Tag: recipes

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!

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!