Jenkins enjoys cooking Southern staples
Anne Smith Jenkins, the fifth child of 14, grew up in the Plattsburg community near Noxapater and can remember her mother making fresh biscuits in the mornings.
Her parents, Ali and Earl Smith, had a farm that the children worked on, tending to animals and helping in the fields.
Her father would wait at the oven until the biscuits were finished while the rest of the family would feed the animals.
“We would wake up around 4 or 5 in the morning,” said Jenkins. “Mom would make biscuits, and dad would stay behind while we tended to the cows.”
She met J.W. Jenkins when they were 14 and they ended up meeting again while working at Garan and got married. They will have been married 53 years this year and live in the Deemer area.
They have two children, Frankie Malone and Jay Jay Jenkins along with 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
After retiring for Garan, Jenkins started watching her grandchildren, but now that they are grown and she watches her great-grandchildren.
Her husband preaches at Bethlehem Church near Four Corners and she often loves to sing solos.
Jenkins is passionate about her family. One of her favorite things to do is to cook a big meal.
“The reason I like to cook big meals is that I know it’s a good way to get all of my family together,” Jenkins said.
The Jenkins family celebrated Easter Sunday by fellowshipping at church and then getting together as a family and eating.
Jenkins likes to cook traditional southern food and especially enjoys cooking with pork chops. She mentioned that she created a casserole with onions, pork chops, and other ingredients, and her husband said that the pork chops were excellent.
When Jenkins is not watching her great-grandchildren or cooking, she likes spending time gardening. She has two rose bushes: one purple and one red.
“I love roses,” said Jenkins.
Jenkins’ cooking influence is her mother that taught her everything in the kitchen. She remembers all the recipes her mother taught her.
SQUASH DRESSING
2 cup squash, mashed (cooked)
2 cup or more cooked corn bread
1 medium onion
2 eggs
1 stick oleo
1 can cream of chicken
Sauté onion and oleo. Then mix with other ingredients. Pour in casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes or brown on top.
CHESS SQUARES
1 egg
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 stick melted butter
Mix above till crumbly with spoon. Put in 9x13 pan then combine 1 box confectioner sugar, 1 8 oz cream cheese and 2 eggs. Mix well and pour over other mixture. Bake 350 for 40 minutes cool and cut in squares.
IMPOSSIBLE PIE
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 st. Margarine, melted
1 can coconut milk
Mix all ingredients together. Butter 2 pie pans and put ingredients into pan. Put it in the oven at 325 for about 30 minutes. The pie will make its on crust.