Fresh Peach Pie

Sunday afternoon I made a peach pie with some fresh peaches from Fort Valley, Georgia. They were delicious juicy and ripe. Of course I went to Granny's recipes and found several recipes. This is the one I chose.

Fresh Peach Pie
1 1/2 cup chopped ripe peaches
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Peel and chop peaches and toss with lemon juice and lemon zest. Place in the bottom of a regular (not deep dish) pie shell.

Mix sugar, flour, and melted butter. beat in eggs and vanilla. Pour over peaches do not stir. Place in a 350 degree oven for 15 min. Turn oven down to 300 cook for additional 40 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack. Serve with heavy cream or ice cream.
I used a deep dish pie plate and a ready made crust. The recipe was not intended for deep dish. So I added more peaches but did not increase the eggs. The custard was good but if there had another egg and a little more butter it would have been better in the deep dish.

July 14th, 2012 Holland Before and After Surgery

I have a great many things to catch you up on here on Granny Lessons. Holland's surgery was a great sucess. He is still going to therapy two days a week in Birmingham and three days in Dothan.

One afternoon recently while playing with his cousin Colt, Holland said" Colt when my feet are finally flat I am going to out run all of ya'll." I believe him. He has the determination and faith needed to remove this mountain he's facing.

Holland and his Great Granny the night before surgery.

This is a good picture taken before surgery showing how he stood on his feet. This is as far as he could stretch those leg muscles.

The first afternoon he came home from Birmingham I went over to his house and he grabbed me by the hand and said, "Come on Aunt Kaye! I want you to come in my bedroom with me." We went in his room and he said "Pick me up and put me on the bed and get these braces off of me and put my cowboy boots on." I started taking his braces off and he said it's o.k. not to wear them when I have my cowboy boots on. I'm like a regular kid now!" He knew what I was thinking before I ever said anything! So I put his boots on and he went outside, with our help of course and got on his little John Deere Gator. He had a blast!

Holland playing doctor before surgery.  His favorite show is Grey's Anatomy.

The family together the night before surgery. I don't know but it looks like everyone is leaning left. Could it be because everyone was holding each other up with lots of love? I'm sure of it.

Hudson back in Dothan with me. I spent alot of time with this little chipmunk named Henley too. Her pictures follow.

The second top tooth broke through the morning I took this picture! Just overnight and poof it was there!

Had fun shopping for Henley in Doodlebugs in Dothan. http://www.mylittledoodlebug.com/ super cute smocked outfits for girls and boys.

As you can see Holland is a happy little camper and his legs are getting stronger everyday!

He chose one red and one orange cast! You can see how flat his feet are now after surgery.

Miss Priss Henley is enjoying a ride in the Fun Factory, in Franklin, N. C. recently. I think she likes it! She has her first birthday this week!!...Holland is driving.

Holland showing off his bending knees and flat feet. He chose camouflage for these casts. Keep this little guy in your prayers. He is going to do great things in this world.








gardenhistorygirl: Garden of Gold

gardenhistorygirl: Garden of Gold wanted to share my favorite blog with you.

Holland May 1, 2012

Amber's message on facebook last night around 9:30.

Amber wrote. "I Just called to check on Holland and his nurse Haley (cute little blonde) says he is doing great and he is just precious. He is apparently talking her ears off. He has told her all about his tractor and Gator and getting John Deere boots that are just green, no yellow. He also told her about Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Cathy and that when he is good all week he gets to go to the treasure chest. He is content and watching Dora and will hoepfully be resting well tonight. Again prayers are being answered."

Surgery update





Holland dressed and ready for surgery today April 30,2012.

Holland is a Huge Grey's Anatomy fan and this morning before surgery the nurses gave him his very own personal Dr. Shepard outfit! If you ask Holland what kind of Doctor he wants to be he responds with,"A good one!"

 Holland's surgery in Birmingham's Childrens hospital is over. The doctor's said they can already feel a difference in his legs. Amber's specific prayers are for no infection, no pain and relief from anxiety. Holland will be in ICU recovering for a while...will keep you updated.... all is good.....all is real good.  Great thanks to all of our friends and the entire community for the love and support you have given our family. We are blessed.....very blessed. Will keep you updated.


Our family in waiting room at Children's Hospital



Hope For Holland

Doyle Holland Smith Age 3.
 March 2012 

Hey guys just wanted to quickly let you know that Doyle Holland Smith's website http://www.hopeforholland.com/ is up and running. Holland is my great nephew. Great in more ways than one! He's a smart little guy who has dreams of being a "Good Doctor." The website has been set up to communicate with friends and family April 30, 2012 during surgery, and recovery. We will also track Holland's progress through many months of physical therapy in Birmingham. Please log on and if possible support the fund raising effort that will go toward Holland's therapy after surgery, and other children recieving the same surgery in Children's hospital Birmingham. We will be sharing their stories with you in our blog coming soon.

Holland Smith left, Justin his dad and Amber his mom and Husdon Holland's baby brother. Newfound Gap, North Carolina November 2011.

Granny Lessons: English/Sims Family & Italian Cream Cheese Cake recipe

Granny Lessons: English/Sims Family & Italian Cream Cheese Cake recipe

Duskie the Chochin Frizzle Hen

Hey Everybody! It's time for the National Peanut Festival again! Hope everyone has a great time. Wear your warm clothes. The weather is changing tomorrow.

I'm making an update on this old blog from many years ago and I'm sending it to you again. Dalton has grown up and graduated from High School now and he is not in the business of chickens any more. But he was a most adorable and enthusiastic chicken producer in 2011.

From an article published in Earth and Life Magazine. The young man featured, in the article "Duskey the Cochin Frizzle Hen", is Dalton Andress. Dalton is a cousin from the Holland family and lives on a nearby farm in Big Creek. He's a brilliant young man, very responsible and caring and has a bright future ahead of him. We are all very proud of you, Dalton.

Duskie, the Cochin Frizzle Hen

 Dalton Andress is not your typical eleven year old. Instead of the typical pre teen interest, of sports and video games, Dalton is busy raising prize winning poultry. I visited Dalton during the National Peanut Festival in Dothan. Dalton entered two silver Seabright chickens, a pearl Guinea and a Cochin “Frizzle” hen, named “Duskie”, in the Peanut Festival  Poultry Show. This was Duskie’s second year to compete in the Poultry Show.

"Duskie" the Cochin Frizzle Hen

Dalton Andress during National Peanut Festival November 2011
with his prize winning seabrights, cochin frizzle hen and pearl quinea

Cochin “Frizzle” chickens are a very popular exhibition chicken due to their unusual appearance. Frizzles have feathers on their legs, and their feathers turn up instead of lying flat like other chickens.

I asked Dalton why he chose to raise frizzles and he said he thought they were interesting and very approachable chickens. Dalton spends about 15 minutes every morning before school making sure his chickens have water and food. In the afternoons he spends time cleaning, feeding and watering, gathering eggs and maintaining his coupes. 

I learned a lot in a very short time about chickens. Dalton explained that the color of the chicken’s ear lobe is an indication of the color their egg will be. I also learned the life span of most chickens is short. 3 to 4 years is the maximum life expectancy for most. Hens will lay about 250 eggs in a lifetime. Duskie, pictured above is two years old and has laid about 200 eggs so far.

Dalton said this will probably be Duskie’s last show due to her age. She took home the first place blue ribbon in the 2011 National Peanut Festival Poultry Show in the feather legged bantam class. The two silver seabrights and the pearl guinea also took home first place ribbons for their respective class. Dalton was awarded second place for overall showmanship.

Lady Ga Ga on Parade!

Evidently it is a little difficult to determine the sex of a chicken when they are young.  Dalton was giving me the names of all of his chickens and I noticed the red frizzle rooster was named “Lady Ga Ga.”  I laughed and he said he thought the rooster was a hen when he named him. I asked him why he didn’t change his name when he discovered he was a male rooster. He said, “Lady Ga Ga still fit him because he is so sassy.” I can see a little “sass” in this picture of Lady Ga Ga.

Dalton and Duskie

I asked Dalton to tell me the most important thing he does for his chickens. I was a little surprised by his answer.  He said, “Of course food and water are the most important and then I think conversation is the next most important thing. They like for you to talk to them. Talking calms them down. A stressed hen will not produce. So I try to handle and talk to all of my chickens as much as possible.”  I asked Dalton about his plans for the future and his response was, “I just want to learn as much as I can about chickens and raise a whole lot of them.”  Dalton it looks like you are off to a great start.