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Like a certain piece of farm land or a particular tractor is the community hallmark of a local farmer, Alice Gregg of Hamilton is known for her peanut brittle.

“People always think I have a secret behind it, but it’s really just a good recipe, and I spread it as thin as I can,” says Alice.

Alice grew up on a farm in Morgan County and says her farm life helped her learn to cook.

“Mama let us cook a lot because she liked outside work. I had four sisters and a brother, so there was lots of cooking to be done. Of course, there was always lots of work to be done period. She’d put us girls in the kitchen, but we drove the tractor some, too,” she says.

Alice’s father grew cotton and hay and had cattle and hogs on the land she calls her Granddaddy’s home place. And while Alice may have moved away from Morgan County, she still has a special place in her heart for the land that hosted her childhood.

“The land is still in the family, and one of the granddaughters restored the old house. We’re all really proud of it, and we have two family reunions there a year. I’m really sentimental about things like that,” Alice laughed.

When she was just seventeen, Alice left that farm in Morgan County for an opportunity to begin her college education. After getting on and off a series of buses, she arrived at Auburn University.

“I’d never seen that campus until I got off the bus that day, and I was a very shy girl, but I really don’t remember being scared or nervous at all,” she says. “Your parents expect you to do something, and you just do it without really thinking about it, I guess. I’ve always been grateful to Mama and Daddy for giving me that push.”

After she earned her degree in Home Demonstration from Auburn in 1946, Alice went on to work for the Cooperative Extension Service. It was during her work for the Limestone County Extension office that she met her husband, H. T. “Bud” Gregg.

“I was working an Extension service program, and we were introduced by a mutual friend. That was the beginning of the end,” she joked. “We were married in August of 1949, and I left the extension service and moved to Hamilton with Bud.”

The two of them have three sons and two daughters, and Alice is very proud of the fact she raised her children on the farm.

“My children always had to work. We wanted them to realize that’s what you do to get money,” she said.

Alice and Bud are also very proud of their local Farmer’s Co-op. Bud is a retired AFC Board member, and still serves on their local board. Alice says she and Bud enjoy meeting people through their AFC affiliation and shopping at their local store.

“Everything they sell, we buy it there. We know all the Co-op’s employees, and they’re all really helpful,” Alice said.

In addition to her widely-loved Peanut Brittle, Alice’s recipes also include some remnants from her days with the Extension Service and even her prize-winning recipe for Pork Cake. And alongside these tried and true favorites, Alice offers her new recipe for Cranberry Casserole.

“It’s just something different,” she says.

And from the Co-op Pantry, may one of Alice’s recipes be the something different at your next special gathering.

Kellie Henderson is a freelance writer from Troy.

Best Ever Chicken Salad

5 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 tablespoons salad oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups regular rice
1- ½ cups small seedless grapes
1- ½ cups sliced celery
1 (15 ¼ oz) can pineapple chunks, drained
1 (11 oz) can mandarin orange sections, drained
1 cup toasted slivered almonds
½ cup mayonnaise

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; let stand about 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Add remaining ingredients, and toss gently. Yields 10-12 servings.

Cranberry Casserole

2 cups fresh cranberries
2 cups unpeeled chopped apples
¾ cup sugar
1 cup quick-cook oats
½ cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 stick butter

Combine first three ingredients and place in the bottom of a greased 9”x13” baking dish. Combine oats, nuts, flour, and brown sugar and sprinkle over fruit mixture. Top with thin pats of butter. Bake at 325° for 1 hour.

Date-Pecan Roll

3 cups sugar
1 cup milk
6 candied cherries
1 (8 oz) package chopped dates
1 Tablespoon oleo
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine sugar and milk in a saucepan and stir until sugar begins to dissolve. Cook over medium heat until it boils, stirring only until sugar has dissolved. Stir in cherries and dates, turn heat to low, and boil slowly until a small amount forms a soft ball when dropped in cold water, or the temperature reaches 238° Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat. Set saucepan in a pan of cold water. When nearly cool, add oleo. Beat until thick. Add nuts and stir until evenly distributed. Pour on a dampened cloth and shape into a long roll about 1 to 1- ½ inches thick. Wrap in cloth and chill until cold. Slice and pack in covered container.

Peanut Brittle

2 cups sugar
¼ cup water
¾ cup light corn syrup
pinch of salt
3 cups raw peanuts
3 teaspoons baking soda

Mix sugar, water, syrup, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil; add peanuts. Cook over high heat until peanuts begin to pop and appear to scorch, stirring continuously. Cook a little longer, then remove from heat and add soda.

Working quickly, pour candy onto a greased heat-proof surface. Spread thinly with a spatula over prepared surface. Cool, then break into pieces of desired size.

Green Bean Salad

2 #2 cans whole green beans, drained
1 #2 can English peas, drained
½ cup stuffed olives, sliced
¼ pound blanched, sliced almonds
4 cups celery, cut into matchsticks
4 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 small bunch green onions, cut fine (optional)

Dressing:
2 cups salad oil
½ cup vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¾ teaspoon paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1- ½ lemons
juice of 1- ½ oranges
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon mustard

Gently toss together vegetables, almonds, and olives in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Marinate salad overnight in 1- ½ cups dressing. Drain before serving. Will keep several days after it’s marinated.

Pineapple Casserole

1- ¼ cups sugar
5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large cans pineapple chunks
1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese
2 sleeves buttery round crackers, crumbled
1 stick butter, melted

Combine flour and sugar; stir in pineapple and its juice. Pour into a 9”x13” dish and cover with cheese, crackers, and melted butter. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.

Mississippi Cornbread Salad

1 (8- ½ oz) package cornbread mix, prepared according to package directions (or your recipe for 1 (8 inch) square pan of cornbread
1 (1 oz) envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
3 large tomatoes, chopped
½ cup each chopped red and green bell pepper
½ cup chopped green onions
2 (16 oz) cans pinto beans, drained
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
10 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
2 (15- ¼ oz) cans whole kernel corn, drained

Allow prepared cornbread to cool completely. Stir together dressing mix, sour cream, and mayonnaise until completely blended. Set aside. Gently toss together tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Set aside.

Crumble one half of the cornbread into a trifle bowl or large salad bowl. Top with half each of beans, tomato mixture, cheese, bacon, corn, and dressing. Repeat layers. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours before serving.

Easy Lasagna

1 pound ground beef
3- ½ cups (32 oz jar) thick spaghetti sauce
1 -½ cups water
2 cups (15 oz container) ricotta or small-curd cottage cheese
3 cups (12 oz) shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
½ cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
8 ounces uncooked lasagna

Brown beef in a 3 quart saucepan. Drain excess fat. Add sauce and water to beef and simmer 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients (except pasta) for filling. Pour about 1 cup meat sauce in the bottom of a 9”x13” pan. Layer 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna over sauce; cover with about 1 ½ cups sauce. Spread half of cheese mixture over sauce. Repeat layers of pasta, sauce, and filling. Top with lasagna and remaining sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350° for 55 to 60 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more. Allow to stand about 10 minutes before cutting for easier handling.

Pork Cake

1 pound ground pork or sausage, uncooked
1- ½ cups brown sugar
1- ½ cups white sugar
2 eggs
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cold, strong coffee
1 cup raisins, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped nuts

Thoroughly mix meat and sugars; add eggs and beat well. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with coffee, beating well after each addition. Add nuts and raisins. Spread batter evenly into a Bundt pan coated with Pam. Bake at 350° for 1- ½ hours or until done. Cool in pan 15 minutes before turning out.

Sugarless Cookies

3 ripe bananas
1/3 cup oil
1 cup chopped raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups rolled oats
½ teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Let stand a few minutes so the oats absorb the moisture. Drop by teaspoons on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Loosen with a spatula and cool. Makes about 2 dozen.
(Each cookie has 90 calories and for a diabetic would count 25 – 1 fruit exchange and 1 fat exchange. To chop raisins, use scissors dipped in very hot water.)