Granny Jane's Chicken Divan

This is Granny Jane's simplified Chicken Divan recipe. Really good served over white rice.

2 10 oz. boxes frozen broccoli spears.
3 chicken breast bone in skin on
2 stalks celery chopped
2 condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
Bread Crumbs

Wash, salt and pepper 3 chicken breast. Boil chicken with celery in enough water to cover, reduce heat to medium cook until tender. Remove chicken from pot, cool and remove skin and bones. Tear the chicken breat meat into small strips.
Cook broccoli until tender with a pinch of salt. Drain well.
Mix together soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder and half of the cheese.
Line the bottom of a 9 x 11 casserole with the chicken, layer the well drained broccoli over chicken. Pour the soup mixture over the broccoli, cover with remaining cheese and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake 350 degrees for 25 to 30 min. until bubbling hot in center.

Note: 
Save the broth the chicken cooked in. Measure out the amount needed to cook your rice. Great flavor.
Ritz crackers may be substitute for bread crumbs.

Donna's Broccoli Casserole

My sweet friend Donna Lewis mailed this recipe to me just after I married in November 1980. She made a note that if Bill didn't like broccoli that I should chop it up after it cooks and he wouldn't know that it was broccoli. I did and he loved it. Tricia and Lee Ann like this casserole too. :)

Donna's Broccoli Casserole

2 boxes frozen broccoli
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 of a small yellow onion chopped fine
2 heaping tablespoons of Kraft mayonnaise
1 egg slightly beaten
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 package of Ritz crackers crushed

Cook broccoli with salt in enough water to cover until tender and drain.
Mix mushroom soup, mayonnaise, egg, and half of cheddar cheese, and onion with spoon until well blended.
Place drained broccoli in bottom of 9 x 11 casserole and cover with the soup mixture. Top with remaining cheese and cover the cheese with ritz cracker crumbs. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and Microwave for 8 to 10 min. on high. Center should be bubbling. Remove plastic wrap and let stand for 5 min before serving.

Notes: 
I tried this recipe in the regular oven once when my microwave was out of order and It was much more dry than it is in the microwave.
Ritz Crackers are key to a great taste with this casserole. The butter in the crackers makes the difference. If you have to use another cracker you might try adding a little melted butter on top of crackers. Just a little!

Tiger Cake recipe

Thursday Nov. 18, 2010

Today I have been combing through some old recipes and clippings. I found all kinds of things! Like the wallpaper and paint samples with estimate for Tricia's nursery, before she was born! I have to get that in a scrap book.:)
I also found alot of Granny Jane and Maggie's recipes they gave me through the years. I found recipes friends gave me when I married. They gave me a recipe shower. It was fun. Everyone brought a recipe and either an ingredient, dish or utensil needed to prepare their recipe.
I remember Granny Jane's friend Mrs. Amos, Sr. gave me a Fanny Farmer Cookbook. She told me that it would tell me everything I needed to know about cooking. She was right. I have worn the cover thread bare in 30 years of cooking. 30 years have flown by.
I posted some of Granny Jane's recipes this morning, along with Maggie's red pepper mayonnaise recipe. There are more of their recipes I will share in a post soon.
For the Alabama Auburn Game next Friday I am making a Tiger Cake! I'm an Alabama fan even though I have been spending alot of time in Auburn lately.  :-)
Tiger cake is made with chocolate cookies sandwiched together with whipped cream peanut butter filling. The tiger stripes are revealed when you cut the cake on a 45 degree angle. Here is the recipe and directions to assemble.

Chocolate Cookie Recipe

2 2/3 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1cup crisco vegtable shortening or 1 cup butter
1 large egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and cocoa powder set aside.
In mixing bowl with electric mixer cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla blend well. Add flour in thirds blending well after each addition.
Place on lightly floured surface divide into halves and roll to form two 8" to 10" long logs. Wrap in wax paper and place in refrigerator or freezer until firm. Cut in 1/2" thick rounds and place on cookie sheet with 1" space around each. Bake 350 degrees for 12-14 min.

Tiger Cake

Filling ingredients:
1/2 cup whipping cream....not heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2 use regular whipping cream
5 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons frimly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cup ice cold whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Yellow and Red food coloring....optional
2 tablespoons chopped dry roasted peanuts

You will need to clear out a spot in your freezer for a baking sheet or some type of long dish and have the following utensils to prepare the filling and assemble cake.

• In the long baking sheet or dish cut a piece of aluminum foil a little longer than the dish and reserve for future use.
• Fill a large mixing bowl with ice and place the container with whipping cream and the beaters for the mixer in the ice. Let this sit until you are ready to whip the whipping cream.
• In a heavy sauce pan combine 1/2 cup whipping cream, peanut butter, and dark brown sugar. Heat over medium heat until smooth about 3 min. When smooth remove from heat and let stand until cool.
• Take a length of aluminum foil and make a cradle large enough for your cookies to sit in on end, and long enough for about a 12 to 14 inch stack of cookies that will make up your cake. You want this to be a little smaller in total length than the dish you prepared for the freezer. Use one of your cookies as a guide. By crunching up the sides of the aluminum foil you will be able to keep the cake stable in the freezer.  Line the inside of the cradle with plastic wrap cutting the plastic wrap long enough to hang over the sides.
• Pour the ice out of the mixing bowl and dry the bowl with a clean towel. In the cold mixing bowl add 1 1/2 cups ice cold whipping cream and beat with cold beaters until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla extract and the cooled peanut butter mixture. Blend until smooth. The consistency of the cream should be like a butter cream frosting.
• If you want to add color to the frosting divide the frosting in half and then divide one half again in half. In other words you want 1/2 of frosting plain with peanut butter and divide the other half into two bowls and add a few drops of yellow in one and red in another. Alternate the colors as you build the cookie log.
• Take one of the cookies and spread a large dollop of whipped cream mixture. Stand the cookie on end in the aluminum foil cradle you prepared. Repeat alternating colors and add to the last cookie in the cradle. Continue to add cookies with cream until you have reached the end of the cradle. Use enough cream to make filling 3/4 to 1/2 inch thick when sandwiched between the cookies.
• Pick up the cradle and place it in the freezer for 30 min. Do not cover with plastic wrap. Place whipping cream in refrigerator and do not cover.
• After 30 min. take the cake out of the freezer using the plastic wrap sit it on the tray or dish with foil.
• Apply the remaining whipped cream on the sides and ends of the log and top with crushed peanuts.  
• Return to the freezer on the tray or dish for 3 hours.
• After 3 hours you can wrap with plastic wrap and then the aluminum foil you layed over top of the baking sheet or dish. Freeze up to 8 weeks.
• When you are ready to serve remove the cake from the freezer unwrap and place on serving platter and defrost in refrigerator for about an hour before serving. Remove from refrigerator and cut on the diagonal about a 45 degree angle and serve immediately.

Serving suggestion:
Use a bright colored serving platter and place a large green leaf from a philidendron or banana leaf in the center of the plate. Place the cake on the leaf to defrost. When defrosted drizzle chocolate syrup or caramel topping over the top of the cake and sprinkle chopped nuts around the platter.

Roll Tide!

Ornament recipe for Marcee

Marcee,

This is the recipe I told you about. It's a project that you have to do in stages. But the ornaments are really cute made in the nutshells.....get your Dad to help you hull the walnuts, that's a great job for him if he is hanging around.

This is a good project for the boys if you make the cutouts with cookie cutters and let them paint them!.....directions below......... Have fun. :)

Love you,
Aunt Kaye



Nutshell Ornaments

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup warm water........... not hot just warm tap water

Walnut shell halves
Paper clips or wire with out plastic coating
Acrylic paints and brushes
Clear spray paint
Assorted beads and ribbons, glitter, pipe cleaners etc.
Elmer's glue

Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Slowly mix in water. Roll out onto a clean floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 min until smooth. Roll into a big ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze for about 30 to 40 min. Take out about 1/4 to 1/2 of the dough and leave the remaining in refrigerator. You don't want the dough to dry out before you can mold it...... Pinch off enough dough to fill the nut shell. Let it mound up.

You can add small balls of dough for eyes or  ears... make a small ball and attach by applying a small amount of water to small ball....or you can make small balls and attach them with glue.............we made some cute christmas mice with a painted face and ears, santas are always cute too. Make a snowman easily by stacking 3 balls of dough and insert a wooden toothpick in the middle of the dough to hold them in place.

Use wire cutters to cut paper clips in half or use any wire without plastic coating. Each paper clip will give you two hooks. Slide the clip into the dough making a hook for the ornament. Place ornaments on baking sheet. Do not grease sheet. Bake in a 200 degree oven for 2 to 3 hours or until hard. Let them cool completely and then you can paint them and add beads and or glitter what ever you can think of!  One more tip! If you take aluminum foil and wrap it around the back of the nutshell  you can create a cradle by wadding the foil up. This will keep them upright when you move them to the oven. :)

If you are doing this by yourself, Marcee you might want to roll half of the dough in a ball to use with the nuts and then take the other half and roll it out flat until it's about 1/2" thick...make your cutouts put them on a baking sheet and add the hook. Then put them in the refrigerator or freezer...... where ever you have room for baking sheet....After an hour or so take them out and bake them 200 degrees for 4 to 6 hours.....they just keep getting harder and harder but you don't want the edges to curl up. Just cook them until they are definitely hard!

I remember using the cookie cutters with the girls. I think the smaller cutter worked better than the larger. The larger cutouts cracked when they cooked. Glitter covers up those spots good.

After you have added everything and your paint and glue is dry lay them on a piece of cardboard and lightly spray them with a clear latex spray paint. Let them dry for about an hour..... The spray will help preserve them.

After Christmas wrap them in tissue and store them in an air tight container until next year! I kept mine for about 10 years. :)

Maggie's Mayonnaise Recipe, Granny Jane's Cheese Straws, Cheesies and Mint Tea

This is an old recipe for red pepper mayonaise. The first time I heard about it I thought ooh that sounds terrible! Boy was I wrong. It's delicious.

Red Pepper Mayonnaise
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 tespoon ground red pepper
2 cups Wesson oil (or any good quality vegtable oil)
2 tablespoon lemon juice

With electric mixer mix the first 5 ingredients and then slowly add oil in small amounts and beat well after each addition. After 1 cup of oil is added add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and just before you add the last of the oil add the 2nd tablespoon of lemon juice.
Place in jar with lid and refrigerate. Makes slightly more than 1 pint.

Maggie used this to make a great snack for us. When you read it you may say oh that doesn't sound good. But try it you will like it.

Maggie's Cottage Cheese Snack

1 small container of small curd low fat cottage cheese
1 tablespoon of red pepper mayonnaise
1/2 of small yellow onion chopped fine
black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and serve with saltine crackers and mint tea.  You can add more of the mayonnaise if you like. Or add a little extra red pepper if you like. My girls even liked this when they were little!

These cheese straws are everyone's favorite treat.  Great for a holiday party too. Just follow the ingredients and directions closely. My girls wanted to make cheese straws and they asked their Granny Jane to show them how.  They came home and went to the grocery and bought their ingredients but they bought pre shredded cheese and margarine not butter and the cheese straws turned out to be rubbery blobs! They tried and I was impressed with that!

Granny Jane's Cheese Straws

2 cups plain flour
1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
1 pound Sharp Cheddar Cheese grated this should be about 4 cups
1 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder

Ok there are rules that you have to strictly follow to be successful with this recipe
1.  Buy a good quality block cheese. Do not use pre shredded cheese. It does not have enough moisture.
2. Cheese has to be room temperature. I usually leave it out over night.
3. Do not substitute margarine for butter.  Real Butter unsalted at room temp.

With electric mixer mix all ingredients until a creamy. With a star tip pastry bag make 2 -3 inch strips on ungreased baking sheet. Bake about 12 to 14 min in 400 degree oven. The cheese straws should be crispy and slightly browned. When completely cool store in air tight container, they will stay fresh for several days in container. I usually layer them with wax paper or parchment paper.

Cheesies

1/2 pound Swiss Cheese grated about 2 cups
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter room temperature
3/4 cup sifted flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 egg
1 teaspoon water
Paparika

Do not use pre shredded cheeses. Buy good quality blocks of cheese.

Knead together 1 1/2 cup swiss cheese and all ingredients except egg, water and paprika. Form into a ball and chill 15 mins. Break off about a tablespoon of the mixture and form into a small ball. Then flatten the small ball into a circle. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet leaving space between each. Brush lightly with egg and water beaten together. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup grated swiss cheese. Bake 425 degree oven about 10 min. until puffed and lightly brown. Remove from oven let stand on sheet for 2 min and sprinkle with paparika remove to rack to cool completly. Store in air tight container. Makes about 40 pcs.

These look nice if you use the tines of a fork to flatten. Great for a party or gifts. The cheesies will stay fresh up to a week in an air tight container.

Granny Jane's Mint Tea

6 regular Lipton teabags or 3 family size teabags
3 lemons
6 sprigs of mint
1/2 gallon boiling hot water
1 cup sugar

In a large heat proof mixing bowl place tea bags, juice the lemons and add the rinds to bowl, add sprigs of mint. Pour the hot water over all and cover bowl with a towel. Let stand until cool. Remove lemons, and mint. Add 1 cup sugar and 1/2 gallon of water in 1 gallon pitcher stir and serve over ice with a sprig of fresh mint. Store in refrigerator.

Placing the lemon rind in the bowl with the steeping tea bags and mint is key to this tea's success.

Crushed Peanut Cake... 2 pics from 2006

Dylan on top of the log, Zack standing and Joey inside the log! This was taken in 2006. You guys have really grown!

2006 Joey left Dylan right outside The Tavern on Grand in St. Paul

This is my favorite peanut cake. The frosting is a caramel peanut frosting. My mother makes this cake in the fall when peanuts are plentiful in South Alabama.

For the cake use:
Duncan Hines Butter Cake mix prepare according to package directions and divide into 3- 9" cake pans. Bake as directed on package. I find 17 to 19 min to be average time needed.

Frosting

2 cups sugar
1 cup milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter...... no margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
5 to 6 cups dry roasted peanuts unsalted and crushed or fresh roasted peanuts crushed

Mix and bake the prepared cake mix. Cool the layers on racks.

Roast fresh dry peanuts in 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 min. stirring occasionally. Do not add any oil or salt. Just peanuts.

If you use dry roasted peanuts from the grocer just crush them.

Crush the fresh roasted or dry roasted peanuts in a food processor or blender. Or you can put them in a ziploc plastic bag and roll them with a rolling pin. Crush them to a coarse consistency.

Cook the sugar, and milk over medium high to medium heat until it begins to thicken. Then add the butter let it come back to a boil and when thickened to the point it coats the back of your spoon remove from heat and add the vanilla and the crushed peanuts in three additions. You want enough peanuts in order for the frosting to be a consistency that it will spread between layers and on the top and sides of your cake. Let it stand for about an hour before you serve it. Cover only when completly cooled.

The last time Momma made this cake I measured the peanuts as we crushed them and we ended up crushing about 6 cups of nuts. This is another one of those family recipes that no one measured they just did it! I guess the measurements could vary depending on the consistency of the crushed nuts and the size of the nuts that you crush. The consistency of the crushed nuts should resemble graham cracker crumbs in butter.....like in a cheesecake crust.....So it all boils down to add the peanuts a little at a time and make the frosting thick enough that you can spread it on the cake and it stays there!






Momma Peacock's Mother......... Molly's Icebox Fruitcake and 2 of Granny's fruitcake recipes

This is a recipe that Momma Peacock said her mother, my great grandmother, Molly Kelly Lott made for as long as she could remember.  It's real simple, taste great and doesn't require anything but a spoon, and a bowl to make!

Molly Lott's Icebox Fruitcake

1 box of vanilla wafers crushed

1 can of condensed milk

1 box of raisins

1small jar of Maraschino cherries drained and chopped

2 cups of pecans chopped fine or about 1 qt. whole pecans

1 can of "Angel Flake" coconut (this is sweetened coconut)

In a large mixing bowl combine vanilla wafers crushed and condensed milk. Add the remainder of the ingredients and with your hands blend them together. Butter a 9 x 11 dish and press the fruitcake into the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

The easiest way to crush the vanilla wafers is put them in a large plastic bag and roll over the bag with a rolling pin.

This is Molly Peacock, my cousin, named after Molly Lott our great grandmother, with Momma Peacock at Brandi's wedding. Mary Scott didn't want her picture made!

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My Granny loved fruitcake. There are more fruitcake recipes in her box than any other type of recipe.

The Christmas I was 9 years old Granny and Grandpa came over to our house for a visit. With Momma's direction, earlier in the day, I made Momma's Peacock's icebox fruitcake. I was all excited for Granny to try it. She had never tasted fruit cake that you didn't have to cook. She loved it.  I was so proud. I cut some of the cake in squares and put them on a plate and covered the long dish back up to go back in the refrigerator and standing in the the door of the refrigerator I drop it! It breaks into a millon pieces....momma's new dish and all of the cake. Daddy scolded me and I cried and Granny said "Well Katie it's just cake and there will be more cakes. Don't you worry about it! Just let your Daddy bark it's what he thinks he has to do."

Good old Granny she was always a great cheerleader! When she died the preacher characterized her with a heart of gold and likened her to a lioness protecting her cubs when it came to her children.....very true. She could give us down the road if we needed it but if she heard someone else speak ill of one of us she would bow up like a mad cat!

On those great Saturday mornings, I spent at her house I usually watched The Lone Ranger with Mickey Wayne, daddy's youngest brother. Then Granny would shoo him out the door....sometimes with her broom wacking at him, never really hurting him! He would laugh at her and then she would really get mad! Granny loved us all very much. She was "Aunt Vern" to her nieces and nephews. They all knew they had a hug and someone to talk to, and a warm bed and a good meal at her house any time they wanted or needed to come.

I am posting two of Granny's Fruitcake Recipes below.

                                                        

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Momma Peacock's house was always full of people when we were growing up.  Lota Lee Lott was her name. She was born in 1919. I think she was born in Dale County, Alabama. She was the baby with 1 older sister and 6 older brothers. Her siblings each had several children and came to visit as often as they could. Aunt Lucille, her sister, and Uncle Burt and their families lived about 10 miles away close to Slocomb. The rest of her family lived in central Florida, on the Suwanee River, and in Tampa, Clearwater, Largo and Lady Lake. There was always a lot of laughter in the house when they were together. We all had a great time. I loved to visit with the cousins from South Florida. Paula was the only girl cousin so she and I bonded right off. Other than Becky and Brenda there were never any girls around, so when Paula came to visit it was a big treat for me and Becky.

Grandma Molly, Momma Peacock's mother, came to live with Momma Peacock when I was about 6 years old. Prior to that Grandma lived with Uncle Damon, her son in Lady Lake. Grandma passed away there at Momma Peacock's house. When she died the funeral home brought her back to the house and friends and neighbors came to the house to pay their respect. This was around 1964.

Momma Peacock was "Momma Peacock" to everybody in the community. When we were growing up the preacher of our church even called her "Momma Peacock." He was a young man that worked with Daddy Peacock building houses. He spoke at her funeral and commented that she was the hardest working, happiest woman he had ever known. She believed that God would not give us anything that we couldn't handle and she relied on her strong faith in God for everything.

Momma Peacock was a hard worker. She lived by herself for about 25 years after Daddy Peacock died. Her youngest son Ricky, and Sharon his wife, lived next door. But she was very independent, and planted her own garden and cut her grass until she was about 81. She never had a driver's license. When she was in her 70's she took the written test but never took the driving test to get her license.  Becky and I were laughing about that and she said she just wanted to know that she could get her license if she wanted to. :-)

On her 80th birthday we gave her a big party and she had a wonderful time. I miss her every day. She taught us all alot about life, family and being a good person, just by the way she lived her life. She was a friend to everyone and everybody loved her.

I have pictures I want to share with you of the Lott family but they have not been scanned yet. I'm working on it now and through the week of Thanksgiving, I will have more pictures and stories about that side of the family.



Divinity Fudge... More details from Momma!

I am thinking about trying the divinity fudge recipe for the holidays. I compared the recipe I posted on the 12th for Divinity Fudge and Momma's recipe and I found differences. The ingredients are a little different and there is more information about the cooking process...but still not enough so I called Momma and she gave me more information. I will try to record that here to share with you.

Measure and assemble all of the ingredients before you start. You will need Medium size boiler, candy themometer, or glass of cold water, wax paper, mixing bowl with electric mixer on stand.

Divinity Fudge

2 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup (Karo brand) white corn syrup

2 egg whites

1/8 tsp. salt

2/3 cup water

1 1/2 cup nuts

1 tablespoon vanilla

Cook over medium heat sugar, syrup, salt and water until it forms a soft ball when dropped in cold water or 240 degrees on candy themometer. Pour half of the mixture into a heat safe bowl or large measuring cup is best. Then return the remaining syrup back to the burner and continue to cook until it reaches hard ball stage or 260 degrees. Stir this occasionally but you do not have to stir constantly.

While the syrup is cooking put the egg whites in mixing bowl and beat until they form stiff peeks. (Tip from Momma: Time this so your beaten egg whites do not sit more than 3 -4 min. before adding the 1st syrup. They will deflate if they sit anylonger.)  Take the syrup you cooked to softball stage and with the mixer running slowly add the syrup. (Tip: pour the syrup in as close to the edge of the bowl as possible) By this time the hardball stage syrup should be ready. Remove from heat and slowly add this to the egg whites with softball stage syrup added. Beat until the mixture thickens and becomes heavy.

This is important.....add the pecans by folding them in. Do not add the pecans while the mixer is running. The mixer will beat the pecans and cause the oil to flatten your divinity.....so fold in and then drop by small spoonfuls onto wax paper.

If you like Maraschino cherries drain them for at least an hour before adding. Chop the cherries and fold them in by hand.

O.K. I am going to try this when it stops raining.  :  -)  Remember no humidity, or hot kitchen. Best to do this when you are not cooking other things.



Family memories and pictures Nov. 15, 2010

I am so blessed to have a big loving family. When my daughter Tricia went away to college she came home and told me that she was so surprised when she learned that most of her classmates didn't know their Grandmothers. She grew up close to her grandmothers, and her great grandmothers. Granny, daddy's mother and Momma Peacock, my mom's mother were at the center of my life growing up. We lived within walking distance of Momma Peacock and about 7 miles from Granny. I spent as much time as I could with both of them.

Momma Peacock and Butch in the background

My mother was next to the oldest of 6 children. When I was growing up her 3 youngest siblings were still living at home. Ricky was Momma's youngest brother and only 3 1/2 years older than me. We spent alot of time together playing and working. I loved it when we could play with my two cousins, Butch 2 years older and Becky 4 months older than me. They lived close by and we played together at Momma Peacocks as hard as we could when we were together. We were all over the woods climbing trees, and building forts. Becky and I had to play boy games with Butch and Ricky and then they would play hopscotch with us or we played marbles sometimes.

Butch sitting on top of car. Becky standing and me sitting behind the wheel.

We built great forts. Some out of wild finnel that we wove into baracades and stacked to form a teepee. When we were older we all worked on a tree house made out of scrap wood left from the new barn Daddy Peacock built. One day in the fall Butch and Becky came over and with Ricky we went for a hike and took a picnic. Becky and I were about 7 or 8 at the time. Ricky had some matches and built a fire. He was very responsible and made sure we didn't get hurt and he smothered the fire out with dirt when it was time to go home. Later that night I was in the car with Momma and Daddy and the boys, going over to Granny's and we saw a tree on fire in the pasture. It was our tree where we had the picnic earlier that day. Daddy and my uncle Hugh put the fire out. We were in big trouble for playing with fire. Ricky was in the most trouble since he was the oldest and had the matches.

Becky on the left and me on the right. Christmas 1965.
We were in the 3rd grade and we asked for the same thing for Christmas, a doll and record player. We had lots of fun! I had the Lennon Sisters Album, Elvis Christmas, and Hank Williams,.... Sr. of course!

Momma and Daddy Peacock 1970's

Daddy Peacock built houses for a living. He built our house in 1963. Momma and Daddy worked nights and weekends for months doing the finish work on the inside. While our house was being built we were living with Momma and Daddy Peacock. My brother Greg was 3 then and I was 5. He decided to ride his tricycle from Momma Peacock's house over to our house where Daddy Peacock was working. It's about 1/2 mile down a sandy dirt road. A long way for a little guy on a tricycle. Daddy Peacock asked Greg what he was doing over there. Greg told him that he had a phone call and he needed to come home. Daddy Peacock stopped what he was doing and took Greg and the tricycle back home!

Greg 2 yrs old.

Greg and his tricyle were trouble for me before the phone incident. We rented a house nearby for a while before we moved in with Momma Peacock. There is a porch that runs across the front of the house and it is about 3 feet off the ground. There were big boxwoods around the porch, there was no rail on the porch. Greg was learning to ride his tricycle and he wanted me to push him. So we went round and round and he kept saying go faster, faster. I went really fast and pushed as hard as I could and let go. Greg and the tricyle went flying off the porch and landed in the top of the boxwood. I didn't think about he didn't know how to stop. Woops I was in trouble again!

Me 4 and Greg 3

Ricky passed away from heart failure in 1990. Becky passed away a year ago yesterday Nov. 14, 2009. I miss them both very much.

Christmas 1984. Momma and Daddy Peacock, Ricky and me holding Lee Ann.

Aunt Shirley, Tim, Butch, Becky and Uncle David
Aunt Shirley and Uncle David's Golden Wedding Anniversary in 2005

Becky was a really good cook and made beautiful cakes. She made the cake in this picture for Aunt Shirley's 50th anniversary.

I will try to get some of her recipes and post them for you. Her recipe for a basic butter cake is the best I have ever eaten and everybody loved her candy "Rum Balls" she made every Christmas. Everything she cooked was good! :)

Calee, Brandi and Brenda at Brandi's wedding

Aunt Brenda is Momma's youngest sister. She is 5 years older than me. Calee is her daughter and Brandi is Ricky's daughter. We lost Calee in Nov. 2008. Very suddenly she was gone and we miss her very very much. She was a sweet angel that blessed all of our lives.



Brenda and Me

Left Rona, Brenda's oldest daughter and right Tricia my oldest daughter and Brooke my niece in the corner!

Now with all things I am blessed

You are the poem I dreamed of writing, the masterpiece I longed to paint.

You are the shining star I reached for in my ever-hopeful quest for life fulfilled.

You are my child. Now with all things I am blessed.

Basic White cake, Bertha's Coconut Cake, and Divinity Fudge

This recipe was in Granny's recipe box. Looks like a basic cake recipe she used often.  She loved Swans Down cake flour.

This was a common frosting for a special cake.

This is the frosting that everyone loves! Aunt Bertha always sprinkled coconut on top of the frosting between 3 layers, top and sides.... Don't try to make this frosting on a humid day or in a humid hot kitchen. The humidity will not let it become fluffy!

This is the candy everybody loves. Best results are going to come in dry non humid conditions. Also it's a good idea to have all of your ingredients ready to add. It is delicious with chopped pecans. Maraschino cherries chopped are good also. If you add cherries just be sure to drain them for about 30 min. before you make the candy. 

Spinning a thread refers to the hardball stage. If you are using a candy themometer, let the mixture cook until it gets to hardball stage which is 260 degrees. Another way to test if you don't have a themometer is to drop the hot syrup into a glass of water and if it sinks to the bottom of the glass it's hardball stage. 

My Niece Brooke is 12 Today!!!!

Happy Birthday Brooke! I can't believe you are 12:) I hope you have fun with your friends tonight. Watch out for payback from Colton!

I am posting some pictures of your happy little face that are some of my favorites!

This was taken when you were born in Flower's Hospital.

Your Dad with your Granny and Great Grandmother Momma Peacock. We were all so happy when you finally came! You were a beautiful baby.

This is a picture of Brooke and her Poo Blanket. Poo was her constant companion. He had to be with her at all times.  I think he still is!

Sharing Poo with Colton:)
We like to watch movies. One day we were watching Babe. I thought Brooke would like it because she has always loved animals. All of a sudden Brooke started sobbing really hard. She said she was crying because Babe was lost. I turned the movie off! :)

Brooke, Poo and....... Is that Donald Duck?

In Grandpa's Lap eating Cheez Its with Gracie.

Playing and Singing Jesus Loves Me!.....

Presenting.......THE FACES OF BROOKE

BIG APPLES!

                                                       

                  Having punch with Gracie during Baby Shower for Cicely.

During the shower....in background are Brooke's Granny, Aunt Kim's back, cousin Whitney, cousin Calee, great grandmother Momma Peacock, Aunt Mary, Cicely opening presents, Brooke and Colton.

Home from School Sick with Colton!

That Book Looks Serious!

Halloween Party 2005

Cousin "It" Is Here!

Jasmine, Count Dracula and The Little Mermaid.

With Isa during a party!

Dressing Stephanie!

"You're kidding....."

Brooke, her dad and baby King Louie:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE! WE LOVE YOU AND WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU!