Becky Mitchell
Most of what Becky Mitchell learned about cooking was from Bert Johnson’s home ec class at Bruce High School. She recalled making a strawberry chiffon pie there and “it was good!” she said. Mrs. Bert taught them about setting the table, and when they cooked a full meal in class, they invited the other teachers to come and eat.
Becky likes to cook winter time food, saying it is her favorite time to cook–soup, stew and chili. Vegetable soup is a favorite, and they usually have some of husband, Jerry’s brunswick stew in the freezer.
Her mother, Allie Mayhan, “was an excellent cook. Everyone liked to be at her lunch or supper table.”
Beet pickles are one thing Mrs. Allie made that Becky recalls as a favorite, but says she doesn’t know how she made them. Becky loves vegetables from the garden, especially fresh tomatoes.
She makes the pound cake by Mrs. Allie’s recipe, and usually has it for the holidays. Her mother used to make it almost every weekend and served it with sliced peaches. And for the holidays, Becky always makes the dressing, with daughters, Holly and Haley, bringing the side dishes.
She likes to be in the yard with her flowers and says it is only out of necessity that she cooks. But every afternoon after school, she has a snack of something like brownies or pizza for her five grandchildren. And they usually check to see what she’s having for supper, too.
Mose, 10, likes peas and cornbread; Max, 10, wants chicken or pizza; Mattie and Maggie, 6, and McCoy, 5, will eat anything. When McCoy says, “Granny, that’s good, then I know it was a good meal.”
They are all five interested in helping in the kitchen, too.
“Everybody has a fit over the Rolo Pretzels anytime I take them anywhere,” she said. She overheard someone talking about the baked chicken recipe one time, and went home and tried it. She then made up the chicken rice dish to go with it. “It is a good side for the baked chicken,” and says the grandchildren like that meal, too.
Chicken Rice
2 cups Minute Rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups water
1 stick margarine
Mix soup and water in 2-qt. casserole with fork. Add rice and bake for 30 minutes at 350°. Stir once after first 15 minutes. When done take out of oven and stir in stick of margarine. Cover until ready to serve. (Good served with the baked crispy chicken below.)
Baked Crispy Chicken
8-10 skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers
1 stick butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut chicken into 2” pieces. Crush Ritz crackers. Melt butter in microwave. Salt and pepper chicken, dip in butter, roll in crackers and place in foil lined pan. Leave enough foil on each side to cover top of pan. Bake covered for 30 minutes at 350°. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes to make sure it is browned.
Sour Cream Pound Cake
(Allie Mae Mayhan)
1 box Duncan Hines butter cake mix
1/2 cup sugar
1-8 oz. sour cream
3/4 cup Wesson oil
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans (chopped)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Mix all ingredients except brown sugar and cinnamon. Fold in pecans. Pour half of batter in greased and floured bundt pan. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over half batter. Then add other batter. Bake at 350° for one hour and 15 minutes.
Frosting:
1 cup confectioners sugar
6 Tbsp. cream or milk
1/2 cup pecans
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix and drizzle over warm cake.
Rolo Pretzel Delights
Small pretzels
Pecan halves
Rolo candy
Heat oven to 350°. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Place one pretzel for each Rolo on cookie sheet and then top with Rolo. Bake 3-5 minutes or until caramel piece begins to soften, but not melt. Remove from oven and top with pecan half.
