My hometown of Cruger has a brand new resident. By the way, this doesn’t happen very often. My Mama just moved in right across the street from me this week. She has been saying for years that she wants to live near us, her grandson, and, of course, her great-granddaughter. Mama decided to move during June. It has been a whirlwind of painting, flooring, plumbing and kitchen re-designing.
Mama’s house on Deer Creek in Leland is much larger than the one that she is moving into. She picked out what furniture she wanted to bring and shared or sold what she did not want to keep. Mama has more china and crystal than Carter has liver pills, so she has been busily wrapping and packing all of that for months. It is amazing what you can collect in a house in almost 40 years. Both of my parents were only children, so everything their parents had went to them.
My baby sister has made several trips from San Francisco during the last few months to help. She is very handy around the house; I am not. I just feed people and hired folks to do things.
I look forward to having my sweet Mama across the street to see as often as I can. Even during the busy school year, I can pop in just for a quick hug. My husband and son are pretty excited about the food situation. Mama is the best cook in the world. She knows everybody’s favorites, and I know she will spoil us rotten. We, in turn, will do the same for her. There is nothing in the world like Mama’s cooking.
I hope you will give this week’s recipes a try. I never met a potato I didn’t like. Thanks for reading.
RO-TEL POTATOES
6-8 potatoes, peeled, sliced, boiled and drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 stick butter
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can diced Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 pound Velveeta cheese
Place prepared potatoes in a baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam. Saute onion and bell pepper in butter, and add mushrooms and tomatoes. Cube Velveeta and add. Stir until melted and pour over potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
SPINACH POTATOES
6 large white potatoes, peeled, sliced, and boiled until tender
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
¾ cup half and half
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and well drained
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Drain potatoes well. Mash and add butter, sugar, green onions, half and half, salt, and dill weed. Add spinach, and mix well. Turn into a buttered casserole dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with cheese before serving.
JAN JAN’S POTATO CASSEROLE
6-7 medium white potatoes, sliced thin
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can Pet milk
1 cup grated cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Prepare a sauce with the soups, milk, cheese and Worcestershire. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with Pam. Layer potatoes with the sauce, and dot with pats of butter. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 1½ hours.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
