Cornbread at Mamaw's

My mom taught me how to make cornbread when I was a little girl. It was one of the first things I ever learned to cook. I guess a mountain girl has to know how to make a good pone of cornbread. She taught me how to bake it in a little cast iron skillet.

Shortly after that, I went to spend the week with my Mamaw and Papaw who lived across the mountain. This was many, many years ago when one of my aunts and two of my uncles still lived at home. My uncles worked at the quarry and would come home for lunch. Mamaw and my aunt would cook a huge breakfast on the coal stove before my uncles left for work. Then they would clean up the mess and start cooking lunch. Then they would clean up the mess and start cooking supper. You get the idea. Cooking was a big deal and they took great pride in their meals. I have to add here, that both of my uncles were skinny as rails and they still haven't fattened up much.

One day, I told them that I knew how to make cornbread and wanted to make it for my uncles and papaw for lunch. Mamaw said I could. I got Mamaw's little metal mixing bowl, that I own and use to this day, and made up my batter. Mamaw got a large cast iron skillet and sat it on top of the stove. I noticed that it was much larger than the skillet I used at home, but being little, I had no idea how it would affect the outcome of my bread. I poured my batter into the skillet and Mamaw put it in the oven.

We had crust for lunch that day. My pone of cornbread had a top crust and a bottom crust, but there was no bread in the middle. My aunt just smiled and said, "Just the way Papaw likes it."

Random Ramblings

It has been a while.

I am sick and have been sick the whole month of November. I think I now hold the record for suffering the most days with the common cold. Many people here have it and cannot seem to get well.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. For years now, I have cooked at home for my dear husband and sons. Oldest son was in four days from college and dear husband and a four day weekend. I cooked a huge dinner:

turkey
dressing
dumplings
Stovetop stuffing (don't ask)
mashed potatoes
gravy
green beans (canned from the garden)
corn (frozen from the neighbor's garden)
deviled eggs
Pillsbury crescent rolls (because we love them)

For dessert
two cherry pies
Pina Colada cake
chocolate cake with chocolate icing
Fantasy fudge

Moms sent over a pumpkin roll and some cranberry bread.

Thursday, we watched the parade and had dinner. Friday, we went hiking up Lewis Hollow Trail to Skylight Cave. This was the first time we have hiked it in the winter. It looked very different. We walked on a foot of fallen leaves. We saw a couple of chipmunks and squirrels that we probably would not have seen in the summertime. Saturday, we put up the tree and Sunday, we cooked supper at our local soup kitchen. Of course we had turkey salad sandwiches. I made them and I have to say they were very good!

I guess that's it for now. This is a busy time of year for me. I will try to blog more. I have just been busy and also dry. I have never thought of my blog as "a phase", but for some reason, I have gotten out of the habit of writing and can't seem to get back in a routine. If you miss me, there's plenty here that you can read. Just click on one of the links in the sidebar. I personally love the funny stories like this one and this one.

Take care.

Love,
Fairlight