Mom in the Kitchen

By Don Bingham

What would we do without “Mom in the kitchen!” Our entire family communications system has been structured around the dining room table and all things related to great home-cooked meals.

To this day, our mom still cooks Sunday lunch for all 14 of us – now that there are spouses and grandchildren. Rising early in plenty of time to prepare the meal, she still teaches a children’s Sunday school class and attends worship services. Still, the Sunday menu is never the same – and there’s something for everyone’s diet! By Don Bingham

What would we do without “Mom in the kitchen!” Our entire family communications system has been structured around the dining room table and all things related to great home-cooked meals.

To accommodate Sunday lunch crowds, one son-in-law built a pine table re-enforced with steel supports that is large enough to seat the 14 family members – all at the same table!

Nancy Bingham – husband of Don Bingham, mother of Jennifer Newton, Jill McCollum, Janna Williams, Jessica Faulkner and Joseph Bingham – is no stranger to the culinary arts. From co-authoring two cookbooks and sharing the stove for seven years in “restaurant life” to attending many national chef conventions and professional cooking classes, Nancy has an exquisite range of culinary talents.

Here are some thoughts from her children:

“I call Mom almost daily to ask advice for cooking situations that arise in my professional chef career and catering.” – Jill McCollum, chef, caterer and food service director at Central Baptist College.
“Whenever I need a recipe and call Dad, he always says, ‘I cook it this way, but Mom cooks it best’ and passes the phone to Mom. Just this morning, my son, Cain, asked me to cook his ‘Nana’s mini-pecan pies.’ My mother-in-law is a great cook and yet there is no one who cooks like your mom.” – Jennifer Newton, homemaker and mother of three boys.
“One of my favorite recipes of Mom’s was the cookie that she always did as our room mother for elementary school days. It has become a staple for my family and the tradition is being passed down. The memories are wonderful of cooking and decorating holiday cookies with the recipe from a Chattanooga, Tenn., cookbook that Mom adapted for us.” – Janna Williams, media and special projects manager for Arkansas Found for Medical Care.
“Whenever we go to Mom and Dad’s for meals, I can always count on Mom having something for a healthy alternative. There is always someone on a diet – even Dad! My husband is smitten with her friend chicken.” – Jessica Faulkner, marketing coordinator at McClellands Consulting Engineers, Little Rock.
“Whenever I was badly in need of a home-cooked meal, Mom always had a full buffet of things to eat. To this day, her pot roast is one of my favorites.” – Joseph Bingham, Conway Corp. His wife, Carrie, weighed in with, “I have loved coming over and being involved with the ‘scratch’ learning of cooking during those ‘young-married days’ of learning my way around the kitchen.”

Nancy is always incorporating parts of her heritage with warmth and grace in hospitality. From her mother-in-law’s hand-painted china sets to damask napkins and cutwork tablecloths from her mom and grandmother, she brings her zest for life to the table and the recipe collection is endless.

To celebrate spring and the delight of continuing the tradition of taking time for “tea and encouragement,” Nancy recently invited all her Sunday school class with their parents to a morning “tea and scones” party. Each child was seated with a parent and presented with tea “London-Ritz” style – all served with hand-painted china.

Admittedly, many of the young men in the class opted for a Coke but certainly they did not turn down the variety of delicate items on the stacking butler services.

The menu consisted of Watercress and Cucumber Sandwiches, Cream Cheese and Pineapple on Raisin Walnut Bread, Turkey and Provolone on Buttermilk Bread, sandwiches, petite fours, decorated butter cookies, sour cream scones with strawberry freezer jam and Earl Grey Tea. Here are the recipe highlights:

Edinburgh Tearoom Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
½ cup buttermilk
1 large egg
½ cup golden or dark raisins (optional)
Milk
Granulated sugar

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt into a large bowl. Stir to blend.
Add butter or margarine and cut in with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture forms find crumbs. Mix in raisins with a fork.

Measure buttermilk into a 1-cup measure and beat egg into it. Add to flour mixture all at once. Mix with a fork just until mixture clings together.

Form the dough into a ball, turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth, not more than five turns of the dough.

Roll out dough ½-inch thick and cut out with a 2-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour. Put scraps together and cut out. Place on a baking sheet about 1-inch apart.

Brush tops of scones lightly with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 2 dozen.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

2 cups crushed fresh strawberries
4 cups sugar
1 (1.75 ounce) package dry pectin
¾ cup water

Mix crushed strawberries with sugar and let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the pectin into the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 1 minute. Stir the boiling water into the strawberries. Allow to stand for 3 minutes before pouring into jars or other storage containers.

Place tops on the containers and leave for 24 hours. Place into freezer and store frozen until ready to use.

Sugar Cookies

2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick)
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon lemon flavoring

Let the butter soften so it can be worked by hand. Beat egg in mixer and set aside until the flour, baking powder and salt are sifted. Add sugar and butter, egg and flavoring. Mix well in a large bowl with the hand until the flour is taken up. Place on lightly floured board. Roll 1/8-inch thick. Cut in various shapes and add sugar or Christmas decorations to the tops.

Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 375 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. This makes 3 dozen and they will stay thin and crispy in a canister.