Batter Dipped Fish, Fried Cheese, and Squash Casserole

Well, you guys know my wife “Lucky” (Kathrine) by now, and I gotta tell you guys that she was one tough heifer to get to acknowledge I was even around most times.

“Bronson,” she’d say, “I’m happy with my life just as it is, and I don’t need no man screwin it up!”

Shoot, I thought she must have been dropped on her head when she was a baby, cause all jokes aside, I happened to be a pretty good catch, but that’s just my opinion, mind ya.

But eventually, my persistence and good looks won out. Lol!

I’d say, “But dern Addison, you look good, ya got a good heart, you’re a fine Christian lady, ya like to hunt and fish, and even better yet…ya mow grass!”

“Honey, we were MADE for each other!”

She’d always respond… “Bronson, we’ve been goin to dinner ONLY cause we’ve been friends for so long, we’ve both been through the loss of our spouse, and I know it’s tough. I’m only tryin to help you through this.”

I’d respond, “Addison,” I didn’t DARE call her “Lucky” at that point, “I understand all that, BUT…dang if I ain’t startin to have some deeper feelins here than just goin out to dern dinner. Besides that, I’ve eat your cookin before, and you put on a pretty good feed bag when you set a table. You don’t seem to remember…I’ve eaten your groceries before, knothead!”

“You’re a nut Bronson.”

“You’re crazy, Bronson.”

These were my typical responses from her when I’d try to explain how I felt bout her, along with all my fine attributes.

Then one day, she slipped and let it out… “Bronson, I’ve been by myself for so long now…I DON’T even cook anymore!”

WHAT, I thought??? DON’T COOK ANYMORE???

Suddenly, it hit me right between the eyes that you know what??? She may be right on the money…maybe I am crazy, and a dern nut to boot??

What the heck I want with a woman who don’t cook??

That remark, “Bronson, I don’t cook anymore,”was like chunkin a bucket a water on a matchstick!

That fire that I thought was burnin inside me in my feelins towards her…went out like a light!

Gone!

Nada!

I guess she saw immediately that she’d said the wrong thing, cause she knew Bronson liked to eat bout as much as he liked breathin. Shoot, I always thought the two went hand in hand, you eat a mouthful of groceries…then ya take a breath! LOL!

Anyway, it must have struck her that the tables had been turned.

My chasin Kathrine went dead in the water right then, and…her chasin Bronson started up in earnest!

The very next night, I went down to her house and it had started.

I walked in, she was standin in front of her cookstove boilin water, didn’t look none too happy bout it either, but she knew in her heart, she had quite a bit of ground to make up if she was gonna land moi!!

I asked, “What ya cookin Addison,” and she said, “Here’s some water for ya some tea. Chunk in a bag or two, boil it and dump it in that pitcher there, bring it back to a boil once more, then dump it again, fill the pitcher with water, and ya got ya some tea.”

I asked her, “Why didn’t you finish it up yourself,” and she bein quite honest told me… “I didn’t want to mess it up, baby.”

I knew right then…she was mine if I wanted her!

Boilin water for me some tea.

Shoot, ain’t no tellin how long she’d been standin there, lookin out that screen door wonderin when I’d come pullin up!

Then it went on to butter beans, then one night okra and tomatoes stewed down just like I like em, AND then…some kind a dern rice she’d thrown together, and I’m here to tell ya…it was the best I’d ever put in my mouth.

Bar none!

That in itself is a mouthful, cause over the course of my lifetime, I’ve eat me some rice!

Shoot, I’d gotten so big at one point in my life that I had more “Chins” than a Chinese phonebook, and most of that from rice…and LOTS of gravy! LOL.

I guess she’d seen the impression that rice had made on me, and figured she’d better get me while the gettin was good.

It was then that she dropped to one knee and asked me to marry her.

It was maybe the most romantic thing I’d ever seen before, but her timin was off just a tad…

When she proposed, I’d just got me another BIG mouthful of that rice, and when I said “Yes, I’ll marry ya Addison,” I peppered her forehead with rice sayin I do!

Lookin back now, it was exactly the same kind of stuff they make movies out of!

So this morning, I figured we’d put up a couple recipes for you guys to try out, and I figured that rice recipe out ta be one of em!

But…it ain’t!

Ronnie, Kathrine’s husband was a watermelon farmer, and they used to travel all over Georgia growin melons.

One of the landowners, Sam Goolsby, had put together a cookbook, and had given Kathrine a copy. It is titled “Cedar Creek Game Cookbook,” and we’ll share a couple recipes out of it this morning.

With Lucky bein asleep still, I’m always up doin somethin, pickin up the house, makin our coffee (see, she really is Lucky).

So, we’ll now fire off Miz Judi’s Kitchen again!

I thought I’d use a couple recipes Lucky had bookmarked, with the first bein…

Batter Dipped Fish:

2 lbs. fish filets or steaks

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2/3 cup milk

½ tsp. salt

2 eggs

2 tbsp. melted shortening

Sift dry ingredients together and add mixture of milk and eggs. Add shortening. Dip fish, allowing each to drain slightly. Fry in hot shortening in skillet until brown, about 5-6 minutes. Drain and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Fried Cheese:

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

2 slightly beaten eggs

½ cup flour

1 lb. Mozzarella cheese

½ cup dry bread crumbs, fine.

Dip ¼ inch slices of cheese into flour, then egg, then crumbs and fry about 2 minutes on each side in melted butter. Fry till brown.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Squash Casserole

4 pounds squash (yellow)

2 carrots (grated)

1 small onion (grated)

Salt and pepper to taste

½ stick butter

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

1 pint sour cream

Pepperidge Farm corn bread dressing

Slice and cook squash in salty water, drain. In a mixing bowl add squash, grated carrots, soup, sour cream, onions, salt and pepper. Melt butter in bottom of casserole dish and sprinkle just enough of the dressing to absorb the butter.

Add squash mixture to this and sprinkle more dressing on the top, dotting it with butter.

Bake on 350 for 30 minutes.

You guys have a great day, God Bless you and yours, and remember to…

“Keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!”

Doug and Lucky