Month: December 2023
Cooking Without Photos – Lemonade Cake
Oppelo “The Turn Off”, Arkansas. Did y’all know Oppelo used to be part of Perry County as did Petit Jean Mountain…until county lines were redrawn and Conway County overtook it ALL!!!!
I digress. Oppelo. Oppelo was settled around 1850 when L.B Opolow arrived with his family from Maryland. Upon their arrival, L.B. started up a sawmill and other timber related operations to the area.
The settlement developed around a spring that was named Oppelo Spring. It was a place where folks came for fresh water, the women socialized and individual family clothes lines were kept. Today, Oppelo Spring is on private land and is the source of water for a stock pond.
In 1867 the first post office opened in Oppelo and operated until 1913. At one time, Oppelo had schools, a drug store, general store and more.
Today, Oppelo is a quiet community. They have a beautiful park and walking trail. Maybe stop in next time you’re on your way to Petit Jean…that used to be in Perry County….we aren’t bitter about that.
While flipping thru, “Variety Pack: Favorite Recipes From Oppelo Kitchens” I stumbled across Lemonade Cake. Yum! Let’s get into it!
Couple Things:
- I figured out “coil” was oil pretty quick.
- Back in the day, they used to make a 6oz can of frozen lemonade. You’re going to have to use half of a 12oz can, kids.
That’s it. It turns out looking really plain, but it is packed with flavor. You won’t regret it.
Cooking Without Photos – Hot Apple Cider
The Santa Fe Railroad arrived in the area and began asking for right of way permissions. Mr. Maloney told them to move on down the road and ask someone else for permission. His wife then mentioned how nice it would be to be able to ride the train into Fort Worth.
Mr. Maloney had a change of heart. He road his horse to meet with the workers. He told them the could go through. One of the workers asked what he said and was told, “He has let us go through.” It was decided right then that the stop would be named “Haslet”. Boom! The town was named and the railroad gave credit to Charles Maloney. The year was 1886.
On to the recipe!
I didn’t get far in the cookbook, “Heavenly Delights: Haslet United Methodist Women” before I found a recipe I wanted to try out. Hot Apple Cider! Yessss! Not much to say other than y’all need to try this. It’s super easy!
Couple Things:
- I doubled the recipe and used a big coffee urn. This was great for a crowd.
- I’ve had a sore throat and this helped so much!
That’s it! It’s fab!
Cooking Without Photos – Chunky Ham And Vegetable Soup
This week I have a borrowed cookbook from my pal. “Sharing Recipes: A Book Of Favorite Recipes Compiled By Nimrod Volunteer Fire Department Women’s Auxiliary”, belonged to her Grandma and now she uses it to make treasured recipes for her own family. I just love that❤️
The Nimrod community began around 1808. Fertile soil and the close proximity of the river helped to attract folks to the area. There are a couple of stories circulating regarding how Nimrod got its name. One of those stories states that Nimrod was a biblical name, chosen from the book of Genesis. Another claim is that Nimrod came from some settlers that were from Nimrod Hill, Tennessee. At any rate, Nimrod was named.
The Civil War ravaged the area and lots of things had to be rebuilt. There were no battles fought in the area, just guerrilla bands that caused trouble and destruction.
Once rebuilding was complete, the lumber industry thrived. Logs were floated down the Fourche river and the Fort Smith Lumber Company became one of the biggest employers in the county.
Production was helped immensely when the Wallace Bridge was completed in 1908. Today the bridge is on the National Historic Register and is one of only 3 surviving camelback truss bridges in our state. If y’all get a chance, make the drive. It’s just really neat and even more so that it’s right in our backyard.
With the decline of the timber industry, the community of Nimrod began to decrease also in population. Today, Nimrod is a small community with a heck of a story to tell. Jesse James is even reported to have made a stop there overnight.
On to the recipe!!
Soup! Yessssss! My fave recipes to try out. This time I was flipping thru and stopped at Chunky Ham And Vegetable Soup. I knew we had to try it out.
Couple things:
- Four cups of chicken broth was not enough liquid. I added a cup and a half of water. Just use your judgement.
- After it was done, I added salt. I also added some pepper. Don’t stub your toe on the pepper though. Sometimes cabbage is more spicy depending on the season.
- I thought…brown sugar…dumb! Y’all, just do it! Gah! How did I not know about this trick?!
Very tasty and such a good “warm me up” soup. Very brothy.
The Plot Twisted 