VOICE Speaks
L
ast year I shared this story, and I thought that I would share it again. I received so many comments and felt it was worth sharing one more time. At the end of last month, October, it meant that my dad had passed away thirteen years ago. I thought about all the things that he enjoyed doing and things that he was really good at doing. One of those things was cooking. He could serve up tasty, country-fried chicken and his gravy would have been the envy of many chefs. However, what I remember as being the best dish he prepared was his chocolate gravy. Growing up, chocolate gravy seemed to be most popular at our kitchen table, because when friends would visit or spend the night, and Dad prepared chocolate gravy, Mom would get phone calls from other moms wanting to know, “What is chocolate gravy?” Usually prepared on Saturday mornings, nothing was tastier than chocolate gravy poured over a hot scratch-made buttered biscuit. It was delicious! Recently, I saw in a grocery store aisle a prepared packet with the words “chocolate gravy.” Now, I’m not sure that it would be as tasty as Dad’s recipe, but for all of you curious about chocolate gravy, here is the old-timey recipe. Old Time Chocolate Gravy: 1 1/2 c sugar 1 1/2 c milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 sticks butter 4 tablespoons cocoa 1/4 c plus 1 teaspoon flour (For preparation see the Cooking with Brenda Gant video on Facebook, and it is important to add the ingredients as the instructions indicate in the preparation.)
What a perfect time of the year to start a new tradition for the holidays and chocolate gravy could be the perfect ingredient for a new tradition! With Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we encourage you to purchase books through JCP’s website, www.jancarolpublishing. com, and shop at our bookstore, Books & Gifts, located in Blountville, TN. Also, Saturday, November 25 is Small Business Saturday. It is a day that promotes small, brick-and-mortar businesses with the start of the holiday shopping. Show your support! From all of us to all of you, a big thank you, and we wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving! Verse of the month: “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” Ephesians 5:20 KJV Thought of the month: “I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all.” Simone Biles, American artistic gymnast
Janie C. Jessee, Editor-in-Chief
4 | November 2023 | www.voicemagazineforwomen.com
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