Mom's Cooking

[Janet Harrington]

My grandma's fried chicken was the best. I wish I could make it that way. Mother, why do you think she would give that piece of chicken "a gentle squeeze"?

My mother always made the best roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy. She would do that for Sunday dinner sometimes because it could cook while we were at church. I miss my mother's cooking. Oh, yeah. She makes really good pumpkin pie. Yummy.

My other grandma, Thelma Furrow, was the best at making bread and us grandkids would argue over who got to eat the heel. Fresh out of the oven, butter, and you couldn't beat anything like that.

I also liked my Aunt Cleo Weyrauch's chicken and noodles, but my niece, Teresa Ursy, has got her beat now.

My mother and my niece are the only ones in this post that are still alive. I will tell you this. I like my Thanksgiving dinners that I used to make at the jail. I believe I can roast a good turkey, make the best turkey and noodles, and make the mashed taters.

[Wilma]

I say that she gave it a gentle squeeze because I could see her do it.  A gentle squeeze and a shake to remove excess water.  Then directly to the hot grease in the skillet.  Not a hot grease bath, but just enough to come half way up the pieces of chicken.  When the down side was brown, she would turn the pieces and brown the other side, then make sure it cooked long enough to be done.  After the chicken was done, she would pour off most of the left over grease, retaining whatever breading had accumulated in the pan, then make her gravy on that.