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WHO IS THIS JACKIE GARVIN PERSON?

This slogan is mostly associated with the 1928 presidential campaign of Herbert Hoover claiming that all would be prosperous under a Hoover administration. The ubiquitous chicken has a place in the history of all regional cultures in the US. I haven’t found any cuisine, except vegetarian, that doesn’t rely heavily on chicken. It’s versatility, accessibility and reasonable cost make it indispensable as a protein source. I read recently about the growing new “trend” of people raising chickens in their backyards. A growing new trend? The “trend” may be growing but there’s nothing new about it. I come from a long line of “raising chickens in your yard” kind of people.

Recipe: Oven Roasted Chicken Wings

SWEET STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES AND TWO SHORT SWEETIES

I never got to meet Mr. Jones before he passed away August 11, 2009 just one day after his 62nd birthday. But, thanks to Mr. Jones and his commitment to doing good, he will forever be a part of one of our family traditions. Today, the tradition continues. Today, I had my first shortcake of the season at Brandon Farms. But, today the tradition has extra meaning. This is the first time I’ve shared the tradition with the fourth generation. Because of Mr. Eddie Jones and his dream, the strawberries never tasted sweeter than they did today.

Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake with Homemade Whipped Topping

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

Having that sweet little baby boy did change our lives forever. He was a pleasure and we all enjoyed him growing up and seeing the world through his eyes. What we didn’t come to learn until he was 2 years old, was that Tyler was only seeing the world through one eye. He had no useful vision in his left eye. Through a routine pediatric exam, his pediatrician noticed an irregular shaped dark blotch in his eye. We were able to secure an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologists the next day. This appointment was over 18 years ago and I still remember my heart jumping up in my throat and the sting I felt when the doctor said, “Your son has a cataract and he is essentially blind in that eye”. How could this be? We never had any indication there was a visual deficit. He was born with a cataract and was diagnosed withPersistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous (PHPV). The space at the back of the eye, behind the lens, is normally filled with a clear jelly. This jelly is called the vitreous. Children with PHPV are born with a hazy, scarred vitreous. In Tyler’s case, his lens was covered by a cataract in addition to the scarring of the vitreous. He still has no useful central vision in his affected eye.

Recipe: Tyler’s Mixed Berry Cobbler

MY GRANDADDY, A LEMON PIE AND ME

Mr. Lovell Brooks’ store was just down the street from where my grandparents lived in the Cotton Mill Village in Geneva, AL. It was an old timey store where my grandparents, Payton and Virginia Phillips, “traded” as Grandaddy called it, for no telling how many years. Mr. Brooks was there before the retail grocery stores came to town. He beat the Piggly Wiggly and the IGA. My grandparents were loyal to Mr. Brooks, and his store, whose fate is unclear to me. My hunch is that the retail chains probably forced the closing of his store, either single-handedly or in conjunction with his health and advancing age. A favorite story of mine involving Grandaddy also includes Mr. Brooks. After we arrived home from “trading” with Mr. Brooks, something prompted Grandaddy to count his money. Responding to the look of sheer puzzlement on his face, Granny asked what was wrong. He pondered and pondered and finally said, “I just sho’ think they made a mistake in countin’ out my change. I come away with $1.65 cents more than I should of.” Each of you can silently decide how you might handle this moral dilemma. Grandaddy handled it in only the way his character would allow. He promptly got back in his car, drove to Mr. Brooks’ store and returned the $1.65. That’s the stock from which I’m made.

Recipe: Old Fashioned Lemon Ice Box Pie

RED

Life’s not about perfection. Life’s about looking for goodness and appreciating special memories, occasions and connections. I see a perfect connection between this cake and the lily. It’s the color red. In the opening of this blog, I said that red is a powerful color. It still is. For you see, red brings my beloved Granny right back to me.