Briana Murphree

For Christmas 2011, Briana Parker Murphree, gave her mamaw, the late Barbara Murk a cookbook. It was empty, and she asked her to write all of the favorite family recipes in it. “And she did. Every recipe I could have ever asked for is in this book,” Briana said.
She not only hand-wrote recipes, but also included many she clipped from newspapers and magazines, especially holiday recipes. Barbara would mention a new recipe, and then tell her, “I put it in your book.”
Briana got the book back in February of this year after her grandmother passed away. “It is filled up and is probably my favorite thing that I have,” she said.
Her great-grandmother, the late Belva Moorhead’s “directions” for coconut cake are included. In it is also a recipe Briana hand-wrote years ago for her grandmother’s tea cakes, as well as Mary Jo Thomas’ macaroni and cheese. “And the biscuit pudding is a good recipe,” said Briana.
“Any soup Mamaw made was good–taco soup, chili,” and Briana used her taco soup recipe  last week. Strawberry cake is a favorite of hers that her Mamaw would make for her birthday a lot because it was her favorite. Briana loves to make dessert, saying it is her favorite thing to cook.

“Mamaw liked to try new recipes and she was all about presentation. She would have food spread everywhere for every family gathering, and Thanksgiving was a big deal,” she said.
From her granny, Jo Parker Tedford, Briana learned to make biscuits, chocolate pie and Rice Krispie treats. She loves Granny’s breakfast–bacon, sausage, gravy, biscuits, fried eggs, and “we eat every bit of it,” she said.

Like Mamaw and Granny, Briana does her cooking in cast iron skillets. She doesn’t do much casserole cooking, because husband Justin and son Parker are “meat and potatoes guys.” They do like “peas or anything from the garden” with Mamaw’s cornbread. After heating the grease, Barbara would sprinkle a light layer of meal in the pan and let it brown, before pouring in the batter. Briana says she always makes cornbread this way, and uses the same methods as her Mamaw when she cooks.
She tries to cook more healthy by doing things like using more olive oil than bacon grease. Being in the restaurant business a few years, she said helped her a lot with seasonings, which she now eyeballs more than measures, and made her more aware of serving a variety of food of different colors.
Biscuit Pudding
3-4 cold biscuits cut in two
Pour enough milk over to soften them
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 stick butter
Vanilla or lemon flavoring
Any spices that you like
Mix well and bake until done at 375-400°.

Zesty Taco Soup
1 lb. hamburger meat
1 lb. sausage
16 oz. can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
16 oz. can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cans Mexicorn (drained and rinsed)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel
1 can tomato puree
1 bottle taco sauce
1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix
2 pkgs. taco seasoning
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
Brown hamburger and sausage and drain well. Combine all ingredients into crockpot and cook on low four hours.

Strawberry Cake
(Barbara Murk)
1 box white cake mix
1 small pkg. strawberry Jell-o
1 cup Wesson oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup flake coconut
1/2 cup frozen strawberries, thawed
Mix cake ingredients together in order listed. Bake at 350° until done.
Icing:
1/4 cup or one stick oleo
1 box sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Mix well and frost cooled cake

Coconut Cake
(Belva Moorhead)
Bake your favorite plain cake recipe–at least three layers
2 bags frozen coconut
2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar or sweeten to taste
Cook until coconut thaws and it comes to a good boil. Using slotted spoon, stack each layer with coconut. On top layer, pour one cup of milk. Wait to absorb and use more until cake is real moist.