By By Steve Swogetinsky/The Meridian Star
Aug. 29, 2001
Time flies.
Old friends gathered Saturday for the ninth annual Complete Reunion, which was held at the St. Patrick's Community Community Center.
Complete was actually a community at one time in Meridian, generally centered around the Highland Park area and Jones Memorial Presbyterian Church. Former residents fondly remember that they had their own post office.
The post office closed in 1940 and though Complete blended in with the rest of Meridian, its memory continues to live with those who grew up there
Jimmy Gower, one of the organizers of the Complete Reunion, is trying to put keep the memories of Complete, pronounced by the former residents as "Kawm-plete," in a book. He invited everyone gathered at the reunion to write about their memories of Complete. He wants to create the same type of book that was completed earlier this year by residents of the Collinsville area, and is working through the Lauderdale County archives department.
Caramel cake
When asked about some of the good cooks in the neighborhood, Lockley pointed to Betty Long.
When asked to share her recipe, Long gladly provided the information but warned that the procedure was more of a trial and error process.
Start with two basic yellow cake layers. Long says any recipe will do, the icing is the good part. The ingredients are as follows:
3 cups of sugar
1 stick of butter or margarine
7/8 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of corn white syrup
Stir and place on medium heat in a heavy iron skillet until it caramelizes. Cook until it is bubbly, then take off heat and let it cool to the point that it is not hot anymore. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vanilla. Beat until it is smooth, then spread over the cake consistently, and enjoy.
Long smiled when she remembered the day she forgot about the recipe while it was on the stove and it caught fire.
Long's cake will be available at Jones Memorial's annual fall fest and catfish dinner in September. Get your tickets early.
Cook of the week
Mrs. Lockley and her daughter, Susan, agreed to be our "cooks of the week" and provided the following recipes.
Alice Lockley's Cheese Wafers
1 ( 8 ounce) package sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup flour
11/2 cup Rice Krispies
1 stick oleo
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Grate cheese. Add flour, Rice Krispies, oleo and cayenne pepper. Mix well by hand. Make 1- inch balls from dough and press with a dampened fork to make a wafer. Bake for 15 minutes in 350 degree oven.
Alice Lockley's Cheese Roll
2 (8 ounce) packages sharp cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce) pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
5 or 6 shakes Worcestershire sauce
1 large bud garlic, finely chopped
Grate cheese. Add all the ingredients; mix well. Divide into 2 parts. Shape each into a 11/2 inch roll and roll in paprika. Store in plastic wrap. Keeps in refrigerator for 3-4 weeks. Serve with round crackers.
Banana Pecan Muffins
3 (5 ounce) very ripe bananas, mashed (1 1/3 cup)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten lightly
3/4 cup canola oil
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 300. Spray 12-14 (21/2 inch) muffin cups generously with nonstick coating or line with paper bake cups. In large bowl combine bananas and sugar; mix well. Add eggs and oil. Stir until blended. Add flour, baking soda and buttermilk, mixing well. Stir in pecans. Fill muffin cups level full. Bake at 300 for 15 to 39 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Yield 12-14.
Steve Swogetinsky is regional editor of The Meridian Star. Call him at 693-1551, ext. 3217, or e-mail him at sswogetinsky@themeridianstar.com.