American Bandstand

Did you know my mom, Carolyn KRIEBEL? 

Were you a 1958 Graduate of Schwenksville High School? 

Or, are you a child or family member of a 1958 graduate?  IF you answered YES to any of these questions . . . I’m interested in YOU!! 

If you are the graduate, I’m interested in your memories of my Mom, Carolyn KRIEBEL.  If you are a child or family member of a graduate, I’m interested in any stories that you might be able to share about your family member’s memories of their high school days and their classmates. 

I, sadly, know nothing about Mom’s school days beyond the bio included with her senior photo in the 1958 Schwenksville High School Lanconian yearbook.  The bio reads . . .

Class President 9; Yearbook Editor 12; A.A. 9, 10, 11, 12; Band 9, 10, 11; Glee Club 10, 11, 12; Combo 10, 11; Basketball, J.V. 10; Varsity 11, 12; Interclass Basketball 9; Interclass Volleyball 9, 10, 11; Tri-Hi-Y President 9; Dancing Club 10, 11; Future Nurses Club 10; Newspaper Club 10. 

The one story she did share, the story that prompted this post, was that during her last year of high school she, and a bus load of classmates went on a school trip to Philadelphia and were the guests of Dick Clark and the AMERICAN BANDSTAND!  And, of course, as the self-appointed family historian and genealogist, I’d love to KNOW MORE!! While Mom has been a “pack rat” of many things; memorabilia or ephemera were not among them.  So, there are no photos; no news clippings; no ticket stubs; no autograph from Dick Clark or from the American Bandstand featured artists . . . nothing!!  The only thing she has ever said, was that she and her classmates were on American Bandstand.

While I’ve  found, on Google and Pinterest, iconic American Bandstand images, such as those you see here; I’ve not found any images of Mom on the show.  I’ve also looked at many YouTube clips of the American Bandstand, a dance show with a rock and roll theme; the dance floor teaming with youth dancing the Bop, the Twist, the Jitterbug, and the Stroll, while listening to a rock-and-roll soundtrack or other popular music of their day.  This doesn’t lend itself to finding a familiar face in the crowd; though I have, on a number of occasions, thought that I saw Mom in the gaggle of youth on the dance floor.  But, in the end, it really is impossible to tell.  Darn, darn, DARN!!!
While looking at these iconic images and YouTube videos I learned of the wall of pennant flags that seem to have been a feature of the show.  The pennants were from the high schools from both the  local Philadelphia and outlying areas; though I was unable to see if the Schwenksville High School pennant was among them.
So, do you remember the day  you and your classmates were the guests of Dick Clark on American Bandstand?  What was the specific date or time of year? Do you have pictures of the day?  Was the Schwenksville High School Class of ‘58 introduced on the show?  Was there a group photo captured; perhaps with the host, Dick Clark? Did Schwenksville High School present a pennant to Dick Clark and the American Bandstand? Were the students introduced individually on the show? Did any of the Schwenksville youth participate in the “Rate a Record” portion of the show?

Mom didn’t keep, as I said, memorabilia or ephemera, so growing up, there there were no yearbooks for me to page through and encourage – err, pester – my Mom to share her stories and memories.  But, I was able to locate copies online of both the 1957 and 1958 Schwenksville High School yearbooks. I now have, never before seen by me, photos of my Mom.  Sadly, still too few.

Here for instance here is Mom’s 1957 Junior Class Photo.

Lillian GRISDALE; Harvey BOSSERT; Tony MILLER; Jack PRESTON; and Colin PARKE are all in the above Junior class photo.  However, they were not among the seniors listed in the 1958 yearbook.

The Class of 1958 Alumni, Schwenksville High School:
Gilbert H AXFORD; Marjorie Ann BARRON; Joan Faye BEAN; George R  BICKERT, Jr.; John Hicks BOGERT; Theodore Harold COLE; Joseph DELUTIS; Ruth Carolyn DUNNING; Donna Jean GEORGE; Elsie Jean GREASER; Christian John Ray HARTLINE; James Ernest HARTMAN; Alice Jane HEIMBACH; David Roger JONES; William KEHRER; Donald Edwin KIRKNER; James Allen KOVACS; John Walter KRATZ; Kay C KRATZ; Glen Brian LANDES; Robert G McCAHAN, Jr.; Carol Ann MENG; Mildred H MEYERS; Anna Jane MILLER; Phebe Mary MONTGOMERY; Stanley RADCLIFF; Janis E RIEGEL; John Albert ROSE; Edward A RUTTER; Dolores Joyce SHELLENBERGER; Rick D SHEPPARD; Carol Ann SMITH; Robert Lee SMITH; Winfield SWARR; Joan Marie SWARTLEY; Jane Faye WACK; Nancy Marie WALKER; Philip Andrew WATKINS; Patricia Ann WINK; Todd Albright YOUNG; William Robert ZIEGLER

A note to fellow family historians and genealogists, IF you are interested in finding yearbooks – Middle School; High School; College and Military – I’ve had good success with this E-Yearbook.com site.  Note, however, that it is a subscription site.

Tracy
Copyright © 2016 Tracy L Meyers; Family Preserves

Scrapple Nirvana . . . Almost

It has been 39 years since I enjoyed scrapple as much as I did today.  Thirty-nine!  My Grandmother, Catherine Louise (STARR) KRIEBEL passed away too soon in 1975; I was twelve, and until today, I haven’t had scrapple that has measured up to the memory of my family’s scrapple recipe . . . well, sort of.

See, a couple of things have been ‘against’ my enjoying scrapple as I did in my youth:

1. There are many variations of the recipe – as many people there are in the world, that is how many different recipes there seemingly are for scrapple.  And, none taste quite like my family’s recipe.
2. Grocery store-bought and massed produced scrapple should be left . . . on the scrap heap!
3. For me to have scrapple that even comes remotely close to what I enjoyed as a child, my Dad must bring blocks – that’s right blocks! – of it down several times a year from Pennsylvania Amish country.  It still isn’t quite like my family’s recipe, but, it is closer.
4. As I mentioned, I was just 12 when my Grandmother passed away and I didn’t know yet that genealogy, family history and the preservation of family recipes and memorabilia would become a passion!  So, it never occurred to me to ask and ensure that my family’s scrapple  recipe be preserved.  Nor, the recipe for the condiment of choice (Green Tomato Relish) to serve with the crispy-fried scrapple slices.  And, while I have asked over the past 27, of the 39, years all family members that were involved with pig butchering day for the recipe, it would seem that it is . . . lost. 

CONFESSION TIME:  Every fall, when my uncle brought 2 – 3 slaughtered pigs from his farm to my Grandparent’s home in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, we all gathered for a day of butchering; my Grandparents, their children, Carolyn; Richard; Barbara; and Gerry and their respective spouses John; Janet; Durrell; and Jerry and their children would all descend into the basement of the KRIEBEL home.  Well, all except the grandchildren – we had more important things to do. . . PLAY!  So, I never witnessed the process or how the scrapple was made.  Yet, because of my love for my Grandparents and family and because I so enjoyed the fruits of their labor – scrapple, sausage, bacon and . . . oh, my!  I have very fond and treasured memories* of pig butchering days.  Pictures you ask?  I have seen pictures that my Grandmother took of the process,  but just like the recipes, they seem to be lost to me forever.

*hopefully, as family members read this, they will share their memories of pig butchering day in the comments.

Okay, so how did I accidentally achieve scrapple nirvana?  Before I get into that, let’s discuss what scrapple is.  I must say, until I grew up, married and moved from Pennsylvania, I thought that scrapple was a universal food product much like bacon and sausage, it never occurred to me that scrapple – and, what it is – wouldn’t be as well known in other locals.

After a pig is butchered, there is lots of stuff leftover – scraps, including internal organs and intestines - no, no, don’t be scared, when it all comes together, it tastes really good!!  For scrapple these scraps are cooked down into a stew, ground up with the other leftover bits of meat and combined with cornmeal for texture.  The mixture is then cooled down into a loaf, sliced and griddled to serve.  It is most often served for breakfast with eggs and potatoes.  Essentially, you are eating a pork burger with your breakfast.

My passion for genealogy and family history, recipes and memorabilia really blossomed in my late teens and became an addiction after our first child was born in 1988.  I am forever reminiscing about my ancestors, grandparents, my childhood and bygone days.  And, when I get together with fellow Pennsylvanians, scrapple and green tomato relish and how I just can’t find a brand or Amish produced product that measures up to the ‘taste memory’ that I have always seems to come up.  One such conversation some years ago, prompted the father of a dear friend to write down his family’s recipe for scrapple and share it with me.  Here it is . . . (yes, you must continue reading to learn about my nirvana experience. 

(1) Cut heads four ways to remove tongue, eyes, ears and also saw off teeth.  Scrape tongue and ears in the hot water to remove hair, then put into tub for pudding meat.

(2) (for pudding) Cook head meat, hearts and kidneys, put in kettle about 10 gallons of water and two handfuls of salt then cook till meat falls from bones, add livers approximately 10 minutes before removing meat from kettle. Juice is saved for scrapple.

(3) Pick the head meat apart while hot, add about 3 medium onions and grind all together with cracklings.  Put about 10 gallons of water in a #2 kettle to cook pudding in, after water comes to boil, cook about 20 minutes, but not too hard a boil as it will burst skins

(4) Using the pudding water, add pig head, juice, season with salt and pepper, add enough water to bring about 6” from top of kettle, add slowly 1-1/2 pounds of yellow corn meal to a batch using about 12 – 15 pounds of buckwheat flour, sprinkle in slowly with hand so it will not lump, stirring continuously.  Bring to a rolling boil and if necessary add 3 – 6 pounds of new lard, so it shows around the edge of kettle.  Boil for about 10 minutes then remove from fire, but continue stirring for about 4 – 5 minutes more.

There are many ways to enjoy scrapple:  with molasses, maple syrup, apple butter, cottage cheese . . . but my Grandmother served it with green tomato relish.  For years, 39, to be exact, I have eaten scrapple plain, which is okay, but . . . I loved it with Grandmom’s relish.  While I have tried store-bought and Amish handmade green tomato relish from all over Pennsylvania and various other locals, none measure up to Grandmom’s recipe.  None!  Mostly because they are all too sweet.  Grandmom’s green tomato relish recipe had just the right ratio of sweet and vinegar – more vinegar - which goes well with the scrapple.  But today, I have had an epiphany that just may have changed my scrapple eating experience for my remaining days . . .

After frying up the ubiquitous Pennsylvania German breakfast of fried scrapple, home fries and eggs, my husband and I sat down at the table for our Saturday breakfast meal.  And,suddenly I had an idea.  I said to my husband, “we have Banana Pepper slices in the refrigerator, I wonder how they would taste with scrapple?”  “It isn’t green tomato relish but, they are jarred in vinegar and an added bonus is that they have a bit of a spicy bite.”  We both said, “hmmm?”  Off to the refrigerator for that jar.  I  piled a couple of slices onto my fried scrapple, gathered a bite-sized piece with a pepper or two and . . . heaven!  Well, sort of.  It wasn’t Grandmom’s relish, I will always miss that, but, it is the only thing in all these years that has even come close to her perfect condiment.

Now, we always have banana peppers in the refrigerator, so please, please tell me, why on earth, did it take 39 years for me to have this epiphany and almost nirvana experience with scrapple heaven?!!!

Now, I know that you are still not too sure about scrapple; you just can’t get passed what goes into it, but consider this.  Scrapple is no longer just a by-product of pig butchering and waste not, want not.  No, really, it has moved up the food chain to seriously good eats!  It has been featured on the Food Network Channel by celebrity chefs. It has been making appearances in restaurants and it is featured at Pennsylvania German and Dutch festivals..

Speaking of restaurants, I recently learned that my hometown peeps have been holding out on me – what’s up with that Chris? – A new restaurant, Greenheart Café, has appeared on the scene in Collegeville, Pennsylvania and was featured in the Times Herald Newspaper in March of this year.  From what I’ve read, they’ve elevated scrapple to gourmet . . . a featured dish on their menu is their Poutine – hand cut French fries with crispy scrapple, freshly made brown gravy, creamy fontina cheese and fresh herbs.  Yes, please!!

So, if you’ve never had scrapple, I encourage you to try it; if you’ve had scrapple and enjoy it, I encourage you to share how you enjoy eating it; if you enjoy scrapple and your family made their own recipe, I encourage you to share what made the recipe uniquely your family’s.  And, I encourage us all to try the elevated and gourmet scrapple dishes that are making appearances on the Food Network Channel, in restaurants and at German and Dutch festivals and to share your culinary experiences. 

For those that may visit Collegeville, Pennsylvania, located in Montgomery County just 1-1/2 hours northeast of Philadelphia, I hope that you’ll visit the Greenheart Café and let me know how you liked the poutine.  And, if you enjoy festivals, I hope you’ll visit the 25th Annual Pennsylvania Dutch Festival next week Thursday, 7 August – Saturday, 9 August 2014; click on the German and Dutch Festivals hyper link above for information.

Hanging of the Greens - Christian Symbols of Christmas; Their Origin and Meaning

The Hanging of the Greens is one of my favorite childhood memories of Christmas.  And, as with most of my childhood memories, I thought it was unique to my family and in this case church.  And, as has been the case over and over again, many others I’ve come across have had similar memories and experiences.  And, while my ‘inner child’ is always surprised, I am also always pleased that others have shared experiences and such wonderful memories.

The Hanging of the Greens occurs annually at the start of Advent* and is a multisensory communal event.

* Advent = a time of preparation for Christmas and preparing ourselves for a new year living in the presence of God through our relationship with his son.

Growing up, members of the Heidelberg United Church of Christ, in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, would gather in the afternoon on the Sunday before the start of Advent to Hang the Greens (decorate the church) and that evening we’d gather for a covered dish dinner and join in fellowship.  After dinner there would be a program where we learned the importance of and the deeper meaning of Christmas through music and the symbology of the decorations.

Today, our church here in Virginia, celebrates the Hanging of the Greens in a more traditional way.  We, as a family and as members of the church, look forward to the first Sunday of Advent.  It is on that Sunday, that the church holds its Festival, The Hanging of Greens, Service.*  The whole church participates.  It is a beautiful and meaningful service and it just wouldn’t be Christmas without it.

The meaning of the Festival Occasion:

In the mid 17th century, Christmas celebrations apparently got a little too rowdy and a bit too merry.  The English parliament restricted religious singing to the Psalms.  Churches were stripped of ornamentation and organs were removed.  It took nearly two centuries for Christmas to recover its sparkle.  Today, churches combine music with the festival of the Hanging of the greens, to help keep alive the deeper meaning of Christmas.

EVERGREENS:  Evergreens have long been symbolic of life and growth.  The spicy fragrance of pine and cedar remind us of the promised awakening of the earth in spring, even when all else is barren in winter.  The early Christians decked their sanctuary with the boughs of evergreen as a promise of the new life and as a sign of the hope that in Christ all live forever. As greens are brought into the church, church members sing “Good Christian Men Rejoice.”

HOLLY WREATHS: Holly, with its green leaves and red berries has long been a popular Christmas decoration.  At the same time of the year we celebrate Christmas, long ago the Romans used to celebrate their Saturnalis, a tribute to Saturn, whom they called the God of Agriculture.  They thought of holly as a gift of Saturn and believed he made it grow in beauty when all other shrubs were bare.  Romans sent sprigs of holly to their friends to express good will and to wish good fortune.  The early Christians developed their own symbolism, holding that the crown of thorns was made of holly leaves.  Thus the Christmas wreath was begun as a symbol of the crown of thorns.  Although there is a great amount of legend intertwined with truth in traditions, the circle has long been symbolic of never ending eternity and everlasting life.  As the holly wreaths are brought in, church members sing “Joy to the World.”

BELLS:  We are told that in Europe bells probably did not exist before the time of Christ, but in China, bells of a type had been used for more than 4,000 years.  The cup-shaped bell, familiar to us, dates from the 4th century.  Bells were originally used to summon the Christian to worship.  Bells have always been closely associated with religious services.  The ringing of the bells and towers of chimes brings a joyous sound of good tidings.  As the bells are brought in and rung, church members sign “Ring the Bells.”

TREE:  Christmas trees have long been a part of American tradition.  Colonial trees were decorated with seeds, pods, and strung cranberries with tiny candles fastened to the limbs.  The Christmas tree’s beginning is buried in various legends coming from different countries and connected with ancient peoples and with pagan religions.  The Egyptians took green date palms into their homes during their winter solstice rites signifying life triumphant over death.  The Romans trimmed trees with trinkets and small masks and sometimes placed 12 candles on a tree with an image of the sun god.  The druids of Northern Europe honored their chief god, Odin, by tying gilded apples to tree branches.  When pagans accepted Christianity some of their winter rites continued, but the symbolism was changed to honor Christ.  Today the evergreen Christmas tree symbolizes everlasting life; its spire points upward reminding people of God.  Some years back a newer practice was begun in Danville, Virginia of making the tree’s ornaments in the shapes of various “Symbols of Christ” utilizing styrofoam, pins, beads and sequins.  these ornaments are called chrymons, hence the Chrysmon Trees now found in many churches.  As the children of the church decorate the tree with Chrysmon ornaments, church members sing “O Christmas Tree.”

MISTLETOE:  The mistletoe has become for us a sign of merriment and romance, but in ancient times it was a symbol of peace.  It was said that when enemies met under it, they discarded their arms and declared a truce.  Thus, it became a custom of Christians to place a spray of mistletoe on the altar at Christmas time as a reminder of the peace of God and the power of Christ to heal the hurts of the body and soul.  As the mistletoe is brought in and placed on the Altar, church members sing It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” *

* In bygone years, Christians beneath the mistletoe in the church gave each other the kiss of peace and reconciliation. After the hymn the Pastors and members of the church pass the Peace of Christ to each other.

LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES:  Candles are the reminders of Jesus Christ as the light of the world.  As His light shines in the darkness it brings light into those who follow him.  this light of Christ is spread outward as each Christian uses their life, love and faith to express Christ’s light to the world.  As the candles in the windows and altar are lit, church members sing “The Light of the World is Jesus.”

POINSETTIAS:  We have come to think of a now familiar flower – the poinsettia – as a very distinctive American symbol of Christmas time.  The early colonies would not have been familiar with this plant, as it was not until 1829 that Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, having spent four years as the U.S. Minister to Mexico, returned to his home in Charleston, South Carolina bringing with him a beautiful vermilion plant which grows wild and covers the hillsides of Mexico.  As the popularity of the flower grew, skilled gardeners learned to control the blooming time so that poinsettias reach their peak of beauty at Christmas time.

It is said that the Mexicans regard the poinsettia as the “Flower of the Holy Night.”  They have a legend of a little girl who wept on her way to church one Christmas Eve, because she had no gift to bring symbolic of each person’s gift to the Christ Child.  As she knelt on the ground by the church to pray, she saw a gorgeous plant springing up before her and gladly took its red beauty into the church as her Christmas gift and laid it on the altar.  As church members place poinsettias around the sanctuary, members of the church sing “What Child is This.”

CRECHE:  A great number of traditions from many lands have been brought to our own country and have become a very familiar part of our American Christmas.  Yet we can become so involved in the festive trim, décor and activities of the Christmas season that we can, if we are not careful, forget the real meaning and reason for Christmas.  It must have seemed something of the same way to a familiar monk, St. Francis, in the Middle Ages.  In those days most people could not read and there were very few books.  Church ceremonies were in Latin and worshipers did not understand all that was going on.  St Francis popularized the reenactment of the birth of the Christ Child in a simple manger scene at the little town of Greccio, Italy in 1224, although the custom, known by the Latin name Praesepio meaning “stable,” may have originated as early as the 8th century.  A few years before his death, Francis had seen shepherds sleeping in the fields near Greccio and this gave him the inspiration for depicting a life-size nativity so that everyone could understand the Christmas story.  Tradition tells us that this took place in a cave on the hill above Greccio.  Real persons playing the part of Mary, Joseph and the shepherds were accompanied by live oxen and donkeys.  After the plays, the actors strolled down the street singing and thus caroling was born.  News spread rapidly through town and countryside, and crowds of worshipers gathered for the reenactments.  This was repeated year after year and soon spread to other countries.  As the children of the church place the ceramic figures of the creche on the altar, members of the church sing “Away in the Manger” followed by “Silent Night.”

PRESENTATION OF THE BIBLE and GOSPEL LESSON:  The source of our Christmas Story is the Bible itself.  The Pastor of the church reads the Proclamation of Jesus’ birth told from Luke’s perspective.  After the reading, the church members sing “Go Tell it on the Mountain.”

Family Recipe Friday - Mush

It's funny how children who grow up eating a certain dish - a mainstay or 'go to' meal - from a very young age, they begin to associate that dish / meal with their family.  What I mean is, they begin to think that it is unique to them and their family.  When that family is from an area known for a particular ethnicity and the child's family also has that ethnicity within their lineage, it isn't a far leap for that child, as they grow older, to believe that not only is that certain dish unique to their family, but it IS of that enthnic culture that they descend from.  So, it was for me.

Background:  I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, about 1-1/2 hours north east of Philadelphia.  My Grandfather, Wilmer KRIEBEL (German descent) was born and raised in Graterford, Pennsylvania.  After marrying my Grandmother, they settled and made their home in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania.  Graterford was also home for myself and my parents.  Mennonites, of German descent, were our neighbors and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, known for its Amish population wasn't far from the area where we lived.  When family and friends gathered, 'Pennsylvania German' always seemed to be a common thread.

Somewhere along the way, I grew to believe that mush was an indigenous dish of the Pennsylvania Germans; that it was unique to my Grandfather's heritage and to our family.  And, I didn't learn otherwise until well into adulthood.  Recently I shared the story of my genealogy addiction; truth be told, I have another addiction, the Food Network, it was through watching their programming that I saw different recipes using cornmeal (the main ingredient of mush) and how different ethnic cultures used that grain by-product in their cuisines.  The Italians often eat Polenta (cornmeal) as a side dish; in soft form (siilar to mashed potatoes) and served most often with tomato gravy.  And, to my surprise, they also eat it fried.  The polenta is cooked then poured out onto a cutting board and left to set up, it is then sliced and either grilled or fried.  This discovery led me to 'consult' Google to see how other ethnic groups used cornmeal in their cuisine.

Cornmeal is used in kitchens all over the world; in theory, I knew this, but I am discovering that many cultures / ethnic groups have food products / recipes similar to the fried mush that I grew up eating.  This, I didn't know.  What follows is just a small sampling of what I learned during my research . . .

• Mush (Coosh) - named for its Canadian inventor; Malcolm "Malcolmush" King.  Thick cornmeal pudding or porridge traditionally boiled in clam juice, water or milk.  It is often allowed to set to become semi-solid then sliced and pan fried.  Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mush_(cornmeal)
• Poudine Mais (Mauritus Island, Indian Ocean) - thick cornmeal / polenta pudding poured into a shallow buttered serving dish that has been lined with coconut and raisins.  Once set, it is sliced and enjoyed.  Source / recipe:   http://inspiredtobake.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/poudine-mais-simple-is-beautiful/
• Sadza (Zimbabwe) - thickened porridge made with white cornmeal; usually served in a communal bowl or on separate plates, rolled into a ball, dipped into meat, gravy, sour milk or stewed vegetables.  A thinner version is made with peanut butter or margarine and eaten in the morning.  Source:    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadza
• Mamaliga (Romania / Moldova) - thick porridge made with cornmeal and may also include:  milk, butter, cheese, eggs, sausage, bacon, mushrooms, ham, or fish.  Source:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%83m%C4%83lig%C4%83

And, in the Americas; specifically the United States . . .

It has been around in one form or another since corn has been growing in the Americas.  During the Civil War, both the Confederate and Union armies ate cornmeal mush from time to time when supplies were scarce.  It was well known in the east as being a food primarily eaten by lower income households.  And, on the frontier, one ate what was available or one starved.  Source:  http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cornmeal-mush.htm

Below, written in my Grandmother's own hand, is the recipe for Mush.  It was my Grandmother's 'go to' recipe for many Sunday evening suppers, but we also enjoyed it on many an occassion for breakfast.  We all had different ways of enjoying the fried slices; I would eat mine with Grandma's Molasses, others ate it topped with jam or jelly, dusted with powdered sugar or topped with butter and syrup.

Catherine 'Kate' (STARR) KRIEBEL's Mush Recipe

Cornmeal mush, once eaten as a source of sustenance here in the United States, and still a mainstay in cuisines all over the world, can now be found in its various forms in recipes of famed chefs and in fine restaurants.  How cool!  Although, I never needed to be told that it was good eats.  I already knew; I've been eating it since I was knee-high to a grasshopper - what made it the best was that it was lovingly prepared by my Grandmother.  And, it didn't hurt that I thought it was unique to my family.  LOL!

A (near) future goal - to have fun trying the many ethnic variations I've discovered in the course of my Google research to learn more about cornmeal mush.  Although, I have no doubt that they will be delicious in their own rite, they will NEVER compare with my Grandmom's fried mush.

T

PS:  A happy aside - my oldest son phoned while I was putting this blog post together and requested this recipe. I happily shared it with the next generation; I look forward to more memories being made.  My Grandmother's food continues to be made with love and enjoyed.