8-10 large whole cabbage leaves
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced celery (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon seasoning salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
2 small or 1 large can diced tomatoes
1 cup V8 juice or tomato juice, or more to your preference

Hot cooked rice to serve

Remove large outer leaves from a head of cabbage, discarding the tougher, unsightly ones. Wash the cabbage leaves and then steam in an inch of water in a large pot, covered, for about 20-30 minutes until pliable but still firm enough to roll without tearing. Let leaves set covered until ready to roll.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the ground beef, onion, peppers, garlic and celery, if used, until the ground beef is browned and no pink remains. Drain fat and add seasoning salt, black pepper and sugar. Stir over heat until well combined, then remove from heat and let cool a bit.

On a clean surface, remove one cabbage leaf from the covered pot and gently spread out as flat as possible. With a sharp knife, cut 2 or 3 inches down each side of the large rib and then remove the toughest part of the rib and discard it.

Place about 3 or 4 tablespoons of the meat mixture about a third of the way down from the top of the leaf, and then fold the sides over and in, then the top and bottom, making a roll. Careful not to tear the leaves, but the world won't end if you do. They taste the same either way.

***Repeat with each roll as you make it, placing them seam side down in a large skillet or pot that will accommodate all the rolls and tomatoes. If you have any meat filling leftover, just spoon it around the cabbage rolls. Pour the diced tomatoes and V8 or tomato juice over the cabbage rolls, cover, and place over medium high heat until they come to a boil, then turn down to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, making sure they don't scorch.

While the cabbage rolls are simmering, prepare your rice and it should get done about the same time your cabbage rolls are ready to eat. Serve cabbage rolls over hot rice and you have a complete, hearty meal.

Serves 2-4, depending on appetites.

***NOTE: This also is great in the crockpot. Just place cabbage rolls in the crockpot or slow cooker and pour tomatoes and juice over, then cook on low for several hours or till heated through.

1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup oil
2 tsp. good vanilla


Preheat oven to 300°.

Combine all ingredients and mix well with electric mixer, 2 or 3 minutes. Pour half of batter into greased and floured 13X9 baking pan.

In a small bowl, Mix:

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar

Mix and sprinkle evenly over batter in pan. Pour remaining batter over cinnamon/sugar mixture. Swirl through batter with a butter knife, being careful to keep sugar wet in the batter. Exposed dry brown sugar may burn. Bake at 350° for about one hour, checking at 50 minutes. Cake will be moist when done, but not gummy in the center. Don't overbake.

While cake is baking, prepare glaze:

1 tbsp. milk (I use canned milk, like Pet or Carnation)
1 tsp. good vanilla
¼ tsp. butter flavoring
1 tbsp. butter or stick margarine, softened
2 tbsp. honey or light corn syrup
dash of salt, just a few grains
powdered sugar, about 2 cups, more or less

Mix well with a wire whisk till combined. Add powdered sugar until it is drizzling consistency, or to your taste.

Pour glaze over warm cake, about 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Great with coffee or a glass of cold milk.

16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese, or any style (I use 3 cheese blend)
4 oz. jar diced pimento; do not drain
(size of the jar may vary according to brand; add more or less to your taste)
1-2 cups Miracle Whip salad dressing, or mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar or artificial sweetener, or to taste
2 tablespoons white vinegar


In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except salad dressing or mayonnaise. Add salad dressing or mayonnaise until it reaches the consistency you like. Cover tightly and refrigerate for several hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve as sandwich filling. Yields approximately 4 cups pimento cheese.

1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1-3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
3/4 cup self rising flour
3/4 cup self rising cornmeal mix, either white or yellow
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2-1 cup diced onion - green onions, white, yellow or mixed, your choice
dash salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
minced jalapeno pepper to taste, optional

Beat egg and buttermilk together in a medium sized bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Dough should be thick enough to hold its shape when mounded on a spoon. Add more meal or buttermilk if necessary to get the right consistency. Drop by slightly rounded teaspoons full into hot oil. Brown on both sides and fry until done. Drain on paper towels or metal rack. Makes around 2 dozen. Recipe may be doubled.

6 cups chicken broth
14.5 oz. can dice or crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
6 - 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into strips, 1/2 in. wide and 2-3 in. long
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, or 3 thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

Combine broth and tomatoes in a soup pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add tortilla strips in a couple of batches and cook, stirring once or twice, until crisp, 5-7 minutes. Remove fried strips to paper towels to drain. In same skillet, cook chicken 3-5 minutes without stirring, until nicely browned on first side. Add onion, garlic, jalapenos, cumin and salt; cook 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are softened. Add contents of skillet to simmering broth; cook 10 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with tortilla strips, cheese and cilantro; serve each bowl with a wedge of lime.

**Note: I don't have any tortillas so I'm skipping that part. I boiled my chicken so I'm using cooked chicken and the broth from that instead of sauteing the chicken. I also added some chopped green bell peppers and some fresh spinach for color right before I took the soup off the heat. And finally, I'm substituting mild cheddar cheese for the Monterey Jack.

I'm sure this recipe could be easily adapted for the crockpot.

1 medium butternut squash
3 cups chicken broth, homemade or store bought
1 large onion, diced
4 Tablespoons butter, no substitutes
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of black pepper, or to taste
dash of nutmeg, optional
12-oz. can evaporated milk, such as Pet or Carnation

Prepare the squash by quartering, then cut off the ends and scrape out the seeds. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife. Be very careful! The squash rind is tough and awkward to work with.

Cut the peeled squash into 2-inch chunks. Place into a large sauce pan or Dutch oven and add the broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and boil until tender, about 15-20 minutes.

While squash is cooking, in a large skillet, place the diced onion, butter, brown sugar and salt. Saute onion over medium high heat until golden brown and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir into the cooked squash.

In a blender container, blend squash, onions and liquid in 2 or 3 batches on liquefy until smooth. Be very careful when blending the hot mixture! Only fill the blender container about half full, and watch out for hot liquid "burping" around the lid. Voice of experience speaking here.

Pour mixture into a large saucepan or Dutch oven as you blend each batch. When all is blended, add the evaporated milk, black pepper and nutmeg if using. Taste and add salt if needed. Heat on low, stirring often, until heated through.

This soup is hearty, rich, velvety and smooth. Serve as an entree with hot garlic bread. Yum!

4 or 5 firm green tomatoes
1/2 cup cornmeal or cornmeal mix
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
black pepper as desired
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
oil for frying

Thoroughly wash green tomatoes. Slice off core end of tomatoes, then slice tomatoes 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with a little salt if desired.

These tomatoes tend to need a lot of salt for me, but leave it out altogether or salt sparingly if you know you don't need or like a lot of salt.

Stir together dry ingredients. Toss sliced tomatoes in flour mixture a few at a time and place in a single layer on a platter or cookie sheet.

Mix egg and milk together in a small bowl.

In a large skillet, heat about an inch of oil over medium high heat.

Dip floured tomatoes, a few at a time, into the milk/egg mixture, then back into the flour mixture. Place breaded tomatoes into hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides, turning several times during cooking so as to cook evenly. Adjust heat accordingly if they're frying too fast or too slow.

Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with more salt if desired. Serve immediately.

Some people like to dip their fried green tomatoes in ranch dressing, but I'm a purist and like mine plain.

Also, you may leave out the cornmeal and use 2 1/2 cups of flour for the dredging mixture.

1 pkg. (¼-oz.) yeast
¼ cup warm water (110*-115*)
1 cup warm milk (110*-115*)
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
½ t. salt
1 egg
3-3¾ cup all purpose flour
Oil for deep fat frying

GLAZE:
1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. water
½ t. vanilla
Dash of salt


In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, butter, sugar, salt, egg and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough.

Do no knead. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12’x8’ rectangle. Cut into 3’x1’ rectangles. Place on greased cookie sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

In an electric skillet or deep fat fryer, heat oil to 400*. Fry doughnuts, a few at a time, until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Combine glaze ingredients and dip tops in glaze while warm. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. Or you may prepare and use a glaze of your choice. Chocolate glaze is a traditional topping in Northeast Arkansas where I live.

1 pound fresh okra
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Vegetable oil

Wash and slice okra; pat dry with paper towels.
Combine eggs and buttermilk; add okra, and let stand for 10 minutes.
Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper.
Drain okra, small portions at a time, using a slotted spoon.
Dredge okra, small portions at a time, in flour mixture.
Pour oil to depth of 2 to 3-inches in a Dutch oven of deep-fat fryer and heat to 375*F.
Fry okra until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 T. water or milk
2 t. onion powder
2 t. ground cumin
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
5 cups diced cooked chicken
20 (6-inch) flour tortillas, room temperature
2 cans (10-¾ ounces each) cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups (16 oz.) sour cream
1 cup milk
2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chilies
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese


In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, water, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in the chicken.

Place ¼ cup of the mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in 2 greased 13x9 baking dishes. In a large bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, milk and chilies; pour over the enchiladas.

Bake, uncovered, at 350* for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with shredded cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Garnish as desired.

Yields 10 servings, 2 enchiladas per serving.

½ lb. smoked sausage, sliced
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. oil
1½ cups cooked cubed chicken
1½ cups cooked cubed ham
½ lb. shelled and deveined raw shrimp
1 can (28-oz.) diced tomatoes, untrained
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
3 T. minced fresh parsley, or 1 T. dried
1 t. salt
½ t. ground black pepper
½-¾ t. dried thyme
Cayenne pepper to taste


In a heavy skillet, sauté the sausage, onion, bell pepper and garlic in the oil until the vegetables are tender. Add the chicken and ham and shrimp; cook for five minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Transfer to a 2-qt. baking dish, cover and bake at 350* for 45 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

2 large packages black cherry Jello
2 cans fruit cocktail, drained well
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup miniature marshmallows, optional

Prepare Jello as directed up until chilling. Add fruit cocktail, coconut, pecans and marshmallows if used to Jello and mix well. Pour into serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill thoroughly until set. Serve and enjoy.

I don't know where Mama got the original recipe or if she invented this one herself, but it was always a part of our family holiday dinners, especially Thanksgiving and more often, Christmas. Just the thought of this Jello salad brings back lots of happy memories of Cook family Christmases.

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup good shortening
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. good vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream butter, shortening and sugar in a large mixing bowl with electric mixer. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add buttermilk and mix well; add vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl; add coconut and pecans and toss together well, then stir into wet ingredients. Mix well by hand. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold gently into cake batter, then divide batter into 3 greased and floured round cake pans. Bake 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees, or until lightly browned and cake tests done when a toothpick is inserted near the center. Cool thoroughly on wire racks in pans.

While layers are cooling, prepare frosting:

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. good vanilla
chopped pecans for garnish

Cream butter and cream cheese together in a medium bowl; add vanilla, and gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth.

Carefully remove cakes from pans and brush off crumbs. Place bottom layer on serving plate, top with frosting. Place second layer over first, top with frosting then last layer. Frost cake, then sprinkle with chopped pecans as desired. You can cheat and make this with a white cake mix, but it's just not the same. Keep cake refrigerated.

2 sticks margarine or butter, softened
1 jar blackberry jam, about 1 pint, 16 oz.
3 large eggs
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 ½ cups self-rising flour
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. baking soda mixed into 1 cup buttermilk



Combine in a medium size bowl and set aside:

1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut
¼ cup self-rising flour (do not omit the flour)
1 cup raisins


Cream the margarine and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add the jam and mix well. Add the flour and milk a little at time until all is used. Mix well; fold in the nut mixture and mix well. Pour into 3 greased and floured round cake pans and bake at 325° to 350° until cake springs back in the center and pulls away from the sides of the pans. Cool thoroughly on wire racks. (I sometimes bake this in 2 9-inch round pans and use the rest of the batter for cupcakes or a small loaf.)


Glaze for the Jam Cake:

1 cup sugar
1 cup canned milk
½ cup light syrup
1 tsp. vanilla

Boil for 5-10 minutes until as thick as you like, stirring to keep from scorching. Cool, then pour over each layer. Decorate the top with nut halves as desired.

For the Cook family, this is a family tradition. I can’t remember a Christmas that Mom didn’t make at least 1 jam cake, and usually several, for family and to give away to friends. I always got to help pick out nuts, and I usually got to mix the nuts, raisins and coconut with the flour. This is better if made several days ahead and tightly wrapped in foil. I like a lot of glaze on it, too, so it will soak in and help keep it moist.

There are a lot of childhood memories baked in each of these cakes. I know Ducky, Sue, Cecil and our other sister, Zztop, will agree with me.