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Crenshaw County native Bonnie Holland has creativity coursing through her life. Now living just across the line in Pike County, Bonnie is a local who is treasured for her talents, ranging from her floral preservation business, to her sewing and her cooking.

"I really can’t imagine what peer pressure is. How boring to do what everyone else is doing! If God had wanted us all to be the same, He could have used one cookie cutter for us all. I’m glad He used a separate cookie cutter for me, and I’ve certainly lived that way," she says.

Stricken with polio as a young child, she thanks God for the illness that kept her still enough to cultivate both her handiwork talents and the patience and determination that drove her through years of therapy, eventually regaining the strength to walk. Perhaps most of all, Bonnie says she is thankful for a wonderful mother who pushed her to excel in life and refused to accept anything but her daughter’s best efforts.

"Mother didn’t know how to do many of the things I learned as a child, but she brought me books that taught me to work with my hands. I learned to crochet and sew and so many other skills from books she gave me; and as I read and practiced, I taught her what I learned. I wouldn’t trade those times with her for anything, and now I can see that even then God was preparing me for the work I would be doing later in life," Bonnie says.

She lived away from her home community for many years before returning to care for aging parents. "And I was so glad I did," says Bonnie. "I had had enough of city living."

In 1993, Bonnie began Nature’s Notables, her floral preservation business that creates lasting mementos of any occasion featuring fresh flowers. "Flowers are such an important part of so many aspects of our lives, and I’m proud to offer people a way to capture their significance."

Bonnie also creates and sells women’s dress pants she calls butterfly pants. "I found the pattern a friend and I created in the 70’s, and I was so excited when I came across it again. I use quality fabrics and stitching, and they are the most comfortable things to wear. I always warn people who buy them that once they have a pair, they’ll want to wear them all the time."

And just as impressive as her floral art and fashion sense is her culinary aptitude. "I didn’t really know how to cook when I left home. Mother always stressed education and learning, so I was never in the kitchen with her much. I had learned some baking from 4-H, but I guess I learned through osmosis from being brought up in a family of good cooks. I carried with me the memories of the wonderful food mother and both my grandmothers had always cooked, so I called to ask questions and experimented until I got the results I was after."

Bonnie has even created a cookbook that is part recipe collection and part pictorial history lesson of the Pike County property where she lives and works. Originally named Silverside Farm after his prized hogs, Representative Parke Thompson built the home and its outbuildings that are still admired by motorists traveling Alabama Highway 29.

Each of the recipes featured this month is taken from Bonnie’s Nature’s Notables Recipe Collection, which is dedicated to her mother, Margaret Ulm. Bonnie suggests Cornbread Salad as the perfect accompaniment to black eyed peas at any New Year’s Feast. And if a late New Year’s Day breakfast is on your calendar, Bonnie recommends Strawberry Soup for an elegant start.

Kellie Henderson is a freelance writer from Troy.

Poor Man’s Lobster

1 package crab boil
5 tablespoons salt
King Mackerel, cut into thick chunks
1 stick butter
3 lemons

Fill a large boiler with lid ½ full of water. Add crab boil and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Add fish and return to a boil. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and steep covered for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter and juice lemons. Drain and serve with butter and lemon.

Easy Sour Dough Bread

1 cup warm water
1 package yeast
3 tablespoons instant potatoes
½ cup oil, plus more for proofing
1 tablespoon salt
1½ cups warm water
½ cup sugar
6 cups bread flour

Whisk together 1 cup water with yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add next 5 ingredients and beat well. Add flour and continue beating until dough comes away from the sides of bowl. (Add more flour if needed). Oil top of dough and cover with plastic. Let rise

1 (12 oz) bottle Heinz Chili sauce
2/3 cup each chopped onion, bell pepper, black olives1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 (6 oz) can shrimp, drained
Crackers for serving

Spread cream cheese evenly over a large plate. Pour chili sauce over cream cheese. Sprinkle chopped vegetables over chili sauce and top with mozzarella and shrimp. Serve with crackers for dipping.

Jalapeno Fudge

1 pound grated Monterey Jack Cheese
1 ½ cups chopped seedless jalapeno peppers
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
5-6 eggs
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 small jar chopped pimento, drained

Lightly spray a 9”x13” glass baking dish. Layer Monterey Jack,

1 pan egg bread or 1 package Martha White Cotton Pickin’ Cornbread
Mix, prepared according to package directions
3 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
12 strips bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 cup chopped bell pepper
½ cup chopped sweet pickles, ¼ cup juice reserved
1 cup mayonnaise
Crumble cooled cornbread and divide in half.

Combine tomatoes, onion, bacon, bell pepper, and pickles and set aside.

Combine mayonnaise and pickle juice in a small bowl.
In a serving bowl, place half of cornbread in an even layer. Add half of tomato mixture and top with a layer of mayo mixture. Repeat layers. Serve chilled.

Pork Roast in Olive Gravy

jalapenos and cheddar into dish. Press down firmly to pack. Beat eggs well with nutmeg and pour carefully over layers. Sprinkle with pimentos for color. Bake uncovered in 400° oven for 30-40 minutes, until set. Remove from oven and let sit about 20 minutes before cutting into squares.

Strawberry Soup

2 (10 oz) packages frozen strawberries, thawed*
2 cups Burgundy
2 ½ cups water

1 uncooked pork roast
Worcestershire sauce
Garlic powder
Cloves
Sage
Chili powder
Salt
Pepper
Flour
Green onions
Green peppers
Sliced stuffed olives
Cornstarch and water for thickening

1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Whipping cream

     Combine strawberries and juice, Burgundy, water, cinnamon, and sugar in a deep non-reactive saucepan (mixture will discolor aluminum). Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

     Press strawberry mixture through a sieve and return to saucepan. Combine cornstarch with ¼ cup strawberry liquid; stir well. Bring remaining liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.

     Chill 6 to 8 hours. Drizzle in whipping cream and swirl with a knife for presentation. Serve chilled.

     *Raspberries may be substituted for strawberries.

Pancakes with Fruit Topping

     Wet roast with Worcestershire and rub with desired amount of seasonings. Roast in oven until thoroughly cooked.

     In a skillet, make a roux from the pan drippings and flour. Add green onions, peppers, and olives and cook until onion and pepper are wilted. Thicken with water and cornstarch if desired.

Anzaec Cookies
(from Australia)
1 cup plain flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut
4 ounces butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 tablespoon golden syrup*

Combine first three ingredients and set aside.

1 cup cream-style cottage cheese
6 eggs
½ cup sifted flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup oil
¼ cup milk

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend on high for 1 minute. Cook on a greased griddle. Pancakes will be thin.

Melt butter; add sugar, soda, water, and syrup. Pour into dry ingredients and mix well. Drop by teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet, making about 9 per sheet as cookies will spread a lot. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until golden in color. Using a spatula, remove from cookie sheet immediately and place on racks to cool. Store in cookie tin.

Bonnie recommends Blackburn’s or Alaga syrup.

Fruit Topping:

2 cups fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or peaches
¼ cup red currant or apple jelly
1 stick butter

Combine ingredients in a saucepan and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Spoon over pancakes.

Carrot Fudge

1½ cups grated carrots
3½ cups sugar
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
½ teaspoon lemon extract

Mix carrots, sugar, and milk in a saucepan; cook to softball stage. Remove from heat. Add lemon extract; mix well. Cool. Beat until creamy. Pour into a buttered pan; cool and cut into squares.