Melinda Lou, that can't be you in that coffin?

Lately I have attended far too many funerals, and have viewed far too many people that I have known,  yes I will say the word...in coffins. On several recent occasions as I would be paying my last respects to the earthly remains of a good friend, a family member would say, "Doesn't she/he look good"? What...what... O' Lord my hearing has finally gone South with other parts of my body cause I can't be hear'in this right, look good?  Why I can hardly recognize my friend and I just had tea with her last week!  What were you and your family possibly thinking? What is that tacky outfit that you picked out, bright orange and red is not her color!

Now Girls and Guys,  I know we all want to look our best and I personally totally intend on leaving a good looking corpse,  despite my age,  when I depart from this earth. Why I would not even think of leaving my house without my hair done and my proper face on, (that is properly applied makeup for you Northern Girls). However,  I do not believe that having a gallon of heavy cake makeup and a bucket of rouge applied to my face with a hairdo that I have never worn in my entire life, and an outfit that I absolutely would not be caught dead in is a proper look for my final appearance on this earth. Where do the Funeral Parlors find these make-up artists? Why my friend is already roll'in over in their grave and they hav'nt even made it there yet!

I am pleading with each and every living soul , especially all my fellow Southern Belle gal pals,  to sit down right now and take the time to write a Living Will and a Final Request as to exactly what you would like to have done with your earthly remains, which I am sure is not looking like a clown in the local circus,  unless of course you are a clown in the circus. I would suggest that at least every five years you have a good professional portrait done and keep a copy of it with your Living Will and Final Request,  as it is becoming quite obvious that we cannot count on or trust our own family members to properly remember what we looked liked long enough to get us in the grave after we have passed through this life. Hopefully someone will pass the photo along to the Funeral Parlor Director and their make-up artist. May I also suggest that you purchase an outfit that you absolutely love, place it in a garment bag and label it " to be worn at my final appearance (funeral)", because your loved ones are liable to have you dressed in a bright purple, red and green flowered chiffon nightmare. You may also want to make a final request of your hair stylist and find a good make-up artist! Guys, this is also for you because no self respecting Cowboy wants to be dressed up in a baby blue suit,  and no Southern Gentleman wants to be laid out in jeans and an old tee shirt, even if it was his favorite one!

Please friends and neighbors let's all do our best to leave a good looking corpse with proper makeup, hair, and hopefully wearing a proper outfit that we absolutely love so hopefully your friends and family will actually be able to recognise us as we lay in our coffins, and yes we will all be in one sometime in the future. Dear family members of loved ones, Please look twice and sincerely ask yourself, " is that what Aunt Bea, really looked like and would she really have picked out this bright purple, red, and green chiffon dress" ?

May I also speak directly on the concerns and issues of attending a funeral in proper attire. Being brought up in the South I was naturally instructed on the proper attire to wear to a funeral,  which is certainly not a skin tight red dress that sits just below my derriere and barley covers my breasts. And, yes I recently saw a young lady attend a family members funeral in this type of attire. Why I swear she looked just like she was auditioning for a strip club instead of attending a funeral! A proper dress or suit for a lady to wear to a funeral is one that falls at or below the knee and is of a dark color that actually covers your body. For gentleman proper attire would be a suit or slacks with a sport jacket, not dirty jeans and a ragged tee shirt. Who are you showing your respect to, the person on the street corner or your friend or loved one in the coffin?
As for me, I am off to have a portrait done then off to Nieman Marcus for an outfit that I will absolutely fall in love with. Now where did I place that paper and ink pen to write that Living Will and Final Request?

Melinda Lou, now honey try not to roll over too much in your grave why you just might rip that new lovely bright orange and  red rayon dress that your family bought for you and mess up that helmet hairdo. I'll be see'in you.

Antebelium Rules for the Southern Belle

It can be said that from a social point of view that the evry idea of a "Southern Belle", is an elitist title that was invented by wealthy plantation owners. Why the title itself has the very connotations of arrogance and self-importance. Yes, there is an air of arrogance and self importance to a degree in all Southern Belles or Southern Ladies, including myself.
There are many of what I refer to as "Antebelium Rules for the Southern Belle", and though sadly it is true that the tru Southern Belle has ceased to exist in today's society,  there still lives a Southern Belle in all women that are born and raised in the South. The following are a few "Rules" that the proper Modern Southern Belle still abides by.
1. Never wear white shoes before Easter or after Labor Day, except of course as a bride.
2. "Thank You Notes", are a necessary component of being gracious and appreciative.
3. Never chew gum or smoke in the streets.
4. Never show anger in public, smile and act like a lady.
5. Act helpless and confused only when it is to your advantage; never let a man know just how clever and    
    capable you really are.
6. Be elegant and graceful.
7. When all else fails, Charm, Charm, Charm.
8. Always be careful who you talk about. Everybody in the South is kin to someone. No matter who you
    bring up in conversation, you're bound to be insulting someones Aunt, Uncle, or third cousin twice
    removed.
9. "Tacky", a term used by southern women to describe someone's behavior or appearance. Always dress    
     appropriatly and act like the lady that you were raised to be.
10. Smile politely and excuse the behavior of Yankees, after all they simply do not know any better.
11. Never, never under any circumstances call a man, trust me they will call you.

We Be's A Goings Fishin!

Now there's no better sounds thans for a real southern county gal to hears the words "We Be's A  Going Fish'in",  but nots ats no 3:30 in the dang mornin!  It's still as dark as a night sky can be out here in the country as we are a pull'in up to the boat ramp at Trails End Fishing Resort right here on Lake Istokpoga to unload the boat into the water on the canal. It sure was a long ride round to Trails End why it darn near took us a whole 5 minutes to gets over here. I sures is glad I's has my coffee with me.

Now it's be about 4:00 am here and the dang birds arn't even up out of the nests yet, much less that ol' sun a raisen outta that there East sky. What the ?%!#$&* am I a doing up at this time of the cotton pickin morning to go a fish'in? Why everyone knows that there ain't no respectable Large Mouth Bass gonna lets itself be caught afore daylight hours. What's that you be a sayin Mister Man? We gottas get to the right fish'in spot afore anybody else? It be's a 27,000 acre lake,  doin ya really think some folks gonna be right there in da spot that ya'll done be thinkin bout? If'n ya'll haven't noticed there ain't no souls up on this here lake at this time of mornin but for us. Why's even the fish camp is still as quite as a country mouse in church on Sunday.

Now's ya'll gots to keeps in minds that whiles I tells ya'll mys story that my mans one of them theres professional fishing mans,  why he be's the one and only Mark Beaver of Mark Beaver's Guide Service. So off'in we go racing out to that there secret spot on da lake,  now bein the only boat on da lake this a mornin ya'll dones know we's gotta hurry. We's gets to that there secret spot rights in da middle of this here lake and it's still as dark as its cans be. I looks round ands I can sees a few lights a turning on in some of them theres cabins along da shore of the lake. I's is sure mighty glads I's has my coffee with me and one of them there thermos bottles for a back em up.

I settles on down into my fishin chair in da back of da boat of course whys do ya'll think any self respecting fisherman gonna gives up the front of da boat, nots even for his own lady! So's I gets my bait on my own hook and I's starts a fishin with my favorite carrot stick. Now for ya'll new fishermen and nons fishermen a carrot stick ain't be something ya'll eat. A carrot stick its be a new fancy fishin stick made from real carrot fibers and its be's a real pretty bright orange kinda like Gator orange for all ya'll Florida Gator fans, and this here thing it must not even weighs 3 pounds.

Wells after bout an hour here comes that ol sun right ups there in the East just likes its a pose to. And wouldn't cha all know them there Large Mouth Bass they a go to biting. Me and my man done caught us several 2 to 3 pound lil ol' bucks in a matter of no times at all. Looks likes da fishins gonna be's good todays.

Would'nt cha all knows it thats just bout nows I's is a wishin that I's hadn't hads all that there coffee this a mornin. I's gotta go Pee! You's sees my man he cans just go aheads and goes pee when he needs to out here on this dang lake,  but all of you there gals done knows that it aint that easy forin us to be a goin pee whens we needs to. So heres be's my choices, there be's a bucket that I can sits on,  but thats be kinda hard to do with the waves thats be a hittin da boat this mornin. Why's I'd probably fall rights off that there bucket with this here boat a rockin back and forth. So herin be's my only other choice is to sits on the sides of da boat and hold onto them there rails cause I done knows we's ain't a headin back to no fishin camp when da fish be's a biten out heres on this lake and I's jest cant's pees my britches. Yes sirre, I dones chose the only choice I thinks I has so I's  puts my fishin stick down and sits on the sides of da boat and holds onto them there rails. Now jest bout the time that I can say ahhh, I's hears my reel and I's has got me a big ol fish a pullin line. So's I goes to a thinkin that I's can sits here and finish my business or I's cans catch that there fish. Wells its jest bout that time my fishin stick is headed towards the rail of da cotton picken boat and I's was not bout to loss my's carrot stick. I's jumps ups, my britches falls downs to my's ankles but I catches me that there Big Mouth Bass. Now'in I's takes a looks round after I caughts that there fish and I's knows that my face be's as red as my mans winter long johns and I's was be'ins so thankfuls that there still was not no other cotton pickin boats on this here lake. I's also be very thankful thats my man used him some better judgement and didn't goes a shootin any photos with my britches clear done to my ankles while I was a catchin that there bass.

Nows wheres did I's put that there toilet paper?

Mamas Watermelon Rind Preserves

Never one to waste food, why that would be a real sin down here in the South, my Mama would make the best Watermelon Rind Preserves for us to enjoy during the winter months.Now needless to say there was a plenty of them there Watermelon rinds laying around during the summer. Now my Mamas recipe involved way too much time and labor with days of soaking the rinds in a brine. So I have taken the liberty of tweeking Mamas recipe a little, I don't she would be a minding too much especially if'in she had some on one of my Angel Biscuits.

Ingredients
8 Cups diced Watermelon Rind with most of the pink lesh and thick dark skin peeled and discarded
1 Cup Fresh squeezed Lemon Juice- seeds strained
6 Strips Lemon Peel
2 Cinnamon Sticks
1 Cup Water
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 Piece Fresh Ginger about 1 inch in length peeled and sliced then
2 Pint Size Wide Mouth Jars with lids and rims, washed and sterilized in boiling water for 10 minutes (make sure that water covers the jars completely with the jars standing upright. Save this water and keep it at a very low boil.

In a large pot combine watermelon rinds, lemon juice, lemon peel, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks and ginger. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to a low simmer keep covered and cook for approximately 1 hour or until rind is translucent.

With a slotted spoon remove the rind from the syrup and place in the sterilized wide mouth jars. Increase the heat under the pot and boil the syrup for 10 minutes or until thicken. Use a funnel and pour the syrup over the rind in the jars filling jars to about a 1/4 inch from the top. Use a butter knife to remove any air bubbles that may be locked within the mixture in the jar. Wipe the rim of the jars, place on the lid and rims and tighten, but not too tight. Place the jars back into the boiling water that you used to sterilize the jars, make sure that water covers the jars by at least 1 inch. Reduce the heat under the pot to medium and let the jars sit for 10 minutes in the hot water. Remove jars using a tong and sit on the counter to cool. Once you hear the "Ping" of the jars sealing you can finish tightning the lids. Your Watermelon Rind Preserves will keep for about 6 months on the shelf and for about 1 month in the refridgerator once opened.

Now don't go a throwin out that there left over syrup, remember Mama doesn't take kindly to a wastin any food. Pour the left over syrup into a sterized bottle, put it in the refridgerator and use it for some homemade buttermilk pancakes on Sunday morning afore ya'll head down the road to Church and a visting folks.

Good Ole' Watermelon Juice

This is one of my favorite Summer drink recipes when the Watermelons are plentiful and sweet, like they are now.

Ingredients:
1/2 Seedless Watermelon, about 5 to 7 lbs cut into cubes
16 Ice Cubes
1 Liter Bottle of Sprite or Gingerale

In a blender puree about half of the Watermelon with 8 Ice Cubes, slowly add the flavored soda to the blender. Pour into some mason jars and enjoy. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Now for those of you that prefer a little stronger beverage reduce the soda by half and add a Citrus Flavored Vodka...Now thats some fine Watermelon Juice!

Now hold on Pardner, don't ja go a throwin them there Watermelon Rinds away, I show ya'll what to do with them tomrrow. Just'in put them in one of them there zipper bags and place em in the frdige.

Now where did I put that there bottle of Vodka?!?

It's hotter here than a June Bride in a Feather Bed

Central Florida in June and temperatures are in the 90's and climbing! Let me tell you folks it's be'in hotter down here in this neck of the woods than a June Bride in a feather bed. Now'in if any of ya'll older gals, and yes I am including myself in that statement, can remember your Grandma's feather beds then ya'll be a knowing what I am a talkin about. Now I'm not a talk'in bout them there new fancy down feather beds and comforters that they have these days in the big fancy stores in the city, though they are mighty nice. No Maam, I am a talkin bout those old feather tick mattresses that were bout four feet thick and must have been made with at least a thousand of them there yard birds (that be Chickens for'in you city folks). Grandma would tuck ya'll into those feather beds in the winter, cover you with two or three of those hand sewn quilts and you would sink bout two feet down into that there mattress. Now that was some mighty fine sleeping, you would be all warm and toasty and that there mattress was soo soft you would sleep like a new born baby. Now imagine that same nice warm cozy feather mattress in the heat of a steamy June summer night down here in the South, why you would almost have yourself one of them there heat strokes just a sleepin by your self never mind havin your cotton pickin man layin there in that darn bed with you and we all know how newlyweds are. So comes the sayin down here in the South, "Hotter than a June Bride in a Feather Bed".

Fathers Day, Daughters, CBS Sunday Morning, RC Cola's & Slim Jims

Happy Fathers Day!
I never really knew my biological Father, though I did see him a few times during his lifetime he never had time in his life for me. Today looking back on my childhood I realize that I was luckier than most little girls were, you see I actually got to pick who would be my Daddy. As I look back and remember this Fathers Day the man in my life that stepped in and became my Father on Easter Sunday 1960,  when I looked at him and asked him if he would be my Daddy. At the time I was of the very intellectual age of 3. That is the day that William Edward Debnam became my Father, and I have never regretted one day of being his Daughter.Yes somehow at the ripe old age of 3 all of my instincts told me I needed a Father in my life, and that Ed Debnam would be the best Father any little girl could ever wish for.

I instantly became Daddy's Very Spoiled Little Girl. Everyday of my childhood life began with Daddy making me breakfast which was normally pancakes with ham or bacon. During the school year he would take me to school, pick me up from school for lunch, take me back to school after lunch, and again pick me up after school. Daddy would give me 6 cents every afternoon after school and I would go to the drugstore and get a cherry coke the real kind from the old time counter fountain machine. Now you need to realize that when I was attending Beulah Beal Elementary School, the school was only 1 1/2 blocks away from our house.

I loved and still cherish the weekends that I spent as a child with my Daddy the best. Saturdays were always reserved for either Fishing, Hunting, or just going swimming sometimes Mama would come along but usually it was just me and Daddy. On our Saturday outings breakfast would be an RC Cola, a bag of peanuts and a Slim Jim and if we were headed fishing we would drive by the entrance of the Jacksonville Zoo and get 2 bags of boiled peanuts. To this day that is still probably my favorite breakfast. Sunday mornings were the best, after breakfast and reading the comic sections of the Sunday Jacksonville Times Union together, I would sit in the big leather chair next to my Daddy and we would watch CBS Sunday Morning together before going to church. After all these years it is just not Sunday morning without turning on the TV and watching CBS Sunday Morning.

I lost my Father on Thanksgiving Day 1978. I cherish each and every day that he dedicated his life to me as my Father and every wonderful memory that he created for me. Every little girl should be as lucky to have a Father that is as dedicated to her as my Daddy was to me.

Happy Fathers Day Daddy, I love and miss you.Your loving daughter,
Claudia Sue.

Civil War Roast Leg of Pork circa 1871

This recipe is one that was used by both Confederate and Union Soldiers during the Civil War. The recipe was first published in 1871 in "Common Sense in the Household", by Marion Harland. My copy of the recipe was handed down to me from my Aunt Anita King (Jacksonville, Florida) and is in the hand writing of one of my Great Uncles Sidney Lanier (Macon, Georgia - Lynn, North Carolina 1842-1881), who served in the Confederate Signal Corps during the Civil War and later became a well known poet,  muscian and scholar ending his career at Johns-Hopkins University. If you have ever been to Brunswick, Georgia you have traveled over the Sidney Lanier Bridge and Lake Lanier in Atlanta, Georgia is named after Uncle Sidney. Look for more on Sidney Lanier in future posts.

This recipe is best cooked in a large cast iron pot over an open flame/campfire and can be cooked in a modern oven or Bar B Q grill with the judicious employment of aluminum foil. Whole legs of pork can be difficult to find in todays supermarkets, however you should be able to get one at a local butcher shop. You can always hunt and butcher your own hog, if you do you only want to use this recipe on a young Hog or on a Sow as the Boar Hogs are extremely musky and require a different recipe to take the musky taste out of the meat.

Ingredients:
1 fresh leg of pork ( 3 to 5 lbs)
1/2 cup boiling water
Browned flour (rue made with butter, milk, and flour and cooked down till it is thick and brown)
Pepper & Salt
Juice of 1 lemon

Score the skin of the leg of pork with a knife in parallel lines running from side to side. Place the pork in the pot with the boiling water, heat gradually until the fat begins to ooze from the meat, place a cover over the pot. Quicken the fire to a red steady glow, coals should be white. Cook over the open fire for approximately 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours depending on the size of the leg of pork, baste the meat often with its own gravy, this keeps the skin from turning hard while cooking. When the roasted leg of pork is done remove it from the pot, skim the fat off the top of the gravy in the pot, add 1/2 cup of boiling water to the gravy and slowly add the browned flour, add salt and pepper to taste and the juice of 1 lemon. Slice the roast leg of pork and place on a platter, laddle gravy over the roast and enjoy.

I would suggest a side dish of white rice and perhaps some collard greens and fresh sliced tomatoes.

3 Men, 1 Coyote, 1 Hog and a fly on the barn door.

Picture this if you can, 3 Men, 1  Coyote, and 1 Razorback Hog. Seems like a recipe for some type of disaster doesn't it? My normally intellegent man ran through the house holding his rifle just before dark and yelling I'll be back there is a dang coyote headed through the pasture to Uncle Lewis'. Note that I said normally intellegent that is until there is the slighest possibilty of a wild critter that he can hunt down and with any luck shoot. Now don't get me wrong when you live in the country and have cattle, chickens, and the like the only good coyote is a dead coyote. So,  I just shook my head and fiqured that there pour coyote already had the jump on him and he was just a waisting his time. As I watched he headed down the drive in his pic-em-up truck with dust just a fly'in. What he had no way of knowing was that two of his buddies just saw that same dang coyote and went to chasing it in their four wheeler through the pasture. Are ya getting the big picture now? Well my intellegent other half goes on to Uncle Lewis' and sets himself up at the cattle pens sees that dang coyote sets up and takes aim with his rifle. In the meantime his two buddies see the coyote they set up and take aim with their rifles about a hundred yards away. Now keep in mind that they still don't know each other is about hunting the same dang coyote. Well just about the time his buddies are going to shoot at that cotton pickin coyote here comes a blazing in front of them a razorback hog so naturally they turn their attention to the hog and immediatly start shooting at the hog and miss. Now this happens at the very same time my other half shoots at the coyote and misses. Needless to say that the all them there shots from them rifles done scared off all them there critters, no one hit what they were shooting at, and I believe all three of these otherwise intellegent men went home to clean out their darn britches. What I would have given to have been a fly on the barn door.

Now that there razorback hog that they missed has me a thinkin bout a roast leg of pork recipe I have from the Civil War...now where is that recipe....

.22 longs and Squirrel in Onion Sauce

Looking at my .22 leaning against the door this evening made me miss the fall months, sitting on my porch feeling the cool breeze float by off the lake, sipping on sweet peach iced tea and shooting squirrels out of the oak trees. We live under an old oak hammock and we have plenty of squirrels and other critters. So here is one of my favorite squirrel recipes that was given to me years ago by my Uncle John Grant from Hartwell, Georgia.

Cast Iron Skillet - absolutely mandatory for this recipe, why Uncle John would roll over in his grave if'n y'all used anything else.

2 tbs butter
1/4 cup brandy ( or flavored shine)
1 tbs dried parsley
2 cups chopped onions
2 tomatoes, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 squirrels, cut into quarters just like a chicken
2 cups water
salt & pepper to taste ( I prefer sea salt and white pepper)

In Cast Iron Skillet melt butter,add squirrel quarters and brown lightly over high heat. Remove squirrel set to the side. Lower temperature of skillet slowly add brandy (or shine), parsley, onions, and garlic. Raise heat to med-high and brown onions and garlic. Reduce heat again to simmer add tomatoes cover and cook  for 15 minutes. Add browned squirrel quarters and water. Cook uncovered until tender about 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

All you need now is some fresh mashed potatoes, fried green tomatoes and some buttermilk cornbread with candied jalapeno jam from Lorida Jelly Company. Mmmm now thats some mighty fine eating!

For the Love of Wedding Gowns

It is 4:30am and I am slowly sipping on my first cup of French roast coffee of the day as I blindly stumble to my bedroom in the dark hoping not to wake my boyfriend who is still snuggled in the bed fast asleep. As I open the closet door and begin searching through the closet yet once again for something to wear to work there it was starring back at me my Wedding Dress, a reminder of a past life, a past love, two broken hearts, and broken dreams.

 I can not help but wonder and ask myself why have I held on to this Wedding Dress for so long? I have no daughter to pass it along to, no nieces or cousins that would want to wear a second hand Wedding Dress, especially one without a fairy tale ending. Any other dress would have been long gone to a consignment shop, charity, or yes even to the trash. What makes women cherish our wedding dresses so much that we hold on to them even after our marriages are long over?

My full length gown was a tall, ultra slim column of shimmering fabric trimmed with hand made Italian lace and pearls. The dress was quite expensive for its time, this belle epoque vision graced the cover of Bride magazine in 1985. At the time in my size 4 dress I looked like a beautiful illusion from a magazine, but as we all know illusions always fade,  even the beautiful ones.

I'm over it! Now after twenty-six years of hanging around in my closet, being moved from one new home to the next, that georgeous dress and all the accompanying illusions and dreams are going to a better place - a place where everything is an illusion and I would not have it any other way. I am donating my Wedding Dress to the local Little Theatre and finally that dress may be seen for the first time, by an audience yearning for a happy ending. I hope that the theatre can use the dress in an upcoming production, if not maybe it will become lampshades and napkins I really don't care. But before it leaves my home..,maybe just maybe... one more time...I will again try it on...I still believe in and I am looking for the Fairy Tale, after all, there are several different versions of "...and they lived happily ever after."

Indian Fry Bread

This recipe was passed down by a friend of mine who is a full blooded Seminole Indian and lives at the Brighton Reservation outside of Okeechobee, Florida.  The recipe was one of her Grandmothers. It goes great with Swamp Cabbage!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup instant powdered milk
3/4 tsp salt
 2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp lard / crisco
3/4 cup lukewarm water
vegetable oil for frying

Mix together flour, powdered milk, baking powder and salt. Cut in lard/crisco until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water and knead lightly for 1 minute. Turn out mixture onto a well floured surface and knead until a smooth ball forms. Divide dough into 8 equal parts and shape into balls. Cover with an inverted bowl and lest rest for 10 minutes. Roll balls out into 6 inch circles, poke a hole in the center of each circle and fry in 1 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet (you may use any skillet I simply prefer cast iron) at 375 degrees. Fry one circle at a time on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot!

Granny Williams Swamp Cabbage

This is a recipe from "Granny Williams" personal cookbook which was given to me by her youngest Son several years ago. "Granny Williams" was a real southern lady born and raised in Florida, spending most of her adult life in Okeechobee. This recipe is also a favorite among "Cracker Cowboys".

Simple ingredients, however I would suggest using a seasoned cast iron pot to slowly simmer your Swamp Cabbage in.

3 Hearts (heads) of fresh cut cabbage palm, sliced thin about 1/4 thick
1/4lb of salt pork (white bacon)
2 tbs sugar
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 cup of evaporated milk or whole cream
salt & white pepper to taste

Fry the sliced salt pork in your pot, add the sliced cabbage palm, barely cover with water. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Bring to a boil reduce to a slow simmer and cook approximately 1 hour or until tender. When done add butter and cream. Serve in bowls with soup spoons so you don't miss one drop of this Swamp Cabbage. Now that's real southern eating.

Day one!

Welcome to my blog!

Today begins my blogging career so to speak. It is day one and so much to do with very little time. Over the next several days you will discover several changes to my blog including wonderful old fashioned recipes, a link to order old fashioned jelly and jams (no preservatives), and several new pages dedicated to eras of recipes.

Please keep checking back as I just may post one of your favorite recipes!