Today I burned the pumpkin bread....

Thanks, Zada, Reba says that the buttermilk has something to do with the batter rising - maybe the lactic acid?

I just realized that we have a Recipe thread that I should have used...

Wow you guys this is GREAT! I have plenty of leftover turkey, and tomorrow I am going to stock up on the right ingredients...and try out your cornbread recipes. In tribute to Rhett, I may just throw in a pumpkin loaf too, because I am off to a gathering Sunday and need to take something.

From going through your comments, I think that the cornbread we get here (in one restaurant chain, which promises that it is genuine American Fare), they are making a sweet cornbread, which I'm not totally nuts about. It is a different texture than the one in your picture Brew, so I am really curious to see what I get.

For Ann and Brew, I want to say thank you both, very much. I know that some families hole their heirloom recipes close to their hearts, and I appreciate you sharing them here.

Brew please thank Rita for me very much, and let her know that I appreciate both her advice and the recipe. Making a new recipe without having an actual recipe could be a little daunting, but, there is still all that Yuletide air circulating around, and anything could happen! I've printed everything off, and will let you know how it all works out!

PS. I had to look up pone, because I had no idea what it really meant. There is all kinds of history of it available at this link.


Zada -- I am going to PM you right away.

Pam, I probably use the term "pone" incorrectly. In my family it meant "loaf", as in "a pone of light bread" - which is nothing more than a loaf of store-bought, sliced white bread.

Reba wrote her recipe that way so that you can make whatever amount you want. Whichever size skillet you use should be no more than 2/3 full of the batter, allowing room for it to rise.

She uses White Lily because the flour is made from soft winter wheat and ground very fine - and mainly because that's what her Mama used! My family only used Pine Mountain stone-ground meal because it was from a local mill. (I used to fish in the mill pond)

Oh, another thing... you can turn Reba's recipe into what my grandmother called "Mexican Cornbread" by simply adding finely chopped jalapeno peppers and a can of whole kernel corn to the batter. (roast the corn a bit to remove the excess water first) Another twist is to add some bacon bits. The possibilities are endless!

It sounds great, Brew. I will have to look and see what is available up here in corn meal, and I am sure any good self rising flour would work well in the recipe.

Pam, you have mail!

Brew,

I don't think you were using the term, "pone," incorrectly. Different parts of the country develop different applications of such words. I am fascinated by the way words develop and are used, especially in the south. The many uses of the word, "pone," is a part of that.

Maybe we could have a thread on words.

Ann

Much of what has appeared on this thread proves something I have always believed: Anything eaten south of Interstate 70 - Indianapolis and Columbus - is dangerous to your health.

You're certainly right about that, Dick. Since I was raised in the South with everything fried in bacon grease, and heaven was a pot of chicken and dumplin's on the stove, I've had a difficult time weaning myself from my love of fried foods. It's been a lifetime of struggle, and perhaps one of these days, I'll be weaned. While I love baked or broiled fish and chicken, I drool over crispy fried chicken, and all the various recipes for baked and broiled just doesn't cut it for me. I'll eat it, but in my heart, I yearn for the other.

Unhealthy? Guess that depends. Most of my family lived long lives, thank heavens, but I'm sure, at least all the advice tells me, that it's much healthier to forget everything you love to eat and make like a rabbit. I try, honestly I do...

Brenda,

I have had so many restrictions on my diet recently that it was driving me crazy and I was eating very little, and got a few infections and anemia. Then my son-in-law, who is a medical professional, told me I just needed to eat and stop worrying about the whole thing. He told me three things to avoid. Two I didn't like anyway.

I am feeling much better, blood tests are better, and life is better. I have really enjoyed the holidays and all the good food that has gone with them and think, as some have stated here before, that our bodies really know what is best for us.

Carol

So glad to hear you're feeling better, Carol. Anyone who thrives in Wisconsin and northern MN in the winter must be made of sturdy stuff!

You know I have to ask: what are the three things he told you to avoid???? They're probably all things I love.

I was practically raised in a hospital, as my grandmother and mother were nurses, and when my mother worked the evening shift, I'd stay at the hospital and play checkers with patients. While I heard so much advice from the professionals, today I sorta do my own thing.

I like the idea of a word thread, Ann. I am always curious about the
origins of words - especially those that are local deritives and appear
in the dialect.

The most likely source of "pone" seems to be the Algonquian word for
fried bread (like ashcake) which was "appone". Another is Johnnycake,
which may have derived from "journeycake", or a fried bread that could
be taken on a long journey.
Wonder where the word "etymology" comes from...

ADDED IN EDIT: I just found a really neat online etymology
dictionary that y'all may want to bookmark. It is at
http://www.etymonline.com/

According
to it the word PONE was first seen in 1634, "American Indian
bread,"earlier appone, ponap (1612), from Powhatan (Algonquian) apan
"something baked," from apen "she bakes." Later used in Southern U.S.
for any type of cornbread.

Brenda,

He told me to avoid kale, brussel sprouts, and asparagus. Asparagus is fine, but brussel sprouts are one of my least favorite foods and I don't think I've ever had kale.

Carol

I am not a person to waste without trying. Our red radishes got to the size of large turnips. I peeled them, diced and boiled and mashed, put some butter and salt and pepper and passed them off as mashed turnips. No difference to notice. SNORT!!!!!

Now for the Menowase!

Love,
Betty

Sounds great, Betty! Radishes usually get hot when they get bigger. I'll bet they would make good pickles...

I have to ask... what is Menowase?