One place we visited in Macon as children was like going to Disney World. It was a magical place, full of fun things to do and interesting people who loved children. We simply called it Uncle Clay’s. And the added treat was Aunt Fanny’s cooking.
My Great-uncle Clay had a dairy farm just outside the Macon city limits, near Belleview Baptist Church. By the time I was old enough to remember, the daily production was gone, but there were still hay fields, and cows being raised for meat, and a great big bull or two. Uncle Clay had an old tractor and he loved to take us kids riding through the fields.
Uncle Clay was a big man. He was tall and bulked up and his hands were huge. To me, they looked as large as a dinner plate. My dad used to tell the story of a bull who stepped on Uncle Clay’s foot. When the bull wouldn’t move, Uncle Clay hit him in the temple. One blow. The bull dropped dead. No one messed with Uncle Clay, who really was a good, godly man.
Then, there was my Uncle Burle who was a big kid himself. He had strung a wire from high in a tree and down to the ground for a hand-trolley. We took turns climbing up the ladder to grab the trolley and then jump off the ladder to get as much speed going on the way down as possible. We were lucky we didn’t go home bruised or broken.
The farm also had a pond with a swim platform in the middle. On a hot summer day, our favorite thing to do was to cool off in the pond, dry off on the swim platform, and then do it all again. However, one time we stayed overnight and Uncle Burle took us in the truck down to the lake. He turned the car so the headlines shone up the water. All we could see were sets of eyes looking back at us. Those were the snakes, he said, who came out to swim at night. In the past, we had swum in that lake at night, but that night killed that activity for both my sister and me.
The other thing that was special at the farm was the huge screen porch they had built. It was as long as the house and I remember it had long tables set up permanently for when the family ate together. It looked like it was set up for church dinner on the grounds and it honestly felt that way when we were all gathered. My Great-aunt Fanny was the revered matriarch of the gathering. She was a tiny woman who looked worn down by being a farmer’s wife. I remember her gathering tomatoes and corn in the garden, always wearing a cotton day dress. She was always busy, snapping beans or shucking corn or cooking in the kitchen. If she sat down, she had a baby or small child in her lap.
The farm was home to their entire family. Besides Clay and Fanny’s house, there was a two-story structure on the hill that housed two more families. When everyone gathered on the porch for dinner, it was hard to tell one family from another. It reminds me of what I think heaven will be like.
The food at Aunt Fanny’s was good, country cooking. Almost everything had been grown or raised there. The food always seemed fresher and sweeter there. There was always an the abundance of food to feed the growing family. In the early years, they didn’t own a refridgerator, so all the leftovers would be packed up and carried down to the spring house to keep them cool. Going down to the spring house is still my mom’s favorite memory of the place.
With all the food that was shared at that table, one of the standouts was Aunt Fanny’s Squash Casserole. I love squash and I love squash casseroles. The one I usually make is full of cheese and salted crackers. It’s delicious but fairly high in calories. Aunt Fanny’s casserole allows the squash to shine through and it is delicious. I made it this week so you could see it. It’s also really easy to make.
Aunt Fanny’s Squash Casserole
3-lbs yellow summer squash
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup cracker meal or bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 stick butter (divided in half)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Wash and cut up squash. Boil until tender, drain thoroughly, and then mash.
Add all ingredients except only 1/2 of the butter to the mashed squash. Put in a casserole dish. Melt the remaining butter and pour it on top of the casserole. Sprinkle the cracker meal or bread crumbs over the butter.
Bake at 375 degrees for approximately one hour, or until brown on top.
