Although Fran Jones of Calhoun City hasn’t made Italian Cream Cake since her Band Booster days at least 15 years ago, she does prefers to bake over cooking a meal, and holiday cooking is her favorite. “When my wife, Frances, and I were Band Boosters, Mrs. (Fran) Jones would donate her Italian Cream Cake for Band Booster auction. It was a favorite and always the cake that brought the highest bid,” said Tommy Collins. Fran got recipe from Jeanette Floyd in 1976.

In cooking for sons, Hunter and Parker, it was always meat and potatoes, spaghetti, hamburgers, and “a million brownies.” Hunter’s favorite dessert is Coca-Cola Cake, and Parker’s is Strawberry Crunch, a recipe she got from Sharon Hays “long ago”. Husband Woody’s favorite and the boys’ second favorite is lemon ice box pie, which Fran adapted the recipe to make a large one. She usually only prepares big meals now when the boys and their families are coming home, and they always have a sweet potato casserole for the holidays. She says both sons have gotten to be pretty good cooks since they got married. Woody likes to do the grilling, and he always has a garden.
Fran’s mother, Martha Parker of Coffeeville, has a big collection of cookbooks and still enjoys cooking. Fran also enjoys looking through cookbooks, but likes recipes with five or less ingredients, and “just turns to the next page if one is lengthy.” Most of the time she only uses a recipe for making desserts. She learned to cook by experience, watching her mother, and her mother-in-law, Edith Jones. The family loves Mrs. Jones’ sugar and iced cookies and Mrs. Parker’s coconut cake?(with fresh grated coconut), but Fran says she won’t try making these favorites as long as her mother and mother-in-law are!

Lemon Ice Box Pie
Crust: I (10 oz.) bag vanilla wafers, coarsely crushed
1/2 stick butter or margarine, melted
Combine and press into bottom and sides of large pie plate.
Filling:?Yolks of four eggs, beaten
2 cans Eagle Brand milk
Juice of 6-8 lemons (depending on taste for tartness)
Stir together in order given and place on top of crust
Meringue: whites of four eggs
1/3 cup sugar
Beat until stiff peaks form and spread on top of filling.
Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Chill before serving.

Coca-Cola Cake
In bowl mix 2 cups unsifted flour and 2 cups sugar. Boil two sticks oleo, 1 cup Coke, 2 Tbsp. cocoa. Pour over dry ingredients and add two eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1 tsp. soda, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows. Bake 45 minutes at 350° in 13x9 pan.
Icing: Beat 1 stick oleo and 6 Tbsp. Coke. Boil and pour over 1 box XXX sugar, 2 Tbsp. cocoa (beat with mixer) and add one cup nuts.

Strawberry Crunch
Crust: 1 cup plain flour
1 stick butter (melted)
1 cup pecans
Bake 15 minutes at 350°
Filling: Blend 8 oz. cream cheese, 1 box powdered sugar, then fold in 8 oz. Cool Whip
Top with one can strawberry pie filling.

Sweet Potato Casserole
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (boil in jackets)
Use mixer: 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 2 eggs, 1 Tbsp. vanilla, 1/2 cup milk.
Topping: 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour, pecans
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes

Italian Cream Cake
1 stick oleo
1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can coconut
1 cup chopped nuts
5 egg whites
1 cup buttermilk
Cream oleo, oil and sugar until smooth. Add egg yolks and beat well. Add flour and soda to creamed mixture. Add milk, vanilla, coconut and nuts. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake in three pans at 350° for 25 minutes.
Frosting:
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 stick oleo
1 box confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup coconut
Beat cream cheese and oleo until smooth.  Add sugar and mix well.  Add vanilla and beat until smooth.  Spread on cool cake.  Sprinkle top and sides with nuts and coconut.

Triple Chocolate Pound Cake
1 box yellow or chocolate cake mix
1 small box instant vanilla or chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1 carton sour cream
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 bar German chocolate
1 6 oz. package chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix and beat with electric mixer adding chips and pecans last. Pour batter into greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes.