Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen (5 page)

1 can (15.25 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained

1 can (14.75 ounces) cream-style corn

1 carton (8 ounces) sour cream

1 box (8.5 ounces) Jiffy corn muffin mix

2 cups grated cheese, divided: 1
¹
/
₂
cups in mix and
¹
/
₂
cup sprinkled on top

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter the casserole dish.

2. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into the casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool a little before serving.

A Note from Miss Kay

As you would guess, we do eat our share of meat and seafood dishes, but we also like vegetables. Phil grew up with a family garden, so we love to get fresh vegetables as often as possible. This dish isn’t made with fresh corn, but it’s a great one for the winter months, when fresh corn isn’t always available.

Phil’s Famous Pralines

Makes about 12 pralines (repeat for more) • Heavy-bottomed medium saucepan • Wax paper

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

¹
/
₂
cup evaporated milk (I use Pet)

Pinch of salt

¹
/
₂
stick (4 tablespoons) butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1
¹
/
₄
cups coarsely chopped pecans

1. In the saucepan, bring the sugars, milk, and salt to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally.

2. When rolling boil starts, begin timing and cook for 4 minutes. (Accuracy is important.) While it’s boiling, lay out wax paper on your counter.

3. Remove from the heat and add the butter, vanilla, and pecans. Beat vigorously until the mixture becomes thick. (Seriously, I do mean
vigorously
.)

4. Quickly drop by spoonfuls onto the wax paper. (Work quickly, otherwise it will harden too much to spoon out.) Let the pralines cool and set.

A Note from Miss Kay

This is another recipe that Phil takes responsibility for making. It’s a candy, so precision is important. He’s more patient than I am when it comes to candy-making projects. When you read the history of pralines, you find that early French settlers made them with almonds, but almonds were in short supply in Louisiana, so they turned to a more abundant nut, the pecan. In any case, we sure are glad they found their way into Louisiana cuisine!

2.

Feeding My Boys

There is no sight on earth more appealing than the sight of a woman making dinner for someone she loves.

—Thomas Wolfe

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

—Romans 12:13,
The Message

Recipes My Boys Love

Jep’s Best Baked Beans

Jase’s Favorite Sweet Potato Pie

Jase’s Favorite Creamed Potatoes

Jase’s Choice, Italian Crème Cake

Willie’s Favorite Roast with Vegetables

Jep’s Pick, Chicken Fajitas

Willie’s Choice, Deviled Eggs

Willie’s Favorite Fried Chicken

Jep’s Meatloaf Choice

Alan’s Favorite Coconut Cream Pie

Who would have thought these four boys were destined for TV stardom? Certainly not me. Alan is the oldest. Then there’s Jase on the left and Willie beside him and our baby, Jep.

Every Man for Himself

I’ve worked hard to teach my boys good manners, but trust me, four hungry boys are never in the mood for a manners lesson. I have a couple of stories that may not speak of the most shining moments in my sons’ lives, but they center around food, so I have to tell them.

Alan was six or seven years old and times were tough around our house, but we always had plenty of food. At least I thought we did. One day I was cleaning Alan’s room and noticed a plate of food up in the closet. Naturally I questioned him about it. He said he couldn’t eat it all at supper and he didn’t want his little brother to get it, so he hid it. Logical, I guess. Little did I know that this “every man for himself” attitude would prevail with my boys—even today they are “lovingly” competitive in everything they do. You may have caught a glimpse of this while watching
Duck Dynasty
.

Willie and Jase at the warehouse. I’m not sure what they’re up to, but it’s surely something crazy.

Here’s another story that’s even worse. We retell this story at least once a year around our house. It definitely shows both the competitive spirit and the love for food my boys have. Jase and Willie almost had a war over toast and frozen pizza. It seems Jase had buttered twelve slices of bread for toast and Willie had placed a frozen pizza (yes,
moms, even I had frozen pizza in the freezer) on a pan ready to shove it in the oven. Well, we had only one oven. Jase needed to broil; Willie needed to bake. There seemed no solution except to fight it out, which they proceeded to do. I was not home at the time, or I would have put a stop to it immediately. But a friend of the boys named Don “Curly” Foster was there. The story goes that the only way he got them to stop fighting was to tell them they weren’t acting like Christians. I’m not proud that they were fighting over toast and a frozen pizza, but I am proud that they recognized ungodly behavior. Thanks, Curly, for pointing them in the right direction that day.