FAVORITE FAMILY FOODS & GRANNY KILGORE'S BUTTER ROLLS by Johnny Kilgore

Food is such an important part of our culture, especially in the South.  I can recall growing up in the early 1950’s, when making a living was a struggle, and the simple food on the table reflected that struggle.  We grew most of our food, and preserved it by canning.  Peas, snapped green beans, tomatoes, pickled peaches, and cucumber pickles were regular staples.  As our quality of life improved, though we were not aware of that fact, the purchase of a family freezer  replaced canning for keeping food for future use.  Okra was there for the taking during the coolest of weather days if we so desired.  The food was prepared and preserved much differently.  Then came the purchase of a larger freezer, which provided the space for almost anything it was desired to keep for any  duration of time—breads, meats, vegetables, nuts, ice cream….the list was virtually endless.

In my early childhood days, the meals were simple for the most part—peas,  potatoes and cornbread.  Fried chicken was reserved for Sunday dinners (the noon meal).  Eventually that changed.  From the freezer could be taken pork chops or a roast, or maybe, catfish.  The possibilities were available  just by lifting the freezer lid.  Of course, the food did not magically  appear in the freezer.  It either had to be purchased from a store or grown on a farm, harvested, and prepared for freezing.  There was expense and time involved with whatever came from the freezer.

 Presently, as we return to the home of my youth during special holidays, the foods most requested by our children are my mother’s green beans and creamed corn— all made possible during the winter months because of a large freezer.  But the emphasis is on the importance of food and the pleasure of being together as we sit around the table enjoying all our favorites.  

Our family has favorite recipes that my wife has discovered and perfected during our 47 years of marriage.  The most notable ones are special chicken sandwiches, an authentic Italian spaghetti sauce, and Whoopee pies. Our children would fight over the Whoopee pies when they were small and they always want the spaghetti when they come home.  

Granny Kilgore

When I reflect on my Granny Kilgore and her cooking, I remember very little. But there are some special memories of the watered-down hot chocolate and the cat head biscuits. During one of my visits home, I was looking through a cookbook from Oak Grove Church, and there was a recipe of Granny Kilgore's.  I don't remember her making the recipe for butter rolls, but my cousin, Patricia Phelps put the following recipe in the cookbook as a memorial to Granny Kilgore. 

GRANNY KILGORE’S BUTTER ROLLS

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups self-rising flour

1 cup milk  

1/2 cup Crisco

2 cups sugar, divided

1 stick butter, melted

lemon or vanilla flavoring

2 cups water

DIRECTIONS:
Mix flour, milk, and Crisco forming a dough. Chill.  Roll out chilled dough on floured board.  Spread with melted butter and 1 cup sugar.  Sprinkle with lemon or vanilla flavoring.  Roll up and cut into 1 inch pieces.  Place in an oblong pan.  Mix 2 cups water and the other cup of sugar.  Bring to boil and pour over rolls.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until done and browned.

I think it is a special thing that we have Granny Kilgore’s Butter Roll recipe as a remembrance of the hours and hours of work she put in, raising and feeding a large family.   I hope some of the family will try this recipe, and remember its source.  It is another way of acknowledging our Kilgore lineage.  A very rich heritage it is.  Enjoy the butter rolls.

Appendix: 
November 3, 2014
Since the original posting of this article, I cooked Granny Kilgore's Butter Rolls.  The turned out beautifully.  It is a very sweet dessert.
Here are some photos.

  

VISTING OUR COUSINS ON THE ALABAMA GULF COAST by Johnny Kilgore

My wife, Pat and I recently took a trip to LA (lower Alabama) with a group of friends from the church  where I am presently serving as music director.  Our specific destination was Orange Beach, Alabama, residing for five days and nights in one of the Nordic Villas on Romar Beach.  There were twenty-three of us staying in one of the huge houses on the beach. It was a beautiful setting overlooking one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  The five days were vacation time.  It was also a time of cementing friendships as we all met together during the evenings for a prepared meal, a devotional time, a singing time, and a game time.  Otherwise, everyone was on their own during the day, which leads me to the reason I’m writing this blog.

We have Kilgore Cousins living on the Alabama Gulf Coast!  The cousins living there represent two lines of the Kilgore family—the Dolly Kilgore Gordon/Sherer lineage and the Ruby Kilgore Chadwick lineage.  Aunt Dolly’s granddaughter, Judy Cordes Tatum, lives in Orange Beach, and has a small boutique called “Sweet Dreams.”  Judy’s mother was Jackie Gordon Gentry.   Her shop is located in beautiful  SanRoc Cay Marina.  Across the courtyard from Judy’s shop is JG Gordon Interiors, a store owned by another one of our cousins, John Grant Gordon. 

John Grant is the  great- grandson of Aunt Dolly.  John Grant’s mother, Miriam, also lives in Orange Beach.  If you are ever in the area,  I know they would love to see you.  The cousin from Aunt Ruby’s part of the Kilgore family, Nelda Chadwick Schultz and her husband Ken, live in Gulf Shores,  Ken and Nelda resided in the Dallas, Texas area until his retirement last year.  After retirement, they moved back to the place of his roots, Baldwin County, Alabama.  

It was arranged  by private Facebook message that we  cousins get together for breakfast during our visit.  After much back and forth messaging, I was not completely clear as to  what we were going to do.  John Grant had to go to Vegas on Wednesday,  Judy had suggested Monday morning.  Ken Schultz couldn’t make it on Monday.  I suggested Tuesday, but some didn’t see the message in time, and I thought Monday was still on. Nelda also thought Monday was on.   When Pat and I got to the Fiddlefish Restaurant at 9:00 am, no one was there.  Nelda called that she was running late.  When she arrived, no one else had shown up.  Nelda called Judy and John Grant and they thought it had been changed to Tuesday.  Nelda and I never received that message.  Judy came right on after Nelda’s call, and we sat down to order,  and talked while we were waiting for our food.  John Grant came in about 10 am.  Miriam was working, so she did not get to come. It is amazing how things were so mixed up, but was still a good time seeing Nelda, John Grant, and Judy.

(from left to right) Nelda Chadwick Shultz, John Grant Gordon,
&Judy Cordes Tatum at the FiddleFish Restaurant

Since Nelda knew that Ken could not make breakfast on Monday, she invited Pat and me for lunch in their home on Wednesday.  I rang the doorbell at 11:30 AM, and Ken and Nelda answered with a smile and a hug.  Nelda showed us her lovely home.  It is so open and airy…. a very comfortable, welcoming home.  After the tour, we sat down at the kitchen table as Nelda served us a beautiful plate of chicken salad, pimento cheese sandwiches on pumpernickel bread, fresh mixed fruit, all garnished with mint leaves and a small green onion.  As beautiful as the plate of food was, it tasted even better.  As we ate, our conversation went  back and forth on subjects like retirement, family history,  children and future plans. We left the Schultz home about 3:00 PM.  Very special time it was! 

The remainder of the week proved to be just as delightful as the first part of the week.   We left Orange Beach about 8:00 AM on Friday and headed home.  It had been a very good week for us. We look forward to being part of this week next September.