Amber Schmitz

Both sides of her family are different kinds of cooks, but Amber Schmitz says she has the best of both worlds, because it’s all good!
She spent a lot of time at her late grandmother, Kathy Brummett’s restaurant in Pittsboro, her aunt Deana Ferguson’s tea room in Calhoun City,  and she remembers her great-grandparents, Julia and Boyce Brummett, pulling a chair up for her to make her first scrambled eggs.
Amber enjoyed learning from Kathy, who made it fun. “We were always laughing.” The first time she tried to make caramel icing Kathy laughed until she cried, but now she’s got it. She always said, “Amber Nicole, just have fun. If it messes up, you can do it again!”

She says she’s got to work on Memaw’s butter roll, that hers is good, but it’s not there yet. Everybody always loved Kathy’s   strawberry cake and people ask Amber about making the strawberry cake, along with their other favorites Kathy made– caramel cake and the butter roll.
Amber’s mother, Lisa Schmitz, follows a recipe to the “T”, and Kathy “didn’t even measure.” Amber says she does both, and she is not afraid to change up a recipe.

She learned a lot from her mom, too, and Amber enjoys them cooking together and spending time in the kitchen, “until it’s time for canning!”
She also enjoys looking for recipes with Lisa, and after a “guinea pig trial run”, then they swap recipes. It varies where they find their recipes.
Amber’s favorite is to look through old cookbooks. “There’s nothing like flipping through an old cookbook”  and she inherited a lot of her grandmother’s cookbooks.

She likes to try different things and will try the exotic, and is always up for trying a little bit of anything.
She was raised spending time with family and that’s one reason she enjoys cooking, so once or twice a month she cooks supper for the family and soup goes over well with everybody.
Sandra Young’s mac and cheese is “a crowd pleaser.” The Italian Crescent Casserole is brother, Aubrey’s favorite. Originally it was made in a pie plate, but now she does it in a 9×13, and “the more cheese the better for Aubrey!”

Amber’s recipes are ones that are always hits when served and they lean toward “fall food.” Lisa loves the sweet potato trifle, and Amber says to her it tastes like fall.

Memaw Kathy’s Strawberry Cake
Layers: 1 box white cake mix
1 cup cool water
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
3 Tbsp. flour
1 box strawberry jello (regular size)
Mix all ingredients together, separate in three round pans for layers.  Bake on 345°  until layers are done, (usually about 20-25 minutes).  Let layers cool while making icing.
Icing:  8 oz. cream cheese softened
1 box confectioner sugar
1 stick butter at room temperature
1/2 box strawberry jello
Mix with mixer until smooth. Putting it together: Start by taking one cake layer.
(Memaw’s secret: take chopped strawberries in their juice and put a few teaspoons top of each layer before adding icing.) Add icing, repeat until top. Cover cake top and sides with remaining icing. For best results chill icing in fridge 20 minutes prior to putting on cake.

Sweet Potato Trifle
Preheat oven to 350°.
16 oz. angel food cake. (Cut in cubes, place on pan, cook for 10-12 minutes until lightly toasted.  Halfway through, turn once.)
In a bowl mix : 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of sour cream,  8 oz cream cheese. Gradually add in 5 oz. can of evaporated milk, beat until smooth. Add cubes, folding mixture gently to combine.
Mix until smooth: 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp.  vanilla extract, dash of salt
and two 15 oz. cans of cooked, peeled sweet potatoes, drained and mashed. You will also need 2-3 Tbsp. of coconut (I usually toast mine),  8 oz.  cool whip, and 1/4 cup of pecans. Spoon half of cake mixture into trifle dish, add layer (half) of sweet potato mixture. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. coconut over sweet potato mixture, top with half of cool whip topping.  Repeat layers, sprinkle 1 more Tbsp.  of coconut and 1/4 cup of chopped pecans.  Cover and chill 30 minutes before serving.

Italian Crescent Casserole
1 1/2 lbs. of ground chuck or beef
1 medium onion
1 small bell pepper
Chop onion and bell pepper, add to beef/chuck, cook until meat is done. Drain meat, return to skillet. Add to meat mixture: 2 Tbsp. minced garlic (saute w/meat about 3-4 minutes before adding Ragu–one regular size traditional Ragu). Heat thoroughly until bubbly, cut off and set to side. Cheese mixture: 2-cup bag of mozzarella, 8 oz. sour cream, mix together. In 9 x 13” pan, first add meat mixture to bottom, spoon cheese mixture on top. Topping: 2 packs crescent rolls, 3 Tbsp. butter, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add crescent rolls on top of cheese mixture, melt butter to brush on top of rolls. Sprinkle parm cheese on top. Bake at 365° until rolls are golden brown.

Mrs. Sandra’s Mac & Cheese
(Sandra Young Walls)
8 oz. large elbow macaroni bag. Cover noodles with water in pan, add 1 tsp. salt and bring to boil.
16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup of mayonnaise
In a bowl mix cheese, sour cream, mayo.
Saute 1 medium-small chopped onion in small pan with 3 Tbsp.   margarine on medium heat until onions are translucent.  Once done, add to cheese mixture. Once noodles are done, drain and mix with cheese mixture. In 9x 13” pan, spoon noodle mixture and spread. Topping: 2 cups of cheese crackers. (I use cheese nips or cheese-its), crush thoroughly and sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.  Bake at 325° for 30-35 minutes.

Cheeseburger Soup
1 lb. hamburger meat  (brown beef, drain, and set aside.) In a saucepan saute next ingredients until veggies are tender (usually about 7-10 mins.) 3/4 cup or shredded carrots, 1 large onion, chopped, 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes, 1 Tbsp. butter. In a large stock pot mix broth, potatoes, veggie mix, beef: 5 cups of chicken broth or stock, 4 cups of diced and peeled potatoes. Add vegetable mixture and beef, bring to boil then reduce to simmer until potatoes are tender. In a small skillet: Melt 3 Tbsp. butter, add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. Cook and stir 3-5 minutes until bubbly. (Be careful not to walk off, it will scorch easily). Add to stockpot and bring to boil. After boil, add 2 cups of cubed Velveeta cheese, 1.5 cups of milk, 1/2 tsp. of pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook and stir until cheese has melted. Remove from heat. Add 1 can cream of celery soup, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup sour cream.
(This is a very hearty soup that goes a long way! Also if you don’t care for soup to be as thick, add one additional cup of chicken broth. Enjoy!)