March 01, 2012

Back To My Roots~

Growing up poorer than dirt in the rural south Georgia I don't think we were ever truly hungry, as in 'without food'.  Many things were scarce to nonexistent at our house but not food.  Today when we want to go back to things we remember as children in the 1940's - '50s  one of us will suggest something decadent and certainly not what we know to be healthy today.  That's when I make  pan FRIED CORNBREAD or a pot of Lima Beans-the dried limas.  We are both on the same page today- in the mood for something hearty, stick to your ribs hearty and I guess that qualifies it to go on the COMFORT FOOD list. That's dinner tonight..large limas, cornbread and rice and since its the evening meal that's enough.  We do try to eat lighter for dinner and our dinner at home is usually no later than 5 p.m.[stop laughing, please]

When those 'awful beans' started cooking I began reminiscing about the growing up years and the fact that one aunt...Lila Mae Mobley-Turner always had the best lima beans. At my house it was usually the large limas but she always had the baby limas and  [don't yell at me now] they had GREASE floating over the top. YES, it's true. They used the bacon fat & used it generously. mmmmm Yummo~

So many of our ways have changed-it's just a fact, I don't think I could force myself to add that fat back to a pot of veggies, however; I will now and then make a batch of  buttermilk cornbread-add lots of chopped onion and equal amounts of chopped SQUASH [that makes it healthy] and FRY THAT CORNBREAD. I must add: I don't fry it in LARD the way Mama and Grandma did.


 
   * post script: Our lifestyles have changed dramatically.  We ate 3 meals a day, worked hard and played hard and treats like candies and colas were truly a treat not a regular part of our days.  If our economy really goes south in a major way..I can vouch for the fact that a family can survive on dried peas and beans.

They make a great decorative statement but even
that 1/2 gallon mason jar FULL won't last long~

*I have to verify this- that may be a gallon jar

1 comment:

  1. I love fried cornbread, but alas it has become a special treat. I have never thought about putting in squash, will have to try that! I think we could still eat most of what we want if we excercised more-but when you get older, excercise is harder to do!

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