Growing up, it amazed me how much a sandwich my Momma made tasted so much better than my own. We could use the same ingredients, lay the sandwich out the same, and Momma’s sandwich would win hands down.
I’m a pretty good cook – taught by Momma and my grandmother, Thelma Sexton. Now, I’m not a great cook like them. I can follow directions, and I am pretty good about substituting various ingredients I feel will make a recipe taste better. My Momma and grandmother could take scraps from a near-empty fridge and turn them into a four-course feast.
Now with my own family and my own kitchen, there are always those meals that bring me back to my Momma’s kitchen or my grandmother’s kitchen. Those certain smells and textures and random combinations that can only be family concocted.
One of my favorite meals made with love by my Momma was Great Northern beans and corn bread. Nothing different than a lot of Southern homes, but my momma served hers with home-canned pepper sauce and homemade coleslaw – coleslaw that, in my opinion, cannot be matched. Period.
This past winter, my husband put Great Northern beans in the slow cooker and made a skillet of corn bread. He was confused why I needed to pick up cabbage, tomatoes, and cucumbers at SuperValu before I came home. Well, that’s just how you eat Great Northern beans – with Momma’s homemade slaw.
Dot Sexton’s slaw
Head of cabbage, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
½ red onion, chopped
Blue Plate Mayonnaise
Mix ingredients. Be careful not to over mayonnaise.
The secret to Momma’s slaw is the mixture of the fresh cucumber and tomato juices, and let it sit for about an hour in the refrigerator for the ultimate goodness.
But heed my warning, Momma’s slaw will be better, just like her fried chicken, corn bread, homemade biscuits, and every single dessert. My sister Deana loves Momma’s fried apricot pies. My sister Stephanie loves her homemade chocolate pie. My favorite of Momma’s desserts is her Baby Food Cake with homemade cream cheese icing.
Dot Sexton’s Baby Food Cake
1 package moist yellow cake mix
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 (4 ounce) jar apricot baby food
1 (4 ounce) jar plum baby food
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9 or 10 inch Bundt pan.
Combine the cake mix, sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, apricot baby food and plum baby food. Mix for 2 minutes. Stir in walnuts and pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.
Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1block cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3cups powdered sugar, plus more as needed
In large bowl, beat softened butter and cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed 2 to 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until smooth and creamy. Stir in vanilla, then stir in powdered sugar. Add more powdered sugar as needed until frosting is a thick spreadable consistency. Spread or pipe frosting on cooled cake or cupcakes.
In honor of our mother’s, several members of the newspaper staff submitted their favorite recipes made with love from their own Mommas.
Carlene Deason’s Tea Cakes
4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
½ lb (2 sticks) softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl sift flour, baking soda and baking powder together. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Dough will be soft and wet. On a floured surface shape, the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Flour surface again and roll dough out until approximately ¼ inch thick. Cut dough into desired shapes and bake on a slightly greased sheet pan for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes about 6 to 8 dozen tea cakes.
Submitted by Tina Gatlin
Frances Frazier’s Chocolate Pie
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons baking cocoa
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
3 large egg yolks, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pie shell (9 inches), baked
Meringue
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar
In a saucepan, mix sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt; gradually add milk. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir about 1 cup of the hot filling into the egg yolks. Return to saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Pour hot filling into pie crust. For meringue, immediately beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until stiff and glossy. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing meringue to pie crust. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Yield: 8 servings
Submitted by Wanda Roche’
Willie Bea Lee’s Corn Bread Dressing
1 cup butter, divided
2 cups white cornmeal
1 cup self-rising flower
7 cups buttermilk
3 cups soft bread crumbs
2 medium onions, diced
1 large bunch celery diced
6 10.5 ounce cans of chicken broth, undiluted
Poultry seasoning to taste
Place ½ cup butter in a 13x9 inch pan; heat in oven at 425 degrees for four minutes. Combine cornmeal and flower. Whisk in 3 eggs and buttermilk. Pour hot butter into batter, stirring until blended. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.
Crumble cornbread into a large bowl. Stir in bread crumbs and set aside. Melt remaining ½ cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery and sauté until tender. Stir in a little poultry seasoning and sauté one more minute.
Stir vegetables, remaining four eggs, chicken broth, and pepper into cornbread mixture. Pour evenly into a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish and one lightly greased 8 inch baking dish. Cover and chill.
Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown.
Submitted by Austin Bishop
Kay Jones’ Company Chicken
6 boneless chicken breasts
1 block of cream cheese
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup of butter
1 envelope of Italian Dressing mix
Combine and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve over prepared rice, bow tie pasta or spaghetti.
Serve with a side vegetable or a salad.
Submitted by Denise Grones
