A Day With Lydia

Isn't Lydia a beautiful baby?

I am waiting on Lydia, my youngest granddaughter, to get here!  I get to keep her today while Missy works.  She is almost 4 months old.  I can't wait!  I will have pictures to post this afternoon. The weather today is suppose to be cool so we will be staying inside.  Check back for pictures!

Gold City Quartet

This is a You Tube Video by Gold City Quartet.  I wanted "It's Still the Cross" but I couldn't find that one but "Midnight Cry" has always been one of my favorites!  These wonderful singers are based in my home town.  The newest member is Bruce Taliaferro, lead singer.  Bruce and his family attended church with us for many years.  Bruce was in Alan Hudson's Youth Choir with Missy and Matt.  He is now living his dream!  Congratulations Bruce!!!!!  My dad worked with Bruce's granddad at Republic Steel and he tells us all the time, how proud his granddad Ed would be of him.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Easter and you share it with the ones you love.  Enjoy the music.  If Gold City is ever singing near you, I encourage you to go and see these fine young men, you will receive a blessing.  Our family went to the Gold City Homecoming  at North Glencoe Baptist Church last summer and really enjoyed it. 

Happy Easter

I have no idea what year this was. It was when we were living with my grandmother.  I believe this was 1964.  Our first Easter picture in color!

This is Easter 1963. 

This was Easter 1960, at my grandparents house.  I have on a white dress with red cherries ( I think they were cherries) and red shoes.  I remember going to the commisary at Republic Steel to buy these shoes.  I thought they were the prettiest shoes I had ever seen.  This is my sister Pam in the pictures with me.

This is me outside Dwight Baptist Church.  I was about 4 years old in this picture.  I guess I wasn't old enough for a hat yet.

I hope everyone has a Happy Easter!  Oh the memories this brings back!  I hope everyone spends time with family this weekend.  

Happy Birthday Daddy

Today is my Dad's birthday! He is the best dad ever. I have never heard him raise his voice or use profanity. He raised us in church, going with us, not just sending us. He has worked hard all of his life. He worked at Republic Steel in Gadsden and helped run the cafe until his retirement.  Above is a picture of mother and daddy, he hasn't changed a bit since this picture!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!!!

West Gadsden Cafe - Wednesday Menu

For many years the cafe was open Monday through Saturday. In the late 1960's the cafe began closing on Saturday and the Wednesday menu changed a little. This is the menu we served when we were opened six days a week.

Wednesday's Menu

Chicken and Dumplings

Roast Beef and Gravy

Baked Ham

Creamed Potatoes

Pinto Beans

Cream Style Corn

Candied Yams

Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

English Peas

Fried Squash

When the cafe started closing on Saturday the menu changed.  We replaced the Chicken and Dumplings with Chicken and Dressing (which was one of the Saturday meats).  I missed having the dumplings because we never had those again.  

I hope you will add your memories of the cafe to the comments! 

Southern Hospitality is Having a Give-a-way!

If you have never visit Rhoda over at Southern Hospitality then you are missing a treat!  She has great ideas when it comes to decorating your home.  Right now she is giving away an HP Wireless Printer!!!  Go over and sign up now!

West Gadsden Cafe - Tuesday's Menu

Tuesday's Menu

Fried or Bar B Q Chicken (In later years the Fried became Chicken Fingers)

Meat Loaf

Baked Ham

Creamed Potatoes

Large Dried Lima Beans 

(fordhooks I think my mother called them)

Turnip Greens

Harvard Beets

Buttered Carrots

Tossed Salad

Congealed Salad

Pear Salad

Special for Today was Banana Pudding

and regular pies

If you cook dried beans, then you know you have to "look" each one.  There are things in there that you don't want to eat--rocks, bad beans and etc.  The cafe cooked 25 pounds of beans at a time, so we had a lot to "look".  They would pour them out on one of the tables when the crowd was almost gone and as the waitresses had time, each person would sit and "look" the beans.  You would be surprised at the number of people that would come by and say, "Are yall counting the beans?"  My mother would always say, "Remind me to never go eat at their house."  Mother was very picky about cleanliness at  the cafe.

On Tuesday, there were several postmen that always ate a "meat loaf sandwich".  If someone came in and asked for something not on the menu, but that could be fixed from what we had, we always tried to prepare it for them.  If you were on a special diet and were a regular, then mother would cook your food as you needed it, sometimes without the same seasonings used in the regular preparations.

The waitresses had "sections" and each of them had customers that sat with only them.  If their waitress's tables were full, then they would sit somewhere else and asked for their waitress or sometimes they would wait until a table was clear in her section.

We had some very special folks that ate with us.  They became like family.  You knew them and their children.  Some had been eating with my grandparents long before I was born.  I literally grew up in the cafe.  My sister and I complained when we had to work, but we sure miss it now!

The picture above is our family eating Thanksgiving Dinner at the cafe.  There were so many of us that year that we thought it would be easier for us to eat there.  I think it is Thanksgiving but it could have been Christmas.

West Gadsden Cafe - Monday Menu

I wonder if this will bring back memories to anyone but me. I am not sure what my favorite day was at the cafe because no matter what day it was, there was something that I loved!

Monday's Menu

Country Fried Steak and Gravy

Kraut and Weiners

Baked Ham (was on the menu everday)

Creamed Potatoes

Field Peas

Baked Beans

Steamed Cabbage

Scalloped Tomatoes

Fried Okra

Slaw

Congealed Salad

My Favorite for today was Dry Steak and Slaw! This was old fashion "Bucket Steak" not some frozen wannabe! We bought this from William's Packing Company on Forrest Avenue. Spencer and Bill Williams were the owners!

The wondeful smells that came from that kitchen.......I can almost smell them now.

I am sure I have left out a veggie or two. I will repost if I remember what they were. The pies were about the same everyday so I will save those for a post by themselves!

The steak was cooked in iron skillets. The stove would be full of skillets while the frying was going on.

During the summer months when fresh vegetables were available you could find us, the afternoon before, on the front porch (at home), shelling beans, peas or something else fresh to serve. We weren't able to do this after the cafe moved to the last location. One bushel just wasn't enough then.

The Pioneer Woman Give-away!

If you haven't signed up over at The Pioneer Woman's blog, then you had better hurry on over.  She is giving away 3 Kitchen Aid Mixers!!!!  I love those mixers!!!!!!  You will also want to add her to your list of "Blogs to Read".  She has wonderful recipes and other stuff too!!!!!

Hurry on over!