There’s a saying adopted from the title of the posthumously published 1940 Thomas Wolfe novel that states, “You can never go home again.”
In many ways, I believe that because of the changes you go through in life and the fact that things are never the same. In other ways, I disagree and believe that you can go home again and savor the memories of your past youth.
I was born and reared in the small Southern town of Lexington. I attended Central Holmes Academy, now Central Holmes Christian School, and graduated from there in May 1976. Most of the members of my graduating class were the same members of my kindergarten class, plus a few additions along the way. We all attended church together and “rode around” the streets of Lexington until we literally had no where else to ride. Lexington is the only place in the world where you can “ride around a square.” Every time I go through town, I realize that the only people who can maneuver that square are the ones who were born and reared in Lexington. Out of towners stick out like a sore thumb.
My husband is head of school at Benton Academy. We often come to Lexington for ballgames. I always enjoy being back on campus. The changes are many, but lots of things are still the same. As I look around the campus, it truly takes me back many years ago. There are so many new names and faces, but there are the occasional people I run across from the days of my youth. It is always a pleasure to get reacquainted.
I have often heard the saying, “Make new friends, but keep the old. Some are silver, some are gold.” Three of my dearest friends are from my graduating class. All of us started kindergarten together. We meet every three months for lunch and visiting. We once called ourselves “The Golden Girls” but then changed our names to the “CHA CHAs” as a type of an acronym for Central Holmes Academy. I recently had them at my house for lunch. We always just pick up where we left off. After lunch and dessert, we continue our visit. Before we knew it, the afternoon was gone and it was 4!
Two girls I teach with are from Lexington. We always enjoy catching up and keeping up with our friends. That is another great thing about being from the South; no matter what your age, you can still be called “girls.”
Recently, I have tried several new slow cooker recipes. They were all delicious and easy. I hope you will give them a try. Thanks for reading.
OUTRAGEOUS WARM CHICKEN NACHO DIP
1 can diced Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 pound Velveeta, cubed
2 large cooked skinless, boneless breast halves, shredded
½ cup sour cream.
¼ cup diced green onions
1½ tablespoons taco seasoning mix
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper (or more, if you like spicy)
1 (15-ounce can) black beans, rinsed and drained
Place the tomatoes, cheese, chicken, green onions, taco seasoning mix, sour cream and jalapeno in a slow cooker. Cook on high, stirring occasionally, for one to two hours, until cheese melts. Stir in black beans, and cook for 15 more minutes. If the dip is too thick, thin with a small amount of milk.
Serve as a dip, spooned over crisp tortilla chips or rolled up in a warm flour tortilla.
EASY SLOW COOKER STROGANOFF
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
½ cup butter
1 onion, chopped
3 pounds beef tips, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 (8-ounce) package wide egg noodles
Mix soup, mushrooms, butter and onion in a slow cooker; add beef tips. Cook on low for eight hours. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook egg noodles for about five minutes, until cooked through but firm to the bite. Drain well. Serve beef tips and sauce over cooked egg noodles.
EASY SLOW COOKER MEATBALLS
3 pounds frozen meatballs
24 ounces chili sauce
1½ cups grape jelly
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Spray cooker with nonstick spray. Pour in chili sauce, grape jelly and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until well mixed. Add meatballs, and stir until well coated. Cook eight hours on low or four hours on high.
MISSISSIPPI ROAST
1 chuck roast
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package brown gravy mix
1 stick butter
5 pepperoncini peppers
Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for eight hours.
- Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
