2 or 3 chicken breasts with celery, onions, and carrots.  Use a combination of chicken broth and water to fill pot about 2/3 full.  When chicken is cooked, remove it and chop or tear into bite size pieces.  Mash up the vegetables in the broth and strain the liquid.  Return the liquid and the chicken to the pot.  (A couple of chicken bullion cubes can be added to water if you don’t have canned chicken broth.)

Use one package of Mrs. B’s frozen biscuits for the dumplings.*  Roll biscuits thin between sheets of waxed paper that has been floured lightly.  Cut into thin strips.

Return broth to a boil and drop biscuit strips one at a time into pot.  Don’t stir.  They can be poked down with a fork.  Reduce heat to medium and cover.  After about 20 minutes of cooking remove lid.  Dumplings should be tender.

Stir in about ½ stick butter and a 5 ounce can of evaporated milk.  You can also stir in a can of cream of chicken soup.  Serve over hot cooked rice.

*If you don't have access to Mrs. B's, then prepare a biscuit recipe with less water to make it stiff.  Roll into thin strips and cut into 2 inch pieces.  That's how Elise prepared dumplings in her younger years. 

Cooking and Memories

I was asked to bring a dessert to a football watching party this evening.  I immediately went to my collection of "old, but tried and true" recipes.  A few years ago, I got industrious and organized my favorites in an album with plastic sleeves to protect the original copies of cherished concoction secrets.  Many were already stained by spills, but were still readable.  In the dessert section, I found myself walking down memory lane because the recipes included the names of those who shared them with me.

My mom was a great cook and never used convenience products.  I have a vivid memory of watching her "singe" a chicken over a gas flame to rid it of the pinfeathers missed during the plucking stage of preparation.  One of my siblings used to quip that she didn't know you could buy ready made cookies and cakes until she got married and started doing the grocery shopping for her family.  Our generation, however, has learned to embrace cake mixes and foods that just need a little help to become your own.

In perusing my album, I found names of recipes attached to the names of people who had an impact on me. There is Ruth Sylvest's Orange Chiffon Cake."  Ruth was my graduate school major professor.  I also saw Pam Janousek's "Fruit Cake Drops."  Pam was a yankee who came to LSU to earn her master's degree in Journalism when my husband was also a candidate for that degree.  I haven't seen her since 1970, but I remember her fondly each time I see her name on the page and I often wonder what happened to her after she left Louisiana.  Too bad we didn't keep in touch.  We didn't have Facebook and email then.  The most advanced technology we had then was an electric typewriter.  By the way, My husband typed his own thesis on a manual typewriter.  He also used carbon paper, because he had to have a copy of it for the LSU Library.  We have the original still.  Sorry about the digression!

When we were young marrieds with a limited income and small dwellings and apartments we often had potluck dinner parties as entertainment for weekend nights when there wasn't a football game to attend.  Susan Atherton made the best Chocolate Pie I have ever tasted and I have kept that recipe, too.  Its main ingredient is Hershey bars!  Skipping ahead to more recent years, I found Priscilla Brewers's "Apple Cake" and Lenora Brown's "Christmas Rum Cake."  I also found a delectable "Bread and Butter Pudding" from a beloved former neighbor, Ruth Firesheets.  I still use that recipe, but add a whiskey sauce.  Miss Ruth would never have poured sugared alcohol over her pudding.  Those who know her would agree that she didn't keep that kind of spirits in her home!  

A recipe written by hand on an old envelope by my husband's Grandmother, Hortense, is a treasure.  It's her rendition of "Divinity Fudge".  I loved eating it when we visited her during the holidays.  I watched her make it and she wrote the directions for me.  It's probably the trickiest recipe  I have ever tried.  She verbally told me to make sure the weather was cool and dry if attempting Divinity Fudge.  The humidity has a lot to do with the success in candy making.

The dessert that I chose  was based more on what I had in my pantry today in the way of ingredients.  It's Jean Stockner's "Sock-It-To-Me Pound Cake."  Jean was a substitute teacher when I taught at Kenilworth Middle School in the 70's.  She often brought delicious cakes to share with the faculty.  We taught her kids and she was wonderful about filling in for me at a moment's notice.  Those of you old enough to remember the "Laugh In" television variety show of the early 70's will know the origin of the name of the cake.  I changed the ingredients just a little and added a maple flavored glaze to the cake, but here is the recipe:

Sock-It-To-Me Pound Cake (in Jean's words)

1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 cup oil
1/2 pint sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
4 T brown sugar
2 t cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts

1.  Mix the first four ingredients, then add eggs one at a time beating well.
2.  Mix the brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon.
3.  Grease and flour Bundt pan.
4.  Pour a layer of cake mixture, top with brown sugar mixture, and pour remaining cake batter on top of this.  Then sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top being careful not to let brown sugar touch sides of pan.
5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.  (I must add my cake was done at 45 minutes)