There is a wonderful cookbook I use quite often. Mrs. Wilkes' Boardinghouse Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections fromHer Savannah Table speaks from an era way back in 1943 when a young and determined Sema Wilkes took over a non-descript boarding house in downtown Savannah. Her goal was to make a modest living by offering comfortable lodging and home-style Southern cooking served family table style in the downstairs dining room. This gave transits a place to eat, socialize, and nourish their souls.

I was fortunate to make an adventure to her actual spot several years back on a school trip. There was something about that down home family dining experience that brought Sema home back to my own table. I was touched by pictures of history that adorned the restaurant walls that boasted Ms. Wilkes much-noted fame despite her initial intentions. What touched me the most, was this woman who happened to be in love with preparing and serving food, was a mere fragment of the weight I envisioned. Apparently she was on to something. Sema's tables were truly family style. There was a multitude of sides at any meal. Any patron could find extra veggies, fruits, breads, and pickles to munch away while savoring his meal allowing less fatty calories to bond. Of course, this makes sense, the more healthy sides offered at the table, the less calories consumed, and Sema always had good old fashioned healthy sides of vegetables, fruits, and salads.

Do think about this thought as you set your own table. How many sides do you offer? Is your family more of a meat and potatoes family enjoying only fare that is rich in carbohydrates and fats? What else can you place on your table to get your family eating healthier?

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries thawed
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
3 tab. plain yogurt in a measuring cup, add milk to fill 3/4

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine blueberries (drained) with 1/2 cup sugar. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and 1/4 cup more of sugar. Mix egg, milk, and margarine. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid all at once. Stir until just blended. Add blueberries, and mix lightly. Fill greased muffin pans to 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Adapted from Mrs. Wilke's Boardinghouse Cookbook

It never fails.  Any given week I visit my food pantry I am blessed with multiple loaves of various varieties of breads.  I am on a continual quest deciphering how I can incorporate frozen stored bread into my daily cuisine. These delectable breads may not be of the freshly baked quality, but, nonetheless, can be prepared into something that makes a delicious accompaniment to any meal.  

I came up with this recipe recently as I perused my frozen bread shelf.  Garlic bread is a staple in this house, and each time I had to whip up a fresh recipe to spread then toast.  Not so anymore!  This recipe allows you to make a decent quantity before hand and store in the refrigerator for easy spreading.  Delicious, thrifty, and quick you'll be using this all summer!

1/2 cup margarine spread
2 tab. Parmesan cheese
3 minced garlic cloves
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients in a plastic storage container.  Refrigerate until ready to spread.  Spread on bread slices and toast in toaster oven until golden.  About 8 minutes. ​

Here's a deliciously easy bread to make whenever you want to complement a salad or homemade soup that needs to be stretched a bit to feed a hungry brood.

All you need to do is pop those ingredients into a bread maker, and then press into a 13 x 9 baking pan.

• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
• 3/4 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

TOPPING:
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 large egg
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon finely chopped onion
Poppy seeds, optional

Place first seven ingredient in bread maker.  Place setting on "dough".  Close the lid and go about your duties.

When done, take bread out and place it in a greased bowl. Punch down dough; press into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine cheese, egg, milk and onion; spread over dough. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake 15-20 minutes. Cut into squares; serve warm.

Any time you go to your food pantry you can bet you'll get a few bags of day old bread.  But, as you know, it can be a bit intimidating when thinking of a recipe to use it up, 

One thing  you may not have thought of is garlic bread is a side carbohydrate.  Many of us think we must include potatoes, rice, and such to make the dinner complete  The fact is, you can take that day old loaf and it can become the absolute starchy side.  Nothing else is needed. More savings for you!

1/2 cup margarine, melted
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 loaf day old bread, halved lengthwise
1 teaspoon minced  parsley


In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic. Brush over cut sides of bread; sprinkle with parsley. Place, cut side up, on a baking sheet.
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Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into 2-in. slices. Serve warm

Here's a wonderful birthday breakfast that doesn't require a lot of funds to prepare.  You can slip this one in your bread maker for an easy treat. 

Imagine your loved one's surprise when they wake up to this warm, delicious treat on their special day.  Those light, fluffy pillowy layers just melt in your mouth accompanied by the light drizzle of caramel topping.

Whipping cream can be had at Aldi's for only $1.49.

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, warmed (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted

FILLING:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

TOPPING:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Dissolve yeast in warm water and cream until foamy. In another bowl, combine sugar and salt; add 3 cups flour, yeast mixture, egg and melted butter. Stir until moistened. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 3-4 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 15x12-in. rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 2-in. wide strips. Roll up one strip and place in the center of a greased 9-in. deep dish pie plate; wrap remaining strips around center to form one giant roll. Cover with greased plastic wrap; let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°.

Bake until golden brown, 30-40 minutes. If dough starts browning too quickly, cover lightly with foil. Cool on a wire rack.
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To prepare topping, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat until it turns light amber. Add butter, stirring vigorously. Remove from heat; add cream while continuing to stir vigorously. Cool slightly. Pour 3/4 cup sauce over warm roll. Serve with remaining sauce.

Ah! The smell of crisp fall is upon us.  Nothing tantalizes taste buds more than delicious home made pumpkin bread baking.

So many canned pumpkin sales going on right now!  Grab one today or pull out that bag of frozen pumpkin you've kept from fresh ground and make this delicious treat. Then be sure to freeze a bag for easy pull out when someone needs a snack.  

1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins, (optional)


Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first eight ingredients. Whisk together eggs, pumpkin, oil and water; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in walnuts and, if desired, raisins.
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Pour into a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 65-70 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

How about serving a bit of history this Valentine's Day? A whig or wig is a wedge shaped cake.  It was once well known for a kind of bun or small cake made with fine flour.  This ancient English bread was changed on our shores becoming round.  The English had already embellished the bun with spices, seeds, or dried fruit.     

The colonial citizens often powedered their hair or wore wigs.  Professional hairdressers fashioned towering headdresses for the the elegant ladies.  Elaborate powdered hairstyles took hours to concoct, so women often let one "dressing" last a month or so.  A "wig pick" was necessary to dig for head lice, fleas, and other vermin living in your hair. Believe it or not, there was a special wire cage that was worn at night to keep mice and rats out.            

2 cups milk
1 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
6 eggs
flour
1 packet of yeast
1/3 c. warm water
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. salt.

Scald milk and add butter, sugar, salt.  When cooled to slightly warm, add yeast that has been dissolved in warm water.  Beat eggs until light and add them to the milk and spices. Add enough flour to make a stiff dough.

Knead well and set to rise overnight in a covered bowl.  In the morning roll out on a floured board to 3/4 inch thickness in a round shape.  Let rise in warm place for two hours.

Bake at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes or until brown.  

All the rage today is gluten free.  Yet, it's a little known fact that we here in the America's had no wheat for years when the pioneers came.  

In fact, Christopher Columbus on his second voyage brought wheat, but it did not flourish. Finally, in 1620, Plymouth Colony's Bartholomew Gosnold planted grain on Cuttyhunk Island, near Martha's Vineyard which took many years to mature.

In 1796 Amelia Simmons had given several ways of using "Indian meal" in her American cookbook.  Here's an original recipe.

1 cup cooked grits
2 tbsp. oil
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups cornmeal

Mix first four ingredients.  Stir in cornmeal. Drop large spoonfuls of the batter onto greased baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.  

I have two things often left over in my refrigerator.  One is chicken from a roasted chicken made from a previous fare, and the other is a small packet of taco sauce from a taco kit.  For some reason the kids just don't like the extra sauce that accompanies the boxed meal.  

If you have no left over chicken, I dole out two frozen chicken breasts readily available in my freezer.  Either way, this economical meal usually produces leftovers that can be frozen and heated for upcoming snacks, or even a rushed breakfast on the go.  

The other night I paired this as a main meal and made some Fried Cabbage on the side. The results may be unusual but definitely delicious!

2 packages (8-1/2 ounces each) corn bread/muffin mix
1 can (14-3/4 ounces) cream-style corn
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, divided
1-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
3/4 cup red taco sauce
Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine muffin mix, corn and eggs; stir just until moistened. Stir in 1 cup cheese. In another bowl, toss chicken with enchilada sauce.

Fill each of 24 foil-lined muffin cups with 2 tablespoons batter. Place 1 tablespoon chicken mixture into center of each; cover with about 1 tablespoon batter.
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Bake 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle tops with remaining cheese. Bake 3-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire racks. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers. 

This is an amazing recipe stocked with an amazing and unlikely ingredient.  I make these on Sunday morning for a special breakfast before jetting off to church.  In fact, if I place everything in my bread maker when I rise, it will be ready in less than an hour and a half.  I can roll these out quickly, cut, and pop them in the oven.  The fresh baked smell makes everyone wake with a smile.  

Not a big expense here either, you can freeze leftovers for the busy week mornings ahead.  You can get that instant pudding mix at Aldi for only 59 cents.  

Dough

1 pkg. yeast
1 tab. sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup milk
1/3 cup instant pudding mix
1 egg
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour
****touch bread dough in machine to make sure it is just a tad sticky before closing the lid

Filling
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted

Frosting
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. water

Place all dough ingredients in bread maker. Set on dough setting.  Allow to rotate checking stickiness of dough. I begin by placing 3 cups of flour and then gradually add more as the blades whirl ensuring the dough has a bit of a sticky, exterior. 

Mix cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Divide dough in 1/2.  Roll each out into a 18 x 10 inch rectangle.  Spread with 1/2 butter then 1/2 the filling mixture. 

Place on a greased 13 x 9" pan.  Cover with a towel and let rise about 45 mins. until doubled.

Place in a 350 degree oven and bake 20 - 25 minutes or until slightly golden.  Take out rolls. 

Mix frosting ingredients in bowl.  Spread over warm rolls.  Wow, these are precious!