Southern Fried Chicken

Grandma attributes this to the All American Cook Book.  I searched online and found a scanned copy from 1922 that contained a recipe for "Economy Fried Chicken" which seems to be the source for this.  This method is supposed to tenderize an old rooster to be like a spring frier.  I guess Grandma assumes everyone will know to flour the chicken since she always did, and the recipe I found also says to do it.  Here is the link to the vintage cookbook.  http://www.archive.org/details/allamericancookb00breb 

The comment "berry pie is good with chicken" is all Grandma.

Gum Drop Cake

Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup applesauce
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
vanilla, salt, cinnamon (no quantity is listed, so just eyeball it.)

Cream shortening & sugar.  Add eggs, then applesauce, then dry ingredients.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Originally the soda and nutmeg were also without measure but Grandma wrote it in later.  I'm guessing that at some point she must have used too much/little and didn't like the results!

Peanut Butter Fundge

Grandma attributes this recipe to Lela Bridges. 

1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 can Pet milk ( I assume this means 1/2 of a 12 oz can of evaporated milk)

Cook above for 5 minutes.

Stir in:

     1/4 cup peanut butter

     16 large marshmallows or 1 16oz. jar

Beat  until it forms a shiny ribbon when poured from a spoon.  Pour into a buttered dish.

Chester and Lela Bridges, January 1971

Mildred's Favorite Bon-Bons

3/4 cup mashed potatoes
1# flaked coconut
1# powdered sugar
1/4 cup margerine
1 tsp. almond extract

Refrigerate above & roll in walnut siced balls (or smaller).

Dip in melted chocolate made from:
12 oz. chocolate chips
3/4 bar of parafin

Place on wax paper or wire rack until cold. (Keep choc. in hot water while dipping.)

"Mom's Peanut Brittle" - Etta Wilkins Allen

This recipe came from Grandma's mom, Etta.  Mostly she was called Granny, but when we were kids we called her Granny Goose because she owned a goose at the time.

3 cups sugar
1 cup sorgham (molasses)
1/2 cup water

Boil till forms soft ball.

Add 3 cups peanuts (raw).

Let peanuts start popping and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

Add 1 tsp. baking soda.  Stir until quits foaming, then pour in pan & let cool.  Break into serving-sized pieces.

Granny, Etta Wilkins Allen, May 1961.  Back of photo says "Not good of Mom but good of the house."

Summer Sausage

Grandma got this recipe from her sister-in-law, Bessie Bridges.  Bessie married Vernon Bridges, Grandpa's brother.  She lives in Puxico, MO.

5 lbs. hamburger
5 heaping tsp. Mortons Tender Quick
4 1/2 heaping tsp. mustard seed
4 tsp. black pepper
3 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper
2 Tbsp. liquid smoke

Mix well.  separate into three balls.  Put into double plastic bags. Incorporate well each day for 3 days(smoosh it up).  On the 4th day take out and divide into 3 rolls.  Place in 200 degree oven for 6-8 hours (after 3-4 hours turn over).  Use common judgement in turning and shaping rolls.

Vernon and Bessie Bridges with young son, Bruce, and son Kent.

Hush Puppies

Hush puppes are never made exactly to recipe.  Here is a basic recipe.  It assumes, of course that you just fried a mess of fish and still have your grease hot.

1 3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour, all-purpose
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup diced onion (or green onion if in season)

Stir all together.  Drop by spoonful or scoop into hot oil and cook until well browned.  Test one first and if it is well browned but still doughy inside, turn down heat a bit.  Usually takes 2 or 3 minutes.

Chicken Sauce Piquant

I ate this a lot growing up.  I haven't been able to find the exact recipe from the source but this is Grandma's version.  The recipe came from Aunt Opal's daughter-in-law (name?), Paul Redman's wife.  I remember Opal and Grandma and Mom all making this. 

1 chicken, cut up
1/4 cup oil
1 qt. canned tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chipped
1 clove minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 cup raw rice
more water or tomato sauce as needed

Brown chicken in oil in a heavy pot.  Add veggies and spices and simmer 5 minutes.  Add rice and more liquid to cover all well.  Simmer covered until chicken is very tender.  Adjust salt & pepper.


EDITED TO ADD:
Mom reviewed this version and says that Grandma told her to flour the chicken pieces before frying to help with browning and to thicken sauce later.  Also, was cooked without rice and then served over plain white rice.

German Cole Slaw

Grandma got this recipe from Dude Jackson, Freeman Dill's sister.  Freeman lived with Grandma & Grandpa for a little while when he was a very young man.  It was common practice back then to offer room and board in exchange for help on the farm.  Later he married Deloris and became part of the family. 

If I was going to name this dish, it would be Pickled Slaw.  This stuff keeps a really long time.  In the summer it's great to have on  hand to add to any meal.  Warning: store in glass container because the tumeric will stain anything plastic!

3 pounds cabbage, shredded
1 chipped onion
1 sliced bell pepper

Boil the following:
   1 1/2 cup vinegar
   1 1/2 cup sugar
   3 Tbsp salt
   1 tsp tumeric (will turn it yellow)
   1 tsp black pepper
   1 Tbsp celery seed

Pour the boiled mixture over the veggies and refrigerate. 
  

Opal's Coconut Cake / Fluffy White Frosting

This cake was always the first to disappear at family gatherings.  Even though it uses a cooked icing, it really isn't hard to make.  Once you "spin a thread" for the first time, you'll know exactly what it means.Grandma gave me a lesson to make this because I didn't understand the recipe and so I have re-written it with my own instructions.  I always double this recipe to have lots of frosting to work with...and plenty for bowl licking while I let the cake set up.

Bake a white cake in two 8" or 9" rounds.

2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup white syrup
2 Tbsp. water
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla

Beat the egg whites until frothy.  Set them aside for a minute.  Boil the sugar, syrup, water, and salt until it spins a thread when poured from a spoon.  To do this: scoop some of the cooking syrup and dribble it back into the pan in a small stream.  When the stream gets very thin, the rising steam will blow the thread of syrup up and away from the pan.  At first it will only fly a little bit.  When it's ready it will fly up and away from your hand.  Remove pan from heat.  Begin beating the egg whites again.  Very slowly pour the hot syrup into the eggs as you continue beating them.  Let beat until soft peaks form.  Add vanilla and beat a bit more.

Frost and layer white cake.  Sprinkle top with coconut and press it onto the sides as well.

Opal and Grandma, June 1973.

Buttermilk Biscuits

This is a good recipe to use for Granny Wilkins sourdough starter.  If your starter is especially sour, add a little more baking soda.

2 cups plain flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk (or sourdough starter)
1/3 cup shortening/oil/butter (use any)

Mix all  until a dough ball forms.  Knead gently 10 or 12 times.  Roll or pat out dough 1/2 to 1 inch thick.  Cut out rounds with biscuit cutter or a glass.  Bake on lightly greased pan at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Granny Wilkins' Sourdough Starter (for making biscuits)

Grandma Bridges gave me this recipe.  Granny Wilkins was her mother's mother (Granny Goose's mom).  Grandma says that she was the all-time queen of biscuit making.  Grandma's dad, Sam Allen, would joke with the children that when they were going to Granny Wilkins they should take a biscuit from home in their pocket since Granny couldn't cook biscuits.  This would cause the children to cry out in protest to defend  her.

1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 pkg. yeast

Mix all togither in large non-metal bowl with non-metal spoon.  Cover with a cloth and let stand 48 hours before using.

Use this starter instead of buttermilk when making biscuits.

I asked Grandma why she would need to replace the buttermilk in her biscuits.  She said that Granny only had one cow and with everyone drinking milk there wasn't always enough.  They also made a lot of cream pies, and biscuits were served with nearly every meal.

Sourdough Biscuits

I got this recipe directly from Grandma Bridges.  She wasn't sure where she got it.  The great thing about this recipe is that you make the dough ahead of time.  You can make a batch of this on the weekend and be throwing biscuits in the oven every day of the week.  These biscuits are more like bread than traditional biscuits.

If you keep a sourdoough starter in the fridge, you can replace the yeast, water and buttermilk with 3 cups of the starter.  Add another pinch of baking soda if you do.

1 pkg. yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup corn oil
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
6 & 1/2 cups plain flour (all purpose)

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Combine all ingredients.  Place dough in covered bowl in refrigerator.  No need to rise before baking...just let the dough warm a little in the pan before you put it in the oven.  Bake in muffin tins at 375 degrees until brown.  This keeps well in the fridge for 2 weeks.  It just gets more sour.