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.