The kicker, though, is that God has designed every single one of us for community and for fellowship, and I’m going to go out on a limb and say that usmagazine.com cannot adequately meet that need. But our families? And our friends who feel like family? As Liz Lemon would say on 30 Rock, THAT IS THE BUSINESS.
As we share our stories with those people God has specifically ordained to walk with us on this side of eternity—and as they share their stories with us—we see the sacred in the ordinary. We see the profound in the mundane. We see the joy in the day to day.
We see the hand of God writing a much bigger story—a story of rescue and redemption and hope and glory. Right here in the middle of the hilarious and the tragic and the sublime and the sad.
That’s just something else, isn’t it?
After the dishes from Easter lunch were clean and the children were worn slap out, it was time for us to head home to the ’Ham. The sun was just starting to fall behind the treetops, and since we were hoping to be back at our house before dark, we hugged necks and kissed cheeks and said good-bye to our people. Mama and Daddy walked to the car with us, and after Mama and Alex hugged about four more times through his rolled-down window, we backed out of the driveway. We were almost to the end of the street when I looked in my rearview mirror.
And I’ll have you know that my mama was still waving.
Bless her.
As we turned onto the road that leads to the highway, I thought about the day and the people and the stories. I thought about how many times I’ve sat around some family member’s table and listened to the latest news, the latest drama, the latest funny tale. I thought about Mama and the hundreds of meals she’s planned and cooked just because “the children are gonna be home.” I thought about Chox and the countless pots of coffee she’s made over the years when we stopped by to visit—and how many times she’s called me and said, “What are you doing this weekend? Paige and I may come for a visit. Don’t plan anything special, though. We just want to laugh.”
And I thought about how, through every stage of my life, my parents, siblings, in-laws, aunts, uncles, and cousins have taught me that family life isn’t always easy, and complications are inevitable, and whether you like it or not, sometimes you’re going to get your feelings hurt. Sometimes you may even be the one who does the hurting. But you stay with it, and you get after it, and you love each other, and you forgive each other, and you keep coming back to the table.
No matter what. You keep coming back to the table.
And once you’re there, you sit down, and you settle in, and you remember. You share your stories.
For the first half of my life, probably, I thought that the whole point of the table was the food. The table was the place to find the fried chicken, deviled eggs, black-eyed peas, and homemade rolls. But now that I’m older, I know better. And it’s comforting, somehow, to recognize that while the food may be what brings us to the table, it’s not the main course by a long shot. More than anything, I think, the food is an invitation to see what the Lord is doing, to “taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8). Because when people gather around the table to break bread, the Lord gets to work. He knits together our hearts, strengthens our bonds, and connects our narratives. The table is where He links the generations, where He prompts us to join hands and bow heads and remember and laugh and pass our stories back and forth to each other.
Unless, of course, the story requires you to chronicle your aunt Mildred’s recent bout with a nasty stomach bug. Because in that case, I’d probably advise that you hold off until everybody’s finished their cake and coffee.
But by all means, you feel free to share as the Lord leads.
It’s His story, after all.
RECIPES
And Now It Is Time for All the Food
INITIALLY I DIDN’T HAVE any intention of including recipes in this book. However, once I started writing the last few chapters, I thought, You know, if I read a book that referenced all sorts of tasty Southern food and I didn’t have access to the recipes, that might chap my hide a little bit. And since I certainly don’t want you to put this book down and walk away with a chapped hide, I thought it would be a good idea to pass along a few of our family’s favorites.
Most of these recipes came from my mama—or from her friends—and I can assure you that you are in wonderful culinary hands. Keep in mind that Mama is exceedingly loyal to her favorite brands, so I’m including those specific brands in the recipes. I’m sure that other brands would work just as well.
However, Mama would want me to include one caveat, and it’s something she told me when I was a newlywed: “You might as well go ahead and accept that there is just no substitute for Land O’Lakes butter.”
I fought that hard truth for a long time. But she’s right.
Enjoy, y’all!
Mama Ouida’s Pink Arctic-Freeze Congealed Salad
1 (8-ounce) package Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons Hellmann’s mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
1 (16-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
Beat cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sugar in mixer. Add cranberry sauce and pineapple. Mix well. Fold in whipped cream. Freeze in a 9 x 9 dish. Cut into squares to serve.
Poppy-Seed Dressing
1½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons salt
⅔ cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons finely grated onion
2 cups canola oil
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
Mix sugar, mustard, salt, and vinegar in blender. Add onion and blend thoroughly. Add oil slowly, blending constantly, and continue blending until thick. Add poppy seeds and blend for another minute or two. Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator. Serve over fresh fruit.
Makes 2½ cups.
Mama’s Deviled Eggs
12 large eggs
1 tablespoon salt (for boiling)
¼ cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
1½ teaspoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon salt (for filling)
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, well drained
3 strips bacon, fried
paprika (for garnish)
Place cold eggs in a boiler filled with cold water. Add a tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil. Boil eggs for five minutes; then turn off heat. Place a lid on the boiler and let sit for 10 minutes. Transfer eggs to a bath of ice water, then peel. Cut eggs in half lengthwise, scoop out yolks, and mix mashed yolks with mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, and relish. Fill egg whites with yolk mixture, then garnish each deviled egg with ¼ strip bacon and paprika. Serve in your favorite deviled egg dish. OF COURSE.
The Chicken Salad
4 cups chicken breast, cooked and shredded (Mama cooks her chicken breasts in boiling water with salt, pepper, and a few stalks of celery)
juice of 1 lemon
1 Red Delicious apple, grated
3 cups celery, diced very fine
¾ cup sweet pickle relish
1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds
½ can drained crushed pineapple (optional)
½ cup Craisins (optional)
1 cup chopped red grapes (optional)
1 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Durkee’s Famous Sauce
After you shred the cooked chicken breasts, put the chicken in a large bowl and pour lemon juice over it. Add apple, celery, relish, nuts, and any of the three optional ingredients (usually one of the three ingredients is plenty—we’re partial to the chopped red grapes). Mix in mayonnaise and Durkee’s, then stir well to combine. Cover and chill.
Note: The salad is better if mixed a day before serving.
Mama’s Turkey Divan
&n
bsp; 2 bunches fresh broccoli, chopped and cooked (it should still be bright green and crunchy)
2–3 cups cooked turkey, diced or sliced (chicken also works great)
2 cans Campbell’s cream of chicken soup
1 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
juice of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon curry powder
1½ tablespoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup toasted bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Land O’Lakes butter, cut into pats
Lightly grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place cooked broccoli on the bottom of the dish, then cover with turkey. In a separate bowl, mix together soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over turkey and broccoli. Cover with cheese. Top with bread crumbs, and then scatter pats of butter over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25–30 minutes.
Note: This dish can be made ahead of time and baked when needed.
Edna Holland’s Beef Tenderloin
Edna, who is one of my mama’s dearest friends and one of my favorite people on the planet, owned a bed-and-breakfast in my hometown for many years. She is an absolutely phenomenal cook, and her cookbook, Recipes from a Deep South Inn, was WORN OUT after my first year of marriage. Edna’s beef tenderloin recipe is my favorite, and if you don’t sop up some of the cooked tenderloin sauce with a warm roll, you are missing out on one of life’s great blessings. Absolutely delicious.
1 whole beef tenderloin (5–6 pounds)
salt
lemon pepper
cracked black pepper
A.1. steak sauce
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
Trim all fat from tenderloin (or ask your butcher to do so). Three hours before cooking time, place tenderloin in a foil-lined roasting pan and sprinkle each side with salt, lemon pepper, and black pepper. Pour A.1. and Worcestershire liberally over both sides. Cover and refrigerate.
Thirty minutes before cooking, place the covered pan on the counter so the meat isn’t quite so cold when you put it in the oven. Cook at 425 degrees (35 minutes for rare, 40 minutes for medium, and 45 minutes for well done).
Remove pan from oven and let meat rest 5–10 minutes. Slice. If using for heavy hors d’oeuvres on a buffet (which is our favorite way to use this recipe), slice thinly and serve with rolls and assorted spreads.
Squash Casserole
3 pounds yellow squash
1 stick Land O’Lakes butter, divided in half
½ cup chopped onion, sautéed lightly
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup crushed saltine crackers (very finely crushed)
Wash squash and cook whole in boiling water. Boil until tender, drain thoroughly, and then mash in a mixing bowl. Add half of butter, stir, and then add onion, eggs, sugar, salt, and pepper (salt and pepper may be adjusted to taste). Pour squash mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish, and then top with finely crushed crackers. Melt remaining half of butter and pour over cracker crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour—until golden brown.
My Favorite Chicken and Dumplings
Dumplings
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup buttermilk (if you like fluffy, biscuity dumplings, add 2 teaspoons baking powder—but we like dense dumplings around here)
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, beaten egg, salt, and buttermilk. Once mixture is blended, cover the bowl and set aside. Don’t overmix—it’ll make the dumplings tough.
Chicken Soup
2 fully cooked rotisserie chickens
½ stick real-live (salted) butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 (32-ounce) box chicken stock (I like Kitchen Basics)
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste (don’t be bashful with the seasonings)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup half-and-half
Pull meat off rotisserie chickens. Chop into cubes and then set aside.
In a Dutch oven, melt butter over low heat. Once all the bubbles are gone, start sprinkling the ¼ cup of flour into the pot. Add a little, stir to combine, then add a little more, stir to combine, etc. Once all the flour has been incorporated, continue to stir over low-to-medium heat until the mixture starts to turn a golden color. You don’t want it to get brown—just golden. (It’ll only take a couple of minutes.)
Once you see that golden color, start adding liquid to the mixture. Add about a cup of chicken stock and whisk it well so that everything combines. Then add half the water and whisk to combine. Add more chicken stock and whisk. Continue until all the water and stock have been mixed with the flour-and-butter mixture. Turn the heat up to medium and continue to whisk frequently to ensure that you don’t have any lumps. (This is a great time to taste the stock mixture, by the way—the butter and stock already have salt, but you’ll probably need to add more salt and pepper to taste.)
Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes—until it’s thicker and not quite so brothy. Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, half-and-half, and chicken. Stir to combine everything, then taste again. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Once the whole mixture is simmering and is seasoned just the way you like it, drop the dumpling dough into the pot by spoonfuls. It’ll start to look crowded, but that’s okay. Once everything is in the pot, let the dumplings simmer (uncovered) for about 15–20 minutes. Once they’ve cooked through, take the whole pot off the heat, cover it, and leave it alone for about 15–20 minutes.
After 15–20 minutes, take off the lid, grab a ladle, and serve the chicken and dumplings in some oversized bowls.
Amen.
Green Beans Y’all Won’t Believe
from Heart and Soul: Stirring Recipes from Memphis
½ pound bacon, chopped into bite-size pieces and fried, reserving 3 tablespoons grease
6 cans whole green beans, drained
6 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons white vinegar
2 packages slivered almonds
Place drained green beans in a casserole dish. While bacon is draining on paper towels, mix 3 tablespoons bacon grease with sugar and vinegar over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is heated through. Sprinkle bacon on top of green beans, then pour liquid mixture on top and garnish with slivered almonds. Bake at 325 degrees for 25–30 minutes. Then praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Note: I would like to add that the whole draining-the-bacon-on-paper-towels step is pretty much irrelevant since you will be stirring bacon grease into a mixture of vinegar and sugar, but maybe it’ll make you feel better to go to the trouble of blotting and draining. Whatever gets you through.
Cornbread Dressing
1 10-inch skillet of cornbread
4 day-old biscuits
1 stick Land O’Lakes butter (melted if the cornbread isn’t hot)
1 onion, chopped fine
1 cup celery, chopped fine
1 cup cooked white rice
4 eggs, beaten
6 cups turkey stock or chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
Make cornbread according to your favorite recipe (I like the White Lily cornbread mix, but Mama goes old school with flour and cornmeal).
In a large mixing bowl, crumble cornbread and biscuits. Add butter, onion, celery, rice, and eggs, then stir to combine. (I like to sauté my onion and celery in a little butter beforehand, but Mama doesn’t.) Slowly add stock to the mixture, stirring gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Some people like to add poultry seasoning or sage, so if that’s your thing, go right ahead.
Pour into a buttered 9 x 13 casserole dish and bake at 350 for 25–30 minutes or
until golden brown on top.
Serve with your favorite gravy or with cranberries. I’ve even been known to spoon a little homemade plum jelly on top of mine.
Mama’s Pound Cake
2 sticks Land O’Lakes butter, softened, plus additional butter for tube pan
½ cup Crisco
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups Swan’s Down cake flour
1 cup whole milk
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking powder
Butter and flour a tube pan. With an electric mixer, combine butter and Crisco until light and fluffy—about 3–4 minutes. Slowly add sugar as you continue to mix, and then add eggs one at a time, making sure each one has combined before adding the next one. Starting with flour, alternate incorporating flour and milk, making sure to end with flour. Add vanilla, then turn off mixer and stir in baking powder with a fork (Mama insists on stirring in the baking powder with a fork, so use a spoon at your peril). Pour batter into tube pan and place in a cold oven. Bake for about 1½ hours at 325 degrees (cooking time will vary depending on your oven).
Pumpkin Spice Cake
3 eggs
1¼ cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
1¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup quick rolled oats, uncooked
Beat eggs until frothy, and then add sugar gradually. Beat until thick and lemon colored. Stir in pumpkin, oil, and water. Blend well. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add gradually to pumpkin mixture, blending well. Stir in oats. Pour into a well-greased, floured 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Loosen edges with knife or spatula. Cool 10 minutes, and then invert on serving plate. Cool completely. Ice with orange butter frosting.
A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet Page 17