Carolyn Greene of Pittsboro is basically a vegetable person--peas, butterbeans, potatoes, and cornbread, but she has also been a cake decorator at Bruce Piggly Wiggly for ten years. She grew up with her mother’s country cooking which usually consisted of fried ham, vegetables and biscuits, plain cake and chocolate icing, but her mother-in-law taught her to make biscuits like her late husband, Jr., liked.

With husband Dewyane’s 2000 tomato plants, Jeannie Winter of Vardaman says they have tomatoes every meal and never get tired of them. “There’s nothing better than a tomato sandwich,” she said, “and they seem to take on a different taste in the fall, which is also good.”  They go to a farmer’s market every Saturday with tomatoes.

Penny Nelson of Bruce grew up cooking because both parents worked, and she learned country cooking from her “Granny” in Arkansas--vegetables, cornbread, fried chicken, and cakes. Her mother made candy every Christmas, and even though Penny didn’t keep up that tradition, she does sometimes make and share Zucchini bread, with squash from husband Steve’s garden. She also enjoys cooking from time to time for elderly friends and neighbors, or when there is a death in someone’s family.

Linda Nell Sheffield Wright of Pittsboro says canning is her passion and it connects her with her mother and grandmother. Her mother, Ruth Sheffield, believed in raising a garden and for her daughters--Linda Nell, Betty and Billie Ruth--to be right in there with her.

When Toni Hall Clements of Bruce is in the mood to cook, she looks through her cookbooks, plans meals for the week, makes a big list, and hits the grocery store. Husband Chase and daughter Chloe are picky eaters, so when Toni finds something they like, she sticks with it. Before she married, her  only specialty was baked pork chops, macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes, which she still makes. She also cooks spaghetti, but wishes she could make the sauce like Chase’s grandmother, Josie Murphree. “None of the family can make it like Mrs. Josie,” Toni said.

Former Calhoun County Extension Home Economist Nancy Gary of Calhoun City is also a former home economics teacher. Her mother, Lyde McGuire, was a 4-H adult leader so Nancy saw Mississippi through 4-H work. While a very young 4-H member, Nancy was a state winner in baking cupcakes.

Sue Gore’s birthday is July 4, and a few years ago she started making it the biggest time she cooks for her family, sisters, and their families. They have ribs, her favorite thing on the grill, with a variety of side dishes--marinated vegetables (butterbeans, green beans, English peas, carrots, corn, onion, bell pepper, cucumber, oil and vinegar with sugar), stuffed jalapenos, grilled corn with dill butter, baked beans, slaw, homemade lemonade, and Butterfinger ice cream.

Jeanne Cole of Bruce had two very different white barbecue sauce recipes to try for their July 4th meal, and the unanimous winner was from Southern Living--1 1/2 cups mayonnaise, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp. coarse ground pepper, 1 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard, 1 tsp. sugar; whisk together and chill at least four hours. She said it was a great dip for their grilled chicken. The rest of their meal was corn (sprayed with oil, salt and pepper, then grilled or microwaved; immediately add mixed equal parts of mayonnaise and sour cream, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese), potato salad, watermelon, ice cream and blueberry pound cake. She says husband, Bruce, is a picky eater (and the griller of the family), but she and their daughters, Bethany and Beverly, still like to try new dishes usually every week.

“I knew how to cook nothing except spaghetti when I got married,” said Leigh McDowell Moore of Bruce. “I was so nervous about the cooking thing and knew I had to do something to learn. I had always watched, but never tried,” she said.

Mitzi Parker Aron of Bruce began making divinity while in high school and still makes it today, saying it’s her favorite. She’s only flopped it a few times and it usually turns out good--rain, sleet, or whatever. She has one son and daughter and two granddaughters that can also make divinity--Jason, Jileene, Jamie and Jensyn.

Kay Newman of Bruce has retired as BHS?cafeteria manager after 10 years in that position, and 26 total in the cafeteria. She has enjoyed that job so much, and says she will really miss the kids. For many of them, she fed their parents when they were in school, too.

Melody Hamilton’s daughters (Jennifer Hamilton Greer of Nashville and Emily Hamilton of Mobile) set up a blog site “cookingwithoma.blogspot.com”  to have easy access to their favorite recipes of their mother’s. (Oma is the German name for grandmother.)