Chicken Lasagna Recipe

Someone asked for my chicken lasagna recipe. I usually cook a whole chicken but if you don't want to use a whole chicken choose chicken breast with bone in. A lot of good flavor comes from the bone and the skin.
I have made this recipe without the mushrooms with spinach and without the spinach with the mushrooms. Both were delicious.

Chicken Lasagna

Chicken

1 whole chicken

2 stalks Celery chopped

1/2 small Onion chopped

Salt and Pepper to coat

Wash the chicken rub in salt and pepper and put in large pot cover with water add celery, and onion. When leg falls away from breast remove from water and let cool. When cool enough to touch, remove skin and bones and chop 2 cups of chicken.

Mushrooms and Spinach

1 pound of baby Portobello mushrooms chopped

½ of small onion

2 cloves garlic minced

1 stick of butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups warm chicken broth

3 1/2 cups ½ and ½

1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Pinch of nutmeg

1 lb. chopped spinach

Sautee mushrooms in large pan, over medium heat, in 1 stick of butter with onions and garlic, until onions are translucent. Stir in 3 tablespoons flour to make a light roux. Add 2 cups chicken broth from cooked chicken. Stir and cook until smooth. Add the ½ and ½ and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg. Allow to simmer over medium low heat for about 2 to 3 min. until it begins to thicken.  Remove from heat and stir in chopped spinach.

Noodles

9 to 10 lasagna noodles cooked by package directions.

Drain, rinse and cool enough to touch.

Cook these while the mushroom sauce is being made drain, rinse and allow to cool to touch.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Assemble the lasagna in a 9 x 13 oven proof pan. Oil bottom and sides of pan.

Lightly cover the bottom of the pan with the mushroom mixture. Lay 3 noodles on top, and cover with a little more sauce, layer of chicken, layer of sauce. Continue to layer ending with sauce on top.

Bake for about 30 to 35 min. until bubbly in the middle and edges are lightly brown.  Remove from oven and let stand for 5 min. before serving. Great served with a tossed salad with sliced avocado and Italian dressing.

Digging the Sand!

I have spent almost all of my daylight hours the past few days in the sand.....digging up sandspurs, wild lantana in bad locations and those awful thorny bamboo shoots. They all love this sandy mountain. The thorny bamboos are the worst of course, because they bite really hard with huge razor blade sharp thorns.
I have missed alot the past two days while I have been playing weed exterminator in the sand...and not turning on my computer or answering my phone continuously...I had rosy cheeks last night from the sun.:) I love the Sun too bad I don't have ninja skin....I can hear Granny's "Woooo Katie, you better cover your head, that old sun will ruin your skin." It's a fact red heads can't tan....

M.J. during the Alabama
Auburn game

Last night my daughter Lee Ann had to take her totally loved pet to the emergency Vet in Auburn. They kept M.J., said she was comfortable, and sent Lee Ann home and said to come back to see vet at 10:30. We almost lost M.J. last summer when she ate a toothpick. She had surgery and slowly recovered. I hope she's o.k. we all totally adore her. They were playing in the park and she started crying and just kept getting worse.  She is the smartest sweetest dog any of us have ever known. Lee Ann is totally devoted to her and she to Lee Ann.
Last week my cousin Cicely's daughter broke her arm and she commented on how hard it is to see your child suffer. It is the worst torment there is for a mother. Wish I could be there with them....

My Valentine!



With Lee Lee at the Derby

Home with Lola

Halloween after the Hayride!

Tricia center with friends UF

Tricia and Whitney

 Pledge group at UF

Tricia and Rona.....and a little flat bill platypus!

This was Tricia's 2nd Birthday! Left to right Anna Lewis, Marie Holland, Molly Peacock, Tricia, Erin Hayes, Amber Holland.



Winston sings Happy Bday!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS WE LOVE YOU!  





Blue Cheese Dressing and Wings

I have to share this recipe for Blue Cheese Dressing with you. Wade and Tricia and I love it. Tricia called last night at 8:30 and wanted to know if I had any left! She didn't come get it but we did have a little left :)
I have been making wings baked instead of fried.  We like them hope you do too.

Blue Cheese Dressing:

3/4 cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

1/2 lemon, juiced

Pinch Seasoned Salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

5 ounces blue cheese crumbles

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon buttermilk

Pinch black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl with whisk and store in jar with tight lid. I usually use a glass pint jar with a screw on top. I added a little more black pepper in the end....We like black pepper...... 

Kept refrigerated, the dressing will stay fresh in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.    If it last that long!!!

I made this dressing earlier this week and we love it. I made green salads with romaine lettuce and added fresh chopped avocado and croutons.  Delicious….

We also ate the dressing with oven baked chicken wings, they were delicious too.

 

Oven Baked Chicken Wings

Chicken Wing Pieces …..Allow about 5 to 6 wing pieces per person.

Olive oil to coat wings lightly

Salt and Pepper to cover

Morton’s Nature seasons to cover

Coat chicken wings with olive oil and seasonings cover and let stand for about 30 min. in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place in a glass rectangular baking dish large enough to hold a single layer of chicken wing pieces.  Bake in oven until browned flip and bake until till browned. The time will vary depending on how large the wings are and how many wings you have. Just get them crispy brown.  Serve with blue cheese dressing and sliced celery and carrots. 

You can add spicy wing sauce if you like just brown the wings as stated above and remove from oven coat with hot wing seasoning, ( We like Moore’s brand) and return to the oven for about 5 min.

Serve Hot……

Momma's Lemon Cheese Cake

There are several versions of this cake. Momma uses more lemon in her recipe than most recipes.
Momma usually uses a Duncan Hines butter recipe cake mix for the cake divided into 4- 9" cake pans and makes the icing as follows.

Lemon Cheese Icing

3 large or 4 medium to small lemons zested and squezzed
8 egg yolks
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg white

Seperate the eggs while they are cold.

Mix together lemon juice and zest, egg yolks, sugar and butter, and 1 egg white in large sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until thick enough to spread. Stir constantly do not leave it. This will probably take about 10 min.

Lay small strips of wax paper on cake plate where the edges of cake layers will lay to keep icing off plate. When cake has cooled and the icing has cooled to point where you can touch without being burned layer icing and cake. Ice sides of cake also. Let stand for an hour and remove wax paper. Store at room temperature in Cake Dome. Do not refrigerate.

Mickey Wayne and note to Aunt A. V.

Cousin Joe Watford sent this picture of Mickey Wayne along with the note that Granny sent to Joe's Mom, Granny's Aunt A.V.

Lott/Kelly Family Pictures

                                                                 The Lott Family
I am guessing this picture was taken in Dale County Alabama around 1924. Momma Peacock, Lota Lott, looks like she is about 5 years old in this picture. She was born in 1919.
Left to right back row Oneil, Jim, Burt
Left to right front row Damon, Charlie, Tom, Mary Francis Rebecca Kelly, Lucille, Austin, and Lota



Mary Francis Rebecca Kelly Lott, known as Mollie Lott was born in Argyle, Florida in 1879. I hope this picture can be restored.



These pictures are labeled Joe Lott and Job Lott. I think they may be Tom Lott's brothers.

This picture is labeled "Miss Lota Lott" It is old enough to be Momma Peacock but we don't know for sure. It was in a box of old cards and letters that belonged to Grandma Mollie.

This picture is labeled Corine Weed. I am guessing she might be a niece of Grandma Mollie's.

These pictures were on their way to be burned when I found them in a box of dirty papers and trash from Uncle Damon's portable storage building. I don't know if Momma Peacock ever saw them. I also found letters and cards that belonged to Grandma Mollie and letters from Uncle Damon to Grandma Mollie and Uncle Charlie while he was in WWII. Grandma Mollie lived with Uncle Damon before she came to live with Momma Peacock in 1963. She passed away in 1964.

This is a cute picture of Tiny Bruner, daugther of Cassie Kelly Bruner. Cassie was Grandma Mollie's sister.
I am going to visit Tiny this Friday in Alabama. She is now in her 80's. She has been researching the Kelly Family history for 60 years. She will soon be ready to record her documented history in The Library of Congress. I am very excited to visit with her.

This is my Mom, Patricia's first grade picture.  Sooo Cute!

This is Momma Peacock's brother Charlie in grammer school.

Charlie Lott in the early 40's WWII.

Austin and Lorene Lott in the early 40's.

I will have more on the Lotts and Kelly family after I talk to Tiny. I promised her I would not post her information on the Kelly's until she has it recorded in The Library of Congress. I have more pictures coming soon too.



Momma Peacock and Momma Carroll

Sherri Carroll shared these pictures with us on facebook, they came from Aunt Shirley. I am guessing they were taken around 1955 some where in the woods.  They may be out for a picnic and probably close to Momma Peacock's house. I am basing the 1955 guess on Ricky's age. He looks like he is about 1 year old. His birthday was October of 1954.....



Momma Peacock and Aunt Lucille, aka "Momma Carroll" and Ricky




Aunt Shirley and Uncle David




Cherry and Peggy wearing matching outfits.




Back row left to right
Momma Carroll, Momma Peacock holding Ricky, Cherry and David
Hugh Peacock, Nathan Carroll, Peggy Peacock, Dane Carroll and Brenda Peacock in front, looking sooo cute!




Ricky Peacock

I think Cicely and Joshua's son Jeremiah favors Ricky in these pictures.




Lucille Lott Carroll we all knew her as Momma Carroll



Peacock Family In Henry County

Lota Lee Lott Peacock and Hugh Dorsey Peacock
This picture was taken in the early 70's for the church bulletin, when Daddy Peacock was a Deacon at Hodgesville Baptist Church

Momma and Daddy Peacock's grave in Hodgesville Baptist Church picture taken Dec. 26, 2010

I have been tracing the Peacock Information that Daddy Peacock left with us. The 1850 census for Henry County is on line and I found Washington Hamilton and Elizabeth Pennington Peacock listed in the census. They are Daddy Peacock's great grandparents. Their son Richard is Daddy Peacock's Grandfather. His father was James Allen Peacock.  Momma said his mother's name was Penelope Pierce Peacock. Everyone called her "Penny."

There are two articles about cemteries in Henry county on the Henry County Historical Group website. One of the articles is about the Peacock Cemetery and one is about the Culp-Kirkland cemetery. Just happens to be the main two I have been searching for. Go to http://www.hchg.org/ and click on archives and then cemeteries.

I hope to go to Abbeville very soon and get some pictures and more information for you on the Peacocks and the Hollands and Kirklands.

The Children of James Allen Peacock in the early 1970's
Left to Right
Annie, Victor, Nell, Dorsey, Gladys, and I am not sure who the man on the far right is.

Aunt Gladys is the only one still living. She was born in 1916 so she is 95 this year. I hope to go visit her in March with Momma. She lives in Homasassa Springs or close by there. I remember going there when we were little and having a really good time.




 


 

Bertha's Fresh Coconut Cake Recipe

Some of Morgan's children.
Lena Mae, Riley, standing back
Left to Right front
Naoma, Orea, Hubert and Bertha

The following recipe is our family favorite "Fresh Coconut Cake." This was Aunt Bertha's special cake. I am making it tomorrow. I had a friend from college, who after graduating, was the manager or The University Club in Tuscaloosa. She said they had this cake on their menu and it was constantly their best seller.

 

 

Fresh Coconut Cake

Butter Cake Recipe

2 ½ cups plain flour

¾ teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup soft butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

·       Combine flour, salt, and soda blend with a whisk.

·       Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs 1 at a time and beat after each addition until yolk is blended in well.

·       Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, mix until well blended. Stir in vanilla.

·       Bake 350 degrees in 3- 9” pans for 30 min.

Fresh Coconut Frosting

2 bags of frozen fresh coconut Thawed do not drain

1 16 oz container of sour cream

1 16 oz box of confectioner sugar

1 small container of whipped topping like cool whip

·       Mix together thawed coconut with juice, sour cream, and confectioner sugar in large mixing bowl. Fold in cool whip or whipped cream.

·       Frost layers when completely cool, cover top and sides of cake. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Keeps refrigerated up to 5 days.

 

After 24 to 48 hours the flavors have time to blend and the sugars melt and seep down into the cake….It’s really good. If you want to use a pre mixed cake mix try Duncan Hines Butter recipe cake mix. It's almost as good as this "from scratch" recipe

Sanders Holland and Emilie "Millie" Kirkland Holland

This past Thanksgiving mother gave me a list of the Holland family members. I am attempting to get the information and pictures sorted out and recorded for the Holland Family Reunion I think it will be April 24th this year. The location is always East Gate Park in Dothan. 

Sanders Holland my Great Great Grandfather is the oldest family member that we have information on so far. He was born March 6, 1831. He married Emilie Kirkland from Abbeville, Al. prior to 1851. Sanders was killed in The Civil War in Virginia in 1863.
Emilie was born Jan. 5, 1830, and died in 1901. As far as we know after Sanders died in Virginia she stayed in Abbeville with her father and raised their 5 children.

1. John Franklin Holland  born 12- 4-1851 in Henry Co......died  2-2-1910 in Hartford, Al.
2. Josiah Holland born 3-9-1853 in Henry Co. died unkown
3. James Madison Holland born 5-18-1853 in Henry Co. died unkown
4. Mary Polly Holland born 1-1-1859 in Henry co.  died unkown
5. William Morgan Holland born 9-1-1860 in Henry Co. died Jan. 25, 1941 in Houston County buried Ramer Baptist Church Cottonwood, Al.

William Morgan was my great grandfather. He was 3 years old in 1863, when his father Sanders, died in The Civil War in Virginia. He was raised by his mother in Abbeville. After the war Emilie lived with her father Josiah in Abbeville where he operated The Country Tavern.

I have to go to Abbeville and research Sanders Holland, and casualty records for the Civil War. The civil war records may be in Ozark, Al. I heard there is civil war information in a museum or library there.

I think this picture is one of Morgan's older brothers. I think they look alike.

This may be another of Morgan's brothers.

We have the list of children for most of Morgan's brothers and sisters. I am sure there is more information and possibly some more pictures in Abbeville. 

Holland Gravesites Mount Enon and Ramer Church

I am working on Holland Genealogy again and pictures.......

List of all of the children of Morgan Holland.  The picture below was taken the day of Morgan's funeral Jan. 25, 1941. 70 years ago yesterday. Jessie and Riley were the only children deceased at the time of his death.
Riley Holland
Jessie Holland
Lucius Holland
Lome Holland
Lena Mae Holland
Bertha Holland
Ernest Holland
Orea Holland
Elmire Holland
Hubert Holland
Ruby Holland
Ruth Holland
Louise Holland
Naomi Holland



Left to Right
Lucius, Ernest, Hubert holding Doyle, Elmire, Louise and her husband, Bertha, Ruby, Lena Mae, Ruth holding Charles and her huband Ray Thurmon holding Faye, Luverne, Lome and her children and husband.



Ruth Holland Thurman Aunt Ruth is buried in Geneva County. I need to take mother to help me find her gravesite. Faye was Aunt Ruth's only daughter and she passed away the spring of 2011.

 

                                                        Aunt Naomi is buried in Big Creek.

Louise was burried in New York State close to her home in Buffalo.

Bertha Holland

Ruby Lee Holland

Aunt Ruby and Aunt Bertha's graves are under an oak tree and they are covered with acorns and sticks. The day we were there the wind chill was about 10 so we didn't stay long. I am going back soon to get that moss off the stone and pick up the sticks and take some flowers for all of them.

Uncle Elmire and one of his friends.



Elmire Holland






Uncle Elmire and Aunt Verbie

Left to Right back row
Ernest, Elmire, Hubert and Orea
Front Granny and Aunt Bertha and my Dad.

 

Uncle Orea





Grandpa and Granny

The picture of Granny and Grandpa was taken in 1958. The one of Grandpa above I am guessing in the mid to late 40's.

This is Morgan and Emma Holland's graves in Ramer Church Cemetery State Line Road Cottonwood, Al. They were my paternal great grandparents, my Dad's Grandparents.

Morgan and Emma Holland