Elvis and the Blue Christmas Corpse

These four recipes are from Alice Virginia Daniel, of Tupelo, Mississippi. A flamboyant redhead who knows her way around the kitchen, Alice is the author’s friend and the inspiration for Lovie.

Butterscotch Cream Pie

4 T. flour
2 T. butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 egg yolks, well beaten
¾ c. Pet milk, diluted with 1¼ c. water
1 t. vanilla

Mix above ingredients in top of double boiler, stirring occasionally, until thick; then add vanilla. Put in a pie shell already baked till just before it turns light gold. Top with meringue (recipe below) and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees till meringue is golden. Refrigerate.

Meringue

Beat 3 egg whites and 6 T. sugar till stiff.

“This is a 100-year-old family recipe passed down with the spirit of heavenly flavor.”—Alice (Lovie)

Happy Holiday Kiss Kiss Eggnog

6 eggs, beaten
¾ cup sugar
1 pint whipping cream
1 pint bourbon
1 jigger rum
Nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick

Beat yolks separately with ¼ cup of sugar. Beat whites with ½ cup of sugar. Whip cream. Fold whites and cream into egg yolks. Add bourbon. Last, pour in rum, stirring constantly. Pour into two festive pitchers. Top with dash of nutmeg and chill until ready to serve. Pour into punch cups or mugs. Stir with a cinnamon stick. (Option: a teaspoon of vanilla ice cream added is so creamy and tasty.) Serves 8–10, but it all depends on the size of the cup. When in doubt, serve it in a beautiful punch bowl.

“Now get your honey bun, stand under the mistletoe, raise your cup high, and kiss, kiss!”—Alice (Lovie)

Aunt Louise’s Hershey Pie

6 chocolate almond bars
18 marshmallows

cup milk
½ pint cream

Put the first three ingredients in a double boiler and dissolve thoroughly. Cool well. Whip cream and fold in. Put into a large graham cracker pie crust (recipe below). Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours before serving.

“OMGosh, so fine!”—Alice (Lovie)

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
2 T. sugar
1 stick butter, melted

Mix all ingredients and press into the side of a pie pan. Cook crust at 350 degrees approximately 15 minutes. Cool before adding pie filling.

Gum Drop Squares

c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 c. self-rising flour
½ c. nuts (pecans or walnuts), chopped
1 t. vanilla
pinch salt
½ lb. orange gum drops

Slice and chop fine the orange gum drops. Drop pieces into flour and toss. Cream eggs and sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add flour, gum drops, and nuts. Mix well. Bake in 8x8x2-inch pan, well greased and floured. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Cut into squares while hot. Dust with powdered sugar.

“Prepare for yummy comments, especially from your honey bun.”—Alice (Lovie)

Peggy Webb

This next recipe is original with the author and one of her favorite comfort drinks after a day of writing.

Jack’s Mayan Hot Chocolate

3 squares of Ghiradelli Intense Dark 60% Cacao (Evening
Dream, All Natural)
1 T. water
1½ packets Splenda or to taste
¾ cup 2% milk
Dash each of cinnamon and red pepper or to taste

In a small heavy-bottomed pan over a simmer burner or in a double boiler, melt the chocolate squares in 1 T. of water. Stir constantly. Do not let the chocolate come to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in Splenda, cinnamon, and red pepper. Return to very low heat and slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly. Heat till warm, but do not let the chocolate milk reach boiling. Boiling spoils the flavor.

“Pour into a mug then curl up in a rocking chair in front of a fire with your favorite book. You’ll want to keep a spoon handy while you drink, because the bottom of the mug is likely to have a lovely chunk of thick, melted chocolate.”—Peggy, who is the voice of all the characters, especially Elvis!

Darlene Hayes

The next two recipes are from Darlene Hayes, of Pensacola, Florida. A tall, charming blonde who drives a Dodge Ram with a Hemi engine, Darlene provided inspiration for Callie’s manicurist as well as her truck. Darlene is a good friend and next-door-neighbor to the author’s son and his family.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Pumpkin layer

1 cup Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin

c. sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 t. pumpkin pie spice

Combine pumpkin, sugar, egg, and pie spice. Spread over the bottom of a baked pie crust.

Pecan layer

c. light corn syrup
½ c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 T. melted butter
½ t. vanilla
1 c. pecan pieces

Combine corn syrup, sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Stir in the nuts. Spoon over pumpkin layer. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

“I also add cinnamon and cloves to my taste to this recipe. Happy holidays!”—Darlene (Darlene Johnson Lawford Grant)

Veg-All Casserole

1 large can of Veg-All, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 medium onions, chopped
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 stick butter, melted
1 stack Ritz crackers, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the first six ingredients and pour into a casserole dish. Mix melted butter with Ritz crackers. Spread the topping over the casserole and bake 30 minutes or until bubbly.

“This is my family’s favorite holiday side dish.”—Darlene

Trey Webb

The following two original recipes came from the author’s son, Trey Webb, of Pensacola, Florida. A dog lover, a world-class cook, and the world’s best son, Trey was the inspiration for Jarvetis’ favorite redbone hound dog, who is Elvis’ best friend.

Italian Chicken Soup

3 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
1 lb. can diced tomatoes
1 T. minced garlic
¼ stick butter
3 quarts chicken broth
½ t. each salt, black pepper, and Cajun seasoning
½ bag egg noodles
Dash each of dried oregano and basil

Boil chicken in broth and Cajun seasoning till done. Remove chicken from broth, cool, and pull into slivers. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to the onions, then sauté in ¼ stick of butter. Just before the onions are done, add the bell pepper and finish cooking. Note: you want the bell pepper to still be firm at the end of this process. Add this mixture to the broth. Add the can of tomatoes with its juice, the basil and oregano, and the slivered chicken to the broth. Cover and simmer on low for at least 1 hour. Before serving, bring back to a slow boil, add the egg noodles, and cook till done. Remove from heat and serve.

Collards (Soul Food)

1 smoked hog jowl
2 lb. collard greens, washed and cut into squares
4 t. salt or to taste
4 t. black pepper or to taste
4 t. sugar or to taste

Cut hog jowl into 8 to 10 large chunks, add to a large pot, and cover with about 2 inches of water. Add salt, pepper, and sugar. Cover and slow-boil for about ½ hour. Then add the collards, cover, and let slow-boil for 10 to 15 minutes more. Reduce heat to low, and let cook for about 1 hour. Serve with 2 or 3 pieces of fried hog jowl and Southern cornbread.

“Friends and family frequently request my collards at potluck suppers.”—Trey

Debbie Turner

Debbie Turner, one of the best cooks in Tupelo, Mississippi, provided these two recipes. Debbie is the author’s friend and the wife of the author’s webmaster, Roy Turner.

Chicken Pesto

1 lb. boneless chicken breast (or chicken tenders)
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. box farfalle pasta
1 c. frozen English peas
Olive oil, as needed to coat chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 T. Classico pesto sauce or your own Alfredo sauce
(recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put chicken in a roasting pan. Sprinkle chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper, and chopped garlic cloves. Cover with foil and bake approximately one hour or until chicken is done. Let chicken cool and shred with a fork. Set aside.

Alfredo Sauce

1 stick of butter
2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 c. whipping cream

In a small sauce pan, slowly melt the butter and parmesan cheese. Use very low heat and stir constantly till melted. Whisk in 1 c. of whipping cream. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and put in pasta dish. Top with shredded chicken, frozen peas, and Alfredo sauce or 2 to 3 T. of prepared pesto sauce.

Debbie’s Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

c. chopped pacans
¼ c. butter, softened
2 T. granulated sugar
2¾ c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. packed brown sugar
½ c. granulated sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1 12 oz. bag semisweet chocolate mini-morsels
Whipped cream and cherries, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together first three ingredients in a small bowl, using a fork. Sprinkle in a greased and floured 12-c. bundt pan. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer for 3 to 5 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just blended.

Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Beat in chocolate mini-morsels. Mixture will be thick. Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool pan on a wire for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and let cool on wire rack for approximately one hour before serving.

“These are family favorites.”—Debbie

Marie Hussey

The recipe grand finale is Marie Hussey’s original Southern cornbread dressing. During her lifetime, she prepared this dressing at every Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday meal on the farm in Mooreville, Mississippi. Marie is the author’s beloved mom and the inspiration for Callie’s feisty, opinionated mama, Ruby Nell Valentine.

Mama’s Southern Cornbread Dressing

2 large pans baked cornbread (recipe below)
½ large loaf of sliced white bread, best if at least a day old
4 large onions, chopped fine
6 sticks butter
3 to 4 T. black pepper (or to taste)
5 or 6 cans chicken broth, more if needed
1 can cream of chicken soup
12 to 14 eggs, beaten

Bake cornbread and crumble in a large mixing bowl. While it is still hot, stir in 5 sticks of butter. Sauté onions till golden in remaining stick of butter and add to cornbread mixture. Crumble loaf bread fine and add to mixture. Next add black pepper to taste, cream of chicken soup, and beaten eggs. Heat chicken broth, then add it slowly to the cornbread mixture, stirring well. The mixture will be soupy when finished.

This mixture makes at least two large pans of dressing. You may want to freeze some to bake later.

When ready to bake, spray a large baking pan or Corning Ware baker with Pam. Fill the pan not quite to the top, allowing for expansion during the cooking process. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until dressing stands apart when spoon is inserted. This dressing should be moist and not firm like cornbread. Serve with turkey and giblet gravy.

Mama’s Southern Cornbread

2 c. self-rising Sunflower or White Lily Cornmeal Mix
2 eggs, beaten
Approx. 1 cup buttermilk (or whole milk)
¼ c. canola oil, or to taste

Combine cornmeal mix, eggs, and buttermilk. Stir well. This mixture will be the consistency of cake batter and will pour easily; add more buttermilk if it is too thick. Put oil into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and heat on top of the stove until the oil begins to sizzle. Turn off the burner. Pour most of the oil into the cornbread batter and stir well, leaving only a thin coating of oil along the sides and bottom of the skillet. Immediately pour batter back into the hot skillet (mixture will sizzle), and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown. This bread is equally good used as the basis for cornbread dressing with giblet gravy and served hot with black-eyed peas.

“If these directions seem vague, it’s because Mama rarely recorded her recipes. My two sisters and I have tried to re-create her famous dressing. Jo Ann is the only one who gets it right. Happy Holidays!”—Peggy, who remembers her own mama saying, “Flitter!”