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Shelia Richardson always thought of herself as a city girl, and even though she grew up in the small town of Centre in Cherokee County. She says she really knew nothing about farm life until she married her husband, Hank.

"We met on a blind date. I went to church with a lady who worked at Hank’s family’s greenhouse business, and she matched us up. When we got married and I moved to the country, I didn’t know what had happened to me," Shelia says. And she adds that farm living wasn’t the only new experience for her.

"I didn’t know how to cook anything, not even how to make tea. My mother had done all the cooking when I was growing up and I always was too busy going in different directions to pay much attention to what was happening in the kitchen," she says.

Shelia admits she was also a little intimidated by her mother-in-law’s reputation as a fabulous cook. "Hank’s mother was such a wonderful cook. She would make lunch for Hank and his Daddy and brothers every day. And I don’t mean something from the fridge. She’d have them a full meal with dessert and everything, everyday. I even told him I wouldn’t mind if he kept going to his Mama’s for lunch, but he said he was coming home. I felt kind of bad only handing him a sandwich," she says.

Shelia also credits her mother-in-law with teaching her to cook. "Just being around her was really how I developed a passion for cooking. At family get-togethers, she’d always bring the most wonderful food, and she was so good about talking with me about the things she made. If anybody taught me how to cook, it was her," Shelia says.

Shelia also says her first kitchen attempts weren’t always successful. "I remember the first time I fried chicken for Hank. It was so pretty and golden, and I thought I had done alright. Then we sat down to eat, and it was very pink inside. I really think he would have eaten it to keep from hurting my feelings if I hadn’t taken it away from him," she says.

Shelia says she doesn’t consider herself a great cook, but someone who loves to try. She enjoys making her dishes delicious for the eyes as well. "I love the fun of an interesting presentation. If you have or can find great pieces for serving, use them. Don’t just put them up in the cabinet," she advises.

One of Shelia’s favorite presentations is setting her table for her family. "When my grandchildren come through the door, their eyes go to the table. I can see that touch of disappointment if there’s no food there, and I can see how happy they are when I’ve got something fixed for them," she says.

Shelia loves recipes and cherishes the stacks of her mother-in-law’s cookbooks with the handwritten notes in them. Shelia even made a cookbook of her favorite recipes that she presented to her own daughters-in-law. Shelia has created some successful recipes of her own that have taken top honors at the Cherokee County Heritage Cooking Contest three different years.

"People would tell me Hank’s mama would be so proud, and I really look at those awards as my opportunity to honor her as the inspirational cook she was," says Shelia.

Shelia’s recipes for Tropical Blend Pork Chops, Sweet and Tangy Meatballs, and Cheezy Chicken all won her first place in the Cherokee County Heritage Cooking Contest, and she also shares some recipes that her mother-in-law gave her and she in turn passed along to her daughters-in-law.

Cheezy Chicken

4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups seasoned croutons
2 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped onion
1 (8 ounce) package grated Swiss
cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
¼ cup milk
½ cup sour cream
Slivered almonds

In a large bowl, combine chicken, croutons blended with melted butter, celery, onion, and cheese. In a separate bowl, combine soups, milk and sour cream. Add to chicken mixture. Mix well.

Put in a 2-quart casserole dish and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes. Just before serving sprinkle with toasted slivered almond.

Barbecue Sausage Bites

1 package (1 pound) miniature smoked
sausage links
3/4 pound fully cooked bratwurst links,
cut into 1/2 inch slices
3/4 pound fully cooked Polish sausage,
cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 bottle (18 ounces) barbecue sauce
2/3 cup orange marmalade
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained

In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the sausages. In a small bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, marmalade, mustard, allspice, and lemon juice. Pour over sausage mixture; stir to coat. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or until heated through. Stir in pineapple. Serve with toothpicks.

Tropical Blend Pork Chops

½ cup Zesty Italian salad dressing
¼ cup pineapple nectar
¼ cup apricot nectar
1 tablespoon orange juice
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
6 boneless pork loin chops
Slices of fresh pineapple

In a large dish, combine dressing, nectars, juice, sugar, and soy sauce. Add chops, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally. Remove chops and bring marinade to a boil in a saucepot.

Grill chops and pineapple, basting with marinade until done. Bring any remaining marinade to a boil once more and serve over chops.

Sweet and Tangy Meatballs

2 eggs
1 cup crushed saltine crackers
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon chili powder
3 pounds ground beef

Sauce:
2 cups ketchup
1- ½ cups brown sugar
½ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder

In a large bowl beat eggs; Add crackers, oats, milk, onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder. Add ground beef and mix well. Shape into 1 ½ inch balls. Place in 2 13”x9” baking pans. Bake uncovered at 375° for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drain.

Place all meatballs in one pan. In a saucepan bring all sauce ingredients to a boil. Pour over meatballs. Return to the oven and bake 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

Sausage Wontons

1 (12 oz) package round wonton wrappers
1 pound bulk pork sausage
2 cups shredded Colby cheese
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green onions
½ cup ranch salad dressing

Lightly press wonton wrappers onto the bottom and sides of greased miniature muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until edges are brown.

In a large skillet cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in cheese, peppers, onions, and dressing. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of sausage mixture into each wonton cup. Bake 6-7 minutes more. Yields 4 dozen.

Fruity Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup mayonnaise
1 (4 ounce) container peach yogurt
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 (20 oz) can chunk pineapple, drained
1/3 cup maraschino cherries
2 large firm bananas, sliced
1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 (15 ½ oz) can tropical fruit salad,
drained
½ cup flaked coconut
1 cup cashew halves
Salad greens (optional)

Place chicken and celery in a large bowl. Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, and paprika. Add to chicken mixture and mix well. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Before serving, add fruits and toss lightly. Serve over salad greens if desired. Sprinkle with cashew halves.

French Fried Okra

1 pound okra
½ teaspoon salt
1- ½ cups buttermilk
2 cups self-rising flour
Vegetable oil for frying

Wash okra and drain well. Remove tip and stem ends and cut into 1” slices into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt, add buttermilk and stir to coat well. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain okra well and dredge in flour.

In hot oil (375°) deep fry okra in small batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

Apple Salad

1 large can crushed pineapple
5 apples, chopped into cubes
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
½ stick butter
Chopped walnuts
1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping

In a medium saucepan, cook pineapple, sugar, flour, and butter until slightly thickened. Allow mixture to cool, then transfer to a serving bowl. Add apples and chill. Top with whipped topping and sprinkle heavily with chopped walnuts before serving.

Easy Lemon Pie

½ cup lemon juice
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
½ container (4 oz) frozen whipped
topping, thawed
1 shortbread pie crust

In a mixing bowl thoroughly mix lemon juice with condensed milk. Stir in whipped topping. Pour into shortbread crust. Chill and serve.

Chocolate Pudding Cake

Melt ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter in a 1- ½ quart casserole dish in a 350° oven.

Mix: ¾ cup sugar
1- ½ Tablespoons cocoa
½ cup milk
1 cup self-rising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pour into casserole dish over melted butter.

Mix: 1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour over flour and cocoa mixture; DO NOT STIR. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Cake makes its own sauce as it bakes.

Tea Cakes

1 cup shortening
1cup sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Melt shortening and let cool for 5 minutes. In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together and roll into small balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 300° until lightly brown, about 10 minutes.

Corn Flake Cookies

1 cup light Karo syrup
1 cup sugar
12 ounces peanut butter
6 cups corn flakes

In a medium saucepan, heat syrup and sugar until boiling. Add peanut butter and corn flakes; gently combine. Drop by teaspoons onto waxed paper.