Gail James

“I learned to cook from watching my grandmother,” said Gail Denley James, about the late Lena Beckett Shelton, and,  “I don’t measure anything, like Mamaw.”

“I have no idea how she made those ole timey drop chicken and dumplings,” said Gail, but  I loved everything she cooked.

“We always had a big garden, and before we could do anything, we had to go to the garden, then we helped Mamaw can,” she said.

“Our after school snack was always a little bit of whatever Mamaw was cooking for supper,” she said.

“She did all the cooking when we were growing up, but Daddy (Eddie) was a real good cook. Mama’s (Marie) thing was sweets. 

“She made sweet potato bread in coffee cans to give away as gifts. That was her favorite thing to make. It was the best thing you ever put in your mouth,” said Gail, who said they liked it for breakfast.

Among many cookbooks and recipes of her mother and grandmother, is an old Betty Crocker that Marie got when she was in FHA “that is all to pieces.” Gail shared two of the best recipes of her cousin, the late Connie Miller Logan.

“Oh, my gosh!” is how she describes the Crab Salad.

Cooking for gatherings or family reunions, Gail usually makes her grandmother’s dressing, which she doesn’t like to put chicken in. Her husband Buddy always cooks a turkey to go along with it for Thanksgiving. Macaroni Salad and cornbread are the two other things she prepares.

“One-dish meals are what we like,” and Gail and Buddy’s “go to meal” is Macaroni Salad.

She makes a lot of stew and soup in the winter time, with potato soup being one of her favorite. 

“I put everything in it,” she said. She also loves country food, and says their favorite food is Chinese. Granddaughter, Jasmyn, likes to help Gail in the kitchen, and her mom, Nikki, and brother, Nick’s favorites  are the Rotel dumplings, macaroni salad and potato soup.

My Mac Salad

1 bag elbow macaroni, cooked

1 can English peas

2 or 3 large celery stalks, chopped small

1 medium onion, chopped small

1 large jar chopped pimiento, drained

3 boiled eggs, chopped

1 small red or yellow bell pepper, chopped small (green is not as sweet)

1 tsp. mustard (more if you like)

Enough Blue Plate mayo to wet (I like mine more dry, Buddy adds more on his plate)

1/2 tsp. dill weed

Dash or two Salad Supreme

Salt/pepper

Garlic powder

Paprika

Mix all together and chill. (Can also add a can of tuna or boiled chicken.)

Rotel Dumplings

Rotel tomatoes

Cream of mushroom soup

Cream of chicken soup

Small can of mushrooms

Can of English peas

Shredded cheese

Dry dumpling noodles, cooked 

Optional: Small carton sour cream

Medium onion, chopped

3 chicken leg quarters, boiled and pulled off bone

Mix cheese, rotel and soups (and sour cream) together and heat. Mix with noodles, peas, onion and chicken.  Top with extra cheese. Cover dish and bake in 350° oven about 20 minutes.

Daddy’s Deer Roast

(Eddie Denley)

1 oven bag

5 lb. deer roast

Salt and lemon pepper to taste

6 slices bacon

1 medium onion, sliced

2 bay leaves

3 beef bouillon cubes

1 can beer

1 small can sliced mushrooms

Salt and pepper roast and place in oven bag. Before closing bag lay bacon on top of meat. Add onions, bay leaves, bouillon cubes, mushrooms and beer. Close bag and cook at 350° for two hours.

(We always had mashed potatoes with our roast, so retain water you boil potatoes in.)

For gravy: use flour, juice from roast, Kitchen Bouquet, and potato water (if you have it) to make gravy.

Crab Salad

(In memory of cousin Connie Miller Logan) 

3 pkgs. good imitation crab meat

1 bunch fresh dillweed, chopped or 2 Tbsp. dried dillweed

3 large celery stalks, chopped fine

10 green onions, chopped small

2 Tbsp. Louisiana Crawfish, Crab & Shrimp Boil (powder) yellow bag at T-N-T

Juice of 2 lemons

Blue Plate mayo only, wet to your liking

Mix all ingredients and put in refrigerator.

Broccoli Salad

(In memory of my cousin Connie Miller Logan) 

1 cup Blue Plate mayo only

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup sunflower seed nuts

1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 cup raisins

1 head broccoli, small flowerets

6 strips fried crisp bacon, crumbled

Combine mayo, sugar, vinegar and pour over. Top with bacon and sunflower nuts. Put in refrigerator to get chilled.