Childhood Meal Memories

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Do you have any childhood memories that you are so fond of from the holidays or the dinner table? My children tell me their favorite memory is when we used to put a sheet in the livingroom each week to watch Unsolved Mysteries and Rescue 911. It was like a picnic and it was something we enjoyed as a family.

What are some of your favorite memories?

[sweetnell3]

I guess my favorite was when I was around six,we were at my Grandmothers for Thanksgiving dinner she told my youngest uncle to feed the dogs the scraps, but he gave them the leftover meat instead of the bones,later when we started to eat the leftover food all that we could find was the bones lol. Boy was grandmother mad,but the dogs were extra happy that day!lol

[cat lover]

The only meal that sticks out in my mind is our Saturday meal. We always had chili on Saturdays. That was housecleaning day so I guess chili was an easy and quick meal, something you could prepare early in the day so housework could begin!

[joyann]

My dear Mom was an old-fashioned, make-it-from-scratch Southern cook. When she put a platter of fried chicken and old-fashioned banana pudding on the table, I was in hog heaven. I have tried and I still can't make fried chicken the way she did. It was absolutely the best I ever ate. KFC, Chick-Fil-A, nobody comes close.

[cat lover]

Banana Pudding is one of my favorites, care to share your mom's recipe?

[joyann]

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
Dash of salt
4 eggs, separated, at room temperature
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
35 to 45 NILLA wafers
5 to 6 medium bananas (fully ripe) sliced

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Stir in 4 egg yolks and milk; blend well. Cook, uncovered over boiling water, stirring constantly until thickened. Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add vanilla. Spread small amount on bottom of 1-1/2 quart casserole; cover with layer of Nilla wafers. Top with layer of sliced bananas.

Pour about 1/3 of custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas, and custard to make three layers of each, ending with custard. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon on top of pudding, spreading to cover entire surface and sealing well to edges. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 5 minutes or until delicately browned. Cool slightly or chill.

For those of you who wish to cut down on fat/sugar, I found the following recipe in a cookbook and it tastes the same as the fatter version.

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbls. sugar or sugar substitute
3 Tbls cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1 (12-oz) can evaporated skim milk
1/3 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
25 vanilla wafers ( you can use sugar-free, if you wish)
3 medium bananas, sliced
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Preheat ove to 325 degrees
In a heavy saucepan, combine the 1/2 cup of sugar (or substitute) with the cornstarch. Gradually stir in 1/3 cup of water, the milk and the egg substitute. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Lower the heat and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and fold in the sour cream and vanilla.
In an oven-proof baking dish (about a 1-1/2 quart), arrange a layer of vanilla wafers, about 1/3 of the pudding and a layer of bananas. Repeat the layers, ending with vanilla wafers.
In a medium size mixing bowl, free of grease, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add the 1 Tbls. sugar (or substitute), beating until stiff peaks form. Spread the meringue over the pudding, making sure the meringue touches all edges of the baking dish.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meringue is golden. Let cool to room temperature of serve cold.

[joyann]

Actually, you should preheat your o-v-e-n and not your ove, even if you have one of those.

[cat lover]

Thanks Joyann!:D

[Coll]

We always had roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy on Sundays. Oh, how I miss that.

Coll

[dval]

My mom had 5 kids and worked full time. I can remember on the weekends she would cook stacks & stacks of pancakes to feed us kids. The pancakes were the size of the plate.
She would also make "cooked" oatmeal, not instant. She would cook enough to fill a 5 qt pan and it would all be gone when breakfast was over.

[cat lover]

Something that keeps coming to my mind as I talk all this food is.... my grandmother always had a pot of coffee with supper. I can still smell that coffee mixing amongst the other smells of her meal. Just the warmness of the house mixed with those smells brings back wonderful memories.