Good Old Fashioned Table Manners

What has happened to “Table Manners”? I have noticed that more and more adults and children have no concept of acceptable table manners. People are hovering over their plates/bowls shoveling food in their mouths as if it were their last meal or they act as if they are starving to death. Chewing with mouths open and talking while their mouths are full. I blame modern day society and the fact that the family table is becoming obsolete. 

While dining out in restaurants I have noticed more electronics at the dinner table being used by adults and children. So tell me this…what is the point of going to dinner with your family at a nice restaurant if you are buried in electronics?

Things to remember and practice at the table:

1. Sit up straight.
2. Napkin in lap and use it.
3. Elbows off the table.
4. Do not start eating until everyone is seated and the head of the household starts or grace has been said.
5.  Hands in lap while chewing your food.
6. Chew food with your mouth closed.
7. No talking while you have food in your mouth.
8. Wait until you are done chewing before you sip or swallow a drink.
9. Ask for food to be passed to you rather than reaching across the table.
10. Always asked to be excused when you are finished.

Growing up our parents always sat and ate dinner with us. They were the examples and taught us how to behave at the table. We learned dinner conversation and what was and was not appropriate dinner conversation. Dinner was a social event it was the time of day when we all sat together and discussed our day. There was no watching television. We didn’t have cell phones back in the day, so there was no distraction at the table and everyone was an active participant in the meal.

Dinner was the same way when my children were at home and remains the same today with the grandchildren. We work with our grandchildren on manners and acceptable behavior at the table. The dinner table is a “No Electronics Allowed Zone!”

I think it is time that everyone gets back to the family dinner table without television and electronics and learn to socialize with each other.

Chili Today Hot Tamale...Fall Is Around The Corner...Summer Is Coming To An End

Although I am a Southern Girl through and through I love living in the Pacific Northwest. There 4 Seasons here, each filled with their own special qualities.

Summers are so moderate we don't need air conditioning in our homes. Summer is a time to be outside to enjoy the sunny days. No time to blog or indoor activities. Summer meals come off the grill or are very light with fresh ingredients and iced tea.

Fall is my favorite time of year it brings cooler weather and beautiful colors. Now with the onset of cooler weather I am enjoying making some of my cool weather meals from scratch. Probably one of my favorite cool weather meals is Homemade Chili with Cornbread. I just love one pot meals. Chili reminds me of Fall colors, warm sweaters, sitting in front of the fire and watching football.

Every great chili recipe starts with a great Chili Seasoning Recipe and ground beef. I like to use a lean ground beef at least 93/7. I have tried many different recipes for chili seasoning. I am always experimenting to find the perfect combination of flavors.

Chili Seasoning Recipe:

1/4 Cup Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
3 Tbsp Dried Minced Onions
1 Tbsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder

Shake and stir well before adding. This can be made in bulk and stored for up to 4 months.

Chili Recipe in 30 Minutes:

1 lb Lean Ground Beef
Chili Seasoning
2 (14.5 oz) Cans of Diced or Crushed Tomatoes
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste Stirred into 2 Cups of Water **
1 (16 oz.) Can Red Beans or Kidney Beans, undrained
1 (16 oz.) Can Black Beans, undrained

Toppings of your choice: Corn Chips, Shredded Cheese, Diced Onions, Sour Cream, Hot Sauce, Crackers, etc.

Cook Ground Beef in a Dutch Oven over medium high heat and stir often. This should take about 4 or 5 minutes and the ground beef should no longer be pink and crumble. If you use a lean ground beef there is no need to drain. If you use anything with more than 7 percent fat then drain well.

Add Chili Seasoning to the cooked ground beef and stir well coating the meat. Add the remaining ingredients cook on medium high and continue to stir until chili begins to boil. Turn heat down to low, cover, stir occasionally, and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Yields 6 to 8 Servings.

** If you really like spicy chili substitute 1 cup of water for a small can of Original Rotel Tomatoes.

Cornbread is a staple on our Southern Dinner Table. Growing up I just adored the smell of cornbread baking in the oven. That smell imparted feelings of comfort. Many of my friends would have rolls or some other type of bread on the table. I was raised on cornbread made with white cornmeal. White or yellow it's all a personal preference.

Buttermilk Cornbread:

1 1/2 Cups of Self Rising White Cornmeal
1/2 Cup Self Rising Flour
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk ***
1 Large Egg
3 Tbsp of Oil, Butter or Bacon Grease


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use your choice of oil, butter or bacon grease in a 10" cast iron skillet and place in oven for 8 minutes.

While skillet is in the oven mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowel. Remove the Skillet from the  oven and pour majority of the oil/butter/bacon grease in the mixture and whisk thoroughly .

Pour cornbread mixture into hot skillet and back in oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Turn cornbread out onto a dinner plate and cut into wedges.

While cornbread is still warm spread your favorite condiment on it. I grew up using mayonnaise on cornbread, try it you just might like it. Most people will use butter or honey.

Yields 8 Servings.

*** Don't have buttermilk you can use regular milk or make your own buttermilk or use other substitutes below.

Quick Buttermilk Substitute:

1 Cup Milk (whole, 2% or heavy dream)
1 Tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar or cream of tarter

Combine both ingredients and let it stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. When ready the milk will be thickened and you should see small curds.

You may double or triple the recipe as needed.

Other Substitutes:

3/4 Cup Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Water

Mix well. May also double or triple this recipe as needed.

A Little South of the Texas Border!

Mom and Dad were officers with the Salvation Army. At one time we lived just north of the Mexico Border. Part of their job was to help Mexicans that came to the US acclimate. They helped with English, finding jobs, housing, as well as looked after their Spiritual Lives. In return some of the ladies taught mom how to cook some South of the Border dishes. These recipes are TexMex!

I would say the one dish I loved more than any other was Mama's Guacamole! I could sit and eat a complete bowl with crackers.

Be sure that your avocado is ripe. You want it to be soft to the touch but not too mushy. If your avocado is on the firm size wait a few days as it will ripen. 

Avocado Recipe
by Eleanor Grantham

1 Avocado (Ripe)
1 tsp Onion finely chopped
Juice of one Lemon
1 Tomato
Pinch of Salt
1 tsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Mayonnaise

Cut avocado in half. Remove the pit. Take a paring knife and score the meat of the avocado horizontally and vertically. Remove from the avocado peeling. Place avocado chunks on a small plate and mash with fork.

Place mashed avocado in a bowl and add lemon juice so the avocado will not turn brown.

Chop up tomato and onion and add to bowl with the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly. (I like to add a little chili powder.) Also you can add additional lemon or lime juice to your liking.

Yummy and delicious!

There are many ways to serve the Guacamole: Crackers, Chips, Tacos, Nachos, Enchiladas, and more.

I like to put Guacamole on hamburgers and veggie burgers with a little salsa. You can put it on anything.

One of my brother, Russ', favorite was her Enchilada Recipe. Moms was a little different. Instead of using the enchilada sauce like the picture below she used Hormel Chili without beans.

Enchiladas

by Eleanor Grantham

Frying Tortilla's as described in recipe above:

Make and Roll Enchiladas.

Although these pictures are of Enchiladas with the enchilada sauce that is the only difference between them.

If you’re enough lucky to be Irish... You’re lucky enough!

I have always loved St Patrick's Day and celebrating my Irish heritage. I have done a lot of family heritage research and have found that the earliest Irish relative was born about 1580 in Ulster, Ireland.

Each year for the past 20+ years I have made Corned Beef with Potatoes, Carrots, Cabbage and Irish Soda Bread.

Corned Beef with Potatoes, Carrots, Cabbage and Irish Soda Bread.

I like this brand of Corned Beef. I purchase it from Costco. I follow the instructions on the back of package except I start it on high in the crock pot for a couple of hours or when I see it is boiling. The I turn it down to low for 6 to 8 hours.

Be sure that you cook no more than on Corned Beef Brisket per crock pot. Add peeled and cut carrots as well as washed and halved small red potatoes in the bottom half of the crock pot.

Add the brisket to the crock pot fat side up and sprinkle with seasoning pack.

Add water to the crock pot until the potatoes meat is mostly covered. Cover with lid and cook for 2 hours on high, then reducing the crock pot to low for 6 to 8 hours.

Cut at and angle starting at one corner. This will make for a tender cut of meat.

About an hour before dinner make and bake the Irish Soda Bread. I used to make it from scratch until I found Katie Reilly's Irish Soda Bread Mix.

I have never been really keen on cooking my cabbage with the corned beef. I find that it has a mushy texture. I like my cabbage a little more firm than that. The last thing I do, about 20 minutes before dinner is ready to be served, is cut up the cabbage add to skillet with melted butter and adding a little of the water from the crock pot and steam for a few minutes.

Serve up the feast and enjoy.

Corned Beef Hash

The day after I take the left over corned beef and potatoes and make a Corned Beef Hash. I start by trimming the fat off the left over meat and cutting up the meat and potatoes/

Spray pan with Olive Oil and melt with 2 tablespoons of butter.

 Add to frying pan and cook until the potatoes start to brown.

Turn with a spatula as the potatoes on the bottom start to brown.

Almost done!

M'm M'm Good!

The Great Gravy Debacle!

It was the summer of 1969. I was about 17 years old, just graduated from high school, when Grandma came to stay with me and my little brother Steve. Mom and Dad went to London to see their first grandchild.

I always loved those visits. I would sit for hours talking to her about her life growing up, raising 8 children in Mississippi, and what life was like without all of the modern conveniences we are use to in our daily lives.

We also talked about how during the Depression Era they were poor raising a large family and that there were times that they did not have meat to eat. They ate a lot of peas, greens, beans, corn, gravy and biscuits. The grease she used was from lard. Lard, flour and water were cheap and filled their stomachs.

I watched my grandma, mom, and aunts make gravy for years. Growing up brown gravy was served almost every night for dinner. Gravy on rice, gravy on mashed potatoes, gravy on biscuits, gravy on light bread, gravy over roast, gravy over chicken and more. Gravy the wonderful  sauce that would turn a piece of bread into a delicacy. 

We would cook dinner together each night. I learned so many things from her. I had decided that summer I wanted to learn to make gravy. It didn't look very hard. I had watched it being made for years. It was just a little grease, flour, salt, pepper and water. How hard could that be?

I remember the menu well. Fried cube steak, sweet peas, mashed potatoes, cornbread and gravy. When it was time to make the gravy we got out one of mothers cast iron skillets. So I started with a little grease added a little flour. The consistency did not look right to me so I added a little more grease and a little more flour. I began to brown the mixture when it was time to add the water I poured in and it turned to the consistency of paste, so added more water. Then it looked too loose so I added more flour. All I had was a skillet of a pasty mess. It was a total failure. Grandma was so sweet she reassured me it was okay. So in the trash it went. We started over again and again and again. She was so patient with me through each failed attempt. I finally accomplished my goal to make gravy that evening. Ah the sweet smell and taste of success. I was so proud of myself I began to perfect my gravy making skills.

About a year later I decided to go to Hinds Jr. College. During that time I lived with Aunt Olivia, Pam and Debra. Pam and I would make dinner each night and have it ready for when Aunt Olivia would get home from work. So the nights I would make dinner we would have rice and gravy. I loved to cook so needless to say we had rice and gravy most nights. To this day I prefer rice over mashed potatoes.

Over the past 45 years I have been perfecting my gravy skills and I can tell you I make a tasty gravy. My gravy now is not the basic grease, flour, salt, pepper, water gravy. It is very hard to tell someone how I make gravy. It is just something I do. I will attempt to describe my process.

Brown Gravy

As taught to me by Lyda Grantham

With my own twist.

Flour

Olive Oil

Water

Salt

Pepper

• You will need equal parts oil and flour. It doesn't take a lot, maybe a couple of tablespoons of each. This amount should yield a couple of cups of gravy.
• In a skillet heat the olive oil and add the flour. Continuously stir the oil and gravy mixture over a medium heat.
• Add salt and pepper to taste to the mixture.
• Once the mixture (roux) to the desired color take the skillet off the eye of the stove and add water while stirring. Start with one cup of water, it will have a little pasty look and that is okay.
• Place back on stove and add more water as needed to get to the consistency you like.
• As you taste the gravy add salt and pepper to taste.

Over the years I have added many different things to my gravy.

• When I make roast in the crock pot I will substitute a portion of the water with the roast drippings for flavor.
• I also use Beef  or Chicken Stock.
• You can also use vegetable stock.
• Add mushrooms and/or sautéed onions.
• Add half and half to make a creamy gravy.
• Add sour cream for a stroganoff.
• Brown gravy is the base for Beef Stew.
• Smothered Pork Chops.
• Added Cube Steak for a Salisbury Steak.



Once you have the basics down on how to make Brown Gravy you can adapt it to many different scenarios.

My Beef Stew made with Brown Gravy

Beef Stew



By Charlotte Goodman

Roast

Red Potatoes

Frozen Mixed Vegetables

Garlic Powder

Dehydrated Onions

Celery Seed

Bay Leaf

Gravy

• Wash red potatoes and cut into bite size pieces and set aside.
• Cut up left over roast into bite size pieces and set aside.  
• Make enough brown gravy with drippings from leftover roast to accommodate for stew base.
• Once you have the  gravy to the consistency you desire add potatoes, veggies, and seasonings.
• Seasonings should be add to taste. It is very important to taste. You can always add salt if needed but you can't take it out.
• Turn burner down to a medium low temperature.
• Stir periodically to keep the potatoes and gravy from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Stew will take about 20 minutes to cook. Test potato with a knife of fork, if it pierces easily then it is done.

It's Like A Big Hug!

Southern cooking is comfort food. It's like getting a great big hug. Everything was made from scratch. Then came along Campbell's Condensed Soup Casserole Recipes.

It was sometime in the late 50's early 60's I remember our family sharing their favorite cream of mushroom and cream of chicken recipes. Every southern kitchen had cream of chicken and cream of mushroom in their kitchen just in case they needed something quick. You would find all types of casseroles at church pot luck dinners. They were easy and portable. You still got that comfort food feeling.

Several of our family favorites are Chicken Noodle Casserole, Tuna Noodle Casserole, Potato Casserole, Pan Fried Pork Chops with Cream of Mushroom Soup and Chicken Pot Pie.

A little about Campbell's Condensed Soups: In 1869 the year that Ulysses S. Grant was inaugurated as President two men, a fruit merchant named Joseph Campbell and an icebox manufacturer named Abraham Anderson, became partners in what would eventually called Campbell Soup Company. Condensed soup came out of economic necessity. By eliminating the water in the soup costs were lowered for packaging, shipping and storage. A 10 ounce can of condensed soup would sale for 10 cents versus the 32 ounce can for 30 cents.

The first recipe book for cooking condensed soup, "Helps for the Hostess", was published in 1916. Post World War II Campbell's Home Economists created the "Green Bean Casserole" and many others. Most Baby Boomers grew up eating casseroles made with Campbell's Condensed Soup.



Below is a handwritten recipe that was submitted to my cousin Peggy Joyce McCraw Runnels.

Chicken Casserole

From Leona Grantham McCraw

Submitted By Peggy Runnels

1 Whole Chicken

1 Package Egg Noodles

8 ounces Grated Cheddar Cheese

1 10 ounce Can of Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup

• Cook Chicken - I will generally boil the chicken in salted water until it falls off the bone.
• Remove Chicken from the bones and set aside.
• Boil on package of egg noodles per package instructions.
• Drain noodles in colander.
• Butter the bottom and sides of your casserole dish. I usually use 2 to 4 Quart dish.
• Layer egg noodles, chicken, soup and cheese. Reserve some cheese for the top.
• I like to mix the noodles, chicken, soup and cheese. Then place the remainder of the cheese on the top.
• Place in preheated oven at 375 degrees. Cook in oven until cheese on top has melted.

* I have used this basic recipe over the years and have made a few additions.

• If you like it cheesier add more grated cheese.
• If you would like it a little creamier try mixing a cup of half & half in the soup.
• Add fresh or canned mushrooms.
• Kick it up with some spices like black pepper, garlic powder, dehydrated onions, celery seed, etc.

Potato Casserole

From Leona Grantham McCraw

Submitted By Peggy Runnels

5 to 6 Russet Potatoes

8 ounces Grated Cheddar Cheese

10 ounce Can of Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup

• Peel and boil whole potatoes in salted water. You want them to be cooked but firm. 
• Drain potatoes and slice potatoes.
• Butter the bottom and the sides of a casserole dish.
• Alternate layer of potatoes, cheese and soup ending up with cheese on the top.
• Place in preheated oven at 375 degrees. Cook in oven until cheese on top has melted.

* I have used this basic recipe over the years and have made a few additions.

• If you like it cheesier add more grated cheese.
• If you would like it a little creamier try mixing a cup of half & half in the soup.
• Salt and Pepper to taste.
• Add Paprika to the top if desired.

Nothing says M'm M'm Good like my chicken pot pie. I have been making this for years and I haven't had any complaints yet.

Chicken Pot Pie
By Charlotte Grantham Goodman

3 or 4 Chicken Breasts
1 Package Frozen Vegetables
2 Cans Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup half and half
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Dehydrated Onions
Celery Seed

• Boil Chicken Breasts about 20 to 30  minutes in salted water. Make sure there is no pink in the middle.
• Remove chicken and let cool while cooking sauce.
• Place 2 cans of cream of chicken soup and 1 cup half and half in sauce pan and simmer and stir until sauce is smooth in consistency.
• Butter the bottom and sides of a large casserole dish. (I like to use the pyrex oblong dish)
• Chop chicken into bite size pieces.
• Spread frozen veggies along the bottom of the casserole dish. (I use the blend that includes peas, green beans, carrots, corn and lima beans)
• Spread chicken on top of the frozen veggies.
• Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, onions & celery seed. (I use the dehydrated spices one for convenience and the other because my husband doesn't like a lot of celery or onions.)
• Add the soup mixture and pour over the top of the veggies and meat.

The Crust - I use Bisquick

2  Cups of Bisquick
Milk
1 Large Egg

• Add Bisquick and milk to the bowl. I wish I could tell you how much as I add it to a pancake consistency.
• Beat in the egg.
• Spoon over the top of the casserole dish.
• Place in 400 degree oven until the top is golden brown. Generally speaking that would be 15 to 20 minutes.

Mmmm That Smell!

Oh the smells that came from the kitchen when baking. They filled the house with the most comforting aromas.

One of my fondest memories growing up was how our family loved to bake. All of the women in our family were fabulous bakers. The art and science of baking has been handed down for years.

I remember watching my mom, grandma, and aunts in the kitchen. I studied every move they made. I was amazed at the wonderful things they could create with flour, water, milk, eggs, spices, sugar and more. Their patience with me watching and wanting to help was phenomenal.

There always seemed to be a lot of chocolate desserts. Oh how I loved the smell of chocolate. It brought  a sense of calm and well being over me. Chocolate felt like love.

Scientist have proven that chocolate makes you feel good and contains more than

300 known chemicals. Stimulates in chocolate include caffeine, theobromine, phenylethylamine which increase activity in neurotransmitters in the brain that control your ability to stay alert, pay attention and a sense of well being.

I can tell you this...I didn't need scientist to tell me that chocolate made me feel good.

My favorite of all the chocolate creations that were made in our kitchens is the Chocolate Pie with Meringue. The pie starts with the pie crust. Our grandma and moms did not run to the local grocery store to pick up frozen pre-made pie crusts. Their crusts were made from scratch. My Aunt Janie and cousin Rhonda Addison recently found some of the handwritten recipes which were written in my Grandma's handwriting. You'll notice that there are only ingredients listed no instructions. Grandma didn't need the instructions. She could make something one time and she would remember.

Grandma's Handwritten Pie Crust Recipe:

Grandma's Handwritten Chocolate Pie Recipe:



I remember watching her make the crust and her teaching me to make it. Below is the recipe she used.

Grandma's Pie Crust

Contributed by Janie and Rhonda Addison

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

5 tbsp ice water

• Mix well until dough comes together.
• Make into ball and wrap in wax paper. Chill pie crust for 30 minutes to an hour.
• Preheat oven to 475ºF.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured board.
• Roll out to fit pie plate.
• Place crust in plate fitting it to the shape of the pie plate. Crimp the edges around the top of the crust. Poke holes in the bottom of the crusts.
• Place in oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool.
• While your crust is chilling in the fridge. Start the pie filling.

Grandma's Chocolate Pie

2 Tbsp Flour

2 Tbsp Cocoa

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Milk

2 Tbsp Butter

3 Egg Yolks (Reserve the egg whites for the meringue)

1 Tbsp Vanilla

Combine flour, cocoa and sugar in saucepan. In a separate bowl beat egg yolks and add milk. Continue to beat mixture a couple more minutes. Pour liquid over the cocoa mixture in the saucepan. Add butter. Cook on medium heat until the chocolate is to a pudding consistency. Pour into cooled pie shell land top with meringue. Place in heated oven to 350 degrees and brown meringue to a rich golden brown. Cool pie on wire rack. Once cool place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

The chocolate pie filling and meringue recipe below was contributed by my cousin Peggy Runnels.

Chocolate Pie

Contributed by Peggy Joyce Runnels

3 Tbsp  Self Rising Flour
3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

1 Cup Sugar

1 ½ Cup Milk

½ Stick Butter/Margarine

2 Egg Yolks – reserve the egg whites

1 Tsp Vanilla.

• Put the milk in a sauce pan and add the butter until melted. 
• Beat egg yolks in a separate bowl.
• Take mixture off the stove and add vanilla. 
• Add tempered egg yolks. (To temper the egg yolks add a little bit of the hot liquid while constantly stirring with whisk. Continue process until the eggs have be brought up to temperature. Tempering the eggs keeps the eggs from cooking and curdling in the mixture.)
• Pour tempered mixture in sauce pan and cook until thick stirring constantly. (Consistency is that of pudding/custard)
• Pour mixture into baked pie crust.  Put the meringue over and brown.

Meringue

Contributed by Peggy Joyce Runnels

1 Tbsp Corn Starch

6 Tbsp Sugar

½ Cup Water

2 to 4 Egg Whites

• Mix first 3 ingredients together and bring to boil.
• Beat Egg Whites until peak.
• Pour mixture slowly over egg whites while beating.  Meringue mixture should be firm and peak.
• Bake in 400 degree oven for 8 minutes, until golden brown.
• Cool and Serve!