Granny's Coconut Cream Pie....

*This recipe makes 2 pies. :)

1 c. granulated sugar

6 Tbsp. cornstarch or a.p. flour

1 tsp. salt

5 c. whole milk

6 eggs, seperated (yolks for filling)

2 Tbsp. butter

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. coconut

Combine sugar, flour and salt in saucepan. Add milk and egg yolks. Cook and let thicken. Remove from heat, add vanilla, butter and cocnut and stir. Pour into baked pie crust. In cold metal bowl with cold mixer whisk attachment or hand mixer beaters, beat egg whites until stiff. ( I add a little cream of tartar to whites) Add 2 Tbsp. sugar and beat again to blend. Pour over pie filling and sprinkle with coconut. Lightly brown in 400 degree oven.

(My Granny & my Mamaw both made an EXCELLENT coconut cream pie and their recipes were so similar that I combined them to make this one. It's a little more like Granny's than Mamaw's so I call it Granny's. Trust me, Mamaw would not mind. She loved Granny's cooking.... :)

Ferguson chili...

2 lbs. ground beef, drained

2 small onions, diced

1 large can crushed tomatoes

1-2 cans ROTEL (whatever your taste) if using just1 can, add 1 can diced tomatoes, drained

2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1&1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 teaspoon cocoa
grated sharp cheddar cheese
sour cream

In a large saucepan, cook the beef and onion over medium heat; drain. Stir in tomatoes, & rotel. Add the seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve steaming hot with cheese and sour cream.

*warning: this is on the spicy side; most of the time I use 1 can of Rotel & 1 can diced tomatoes. Makes the heat more tolerable for wimps! Haha. :)

Southern Pecan Pie

*can also make this with hickory nuts or black walnuts.

1 c. sugar

1 TBSP. flour

3 eggs

1 c. light corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

dash of salt

3 TBSP> butter, melted

1 c. pecan halves

1 pie crust, unbaked

Combine the sugar and flour; add the eggs to the sugar mixture and beat well. Add the corn syrup, vanilla and salt, mixing well. Pour in the melted butter and blend.

Arrange the nuts in the pie crust, pour the mixture over them and bake 10 minutes in a 450 oven. and 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Pie should be firm and not move when shaken. Serves 6-8.

Holiday Sweet Potatoes..

6 cups sweet potatoes, cooked

4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. cloves

4 TBSP. butter

6 TBSP. brown sugar

1 cup to 1 & 1/2 c. mini marshmallows (whatever your preferance)

1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, hickory nuts or pecans)

Beat the potatoes and brown sugar , spices and butter until light and fluffy. Spread half the potatoes in a buttered baking dish, sprinkle with small amount of brown sugar, marshmallows and nuts. Top wiht second half of the potatoes and more brown sugar, marshmallows, and nuts. Bke in a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until marshmallows are melted.

*May add 1/8 cup rum or bourbon to the potatoe mixture when beating.