Betty Hill

Betty and Charles Hill married when she was 17 and she had never cooked before then, except in Rose Chandler’s home ec class. She didn’t have a cookbook, so she learned on her own.
She would call her mother Clara Spencer or mother-in-law, Marie Hill, to ask about a recipe and they would  tell her “a little of this or a pinch of that.” And she would ask them “how much is that”?  Betty said both of them were very good cooks.
Betty and her Duncan Hill neighbor and good friend Jo Tedford exchange a lot of recipes and try dishes out on each other.
They also make caramel corn together at Christmas time, a recipe that came from Jo’s mother,  the late Lala Alexander.

Last Sunday was Homecoming at Duncan Hill Church, and Betty took one of her favorites, chicken and dressing, along with coconut cake and three quarts of fried okra.
Grandson-in-law Johnny Kakales always wants to know if she has fried okra.
She loves vegetables, gardening, and canning, which she has been doing for years. She canned over 300 quarts of dill pickles this year. She cans okra, squash, peas and lots of tomatoes.

She said the sandwich spread she cans, “is good on hot dogs”, but she likes to eat it on crackers.
Her Strawberry Crunch recipe is from a former pastor’s wife and Betty makes it often. “We like to eat at church a lot,” and the strawberry crunch is one thing she takes.
The Chicken Pie recipe from a Bell’s Best cookbook, of which she now has several. It was a favorite of her father-in-law, J.O., that she always made for him.
She says her chili recipe is easy and good, and that you can freeze it. The vegetable soup recipe is one she made up and is a favorite of her great granddaughter, Kayleigh Hill.
Betty has four children–Mike, Jamie and David Hill, and Pam Woods. The whole family (27 all together) likes fried chicken, “and I bet I’ve cooked a trailer load.”

Vegetable Soup
2 lbs. ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 qt. home canned okra
1 can Veg-All
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 can butterbeans
1 can green peas
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Qt. chicken broth
Enough home canned tomatoes to cover vegetables
Cook potatoes until done. Brown ground chuck and saute onions. Place in large saucepan and add remaining ingredients. Cook on medium about 30-40 minutes.

Strawberry Crunch
2 cups flour
2 sticks margarine
1 cup chopped pecans
Melt margarine in 9×13” dish. Mix in flour and pecans. Press into bottom of pan and bake at 350° until lightly brown. Cool.
Filling: 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 box powdered sugar
1-16 oz. carton Cool Whip
Mix cream cheese, sugar and Cool Whip. Spread over crust. Top with sliced strawberries mixed with strawberry pie glaze.

Chicken Pie
1 large fryer
1 cup milk
1 stick oleo
1 can Veg-All
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 Tbsp. flour
3 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. sage
Stew chicken until tender with seasonings added. Remove bones and dice meat. Place chicken and Veg-All in casserole dish.  Stir in salt, pepper and sage and mix well. Melt margarine in skillet, stir in flour. Add broth and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until medium sauce is made. Pour over chicken and Veg-All. Cover with pastry made from 1 cup flour, 2 Tbsp. Crisco and 1/3 cup milk. Bake until crust browns.

Chili
1 lb. ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
2 cans tamales, mashed
1 large can tomato juice
Chili powder to taste
2 cans chili beans (optional)
Salt and pepper
Brown ground chuck. Add remaining ingredients and cook on medium 20-30 minutes.

Sandwich Spread
1 qt. mayonnaise
12 green bell peppers
12 red bell peppers
6 large onions
3 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups vinegar
1/2 cup plain flour
3 Tbsp. canning salt
12 oz. mustard
Grind peppers and onions in food processor and let drain. Mix sugar, vinegar, salt and flour. Add onions and peppers and let boil 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add mayonnaise and mustard. Put in jars and seal. Makes 6-8 pints.

Canned Okra
4 Tbsp. canning salt
8 Tbsp. vinegar
4 tsp. sugar
Cut okra in gallon ice cream bucket. Cover with water and pour in saucepan. Let it boil until it changes color, about 3-4 minutes. Put in jars and seal.