ABBY L. VANDIVER When I was a little girl, relationships between adults and
children were very different. Children “stayed in their place” and having
conversations and keeping company with an adult just didn’t happen. For
example, I was what people called a “mid-life” baby and by the time I arrived
my sisters were adults with children of their own. And because of the times, I
wasn’t allowed to call them by their names (you didn’t call adults by their first
names) so I called all three of them “Sister”! I say all of that just to set
the stage for the recipe I’m posting today.
I had a favorite aunt, we called her Madear. And even though
us kids were supposed to be off playing somewhere, I’d be underfoot while she
watched her stories (soap operas), gossiped on the phone or cooked (there was
always plenty to eat at her house for whoever, and however many stopped by). Unlike
my mother, she’d let me hang out with her and even ask questions but she was a
jokester and there was no telling what kind of answer I’d get. Sometimes when
she was in the kitchen, everything smelling super yummy, I’d asked what she was
cooking and she’d say “chicken a la poo poo and . . .” (she’d add another word
that properly isn’t appropriate for food blog). It was her favorite line to
give me and it always made me giggle.
Once I had children of my own, I couldn’t ever get them to “stay
in their place’,” we were a threesome (I was divorced when they were young).
And like my aunt did with me, we’d joke around and fill the house with
laughter. And every now and then, one would ask me what I was cooking and I’d
say the same thing my aunt told me—chicken a la poo poo and . . .
Only, that name stuck to one of my made-up dishes (yes, I’d
often create my own recipes). It became the actual name instead of a line that
meant, “you’re asking too many questions, stay in your own lane!” Now, the
dish, a favorite among friends and family carries the moniker. So many others
have asked me for the recipe and it is often requested for me to cook
(especially by my 40-year-old son) so I’d thought I’d share it here today.
Do you make up any recipes? Have you made up any that have been become a favorite?
16 oz of sour cream
2 quarts whole milk
8 pieces of chicken
2 head of broccoli
1 8oz bag of shredded mild cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
My usual caveat: I don't measure anything when I cook! I eyeball it, so you may need a little extra milk or want to add more chicken (according to which pieces of the bird you pick) or more cheese.
Season, flour and fry chicken three quarters of the way done. You want to skin to be crunchy (put a top on it while cooking.)
This sounds so good, Abby!
ReplyDeleteI love this story Abby! your aunt was such a treasure...
ReplyDeleteSounds yummy! I'll have to try it for sure.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't make up a recipe entirely, once I make a recipe and see how it turns out, then I'm apt to change it greatly for our taste or what happens to be on hand at the time. My Mom use to say "Don't knock a recipe until you've tried it. But don't be limited by following a recipe exactly after that."
2clowns at arkansas dot net
These days, if a child misbehaves or has problems it's because their parents didn't "spend enough time with them." Like you, I was to be seen and not heard and certainly never get underfoot. I cooked with my kids and did other things all the time. Also, grown-ups were all Mr. or Mrs. unless they were close friends, then they were aunt or uncle so-and-so. I was fairly old before I realized I had only one "real" aunt!
ReplyDeleteA friend's recipe was similar but it used canned cream soups. Yours sounds much better with the sour cream and milk for moisture! Thank you
ReplyDeleteEveryone needs an aunt like your aunt Madear. I'm an aunt and I can only hope my nieces see me like this.
ReplyDeleteSounds like it's quite tasty, but not necessarily the lowest fat recipe going.
ReplyDeleteYou ned to check with your proof-reader here!
" layer in a deep backing dish"
"take the sour cream and but it "
"About an hour to an hour."