Monday, February 1, 2010

I say Tomay~to, You say Tomah~to!

If you live in the South, or were raised in the South, cornbread makes it's way to the family table often. Mom always used yellow cornmeal to make hers, as did her Mother. My family grew their own corn and had it stone ground at a local mill. It was healthier but more than that, it just tasted better. Yellow cornmeal also has more Vitamin A than white.

Historically, Northerners preferred yellow cornmeal in their bread, and Southerners preferred white cornmeal. Northern cornbread often has more flour in it than cornmeal and usually has quite a bit of sugar and eggs. My Great-Grandmother Keeling ate her evening cornbread broken up into “pot likker,” which is the water in which greens were boiled. She died at 99, so it must have been healthy!

We live only 11 miles down the road from the War Eagle Mill. On the banks of the War Eagle River in a serene valley, the old Grist Mill dates back to the 1830's. Three stories high with an 18 foot waterwheel, it’s a working mill. You can buy almost every kind of whole grain at the store on the first floor. They have samples of home baked bread that has been made at the top floors' "Bean Palace Restaurant"

The second floor has unique gift and kitchen items like Granite Ware. The enameled pans come in a variety of colors, red and white, blue and white, even the old black and white like Grandma had! Let me tell you, those pans will make the best biscuits and cornbread you will ever put in your mouth!






If the economy is getting in your pocketbook, don't forget CORN, In the form of bread, dressing, grits, or hominy it's an essential food that will help you stretch a dollar!

7 comments:

  1. I have been to War Eagle and it was great...many years ago. The BEST cornmeal I ever bought..and I have never forgot it ....I know they have a catalog...going to call for it now...there is just something about the cornmeal from the water mill...

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  2. Southerner here Joycee, and you've sure brought back tons of memories this morning, all good ones! Thanks for taking me back with the cornbread and the enameled pans, although my grandmother baked her cornbread in iron skillets.

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  3. I love, love, love War Eagle Mill! We always made a stop there when we went to Rogers to see Grandpa. I love their whole wheat flour. Even had a friend pick me up a small bag a couple of years ago on his motorcycle trip. It makes the best honey wheat bread!! Can't wait to visit again!

    Lisa in Fort Worth

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  4. I WOULD LOVE TO GO TO THAT OLD MILL. I LOVE CORNBREAD, I LIKE TO OUT A BOX OF PUDDING MIX INTO IT TO, THEN IT'S KIND OF LIKE CORNBREAD/CAKE...SO GOOD! :D

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  5. I love cornbread, but hubby likes the kind that is sort of like a cake in consistency. All I run into are recipes that make a dense bread. Do you happen to have a recipe that makes the cake-style cornbread?

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  6. Joycee, I just recently bought a beautiful cast iron pan, specifically for cornbread and my husband is in love. I was hoping you'd post your fav recipe for cornbread! Can we coax it out of you?? Your town looks beautiful. Oh, that mill. Nothing like that here. Go to Whole Foods. That's about it.
    BTW, I LOVE the music on your site. I always write down the artists. We are musical soul sisters!! :p)

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  7. Those baking trays are awesome! Love the design very much. Cool stuffs!

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