Many years ago my Great Aunt Cornelia spent the summer in the North Carolina country with my Great-Grandmother Grace. Their garden was bountiful to say the least, especially the zucchini crop. All summer the heavenly aroma of zucchini breads, cakes, muffins and squares filled the air. After the freezer was crammed full, the neighbors enjoyed their delicious bread. And now, all this time later, my house carries on the same tradition. Each time we bake a batch of moist zucchini bread, we  always make enough for two loaves, one for us and one for a friend. So I hope you’ll enjoy this old …

They say that memories are connected to the senses. A smell or a taste or even a sound has the ability to transport us to a different time and place dear to our heart. Whenever I come home to the scent of Aunt Susan’s Broccoli Casserole baking in the oven, I can’t help but smile. For countless Christmases and birthdays, Fourth of July’s and Thanksgivings, someone has always baked a warm batch of broccoli casserole. As so, sometimes it’s nice to pull out the recipe for no reason at all. Every day can be its own special occasion.  Ingredients: 4 heads of fresh broccoli, cooked, drained and very…

My Great Grandmother Annie Mae, or Gram, as we used to call her, had a way of making everyone feel special. She was one of those women who would cook cakes and pies just for the sake of it, and her home always carried the scent of fresh-baked goodies. These days most people are becoming a little more health conscious, counting calories and cutting out sweets all together. I think living a healthy lifestyle is certainly important. However, southern food is such an integral part of our culture it would be a shame to miss out on things such as, say caramel chess pie. All good things can be …

One of the very fondest memories I have is traveling up to Tennessee to spend a week with Grandmother Sylvia and my Grandfather Bill during summer break. Grandma could almost always be found in the kitchen, ready and excited to show me how I could help her cook one of her yummy recipes. One of the last summers I got to spend with her she showed me how to make her famous peach cobbler. A neighbor of hers had been ill, so on that particular summer day we baked two batches, one for us, and one for her friend. I still remember the excitement of walking down the wooded lane with Grandma, our …

Thinking back on Grandma’s kitchen, there are few memories quite so nice as sitting down at her sunlit table and enjoying the sweets she seemed to whip up with such ease. The sharing of a meal or a cup of coffee is about so much more than the food, it’s the fellowship and Grandma seemed to understand that better than anybody. Southern cooking is a legacy I believe in, and I love sharing that legacy, one recipe at a time. Few things in life compare to walking into a cozy kitchen and being greeted with the heady scent of plum spice cake baking in the oven. Contrary to popular belief, it is in …

Southern cooking is without doubt a part of our heritage here in Cartersville. Some of the most endearing memories families create take place around the dinner table. But sometimes with the hustle of life there isn’t always time to create a five course meal from scratch. That’s hardly a reason not to put on a spread grandma would be proud to sit down to.    One of the best things I remember about my Great-Grandmother Annie Mae is seeing her dance around her beautiful kitchen with what seemed like effortless ease, only to produce some of the most unique and tasty meals I’ve ever eaten. …

Back when my Great-Grandmother Gram was a young woman, there was still time in the day for things like luncheons and tea times in the parlor. Get-togethers were planned in advance with cards in the mail. Southern ladies would put on their prettiest dresses and sit down to daintily decorated tables adorned with china tea services and fancy silverware. It was a time for laughter and gossip and the occasional game of cards. Somehow, over the years, Gram was able to maintain the ambiance of southern leisure and comfort for my family and I, even though the hustle and bustle of modern life so …

The words “southern hospitality” bring to mind many pictures of smiling faces and lilting drawls. But the center of any southern home is the kitchen, where the meals prepared are more than just food. Southern recipes are a legacy of hometown memories, cool summer evenings and cozy winter mornings. Somehow grandmother’s kitchen doesn’t just feed the body, it nourishes the soul. So allow me to share some of my family’s oldest and best loved southern recipes.  Perhaps it’s best to start with my Grandmother Sylvia’s Famous Fried Chicken and Milk Gravy. Fried Chicken: Ingredients:      Family pack…

So often, the cold of fall and winter can make us long for the warmth and comfort of home more than any other time. That’s how I’ve always remembered Grandma’s Kitchen, as a safe and cozy place to kick back and enjoy not only the food, but also the company. Speaking of winter, one southern recipe that never seems to go out of style in my family is Potato Soup and Cornbread. The ultimate comfort food combination, it’s not only easy to make, but filling and satisfying. This recipe has been in my family for countless years and is a consistent favorite at get-togethers and holidays. There’s …

There are times in life when ordinary just isn’t good enough. That’s one of the things I love about southern cooking, it’s like an art form. There are so many different flavors and ingredients to choose from. Our meals vary with the seasons — peach cobbler in the summer, fresh pumpkin pies in the fall, rich vegetable soups in the winter and cool potato salad in the spring.  Our family gatherings are wrapped in the welcoming scents of spiced cakes and wholesome casseroles. Memories are so tied up in scents and tastes, it’s no wonder that some of the happiest memories are of sitting around the …