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Nellie Cook of Crenshaw County loves cooking so much she made a twenty-five-year career of it.

"I cooked in Brantley schools for 25 years," says Cook. "I love to cook, and I love children, and that’s what kept me there so long. Back then people either went to the factories or went to college when they finished school. I didn’t have the money for college, and working in the lunchroom was a good job. I got to be with the students, had summers off, and was able to get good health insurance for my husband and myself. The older we get, the more important that insurance becomes," she says.

Nellie says she grew up in Crenshaw County and on a farm, so she knew the kind of life she was in for when she married Cullen Cook, a farm boy she met when they were both students in Brantley.

"We both grew up on a farm, and we were both born and raised in Crenshaw County. We bought our farm in 1953 and built our home on the farm the same year. We didn’t inherit the place and we worked hard for it, but it was exciting because it was our own. We’ve lived here ever since," Nellie says.

And even though Mr. Cook has retired from farming, Nellie says they wouldn’t dream of leaving the farm. "No, I don’t want to live in town. We need wide open spaces and lots of fresh air," she says.

The two of them still have a few cows on their place in the Spring Hill Community, so they still make their way to Luverne Cooperative Services to pick up feed and other supplies.

"Cullen was on the Co-op Board for years, and even though he’s retired, we still do business with our Co-op. We need it here in Crenshaw County. The manager Perry Catrett does a good job, and Ernie Fleming still comes by to see us sometimes. He’s a fine person," says Nellie.

The Cooks have been married for 61 years, and Nellie still cooks lunch for the two of them everyday.

"I really think people learn to cook by just doing it, and a lot of what I cook is from old recipes where you had to figure things out as you went along. We didn’t get electricity until about 1946. I grew up with a wood stove, and the first stove I had after we got married was wood burning. I remember the first electric stove I had, and I remember the first electric iron and refrigerator, and best of all the washing machine. Yes, the day we got electricity was a good day," she says.

Cook also says she enjoys seeing the former students she cooked for all those years. "I got to know some of them really well, including some things about them they wouldn’t want me to tell," she jokes. "They still love me and hug my neck when I see them."

Nellie shares with us some of her favorite recipes and some from her family.

"Indian Stew is my sister’s recipe, and my husband’s mother made a Prince of Wales Cake every Christmas," Nellie says.

Also included is her original recipe for Quick and Easy Salmon Patties.

"I’ve always loved to cook, and I still do," she says.

SPEED-EASY YEAST ROLLS

1 package yeast
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
¼ cup warm water
1 egg
½ cup sweet milk
2 tablespoons shortening
2 ½ cups self-rising flour, plus more for kneading
Butter or margarine, melted

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Beat egg and add to milk. Add yeast mixture to milk and egg and mix.

Cut shortening into flour. Add liquid and form a soft dough. Knead gently on a well-floured surface. Form dough into balls ¾" in diameter. Place 3 balls in each greased muffin cup. Brush generously with melted butter or margarine. Cover with a towel and allow to rise 2-4 hours at room temperature until about doubled in size. Bake at 400^o for 10-15 minutes.

QUICK CHICKEN PIE

1 (2 ½ - 3 pound) fryer, boiled until tender
2 boiled eggs, sliced
2 cups chicken broth
1 (10 ¾ oz) can cream of chicken soup

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

½ cup butter
½ cup vegetable shortening
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup buttermilk

Filling: 1 ½ squares baking chocolate
1 (8 oz) cream cheese
1 box powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Cream together butter, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add dry ingredients and buttermilk and mix. Pour into greased tube or bundt pan. Bake at 325^o until cake tests done with a toothpick.

For filling, melt chocolate and allow to cool almost to room temperature. Beat together chocolate, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Spread over cooled cake.

BROWNIES

1 cup self-rising flour
1 stick margarine, softened
1 cup milk

Remove chicken from the bones and cut into small pieces. Place meat in bottom of a 2 ½ quart baking dish. Place sliced egg over chicken. Mix broth and soup until smooth and pour over chicken and eggs.

In a mixing bowl, cut margarine into flour. Mix in milk and pour over other ingredients. Bake at 350^o for 30 minutes or until crust comes to the top and is browned. Makes 8 servings.

INDIAN STEW

½ cup cocoa
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups nuts, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting: ½ cup butter
30 marshmallows
Milk
1 box powdered sugar
½ cup cocoa

1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 (10 ¾ oz) can tomato soup
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn
1 (15 oz) can tomatoes
½ can water
2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients for brownies. Spread into 3 round non-stick cake pans coated lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350^o for 30-40 minutes.

For filling, melt butter and marshmallows together with a little milk. Add sugar and cocoa and beat. Let brownies cool slightly before spreading with frosting.

Prince of Wales Cake

Light Layers: 3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup milk

In a large pot, brown ground beef with pepper and onion. Drain; add flour and cook over medium heat until thickened. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat. Simmer 40 minutes.

QUICK AND EAST SALMON PATTIES

1 (15 ½ oz) can pink salmon
1 egg
1/3 cup onion, minced
½ cup flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ cups vegetable shortening

Drain salmon, reserving 2 tablespoons of liquid. In a mixing bowl, mix salmon, egg, and onion until sticky. Stir in flour, baking powder, and reserved liquid. Form into small patties.

Fry in hot (about 375^o) shortening 5 minutes or until golden brown.

BUTTERMILK

1 1/3 cups instant milk
3 cups water
½ cup fresh buttermilk

In a large bowl mix instant milk and water. Stir in fresh buttermilk. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let stand at room temperature until clabbered (overnight). Stir until smooth and refrigerate. You can use this buttermilk to start more.

BUTTERMILK PIE

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups buttermilk
½ cup melted butter
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt
10" deep-dish pie crust

Partially pre-bake pie crust, but do not let it brown.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar together. Add buttermilk. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Pour into crust. Bake 10 minutes at 350^o then reduce heat to 300^o and continue baking 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Pie will be golden brown.

BUTTERMILK POUND CAKE

2 sticks butter
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
2 ½ cups sugar
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon soda
1/3 cup buttermilk

Cream together butter, shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add flour with soda and buttermilk and mix thoroughly. Pour into a greased tube or bundt pan. Bake at 325^o until cake tests done with a toothpick.

Dark Layers: 3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter
½ cup milk
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon thick syrup
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup nuts, finely chopped

Filling: 3 cups sugar
1 ½ cups sweet cream
½ cup butter

For light layers, combine all ingredients by hand and divide batter between two round cake pans coated with non-stick spray. Bake at 350^o until cake tests done with a toothpick.

For dark layers, combine all ingredients by hand and divide batter between two round cake pans coated with non-stick spray. Bake at 350^o until cake tests done with a toothpick. Dark layers will be thicker than the light.

For filling, in a saucepan cook sugar and cream over medium heat just until thick. Do not overcook. Add butter and beat until creamy.

To assemble, arrange dark and light layers alternately, beginning with a dark layer for the base. Spread filling between layers and over top and sides of cooled cake.