Grandma's Southern Home Cooking

When I think of my Grandmother's home cooking I think of Sunday dinner. She lived in a little town called Gibsonville, NC. My grandfather was chief of police and passed away when he was in his late forties. Therefore, Willis Steele Flynn, my grandmother was left alone for many years before passing. However, she was a very talented lady who could do almost anything. She could design flowers, make patterns for her clothes from newspapers, crochet and knit baby clothes, but cooking to me was her best talents. I feel that she and I are very much alike. I absolutely love to cook! I like to try new things and alter recipes if they don't taste the way that I like them. I've always been told that I look like my Dad's side of the family but I feel I got my interests from my Grandmother. She was a petite lady who loved to cook. She never made small portions of any dish, this trait was passed down to my mother and I fortunately acquired it too! This way there are always leftovers and enough to share with other. My grandmother loved to cook macaroni and cheese (Velveta cheese), flaky crusted chicken pie, slow simmered pork roast, oven barbecued chicken, large pots of seasoned beans, and her desserts were all absolutely wonderful. Her dishes not only tasted delicious but her presentation was always beautiful. She always had everything on attractive platters, no steps were skipped, nothing was too much trouble. I really miss my grandmother and wished that I had more time to spend with her as I got older. She passed away when I was in college but her memories of Sunday dinners are alive and well. The main dish that my sister, mother, and I always discuss is was her homemade velvety chocolate pudding. Many years ago my mother found it written on the back of a piece of paper, but somehow it has been lost. My sister, Sandra, and I would give almost anything to find that recipe again. So, I urge each of you to write down and store all those family treasured recipes so that they can be enjoyed for years to come. This is my most enjoyable section because it contains some of my Grandmother's ways of cooking. I know because this is how my mother was taught and I learned from watching her!