Kelly Lindley

By Published On: March 8, 2017

Kelly Lindley of Bruce says her main things to make are sweets and appetizers. She likes to take them to church and other gatherings.
Cocktail smokies wrapped in bacon and sprinkled with brown sugar are the appetizer she most often fixes for those events. She bakes them in the oven, and then puts them in the crockpot to stay warm.
Laura Rodgers, who works in the Bruce High School Cafeteria, shared her sweet potato pie recipe with her years ago and it is Kelly’s favorite. “It is quick and easy, and it’s so good,” she said.
The sausage roll with buttermilk syrup is a new recipe that Kelly hasn’t tried yet.

She learned to cook from her grandmother and her aunt of Houma, La. Oatmeal, grits and rice were among the first things she made.
“We had rice with every meal in Louisiana.” They also cooked jambalaya, which she still makes, and seafood gumbo.
Even though she is from Louisiana, “I am a Mexican eater,” saying she had pork carnitas last week. She likes spicy food and lots of jalapenos. And she tries to cook only fresh or frozen veggies and not used canned ones.

Kelly Lindley CookjpgShe and husband, Scott, have three sons–Skylar eats most anything; River is their “Mikey”, and Stone  prefers meat over vegetables, with hot wings being his favorite.
Skylar makes good jambalaya and River “makes a mean homemade coconut pie and chocolate pie, and brownies” she said.
For recipes, she looks at Facebook and gets a good many by e-mail from places such as Pillsbury.

She has her grandmother’s recipes in a book made by her aunt which includes old family photographs. Many of the recipes are in her grandmother’s handwriting.
Her grandmother and auntie’s fresh coconut cake and 7-minute frosting is a recipe she submitted in the “Chickenbone” cookbook, a recent project of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church.

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
5 lbs. pork shoulder
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 oranges, juice only (or substitute with 3/4 cup fresh orange juice)
Rub:
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground red pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Rub pork shoulder with the rub mixture. Place in slow cooker (fat cap us). Top with all dry ingredients, then squeeze orange (or pour juice) on top of that. Cook on low 8-10 hours or on high six hours. Meat should be tender and falling off the bone. Remove from cooker. Let cool, then shred pork with two forks. Skim off fat. In non-stick pan, place 1 Tbsp. of oil then add shredded pork. Drizzle over some juices from slow cooker. Cook over high heat. Wait until juices evaporate and bottom side is golden brown and crusty. (I use mini soft taco shells and top with green salsa verde, cheese, pico de gallo.)

Kelly’s Favorite Sweet Potato Pie
(Laura Rodgers)
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
(I cook two sweet potatoes in the microwave)
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup evaporated milk
Mix all ingredients and pour into two regular, unbaked pie shells and bake at 350° for about 35-40 minutes or until set.

Sausage Roll w/Buttermilk Syrup
2 cans crescent rolls
18 breakfast sausage links
Cook sausage in the crescent roll at 375° until done, about 10-12 minutes.
Syrup:1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
In large saucepan, melt butter. Add buttermilk, sugar, brown sugar. Bring to boil over medium heat. Remove and whisk in baking soda and vanilla. It will bubble up and double in size.

Scott’s Favorite Pecan Sandies
1 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. water
2 cups sifted flour
1 cup chopped pecans
Cream butter with sugar. Add vanilla, water and flour. Mix well. Add pecans. Form into small balls. Bake in 300° oven for 20 minutes. While still hot, roll in additional confectioner sugar. When cool, roll again in sugar. Yield: 3 dozen cookies.

My Grandmother & Auntie’s Fresh Coconut Cake & 7-minute Frosting
Cake: 3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup Crisco
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup fresh coconut, grated
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup coconut milk
Frosting: 2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 tsp. light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
Cake: Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Beat in 6 tsp. of sugar, one at a time. Cream shortening and add vanilla. Beat 1/2 cup sugar into shortening and add well beaten egg yolks. Beat thoroughly, to the creamy stage. Stir in coconut. Sift dry ingredients together and add to batter alternately with coconut milk. Fold in beaten egg whites. Spoon into two round cake pans lined with parchment paper and floured. Bake 35-40 minutes.
Frosting: Combine egg whites, sugar, water and corn syrup in top of double boiler. Beat on low with portable mixer until thoroughly mixed. Place over rapidly boiling water. Continue to beat and cook seven minutes or until frosting stands in peaks. Take off boiling water, add vanilla and beat until thickens. It is ready to ice cake. Frost, then sprinkle top and sides with fresh shredded coconut.

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