Stories

A: Time together.  It brings us closer.

A: "Country Cooking with Amanda"

A: White beans and ham and "Puppy Chow" for dessert.

A: I used to go with my mom to a senior citizen center and help at the Indian Taco dinners.

A: Time to spend together.  I love cooking for the holidays and catching up with everyone in the family.

A: Never say "Yuck" at any food served.  Also, remember that dinner time at the table is important.  Family is important!

A: One of my favorites is testing the recipes in this book with my grandchildren.

Q:  What does cooking for your family mean to you?
A:  Quality time.

Q:  Do you have any recent victories when it comes to health?
A:  My daughter's diabetes is improving!

Q:  What is the worst thing you've ever cooked?  Why did it flop?
A:  I attempted to make homemade bread.  It didn't rise at all.

Q:  What does cooking for your family mean to you?
A:  This is one way I like to show them I love them!

Q:  What is your favorite food?
A:  Hamburgers.

Q:  What are the biggest changes you'd like to see in young families and how they cook?
A:  I wish they could stay at home more and cook instead of eating out so much.

Q:  What do you see as the biggest barrier for young people and cooking for their families?
A:  No one has enough time, and fast food makes it too easy.

Q:  Name your best cooking partner in the kitchen and why.
A:  My grandma - Mamaw.  She was a wonderful cook.  I miss her a lot.

Q:  What does cooking for your family mean to you?
A:  Being able to gather at the table to talk and tell each other about our day!

Q:  What's your best memory in the kitchen?
A:  Having both of my grandsons in the kitchen cooking with me.

Q:  What dish are you famous for cooking?
A:  Mexican Casserole

Etta Johnson is an esteemed American Indian elder.  She grew up during the Great Depression of the 1930s.  As a little girl, she didn't realize times were tough for many people because her mom and dad worked hard to do what had to be done, making the most of what they had.  They taught Etta and her siblings the same family values.

Her family grew their own fruits and vegetables, as well as raised cattle, hogs and chickens.  They had plenty to eat and plenty to do.  As a young girl, Etta would help cook the family meals but still had to milk three of their 29 cows.  They pitched in to plant and reap corn and cotton.  Her family worked together to live off the land and enjoyed family life together.

When chores were done, the children played in the creek catching crawdads or chasing June bugs in the cow lot.  Some evenings, the family gathered around the radio, which was powered by a car battery.   Etta's father made a wind charger to recharge the car battery.  The family might hear a Joe Louis boxing match or President Roosevelt's monthly address.  In those days, there was no electricity or running water.  There were wells on the land, so her family had to carry big buckets of water to the house.

Etta and her sisters attended Bloomfield/Carter Seminary, an all-girls Indian school, from the first through eighth grade.  She continued her education at Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas.  Upon graduating from high school, she took a two-year commercial business course at Haskell and graduated in 1951.

After graduation, Etta worked for Fox Rig & Lumber Company in Ardmore as a secretary-bookkeeper.  She got married and moved to Texas where she worked for the state tax division.  Later, she worked as a secretary, copywriter and editor for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES).

Etta and her husband, Rudolph, live in Ardmore.  Her son, Robert McDonald, and two grandchildren, Chris McDonald and Kasie Dawn Graham, also live nearby.

Q:  What are some of your favorite foods?
A:  Sweet potatoes, apple fritters, strawberries and bananas.

Q:  What food-related memories bring a smile to your face?
A:  I remember eating smoked meat and dry salt meat growing up.  My dad always had a great big garden that provided for all the family and relatives.  We also had a big orchard with peaches, plums, grapes, blackberries and apricots.

Q:  Name your best cooking partner in the kitchen and why.
A:  My sisters.  They are all really good cooks.  We had to learn to cook when we were about 6 or 7 years old.

Q:  Do you have any latest/greatest news you'd like to share in regards to health?
A:  I am controlling my diabetes without medication!

Q:  What's the worst thing you've ever cooked, and why did it flop? 
A:  Grilled chicken - didn't know not to cook it so high.

Q:  What are you famous for cooking?
A:  Pecan pie, apricot pie, fudge and blackberry cobbler.

Q:  What's your best memory in the kitchen?
A:  The smells!

Q:  What are some of your favorite foods and why?
A:  Jon was born in Hawaii and a veteran of the Korean War.  He loves Asian food.

Q:  What does cooking for your family mean to you?
A:  Health and well being.  Sharing a meal together.  Pleasure and nourishment.  It is a part of life that is essential to our well being.

Q:  What's your latest and greatest victory in the area of health?
A:  We are both in our 70s and very healthy!

Q:  What's your best memory in the kitchen?
A:  The holidays when everyone is together and everything comes out right and on time.

Q:  What does cooking for your family mean to you?
A:  Getting a well-balanced meal made with love.

Q:  Name one of your favorite memories involving food.
A:  My first date with my husband.  We had Mexican food.

Q:  Any recent victories in the area of health?
A:  I've lost 40 pounds!

Q:  What's the biggest change you'd like to see when it comes to young families and cooking?
A:  A 30-minute meal does not have to be hot dogs, chicken nuggets fast food or freezer food.