People, Cornbread and FriedApples

                 People, Cornbread and Fried Apples
   Mary came for supper last evening.  City folk have dinner in the evening
But I was raised in the country where the big meal, dinner, was at noon.
   Without any advanced preparation I decided I needed a friend for supper.
I had hoped to have her over during the holidays but that didn’t happen.
And January is almost over.

   Supper would have to be simple.  She loves cornbread, I could do that.
My go-to bean ingredient was down to a can aof kidney beans, but--.  The head of cabbage in the frig needed to be used; there was a little meat to be had and there were apples in the deepfreeze.  It was a go.
   I forgot about the house; I knew the bed wasn’t ;made, but she wouldn’t be taking a nap. 
   Our conversation was light; she is always cheery.  We talked about the weather and flowers.  Would a bale of straw protect the dahlias, or would
They be lost?
   She declared she wasn’t going to can vegetables anymore.  She has more in the cellar than she can use.  I wished I could still plant peas and lettuce, but now that strawberries have taken over there is no space.
   She regretted that she won’t be wintering in Florida  with her granddaughter.  Her broken wrist took its time in healing.
  We were both thankful for what we’ve got; loving families who check on us; who see we don’t run out of bananas.

 Don’t buy that box of cornbread mix, making your own is so easy.  Here is my recipe.

1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
4 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
Combine previous ingredients with a sifter or a whisk.
1 cup milk
1 egg
¼ cup oil
Combine and add to flour mixture.  Stir briefly, bake at 400 in a greased
9 inch square pan; I like pyrex, but a cast iron skillet would be great.  Bake for about 18 minutes, or until it is a little golden on the top.

  Have you had those delicious fried apaples at Cracker Barrel?  So easy to make.
  In a cast iron skillet, or at least one with a heavy bottom, melt some butter.
The amount of butter depends on how many apples you have.  I used
2 cups sliced apples, ½ stick of butter.  Cook the apples on low to medium heat for about 6 minutes.  Add 2 Tablespoons brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
   In a cup of water add 1 heaping teaspoon of cornstarch, stir and add to the apples.  Cook until apples thicken and cornstarch is cooked. That’s it.
   Supper was that easy; cornbread and beans, coleslaw, a little meat and fried apples.
   Don’t forget: It’s what you do with what you’ve got.