Sherrie Norris Lovin’ Spoonful Cooking Column: Making Memories Over The Meals

By Sherrie Norris

Many of us country folks have grown up around the family dinner table and have memories to last a lifetime of meals we’ve enjoyed together. For a lot of families these days, unfortunately, sitting down to eat even one meal together is not a daily occurrence.

 I was given a stark reminder this past week during the funeral service of a favorite cousin, Sarah Jo Biggerstaff Lattimore In Rutherford County — of not only family meal times, but also the unique gifts of cooking, sharing and serving. Sarah Jo definitely knew her way around the kitchen. She grew up in the shadow of her mother, my paternal aunt, Sylvia Biggerstaff, an Avery County native who, along with her husband, Joe, raised their family primarily in the red-dirt foothills of Rutherford County after leaving the mountain many years ago. No doubt, Aunt Sylvia was the queen of the kitchen who eventually passed on that title to her daughter.

I already knew all about their amazing culinary skills, having spent many weeks during the summers of my youth with their family. As I  reminisced with other family members before and after the funeral and heard several references of same during the service, it all came back to me —the tables heavily spread with the best that life had to offer: fried chicken, steak and gravy, fried okra, mashed potatoes and that creamed corn that that was always my favorite. It must be on the banquet tables in heaven today. And the desserts, oh my goodness. And in Sarah’s memory, her five-flavor pound cake was baked and served to the family following her funeral. 

And today, here I sit, going through my cookbook and other recipe files that contain some of my Aunt Sylvia’s and Sarah Jo’s signature dishes. (I have that pound cake recipe somewhere, but couldn’t locate it; a similar one that she shared with me is found below.)

I hope you will find something here that will become a family favorite at your house.  One day, maybe we, too, will be remembered for making precious memories around the table.

 Chunky Italian Soup

1 lb. lean ground beef or beef tips

1 med. onion, chopped

2 (14.5. oz.) cans Italian tomatoes

1 (10 ¾  oz.) can tomato soup with basil, undiluted

4 cups water

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. chili powder (optional)

1 (16. oz.) can kidney beans, drained

1 (16 oz.) can Italian green beans, drained

1 carrot, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

8 oz. rotini noodles, cooked

Grated Parmesan cheese

Cook beef and onion in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Return mixture to pan. Stir in tomatoes, next 7 ingredients and if desired, chili powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Stir in kidney beans and next three ingredients; simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Stir in pasta. Sprinkle each serving with cheese. Yield: 10 cups. Preparation: 20 minutes. Cook for 30 minutes.

Congealed Salad

1 small can crushed pineapple

1 cup sugar

½ cup water

1 box lemon Jell-O

1 cup hot water

½ lb. grated American cheese of choice

1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip

Mix pineapple, sugar and ½ cup water together and boil five minutes.

Mix Jell-O and hot water; chill in refrigerator until jiggly. Add cheese and cool whip, mixing well. Return to refrigerator to chill for several hours before serving.

Fruit Salad

1 med. can pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juice)

1 med. can peaches, sliced and drained

1 med. can pears, sliced and drained

½ jar maraschino cherries

4 Tbsp. Tang

Small pkg. vanilla instant pudding

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a bowl. Mix pudding with ½-3/4 cup pineapple juice and add to fruit mixture.

Chill overnight.

Beefy Baked Beans

½ lb. ground beef

1 (31 oz.) can pork & beans

1  onion, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

½ cup catsup

½ cup dark corn syrup

2 Tbsp. mustard

4 slices bacon, cut in half

Cook beef and drain. Combine with next 6 ingredients; mix well. Pour in a Pam sprayed dish. Place bacon on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Corn Casserole

1 stick margarine, melted

1 can cream-style corn

1 can whole kernel corn

8 oz. sour cream

1 Jiffy cornbread mix

Mix all ingredients together, pour into a sprayed baking dish and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Mexican Cornbread

1 cup self-rising flour

½ tsp. salt

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup chopped bell pepper

2 eggs

½ cup oil

¾ cup milk

1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1 small diced onion

1 small can whole kernel corn

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Bake at 425 for about 30 minutes, or until done.

Sun Drop Pound Cake

 2 sticks margarine

½ cup shortening

3 cups sugar

3 cups plain flour

5 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon flavoring

¾ cup Sun Drop soda

Cream together margarine, shortening and sugar. Add flour and eggs. Add vanilla and lemon; mix well. Add Sun Drop last. Bake in greased and floured tube pan at 325 for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Glaze (optional)

2 cups powdered sugar

2 oz. Sun Drop

2 Tbsp. butter

Blend together and pour over cake while hot.