Here a couple or three weeks ago, I ran out of cornmeal...I was at the local super Walmarts and all I could find was the boxed kinds of cornmeal with sugar already added. I don't know if all southern gals are like me and my childhood friends, but the kind with sugar just does not fill the bill. I was sort of getting desperate, thinking I was going to have to have my sister-in-law/best friend mail me some. However, when I went to our local IGA, they still carried the above in 5lb bags. I was tempted to buy two or three and put the extras in the freezer....but not real sure if that would be the thing to do.
All I could think though, was how times have changed. When I was a kid, I think all the women in and around our community bought cornmeal and flour by the 25 lb. sacks. I think all of our moms made biscuits every morning of our life, except maybe my mom missed a couple days a year if she was sick. My mom always loved White Lily flower...and I remember her being upset when the stores quit carrying that brand. And my friend's mom always loved Three Rivers brand cornmeal...I don't recall what brand of cornmeal my mom preferred.And when I still had three brothers at home, mom always made two pans of cornbread every day of the week. And a bigger pan than the one pictured above. Probably ten inch pans...and it was eaten for the most part. If there was any left, it went to the dogs or the pigs. But my brothers and my mom always loved to crumble cornbread in a glass and pour milk over it and eat it that way...that was one thing I didn't care for. And I don't even know if I tried it, I think it was partly that it wasn't visually appealing for me.
When I first came to Indiana I finally got till I could eat the sweet kind but it was never satisfying. Then my husband and I moved to Tennessee for a year and a half back when we were young, in 1978. Since then, I seriously doubt if I have eaten even one piece of the sweetened cornbread. I just don't like it. And for sure not with the foods I want cornbread with.
Now it took my husband a while to actually like my kind of cornbread, but he does like it. And both my girls like both kinds, and my youngest requested a cast iron pan for Christmas and has actually made some cornbread of her own. She is like me and likes it just for a snack every now and then. I have two favorite meals that require cornbread....I love wilted lettuce and onions and cornbread....my mouth just waters thinking about that.
And the other is something that no one else here eats, and that is spinach (or mustard or poke salad) and bacon and cornbread. I don't fix it very often, but every now and then I will have that for breakfast if it is just me that will be eating. Or supper or a midnight snack. No matter when I have it, it is delicious and I eat way too much of it.
I love cornbread (at least what passes for it in my experience). I grew up w/o benefit of Southern tradition, so we had Jiffy cornbread mix in a box. That is probably making you gasp and wince right about now, but it was all I knew. When I moved out west and got connected to Indian culture, I learned to make bannock in a pan, so perhaps I'll google a pan cornbread recipe and try it. Care to post and recipes or tips?
ReplyDeleteNo, I am not gasping at using Miracle Maze...that is what Roger and the girls like when it comes to sweet cornbread. I almost think the sugar is something that was needed in the diet in colder climates...haven't ever really tried to find out if that has anything to do with it.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for my cornbread, I don't have a recipe...it is made by texture. I add buttermild to the cornmeal pictured in the top photo till it reaches the right texture when mixed. My mom never measured for making biscuits or cornbread...I watched her to learn to make the cornbread...I cannot make biscuits though. Using a recipe or not--a dog won't even eat them. LOL
A great cornmeal picture and even better comment!
ReplyDeleteThinking of of a pan of fresh corn bread has made me thinking about riding he frig. Nice post.
I LOVE cornbread but my husband doesn't so I rarely make it. I enjoyed this post, Rose.
ReplyDeleteLots of memories for me Rose!
ReplyDeleteMy Grandma always had cornbread with pinto beans and chicken for Sunday dinner. There wasn't any leftovers for Grandpa's dog - she made a special batch for him.
My MIL did indeed make biscuits everyday for breakfast - no measurements - and they were delicious.
Hubs and I love wilted spinach with bacon. Adding cornbread sounds like a good idea.
Funny thing, Rose... I just bought some pinto beans and cornbread to fix for us next... Small world, huh???
ReplyDeleteMy Mom fixed corn muffins--and we had them about every other week. My mother was an excellent cook (from scratch)--and her cheese yeast rolls were fabulous. I did not get this talent from her. Darn!!!!
Have a great evening...
Hugs,
Betsy
I loved it as a kid when we took our corn to get it ground into meal. I just love the smell inside the mill. I also loved it when mom would make a little extra cornbread and we would fry it rather than bake it ... yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyy.
ReplyDeleteMy mother didn't make cornbread very often -- Dad didn't like it. But my grandmother (Mom's Mom) made cornbread just like you do. I think she and Grandpa had cornbread every morning. Thanks for bringing back the memories.
ReplyDeleteNow I am going to crave cornbread all day. Great post and pics.
ReplyDeleteI don't want sugar in mine either. I could use a big slice of that right now hot from the oven.
ReplyDelete