Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord.
And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
I was challenged greatly when my husband was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes about ten years ago. I have learned to adjust my recipes and menus so my husband will be healthy and at the same time enjoy the food that I prepare. I will include recipes I have adjusted to work in the Diabetic diet and share them on this blog.
I want to share recipes that was given to me by my grandmother and my mother. They were both good cooks but in different ways.
My grandmother used the simplest ingredients and I am not sure how many official recipes she ever used. Her description of cooking was a little of this and a pinch of that. Whatever her method, she was a very good cook. I always knew when I visited her and she had cooked something special because Granny had an extra special twinkle in her eye and you could tell it made her heart sing to share her food with you. She was especially happy when you raved about how good it was.
My Mother was a good cook too and her specialty was desserts. Thinking back now, I think many of her desserts were just too sweet. At the time, being a child, I thought they were just the best thing on this side of heaven. She also made good biscuits and good fried chicken. She also loved it when people came to her house and ate and enjoyed what they were eating. It made her heart sing to see people enjoy the food that she prepared.
I am actually the last Southern cook in my family. However, I do hope by sharing Southern recipes and traditions on this blog, I will adopt some Southern friends. It makes me so happy to see people enjoy the food I prepare and the greatest complement of all is when someone wants my recipe. Oh Mercy Me!!!!!!!!!!!! That is just one of my best days.
Who are my favorite cooks:
Ina Garten ( I know she isn’t Southern but when she and Jeffrey were first married they lived in Fayetteville NC) so I still think she is a little Southern.
Dori Sanders – A Southern lady that grew up on a Peach Farm in South Carolina and has written two novels and a wonderful cookbook entitled, “Dori Sanders’ Country Cooking.
All those dear sweet ladies that have contributed to the Church Cookbooks that are published all over the South. There are so many wonderful recipes in those books and I believe the ladies that published those books had joyful hearts too.
I want to share with you Southern Food, Southern Experiences, Southern Traditions and Southern People and Places that just make my heart sing with joy when I think about them. I receive great joy from sharing with you and I hope you receive joy from reading my blog
So Does That Mean I'm SOUTHERN? 
I agree! The recipies I use as staples in my house (a.k.a. the best!) mainly come from local church style cookbooks, and my mom and grandmother of course! Where would my cooking skills be without them? :)
I love southern food…Growing up with two parents raised in the “Old South” of Central Florida, Southern Food has always been a part of my life. Unfortunately I now live in Northern California, where TRUE Southern fare is hard to come by. So I have to make it myself. I have been on the hunt for several months now for “Healthier” southern recipes that I can try and gain inspiration from…So I will be scouring your blog frequently for ideas :) Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your comments Chef Sage. I started writing this blog to preserve the Old South traditions especially with food. You have an interesting background and as I have visited California, I know there is a lack of Southern Cuisine in your state. I hope you find some inspiration here as I do not cook in the same manner as my Mother and Grandmother did but my Grandmother lived to the age of 99 and my Mother passed away at the age of 81. I hope I can send just a little bit of Southern your way!
Stevia makes a great sweetner and it grows very well in the south.
A Georgia girl here and I love my southern cooking.
That is good to know and I hope you will pay me another visit soon!
I love your blog and can’t wait to try out some of your recipes. My father in law is diabetic and I like to make him good food that isn’t bad for him! I’m 43 but if my grandmother were alive today, she’d be 121 years old! She was the best Southern grandmother and I only wish that I had all of her recipes. I do have some very, very old recipes of hers and my aunts(Apple Butter Stack Cake is my favorite) – would love to share them with you. Of course, most of memories of her are from when I was very young. When we would go to her house for Sunday dinner (she had 11 children, so my cousins were old enough to be my aunts and the house was completely full), I would walk in the door and give her a big hug….followed by her saying that I could go ahead and have my favorite food before everyone ate – a mashed potato sandwich. Yep, plain white store-bought bread with her mashed potatoes slathered in between. I’ve never been able to duplicate it since she passed! :-)
What a wonderful memory of your grandmother and reading this reminded me of how special my grandmother was too. Please share the Apple Butter Stack Cake recipe sometime. I understand about the challenge of being a diabetic but my husband is in better health with diabetes than he was before being diagnosed. He takes better care of himself and goes to the doctor consistently. I hope you are able to use some of the recipes on my blog for your family. Thanks for the comments.
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thanks so much Susan for the reference and kind words!
I guess I’m the only southern man to reply,but not the only one who loves to cook. Both of my parents cooked,very well. Mom way better. I still cook the way she taught my sisters and me.using great grandmas recipes,still using mom and dad’s old cast iron from the 40’s.i use newer cookware for newer dishes,but for old time,true southern food.all mine is in cast iron.
Wes, Thanks for your comments and it is great to know that you for sharing your Southern memories and appreciate that wonderful cast iron cookware.