MY DAD--NOBLE WILLIAM BEALL

How to color a picture of my dad in words is probably beyond my realm. But I will try as I want people to know him as the man and not just a name on paper. He was born on June 5, 1919 to James Guy Beall and Mary Imogean Walker Beall in a small community of Gore which is near Dallas, GA in Paulding County. He was the youngest of 7 children having 3 brothers and 3 sisters. I don't know much about his life in this area or time period because his mom died when he was 5 years old and they moved to Atlanta. He took me back to see his old home place when I was young but I don't remember the area. I just remember it is near Concord Baptist Church where most of his family are buried. He always said that it was between Dallas and Villa Rica and near Douglasville. Now that is a large area.
After the move to Atlanta, he lived with his sister, Gordie Mae and spent alot of time with his nephew, J Houston Adcock. Houston was about his age as dad's sister, Lillian, was married by the time dad was born and they played like most young boys would along a creek close to home. They fished and did a little hunting because my dad liked squirrel dumplings. I don't think they thought much about killing animals for food back in the depression like they do now, but back in those days it was kill or starve. My dad use to tell me stories about that time in his life. Once he went into a cafe in Atlanta to get a cup of coffee and he got a cup of hot water to go with it. He had a paper route so I was sure that he was at this place of business quite often. I think the waitress knew that he was hungry. Along the counter would be baskets of crackers and bottles of ketchup. No individual servings in the 1930's. My dad proceeded to pour ketchup in the water along with salt and pepper and had tomato soup with his coffee. I am sure this happened quite often to men and some women with no jobs during this era. Houston told me a story once about my dad and him being hired to dig a well. He said that the man didn't want to hire them because they were too young but they both assured the man that they would finish the job. Houston said it took them 3 weeks to finish the job with plenty of time to spare of the month allotted and the man was so impressed with their work that he paid them $15.00 instead of the intended $10.00 for the job. And I was told that the money went to Aunt Vivian to buy groceries minus a quarter each for Houston and my dad.
Dad told about walking to school and I believed him because I don't know when bus routes started or the trolleys in Atlanta. I am sure you had to have money to ride the trolleys. Money was scarce and shoes were hard to come by so with extra papers from his paper route, he would cut paper and slip inside his shoes when they wore thin to keep his feet warm. This happened when holes were in the shoes and by the time he reached the school, the paper would be wet. And my dad was smart because he said that he carried some extra in his pockets for when the paper got wet.My dad could make caps out of newspaper to keep his head warm. I wont even go into the difference between a cap and a hat at this time. That is another story in itself. I was told that some extra paper was taken home to help with the fires when coal was running low. If you rolled it tight enough, it would burn like a small wooden log in the stove or fireplace. I never could do it that way, but my dad could and it would burn slow and last longer. When my brother had his paper route, dad could roll the papers faster and tighter than Larry. I have many more stories about my dad that I will continue later.

SLAW via Rhonda

Do you have friends who call for recipes. Well I do but mostly it is friends of my children. I am Granny, Grandma, and now GG. I asked Lee why he started calling me that and his response was that I am his great grandmother and he had 2 grannies. So go figure out kids. This last request was for slaw. Well I thought everyone knew how to make slaw but evidently not. I got this report " But Granny, your tastes better." Do you think it might be because I stick my finger in the mixture to stir it good. HA HA  So here goes. I hope everyone enjoys my little stories as much as I do writing them. I want  to get everything written down just in case I start to forget them.

SLAW

1 medium head of cabbage grated or chopped in food processor
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
season salt (optional)

Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Now if I want to be fancy for a special occasion, I grate a carrot and add to it. Sometimes a chopped tomato or both. Sprinkle with paprika for the presentation. Taste is good but the presentation is better. When it looks good, it usually tastes good.

ALMOND CHOCOLATE BALLS

     This is a great treat I made for Christmas. You have to try it. I got it from a Paula Deen show so I don't think she will mind. It was her chocolate show. You will need help because it takes forever to roll all the balls. But the finished product is worth the effort. So call all the kids in and start making candy.

ALMOND CHOCOLATE BALLS
2 boxes confection sugar
1 stick butter softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp almond extract
1 bag coconut-16 ozs.
1 1/2 cups chopped almonds
1 bag chocolate chips
1/2 bar paraffin wax

Mix the first 6 ingredients together. You will have to use your hands. This is a sticky process so I would advise you to grease your hands good. After mixing, roll in to balls about the size of a walnut and place on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate until firm. Get the kids to help roll. They will love being in the kitchen.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler with the wax. Dip the balls in the chocolate mixture using a wooden skewer. Put on a parchment lined cookie sheet and let set until dry. Jaylan and Lee loved dipping the balls so when they finished with them, I let them dip some pretzels. Place in a Christmas tin and then enjoy. While some of these were still wet, I sprinkled them with Christmas sugar and sprinkles to get everyone in a Christmas mood. Play Christmas carols.

MY GREAT GRANDPARENTS-BEALL

NOBLE NEWNAN BEALL and ELIZA CAROLINE BROWN BEALL
This is an interesting story but very true. A person I will call J had posted a comment about my great grandparents on rootsweb.com on August 5, 2000. An interested party called P responded on July 16, 2000. Enter me in 2010 and found this comment about my family. I thought it was a long shot but I posted a message anyway on August 3, 2010. Much to my surprise, I had a response on October 21, 2010 saying yes she was married to my dad's first cousin and we began a correspondence that ended with my obtaining a picture of my great grandparents and acquiring an unknown relative. How strange is that to absorb. 10 years and we were so close. I am 66 years old and had never seen a picture of my great grandparents because they died before I was born. I have shared this picture with my family. It is amazing how much my dad favors his grandfather. His grandmother is a very striking woman. My aunt Vivian favors her alot. Since I have been told that I favor my aunt Vivian then I guess I look like her also. Would love to have known this phenomenal couple who raised such a wonderful family. He was the father of 14 children. Four by his first wife who died in childbirth and 10 by his second of which I have descended. He was a lawyer by trade and a farmer by necessity to feed the family. He also served as a state representative and a state senator from Paulding County, GA. He fought in the Civil War attaining the rank of Captain. A strange story has been told about a clever ruse he used to prevent being detected in the war. He wanted to visit his family while they were traveling thru GA and thought he would sneak thru the woods and come up to the back of the house. Upon arriving along the edge of the tree line, he spied some tents. Thinking that this was Union soldiers, he decided to wait until daybreak to verify his suspicions. After the sun came up, he was surprised to see that sheets were hanging on the clothesline instead of tents pitched in his back yard.
Most of his children attended college which was unknown for a family that large in the 1800's. His oldest son became a doctor and his third son became a teacher of music, choir director and a writer of gospel music. He led his brothers in this endeavor. They were all fine gentlemen who never drank or smoked but raised their families in the joys of church going and singing. Two of these men became preachers of the gospel and traveled over the states leading revivals in spiritual uplifting.

FRIENDS- Mrs Roy Lytle

     When I was growing up in Rome, GA, we had a next-door-neighbor by the name of Mrs Roy Lytle. I never knew her first name so we just called her Mrs. Lytle. Her husband died earlier so I didn't meet him but she had four daughters. Joy married a Wood and she had a son we called Bunky but I think they named him Lytle. Merriam had 2 children but I don't remember their names, a boy and a girl. A daughter named Virginia and  Nessmith And she had two girls. Susan and Allison Spurlin.  I remember the girls the most because they spent alot of time with their grandmother. They usually spent 2 weeks in the summertime and we would go to Vacation Bible School at the First Baptist Church on Fourth Avenue. Plus we had tea parties, lots of tea parties. Mrs. Lytle had a beautiful tea set for grown-ups and she would fix us tea and little dainty finger sandwiches. This was the first time I had tasted cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches. I still love them. They were cut from the bread with fancy cookie cutters. Now this was a genuine tea party. Sometimes she even made cheese straws. We had the best of good times while they visited. When the children would leave, Mrs Lytle was so sad that I would  go keep her company. She had a big front porch with hugh white rockers. We would rock and listen to the noise from the school yard. I just couldn't wait to start to school. After school sometimes she would walk across the street with me so I could swing. I couldn't cross the street by myself.
     Now one of the things I most remember about Mrs. Lytle is that she was forever going on a diet. She really wasn't fat just robust. She would eat salads with cottage cheese. This was the first time that I have ever tasted this dish and I have loved it ever since. She served it with pears sometimes with a little grated cheese on top and it was great. But my favorite was with pineapple. Sometimes she would add a little food coloring to make it pretty or top it with a cherry. Yum-yum. And she would walk around the block for exercise or we would walk on the Neely school yard around the City Clock. I am glad she was my friend.
     The last Christmas that my mom and dad were together, I remember wanting another doll. Dad said that I had to many dolls that I needed something else. I had just realized who Santa was and I was very up-set.
My Christmas Eve schedule included blowing out the candles, hanging up stockings, setting out fresh coconut cake and coffee for Santa and kissing mom and dad good-night, and saying my prayers. The last thing that I asked for was Santa to bring me a doll. After going to bed, I forgot to check and see if my stocking was hanging. I think I forgot it and you just didn't forget your stocking. As I went by the tree, I noticed a doll setting just partially behind the tree. This wasn't a new doll, it was my old favorite but with new clothes. And beside her were 3 more dresses and a coat and hat. These were beautiful dresses. I almost cried. I picked up each one so very carefully to check them out and try them on my baby doll. They fit perfectly and were my favorite colors. Red, blue, and orange. I was so excited that I didn't hear my dad when he sat down beside me. I just knew that I was in trouble, but since it was Christmas, he decided it was okay. After all, I was his favorite girl. He let me play for a while and then he told me that it was bed time and I needed to get some sleep. I was 12 years old. Later, dad told me that Mrs. Lytle had made the clothes for my doll and dressed her. She had given her a good bath and fixed her hair so she could wear the hat. I never forgot her for that and later when I married, she gave me the tea set. Unfortunately, I lost it in a house fire. I will always treasure the memories of her and taking time out for a little girl. What I never knew was she was lonely and enjoyed my company.
 I have just found a Georgia death record for Mrs. Lytle and she lived to be 102 years old. I can not imagine all the accomplishments to happen in her world of 100 years. Going from a woodstove to electric. I bet when she was growing up, they had fireplaces or wood heaters. Or even used coal for heat. Cars, electric lights, telephones, TV's, microwave ovens, and computers.  Oh what stories she could tell us if we had only asked. My husband says she went from being a pioneer to seeing a man walk on the moon. I will always remember her and her friendship. I will also know that because of my words, other people remember her and she isn't just a name on paper but according to a family tree on Ancestry my dear friend, Mrs.Virginia Elizabeth Bishop Lytle, my next door neighbor.

RECIPE-DEVILED EGGS

I just remembered why I started writing this blog. One of my daughter's school friends called me and wanted a recipe. The conversation consisted of " Hey Rhonda, you know I called for a recipe don't you." The first cake she ever cooked came from me. She stated that she never cooked with her mom because mom was always running around. I didn't have many close friends when I was in school, not the everlasting friends that some people have. Acquaintances yes but no one really close. But when my children started bringing home their friends, they adopted me as a parent. I was a stay-at-home mom for many years. I babysat while other mothers worked or were absent from the home. So when they needed something, they called me. So this story ends with "Granny, I need to know how to make deviled eggs." I just laughed because I thought everyone knew how to make deviled eggs and she said "but I never made them before." Probably one of the first things that I made in the kitchen with my mom was deviled eggs. I was thrilled to crack and peel the eggs and cut them, put them in a egg plate and decorate. So lets start with some instructions. I took Home Economics in high school for two years and alot of the lessons stuck. But the lessons from my mom and Granny Ruby stayed longer because they made more sense.

Deviled eggs

Place 6 to 8 eggs in saucepan and cover with water. add 1/2 tsp salt to water*.
Bring to a rolling boil and lower heat just so the water continues to boil slowly.
Time for 5 minutes and remove from heat*. Let sit until cool enough to immerse your hand in the water. Crack and peel the shell from eggs. Slice once length-ways. Remove the yolks and place whites on an egg plate. Mash the yolks well and add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, a tsp of mustard and 3 to 4 tbsp mayonnaise. If you like pickles, you may add a tsp of dill or sweet pickle relish. Which ever you prefer. Mix well and place back in the whites. Sprinkle with paprika for color. Sometimes if I want to be fancy, I use a cake decorator to add the yolks back to the whites. Decoration may also be sliced olives especially for Christmas with the red and green effect.

*adding the salt to water helps remove the shells. This is a comment from Granny Ruby to me.
*If you boil the eggs any longer, the yolks have a tendency to turn green around the edges.

MOM'S FRUITCAKE

I just put my fruitcake in the oven, so let's see how it turns out. This brings back many memories of cooking it with my mom. Every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving, we would start the fruitcake. Everything is so convenient now but many years ago, all the nuts had to be cracked and sometimes picked out of the shells. Then they were chopped by hand. All the candied fruit had to be chopped. Today I can go to the store and everything is ready to start mixing and put in the oven. Even my mom's fresh coconut cake is easier now, what with frozen coconut. No busting the coconut with hammer and smashing your finger. Or cutting your finger trying to peel the brown skin from the fresh coconut meat. Or nicking your finger on the grater. But it was fun to get to taste the little tidbits of coconut when the grating was done. Also squeezing oranges to get the juice for the fruitcake. These girls that cook today don't know how lucky it is to have so many things ready-made. Another thing that they don't know is that originally, fruitcake was the groom's cake. It wasn't made to eat but to take home and place under your pillow. The idea was that you would dream about your future husband. So much for old country ideas. My grandmother didn't have a mixer, just a hand-held egg-beater. My arm gets sore just thinking about it. So let's get to the ingredients for my mom's fruitcake.

MOM'S FRUITCAKE


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chopped walnuts
2 cups chopped pecans
2 cups candied fruit
1 cup candied red cherries
1 cup candied green cherries
1 box raisins (light or dark)
1/3 cup of fruit preserves (any flavor)
1/3 cup molasses
3 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 stick of butter
1/3 cup orange juice
Grease a 10" tube pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Then grease again and lightly flour. Preheat oven to 250 F. Sift the flour and salt with the spices. Set aside. Chop all nuts and fruits and place in a large bowl. Add 1/2 the flour mixture to fruit and coat well. Cream the sugar and butter together and add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the remaining flour mixture along with the preserves, molasses, and orange juice. Stir with a wooden spoon. Mixture will be thick so place into tube pan, one spoonful at a time. Place in oven and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Let it set for about 30 minutes to cool. Wrap in aluminum foil and place in a cool place. This may also be placed in a Christmas tin in the refrigerator. Enjoy. Sometimes I freeze part of this cake to serve at a later date.

THE SLIPPING SLIP

Well this is a story about me and how mistakes that happen are so funny. In April of 1958 on Easter Sunday, my 2 cousins and I had gone to Floyd Hospital after church to see our grandmother. She had fallen and broken her hip. We were dressed to the 9's. My outfit was a peach colored princess style dress with a crinoline attached at the waist. Now a crinoline is a very stiff lace and net petticoat that helps your dress stand out instead of hanging limp. The ones made separate from a dress were starched very stiff, so stiff that they could stand up by its self. This was the second year that I got to wear heels. They were little white pumps about an inch high with a hat and purse to match. There were white gloves to go with this outfit and a white carnation corsage. We always got a corsage because Aunt Josie and Uncle James owned the florist. After we had visited with Ma Jones, Paula and Diane and I decided to go out side and walk around the front of the hospital. We were just old enough to visit the sick because you had to be 12 years old and they were, I had turned 14 in February. This day was very windy and we didn't have a jacket. I had brought a sweater with me, but Paula and Diane didn't because their dresses had three-quarter length sleeves. We went to the restroom to primp and fluff up our hair. When you becaome a teenager, the first thing that you think about is your looks. I wanted to check and see if my slip was showing because it had started to come un sewed. I tucked it under the elastic of my half slip and we proceeded to go to the cafeteria and get a coke. After this we went outside to get some fresh air. Well my petticoat had slipped some more and dropped to my knees. I thought I would be smart and just slip it off and put it in my purse. I knew that I would have to wad it up very small so it would fit. As I proceeded to do this, a big gust of wind caught the petticoat and started blowing it across the lawn. I tried to catch it but with small hills, it was just to fast. It blew into the street and a car had to stop. I was so embarrassed that I ran inside the hospital and left Paula and Diane just standing there. They followed me inside and we looked out the window to see what the driver of the car would do with my petticoat. He just picked it up and shoved it in the trunk and drove off. We all started to laugh by then because when you think about it, I had a very funny situation with the slipping slip.

RECIPES "ORANGE SLICE CAKE"

Well let's make favorite holiday cake. I first found this cake at a family reunion in Tunnel Hill, GA in 1980. Since then, it has been a Christmas tradition. Before Granny Ruby died, I made this for her birthday on Dec. 30 and she would freeze it to eat all year. Now it holds very precious memories for me of my time spent with her and all she taught me over the years. I don't think I would have survived without her leading me most of the way. My mom died when I was 15 and I married at 18 and Ruby took over from there. Try this at least once to see how you like it. It is better than fruitcake.

ORANGE SLICE CAKE
This used to be known as sugar plum cake. It goes back to a time when one fresh orange was a special Christmas treat in many Southern homes as they were scarce to come by.

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 pound of orange slice candy, chopped
2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
1 8-ounce package of dates, chopped
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk*

  Heat the oven to 300 F. Grease a 10 inch tube pan. Line the bottom with wax paper or parchment, and grease the paper. In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt. Use another bowl to combine the orange slices, pecans, dates, and coconut. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the flour over this mixture. Toss to separate the sticky pieces and coat evenly.
  In a very large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl until once again you have a light and fluffy mixture. Add the soda to the buttermilk and alternate the flour and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix this well on low speed. Add the orange slice mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or use your hands to get everything well mixed.
  Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and cook at 300 F for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the cake is golden brown. Test with a wooden skewer
While the cake is baking, make the glaze.

FRESH ORANGE GLAZE

2 cups confection sugar, sifted
1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed if possible
1 tbsp of grated orange zest
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well with a fork, making sure no lumps are left.
Pour over hot cake and let sit overnight. Carefully loosen the cake from the pan with a kitchen knife or a spatula.Turn on to a serving plate. Remove the paper and turn right side up on a cake plate.

*note: if you dont have buttermilk, stir in 1 1/2 tsps. of vinegar into 1/2 cup of milk and let sit for about 10 minutes.

ODESSA JONES CAMBRON "Totsie"

     My aunt Totsie was my friend as well as my aunt. It's funny but I didn't find out her name wasn't Totsie until I was grown. Her name was Odessa and she was called Tot when she was little because she was so small. The name stuck and evolved into Totsie. She was born on April 11, 1925 about 5 years younger than my mother but they were close. Heck, all the sisters were close to each other. That was just how families were back in the good old days. I rode the bus to her house many times to spend the night with her daughter, Diane. I could catch the bus on Broad Street at the corner of 5th Avenue and go to West Rome and the bus would turn at West Rome Baptist Church and let me off at Laural Avenue where aunt Totsie lived. She lived in a cul-de-sac in a cute little house that she kept spotless. I remember her with a cloth under her shoe shining the floor or removing footprints when we came in the house. We would go to a church on the old Calhoun road called Friendship Baptist church. I was saved in this church in July of 1959. Brother John Crowe was the pastor. They were having a summer revival. Aunt Totsie love to sing and she sang in a quartet for many years. I loved to sing along with her. Sometimes Diane and I would sing together but not very often. Sometimes Paula would join us. She was aunt Josephine's daughter. I didn't really sing alot until I joined a quartet in my 40's.
Diane and I usually had our birthday parties together since hers was on the 30th of January and mine was on the 4th of February. I remember one particular party when permanents were pretty popular and aunt Totsie and my mom had put them in our hair. Well it didn't turn out how we expected. Not by a long shot. Our hair was so frizzy that it couldn't be combed. Our brothers laughed and made fun of us until we cried. I never got another home permanent for along time.
When you first entered my aunt Totsie's house, the piano was behind the front door on the left. It is funny how I remember where the piano was but nothing else. I do remember that they built an addition to their house and when I got married, she gave me a bridal shower in her den.
Aunt Totsie had married young at the age of 17. It was the year of 1942 and I think her husband was going off to war. I know that he was in service because I found his service record. Her oldest son, Don, was born in September of 1943 because he is 4 and 1/2 months older than me. Then Diane was born in 1946. I don't know exactly what year her son, Alan, was born but he was close to my brother, Kenneth's age. I remember her husband worked in a meat market with his dad in North Rome, across the street from Whiteheads Florist. We use to go up there to get our meat. And sometimes when my granddad killed a hog, they would help with the cutting. All the family would have meat. You can't go to the market now and get choice cuts of meat. No friendly conservation or meeting of friends as you shopped at the meat market. Everything is commercial and seems so sterile. When I was growing up, just about every Sunday was a visit to my grandparents home. The whole family showed up and we would eat dinner and then play. Family's were close to one another, not this estranged bits and pieces. You were taught to forgive. And you never held a grudge. I miss those days but life goes on and we grow up and lose touch. My aunt Totsie died with cancer at the age of 68. She is buried beside her beloved husband at Oaknoll Memorial Gardens. I never saw them together without noticing all the affection that they had for one another. Always holding hands even after the children were grown. I miss her. She always called me "Rhunda Jane." She dearly loved my son Jerry. She was always telling me that he favored her brother. I never knew which one she was talking about.  I thought it was uncle Ed but my dad said uncle Charlie. He is the only one of my five children that favors my family. Totsie claimed him as hers. It is funny how someone gets an affection for a particular person and it never goes away. I miss her.

JAMES J. JONES

James was the first child born to my grandparents. His middle name is Jefferson for Pa Jones' grandfather. They only got to keep him for 13 months. He was diagnosed with dysentery. Most people didn't know, in 1908, that a child could not have milk with this condition so when the baby cried, he was given a bottle or the breast. How things could have changed with just a little sugar water. He is buried in Pleasant Valley Baptist Church cemetery.  His brother is buried beside him in Adairsville. After my aunt Sybil died in 1998 and uncle Ed in  2005, they were added to this plot. The inscription on his tombstone reads James J. son of Lay & N. N. Jones. Born April 5, 1907-Died July 9, 1908

PAUL ELLIS JONES

I don't know much about Paul Jones other than the stories that my mother told me and a few from my grandmother. He was born in 1916 which made him 4 years older than my mother. He was the second son that my grandmother lost as a young child. He died from complications of a tonsillectomy. My grandad never wanted to use doctors after that episode. I guess that is why Grandma called her older son, "her precious Clifford."  She said that he (Paul) loved to draw and draw he did. Using old pieces of chared wood from the fire, he sketched any thing he saw. He could go in the woods and return to draw a scene from memory. Sometimes he used coal. On trips to town with his dad, he could draw store buildings and never go inside. He just used his imagination. My mom use to try to copy some of the things that he did but hers were never as good or so she said. My grandmother told me about his love for marbles. And she kept his marbles for many years except for the ones on his tombstone. They had them placed there after his death. I think over time or vandalism, all the marbles were lost in that area. There is an inscription on the tombstone-"Budded on earth to bloom in Heaven." I am sure he greeted each family member when they joined him.

Aunt Sybil Morris

    

     Probably time to write another story and this one is about my aunt Sybil. She was born on Feb. 23, 1918 in Bartow County. I don't know when she married Robert Morris, who was the father of her children, because by the time I remember her the most, she was married to Herbert Ortwein. They lived just off Calhoun Rd. in North Rome. It was very near Eastview cemetery because Helen and I used to walk through it and read the headstones. Many times, when my mom and dad were going to visit my grandparents, they would stop at aunt Sybil's house and Larry and I would stay with her to play with her children. Wendell was just younger than Larry and Helen was older than me. I still wanted to stay with her because I thought I was just as old. She was wearing make-up and had polished fingernails. I thought that was real cool. She would brush my hair and pretend that we were in mom's beauty shop.
My aunt Sybil was a great cook, especially her dumplings. She is the only person that I ever saw roll dumplings, cut them in small strips and drop in to rich chicken broth. My mouth waters now just to remember them. And she did cook alot of fish. Her husband had a cabin up north of Rome on the river and they would stay up there on the week-ends and fish. This was the Oostanaula River but I didn't find this out until I was in my teens. I didn't pay attention to directions, just get in the car and go.
But her hushpuppies for to die for. Fried catfish and plenty of slaw, with homemade French fries. Oh yes and iced tea and plenty of it. She made homemade banana pudding. No one could top her pudding. It is funny how I remember it now, but each sister had a special dish that they were very good at and her dumplings and 'nana pudding were over the top.
Now I remember one time at her house, we were playing cowboys and indians outside under a tree. The boys had put up some kind of tent and Helen and I were in it. Larry, Ken, Wendell, and Michael were outside whooping and hollowing like indians, while Helen and I were inside, shreaking like scared girls do at stressing times. All of a sudden, something hit me in the head and almost knocked me out. The boys had thrown a board on top of the tent and it hit me. I kept asking Helen if it was bleeding and she said "yes" it was and I started screeming. She said "no it's not- no it's not" to get me to shut up. Since Ma Jones didn't have a telephone, aunt Sybil had to call one of their neighbors to tell my parents that I cut my head and needed stitches. Aunt Sybil was so caring with me. She soothed me and wiped the blood from my face and I felt protected. I never forgot her for that care she showed me. Well I got about 11 stitches that I can remember but the most awlful thing happened. My new dress that mom had made for me was ruined. It was a beautiful maroon color with small yellow flowers and a scolloped skirt. I pitched such a "fit" with the doctors and nurses that one of them spilled some of the ether on my dress and it ate holes in it. My dad would never let anyone use that on his children again. He said that if it would do that to cloth, what would it do to our lungs. He was a very smart man.
I remember when aunt Sybil's husband died. She had to move because the house belonged to his children by his first marriage and they wanted to sell it. She moved to Calhoun in one of the rock houses on south Wall street. Then this house burnt and she lost everything she owned. She moved back to Rome in an apartment. All the family pitched in to help her re-coop and get a job. After my mom died, I didn't see her much anymore. When I visited Cliff, she would be there. After I started singing with the quartet, I saw her one more time before she died. This was about 1990 and she was already sick. She couldn't get around without help. But she dearly loved my singing and listened to our radio broadcast just about every Sunday. She would call and say "Sing me a song." She loved them all. She died in 1998.

BRUNSWICK STEW

I can't think of anyone who loves Brunswick stew better than I do. I grew up with it for just about every holiday and especially Memorial day. My granddad had his own recipe which was handed down from his dad. I try to carry on the tradition. This is a shorter version of my granddad's simce his fed about 200 people. After his stew started cooking, he would be bar-b-queing a half side of beef. If this is to much for your family, then freeze some of it. It freezes very well or as Hannah says in "Steel Magnolias" it freezes beautifully.

1 6 to 7 lb. (hen I leave off the giblets)
1 6 lb. beef chuck or rump roast
1 6 lb ham butt or shoulder
12 cups water
6 to 8 onions chopped
about 18 potatoes peeled and cubes (optional)
6 cups fresh or frozen Lima beans
6 to 8 cups of canned tomatoes (I like home canned)
6 to 8 cups of whole kernel corn (you can use frozen corn)
1 stick butter
juice of 3 lemons
2 bottles of catsup (medium)
1 tbsp. Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Bring meats to a boil and lower heat so it will simmer until tender and meat falls off the bones. After the meat had cooled, chop in small chunks and set aside. Skim the fat from the broth and discard. Add all the vegetables to the pot, cover and simmer until not quite tender. Return all meat to the pot and add the seasonings and lemon juice. Add the catsup last and stir slowly. Let the stew cook slowly on low for about 20 more minutes, uncovered. Serve with biscuits, corn bread or crackers and sit back and listen to all the compliments.

Added a post to this story. Brunswick,GA has a twenty-gallon iron pot just outside their town of Brunswick; and the plaque declares that America's first Brunswick stew was cooked in that pot in 1898. However, there are other dissenters as well-mainly food anthropologists who believe that southern Indian tribes were stewing squirrels, corn, and beans long before the white man stepped ashore. Today, many a Southern cook has a cherished recipe for this stew. To counter act this theory, Brunswick County, Virginia declare that their concockation originated in 1828, was made with squirrels, onions and stale bread mixed by "uncle" Jimmy Matthew, a camp cook in service to Dr. Creed Haskins of the Virginia Legislature. Who knows where it came from, Indians, Virginians, or Georgians, I still love the taste and the memories from my childhood of shucking corn for my granddad to add to the stew.

TATOR' SALAD

Hey ya'll let's make some tater salad. Well I'm no Paula Deen, heck I don't even look like her and I'm not nearly as young and pretty, but I do love to cook and I remember standing in a chair, peeling cooked potatoes when I was about 7 years old, for my mom to make Sunday dinner. This was done about once a month on Saturday night so Sunday afternoons would be free to visit family members or go window shopping after church. The object was that if dinner was ready after church then the rest of the day was free. Well I would peel those potatoes and the boiled eggs and mom would mix up the rest of the ingredients. This was a fun time for me because I had mom all to myself. But back to the salad, mom had particular things that she wanted in her salad and one thing was dill pickles. No sweet pickles for her because the mayonnaise made it sweet. Sometimes she made homemade dill pickles from cucumbers gathered from the garden at my grandma's house. Now they were so dill that your mouth would just about turn wrong-side out. I loved them just out of a churn before Grandma put them in a jar. But when they would set in the jars for about 2 weeks, they were delicious. I cant find these pickles any more so I have to settle for store-bought. No particular brand, just dill pickles. Now my mom would boil her potatoes and eggs together to save time and this probably saved energy in the 40's. I didn't learn that lesson until later in life from my mother-in-law. This is just one of the short cuts that my mom used. After the potatoes were done, she would pour on cold water to cool for about 30 minutes. They would set until just cool enough for me to handle. The peelings would come off very easy  when cooked this way. I didn't even have to use a knife. After this process, mom would mix everything together and refrigerate overnight. This marinated all the flavors together and it tasted great with crackers. Usually served with ham, baked beans, and slaw it was a taste to die for. I think Paula Deen would look cross-eyed.


4 or 5 lbs of potatoes cooked, peeled, and chopped*
6 large hard-cooked eggs chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 large dill pickles chopped*
3 tbsp mustard
2 tsp celery seed or celery salt or stalks of celery (chopped)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika

Mix potatoes, eggs, onion, and mayonnaise. I use a food processor to chop the celery and pickles.
Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate about 2 hours or overnight.

*I like Yukon Gold potatoes but my husband likes Red Skin.
*I use a dill relish sometimes instead of dill pickles. Use whatever is on hand.

CHICKEN or TURKEY DRESSING

This is for you Katherine with some fond memories.
If you are from the south then you all know that dressing is made from cornbread. Even if it is leftover and long as it is still good. I dearly love dressing made from chicken, turkey, pork, and even squash. After I first married in 1962, I was staying with my sister-in-law while my husband was on the road. We decided that we wanted some dressing for dinner. At this time every phone call made between counties was long distance so we couldn't call for instructions. We followed our own intuition. So we started with the left over cornbread from the night before. I remembered that much. We knew that we needed some broth or stock and we had some chicken legs so we put them on to boil. We thought we better salt and pepper them while they cooked. After cooking and cooling, we removed the meat from the bones and added it to the crumbled cornbread. Mixing everything together and put in a casserole dish and into the oven it went. Well we found out right  quick that we didn't have dressing. No eggs, no onions, and no celery or any sage. just dry bread chicken flavored. We got a big kick out of it and asked the next door neighbor if she knew how to make a gravy to softened up our dressing. The next time I went to town, I checked out the library for the recipe of turkey dressing. I am better at dressing now and there is never any left in my pan. Here is my up-to-date version.

3 cups of stock  (chicken or turkey)
about 4 or 5 cups of crumbled cornbread
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 tbsp sage
1 tsp poultry  seasoning
1 onion finely chopped
1 or 2 stalks of celery chopped
1 boiled egg chopped
small jar of pimento (optional for color)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup evaporated milk

sometimes I add the chicken meat to my dressing to serve as one dish.
Mix all ingredients well and pour into a greased casserole bowl. Mixture should be easy to pour or it will dry out while cooking. If not, add more stock or milk  Cook at 325 F for about 30 minutes. About the last 10 minutes of cooking, I sprinkle the top with paprika to present a good appearance. My children like this even when it is cold. Well maybe at room temperature.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

     Hello-how many people like fried green tomatoes? I don't know of many Southerners who wont try them at least once. Most all Southern women have their favorite recipe and all are different. From the time we first planted the small tomatoes until first bloom, I couldn't wait for the  tomatoes to get big enough to sneak into the garden, pick one and fry it up before Ruby came home from work. I had to make sure that all the dishes were cleaned before she came in or she would want to know why I didn't cook all the supper. What she didn't know is that her food always tasted better than mine. My daughter likes her tomatoes fried all cut  together like okra and added a chopped onion. Even sometimes adding a few potatoes, squash or even okra. This reason is because her grandmother did it this way when the garden picking's were getting scarce toward the end of the season. Granny Ruby would wrap tomatoes in newspaper and store them in a box under her spare bed just before the first frost and keep them in the winter time. When ever she needed one, she would just place it in the sun and the next day-behold it was ripe. Either way, if you fry them individually or together, they make a tasty side dish with pinto beans, creamed potatoes, and cornbread. How about with pork chops and applesauce and steamed carrots. Or maybe with a slice of ham, potato salad, and baked beans. Hum mm-my mouth is watering already. Let's get started learning how.

5 or 6 hard green tomatoes about 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter
1 large egg slightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
6 to 8 tbsp cooking oil for frying (bacon drippings are great)

1. Wash tomatoes and slice them about 3/8 inch thick and discard the end pieces. Spread on paper towel to dry.
2. Add the salt and pepper to  beaten egg.
3. Place oil in a large heavy iron skillet and set over moderately high heat for about 2 minutes.
4. Dip each slice in egg mixture then dredge in flour and cornmeal mixture and place in hot oil. Allow 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side to brown. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.
5. Serve as a vegetable side dish or as an appetizer with ranch dressing.

 With all the fresh vegetables coming into stores now, you can find these tomatoes just about any time of the year. Make sure none of the tomatoes are starting to turn red as they are not as firm as the total green ones.When I serve these, I never have any left so I just go ahead and make two batches at once and call all my children. I usually have a house full because they call all their friends. Happy eating.

Recipes-VEGETABLE SOUP

     On this chilly day, nothing is better than homemade vegetable soup. Any soup is good whether you use fresh or frozen vegetables.Canned vegetables may also be used but it is not the same taste. My favorite is canned soup made at home. All soup starter by Granny Ruby was okra, corn, and tomatoes in a jar and canned in the summer when the garden was producing. She would freeze some but most was canned. Sometimes she used chicken stock but many were broth from pot roast. A good slice of corn bread and you are in heaven. Everyone knows that cornbread can only be made with buttermilk. And you have to have a good heavy black cast iron skillet. Nothing else will do. Make sure that it has been seasoned.

6 to 8 tomatoes peeled and chopped
1 lb of sliced okra
2 to 3 cups of fresh corn
1 small pkg of frozen lima beans
2 cups chopped carrots
6 to 8 large potatoes peeled and chopped
1 large onion chopped
 Sometimes I add some cauliflower or broccoli. Chopped cabbage will really add flavor. To stretch it farther just add some water or maybe a cup of rice.

Place all ingredients in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 2 to 3 hours. You can add any other vegetables for your preference like green beans, broccoli, , parsnips, English peas or rutabagas. Salt and pepper to taste- season with a bullion cube or bacon drippings. This is extra good the next day.

Oops!!!sorry-I forgot to add that some people like meat in their soup. Sometimes I add stew beef that I have lightly browned to the soup and continue to cook about another hour. You can add left-over pot roast.
You can brown a pound of ground beef or chuck and add to the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Or some people prefer chopped-up chicken. What ever your preference nothing can beat the flavor of soup made at home..

A STORY OF COCA COLA

     Alot of people don't know that I love history. Especially US history. I loving reading about the area where my family grew up and any states where they lived. I ran across an article in one of my cookbooks ("A LOVE AFFAIR WITH SOUTHERN COOKING" ) about Coca Cola and I just had to read on since I knew that one of my ancestors was Asa Candler. His mother was Martha Bernetta Beall, a first cousin to my great grandfather. His name was Noble Newman Beall.  Since this work is by Jean Anderson, I will just give you a few high lites of her story.

"Gimme a dope" is what some southerners use to say when they reached for a small bottle of Coke. It is no secret that the original Coca-Cola syrup contained cocaine. Discovered or concocted by Atlanta pharmacist John Pemberton in 1886 and marketed as a nerve tonic, it was just what Southerners needed during the agonizing aftermath of the Civil War.

     Enter Atlanta businessman, Asa Candler, who had suffered from migraine's since childhood. When a friend suggested that he try Coca-Cola, he headed to Jacob's Pharmacy, where it was served at five cents a glass. The soda jerk spooned an ounce or so of Pemberton's dark, secret syrup into a glass, then fizzed it with carbonated water.
    
     Candler downed that first glass of Coca-Cola in 1888, emerged pain-free, and quickly wrote his brother of the amazing cure. In no time, Candler bought the recipe for Pemberton's elixir (a blend of sugar, citrus, and coriander), vanilla, and lime juice plus cocaine, and caffeine extracted from African kola nuts). By 1891 he owned the company, and by 1895 he'd opened syrup plants in Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles. He wanted to make Coca-Cola  a household name and it has become just that. I don't think their is an American anywhere that hasn't tasted Coke. And now it is sold around the world. Little did that pharmacist realize when he mixed sasprella with carbonated water and some spices what would evolve. The national drink of the world.

HOMEMADE BANANA PUDDING

     Someone asked me today how to make homemade banana pudding. Well I always followed the recipe on the Nilla Vanilla Wafer box. When I got home, I could not find it so I had to go to my cook books and find another version. I will put both versions here. I don't care for the version made with vanilla pudding and that is served in most restaurants so maybe some of today's girls will try this. My mother always make hers in an iron skillet but mine always scorched. This pudding is excellent in trifles using angle food cake and any kind of fruit. The whipped cream is good in trifles instead of meringue.

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 flour
4 cups milk
3 eggs  separated -lightly beat the egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
about 75 vanilla wafers
6 medium firm-ripe bananas

Combine the sugar, flour, and egg yolks in the top of a double boiler on boiling water. Don't let the water touch the boiler or boil too rapidly. Add the milk and whisk together until mixture is thick and smooth. Add the vanilla. Lightly skim the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan with the pudding. Cover with vanilla wafers and then sliced bananas. Cover with more pudding, a layer of wafers and a layer of bananas until all the pudding is used ending with the pudding.  For the topping, beat the egg whites with a dash of salt until it begins to form peaks. Add 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating, forming stiff peaks. Smooth over the top of pudding and lightly toast until golden brown.
If you don't have a double boiler, use a " Pyrex" bowl on the boiling water. Some people top with whipped cream but I prefer the meringue.

In Memory of Ruth Franks Brown

Ruth loved gospel music and everywhere that she went, she always had her guitar. She sang with various groups in the Gordon County area including her family and The Sounds of Praise. She was on their radio broadcast for many years and even recorded a cassette tape with one of the songs that she wrote. The following one is titled "GOD'S AMAZING GRACE."

1. Did you ever stop to think as you travel down life's road,
that the Savior gave His life for you and me.
Did you ever stop to think He can save your soul from sin,
Let me tell what His love has done for me.
Chorus:
It was God's Amazing Grace that saved my soul
and it was God's Amazing Grace that set me free.
and it's God's Amazing Grace that is leading me each day
and someday with Him in Heaven I will be.

2. He said as He was leaving this unfriendly world,
that He'd go prepare a place for you and me.
and we read it in our bible that who-so-ever will,
can go and life with Him eternally.
Repeat Chorus

FABULOUS CARAMEL CAKE

My mom use to make this for Christmas when I was little and I couldn't wait to dig into it. Now my grand kids and great-grand kids love it. It has turned into a holiday favorite because the icing is a brown-sugar fudge.

Yellow Cake

3/4 cup softened butter
1 cup milk
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 325 F. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round cake pans. Combine the butter and milk in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the butter melts. Stir well and let cool to room temperature.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the eggs and sugar and beat well at high speed until light yellow. Stir in the flour mixture into the eggs just until the flour mixture disappears. Add the cooled milk and vanilla, and stir well. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool

Caramel Icing

1 one pound box light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
7 tbsp evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, evaporated milk and vanilla. Bring to a boil. Stir well and adjust the heat so that the frosting boils and bubbles gently for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens. Spread on cake quickly as the mixture will harden. If the mixture becomes to hard to spread, add a spoonful or 2 of evaporated milk and warm gently over low heat. ENJOY
decorate with walnuts or pecans

RED VELVET CAKE

No one knows for sure how this cake came about but many people agree with me that it is one great cake. When my boys tried it, they loved it and it has been a favorite ever since. I have made this for a grooms cake at many weddings even before the movie "Steel Magnolias." Mine were always heart shaped. Alot of recipes call for cocoa but I omit it just because I don't care for it in my cake. However, I have used beet juice along with red food coloring to make a deeper red color.

Red Velvet Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 1-ounce bottles red food coloring             (2 tsp of beet juice) optional
1 cup butter softened  (or cooking oil)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans generously and line with waxed paper. Grease the paper and flour the pans. I like to use a 13 x 9 x 2 inch casserole pan. Beat the eggs well with the butter(oil) and sugar. Add the food coloring to this mixture and cream until smooth. Alternate the flour with the milk beginning and ending with the flour. In a small bowl mix the baking soda with the vinegar. Use a wooden spoon and add this to the batter and fold gently by hand. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and cool on wire racks.

Frosting.
mix 1 bar of softened cream cheese  with 1 stick of softened butter. Add one box of confection sugar and mix until desired consistently. Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract and mix well. Spread on cooled cake. Decorate with walnuts

BUTTERMILK PIE

The first time I heard about this pie I thought -ugh!- but you would be surprised how good it tastes. Don't think about the buttermilk just think about egg custard. yum.  Remember, most biscuits are made with buttermilk and so are pancakes. So try it just once.

Buttermilk Pie

3 eggs slightly beaten                       1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar                                  1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk                              1 9-inch pie crust
1 tsp cornmeal

Mix the eggs, sugar and buttermilk. Add next 3 ingredients. Mix well and pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes until set. If you add 1 cup coconut before baking, you have a great French Coconut Pie.

APPLESAUCE CAKE

I love this recipe because it always turns out so well.                                           1972
When my children were growing up, Jimmy my son, would bring home books for me to read . One particular one was "THE HOMECOMING". about the Waltons. The children in this story walked to Ike's store for the sugar for a cake. The children cracked black walnuts in the barn for Olivia's Apple Cake and talked about Santa Claus. Now I loved to cook so I copied the recipe and cooked it the following Christmas which was just a month away. I really did use whiskey in the frosting. I don't know how they got confection sugar then but that is what was called for in the recipe. When you try it, tell me how you like it.

CAKE

1 cup softened butter                             1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups sugar                                          1/2 tsp salt
3 cups sifted all purpose flour                 1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs                                                    1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup raisins                                           1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup chopped black walnuts                 1 cup buttermilk
1 cup apples chopped 1 cup applesauce

Mix the raisins and nuts together and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup flour. Sift the dry ingredients together. Set aside. Blend the butter and sugar together until lemon colored and add the eggs one at a time. Alternate the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixing well. Add the applesauce. Fold in the walnut-raisin mixture. Mixture will be thick. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and cook for about an hour at 325 F. Will be like a pound cake.
Cool

Frosting:
1 box confection sugar
1 stick of butter
4 or 5 tbs. of milk or enough for spreading consistency
1 tsp whiskey*
mix well with an electric mixer and spread on a cool cake

any good whiskey will do or you can use vanilla flavoring.

Sometimes I separate the frosting, add food coloring and decorate for Christmas. Looks pretty with cherries, raisins, and nuts.

ADD A SANTA HAT AND IT'S HO HO HO

REAL RUM BALLS

I like this story because it is true. I worked at Springs Industries for 25 years. It started out as Regent Mills and then changed hands. This is in Calhoun, GA. I worked in the dye house stacking rugs and then moved to dye weigher and kept it up for 17 years. I had a friend who worked on first shift named Irene Colfax. She made alot of Christmas candy and one recipe was for was rum balls. I talked her into giving me the recipe. Well, I had never done any cooking with rum or any other kind of alcohol so when the recipe called for rum, that is what I used. My first husband was a drinker and it just so happened that he had some 151 Rum for mixed drinks and I sneaked out 1/2 cup for the candy. I mixed everything up and put it in a tin Christmas box for the flavors to meld until the Chrismas party at work. When I opened the box to sample one, the fumes almost knocked me down. Since it was a party, we just ate them anyway. We all were a little tipsy by the time the party was over. I never made them again for a Christmas party. Needless to say, I  don't use 151 rum anymore for Christmas cooking. I found a cooking rum to use and then I found rum flavoring for the kids.

RUM BALLS

5 cups of vanilla wafer crumbs or graham cracker crumbs
1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup confection sugar
1/2 cup of rum or brandy*
1/4 cup of Karo syrup
2 Tbs. cocoa

Combine all ingredients and mix well with your hands. Shape into  balls and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
Roll in confection sugar and store in a Christmas tin for about a week and serve. I make them the day after Thanksgiving and let them sit until Christmas.

I mix 1 tsp. rum flavoring in 1/2 cup of warm water instead of the rum for the kids.

CITY CLOCK TOWER-poetry

I lived across the street from the city clock for 18 years and it became my friend. It was a place to run and hide. Swings were beneath it with see-saws, monkey bars-just places to have fun. When I saw the clock, I knew that I was home. I wrote this poem in 1992 right after my house burned in Calhoun, GA. Even though I had been gone for 30 years, it was still a comfort to me.

He stands alone in the center of town
while three large rivers flow all around.
Almost forgotten, except for a few-
remembering the chimes-school day was through.

I remember a little girl being afraid
of shadows that the clock tower made
plus a lonely school with creaks and moans;
perhaps a closet filled with bones.

Six hills surround the old clock tower
with fertile glens and lovely bowers.
But he stands alone through many years-
his head in the clouds to hide the tears.

'Neath the hustle and bustle of everyday life
no one notices his toil and strife.
So listen with your heart-he chimes every hour
this work of art called City Clock Tower.

Thanks to everyone who posted pictures of the clock and Neely school. My pictures could never be replaced so these are a big help to me. I attended Neely school in the 6th and 7th grades, 1955-1856 and 1856-1957.

RECIPES-BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

I have to make this every holiday without fail. Sometimes I wind up making 2. Very good side dish when you need something green.

1 10 oz. pkg frozen chopped broccoli (thawed)
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1 jar cheese whiz (8 oz.)
1 can cream of mushroom soup *
3 cups of cooked rice

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a buttered 13 x 9 casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 325 F for about 25 to 30 minutes. I usually sprinkle paprika on top for decoration.

Sometimes I substitute cream of chicken soup or broccoli-cheese soup.

RECIPES -SQUASH CASSEROLE

This recipe is one of the favorites of my granddaughters.

2 lbs. yellow summer squash cooked, drained and mashed
3 Tbsp. chopped onion
3 eggs beaten
1 stick of butter melted
1 sleeve of saltines finely crushed
1 jar of cheese whiz
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of sour cream

Mix all ingredients together and cook in a buttered 13x9 casserole dish. Bake at 350 F. for 35 to 40 minutes until it just starts to brown. Sprinkle top with grated cheddar cheese and cook for about 5 more minutes.

Sometimes I wonder if I am just good for cooking.

RECIPES OATMEAL-APPLESAUCE BREAD

       OATMEAL-APPLESAUCE BREAD

      There is a story that goes with this recipe. So let me give you the background for it. After my mom died, I did some of the cooking but I always had to follow a recipe. If we didn't have all the ingredients, then I didn't cook. My dad finally told me you are not a good cook until you go in the kitchen and make a meal without anything to use except your imagination. I didn't pay much attention until I had a family of my own. Then that advice came in  handy.

            My children thought that everyday after school it was snack time. I couldn't go to the store every day so it was cooking time. One morning I cooked oatmeal and had a little left over so I decided to make some oatmeal bread. I pulled out an old cake recipe and adapted it to fit. But when it came time to add the milk, I didn't have any. So I looked around and substituted some applesauce. I knew that banana bread didn't have much liquid so I thought applesauce would work and it did. This is what I came up with. from 1976. Since then I add 1 cup of chopped apples to this recipe and it is delicious.



1 cup of butter or margarine softened            1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cups of sugar                                       1/4 tsp cloves
2 1/2 cups flour sifted *                                1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 eggs slightly beaten                                    1 cup applesauce
1 cup chopped nuts                                      1 cup raisins
1 cup cooked oatmeal                                  1 cup chopped apples

Mix butter and sugar together until well blended. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to flour. Mix oatmeal and applesauce. Add flour alternately with the oatmeal mixture. Add oatmeal, raisins, and apples last. Stir with a wooden spoon as this mixture will be thick. Spoon into a greased and floured loaf or tube pan.Bake at 350 F. for about one hour. Be sure to check in about 50 minutes as ovens may vary.

*I used self-rising flour but you can use all purpose flour and add 1 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt.
Serve this warm with apple butter or honey butter. It is also good with cream cheese or cinnamon butter.yum yum

When I first made this bread, my kids had gone in the woods behind our house and picked up hickory nut and their Granny Ruby and I cracked them and put them in the freezer. The next time I made it, we went to Whitfield County where Granny Ruby use to live and gathered black walnuts. Now I just use pecans or walnuts. It is still good and I make it for the holidays.

Thank goodness for a smart dad and a mother-in-law who grew up in the country.

"WHAT COLOR IS LOVE" poetry

What color is love? Do we really know?
Is it kindness and patience for our family we show?
Is it white for purity or red for our heart-
is it blue for sadness when our friends depart.
What color is love? Do we really know?
Is it faith in our Savior when forgiveness He shows.
Is it happiness or peace of mind
that comes from Heaven from our Savior Divine.
The color of love the rainbow holds
for His promises to man, for our soul He enfolds.

More Recipes SAUSAGE BALLS, CHEESE BALL, SPINACH DIP, PIMENTO CHEESE

These are good when you have the family in and they can't keep there hands off the food until you are ready to eat. ha ha

               SAUSAGE BALLS

1 lb. hot sausage                                                    dash of hot sauce
3 cups Bisquick                                                     3 Tbsp. water
1 3/4 cups of grated cheddar cheese                      Mustard for dipping

Being sausage and cheese to room temperature. Then combine all ingredients and mix well with hands. Roll into small balls and bake at 350 F until brown. about 15 to 20 minutes.

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         CHEESE BALL

2 (8 oz.) pkgs of cream cheese                           1 1/2 tsp. Accent
1jar of ham or beef                                             4 or 5 green onions chopped
2 Tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce                         chopped pecans or walnuts

chop onions and meat in food processor until finally chopped. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Form a ball and refrigerate about an hour or over night. Roll in the nuts and serve with favorite crackers of Fritos. May also use with  vegetables
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        SPINACH DIP

1 envelope of vegetable soup mix                     1 can water chestnuts drained and
                                                                           chopped
1 container (8ozs.) sour cream                         4 or 5 green onion chopped
1 cup mayonnaise                                            1 tsp Accent
1 pkg (10 oz) chopped spinach

Mix well and chill about 2 hours. Serve with your favorite dippers
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         PIMENTO CHEESE SPREAD

1 lb sharp cheddar cheese grated                     1 tsp onion salt
1 large jar diced pimento                                  1 cup mayonnaise

Mix well and refrigerate about 2 hours. Serve with crackers, chips, or celery

Uncle Cliff

  

     Well it's time for another one of my many stories, so this one will be about my uncle Cliff. He was the second son born to my grandparents and Ma Jones always referred to him as her precious Clifford. I am thinking that this was because her first son died as a baby and then she had girls. I never understood why so many women thought boys were a blessing and girls weren't, because I think all children are a blessing from GOD. Well back to my story. Clifford Clinton Jones was born on July 11, 1913 and he was named for Ma Jones brother, Clifford Kilgore. Often called C C or Deacon he never had children, so all the nieces and nephews were his babies. He was known to often carry the boys hunting, fishing and just work in the garden. He always had a big garden

     Now Cliff loved to go fishing especially to Florida deep sea fishing. When he came home, we would always have a big fish fry in his yard on the Turners Chapel Rd. in Rome, GA. And we would have all the trimmings like hush puppies, slaw, baked beans, and potato salad. And never forget the deviled eggs. Since he had 6 sisters, the desserts were plenty. Banana pudding was made in dishpans. Cookouts were great at Cliff's house. And every fall around Labor Day, he would Bar-be-Que and the Brunswick stew was to die for. His 2 brothers(Charlie and Ed) would cook for about 3 days getting the meat ready. Usually this was a side of beef and plenty of pork raised on the farm. Since uncle Cliff and uncle James raised cows, we always had plenty. Chickens ran underfoot and you never could catch them even though Cliff gave us that job. I think I caught one when I was young but I didn't try very hard. I tried to stay at home when they killed the chickens and plucked them. That just wasn't for me. Well we all had a job of some kind. "You don't work, you don't eat." That is what would Cliff would say. I tried to help Ma Jones so I could stay in the house but she knew what I was about and put me to sweeping the yard. People always swept their yards instead of cutting grass. I guess that is why it was always so dusty.
     The one thing I always liked was shelling peas. I don't know why this was so much fun to me but any peas to shell, that is where you would find me. And snapping green beans-white half-runners were my favorite. I had rather have peas and green beans than anything. I guess that is why I still love them today. I could make a meal from peas, slaw, sliced tomatoes and onions. I could have been a vegetarian growing up. Any kind of potatoes that you fixed, I would eat. Especially sweet potatoes that my mom would fry and cover with cinnamon and brown sugar. Think that might be why I am a diabetic today.
     Back to uncle Cliff. I loved to spend the night with his and aunt Jackie. We would gather vegetables from the garden and cook supper. I liked to help dig up the potatoes and gather cucumbers. Patty-pan squash, yellow crook necked squash, corn, okra, and don't forget the tomatoes. Yum. Nothing was better than corn cut off the cob and fried in a cast iron skillet with sliced tomatoes and a biscuit slathered with fresh butter. The only thing that would beat it was a fresh blackberry pie made with berries that we picked in Cliff's backyard. WATCH for snakes!!! Now I don't think I ever saw a snake when I visited the country but we had to watch for them. Ma Jones kept a hoe handy just for that purpose. Especially in the gardens, between the rows and I thought snakes ate rats and eggs not vegetables.
   "Uncle" Cliff is gone now and all I have are the memories of his old wood house sitting on the hill and his cookouts. When I was about 10, he built a brick house where the wood house sat with a big Bar-be-Que pitt out back. And when anyone died, their body was carried to Cliff's house and everyone came to visit and pay their last respects. This was the last place I got to see the physical side of Ma Jones, Pa Jones and my mother.

The Love of Family History part 7 Uncle Kerwin

Continuation of family history

   To begin my story in this chapter is my memories of Kerwin Beall. He was next to my dad in age. He was married in Atlanta to Helen Delay and they had 3 children. Roy, Patricia, and Lawrence called Larry. I don’t remember them as they were older than me and the oldest, Roy, was killed. A car hit him while he was playing and he died instantly. Their marriage was on rocky ground at this time and disintegrated after his death. Uncle Kerwin had to leave Atlanta after that to stay out of jail. I don’t know if she was vindictive or just didn’t like him. I never could understand how a woman could keep a dad away from his children. Good or bad, he is still their father and nothing can change it. These are stories my dad told me. He felt guilty about the child’s death and his former wife hated him and refused him visits with the other 2 children. He moved to Rome for a while and found a job. I remember going to the post office to mail checks to her for child support. Dad said, “Remember to put it in the out going mail.” He moved again but I don’t remember where. I think it was Florida because that is where he letters came from. He said that Uncle Lowell was mailing the checks for him now from Miami.

   I had just started taking piano lessons from Eleanor Webb. Dad knew her family in Atlanta before she married. When her husband died, she moved to Rome to get away from all the memories. Uncle Kerwin came to visit and the next thing I knew, he had up and married Mrs. Webb and took her to Florida. I lost my teacher. The piano didn’t hold much interest for me after she left.

   We visited them on our trip to Florida when I was about 11. They lived in Orlando. There were fruit trees in their yard with delicious fruit. I never did know the name of them. I think it was mangos. The grass was so soft but I got a lot of sand in my shoes.

   Years later, Uncle Kerwin wrote to my dad and wanted him to visit his son, Lawrence, who lived close to Atlanta. I think it was Powder Springs. He looked just like my cousin, Charles McDaniel. He still didn’t want anything to do with his dad. The whole Beall family for that matter. He had even changed his last name to his step-dad but I don’t remember it. I thought that was sad because his heritage is prestigious. We descend from prosperous people. Lawyers, doctors, politicians, and even an earl in Scotland. I hope one day his children will want to know his ancestors and read this short story.

Recipes-FRUIT SALAD

I thought since the Holidays are coming up that I would post some of my favorite recipes:

FRUIT SALAD

1 large Grannie Smith apple chopped
1 large Red Delicious apple chopped
1 large banana chopped
1 large can pineapple tidbits (drained)
1 can fruit cocktail (drained)
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup miniature marshmallows (white or colored)

add first 3 ingredients in large mixing bowl and cover with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
let sit about 5 minutes while assembling remaining ingredients. I use canned fruit sweetened with Splenda.
Add the rest of ingredients and stir well.
You can add about 1/4 cup of mayonnaise to taste according to preference.
Garnish with red and green cherries.
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Diabetic Peanut butter Pie

2 packages of low-fat cream cheese
1 package of sugar-free French Vanilla pudding
2 cups cold 2% milk
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup Splenda
1 small bowl Kool-whip
1 low-fat graham cracker crust

mix 1 package of softened cream cheese into French Vanilla pudding to which you have added the milk. Pour into crust. Mix 1 package of softened cream cheese with peanut butter and Splenda and mix well. pour on top of first layer. Cover with Kool-whip and refrigerate until cold.
Can be frozen.
(you may substitute 1 box of sugar-free chocolate pudding for French vanilla to achieve a different taste)

Animal Christmas-poetry

Down in the valley where the fir tree grows,
the animals are gathering 'cause everybody knows
that Christmas is comming-don't hesitate
Granny squirrel bakes the cookies, Mrs. Mole cooks a cake.

A string of holly berries around the tree goes;
mistletoe amid the branches with poinsetta bows.
Mr. Frog brings a lily pad to use for decoration.
One dried sunflower forms a star--what a lovely sensation.

We musn't forget the Christ child for we celebrate His birth.
He gave us everlasting peace amid the joy and mirth.
Sister Owl sings "Silent Night" as the animals kneel and pray-
thanking God for a Savior born on Christmas Day.

Josephine Jones Whitehead

    

      Aunt Josie was the second daughter of Lay and Nannie Jones born in 1911. Sometime when she was small, she was burned around her neck and her hand. This caused her hand to not open completely but she could still use it very well. Her husband was James Whitehead and they owned and operated the Whitehead Florist in North Rome. We all called her "Aunt Josie" but her husband never called her anything but "Josephine." She could make the prettiest corsages that I had ever seen and she was always busy. I loved to visit there because it always smelled so good. All the different flowers were lovely. Now she was a character from the beginning. I always thought of her as the Edith Bunker of the family. She wasn't really ditsy but the things that she said were so funny. Like the time that she made homemade chicken salad. Uncle James didn't like chicken at all. But he would eat it sometimes. Well after she finished, she made him a sandwich and fries with a dill pickle on the side and took it to his chair in front of the TV. When he was just about finished, she asked him how it was and did he want some more. You know he just looked at her and stated " no more, tastes too much like chicken." Well Paula (their daughter) and I just about died laughing.  So the next day, she made meatloaf. She could make the best macaroni and cheese that I ever tasted. It was never from a box. I always liked grating the cheese. After it was cooked, it would be so creamy and taste delicious. Lots of times after church on Sunday, daddy would take us out to the farm just to eat dinner with Aunt Josie. She really catered to my brothers. She didn't have boys, just Paula. They had another daughter named Joy Sue but she only lived 4 days. I think that she wanted more children but it just didn't happen.

     James was funny also. He loved to eat ketchup on his eggs. I have several cousins who still eat eggs that way because he did. And they had to be scrambled, never fried. He use to say if he has to eat eggs there had better not be any yellow running so scramble them up. He liked to watch the Monday night fight after he had fed the cows. Sometimes I thought he would jump in the TV with the fighters. Paula and I were suppose to be in the bed asleep because it came on at 10:00 but we would still hear the TV and lay there awake. When I was growing up, I use to spend the night with Paula often. They had an apartment behind the florist. There was 4 rooms. A living room, dining room, bedroom, and a kitchen. It also had an enclosed back porch where  Uncle James slept in the summer time but in the winter time, he slept on the couch. Now it had a bathroom but no bathtub. Aunt Josie would bring in the wash tub to the kitchen and we would take a bath. Then James would empty the water out the back door. There was a shower in the basement but we only used it in the summer time as there was no heat downstairs. It was also open and I didn't want anyone to see us naked. After the farm house was restored, they moved and did away with their apartment. I missed it because in warm weather, we got to ride on the back of the pickup truck all the way to the barn. Children are not allowed to ride on the bed of trucks now because of so many deaths.
     After my mom was killed, we spent alot of time at the farm. Daddy worked out of town so we stayed with Aunt Josie and Uncle James. Now this meant that Josie would drive us to school. She didn't get her drivers license until Paula was in high school. James didn't want us to ride the bus. It was the city buses then. There were no yellow buses in town. It cost a nickle to ride and that is how I use to get to Paula's house. Just take the to bus to Celenese and get off at the red light. North Broad didn't go past the hill. It wasn't till later that it was extended to new 53 highway. Then Paula was elected cheerleader and we would get to go to the out of town football games.
     After I married, I didn't see her much. Just at family gatherings but when Jeff was born, she came to the hospital with my dad and sat with me for a long time. I really missed seeing them so I would go every chance I got. Paula had married and moved to Athens. The house just seemed deserted. When uncle James died, I went to see them and it was never the same. Aunt Josie still had a Christmas tree sitting in the living room. I asked her why she didn't take it down. She told me that by the time she got around to taking it down, it would be time to put it back up so she just threw a sheet over it.
     I think my family is interesting and I hope anyone who reads my stories likes them. These are my memories of them when I was young. I want every one to get a feel of who they were and how they lived. When you run across a name on paper it is just a name. But if you learn a little about that person, then you feel like you knew them and they can live on.

The Love of Family History part 6-Uncle Lowell

     Well its me again with another version of the family via Lowell Eugene Beall Sr. Uncle Lowell was the second son born to Guy and Imogean Beall. He was born in Paulding county along with the rest of the children. He didn't move to Atlanta until his mother died. When they moved in with his sister, Gordie Mae, he met an interesting lady who lived up the street. Miss Thelma Estell Hanie. Her father was the pastor of Cary Park Baptist Church, preaching until his death and then his son took over. Their house had a big screened-in porch that I loved. Many times, you would catch me asleep on that porch when I was staying with Aunt Thelma. When they fell in love and were married, World War II happened. After that, they moved to Miami, Florida and he worked for the Miami Herald. Lowell had 3 children. 2 boys and a girl who my dad said that I favored. Her name was Joan. I don't know what happened to her. She died when she was young.
     My dad, mom and my 2 brothers along with me made a trip to Miami when I was 12 years old. We drove all the way mostly down highway 27 to get to Uncle Lowell's house. We went to Miami Beach and played in the ocean. Eugene and Jerry, our cousins, went with us.  I think Uncle Lowell had to work and Aunt Thelma stayed at home because the repairman was coming that day.  My youngest brother, Kenneth, buried my pocketbook in the sand and we never found it. I had my glasses in it and when we got back, I had to go to the doctor for another pair. While we were in Miami we went to a zoo. I saw the largest snake that I had ever seen in my life. It had swallowed a pig whole. I was ready to leave but the monkeys were funny so we stayed a while longer. There was a turtle who the zoo keeper stated was 100 years old. They would let you take a ride on its back but I was scared and stayed back. Larry took a ride and said it was fun. We stayed 2 weeks and then started for home. I think I slept most of the way back to Rome, Georgia. But I always remembered my first trip to Florida and Aunt Thelma cooking Red Snapper in the oven. It was delicious. Until next time!!