Cook up cozy cold-weather meals

By Staff
Suzanne Langcuster
Franklin County Times
Remembering the days when I was a young girl always includes food. Fortunately there were a lot of good cooks in our family in the generation before me. Food was important and it was a communal thing for us. Aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents lived in the same block with us and as I've shared with you before, many dishes were shared and combined to make a warm meal. Left overs were my favorite.
The dishes had time to absorb all the flavors while sitting in the refrigerator and warming them made them taste even better than new.
Mama's (Grandmother) pies set off the meals we often shared.
Warm cozy meals are the ones that stick in my mind. If you had several bowls of vegetables cooked with a little bacon grease or white meat and add to that Salmon croquettes, a good macaroni dish, and always cornbread, you were in "Hog Heaven."
Most of the beef served in our day was served on a Sunday in the form of Swiss Steak or Pot Roast. That Pot Roast melted in your mouth and the gravy from it poured over cornbread was better than any food served anywhere. We thought only Mother could do that.
Sometimes, when you are in a large family, you don't get the piece of fried chicken you want, but Mother always set the pattern for our behavior. She chose the back and sometimes the neck. I would ask her if she wouldn't like a better piece and she would answer, "No, I like that piece of chicken." I knew better.
It taught us to accept something besides the best piece and be happy with it. "Her life would sing a caring song and we would gently sing along and learn to be a Mother."
So cooks, we have a tremendous responsibility to make home a place they want to be.
Hot pots of good cozy, nourishing, warm food for them on those cold winter days is a must. It is a way of saying," I care about you, you are important to me."
You know anyone can be a cook and anyone can make eating a warm cozy, and happy moment.