Tag: baking

Why do we enjoy the things we do? Plus a homemade bread recipe

by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

This is an old picture of our oldest granddaughter, but I just thought it was too cute not to share. It always makes me smile.

It has been fun watching her grow and change, and it’s even more interesting to see the ways she and her younger sister are alike…and different.

I get it, we’re all different. That’s not what I mean by my question. The question is: what makes us become interested in things? Is it the influence of someone in our lives? Is it because of a book we read, a movie we saw, or some other outside influence?

You’re probably confused by my questions, so maybe some examples would work better.

My husband is a sports FAN. Notice the capital letters. He has always loved to play and/or watch football, basketball, and baseball, and he even watches some soccer games when the World Cup is going on. A little hockey occasionally. His interest in sports is not unusual since many share his passion. But no one else in his family was that way. His parents didn’t watch sports. His older brother didn’t enjoy sports. Yet he, as a very young boy, became enamored with baseball first and then other interests followed.

Why is/was he so different from his family?

I had an artistic interest from a very young age. I spent hours drawing and coloring. As I got older, I loved play-acting. I spearheaded neighborhood plays which I wrote and my friends and I performed for our parents in our living room. From the moment I learned to read, I loved it. My brother was an avid reader, so maybe his influence affected me, but no one else in the family had my artistic bent.

And no one else loved horses like I did. I used to think I loved horses because of the books I read, but I realized I loved horses before I could read. We didn’t own horses. But I was drawn to horses (and still am) the way my husband was drawn to sports.

I love the Kentucky Derby, but I’m learning some things about horse racing that don’t sit well with me. Some aspects are not humane. I won’t go into that now. More research is required.

I could go on and on. The musician born into a family of non-musicians. The doctor whose family members had no interest in science or medicine. You get the idea.

Maybe you don’t think about these things, but I’m a thinker. I’m a questioner. I often want to know “why,” although often there is no firm answer to that.

Our oldest granddaughter has that imaginative, artistic bent, more pronounced than many her age. She loves make-believe and dress-up. I know what you’re thinking. That’s not unusual for a little girl. No, it’s not, but her fascination with songs from a very young age, from being soothed by “Somewhere over the Rainbow” while a very young infant…yes, I believe she has an artsy bent. Her younger sister? Well, if she doesn’t grow up to be a skydiver and a mountain climber and anything else requiring physical skill and a daredevil attitude, I will be amazed.

I sometimes think our interests, like our personalities, are somewhat genetic. Maybe my husband’s great-grandfather had a competitive spirit and was involved with whatever activity was competitive back then. Maybe my great-great-grandmother drew pictures or wrote stories or had a flair for the dramatic. And maybe my love of horses stems from being a descendent in a long line of farmers who loved their service animals as well as relied upon them.

I guess this blog is pointless. I’m writing about something that has no answer, something most people wouldn’t even think about. But for a curious mind like mine, it’s a natural path to follow. It’s okay if I don’t have the answer. It’s just something that intrigues me.

Well, if you’ve made it this far and are bored out of your mind by. now, maybe your interest is piqued by a homemade bread recipe that does not require having to feed a starter! I’ve been making this for so many years, I have it memorized and have long forgotten where I got it. The bread is soft and perfect as an accompaniment to meals or just to eat by itself.

Homemade yeast bread

Ingredients:

2 packages active dry yeast (I use Rapid Rise)

1 cup shortening

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

2 cups water

2 eggs, beaten with a fork

5 to 6 cups all-purpose or bread flour (I use bread flour usually)

Instructions:

In a large, deep mixing bowl, pour in two packages of yeast. Add sugar and one cup of warm water. Mix with wooden or silicon spoon.

On medium high heat, in a small saucepan bring one cup of water and the salt to a boil. Set off heat and add one cup of shortening, stirring constantly to melt the shortening. Add this mixture to the water, yeast, and sugar mixture in the bowl. Stir and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Slowly stir in beaten eggs with spoon or whisk until well mixed.

Slowly stir in flour, one cup at a time, being sure to mix well. Once the mixture has reached the consistency that creates a dough ball, stop adding flour. I don’t measure the flour–I usually just “eyeball” it. I like it when the dough ball is moist and no extra flour is visible.

Cover mixture and allow to rise for at least 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down dough and divide into two equal parts. You cn refrigerate one part for several days if desired or make two loaves.

Melt butter in a bowl. Break off pieces of the dough (about the size of a ping-pong ball) and dip in the melted butter. Drop into a bundt pan and repeat until all dough is used, being sure to distribute evenly in the pan. You will have more than one layer.

Cover and allow to rise for at least 1 1/2 hours. Pre-heat oven to 350 and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

A variation:

After dipping into melted butter, roll each piece in a cinnamon sugar mixture before dropping into bundt pan.

It’s Elvis Week 2025. Try this Elvis Gooey Butter Cake to celebrate~

by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

It’s hard to believe that 48 years after his death, there are still enough Elvis fans in the world to converge upon Memphis and participate in activities celebrating the life and legacy of Elvis Presley. Elvis Presley Enterprises is, no doubt, a marketing machine that has kept the legend alive for multiple generations.

I’ve never been to Elvis Week, although my youngest son and I did go to Memphis one year to go to the expo where we met June Juanico, Elvis’s Mississippi girlfriend in 1955 or so (not sure of the year), Bill Black’s children (Bill Black was the bass player who played with Elvis on Sun Records), and others connected to the Elvis world.

Elvis fans can do the week in -person or virtually. I’ve never done those either.

To be honest, I’m not the Elvis fan (attic) people think I am. It’s just that because I once was a super Elvis fan, I know a lot about him, so it’s natural for me to talk about him and his life. I have no illusions about the man, and I never wanted to have him as a boyfriend. My family doubts that, but when I was a little girl, I just wanted to be in his circle, maybe have him for a brother.

Not so with celebrity crushes Kurt Russell and Lee Majors. I wanted to grow up and marry them. Well, not Lee Majors. Heath Barkley. If you’re a baby boomer, you know what I mean.

Back to Elvis Week. The reason it’s held annually at this time is because Elvis died on August 16. When the week began, they had multiple events including “talks on Elvis” in which people in Elvis’s circle shared their memories and experiences, an Elvis Tribute Artist contest, and special tours of Graceland. Those things still take place today. In addition, they have constant music by performers singing Elvis songs, special tours (for a mere $500 this year, you could pay to go on a private tour of Graceland headed by former girlfriend Linda Thompson or Elvis’s longtime friend Jerry Schilling), or you could pay to go by bus to Tupelo, Mississippi, to visit Elvis’s childhood home until the age of 13. Since its inception, the week has concluded with a candlelight vigil on August 15 during which hundreds if not thousands of fan hold a candle and walked to the gravesites beside the mansion. In the early days, that vigil took all night. I’m not sure of the attendance these days.

If you’ve never been to Memphis in August, let me warn you: it’s HOT and HUMID. All caps to stress. Keep hydrated if you go there!

You get the idea. Go on YouTube after the week is over and see what fan-made videos you can find. They’re pretty interesting.

Speaking of Lee Majors…he and Elvis were friends (they met while Elvis was making a movie he hated Clambake and Lee was on The Big Valley) and last year he was a guest speaker for the conversations on Elvis. It was pretty interesting, and you can find it on YouTube. Lee, bless his heart, is now 86 years old and not the “Big Valley” hunk he once was, but it’s still interesting, even if you’re not an Elvis fan.

But whether you loved, hated, or felt neutral about Elvis the entertainer/person, you might like this recipe. I found it when going through Mom’s stash of recipes. I’d never made it before yesterday, so it was a true experiment. My husband loves it. If I loved sweets, I’d love it, but I’m not a fan of sweets. A couple of bites is all I can manage. I get nauseated if I eat more than that. I know, I’m weird. I admit it.

Here’s the recipe:

Elvis Gooey Butter Cake

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 x 13 glass dish with cooking spray.

Ingredients and instructions for crust:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 stick of butter, softened

1 egg

Mix well with mixer and press into bottom of 9 x 13 glass casserole dish.

Filling (topping) ingredients and instructions.

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened

1 stick of butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

3 eggs

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 banana

1 box powdered sugar (16 oz.–I used 3 1/2 cups)

Mix cream cheese, butter, vanilla flavoring, and eggs until mixed well to a creamy texture. Add banana (I broke it into pieces before adding) and peanut butter. Mix well. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix well between additions.

Using a rubber spatula, spoon over crust and spread evenly. You may need to run water over the spatula or dip it in water to keep mixture from sticking.

Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

4:15 A.M. thoughts and a great summer dessert recipe

by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

My mom started teaching me to cook when I was very young. Really young. As a matter of fact, when I was four or five, I made homemade biscuits because she was sick in bed. Yes, my dad helped me, but she told us how to do it, and I felt very grown-up when I took her the finished product. The problem? I had used a bowl to mix the dough that she used to put my goldfish in when she changed the water in the goldfish bowl. Looks like my dad would have known, but to say he knew nothing about cooking is putting it mildly. I wonder if she figured that out when she took the first bite—dirty fish water taste maybe:

I took home ec, as we called it, my freshman year, and during the cooking semester we prepared and ate a meal during our 60-minute class time. We cooked easy things, but still we cooked. We had homework to make cookies, muffins, biscuits, and cornbread, and we’d bring one sample to our teacher to evaluate. Maybe other girls had their moms do the cooking for them, but I never even asked Mom. I just went by the recipe, and she helped by supervising.

She also started teaching me to sew when I was 12, using an old treadle sewing machine on which I made Barbie clothes. Yes, I was still playing with Barbies at the age of 12. I can confess it now, although it was a deep, dark secret I told no one back then.

So I haven’t let vision loss stop me from cooking. I discovered low-vision cooking aids on Amazon, and I have measuring cups designed for people with low vision, measuring spoons (which were great at first but with the vision decline, I can no longer see without a magnifier), and tactile (bump) dots. The dots are on my oven controls and on frequently used buttons on my microwave. Sure, I make a mess at times, but truth be told, I did that at times even before vision loss!

I still have problems. Yesterday I made guacamole. I used garlic salt accidentally instead of garlic powder, and it was WAY too salty. I ate some of it but had to throw out the rest. I have a Braille labeler that I used to make labels for my spices, but I have gotten lazy about labeling the new ones that replaced the old ones. Now that’s a project I need to do today.

But why was I thinking about all of this at 4:15 this morning and couldn’t fall back asleep? Partly because I was thinking about what topic I’d like to address in my blog. I was thinking about how, as challenging as vision loss is, it would be so much worse to be deaf with no hearing at all. At least vision loss doesn’t keep me from interacting with other people. It doesn’t keep me from enjoying music. To me, being totally deaf would be much worse than totally blind. That’s because I’m a social person, but maybe someone who prefers to be alone or with a very small circle of people would prefer the loss of hearing over the loss of sight.

We’re all different. Yet it would be my hope that anyone facing adversity would be active in searching for solutions to living as normally as possible and finding fulfillment in new areas.

One thing both blind and deaf people can do, though, is cook. So whether you are reading this blog or using Voice Over or Talk Back to read it, I hope you’ll try this recipe. It’s easy, just the kind of stuff we made back in home ec. And, oh, a special thanks in my mom who passed away in 2021–thanks, Mom, for teaching me so much!

Four-Layer Delight

Ingredients and instructions for each layer:

First layer: 1 stick softened (not melted) butter, 1 cup flour (all-purpose or self-rising), 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Mix well and press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for one hour.

Second layer: 1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened; 1 cup powdered sugar; 1 cup of Cool Whip. Mix well with mixer and spread on top of cooled crush. I use a rubber spatula for this, dipping it occasionally in water to keep the mixture from sticking. You could do the same with a table knife.

Third layer: 2 small packages of Jello instant pudding mix (lemon, chocolate, pistachio, or butterscotch–I use lemon) and 3 cups of milk. Beat well and spread on top of cream cheese layer.

Fourth layer: Cool whip and if desired sprinkle pecans on top. Cover and keep in refrigerator.

Philadelphia on July 4th–and a delicious blueberry bread recipe

by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

Let’s face it. It’s hard to get much more American than attending a baseball game on July 4 in the city that was the birthplace of our nation. Long before “The Star Spangled Banner” was penned by Francis Scott Key, a group of brave and forward-thinking men embarked upon a human experiment that resulted in a country still thriving today.

True, we have our problems. True, it is a paradox that the very men who were promoting the concept of freedom did not see the injustice of slavery and its ramifications. True, those men did not understand that women were of equal intelligence and not to be treated as property, but their mindset was common to the culture of the times. We can be grateful that times have changed, and freedom is a concept to be embraced by all.

We’d never been to Philadelphia, and it was never on my list of places I desired to go. It was, however, interesting and enjoyable. We did the “hop-on, hop-off” tour and saw places like Independence Hall, the Congressional Hall where John Adams was sworn in as president, the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross house, and other sites. We ate Philly cheesesteak sandwiches (after all, we were in Philly, so you kind of have to do that) at the Reading Terminal Market and bought ice cream at the nation’s longest continuous ice cream shop.The sandwich? Really good. The ice cream? Nothing exceptional.

On Friday, July 4, we walked a few feet from our hotel to board the subway that took us straight to the ballpark. This was our third ballgame of the week. We’d been in Pittsburgh Monday and Tuesday, where my husband, a lifelong Pirates fan, was thrilled to witness his team beat the Cardinals both games. We live in Cardinals country, so he takes a lot of abuse for being a Pirates fan.

Back to the Phillies game. I’m not a baseball fan, although I’ve attended many games and watched a few on TV over the years, so I can’t describe any particulars. However, I thought it was pretty cool to be participating in a stereotypical American activity. And just as I’d had to eat the Philly cheesesteak sandwich, I felt obligated to have a hot dog, although I usually avoid that type of food. I usually avoid red meat, also, but hey, I was on vacation.

Before the 7th inning stretch, a woman sang “God Bless America.” Unlike the national anthem, during which time people stood and listened, the crowd sang along with her. They continued to sing (of course) when it was time for “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” We had conversations with those sitting near us. The people of Philadelphia truly were friendly.

Would I want to go back to Philadelphia? Probably not. It was a good one-time visit, but there are too many other bucket-list places I want to visit. I don’t even really care about trips to the Florida/Alabama beaches because I’ve been there so much. I want to see something different. So I guess I’m saying at this stage of my life, I’m not interested in repeating experiences. I’m about new ones.

Although time at the beach with my family would be okay because I’d be with them. That would be my focus, not the beach itself.

Maybe you’ve taken trips that surprised you or trips that disappointed you. Maybe you’ve taken trips you’d want to repeat or trips you never want to experience again. And maybe you don’t care about travel at all, which is fine. We’re all different.

But I’ll always remember this particular July 4th as the most patriotic one I have ever experienced. That make sit special.

Something else that’s special is this delicious blueberry bread I discovered in 2012 when my dad was in hospice care and people from church were bringing us food. When we tried this, I had to have the recipe, and I’ve been making it regularly ever since. I know an apple pie or homemade ice cream recipe might be more “American,” but I like this better. I hope you enjoy it!

Blueberry Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup roasted chopped pecans (optional)

1 slightly heaping cup of sugar

2 cups self-rising flour

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup orange juice

1 egg

1/4 cup oil

1 teaspoon softened butter

Instructions:

If you plan to use pecans, place one cup of chopped pecans in a baking dish and roast in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Stir together sugar and flour. In a separate bowl, place frozen blueberries and add just enough of the sugar/flour mixture to coat. Set aside. Add egg, orange juice, oil, and softened butter to the sugar/flour mixture and stir well. Add pecan pieces (optionalL).

Using a colander held above this mixture, pour blueberries into colander and allow the extra sugar/flour mixture to be added. Stir again.

In a loaf (glass or metal) pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil, pour half the batter. Place half the frozen blueberries on top of this layer. Add the rest of the batter and place the remaining blueberries on top. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.

This makes a great dessert or breakfast treat.

There’s nothing like “old” friends…and coconut pie

by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

Yes, this is my senior picture. Yes, it was a LONG time ago. Yes, I’m posting it so those of you who have only known me as an adult can see what I looked like in high school. Also to grab your attention to read my blog, LOL. And yes, there is a coconut pie recipe at the end of this post.

In March of my sixth grade year, my parents and I moved from the Texas to a town in Middle Tennessee. For those of you unfamiliar with Tennessee, our state flag has three stars to represent the three divisions of Tennessee–from the Mississippi River to a section of the Tennessee River is West Tennessee; from there to the time zone change is Middle Tennessee; from there to the eastern border is East Tennessee. West and Middle Tennessee are in the central time zone. East Tennessee, obviously, is in the eastern time zone. Fellow grammar police, please forgive if I should have capitalized the time zones.

The move was a little traumatic for me. I had been in a self-contained sixth grade classroom. My new school changed classes according to the subject. Fortunately, I was with the same group of students as we moved from one class to the other. I made friends through school and church, and while those friendships changed as we grew older and went back and forth, there were two friends who remained constant.

But we went out separate ways. We no longer live in the same town. We don’t see each other that often. But thanks to cell phones, we keep in touch. A couple of days ago, one of them discovered how the three of us can have a group phone call. Yes, at our age, we’re a little slow on technology, so don’t judge.

These two came to see me last fall. I blogged about our trip to Memphis, I think, but they spent time at our house too. And my husband got a full dose of not just the women we are but also the girls we were.

The memories we share, both good and bad, unite us. I can be my true self with them. I am not the Sunday school teacher/retired teacher and principal/mother/grandmother. I am just ME.

Sure, I can be myself with my current friends. I am definitely myself with my family.

But when I’m with them or talking with them, I am 16 again. I laugh in a way I don’t laugh with anybody else. I mean, when (I’ll call her “Sue,” she knows why) texted me the following, I laughed until I cried because I was picturing her saying this. You probably won’t find it as funny, but here’s the text. Note: she is trying to exercise more.

“I read that when you walk, you should engage your core. My core is an old maid and has never been engaged.”

Admit it, that’s pretty funny. The funny story in our phone conversation this week was when Nan and Sue were on a tandem bike years ago and Nan was in the front seat. Hot and struggling and red-faced, she looked back to discover Sue was not peddling at all. I guess she thought she was on a bike taxi…

Laugher is the best medicine, but laughter with cherished friends is like a steroid. It invigorates and makes the world a happier place.

We grew up together. We went through the traumas of adolescence, the excitement of new adventures, and more. We even worked at the same bank at one point. Yes, we had our differences, but we got over them.

I hope everyone has at least one friend like that.

Sue always loved my mom’s homemade coconut pie. So here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

Two frozen pie shells

1 1/2 cups sugar

two tablespoons flour

3 cups milk (whole or 2%)

6 eggs, whites and yolks separated

1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring

1 pat butter

approximately 1 1/2 cups coconut flakes (adjust to personal taste)

Instructions:

Separate pie crusts and set on counter to thaw.

Separate eggs, placing whites in a metal or glass bowl which can be used to beat the egg whites

In the top pan of a double boiler, mix sugar, flour, milk, and egg yolks with a wooden or silicon spoon. Fill bottom pan 2/3 full of water, and place double boiler, with lid on, on medium high heat. Keep an eye on the water to make sure it doesn’t boil dry. You may have to add more during the cooking process.

Stir mixture occasionally to smooth lumps. While custard is cooking, poke holes in thawed pie crusts with a fork. Place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for ten minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

Custard mixture is ready when it coats the spoon when lifted out of the mixture. Set off heat and add butter and vanilla flavoring. Stir in 3/4 cup coconut. Pour evenly into pie shells.

Add a dash of salt or cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat on high speed with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Beat in two tablespoons granulated sugar. Spread meringue mixture ont top of custard, then spring remaining coconut on top of each. You may wish to add more coconut. Place in 350 degree oven until meringue is lightly browned. Cool completely before covering and placing in the refrigerator. Chill several hours before serving.

Enjoy with your special friends!

Banana pudding, fried green tomatoes, and other foods–how they reflect a culture

by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

This AI generated photo of banana pudding looks nothing like the ones I make. Notice I wrote “ones.” Yes, I’ll have two banana pudding recipes at the end of this blog.

We went to a vegetable stand last week and purchased our first homegrown tomatoes of the season. These, we were told, were grown by the local Amish and grown without using any pesticides. We trusted they were telling the truth. Green tomatoes were available as well, but I held off. That’s usually a once-a-summer treat for us, not a staple.

I know the stereotypes about Southern food are there for a reason. Fried chicken, fried okra, fried potatoes—I grew up with my mom cooking all that. In my adult years and with my focus on being healthy, I got away from frying foods. It only happens occasionally, and we’ve become so unaccustomed to eating them, the food sits heavy afterwards.

I think you can understand a culture by listening to their language and by noticing their foods. People along the coast eat more seafood for obvious reasons. Here in the agrarian South, recipes are a throwback to earlier generations who lived on farms and raised almost everything they ate.

So why is banana pudding considered a Southern creation? Nobody I know has banana trees. A town about ten miles from us has an annual Banana Festival. In Tennessee/Kentucky? Why?

Bananas were first brought to the New World in the 1500s from Central America, according to what Alexa told me. Obviously they kept being brought in.

Before I continue about food, however, let’s talk about Florida. Most of us in the South don’t consider Florida to be sSouthern. Sure, we flock there on spring break, summer vacation, and fall break because the panhandle has the most accessible beaches, but to include them in the Southern culture is somewhat of a stretch. Feel free to agree or disagree. You fellow Southerners outside of Florida know what I’m talking about.

But why a Banana Festival In South Fulton/Fulton? My understanding is a train carrying carloads of bands derailed there years ago, and the town commemorated that event with a festival annually. Locals, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

Okay, back to food. Way back in 2004 or so, some friends came to Memphis from England. We drove down, picked them up, and spent the day showing them the area. We found out they couldn’t find food they felt comfortable eating. Memphis was full of barbecue places, and hamburger spots, but they settled on eating at Cracker Barrel where they felt safe ordering breakfast even though it was lunchtime.

I don’t know how they would have reacted to Cajun food in Louisiana. A side note here–the best gumbo I’ve ever had was at Bullfish Grill in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Go figure.

In the 1990s, our next-door neighbors were from Michigan. We had so much fun with them. Sandy and I walked together regularly, the kids played together, and we got together to play cards on a regular basis. One night they invited us and others over for a milk can dinner. Dave dug out a fire pit in their back yard. Sandy filled a huge milk can with cabbage that had been quartered, whole onions minus the peal, and bratwurst (I think) on top. Dave had drilled a hole in the top of the milk can to allow steam to escape, and they cooked the food over the fire for hours. She prepared corn on the cob on the side, and it was all delicious. The bratwurst spices had seasoned the cabbage and onions, and it truly was delicious.

But they’d never had okra. So I introduced them to that. I can’t remember if they liked it or not.

In December 1982, I was expecting our first child, and I was craving watermelon. Guess what? No grocery store sold watermelon because it was out of season. These days we can buy shipped-in watermelons year-round, but to me they’re never as good as the ones picked ripe and sold soon afterwards. We always think Missouri melons are the best, although we did buy one from Florida the other day that was very good.

In the 1960s, my family lived in Arizona, but we came back to Tennessee every summer to see “the folks.” Mom was going to make tacos for everyone, but there was no grocery store in town that sold tortillas, so she was unable to do so.

How times have changed. I’m glad they have. But there are still regional differences. The Mexican food I grew up with in Arizona is nothing like the Mexican food in the local restaurants, and no doubt The Back Porch in Destin far exceeds any seafood sold here. That’s okay. Diversity is not a bad thing.

As I write this, white beans (also known as Great Northern beans or soup beans in the South) are cooking in a small crockpot. We’re having battered and baked cod fillets for supper (yes, in our area the evening meal is called “supper,” a throwback to the English/Irish/Scottish heritage of the South) and roasted sweet potatoes to go with them while we drink unsweetened, decaffeinated tea. Bet you thought all Southerners drink sweet tea. Wrong.

But I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like banana pudding. So here are my two recipes. The first is the one I learned to make from my mom. The second is the easy, quick one I learned from a friend.

Custard Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 cups milk (I use 2%; whole milk will work great, not 1%)

2 tablespoons flour

five eggs, separated

1 teaspoon butter

1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring

3 to 4 bananas

vanilla wafers

Beat egg yolks in a small bowl with a whisk or folk to combine. In the top pan of a double boiler, combine sugar, flour, milk, and eggs. Stir well or use whisk to combine. Add water to 2/3 full of bottom pot and set top on top. Place lid on top and boil until custard thickens. Stir periodically. You may have to add more water to the bottom pot.

When thickened to the point the custard clings to the spoon when lifted out, take off the heat and add butter and vanilla. Allow to cool for ten or fifteen minutes, then transfer mixture to the refrigerator to chill at least an hour.

Once the custard is chilled, place layer of vanilla wafers in bottom of a 9×9 casserole dish or similar dimensions, a layer of sliced bananas, and a layer of the chilled pudding mixture. Continue until all the pudding mixture has been used. Top with vanilla wafers placed face down.

Save the egg whites for another use, or if you desire meringue, don’t top with vanilla wafers. Beat eggs whites until stiff. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and beat again. Spread on top of pudding using a rubber spatula and place in a 350 oven for about ten minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned. Remove from oven, cool, then chill until time to serve.

Now for the simple one!

Easy banana pudding

One large box instant vanilla pudding

3 cups milk

One can sweetened condensed milk

One 8 oz. container Cool Whip

3 to 4 bananas

vanilla wafers

Beat instant pudding and milk for two minutes. Stir in condensed milk and Cool Whip. (I use a rubber spatula.) Layer vanilla wafers, sliced bangs, and pudding mixture in a casserole dish or large bowl and repeat process until all the pudding mixture has been used. Top with vanilla wafers placed face down.

My favorite is the old-fashioned custard recipe. My husband likes the easy one the best. Hope you enjoy one of them!

When life gives you lemons…make lemon pie?

by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

I should have posted a picture of lemon pie instead of an abstract water color, but the painting has a point.

I’ve always loved art, for as long as I can remember. With the vision thing, doing detailed art is not easy and seemingly impossible (I haven’t given up yet), but I still enjoy the process. A young woman on YouTube has some fun watercolor projects, and I decided to try her technique. Is it a beautiful art piece? Absolutely no. Was it fun to do? You betcha.

Doing this activity today was especially meaningful. You see, I have a long-standing dislike of Sunday afternoons. Not Sundays. Sunday afternoons. The whole tone of a Sunday afternoon, to me, is BORING. I don’t want to rest. I don’t want to nap. I don’t want to watch TV or read a book. I want to DO something.

When I was working, I longed to do something fun on Sunday afternoons like hike, boat, play tennis, etc. Yes, you’re right, something active. But there was no one to do those things with, so I compromised by going on long walks, going to see my parents, and things like that. And it was fine, except for the Sunday afternoons I had to grade papers instead. Man, if I had it to over, maybe I wouldn’t have been so dedicated. Well, maybe. I’m too much of that kind of teacher.

In retirement, however, I walk all the time, so I don’t feel that urge on Sunday afternoons. I want to do something different. Being unable to drive and with no female friends who have my Sunday afternoon energy level, I have to get creative. Sometimes I do what I call intervals–I tell Alexa to play songs by The Beach Boys or whomever, and I do four different activities. First, I use a weighted hula hoop for the duration of a song. Then I use my stepper for one song. Then I do some Jazzercise moves (remember that?) during a song. Then I use my five-pound or ten-pound dumbbells for one song. Then start over and do the routine for thirty minutes. Stretch afterwards. Collapse for a few minutes until batteries are recharged.

Sometimes I do boredom baking. I make homemade bread or cookies or whatever, depending on what I have on hand. This is usually a cold-weather go-to.

Today, however, I wanted to do artwork. So I took my supplies outside and worked under the umbrella of our patio table. I did two abstract watercolors and sketched one picture with a marker like a Sharpie and colored it in with markers and colored pencils. My guy ended up looking like a terrorist. Oops!

I listened to music while I worked, and I have to say it left me in a good mood. The experience was a reminder, and I hope I will remember this lesson.

The reminder? I should always strive to overcome my circumstances and my obstacles to do the things I love. I shouldn’t quit before I try, and I shouldn’t allow my spirits to drop just because I can’t do them as well as I once did. I may have to adjust my expectations, but that’s okey. The point is to find joy in doing things I love to do, to being with my loved ones, to cherish my friendships, and to count my blessings because there are so many.

A while back, I taught our ladies’ class at church and a part of the lesson was reflecting on the Serenity Prayer and the lessons we learn from it. Since that time, my daily prayer, along with praying about other things, is the Serenity Prayer. I pray it daily, and I pray it with meaning.

Here is my version of it: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Only pray it if you mean it. It won’t work unless you truly do.

You may be wondering why I changed the old saying from “lemonade” to “lemon pie.” Because lemon pie is richer, more of a treat, and more valuable. I think most people would rather have it. So in closing, I’ll share my recipe that is a favorite in our family.

Lemon Icebox Pie

Ingredients:

one packet of graham crackers, crushed

3/4 stick melted butter (note: you can buy a prepared graham cracker crust, but we like the homemade better. And if you’re not concerned about cholesterol or calories, you can use an entire stick of butter.)

one can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs, divided

the juice of 3 lemons OR 1/3 cup of RealLemon juice

Instructions:

Crush graham crackers using a food processor or placing between waxed paper and crushing with a rolling pin or large drinking glass. Place in bowl and store in melted butter. Spread contents in a pie plate. Set aside.

Cut lemons in half and squeeze juice into a measuring cup. You can use a juicer or just squeeze with your hands. Be sure you get 1/3 cup of juice, and be sure to remove seeds.

In a mixing bowl, pour condensed milk. Add three egg YOLKS and stir well with a rubber spatula or a spoon. Add lemon juice and stir until mixture thickens. Pour into prepared crust and smooth evenly.

In a separate bowl, add egg whites and a dash of salt or pinch of cream of tartar. Beat with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Add two tablespoons of granulated sugar and mix well. Top pie with meringue. Place in a 350 degree oven until the meringue is lightly browned. I usually start checking after ten minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before covering and placing in refrigerator to chill several hours before serving.

Enjoy!