Doris McGuire of Limestone County says she enjoys making things with her hands.
“I think of it as part of my heritage to make things people can wear, eat or enjoy,” she said.
Doris and her husband, Arvid, have been married 58 years. They raised cattle, goats, horses and various breeds of dogs during their time as active farmers, but Doris says the fields that mark their route to church are a joy to her every week.
“The congregation is near the Madison and Limestone County line, and it is some of the best farmland in this region. Whether it’s planted in wheat, corn or cotton, when we drive the road to church that goes through those fields, I always think it must be some of the finest crops grown,” she says.
Doris continues to compete in both the Alabama Farmers Federation Heritage Cooking and Quilting contests annually, and she says she was first inspired to participate by her aunt, Mildred Pack.
“I still check with her on my quilting projects, and she and I look forward every spring to finding out what the category will be for the Heritage Cooking Contest,” Doris said.
A retired second-grade teacher, Doris said she enjoys returning to the classroom as a substitute teacher when needed.
“I retired in 1997 after 27 years of teaching second grade, and the first year I didn’t do any work with the school, but I missed the kids and having the opportunity to help them,” she said.
Despite sharing recipes for German Pancakes with The Country Kitchen, Doris says she doesn’t have any German “roots.”
“The recipes just happened that way. The Eggs Goldenrod recipe goes all the way back to my high school home economics class, and the Glorified Potatoes was my mother’s recipe,” said Doris.
Doris also shares the Orange Marmalade Layer Cake she entered in the Federation’s State Heritage Cooking Contest several years ago, and the Marshmallow Cheese Toast is a great recipe for letting little hands help in the kitchen, she said.