Southern Cornbread

Good ol' beans and cornbread was a staple at family suppers. As a matter of fact I'm not sure that there was ever a time that Gramma didn't have cornbread muffins at every meal, along with what we called brown beans. Though later I found out those were just pinto beans. She cooked on a wood-burning stove, until the day she could no longer live at home on her own. I am sure to this day she misses that stove and being able to cook up her favorite meals.

We Yankee's tend to like our cornbread sweet, but in the South it tends to be, well,,,,,not sweet. It is hearty and of sustenance, and the way Gramma made it, it had it's fair share of bacon grease baked in. It was so savory, I might add that they were hot right out of the oven, every meal! I couldn't wait to slather butter all over it. So in loving memory to the recipes that came off of that wood-burner and to Gramma, here's to you.
Thank you for the memories I now treasure.

Southern Cornbread

2 eggs

2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups white cornmeal 

1 tsp salt

Heat oven to 450. Grease muffin pan with a spoonful of bacon drippings. You can drop cold drippings in and then place pan in oven while mixing batter. Beat eggs and then add buttermilk. Mix dry ingredients and then add add mixture, mix until moist and smooth. Pour into heated muffin pan. Carefully pour batter into heated muffin pan. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until set. Slather in butter and enjoy!

 You can always make a big pot of beans (with a ham-hock of course), and when they are done make your cornbread, then serve with your beans. I cook mine in the pressure cooker to save time. The flavor is exceptional. Cook longer and make refried beans for homemade burrito's. Hmmm, another blog post idea!

Sheila