Friday Food Story

One of my favorite food memories as a child was when my family gathered once a year for our annual family reunion. It was an occasion we all looked forward to as it gave us an opportunity to see aunts, uncles and cousins who lived far away. There is a state park in our hometown so it was always the ideal place for this gathering to occur.

The second best thing about this day was the food! (Family has to be first) If it was southern cuisine, we had it. Black-eyes peas with ham, collard greens, corn bread, macaroni and cheese, and my all time favorite, Aunt Minnie's chicken and dumplings. They were the best! I cannot even remember if I ever ate any of the chicken, I just liked the dumplings! I never had the privilege to watch her make them, or even get her recipe, but they were indeed the best dumplings east of the Mississippi.

Another nice treat at these reunions was that there was always some kind of wild game. There were a few hunters in the family so it wasn't uncommon to have deer, gator tail, soft shelled turtle or squirrel. The fun part of having surprises like this is that you always tell the new people that it's fried steak.  They eat it, like it and want more....THEN you tell them what they are eating.  Works every time!  It's quite amusing how something they were eating so quickly can immediately cause them to choke.

I like the thought that most of my childhood memories are focused around food. There is something very special about a home cooked meal, especially when you can share it with those you love. Food is a balm that can heal, a mood-mender, a face-lifter and a friend to many. Have you blessed someone lately with a home-cooked treat? Our family was full of cooks, some of them professional, but it wasn't the skill that made the difference, it was the loves in which it was served.  LOVE on somebody today!