Aprons

Do you love Aprons? My grandmother wore one everyday working in a cafe. She wasn't the only one, most of the ladies in there had on aprons too! I always loved them. I have a pink one hanging in my kitchen. (Will try to remember to post a picture of it). Calamity Kim loves aprons too. She was just published in the new Apronology Magazine! To celebrate she is doing a GIVEAWAY! Be sure to check it out!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Annabelle!!!!

Today is Annabelle's Birthday! I sure hope she has a great day. I think all days are great with her. She has the most wonderful personality, very outgoing and always very lively.

I wish I could see her today. I hope mother and dad buy her a cupcake today, because she loves cupcakes.

Happy Birthday Annabelle! Your Gran loves you!

Annabelle's Birthday Party

Annabelle's Birthday Cake

Annabelle's Birthday Shoes

Annabelle had special shoes for her Birthday Party on Saturday! They were very cute! She had a great time. There was an Easter Egg Hunt, an Easter Bunny, lots of cake and ice cream and plenty of fun! I will post more pictures later.

Need Some Help

Problem seems to be solved. I have no idea how it happened but it is working now.  

If you know why some of my pictures are not showing up in my slideshow, please let me know.  They were working fine just a few days ago.  Now you see a ? instead of a picture on about 4 slides.  When you double click to go to Picasa, the pictures are there and you can see them on the slideshow.  

Please let me know if you can figure out my problem.

Thanks!

Please Pray for Conner

I want to ask everyone to pray for Conner.  He is the 5 year old son of Deidre and Stephen.  I work with Deidre.  This precious family learned this week that Conner has Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL).  This type of Leukemia has the most successful treatment rate.  He received his first treatment on Friday, March 20, 2009.  Please remember this sweet family in your prayers. Conner has a "Caring Bridge" site if you would like to visit, just type in connerholland.  

I would like to thank you in advance for praying for this sweet family during this difficult time.

Beef Stew - West Gadsden Cafe Style

2 Pkgs. of Stew Meat (around 2.5 - 3 lbs)

1 Can Tomato Sauce - 15 ounce 

2 Ribs Celery chopped very fine

1 Package baby carrots ( cut in 2 pieces)

Potatoes (cut up bite size)

1 Envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Water

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Sprinkle of each of these:

Worcestershire Sauce

Kitchen Bouquet

Garlic Salt

NOTE:  I don't use a recipe for this........so you can use more or less of what you like the most. 

I put the tomato sauce in a Dutch Oven and add 3 cans of water along with the lipton soup.  Add all the other ingredients except the potatoes.  You will need to add more water when you get all your ingredients in the dutch oven.  Bring the stew to a boil and put a lid on it and turn the temperature down enough to keep the stew cooking at a slow boil or bubbly.  Stir often to make sure it isn't sticking.  I use a very thick Dutch Oven so mine never sticks.  Add the potatoes the last hour it cooks.  I usually cook this for about 3.5 to 4 hours.

I serve mine with cornbread and slaw, but you can choose whatever you like.  This would be good cooked in a crock pot too.

Please let me know how you like this!!!!  My family loves this.

New Ideas for Dinner?

Do you need new ideas for dinner at your house? I know I do. I cook the same things over and over. My First Kitchen is conducting a survey right now and she is giving away a set of My First Kitchen spices for free! She is trying to make food fun again. So give it a try!!!!!! She has wonderful recipes on her site also!!!!!

Annabelle and Lydia

I went to Birmingham on Wednesday night to spend the night with my sweet granddaughters.  I kept the youngest one, Lydia, on Thursday for Missy to work.  I loved it!  She is the sweetest baby.  She is no trouble at all.  Annabelle sang some new songs on Wednesday night.  I have added Teddy Bear and Mary Had a Little Lamb to the link on the left.  I may post a few more, she made up several songs.  She loves to sing into my iPhone.  If you listen you can hear a voice get very soft and then loud.  She watches the bars on the recorder go up and down as she changes her singing voice. At the end of her singing you can hear her say, "I want to hear it."

Something Handmade!

I was just over at Remodeling This Life and there was an offer to the first 5 people to post a comment to receive something handmade.  I jumped right in there and was the 5th person to comment!!!!!  

A few things:

1-  Your handmade "thing" from me will be a Christmas ornament.  That is the only handmade thing I can make to send!

2- You will receive it in time to hang on your Christmas Tree.

3- What I create will be just for you.

4- You have no clue what it is going to be.  I do not sew on a machine.  I am not all that crafty, but it will be something hopefully you will like.

I am so glad to be part of this, because I think it is going to challenge me to be more creative.  I love this idea of sending someone I may not know something to hang on their Christmas Tree.

The Catch is:

You must re-post this on YOUR blog and make the same offer to the first 5 people who respond on your blog entry, thereby continuing the fun!

Enter at your own risk!!!!

Share and Enjoy!

Going to See My Best Two Girls

Tomorrow I am going to Montgomery to a meeting for the day, meeting Deana at 6:30 a.m., much much too early. The only good news is I am spending the night with Missy tomorrow night! I get to see my girls! I will be keeping Lydia on Thursday while Missy works. I hope to get some new pictures to share and maybe I can even get Annabelle to sing us a new song to post!

It has been very cold since Sunday when we had a dusting of snow. Thursday the high is suppose to be around 70! Spring has to come very soon, the sooner the better for me. I am tired of being cold all the time.

Matt, my son has a Great Dane named Scooby. They live with me. Scooby had a very good snack this morning, he ate all of the Pound Cake that was left! I came home for lunch to find the 2 ziploc bags in the kitchen floor! I know better than to leave any food within his reach. (Which means not to put it on top of the refridgerator....he can get it from there too) I guess it means I will just have to cook another one sometime soon.

I will find a picture of Scooby for you all to see.  He is really a sweet dog, he just loves to eat!

A Snowy Day

Alabama woke up to a beautiful snowfall this morning. We don't see a lot of snow so this little dusting is a big deal for us. We haven't missed school for snow in the last couple of years. Some of us think that is a good thing, since we have built-in weather days. Since this is a Sunday snow, we won't miss school this time either. It is really pretty to look at and the roads are clear. The ground is wet, so there isn't a lot on the grassy areas but the rooftops and cars are covered.

Annabelle was getting ready to go play in the snow when I called earlier. I hope to see pictures of her playing in the snow soon.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. Lunch will be different today. I told my dad not to get out, I was afraid he would fall. Matt is going to deliver their lunch. Today our menu is lasagna, salad, garlic bread, and pound cake (recipe below). The pound cake I cook is affectionately call "Bertha's Pound Cake". Bertha went to church with us and every time there was an an occasion to eat, she always brought her pound cake. It has a wonderful crust on it and my family loves it!

Bertha's Pound Cake

1/2 Pound of Margarine
1/2 Pound of Crisco (sometimes I use the butter flavored)
3 Cups Sugar

Cream all of the above together

Then add 5 Eggs (add one at a time)

Add 2 Tablespoons of Vanilla to
1 Cup of Milk

Mix together 3 Cups Gold Medal Plain Flour with
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Alternate adding flour mixture and milk. Cream together until well blended.

Pour in a floured and greased bundt pan. (This makes a large cake so be careful if your bundt pan isn't a large one) Be sure to only get the pan a little over half full. This cake will rise. I usually place most of the batter in my bundt pan and then I have enough for a small loaf pan too. The loaf cake might not take as long to cook as the bundt pan

Start in a COLD oven and turn temperature to 325 and bake for 1 hour or until done (insert a cake tester to test).

The secret to the crust is starting in a cold oven!!!!

I can't wait to hear how you like this one!!!!

TGIF!!!

Today is Friday!!!! I am taking 1/2 day vacation. My sister and I are going to take my dad to the doctor in Birmingham. He just needs to have a routine check up with his doctor. Nothing serious or anything. After the doctor, we are going to visit my sweet, precious girls!!!! I can't wait! I have not seen them since Valentine's Day. I will post a new picture when I get home tonight!!!

If you want to read about the latest misadventure of my strong willed granddaughter, Annabelle, please click here! Keeping Up With the Kemps.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

West Gadsden Cafe - Part 2

In March of 1963, my granddaddy died of a heart attack at the age of 63. This left my grandmother alone to run the cafe. She did not drive, so she was dependent on my dad or mother to get to and from the cafe. I am sure there was some discussion between my parents as to what to do, but my sister and I never heard it. My mother quit her job and we moved in with my grandmother. It was not easy combining two households. We sold most of our furniture since there wasn't any room at my grandmothers' house. My sister and I were allowed to take ONE toy with us. I don't remember being upset about giving up anything, but my sister certainly does.

My mother and dad sold our house when we moved in with grandmother. They used the money they made from the sell to move and enlarge the cafe. It didn't move far, just around the corner to 12th Street. The cafe was in the same block as West Gadsden Drug Store (Russell Prince), Daniel's Grocery Store, a Doctor's office (Dr. Simpson, I think), a barber shop and a beauty shop. The cafe moved to this location in 1965.

This is a picture of the "new" location during remodeling. It seemed huge to us!

This is my mother in the kitchen of the "new" location as they were remodeling the building.

The move brought many more customers to the cafe. Most days people were standing and waiting on a table. The cafe was in this location until 1977. The cafe only served breakfast and lunch. It was open from 5:00 a.m. until 2:00 p..m. six days a week. My grandmother and mother always got there between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. to get everything ready for breakfast.

When fresh vegetables were available the cafe served as many as they could. It was not unusual to sit on the front porch in the afternoons and evenings shelling a bushel of beans to serve the next day.

My sister and I were required to work during the summer months. I think I started working there when I was in the 7th grade. I am sure I didn't do too much, it was probably a way to keep me from being home alone. I got married in August of 1972, after I graduated from high school and I continued to work at the cafe until Missy, my daughter, was born in 1974.

I will tell you more about the foods we served next time!

Happy Valentine's Day

Annabelle and Lydia

I would like for you to meet my two valentines.  Annabelle, almost four, and Lydia, almost two months.  These are the two sweetest girls in the world.  I kept Lydia while Missy, Tyler and Annabelle went to the Alabama basketball game.  She is the best baby.  She never cried!  We played and had a good time.  I had to take a few pictures for everyone to see!!!!  

I hope everyone had a great day!!!!

Egg Custard Pie

Egg Custard Pie

This is a picture of my grandmother at the second location of West Gadsden Cafe (more to come on that later). She is cutting pies. They made several different kinds of pies; chocolate, coconut, lemon, sweet potato, german chocolate, strawberry and egg custard, my grandmothers favorite. Now before you turn your nose up at the sound of egg custard pie, let me tell you it is very very good!!!! It taste a lot like Creme Brulee. Grandmother didn't eat many of the pies, but she loved egg custard. The pies were made fresh daily. If there was any pie left, the people that worked there were allowed to take it home, it was never saved and served the next day. Usually the pie was gone long before time to go home. The pies had the highest meringue you have ever seen, well at the least the ones that had meringue.

Egg Custard Pie

7 Tablespoons of Melted Butter - measure after it is melted

5 eggs

2/3 Cup Sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Full Cups of Milk

Beat eggs and sugar with mixer, add vanilla, butter and milk. Pour into an unbaked pie shell and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK! Mother always said the pie was done when you laid the end of a butter knife on the pie and let it pierce the pie just a teeny bit (do not puncture with the tip of the knife, just barely let the knife pierce it) and a little bit of liquid came to the top. Now I like it when it is still warm and I always serve it before it has been in the fridge.

If you try this one, I expect a comment to tell me how you like it!

The First West Gadsden Cafe - 1945-1965

This is my grandfather and grandmother standing in front of the very first "West Gadsden Cafe". It was located in the 1100 block of Forrest Avenue, Gadsden, Alabama, across the street from Isbell Hallmark Furniture Store and Chandler's Fabrics. It was also next door to Buck's Boats and The Brace Shop, not sure of the name of it but it was owned by the Barnes Family. My dad told me there was a grocery store in the corner building (12th and Forrest) where Isbell Hallmark Furniture was located.

The cafe was very small at this time, with only 3 tables (2 seated 2 people and 1 seated 1 person) and 12 stools. The cafe was always a meat and three place with the best pies in town. I will try to find a picture of the inside for you to see.

Sunday Dinner

I guess most people call the noon meal lunch, but I was raised in the South where we called the noon meal dinner and the evening meal supper.

I cook for my family most Sundays. My family includes, My dad and his sister, my sister and her son and wife and their twin boys, and my son. My daughter and her family come every now and again when they can. They do not live in the same town as the rest of us, so it is more difficult for them to come to lunch.

Growing up we had two menus for Sunday dinner, fried chicken and roast beef, and you didn't stray from that! Well now that I am cooking for them, we have different menus. The first time I cook something different, my sister declared it a red letter day. She announced just how long she had been in the family (all I will say, it was over 40 years!) and we had NEVER had such a meal as I had prepared that Sunday. Not that she didn't like the meal, oh she did, it was just not our traditional meal. Since that time, we have really branched out, I have even cooked lasagna. Now that raised some Pilgrim (my maiden name) eyebrows, but not a one of them turned it down.

Today we had a traditional dinner with fried chicken, greek potatoes, (now that is a little off tradition) green beans, and rolls. I cooked a yellow cake with my mothers wonderful chocolate icing. My dad's sister came in with the paper plates (I do not have a dishwasher other than me!) and sat them right on top of the cake. I didn't even notice until I was ready to serve it. Now I had cooked it in a 9x13 pan so that might be one reason she didn't notice it. The other reason might be that she is 94.5 years old and was told this past summer that she couldn't drive anymore due to her eyesight. I pried the sack off the cake and we ate it anyway.

Cooking that icing this morning, sure made me miss my mother. She was a wonderful cook. My dad's parents, then my parents owned West Gadsden Cafe from 1945 - 1990. It was a landmark in our little town. I was raised in that cafe, so I know just a teeny bit about cooking, to be exact, meat and three. I will write more about that at another time.

This is my mothers' recipe for chocolate icing.

2 Cups Sugar
3/4 Cup Cocoa
3/4 Cup Pet Milk or any evaporated milk will do
1 Stick Margarine

Mix together the sugar and cocoa then add the milk and margarine.

Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until it boils. Continue cooking for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and beat with a mixer for 5 minutes more. I stir mine with a wire whip the whole time I am cooking it.

Ice your cake immediately! Let someone in the family that loves chocolate licked the bowl!


I don't have a picture of the cake, you wouldn't want to know what it looked like after the sack was removed anyway!

Matt

Matt was home for a 2 week visit, which was not nearly long enough. He left to go back on June9, 2007. We are still hoping he will be back in the states in September. The 2 weeks just went much too fast and we didn't get to visit nearly as much as we wanted too. He gets to call home often and it is always so good to hear his voice. I am posting a picture of Matt taken the morning he left to go back to Iraq. I am also posting a picture of Matt and Nikki taken while he was at home.

Thanksgiving

My family will not all be together this year. My son is currently serving in Iraq and he will be greatly missed. Please remember to pray for our soldiers wherever they are serving the USA. Please take a few minutes and visit this link: http://www.cpmsglife.org/tg/2006tdm1.html

Thank you in advance for all your thoughts and prayers.

Skype

Matt has a new laptop now! Before I sent it to him, I downloaded SKYPE for him. Now he can "call" me or anyone else from his computer to either a computer or to regular phone. There is a delay when we talk computer to phone, but nothing that you can't handle. Just getting to talk to him is great!!!!!! If you haven't tried SKYPE, then go take a look - http://www.skype.com/helloagain.html .