Mom's Recipes

As I sit her writing out mom's recipes
I remember many a smile
to meet the morning sun
a prayer to open the door to greet the day
a kind word
whatever it brought our way
a soul of simplicity was she,
a handful of care
a patient faith and trust
to sweeten all the way

The smell of her cooking
maybe an apple pie with a golden crust
Made our home a place
seasoned with grace
a growing time of good
a time lost and gone
In these bits of memory does she live
she had so much to give.

Note From Gayl:

My niece Priscilla (Cil Pdgett Shaw)

my older sister Geneva's daughter, asked me for some of my mothers recipes:

So I have written some of them out and am sharing them with you as well.

Some are similar to recipes we see today, and I have substituted different lighter cooking ways. Geneva always liked moms cornbread dressing (recipe below). My children equally love this dressing.

My mother was Gypsie Adaline Chaney Ramey

daughter of Allie Saphronia Belcher and Abe Chaney

and wife of Teddy Roosevelt Ramey of Elkhorn City Kentucky

Cornbread Dressing

Banana pudding:

1 large box of vanilla instant pudding: or two small ones

(i use french vanilla and its good too)

make up the instant pudding before you start to do the layers

Mom used to make her own pudding but instant is just as good: (maybe)

you can make the instant with 1 cup milk and one cup whipped cream

makes it creamier sometimes if we didn’t have milk she used a can of evaporated milk

we always had canned evaporated milk

1 box of good vanilla wafers (I like nabisco)

Mom sometimes made sugar cookies and used these if we didn’t have wafers

5 bananas (not overripe) sliced

whipped cream:

a deep bowl:

spoon a layer of pudding in bottom of bowl

single layer of vanilla wavers

layer of bananas

thin layer of pudding

repeat last 3 layers til all is used

spread thick layer of whipped cream on top

set in fridge til ready to use:

these also can be layered in small individual serving dishes

Fried Chicken

Her fried chicken was done a bit different

even then sometimes she took the skin off ;

but her chicken was still crispy;

she cut her chicken up into whatever pieces she wanted

skin on or off

then put 1/2 tsp soda in a bowl with enough water to cover the chicken

and she placed the chicken in this water.

letting it sit for about 10 minutes then rolled it in flour and put it on a towel for about 10 minutes.

Sometimes she rolled it in buttermilk before flouring.

then when she got her grease (oil) hot, she rolled it once more in flour and placed it in the skillet.

Frying one side til light brown and turning it over.

then salting this side only, then only turning once more to brown each side good and salting that side.

she never pre salted her chicken.

sometimes she added parsley or sage to the flour before rolling the chicken in it.

she never used recipes just used what she had at the time.

Mom used to make gravy on the drippings like she did breakfast gravy using flour and milk but i go a step lighter.

If you want a good gravy for this chicken or any fried chicken:

buy a packet of schilling chicken gravy it is fat free:

put about 1cup 2% milk in bowl, 1 cup water, and packet of shilling gravy:

salt and pepper. Mix together.

put one heaping tablespoon of flour in drippings from chicken, if too much oil left in skillet pour off only enough for the tablespoon of flour leaving the drippings and bits of chicken

(you can tell i don’t use recipes)

then let this flour brown lightly then add the bowl of gravy milk mixture.

cook til thickened

this makes a nice gravy for chicken.

If it is too thick you can always add water or milk to thin it depends if you like it thick or thin.

Breakfast Gravy

Mom's breakfast Gravy with my variation to make it lighter

You may know how to make breakfast gravy but here is moms recipe that I still use:

fry 1 pattie of sausage

She used the grease from the sausage

But I pour off all the grease:

and add about 3 tbsp of oil to the cleaned skillet.

breaking up the sausage into this oil (that way you don’t get a lot of fat)

She just broke the sausage up in the grease left.

prepare a bowl of milk about 3 cups

( I use 2 cups 2% milk to 1 cup of water)

sprinkle pepper generously on top of this milk and set aside

2 things make good breakfast gravy, pepper and browning the flour.

in the skillet add

after placing oil and sausage back into the skillet heat the oil up.

2 heaping tablespoons of flour and 1 tsp salt to the hot oil .

brown lightly this flour stirring all the time

don’t use it white make sure it browns and don’t brown too dark

but this is a key here

if you need more oil then add only a bit at a time.

add milk and thicken, stirring as you go

if it is too thick you can always add more milk or water.

but if it is too thin then its not easy to thicken it up.

and I say again as mom did.

Pepper and browning the flour to medium is the key to making good breakfast gravy.

Serve with good hot biscuits

Today Pilsbury makes an excellent southern style biscuit in the frozen food section

it is a bag of about 15 biscuits

you can bake as many as you want at a time

or bisquick makes good biscuits.

Of course Mom made her own biscuits,

but she didn’t have the good foods we have today in the grocery stores.

Meat loaf:

1 to 2 lbs of good ground beef

1/4 lb of ground sausage (mild)

this can be italian sausage if you want it spicy

1/4 cup ketchup

1 small onion finely chopped

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 cup oats (1 minute oats not cooked)

salt and pepper

1 whole egg

mix with hands into a roll

and bake

she served this with cooked apples

and peas

and mashed potatoes and sometimes gravy

(i’m getting hungry just typing these out)

this loaf is good in sandwiches left over;

Salads of Moms

Mom used to make them when her fresh vegetables from the garden were in season:

Broccoli Salad:

4 cups broccoli pinching little florets and using them and cutting stems up

4 cups cauliflour done the same way

1 medium red onion or white but red are sweeter and she used red if we had them

sometimes we could get vadalias from georgia and she liked those best.

2 cups cherry tomatoes (you can use cut up roma's)

she some times put celery in this or cucumbers thinly sliced depending if she had them or not.

this recipe can be halved:

dressing:

1 cup mayonaise

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp vinegar

salt and pepper

combine vegetables, whisk the dressing together

and toss

chill for about an hour before serving

Stirring before serving.

sometimes i substitute ranch dressing for her dressing

I still make her cranberry salad

Cranberry Salad

In a large mixing bowl

1 box mixed fruit jello

make jello using 1/4 less water than calls for and let set soft

1 can cranberry sauce not whole

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts

1 small can crushed pineapple

1 firm apple galas are good for this

don’t put can of cranberry sauce in fridge beforehand

open can and spoon out cranberry sauce into bowl and mash up a bit

add jello

chopped nuts

and undrained can of pineapple

put this in bowl you wish to serve it in:

set in fridge and serve

Plain Cranberry Sauce Sliced

using a plain can cranberry sauce

set in fridge overnight

open from both ends and push roll out

slice and place in bowl sprinkling nuts over top before serving

Cole Slaw

thinly diced cabbage about 2 cups

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cucumber thinly sliced (peeled or unpeeled)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 cup mayonaise

celery seeds

salt and pepper

Mix together

Corn Bread Salad

5 cups cubed cornbread ( I use white cornbread as she did )

Or crumbled up cornbread muffins ( these are usually made of yellow cornmeal )

3 cups diced fresh tomatoes ( I use Romas )

1 cup sweet corn (drained if you use can corned)

1 cup green pepper chopped

1/2 lb bacon fried and crumbled up

1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

1 cup mayonaise

1/4 cup sweet pickle juice

(cheese on top if you want, I add cheese)

in a large salad bowl

place corn bread cubes

combine tomatoes, onion, peppers, bacon and relish

add to corn bread

combine mayonaise pickle juice,

pour over vegetable mix right before serving:

Spice Cookies with pumpkin;

1 1/2 cup softened margarine or butter

she used butter but margarine works

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

4 cups all purpose flour

4 tsp baking soda

4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp salt

Pumpkin spread for cookies:

1 package of cream cheese

she used churned cheese more like thick cream

but i use cream cheese and it works

1 can pumpkin

2 cups confectioners powdered sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger:

in a mixing bowl cream softened butter and sugar together.

add eggs, beat well.

Add molasses(1cup of brown sugar softened with 2tbsp hot water can be used

instead )

mix well

combine flour,bakingsoda,cinnamon,ginger,cloves and salt. add to the creamed mixture:

Chill overnight

shape into 1/2 inch balls and roll in sugar.

place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet

Bake at 375 for 6 minutes until edges begin to brown.

cool for 2 minutes:

For spread beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth.

Add pumpkin, beat well:

Add sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and beat til smooth. Serve with cookies.

Rich Pecan Pie

1 1/2 cups log cabin syrup

1/4 cup (1/2 stick)margarine

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cups pecan halves

1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell

3 eggs beaten

1 tsp vanilla

dash salt

Heat oven to 375

Combine syrup,margarine and sugar in a saucepan, bring to boil

boil for about 5 minutes gently

stirring occasionally

cool slightly

place pecans in pie shell

Mix eggs, vanilla and salt in bowl and gradually add cooled

mixture to eggs stirring well

pour over pecans in pie shell do not stir

pecans will rise to the top

bake 35-40 minutes

Cool

Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2/3 cup milk

1 beaten egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sunmaid raisins

Heat oven to 400 degrees

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Using pastry blender or fork cut in the butter to the flour mixture.

resembles coarse crumbs.

combine milk, egg, and vanilla.

Add to flour mixture stir just until moistened. Stir in Raisins.

With floured hands shape dough into and 8 inch round on a cookie sheet

sprinkle with additional sugar and cinnamon if desired.

slit dough into 8 wedges not cutting all the way through.

slightly separate wedges as you cut and twist bottom a bit to outside.

bake at 4000 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

or you can cut the roll into 8 separate rolls

and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top and bake.

we used a lot of oats in different ways

Oatmeal cookies

preheat oven to 350

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp ginger

combine above ingredients

combine 1 cup shortening, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar

beat until light

Add 1 egg and beat until fluffy

Add dry ingredients alternately with 3 tbsp water and 1 tsp vanilla

Blend well and add 2 1/2 cups uncooked 1 minute quaker oats

optional( 1 cup walnuts chopped, or 1 cup raisins or can add both)

Mix well and drop from spoon on greased cookies sheet.

Potato Salad

Mom used to bake her potatoes and let cool almost cool

peel and cut them up for potato salad.

with the microwave this is a lot easier

makes better potato salad than boiled potatoes

2 cups diced cooked potatoes

1 large sweet onion diced small

3 hard boiled eggs

1/4 cup pimento(optional)

1/4 cup finely chopped gherkins

mom canned her own pickles so any pickle will do here.

1/4 cup finely diced celery

dash dried parsley

salt and pepper

3 Tablespoons of pickle juice

Put potatoes in large bowl, add diced onion, pimento, chopped pickles,

chopped celery, parsley, salt and pepper

2 tablespoons of mustard

pickle juice

enough mayonaise to make the potato salad as you like it

dry or lots depends on your taste.

in a serving bowl layer potato salad

layer of sliced boiled egg

layer of potato

layer of boiled egg

You can add chopped ham to this potato salad

or you can add chopped fried bacon

Egg Pie

this is what people call quiche

you need an uncooked pie shell or a recipe of biscuit dough

if you use biscuit dough grease a casserole dish and spread it out thinly

on the bottom of the dish

fried bacon crisp and broken up

fried sausage but not all the way broken up into pieces

6 eggs

1 cup shredded cheese

(she used regular cheese) I use mild or medium cheddar cheese)

1/2 cup cream (you can use milk)

salt and pepper

place broken bacon and sausage in bottom of pie shell or on top of biscuit dough

sprinkle cheese on top of the bacon and sausage

mix eggs and cream (milk) together adding salt and pepper

and pour over bacon, sausage and cheese. do not stir:

bake until set

Mom done this sometimes without the pie crust just in a pan

more like an omelet this way

adding red or green peppers depended on what she had.

We had this for supper sometimes

or breakfast on the weekends.

she changed it around sometimes adding ham

she used anything she had even goose eggs sometimes

When Mom made corn bread it was always with white corn meal

not yellow

the yellow is a sweet cornmeal and really makes corn muffins

I still use white corn meal in all my cooking

It makes a better dressing with turkey than yellow does.

Chicken breasts fried

She sometimes used a pork chop cut off the bone

beat chicken breast or pork chop til thin

roll in buttermilk first

then roll in flour that has salt and pepper mixed in

then roll in bread crumbs

and fry

Fruit Salad

Combine

one box orange jello

1 cup boiling water and 1 cup of 7-up

refrigerate for 45 minutes

add 1 small can of crushed pineapple

2 sliced bananas

1 small jar of red cherries (marciano)

we had a sour cherry tree and she made this when these were in

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup coconut

and 1/2 pint whipped cream (cool whip will do if you add 1 tsp sugar to it)

Mix together and let set.

Chicken Casserole

2 cups of crumbled cornbread

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 tbsp parsley

1 tbsp sage

1 egg

1 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper

mix all ingredients together'

(you can use corn bread stovetop stuffing here for this instead)

set aside

1/2 cup of melted margarine

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can of evaporated milk (carnation or such)

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups diced chicken (retain broth you cooked chicken

in for broth usage or you can use canned chicken broth)

1 1/2 cups english peas

2 tbsp minced onions

add margarine to stuffing already prepared

cover bottom of 2 quart casserole dish with half of the stuffing mix

mix soup, milk, broth, chicken, peas, onion

pour into casserole and cover with remaining stuffing

bake at 350 for 30 minutes

let stand 10 minutes before serving

Easy cake recipe

1 loaf baking pan (not cake pan)

no need to flour or grease the pan

(I usually spray with pam though)

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp soda

2 eggs

1 medium can crushed pineapple

mix flour and sugar together,

beat two eggs

dash salt

add crushed pineapple to flour and sugar, stir in eggs and soda

mix well

bake in loaf pan

30 minutes at 350

icing

1 small can condensed milk

1 cup pecans

1 cup coconut

1 tsp vanilla

dash salt

mix all together and bring to a boil

boil about 6 minutes and pour over the cake immediately

after it has been taken from the oven

Mom's vegetable soup:

1 cup uncooked macaroni

2 potatoes cut into cubes

1 chopped onion

1/2 cup celery

1 cup chopped carrots

1 /2 cup peas

( sometimes i use a can of mixed vegetables for this)

instead of the peas and carrots

Mom used to can a mixture of vegetables and she used them.

1 of her can quart of tomatoes with tomato juice.

( I use a can of tomato sauce and a can of tomatoes)

salt and pepper

sometimes she added parsley or other herbs if she had them.

place all into a pot adding 1 cup of water

and more as needed as it boils down.

this makes a hearty vegetable soup

serve with cornbread

or saltines

Well i’m good and hungry now after typing out some of mom's recipes.

some are on old newspaper clippings that she gave me some are written out

and some I copied down as she told them to me:

She has many others but this is a sampling.

Each recipe has given me a memory as I typed it out.

She raised chickens so we had a lot of chicken and she fixed it many ways.

She also had beehives going and we always had honey.

Pork and chicken or some kind of farm bird was our main meat dishes.

We had corn bread almost everyday

and she baked it with white cornmeal.

I make chicken and dumplings as she used to but I cheat

I use bisquick for the dumplings.

Something I remembered the other day when I bought 20 lb of potatoes

and was wondering where I was going to keep them or use them up before some went bad.

We always had a large crop of potatoes and she would have us kids dig a large hole about 5 feet down in the ground.

We put boards along the bottom then brown jute sacks.

When we dug the potatoes, all would go down in that hole.

Then she would put boards over the hole and over the top of the boards, layer of brown jute sacks then top it off with the dirt from the hole.

These would keep all winter.

When we needed potatoes we would go out and get some for her and put the top back. By the end of winter it was pretty far down and we would almost fall in getting the potatoes out.

What Memories!!!!!.