Howdy! I will be offering some of my favorite recipes for awhile. I am Shirley McMurtrie and I have been in Tennessee about 30 years. East Tennessee is just about the best place to live. The climate is great, the country music is great and, best of all, the people are great. This is home.

I grew up poor during the Great Depression of the 1930's. My mother could put a meal on the table when there didn't seem to be much in the cupboard. I can, too. From my early years during the hard times, I have developed a love for good country cooking. The recipes I will be sharing are ones that don't cost a lot or take a bunch of fancy ingredients. Mother's Gingerbread is an example. I hope you like it.

MOTHER'S GINGERBREAD

1/3 cup white sugar
2/3 cup molasses or sorghum
1/3 cup lard or shortening
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups sifted plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Cream together the sugar and lard. Add beaten egg, molasses, salt and spices. Mix well. Add baking soda to buttermilk and stir to combine. Add to creamed mixture alternately with flour. Grease and flour a 9 inch baking pan. Pour mixture into pan. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. Mother never added temperature or time to her recipes. The cake is done when the center springs back when lightly touched by a finger and the sides begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Don't over bake. Mother added a powdered sugar frosting. It doesn't need it. Cool-Whip on a cooled cake, or ice cream with a warm one is great. I won a blue ribbon at the Fair in the '60's with this recipe. Enjoy.