27 Oct 2013 'My favorite thing to do'
Story and photo
by Janna Virden
Six-year-old Allee Grace DuVall may be little, but she won big this year at the Conway County Fair held in September. She won Best of Show ribbons for the fudge she made for the Junior Baked Goods division and for her fern in the Junior Division of the Flower and Plants section.
Allee Grace is a kindergartener at Wonderview Elementary School in Hattieville and a member of the Regal Clover 4 H Club. Her parents are Brent and Shawna Duvall.
Living on a 100-acre farm in the Hattieville area has taught Allee Grace and her siblings, Emmy Lou and brother, Caul, that farm life is a fun life. Allee Grace’s mother said Allee Grace loves to play outside with all the animals on the farm, but she has been taught to help out with the daily chores of farm life as well. However, it is in the kitchen where you can find her learning the art of cooking good food. “It’s my favorite thing to do,” Allee Grace said.
Here are three of her favorite family recipes:
GIGI’S FAMOUS FUDGE
(Allee Grace learned this recipe from her Grandmother Gigi. It won the Best of Show at the Conway County Fair for the Junior Division.)
Mix in heavy two-quart saucepan:
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup Pet milk
12 regular marshmallows
1/2 cup of real butter
Dash of salt
Cook stirring constantly over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil and stir 5 minutes more. Take off the heat and stir in a 6-ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stir until completely melted. Stir in 1 cup of nuts (pecans) and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Spread the mixture in a buttered 8-inch pan. Cool and then cut.
DuVALL’S DELICIOUS DIVINITY
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 egg whites
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a two-quart saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup of water. Cook to a hard ball stage (260 degrees), stirring only until sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Gradually, pour syrup mixture over egg whites, beating at high speed with an electric mixer. Add vanilla and beat until candy holds its shape, 4 or 5 minutes. The candy will become stiff. Quickly drop by the teaspoonful on to wax paper.
HAWAIIAN BREAD DIP
8 oz. cream cheese
16 oz. sour cream
Small jar of Cheese Whiz
1/2 cup or more chopped green onions and tops
1 1/2 cups chopped ham
Mix all together. Cut off the top of one Hawaiian Bread round and hollow out the bread in big pieces. Fill the hollowed out round with the cheese mixture. Put the top back on the bread and bake on a cookie sheet at 325 degrees for one hour. During the last 15 minutes, put the bread pieces that were removed from the center of the round loaf in the oven to bake. Use those along with crackers for eating the dip.
