Pilgrim loves to cook for her family
Alana Pilgrim loves food and always has.
Her grandmother, Doris Bounds, used to own a restaurant called The Café in DeKalb.
On the weekends, she would go and help out in the kitchen and watch her grandmother cook, which is how she learned to cook.
Her grandmother also taught her a lot about baking pies, which she enjoys.
Pilgrim’s mother, Marie Davis, was also a big cook.
“My mom would always have every meal cooked for us even though she worked a full-time job,” Pilgrim said.
Davis worked as a Medicaid specialist and always had a meal ready for Pilgrim and her three siblings.
Like most Southern families, Pilgrim said they eat lots of fried food such as fried chicken and fried pork chops, which were the staples her mother cooked for them when they were growing up.
“I still call my mom to this day if I have a question when I’m cooking,” Pilgrim said.
While Pilgrim loves to cook, more importantly, she loves to eat, especially as a family.
Pilgrim loves to eat spaghetti, which is her daughter Piper’s favorite.
“I love pasta!” Pilgrim said. “I know it’s bad for you, but it is so good. I love shrimp alfredo!”
Pilgrim said she loves it when her husband, Cody, cooks breakfast, including pancakes, eggs and bacon. She also loves for him to cook hamburger steak.
Pilgrim grew up in Philadelphia, where she still lives today with her husband of 10 years, Cody Pilgrim, and their two children Piper and Parker.
Pilgrim works as a physical therapy assistant and has worked for 13 years at performance therapy. Cody has been a fireman for eight years. He also restores old trucks and sells them.
LEMON ICE BOX PIE
Ingredients:
1 Can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
3 Egg Yolks — Discard Whites
½ Cup lemon juice
18oz Cool Whip — thawed
1 Graham Cracker Crust — 9-inches
Directions:
Combine egg yolks and milk. Stir in lemon juice. Pour into crust. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Refrigerate until set. Top with cool whip.
GRATIN POTATOES
Ingredients:
3 Large baking potatoes — peeled and thinly sliced
1 Quart whipping cream
2 Garlic cloves minced
2 Tsp salt
½ Tsp pepper
Directions:
Layer potato slices in a buttered 13x9 pan. Stir together cream and other ingredients. Open cream and add seasonings to the carton and shake well. Pour mixture over potatoes. Bake at 400F for 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and the mixture is bubbly and golden.
CHEESY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Ingredients:
1 Rotisserie chicken
1 Pack taco seasoning
8 oz cream cheese
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes
8 Tortillas
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups shredded cheese
Instructions:
Preheat 350F. Combine chicken, season, add in Rotel tomatoes and cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese is melted. Spoon chicken mixture into tortilla shells and fold seam down in 9 x 13 dish. Pour whip cream on top and sprinkle with cheese. Cool 20 minutes.
HAMBURGER SOUP
Ingredients:
1lb Ground beef
1 small onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups peeled and chopped Yukon yellow potatoes chopped into small pieces (1/2 inch)
2 Cans (14.5oz each) Beef Broth
1 Can (10oz) condensed tomato soup
1 Can (15oz) petite diced tomatoes – do not drain
1 Bag (16oz) frozen mixed vegetables
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried basil
Instructions:
In a soup pot, over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, onion, garlic, and salt until no longer pink. Break up meat in crumbles as it cooks. Add chopped potatoes, beef broth, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, frozen vegetables, Worcestershire sauce, and the seasonings. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to combine and the soup to become thicker. Before serving, taste the soup after the simmer time and add additional salts as needed.