This is a new recipe. I hope you will try it!

Ingredients:

• 1 (5oz.) package of baby spinach, thoroughly washed
• 1&1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup quick cooking grits
• 1 cup 2% reduced fat milk
• 1/2  tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 (8 oz.) package shredded mozzarella-provolone cheese blend

Directions:

Coarsely chop spinach. Bring grits to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat;  reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring accasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Stir in spinach and cheese until well blended and cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings. Prep: 10 minutes. Cook: 15 minutes.

My Late sister Dot “Sis” (as we called her) brought this recipe to me when she lived in Atlanta. It is really good!

Ingredients:

• 6-8 pork chops, 1 – thick.
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp.oil
• 1 can chicken and rice soup

Directions:

Dredge pork chops in mixture of flour, salt, dry mustard, and garlic powder. Brown in oil in large skillet. Place browned pork chops in crock-pot. Add can of soup. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-1/2 hours.
Delicious!

That’s the way I felt yesterday morning, as I sat in Second Baptist Church, listening to the minister who was my pastor for nearly thirty something odd years. He wasn’t just my Pastor, he was my friend and brother. My whole family felt the same way about him.

I remember the first time I ever saw him. He walked in to the restaurant. A quiet man! Everyone knew he was the new pastor at Second. So we really gave him the once over (as is the habit of true southerners). My husband and I hadn’t been married too long and were looking for a church. Soon we visited Second Baptist to see what this pastor was made of. Ha ha. We never left! We loved him from the start.

If there ever was a man, God had his hand on, it was this man ( My Daddy was such a man also!)! When he walked to that podium and started speaking, you knew the power of God was flowing threw him. I can honestly say that in all those years I never sat under his teaching or preaching that he didn’t hold my interest completely. Life wasn’t always good to him though. He had heartaches, just as we all do. His marriage fell apart around the same time mine did! It seemed my spouse and his spouse both decided that they wanted to “FIND themselves.” Off they went(not together) and the preacher and I were left to pick up the pieces of our lives.

All the church members stood behind him. We could see how his heart was breaking. He had two teenagers to finish raising. When I would talk to him, he would always ask me to pray for her.

Then one day he took a little time off . I know in my heart he did a lot of praying, just as I had to do also. But when he returned he had that thing settled between God and himself . HE was a different man. God had given him the victory and You know something, from that point I doubt he ever looked back.

It isn’t easy, starting life all over when you’re in your forties. I had my son who was just fifteen at the time. He looked after me and I looked after him. Preacher Land had his two boys, and I am sure that helped more than anything else.

That church grew under his leadership and a lot of souls were saved and won into God’s kingdom.

Then on day, when he was on a trip to the Holy Land, God had it all planned out and He met a sweet, kind wonderful christian lady who would become his wife. She was on her own journey there. I can just imagine God planning all this out. They met and the rest is history. I have never seen a couple more committed to each other. They were called to labor together at Eastside Baptist Church. She stood side by side with him and was everything a preachers wife should be.

But for some reason God allowed Preacher Land to have a stroke. It shocked all of us because to us he was invincible. It has been touch and go since then. We all kept thinking “Oh! He will beat this and be back with us before long”. It hasn’t happened yet but God is still in charge.

My sister Sue called me and said Homecoming was at Second Baptist Church and that Preacher Land was going to preach. Would I go with her? I said I wouldn’t miss that for the world.

The church was packed and even though he sat in a chair, he was the same old Preacher Land. Still such a wonderful preacher and man. I thought about the song we sang as children! ” I’ve got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart” Because there was such joy in that service! Joy on every face. Joy at seeing and hearing our friend, brother and pastor preach again! God’s presence was so prevalent that I had chill bumps up and down my arms. A friend of mine calls them “goosebumps”.

I watched June Land as she so tenderly and lovingly looked after her husband. I silently thanked a loving God for bringing them together. It has been such a beautiful thing to watch. Who knows! I still believe that my GOD can do anything He wills, so just maybe He still has the best yet to come for Preacher Gene Land! If not here, then in Heaven where all of us will be together forever and ever. I would love to be there first, so I could witness my friend and brother when he sees Jesus for the first time. Talking about shouting! Won’t that be glorious!

My Friend Libby and her son Warren made a trip to an apple orchard located near Asheville, N.C. They allow you to pick your own apples. I wasn’t able to go so they brought me a peck of the biggest, most beautiful apples you have ever seen. This recipe is what I came up with for some of those apples. I hope you like it. I sure did! The only thing wrong was I didn’t have ice cream on hand to go with it!!!

Ingredients:

• 2 (9 inch ) pie shells, thawed
• 10 cups thinly sliced apples
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice (optional)
• 1 & 1/2 cups white sugar
• 4 Tbsp.all purpose flour
• 1 tsp.ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 stick margarine or butter
• 1 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

2. Place sliced apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle with juice if you prefer. In a small bowl,mix together white sugar , 4 tbsp. flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated. Stir in pecans ( and raisins if desired).

Place thawed pie crusts in 9×15 pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Shape crusts with fingers to fit bottom of pan and a little up the sides. Spoon apple mixture into crust.

3. In a small bowl mix together, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup brown sugar. Cut in butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apple filling. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Today is your forty-fourth birthday and my mind has gone back to the day you were born. I was so cocky about having a baby. After all, my mama had birthed eleven babies. I would say “Shoot, my mama had eleven! I know I can have one!” But it seemed you were hesitant to come into this world on time. They admitted me to the hospital to try to help you along a little bit. As I lay there, with a needle in my arm, waiting, not so patiently, for you to decide to make your long awaited entrance. In the next room, a part of the labor room, a local Doctors wife was trying to coax her little one to be born. The difference was, she was getting her husband told! She was hollering “This is all your fault.” But after her baby got there, I have never heard anyone so proud. She was the proud mother of a little boy. She already had three girls.

As for you, you drug your heels all the way. They sent me home the next day, then three days later you gave up and decided to join us. We were so proud. But I remember telling the doctor that I didn’t want any more. I found out that I wasn’t the woman my mama was!

But when they brought you to me and I looked into those bright brown eyes, my heart nearly jumped out of my body. It was instant love and I knew at that moment I would forever more be willing to give my life for you!
You have always been a light to me, especially on the dark days of my life. God knew exactly what He was doing when He gave you to me. We have always been there for each other! No matter what or when!

When you were five months old, I was very sick and in the hospital. I lay in that bed and prayed so hard for God to allow me to get well, so that I could go home to my baby. In turn, I told God that I would give my baby back to him to be of service to him. I have never forgotten that promise and I have the peace and reassurance that God is still keeping His eyes on you! He brought you and Victoria together so you would have someone, when He decides to take me home to be with Him. You can’t imagine how I have worried about having to leave you someday. But now i have such a inner peace to know that Victoria loves you as much as I do. But God loves you even more. I hope that someday we will all be in Heaven together. With all her family and all our family. It doesn’t end here, Thanks to a loving God and His only Son.

Thank you for 44 years of happiness. You have always been such a pleasure to me. Watching you grow up to be such a loving, talented, kind-hearted and just all around wonderful son! Happy Birthday Baby! May you have 44 more wonderful years.

All My Love, Mama

This is one of my favorite pies. A lot of folks around these parts are familiar with it also. Try it  when you are hungry for something easy, cool and scrumptious.

Ingredients:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• juice of two lemons
• 1 (9.oz)ctn. cool whip
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 can of crushed pineapple, drained

Directions:

Beat lemon juice and milk  on low with an electric mixer, for about a minute. Then fold in the cool whip, along with the pineapple and pecans. Pour into a graham cracker crust. Chill for about an hour before serving. Makes two (9 inch) pies.  Very good!

I must admit that for some reason, as old as I am now, I have always had a little trouble with my meringues. That is until I found this little jewel and I have used it for a long time now. It really works and very well I might add!

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 Tbsp. cold water
• 3 egg whites
• 6 Tbsp. sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp.vanilla

Directions:

Blend cornstarch and cold water in saucepan. Add boiling water and cook, stirring until clear and thick. Let stand until completely cold. With electric beater at high speed, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Turn mixer to low and add salt and vanilla. Gradually beat in cold cornstarch mixture. Turn mixer again on high and beat well. Spread meringue over cooled pie filling. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

You gotta try this meringue folks. It cuts beautifully and never gets sticky!

When I made banana pudding at Peggy’s restaurant, it took twelve lbs. of bananas and about 6 boxes of vanilla wafers. Every dish was made from “scratch” as we Southerners called it. Banana pudding was one of our best sellers.   ENJOY!

Ingredients:

• 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp.  flour(plain)
• 1 (11 oz.) box vanilla wafers
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1  cup sweet milk
• 1  cup evaporated milk
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp.vanilla
• 3 large ripe bananas
• 1 tsp rum flavoring

Directions:

Place in mixer bowl the egg yolks, plus 1 egg, 1 cup sugar, flour, and salt. Beat this until creamy and yellow color. Add sweet milk,  canned milk, vanilla and rum flavorings. Pour into saucepan on medium heat and let come to boiling point, stirring constantly. Do not boil. Remove from heat.

In Pyrex dish, layer vanilla wafers, next layer of bananas, sliced thin. Repeat until wafers and bananas are gone. Next pour custard mix all over and let seep down through bananas and wafers. Beat egg whites stiff . Add 3 Tbsps. and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Place on top of pudding mixture and bake for for 10 or 15 minutes at 350 degrees or enough to brown meringue.

I just took one of these cobblers out of the oven. The oooh’s and aaah’s was music to my ears!

Ingredients:

• 2 pints fresh strawberries (or frozen)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch

Directions:

Mix cornstarch and sugar together thoroughly and stir into strawberries. Place over medium heat in heavy saucepan and cook until this thickens. Set aside and make the following crust.

Batter:

• 1 stick of margarine (melted)
• 1 cup of self rising flour
• 1/2 cup of water mixed with 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
• 3/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Pour the strawberry mixture into a 9 x 15 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Mix all ingredients of batter and slowly pour over the strawberries.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the crust browns. Test to see if its done in the middle .

This has been a sad week for all of us who know Libby and her son Warren.  He has been semi-separated from his wife, Marla, for close to two years but went everyday to help her with her invalid mother or to fix anything she needed fixing. He was constantly called over there to either take her mom to the doctor, to work on somebody’s car, or something else.  That’s why I said semi-separated, because she wouldn’t leave him alone. He is one of the kindest, most caring men I have ever known.

The first time I met her, I was struck by how sweet and friendly she seemed! But I soon found out that she seemed to have two personalities. As Warren put it, she would be smiling and happy one minute and the next minute fly into a rage.

About two years ago, Jenny, her only daughter, who was one of the most gorgeous girls I have ever seen, was found dead one morning at a  friends house, from a drug overdose. She had a two year old little girl that Warren and Marla were raising. Jenny was Warren’s step-daughter. Jenny’s dad was from Texas. He came for Jenny’s funeral and took the little girl back to Texas with him.

So, that was a double whammy for Marla. Marla tried to take her own life once before that and I imagine all of that worked against her. She put a gun in her mouth and as Warren struggled with her to get the gun it went off. It shot through her mouth and took her left eye out and messed up her mouth pretty bad too!

A few days ago, Warren went to the home to take Marla’s mother and nephew to JCPenney’s to buy the boy’s school clothes! He tried to call Marla’s cell phone several times  but couldn’t get an answer. As they arrived at home at about 5:30 p.m. a Police car pulled up. He told them they found Marla lying across her daughter’s grave. She had shot herself in the heart!

Today they had a memorial service for her. At the funeral home , there was a video of her  life. She was a beautiful girl before her life went so tragically wrong; when she was in high school, when she was a young bride, and as a young mother with her baby in her arms, then later, as she looked, after her face was messed up. But the thing that struck me, she was smiling and seemed happy on all of the pictures.

None of us know what may be going on in someone else’s life. We ought to reach out more and try to ease as many burdens as is possible. It may just be with a smile , or a pat on a back, or saying “I love you ” more than we do.

My nephew Rev. Jerry Millwood, my sister Edith’s son, was called on to conduct the service. I was so proud of him. They tell me that a funeral in which someone has taken their own life is one of the hardest funerals to preach. He did a super job! I was so proud of him. The family also had one of Warren and Marla’s best friends to sing and play the piano. He is a full blooded, honest to goodness, Indian chief. He had a long ponytail and was one of the  most distinguished looking men I have ever seen. He made that piano seem to come alive. It sure wasn’t your normal dreary sad funeral music. That’s the kind of stuff I want done at my funeral.

I noticed that Warren kept his arm around his mother-in-law the entire time. He was continually patting her on her shoulder. She was seated in a wheelchair beside him. My heart just ached for them!

I went over to Marla’s mother and introduced myself to her before the service. She said “Oh! You’re Peggy.  Marla talked about you all the time and said she could talk to you all day long”. I gave Marla some flowers and she said Marla watered those flowers everyday. That just touched my heart so much. It also made me wish I had tried to do more.

There’s an old hymn that asks “Where could I go but to the Lord?” That is what I ask myself in the hard times. It is so wonderful that we have a Heavenly Father who watches after His children, not only in bad times like this but also in the good times. It seems that the older I get the more I love Him. One of the prayers I pray is “Lord, I want to love you more”. My prayer also is that people can see Him in my life so that I may be able to reach out to people like Marla.  She was hurting so bad  and just couldn’t see any other way out. God knows our hearts and MINDS and He is a just God. My prayer is that Marla is at peace and safe in the arms of Jesus.