W
hen the tornado hit Beauregard in 2019, Carol Clemmons, who had worked with disaster relief organizations, volunteered with Samaritan’s Purse in Opelika. She was so impressed with the outpouring of care and love from the community that Carol realized she wanted to live here and purchased a house. She has settled into the community, helping nonprofits with the involvement of her therapy pet Maisy, as well as enjoying entertaining and hosting a cookie exchange during the Christmas season.
When Carol was born, her father was serving in the military, then he retired shortly afterwards. The family moved to Florence in North Alabama where they lived until she was in the third grade. From there, they moved to Midland, Texas, and returned to Florence when her grandmother became ill.
Carol has fond memories of her mother being an excellent cook and enjoying gardening — as she helped grandparents with their vegetable garden.
“She was an amazing all around person,” Carol said. “My mom instilled in me the love of cooking and gardening. She was one of seven children and the last of a generation to pick cotton.”
After high school, Carol graduated from the University of North Alabama, then went to work at a U.S. Canadian bank in corporate treasury in Chicago, Illinois. She transferred to their office in Houston, Texas, where she retired after 20 years in banking.
When her mother was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer, Carol moved back to Florence. She routinely took her mother to Vanderbilt and became involved with the Broach Foundation for Brain Cancer Research. Her mother passed away in 2018.
Carol was with her father in Florence when she heard about the tornado in Beauregard. Since she had prior work with disaster relief organizations, Carol wanted to volunteer with Samaritan’s Purse.
While friends had attended Auburn University, she had never been to the area. Carol arrived in Opelika on March 7, 2019.
“I made friends that first day who are still some of my dearest friends,” she said. “I always tell people if you want to know the fabric of the community, go after a natural disaster and see who shows up. It will give you a good indicator of what the community is like.
“Experiencing what I saw in Beauregard and the people who served — I knew this was where I wanted to live and serve, and it was only four hours from my dad. After being here for two weeks, I fell in love with the people and purchased a house.”
As Carol was settling in Auburn, she became involved in many community activities and organizations. She joined the Lee County Master Gardeners and Campus Club, among others.
One of her main interests has been being involved in pet therapy with Maisy. Carol found Maisy in Houston when she saw a young boy on the side of a road with puppies, trying to find people to give them a good home.
After she trained Maisy, Carol had her tested for being a therapy dog for children, and she was found to have a calm temperament. When Maisy was a year old, she became a part of Caring Critters in Houston. Carol and Maisy visited the Texas Children’s Hospital regularly for five years.
“It was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done,” Carol said.
Now, Carol and Maisy are partners for the Auburn Therapy Dogs that go into hospitals, nursing homes, events on campus and other places when there has been a tragedy involving children. Their favorite place to serve is with the REACH (refresh, encourage, activities, care, hope) program, a respite ministry for those living with mild to moderate dementia and their care partners.
“Maisy and I help ease the transition when they are coming in to get settled for the day,” she said. “It is such a joy.”
In addition to being involved in the community, Carol enjoys entertaining. Every year during the Christmas season she hosts a cookie exchange for friends. She first started hosting an annual cookie exchange when she lived in Houston as a way to meet people.
“I love the idea of a cookie exchange,” she said, “because everyone loves cookies. You can gather women of all ages and backgrounds and bring them together to meet and get to know each other.”
For planning the cookie exchange, Carol makes a list of people she would like to invite and tells them to bring two dozen cookies. If the list gets over 20, she will ask friends to bring three dozen cookies. She tells them if they get too busy and can’t make cookies to buy them since it is more important to be together.
When the ladies arrive, she will serve heavy appetizers and assorted beverages. Then, everyone gathers around the table filled with the cookies and tells a story about the cookies and why they brought them. Some tell funny stories. Everyone gets a variety of cookies to take home.
“I feel the cookie exchange is more than just a cookie swap,” Carol said. “All these amazing ladies come together and share their stories from different stages and walks of life. It is fun to bring people together to share food, especially during the Christmas season.”
Macarons are Carol’s specialty cookies to prepare. When she lived in Chicago, she asked a pastry chef at a bakery if he would give a class for her and a friend. She learned the French and Italian method to make the scrumptious confections. While the macaron recipe is too complicated to share, Carol is sharing other favorite cookie recipes.
She is also sharing a couple of recipes that her mother made, including a “chocolate gravy” that was served over biscuits.
The Chicken and Dressing recipe was her mother’s special holiday dish. Carol now prepares it when gathering with friends during the Christmas season. Since her mother didn’t use recipes, Carol sat down with her as she made the dressing and measured each ingredient.
“When I make it, I feel like it is a warm hug from my mom,” Carol said. “When you see recipes from your mom, aunt, friends and coworkers, they bring back so many memories.”
Carol’s father’s favorite recipe is a Bourbon Cheesecake. She was able to get the recipe from a former restaurant in Florence. Cream can be substituted for the bourbon. It makes a decadent dessert.
The Skillet Coffeecake with Almond Topping goes together quickly and would be a treat to serve to serve on Christmas morning. It is one of her most requested recipes.
Carol encourages others to gather friends together and share appetizers, cookies or variety of treats. It is not necessary to prepare a large meal.
“It has been a huge blessing being in this community,” Carol said. “I am grateful for Opelika and Auburn. It is a beautiful place with kindness, and the heart of the people here is like nothing I have seen anywhere else.”
SHERRY’S CANDY CANE COOKIES
¾ cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. peppermint extract
2 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking powder
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla and peppermint. Mix well.
In separate bowl, mix flour with salt and baking powder. Stir into creamed mixture.
Divide dough in half. Add and blend red food coloring into one half.
Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.
Roll sections into rope; twist two together (one red/one white) to form a candy cane. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes until lightly brown.
Fran’s Chocolate Center Peanut Butter Cookies
½ cup oil
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup peanut butter
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ¾ cup self-rising flour
1 package Hershey Chocolate Kisses
Mix first seven ingredients. Add flour and stir well.
Chill for 30 minutes or longer and roll into walnut sized balls. Bake 10 to 15 minutes at 375 degrees until light brown. Remove from oven and add chocolate kiss into each center.
Clara’s Tea Cakes
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup Crisco shortening
1 Tbsp. vanilla
Extra sugar for top
Set aside flour and sugar. Mix sugar and shortening and beat until it looks like ice cream. Add egg, stir in flour and stir well.
Roll into balls and dip top in sugar. Flatten with a glass and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees until brown around edges.
Mom’s Chicken and Dressing
5 to 8 chicken breasts or thighs (or combination) with or without bones
1 (32 oz.) box chicken broth
1 bunch celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
Salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, celery salt, sage to taste
1 pan cooked cornbread
½ loaf white bread
In pot, cover chicken with water and boil until done, reserving half of broth. Set aside chicken to cool. Meanwhile, sauté celery and onions in butter in pan and set aside.
To reserved half of broth, add cooked onions and celery.
Debone and shred chicken. Add to broth and vegetable mixture.
Add half box of broth. Crumble cornbread and white bread into mixture. Add spices to taste and additional broth to desired consistency (should be partially soupy).
Place mixture in baking dish and bake at 350 degrees until heated and bubbly around sides (approximately 45 minutes to an hour).
MOM’S OLD FASHIONED CHOCOLATE GRAVY
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 heaping Tbsp. cocoa
2 heaping Tbsp. flour
3 cups milk
Dash of salt
Melt butter. Mix sugar, cocoa and flour and add to butter. Gradually add milk and salt; stir over medium heat and cook to desired thickness. Enjoy over hot and freshly made biscuits.
PHYLLIS’ JEZEBEL SAUCE APPETIZER
1 (15 oz.) jar pineapple preserves
1 (15 oz.) jar apple jelly
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1 (5 oz.) jar prepared horseradish
1 (1 oz.) box dry mustard
Mix together and pour over cream cheese. Serve with crackers (Waverly Crackers are delicious with this) or use as a dipping sauce.
ROASTED OKRA
2 bags frozen cut okra, thawed
Salt, pepper, olive oil
Combine thawed okra and toss with olive oil and seasonings on a baking sheet. Roast at 425 degrees, stirring at 15 minute increments, for approximately 30 to 45 minutes or until crispy.
Dad’s Favorite Bourbon Cheesecake
Crust:
1 cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
2 ½ cup chopped pecans
1 stick butter
Mix well and press on bottom and up sides of pan (about ½ inch thick); bake 5 minutes in 325 degree oven. Allow to cool.
Filling:
32 oz. (four 8 oz. pkg.) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
¼ cup bourbon (may substitute ¼ cup cream)
¼ cup cream
½ Tbsp. vanilla
3 whole eggs plus 2 yolks
Mix cream cheese and sugar well (no lumps). Add bourbon, cream and vanilla and mix well.
Add eggs and beat on high (but do not over-beat) just until yellow is stirred through. Pour onto cooked crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 70 minutes.
Praline Sauce Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
¾ cup milk
Combine in a saucepan and cook until glazed on top (220 degree candy thermometer) and add:
½ tsp. vanilla
8 oz. (1 stick) butter
Whisk in butter and turn on low.
1 cup whole pecans or walnuts
Add nuts. Stir and cook an additional 2 minutes. Cool and pour over top of cheesecake.
Blueberry Crisp
A tasty gluten and dairy free dessert
5 to 8 cups blueberries
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup almond meal
1 cup pecans
½ cup olive oil
½ cup maple syrup
1 tsp. salt
Place berries in pan. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes until browned and fruit is bubbling.
Skillet Coffeecake with Almond Topping
¾ cup butter or margarine
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. almond flavoring
Slivered almonds
Sugar for top
Melt butter and add to sugar in mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add flour, salt and flavoring and mix well.
Pour batter into large iron skillet (9 to 11-inch) which has been lined with aluminum foil. (Leave excess foil on either side for later use.)
Cover top with slivered almonds and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes in 350 degree oven.
Remove cake from the pan with the foil and when cool, wrap tightly in the foil to store. Do not try to peel the foil off while cake is still warm since it will stick.
Jessica’s Strawberry Pretzel Salad
A favorite for Christmas dinner
Crust:
4 cups pretzels, crushed
2 cups chopped pecans
2 sticks butter, room temperature
6 Tbsp. sugar
Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice
8 oz. Cool Whip
4 cups strawberries
Topping:
2 large pkg. strawberry gelation
4 cups boiling water
Mix pretzels, pecans, butter and 3 Tbsp. sugar. Press into bottom of an oblong Pyrex dish. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool.
Mix cream cheese with 1 cup sugar and lemon juice. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over bottom layer. Freeze for 10 minutes, sprinkle the strawberries on top and refrigerate.
Mix gelatin with boiling water. Cool until thickened but not set, then lightly spoon over strawberries. Return to refrigerator until set.
Easy Chocolate Pots de Crème
1 egg
6 oz. pkg. semisweet chocolate chips
Dash of salt
1 pat butter
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Put all ingredients except milk in blender. Heat milk just to boiling and add to mixture in blender. Blend for 1 minute. Pour into small individual serving dishes and chill for at least an hour before serving.
Note: Do not consume raw eggs if you are pregnant or have health issues.
Lamb Chop Appetizer
Special appetizer for a dinner party.
2 racks of lamb, trimmed and cut into individual chops (lollipops)
Marinade:
5 cloves garlic
2 ½ tsp. chopped, fresh rosemary
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Combine all marinade ingredients in a food processor until all is chopped. Place chops in a single layer on a large sheet pan (rimmed) and lined with foil. Spread marinade over each side of the chops. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 5 hours.
Preheat broiler, broil chops 4 to 5 inches from heat source, until desired temperature (anywhere from 3 to 4 minutes per side to 10 minutes per side, depending on how cooked you want them). The first time you make this recipe, start checking after 3 minutes. The second side usually requires less cooking time.
Double the marinade recipe for stronger flavor.
