SEASONED SOUTHERN STYLE: A List of Basics From Mom's Kitchen Cupboards

 

I was checking my kitchen cupboards one day, making a list for the grocery, when I realized something was wrong. At first I didn't know what the problem was. Then I realized they didn't resemble Mom's--nor mine up to the early 90s--much at all. Yes, I do cook from scratch, but today's recipes call for items my mother would never have dreamed adding into her dishes. . .Recipes nowadays seem to call for so many ingredients that will only be used for that one dish. . .My shelves were full of items I knew I really didn't need. . .and most I did not want. . .You see, I have found that I am not a fan of many dishes that are different from the basics of Southern cooking. . .Although I do appreciate trying new ones whenever we eat out or by my own hand, I most often return to the foods I know so well. . .I don't search Pinterest for new recipes much anymore either because I have more than enough in my own collection from the family. . .tweaking them when necessary for my gluten free diet. . .

I thought about all this as I looked at those stuffed shelves while visualizing Mom's kitchen cupboards. . .She had less of them for one thing. . .Yet, none were stuffed full. . .All were well organized, too. . .Maybe I should follow her example? . .It would certainly be simpler. . .

I had to sit down and think about this. . .for a while. . .

So. . .what WAS in Mom's cupboards? Pretty basic stuff. . .however, she created absolutely delicious, nutritious and a wide variety of meals. . .True. . .most of our vegetables and fruits were home canned or frozen fresh. . .The meats came from the farm or the chickens in the backyard. . .Daddy fished all the time, so at least one meal a week was fried fish and hushpuppies. . .Cornmeal was about the only addition needed. . .but what else did we have in our cupboards? . .I began to make a list. . .and went beyond the cupboards. . .to add the refrigerator and freezer, too. 

MOTHER’S KITCHEN CUPBOARDS

Flour, Cornmeal, Oats, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Karo Syrup-Light, Cocoa, Unsweetened Chocolate, Salt, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Cream of Tartar, Vanilla Extract, Almond Extract, Vegetable Oil, Crisco, Cake Mixes

White Rice, Elbow Macaroni, Shell Macaroni, Spaghetti Noodles, Egg Noodles, Crackers, White Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes in season, Dried White Beans, Dried Pinto Beans

Pecans, Chocolate Chips, Raisins, Jello, Instant Puddings

Black Pepper, Bay Leaf, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Oregano, Thyme, Mustard Seed, Dry Mustard, Celery Seed, Allspice, Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger

Vinegar, Prepared Mustard, Ketchup, Salad Dressing/Mayo, Salad Dressings, Lemon Juice, Pancake Syrup, Sorghum Molasses, Worcestershire Sauce, A-1 Steak Sauce

Home Canned: Green Beans, Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Tomato Relish, Pickles, Chow-Chow, Kraut, Beets, Pickled Beets, Pears, Pickled Peaches, Pickled Okra, Hot Pepper Vinegar

Strawberry Jam, Blackberry Jam, Peach Jam, Pear Jam, Pear Butter, Apple Butter

Bought Canned Goods: English Peas, Green Beans, Whole Kernel Corn, Cream Style Corn, Pork and Beans, Mushrooms, Hominy, Tuna, Vienna Sausage, Salmon, Treat or Spam, Tomato Soup, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Cream of Chicken Soup, Vegetable Beef Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, Sliced Pineapple, Crushed Pineapple, Fruit Cocktail, Mandarin Oranges, Peaches, Flaked Coconut, Evaporated Milk, Sweetened Condensed Milk

 Coffee, Tea, Kool-Aid

Fridge: Milk, Buttermilk, Eggs, Butter, Parmesan Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, American Cheese, Onions, Celery, Green Pepper, Iceberg Lettuce, Cabbage, Carrots

Freezer: Meats: Beef, Pork, Chicken; Homemade Sausage and Bacon; Lake Fish; Cream Corn; Corn on the Cob; Okra; Eggplant; Yellow Squash; Purple Hull Peas; Baby Lima Beans; Green Peppers; Hot Peppers; Mustard Greens; Collard Greens; Turnips cooked with a hot pepper; Red Hot Fried Apples; Apples; Pears; Peaches; Strawberries; Wild Blackberries, Pecans, Ice Cream 

ONE MONTH LATER: I have thought about it long and hard. . .and made a commitment to returning these old farmhouse cupboards to those stocked pretty much as Mom's. . .and probably just in time since grocery shelves are becoming bare of anything but basics. . .I totally believe in the health benefits of cooking from scratch. . .eating fresh anything when available. . .reducing meal sizes back down to those portions of my childhood. . .not eating between meals. . .cutting down on sugars and all junk foods. . .and most of all, enjoying what is cooked, baked, or roasted with our own hands for the pleasure of it. . .While I admit that it does take a lot more time, work, and planning, the benefits I believe will be worth it. . .Let's see how it works this year. . .as we go. . .BACK TO BASICS. . .Mom's basics, that is. . .

Watch for More RECIPES in the coming year. . .

Historic District Recognized In Online Media

Well. . .John said from the beginning that our historic district would one day be on the map! . .But I wasn't sure I agreed. . .Many in Dell laughed. . .It takes a lot of promoting and work just to get the word out. . .which is one of the reasons I began the Country Farm Home and Duncan Farmstead blog. . .We have such a jewel of history and tradition here in Northeast Arkansas that I wanted to share with as many others throughout the country as I could. . .It was because of these blogs that I began getting calls from state agencies, AETN, magazines and newspapers, wanting to cover our story. . .And, on one surprising day, the editor of the nationally published Country Rustic called and asked me to write the farm stories for her magazine. . .It was only to be for a year. . .That was three years ago. . .and I have no plans to stop. . .D.J. loves the stories of our Delta farm area, and they have brought much interest in the way of life here with her readers. . .

Recently I found by accident that we are now in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas! We are officially recognized as a part of Arkansas history now!

In case you are not familiar with the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, it is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. Text entries. . .media galleries. . .places. . .events. . .legends. . .and lore of the 25th state are covered in encyclopedia style. What an honor to be among those! 

WIDNER-MAGERS HISTORIC DISTRICT-ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ARKANSAS 

DELL, AR--EofA--WMFHD MENTIONED 

I decided to search the Widner-Magers Farm Historic District further. I often did this in the past to see if anyone was talking about us, but I have not in several years. Low and behold, there we were on Wikipedia! And sure enough, they marked us on a map! . .John's prediction come true. . .

CHECK IT OUT AT:

 WIDNER-MAGERS FARM ON WIKIPEDIA

Never say "never" folks! . .I have been constantly amazed over the years at the blessings, honors, and interests that have fallen upon us with our sixteen year farm history project. . .It has been the building of a legacy for our Delta area where I had heard for years there was no history at all. . .Wrong. . .There is rich history here. . .and we continue to preserve it. . .We have in no way quit gathering artifacts, farm items and equipment, family genealogy collections, books, research, etc. . .Donations are still gladly accepted and will remain at the historic district long after we are gone. . .That's what a legacy is all about. . .

If you have items or family history you would like to make a part of this ongoing project, we will gladly accept them and enter them into the inventory with your name and a little about it. . .Don't let our history disappear. . .Be a part of the the national exposure that has put us "on the map."

And thank you again to all who have donated and/or helped in some way. . .Dell area history will live on because of you. . .

Farmstead Newsletter January 2009

In 2008, I simply ran out of time to get a NEWSLETTER off to everyone before Christmas. . .Then we had a major ice storm that lasted almost two weeks. . .so, most of this newsletter is actually from 2008. . .This is the last in the series of three. . .It was in 2009 that I earnestly started the DUNCAN FARMSTEAD WEBSITE as well as two blogs: THE COUNTRY FARM HOME and DUNCAN FARMSTEAD. . .a year later I added OUR OLD COUNTRY STORE.
 

Click on the Image To Enlarge

READ NEWSLETTER JULY 2007 HERE

 

 

 

Farmstead Newsletter December 2007

 

Here's the second NEWSLETTER in the series. . .This Christmas was my all time favorite. . .We spent a lot of time preparing and setting up the life-sized Nativity. . .The poem was a lot of fun to write, too. . .Hope you enjoy it!

READ JULY 2007 HERE 

 

Farmstead Newletter July 2007

We began with only four buildings. . .2004

Before the blogs. . .before the farmstead websites. . .I sent out newsletters with stories and information about the activities and renovations going on at the farm. . .It's hard to remember when everything wasn't done online. . .We have all come to depend on social media and other connections via our cell phone or computer. . .

The thing I love about the 'old-fashioned' way of communicating is the truly personal touch and the fact that I can find a newsletter in a moment and hold it in my hand. . .I do have four blogs and two websites that I have used to spread our news globally, and it's been a good thing. . .but I still love holding an actual document in my hand.

Here is the first of three newsletters to share with you. . .from July 2007. . .They are in JPEG form. . .

 

 

An Album of Renovations And Farm Living in 2006

I have a dear friend in Oklahoma who is so interested in our farmstead and what we are doing that Christmas 2006 I made this album for her. . .I had forgotten just how much we did those first few years, it was a treat for me when I found these photographs of her album. . .Just recently, she asked for another with the farmstead as it is now. . .Maybe I'll get it done by Christmas?

Anyway. . .I thought you might like to see how hectic and rewarding our farm was in 2006.

Enjoy!

Letter Update: Widner-Magers Farm Historic District

Happy 2019 Everyone!

Perhaps because we were raised in a farming community, we don't realize how many people dream of walking into a farm setting as it was almost a century ago, when agriculture was the heartbeat of our nation and folks had the opportunity to own and till their own land.  Besides renovating a total of ten vintage buildings and constructing six more, for the last ten years we have played host to those who fantasize about what they believed was a simpler life. We gave them a little taste of Delta farm life by donning costumes and speaking the language of the 1930s. They have come by bus loads--from as far away as New Jersey--by car and truck, and by bikes on a hot Sunday afternoon. We have also played host to those who have returned to the area for a visit, to reminisce about those 'good ole days.'  We have hosted weddings in front of the old barn. Organizations, various Chambers of Commerce in several towns, church and school groups have visited to find out just what a living history museum is all about. They have washed clothes with a rub board, played games of the 1930s, and had picnics with food from that era. They have picked sacks full of cotton and toted them to the company store for payment in pennies—pennies usually spent on candy inside the store. They have played storekeeper, postmaster, and landowner. Folk crafts have had their hands weaving rag rugs and making brooms. Hopefully, everyone went away with a better understanding about our Delta farming history. Unfortunately, in 2017 we had to stop giving public tours due to a huge increase in liability insurance and government rulings on public places. But, we do still give a few private tours and we always enjoy people stopping by and sharing their history with us.

We have also taken our Delta history on the road and continue to do so. We have taught workshops in rag rug weaving, broom making, Native American herbs, open fire cooking, and other crafts at Arkansas  Parks, particularly  at Parkin Archeological State Park. We have taught workshops for Arkansas Northeastern College. One year the youth from an ANC summer program came to the farm, learning the how-tos of making movies. John has participated in digs with the Arkansas Archeology Department of the University of Arkansas. He has also been a member of their organization. We participated in the Delta Made Products for several years. The Widner-Magers Farm Historic District has been a member of the Association of Living History, Farm and Agriculture Museums for fourteen years, an organization where we were able to share a little of our Southern history.  Our barns were featured in the AETN production Back Road Barns in 2016. We have appeared in numerous issues of Delta Crossroads magazine and Arkansas Living. The old grocery store was the location for the cover of Joe Chipman's CD Keeping It Delta. And you may have seen several billboards from that same store porch.

The groups visiting our farm have been many but we have reached larger numbers of people through our four blogs. Since 2017, I have concentrated on getting our Delta story out through them. The Country Farm Home has had several million people visit since its start. It has also been awarded one of the Top Fifty Farmhouse Blogs in the country.  The Duncan Farmstead blog is running close behind it. It is the place where I sneak in history with present day happenings at the farm. From Our Old Country Store blog, we have filled orders for John's Rag Rug Looms, which have been shipped all over the world--to such places as England, Canada, Italy, Australia, and Africa. In fact, in Nigeria, the ladies have built a cottage industry with their rugs made on John's looms. I also share other folk crafts at this site, and we periodically sell other items.

Dell, Arkansas is our fourth blog. There is probably more interest at that site from all over the USA than there is locally--from people whose families once lived here.  Little by little, I share stories and information about our unique little community’s past history. All through the years, I have continued my research and collecting of information but have had little time to share even a small part of what I have.

Well, I guess you get the picture by now. We've been busy. After all, there are only two of us and John has retired three times now! Most of all we have represented your heritage locally, nationally, and internationally.

Now we are beginning a new phase, the last of our mission and in preparation and anticipation of turning the farmstead over to the state or an organization with the same vision that we have had.  There is a lot of work ahead. It won't happen overnight. It's been through the kindness and interest of others who have donated to our project that has insured that the history of Dell and the surrounding communities will never be lost. We intend to make sure of that.

I have another project going on, too. In 2018, I began writing our Delta stories for the national magazine Country Rustic. The stories have been quite a hit. I will continue to write again this year, plus our farm will be featured in each issue for a year beginning in the Fall of 2019. This is a wonderful opportunity, along with the blogs and workshops, to inform more readers all over the country about our rich history. Cotton has become a huge farmhouse decorating element and people want to know more about the farms that produced it.

So as you see, we are not quitting. We are just slowing down a bit. There is plenty more to do. And, we will continue to collect and keep any history of the area, family histories, and donations. Each will be documented and kept safe here at the Historic District.

We both want to thank every one of you for your support, interest and donations through the years. Hopefully, the future will be just as fruitful. We moved back from Virginia to preserve the community’s heritage and we will continue to work to that end. . .

Thanks again!

Dru and John

The Mission of the Widner-Magers Farm Historic District is to promote and celebrate the unique agricultural experience of the Mississippi Delta in Northeast Arkansas, through the research and preservation of the farm buildings and early 20^th century farm life; and to provide educational opportunities to experience 20^th century farm life and folk culture.  

Websites and Blogs

widner-magers.org

https://duncanfarmstead.blogspot.com/

http://dellarkansas.blogspot.com/

https://thecountryfarmhome.blogspot.com/

https://ouroldcountrystore.blogspot.com/ 

http://stegenevievejournal.blogspot.com/ (new)