And A Pinch of Love

Dedication:

I would like to dedicate this book to the ones whose influence has most encouraged me to become the person I am today; my former mother-in-law and grandmother to my two eldest children, Lois Wilson who was a true example of patience and love, and someone I will always think of us Mom. Also my children, who made my life worth living and full of love.

Introduction

When I first left home and began my life as a 17-year-old adult I could barely boil water. My cooking abilities were an exercise in experimentation with my first husband, Scott, as the guinea pig. My first memory of cooking for him was actually around Christmas 1977, when I was 16. I had gone with him to his home town of Big Pine, CA. His mother, Lois, needed to run some errands and asked me to finishing cooking pancakes for Scott and his younger brother, Kirk. Bless their hearts; they really tried to eat the gooey, doughy mistakes. There were many other attempts, including an apple pie with no sugar, which Scott actually ate several pieces of so he wouldn’t hurt my feelings.

I tried to begin my cooking education on my honeymoon, when my paternal grandmother, Anna Irene Summerlin, asked me to help her fix dinner and learned I had no idea what to do in a kitchen. She showed me how to fry chicken, mash potatoes, and then tried, very hard, to get me to understand the workings of biscuits. Something I still have a hit and miss reputation with. Upon returning home to Casper, Wyoming, Scott purchased my first cookbook, the 1978 version of Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Over the years, with the input of some loving relatives and friends, I’ve slowly developed a repertoire of recipes that I’ve decided to compile into a collection. I will try to give credit on recipes that I’ve received from others, as well as I can remember. The origins of many of these recipes have been lost to time, though, and some I’ve put my own twist on to make them more palatable for my children. The results are family recipes that I wish to pass down to the next generations.

Breads

Biscuits

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powders

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter or