Cornbread and Bon Bons

With my husband’s help, I have been compiling a family cookbook.  I wanted all the recipes for all of my favorite family dishes.  You know the ones.  The cornbread your grandmother makes or the chocolate cake that your great aunt makes or your mom’s famous slaw.  We all have favorite foods that take us back to special times or remind of us of loved ones.

I was pretty fired up when I started this project………three years ago.  It’s taken me that long partly because I’m a procrastinator, partly because all the other things in life tend to get in the way, and partly because my family….LOVES. TO. EAT.  I’ve got about 170 pages worth of family recipes so far, with more to go.  I am so tired of typing the word tablespoon.

Since it’s quickly approaching that time of year that is filled with family and food, I thought I might share some of my favorite recipes.  In sharing the recipes, perhaps you’ll learn something about my family, and, who knows, maybe a little something about me as well.  Maybe I’ll even make this a regular part of the blog.

The two recipes I want to share today are from two women very dear to me.  The first is my aunt, Donna. Donna was the kind of person that everyone loved.  You just couldn’t help but love her.  She had a really great sense of humor and was always ready to share a laugh.  Much to our shock and devastation, Donna left this world far too soon and far too young.  She was 49 years old when a massive heart attack took her from us.  I had never really grieved until I lost Donna.  Oh, I had experienced loss before, but not quite on this level.  I was crazy about her.  The moments standing by her graveside saying that final goodbye were some of the saddest of my life.  I was happy for her, because Donna was a Christian and I know, without doubt, that she is with the Lord even now.  I was so sad for us though, for my uncle, for my cousins, for Donna’s mother and sister and brothers.  For her sweet friends that were sharing in that loss.  The world lost such a precious soul.  I will never forget her influence on my life.

The recipe I most associate with Donna is Broccoli Cornbread.  That’s right, Broccoli Cornbread.  I think Donna brought it to every family function.  Even now, there is usually a pan of this unique cornbread on the table at any holiday celebration. 

Broccoli Cornbread

1 package frozen broccoli, thawed, chopped and drained

1 stick butter, melted

1 teaspoon salt

1 large onion, chopped

6 ounces cottage cheese

4 eggs, beaten

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

Mix all ingredients.  Bake in 9x13 pan in 400 degree oven 25-30 minutes or until brown.

I certainly can’t share family recipes without mentioning my sweet grandmother, my dad’s mother.  She loved to cook and, as with most grandmothers, every time we gathered for a meal at her house, there was enough food to feed the neighborhood. 

I miss my grandmother most at church.  That’s where I saw her the most.  She and my aunt and another sweet lady sat in front of me and my immediate family.  Sometimes when I walk into the church I still look for her on “her pew.”  There are times when I’m surprised that she’s not there. 

My grandmother, or Mumsie, as we called her, was a very strong woman.  She had, what I would consider, a pretty tough life at times.  I never heard her complain though.  She had to work hard for most of her life, but she always seemed very content.  She handled adversity, like losing a child and a grandchild and having cancer, with grace.  It was the third bout with cancer that finally took her life.  She was sick and she suffered, but she was at peace.  She had lived a full life and she was ready to go home.  I remember my mother calling me very early on a Wednesday morning to tell me my grandmother had died.  I had been there on Tuesday evening so I knew it would be soon.  I remember just feeling very peaceful and thankful that she was finally home.  I am so thankful to have had such a godly woman in my life.

There are a lot of favorite “Mumsie recipes” that I could share.  I have to say though, that this is one of the top three.  I remember these specifically at Christmas and they always disappeared quickly.

 Bon-Bons

1 box 10x sugar

1 package coconut

1 cup pecans, finely chopped

1 ½ sticks melted butter

Mix all ingredients together and form balls.  Melt 1 package chocolate chips and ½ bar paraffin in top of double boiler.  Dip coconut balls into chocolate with toothpick and cool on wax paper.

I hope you’ll try one of these recipes.  More importantly though, I hope you are able to spend time with your family during this festive season.  Enjoy the food and the fun, but treasure the fellowship.  Make lasting memories with those you love!

What are some of your favorite family recipes?