How fortunate our family is to have most of our family members nearby.
My family consists of my mother and my sister. My husband’s family has a grand total of 33. During this recent holiday season, we have seen every single member of our combined families — it just took a while. In fact, our holiday season lasted for about six weeks.
I have always told my only child that he is very fortunate to have the best of both worlds. At my house, he is the only grandchild. On his daddy’s side, he has an abundance of aunts, uncles and cousins.
Over the past few weeks, we have had many celebrations of different family members. We have gotten to meet a newborn family member and even a brand new four-legged canine family member.
With some families being so far away, we have just been glad to see them whenever they could make it to Cruger. Some were early visits, some at Christmas, and some during the month of January. As of today, I think we have seen everyone.
Each reunion has been quite different. Some were small and quiet, and some rather loud and boisterous. Last week-end, we had all eight of the great-grandchildren together at one time. The oldest is 11 and the youngest is 6 months.
We have laughed, eaten until I thought we would pop, and reminisced about years gone by. What a wonderful time we have shared.
The Fourth of July is also a big time for our family to celebrate. Hopefully, we can all get together once again. As quickly as time is going by, that time will be here before we know it.
Hope you enjoy this week’s recipes. Thanks for reading.
SLOW-COOKED
BEAN MEDLEY
1 ½ cups ketchup
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup water
½ cup Italian salad dressing
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon pepper
1 (16 ounces) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 ounces) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 (16 ounces) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 ounces) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (16 ounces) can lima beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 ounces) can black beans, rinsed and drained
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and stir well. Cover and cook on Low for 5 io 7 hours. Discard bay leaves before serving.
RED BEANS
9 bacon slices
1 small onion, chopped
1 (12 ounces) can tomato paste
3½ cup chicken broth
2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups uncooked long grain rice
Cook bacon slices in skillet until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Crumble and set aside. Saute chopped onion in bacon drippings until tender. Add tomato paste to skillet, stirring until smooth Gradually stir in chicken broth, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Stir in sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in 2 cups uncooked rice and bring to a boil, stir in bacon pieces. Pour mixture into a lightly greased baking dish and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
MEXICORN GRITS
4 cups milk
½ cup butter
1/3 cup butter
1 cup quick-cooking grits
2 eggs
1 (11 ounces) can Mexicorn, drained
1 (4 ounces) can chopped green chilies
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
In a large saucepan, bring milk and ½ cup butter to a boil. Slowly stir in grits; reduce heat and cook for 5 to7 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and stir in a small amount of hot grits into eggs; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Melt remaining 1/3 cup butter; stir into the grits. Add corn, chilies, cheese, salt and pepper. Transfer into a greased 2- quart baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes-.net..
