My mom was a great cook. She had to quit school and never really learned to read. One day I asked her how she knew so many recipes. She told me that her dad worked on the railroad and the family traveled a lot when she was young. Since she was the oldest daughter and her mother was busy with all her little siblings, she was to assist the cooks at the different locations stayed at. Therefore she learned to cook meals from cooks all over the country.
Anyway, she was always cooking and no one could stop in without her preparing one of her great meals.
When I was a kid, it was a habit for folks to just stop by to visit, especially family and Ma would jump up and start cooking right away. Now, if she knew you were coming, she would plan and prepare a meal, like fried chicken, mash potatoes, salads and desserts of course, but if she did not know that you were coming it would not stop her from preparing a meal.
Her good old stand-by was Hamburger Gravy, Fried Potatoes and Onions, canned beans, vegetables and fruits, biscuits or tortillas. All on the table in less than 1 hour and she still managed to visit with her guests while cooking.
Even long after her death people would talk about my mom's unexpected meals and how fast she could prepare them. "Boy, your mom could cook. No matter when you stopped in, she would throw together a 7 course meal." And everyone loved her Unexpected Meal of Hamburger Gravy and Fried Potatoes.!
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